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How the sausage gets made
A report on how soy is driving deforestation and why Danish Crown needs to act immediately.
The 2019 fires in the rainforests of the Amazon put a grim spotlight on one of the greatest environmental catastrophes in the world. The destruction of tropical forests in South America and elsewhere causes devastating losses of biodiversity, threatens the livelihood of millions of Indigenous people and is a major contributor to global warming.
Driving this destruction are industrial agriculture and the food industry, constantly demanding new cropland and pasture. The increasing global appetite for meat causes a booming demand for animal feed, and global soy production has increased more than tenfold over the last fifty years. Seventy-five percent of the soy is used as livestock feed in the meat industry.
A recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes that, taken as a whole, industrial agriculture is almost as big a driver of climate change as fossil fuels. In South America, this development has accelerated recently, as forest protection policies have been put under attack in Brazil.
This places a huge responsibility on the agricultural sector, the food manufacturing industry and on food retailers to stop driving the demand for an unsustainable expansion of soy production.
This is why this report puts attention on Danish Crown.
Note: After the finalisation of this report, Danish Crown has submitted their action plan for sustainable soy. Their action plan fails to ensure that Danish Crown becomes a fully deforestation-free company and does not change the main arguments and critique in this report.
The Danish meat manufacturer, known globally for product brands such as Tulip, is one of Europe’s largest producers of pork.
The Danish pork industry is responsible for the annual import of close to a million tons of soy to Denmark, 83 percent of which comes from South America.
This report reveals that a large share of the soy that Danish Crown imports to Denmark through its farmer members lacks any assurance that it does not come from deforested areas. The report also reveals that Danish Crown receives soy from ports in South America that are known to ship soy from high-risk areas.
While Danish Crown claims a commitment to sustainability through its own Corporate Social Responsibility policy and through its membership in the Danish Alliance for Responsible Soy, no measures to ensure its supply does not drive deforestation have been implemented. The initiative from the Alliance provides no deadlines, and it also allows for measures that fail to guarantee deforestation-free soy.
We strongly recommend that Danish Crown start adapting, in actions and not just words, to the growing market of concerned consumers and investors who are likely to distance themselves from manufacturers that contribute to environmental destruction.
While retailers, food manufacturers and finance institutions around the world are taking action, Danish Crown is failing to cut its ties to deforestation.
To avoid being complicit in deforestation and trading with companies that are responsible for serious environmental damage, Danish Crown must commit to engage only with suppliers that are not involved in deforestation.
Moving demand toward certified soy may go some way toward achieving this as a first action, but in the long run it is clearly insufficient. The only way to ensure that soy imports do not cause further forest destruction is by permanently switching to suppliers that are completely free of deforestation in all of their operations.
The problem with soy
Soy is the fastest expanding crop in the world. Since 1961 soy production has increased more than tenfold, from 27 million tons in 1966 to 350 million tons in 2017.  Global demand is expected to continue to increase to 514 million tons by 2050. In the same period, the crop area allocated to soy production has increased by 1,000,000 km2.
This increase alone is more than the combined area of the three Scandinavian countries.
More than half of this expansion has happened in South America where soy was a marginal crop six decades ago, to the detriment of native forests. Today it is the number one export of Brazil and Paraguay and a major source of export revenue for Argentina.
Seventy-five percent of the world’s soy production is used as animal feed. Soy is valued for its high yield of both protein and fats and is primarily used in compound feeds for cattle, poultry, pork and farmed fish. A global increase in the demand for meat, driven partially by population growth and partially by a dietary change in countries that have traditionally had a low meat consumption, will keep pushing the demand for soy feed.
The growing demand for soy is one of the main drivers of the destruction of tropical forests. More than 480 km2 are deforested to make way for soy plantations every year, equal to five times the area of the city of Copenhagen. The devastating forest fires in the Amazon and other South American regions are the direct consequence of agricultural expansion. Soy production is inextricably linked with widespread forest loss, greenhouse gas emissions, violent conflicts, environmental pollution and the loss of irreplaceable species.
On average, 14 percent of the soy expansion in South America in the period 2008–2017 has been into forested land.
The majority of new soy plantations have emerged in Brazil, where 22 percent of the expansion was into forests. Paraguay, while a smaller soy producer in total, has had 57 percent of its expansion into forests. In Argentina, 9 percent of its soy expansion in the last decade was in forested areas.
Any soy import from these countries thus carries a major risk of being from deforested areas, unless the importers accept responsibility for a high level of diligence.
The recent political developments in Brazil are cause for increased concern about deforestation. The government of Brazil has signaled a strong emphasis on economic and infrastructural development, at the cost of forest preservation and environmental concerns. As a result of this, Brazilian forests are increasingly at risk.
During the election campaign, current president Jair Bolsonaro pledged to limit fines, limit the influence of the national environmental agency (Ibama) and support clearing forests for plantations, mining, and cattle ranching. Within the first eight months of Bolsonaro’s tenure in office, fines had dropped by a third. Many other measures have also been taken by the government to weaken forest protection, such as forgiving or revising environmental fines, weakening the enforcement of the law and other policies.
The Brazilian government is also working on a measure to regulate land tenure in the Amazon by self-declaration. This means that anyone may claim ownership of land by a mere declaration without any validation. This policy has yet to be presented to the Brazilian National Congress, possibly because of increased international awareness and corporate threats to withdraw investments in Brazil.
At the same time, the soy moratorium is under pressure. The moratorium is an international commitment from soybean producers and exporters to refuse to buy soybeans produced on newly deforested tracts of the Amazon. Initiated in 2006, the moratorium has been repeatedly extended and is widely recognized as the most successful measure to stop commodity driven deforestation.
However, Brazilian soy farmers are pushing to extinguish the soy moratorium. The powerful soy producers’ association Aprosoja has called the moratorium “an illegal commercial barrier”.  This view has also been supported by the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture.
While the effectiveness of the moratorium was initially bolstered by the support of the Brazilian government, recent developments are a cause for concern. As a worrisome parallel, a ten-year ban on sugarcane plantations in the vulnerable Pantanal tropical wetlands was recently lifted by the government.
These and other political developments are very likely the cause of the dramatic increase in deforestation in Brazil within the last year. Data on deforestation in the Amazon from the satellite surveillance system PRODES show that the deforestation in the 2019 forest year (August 2018 – July 2019) was more than 9700 km2.
This is the highest rate of deforestation since 2008, even though it does not include most of the devastating 2019 fire season that made global news in August 2019.
Deforestation and related land grabbing cause violent conflicts with the Indigenous peoples who inhabit these forests. In Brazil’s Maranhão state, three members of the Guajajara tribe were killed in two separate incidents in November 2019. Only this January, three Miranha Indigenous people were killed in Coari municipality in Amazonas state, while two farmers were murdered in Maranhão state.
These are only a few of the most recent acts of violence against Indigenous people in a rising tide of violence. According to the Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI), 135 Indigenous people were murdered in 2018, an increase of almost 23 percent from 2017.
The CIMI report also included preliminary data for 2019, noting 160 cases of land invasion, illegal exploitation of natural resources and damage to property in 153 Indigenous territories since the new Brazilian government took office. Even though these preliminary numbers only cover the first nine months of 2019, the total area that has come under attack is already double that of 2018.
As a reaction to the forest fires of 2019, pressure is growing on Brazil to change its current course. Asset managers, pension funds and companies with financial and commercial connections to Brazil have expressed their concern and issued warnings, halted deals and stopped purchases of government bonds.
Through the UN-supported PRI network, 230 institutional investors representing USD $16.2 trillion in assets issued a call on companies to take urgent action and (among other things) to publicly disclose and implement a no-deforestation policy with quantifiable, time-bound commitments covering the entire supply chain and sourcing geographies.
Several international clothing companies have suspended leather purchases from Brazil. Aquaculture companies MOWI and Skretting have issued statements of concern, and MOWI is considering sourcing soy elsewhere., In a recent move, Nestlé has decided to drop Cargill as a supplier of Brazilian soy, as the trading company has failed to guarantee a deforestation-free origin of its soybeans.
It is hard to assess the effects of these reactions within such a short time frame, but there are signals that the Brazilian government is in fact putting a brake on some of its worst policies. Experience from previous efforts, such as the establishment of the Soy Moratorium, indicates that international corporate pressure does indeed halt deforestation, and with the difficult political situation in the area, increasing this pressure may be the only feasible way to stop deforestation.
The Consumer Goods Forum, an organization that brings consumer goods retailers and manufacturers together globally and at the CEO level, has urged its members to take greater accountability in avoiding deforestation.
At its summit in Berlin in October 2019, CGF’s path forward on deforestation was presented, stating that efforts are underway to move from a clean supply chain approach to a clean supplier initiative. This comes as an acknowledgement of the fact that the current approach of addressing only the specific supply chains of individual manufacturers through certifications and other means is too weak to put real pressure on suppliers to abandon deforestation practices. CGF has some of the biggest retailers in the world among its members.
A shift in retailer demands is likely to have a large impact on manufacturers like Danish Crown. Some manufacturers are already positioning themselves to meet this demand. Among them is major global food manufacturer Mars. It has recently updated its sustainability policy to include strong requirements on its suppliers’ policies.,
Does Danish Crown contribute to deforestation?
Danish Crown (DC) is one of the world’s largest exporters of pork and one of Europe’s largest producers of pork. DC exports meat to over 120 countries, but the majority of its operations take place in its regional markets in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, UK and Poland. The company has clear ambitions for expansion, aiming to become a global leader in several product categories such as bacon, pizza toppings, canned meat and snack products, as well as the sale of natural casings and raw materials to the medical industry. DC has acquired several other manufacturers in the Netherlands, Poland, Argentina, Spain, the U.S. and China.
DC has pledged a commitment to sustainability, but how its ambitions will be put into practice remains unclear, and its policy on a sustainable soy supply chain is ambiguous. In 2014, Danish Crown pledged in its Code of Conduct that the soy in its supply chain would be sustainable. However, clear mechanisms to achieve this have yet to be put into place, and the company’s plans in the near future to implement such mechanisms are limited to only a small part of its operation.
Note: After the finalisation of this report, Danish Crown has submitted their action plan for sustainable soy. Their action plan fails to ensure that Danish Crown becomes a fully deforestation-free company and does not change the main arguments and critique in this report.
Diffusion of responsibility
On its website, Danish Crown states it is in its vision to produce “completely climate neutral” meat by 2050. The main emphasis for this policy, however, is put on energy and water consumption, transport and packaging. While measures to improve feed efficiency are also emphasized, the sustainability in its feed supply chain is only mentioned in passing, stating that they are “exploring new solutions to the biggest and most complex issues, such as sustainable livestock feed and new technologies.”
Initial correspondence with Danish Crown did not clarify this ambiguity. Inquiring about the origin of the soy in its supply chain and what mechanisms are in place to guarantee that its pork production does not contribute to deforestation, DC referred us to the Danish Agriculture and Food Council “as they cover Danish farming broadly”.
Moreover, it stated that “Danish Crown is a cooperative owned by Danish farmers and the farmers also deliver pigs and cattle to Danish Crown. The farmers are responsible for raising the animals and for sourcing feed to the animals. Therefore, Danish Crown has no access to data concerning the volume of the feed purchased by our members or the suppliers of feed to the farms.”
In its Supplier Code of Conduct, soy is not mentioned specifically. It is left up to the company’s suppliers to “be aware of the significant environmental impact of products, processes and services delivered to Danish Crown.” However, the document also specifies that suppliers must be able to provide transparent, full and correct documentation on environmental performance upon request, and that they may be excluded if they fail to do so. This seems to contradict the claim that Danish Crown has no access to data about the feed purchased by its members, indicating that the Code of Conduct has very little impact on the actual day to day operations of the company.
This diffusion of accountability and responsibility is incompatible with Danish Crown’s stated sustainability ambitions.
Considering that through its members, Danish Crown is a major importer of soy from high risk areas, due diligence would require a much stricter control of its supply chain.
Danish Crown has taken steps since our initial contact in June 2019 and has committed to join the “Danish Alliance for Responsible Soy” in September 2019., The Alliance acknowledges the need for concrete measures to ensure responsible protein imports to Denmark and lays out a vision for responsible and deforestation-free soy imports.
However, the lack of clear and concrete measures and time-bound goals makes the initiative fall short. The schedule for implementation of its measures is up to each member, and the initiative includes no mechanisms to hold the members accountable for their commitments.
While joining the Alliance means that in principle Danish Crown has accepted responsibility for the social and environmental impacts of the soy that goes into its pork, the actual commitments to improve sustainability of its imports are very limited: By March 2020, Danish Crown will deliver an action plan for purchase of sustainable soy.
But the scope of this plan is limited to cover only the amount of soy needed to produce the meat sold on the Danish market. Considering that 90% of Danish pork is exported, the plan may apply to as little as a tenth of the company’s total production.
Danish soy imports
While the supply chain of Danish Crown lacks transparency and control, Danish soy import statistics are revealing.
In 2018, total imports of soybeans were 1.7 million tons. The top suppliers were Germany (37%), Argentina (29%) and Brazil (11%). However, Germany does not actually produce the soybeans it exports. Instead, it re-exports soy products that have been primarily imported from South America. When this is taken into account, 31% of imports to Denmark are from Argentina and 44% from Brazil. Adding Paraguay and Uruguay, 83% of Danish soy imports are from South America.
Less than a third of this soy was compliant with the FEFAC Soy Sourcing Guidelines (SSGs), which is an absolute minimum benchmark for responsible soy sourcing. As little as 20% is covered by a certification scheme that even claims to be deforestation-free, and even this number includes a large portion of RTRS Credits, which are problematic. The University of Copenhagen has estimated that 53% of the imported soy is used in pork production.
Since Danish Crown accounts for 75% of all pork production in Denmark, this means that even in the best possible scenario, where every single ounce of certified soy goes to Danish Crown farmers, half of the feed used by its suppliers would still have no claim to be deforestation-free, and a quarter of the supply wouldn’t conform to any benchmark for responsible sourcing.
Considering that Danish Crown has failed to demonstrate any effort to prioritize certified soy in its supply chain thus far, it seems more likely that the actual share of soy with no certification of any kind would be closer to the national average of 71 percent.
Danish Crown’s questionable suppliers
According to the IPCC, a relatively small number of agribusiness companies are responsible for the majority of this deforestation. Companies like the American agribusiness corporations Cargill and Bunge are driving the destruction of ancient native ecosystems and the wildlife habitat they contain to make way for industrial soy monocultures.
These industrial giants are funded by the companies that turn their commodities to products, and the markets that sell those products to the public.
As Danish Crown would or could not provide us with any sourcing data for the soy in its supply chain, we sought to trace the origin of its soy through our own research. Using location data transmitted by vessels via the Automatic Identification System to track individual shipments, specific ports and locations are linked, providing a strong indication of customer relationships from specific suppliers, via Denmark’s largest feed producers (DLG Group and Danish Agro Group), to Danish Crown.
In our research we found vessels loading high-risk soy at ports known to ship deforestation sourced soy from the Argentinian Chaco forest, and unloading these shipments in Danish ports.
We also found that Cargill is among the top suppliers in the Danish Crown supply chain. This is a cause for concern, as Cargill has a rather dismal history of environmental misconduct. The company has been proven several times to be involved in both legal and illegal deforestation.,
In 2018 Cargill was fined by the Brazilian government for buying soy grown on illegally deforested land in the Cerrado. While other actors in the market have been willing to reach an industry agreement to protect the Cerrado, Cargill has been dragging its feet on the issue. Cargill holds 21 percent of the soy market share in Maranhão state, where several Indigenous leaders have recently been killed, almost certainly through conflicts connected to deforestation.
In 2018, we conducted an investigation into the supply chains of soy from high-risk areas to the meat industry. Their report revealed strong links between Cargill and the destruction of crucial tropical forests in Argentina and Paraguay.
Where does the Danish soy come from?
Brazil: 744,436 tons
Paraguay: 527,931 tons
Argentina: 77,667 tons
(Danish imports of soy cake and soy meal in tons, including re-exports from Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Belgium, 2018.)
One of Brazil’s top soy producing states, Mato Grosso accounts for 85 percent of the soy produced in the Amazon biome. The state also experienced more fires in the summer of 2019 than any other state in Brazil. The Indigenous peoples who still inhabit the remaining forests in the state are under enormous pressure and are constantly forced to relocate. The worsening political situation subjects their futures to dire risk.
The Cerrado (Matopiba)
The Cerrado is a vast savannah forest located south of the Amazon. It is the most biologically diverse savannah in the world, and it is home to one out of every twenty species on Earth. Known as an “upside-down forest” for its relatively small trees with enormous roots, the Cerrado is the source of half of Brazil’s water and stores an enormous amount of carbon.
Less than 20% of the Cerrado remains intact, and only 3 percent is protected through national laws and regulations. The four states of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí and Bahía, often referred to collectively as Matopiba, are the current deforestation frontier of the Cerrado. Matopiba accounts for 62 percent of the total deforestation within the biome. The land converted to soy plantations increased by 253 percent in this region between 2000 and 2014.
The dry tropical forests of the Chaco are one of the largest remaining contiguous tracts of native vegetation in South America, second in size only to the great Amazon rainforest. This 110-million-hectare ecosystem spans Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay.
The Gran Chaco is highly biodiverse and home to many endemic species. Over the last two decades, the forests of the Chaco have experienced some of the world’s highest rates of conversion to agriculture, primarily for soybean plantations and cattle ranching, with deforestation rates exceeding even those of the Amazon.
Argentina alone lost 22 percent of its forests between 1990 and 2015, primarily for soy plantations. Paraguay is regularly ranked as having one of the highest global deforestation rates. Poor governance coupled with the large-scale expansions of industrial agriculture is causing widespread deforestation.
but not too late
Given the undeniable connection between soy expansion and deforestation, and the dramatic consequences of the loss of tropical forests , strong measures must be expected by companies with South American soy in their supply chain. The initiatives that Danish Crown has taken at present are insufficient in scale, scope and implementation.
The commitment made to the Danish Alliance for Responsible Soy could be seen as a first effort, showing awareness to the problem, but in itself it does little to ensure that the entire supply chain is deforestation-free.
The Alliance aims for its members to submit an action plan by the end of March 2020, containing measures to ensure that all soy imported to Denmark is produced responsibly. But the initiative does not include a deadline for when the action plan must be implemented and the goal achieved. Without proper deadlines, there will be few mechanisms to hold the members accountable to their commitments. In addition, the action plan may include measures that fail to guarantee deforestation-free soy. This includes certification schemes that do not necessarily guarantee that no deforestation takes place, such as RTRS Credits.
For all practical purposes you might not even call it a commitment to anything at all.
Legal deforestation is still deforestation
A major cause for concern are the lax definitions of sustainable soy. While the Alliance sets as a goal that “production shall not contribute to deforestation or conversion of other habitats of high conservation value”, the certification schemes accepted within the framework have far weaker standards.
Some certification schemes prohibit only soy produced through “illegal deforestation”. Given the weak state of environmental laws and their enforcement in many South American countries, this is far from sufficient. Brazil is seeing its deforestation laws undermined by its own government, and Argentina has failed to effectively enforce forest management laws. According to Soy Monitor, within current national regulations this would allow for the legal clearance of another 1,100,000 km2 of forest in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay, an area equal to 25 times the size of Denmark.
All in all, the measures that the Alliance prescribes are already outdated and are incompatible with the expectation of consumers and investors. Within this framework, there is no reason to believe that Danish Crown will introduce measures that are sufficient to avoid being complicit in deforestation in South America.
The situation in Brazil and other soy producing countries merits strict measures and swift action, and so far Danish Crown has failed in delivering this.
A significant limitation on existing initiatives is that the sustainability of soy is determined on the “batch level”, rather than on the supplier level. This means a supplier may offer certified soy to those that demand it with one hand, while at the same time selling deforestation produced soy to those who don’t with the other.
Certifications schemes are meant to create market pressure on suppliers to source soy responsibly, but when suppliers are free to trade in deforestation soy with anyone who make no explicit demands about sourcing, this market pressure is too weak to actually make a decisive impact on deforestation practices. The most effective approach to sustainability is to demand deforestation-free suppliers that do not engage in deforestation in any part of their operations.
The Consumer Goods Forum at its summit in October 2019, made clear that the organization is moving from a ‘clean supply chain’ approach to a ‘clean supplier initiative’. This is cause for optimism.
But for any supplier that lacks control over its own soy supply chain, like Danish Crown, this should come as a clear warning and an immediate call to action.
Recommendations for Danish Crown
We call on Danish Crown to immediately scale up ambitions and publicly commit to becoming deforestation-free in all of its operations by 2020, including to only buy soy from deforestation-free suppliers. Danish Crown should also express its concern about the increased deforestation and violations of Indigenous peoples’ rights in Brazil.
How Danish Crown can achieve this:
- As a first and immediate step towards becoming deforestation-free, Danish Crown must only allow deforestation-free, segregated RTRS or ProTerra certified soy in the company’s supply chain.
- Danish Crown must demand that its soy sub-suppliers such as Cargill and ADM eliminate deforestation from all of their operations and become deforestation-free suppliers by the end of 2020 and exclude suppliers that fail to meet this requirement.
- Danish Crown must ensure transparency in its supply chain and identify the origin of its soy (origin must be traced down to farm-level).
- Danish Crown and its soy related sub-contractors must sign the Cerrado Manifesto and express their support for the Amazon Soy Moratorium.
Recommendations for retailers:
- Demand that food manufacturers like Danish Crown only trade with deforestation-free suppliers, i.e. suppliers that are not involved in deforestation in any of their operations.
- Exclude food manufacturers with high deforestation risk, and lacking zero deforestation commitments.
- Sign the Cerrado Manifesto and express their support for the Amazon Soy Moratorium
Recommendations for policy makers:
- Require that all soy imported to Denmark must be deforestation-free.
- Implement a law / requirements for full transparency in Danish supply chains.
- Hold back the ratification of the Mercosur trade deal until Brazilian government halts deforestation and restores the protection of Indigenous people’s rights.
- Introduce a due diligence law that holds Danish companies accountable for human rights violations and environmental damage caused directly or indirectly through their supply chain.
Recommendations for consumers:
- Ask Danish Crown to take responsibility for its supply chain and only engage with suppliers that are not involved in deforestation.
- Ask your local supermarket, for example through its customer service, to only sell products that have no connection to deforestation through its supply chain.
- Reduce your meat consumption - it reduces the demand for soy.


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Appliances dominate our daily lives.
Some extremely useful, which we couldn't live without, while others can be more nuisance than necessary.
But what are some of the better brands? And why do they score highly?
Consumer New Zealand Chief Executive, Sue Chetwin spoke to The AM Show.
Watch the video.

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The New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement is a bilateral free trade agreement signed in April 2008 between the People`s Republic of China and New Zealand. It is China`s first free trade agreement with a developed country and New Zealand`s largest trade agreement since the 1983 agreement establishing closer economic relations with Australia.  The New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement was signed in Beijing on April 7, 2008, after negotiations continued over 15 years. It came into force on 1 October 2008, after ratification by the New Zealand Parliament. The provisions of the agreement are expected to be phased in gradually over a 12-year period and fully into force in 2019. On 7 April 2008, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark attended the signing in Beijing of the China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, which came into force on 1 October 2008. The agreement, which covers areas such as trade in goods, trade in services and investment, is the first comprehensive free trade agreement ever signed by China, as well as The first free trade agreement signed by China with a developed country. The free trade agreement between New Zealand and China lasted more than three years. On 19 November 2004, Helen Clark and the President of the People`s Republic of China, Hu Jintao, announced negotiations for a free trade agreement at the APEC Heads of State and Government Meeting in Santiago, Chile. The first round of negotiations took place in December 2004. Fifteen rounds took place before the signing of the free trade agreement in April 2008 by New Zealand Trade Minister Phil Goff and Chinese Trade Minister Chen Deming in the Great Hall of the People`s Hall in Beijing.   “This ensures that our enhanced free trade agreement remains the best thing China has with each country,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement released after her bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the East Asia Summit in Thailand.
Premier Jacinda Ardern and Minister of Trade and Export Growth David Parker announced the conclusion of negotiations to enhance the existing New Zealand-China free trade agreement. There are also plans to improve existing mechanisms for cooperation and dialogue, particularly in tariff barriers. The revaluation expands customs regulations; and to facilitate compliance with labelling requirements for our exporters. We also agreed on a subsidiary letter on alternatives to animal testing for cosmetics. Modernization would ensure that almost all of New Zealand`s timber and paper trade to China will have preferential access over the next decade, he said. The agreement also provides additional transparency in the treatment of forest products as part of forward-looking commitments under the existing free trade agreement. In early November 2019, New Zealand and China agreed to strengthen their free trade agreement. The new provisions included facilitating exports to China, improving China`s commitment to environmental standards, and New Zealand`s preferential access to timber and paper trade with China.
In exchange, New Zealand will relax visa restrictions for Chinese travel guides and Chinese language teachers.   On September 1, 2011, revised rules of origin for trans-Tasman trade came into effect. For more information on the rules of origin for ANCERTA and general instructions for using the agreement, see fact sheet 20 (PDF 268 KB). More information can also be found on the MFAT website. The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement (P4) is an agreement between Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Singapore and NZ.


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A PERTH CBD cafe has got an idea brewing to get more customers through the door.
Seeing customer numbers take a hit due to more competition and surrounding business cutting back on employees, Voltage Espresso is offering $1 regular coffees on October 19.
Owner of the St Georges Terrace business Craig Rainbord said he hoped to celebrate being open for seven years in January.
“We have seen a lot more competition in the CBD and a lot less people coming here because mining downturn has affected the businesses in the complex we are in,” he said.
“Some are operating with 10 per cent of original staff numbers.
“People have said they have not seen the market this low before.
“It is like we get one new customer, we lose two more.”
Mr Rainbird said the perceived long winter also hurt the business.
“It is spring now but it is like a long winter and people are less inclined to go out for a hot drink in this weather,” he said.


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According to the NPD, “While Apple is the clear market leader, the new Smartwatch Total Market Report reveals that the top three brands (Apple, Samsung, and Fitbit) made up 88 percent of smartwatch unit sales during the timeframe. However, traditional watch manufacturers, like Fossil, and fitness-focused brands, like Garmin, are working to grow their share of the market, as they continue to expand into the smartwatch category.”
That being said, there is a chance that Google could turn things around for its Wear OS platform. If the rumors are to be believed, Google could finally be taking the wraps off its own brand of smartwatches this year with the Pixel Watch. While there’s no guarantee that the Pixel Watch will sell well, Google’s Nexus and Pixel brand of hardware has typically been appealing to users who want a more “pure” Android experience which could help attract more customers who might have been resistant to the idea before.


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text:
04 February 2020
Most provinces in China are still facing strict environmental restrictions during the winter months, with raw materials production and demand from the downstream sector affected to some degree, report Carrie Shi and Sybil Pan.
03 January 2020
Alexander Shevelev, CEO of Russian steelmaker Severstal, says that the company has changed its culture quite quickly and substantially to focus on being a solutions provider. Richard Barrett asked him to explain that mission and to recall his path from the shop floor to the top of a company that employs 50,000 people


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The next generation of graphic cards are finally here. Nvidia launched the new high-end graphics cards the GeForce RTX 2070, RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti during a pre-Gamescom 2018 livestream from Cologne, Germany. The new generation graphics card will be succeeding the well received top-of-the-line GeForce GTX 1070, GTX 1080 and GTX 1080 Ti.
The RTX 2070, 2080 and 2080 Ti will be the first consumer-level graphics cards based on Nvidia’s next-generation Turing architecture which combines industry-leading gaming and VR performance with real-time ray tracing and artificial intelligence. The new GeForce RTX Graphics Cards will feature built-in support for real-time ray tracing, a technique used for photorealistic graphics.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang claims that the RTX 2070 GPU is faster than the Titan Xp.Nvidia says the RTX 2080 is designed for overclocking, and the RTX 2070 will offer more performance (for ray-tracing) compared to the Nvidia’s Titan XP card. The new cards will cost a heart for they don’t come cheap.
- RTX 2080 Ti Founders Edition: Ksh121,039
- RTX 2080 Ti Reference: Ksh 100,849
- RTX 2080 Founders Edition: Ksh 80,659
- RTX 2080 Reference: Ksh 70,564
- RTX 2070 Founders Edition: Ksh 60,469
- RTX 2070 Reference: Ksh 50,374
specifications for the three graphics cards.
NVIDIA RTX 2070
|Spec||RTX 2070 FE||RTX 2070||GTX 1070|
|Boost clock||1710 MHz (OC)||1620 MHz||1683 MHz|
|Frame buffer||8 GB GDDR6||8 GB GDDR6||8 GB GDDR5|
|Memory speed||14 Gbps||14 Gbps||8 Gbps|
NVIDIA RTX 2080
|Spec||RTX 2080 FE||RTX 2080||GTX 1080|
|Boost clock||1800 MHz (OC)||1710 MHz||1733 MHz|
|Frame buffer||8 GB GDDR6||8 GB GDDR6||8 GB GDDR5X|
|Memory speed||14 Gbps||14 Gbps||10 Gbps|
NVIDIA RTX 2080 TI
|Spec||RTX 2080 Ti FE||RTX 2080 Ti||GTX 1080 Ti|
|Boost clock||1635 MHz (OC)||1545 MHz||1582 MHz|
|Frame buffer||11 GB GDDR6||11 GB GDDR6||11 GB GDDR5X|
|Memory speed||14 Gbps||14 Gbps||11 Gbps|
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced on Tuesday (02) that he will step down as president of the…


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Mondelēz International today announced a stronger set of expectations and principles on direct suppliers of palm oil to improve transparency and speed the transition to sustainable practices across the sector.
Mondelēz International to Collaborate With Israeli FoodTech Incubator, The Kitchen, to Lead the Future of Snacking
Mondelēz International announced today it has reached a collaboration agreement with The Kitchen, Israel’s only FoodTech-focused incubator and one of the first FoodTech incubators in the world.
Mondelēz International announced on Thursday it has made a minority investment in Hu (as in “Human”) Master Holdings, the parent company of both Hu Products and Hu Kitchen, a fast-growing US-based snacking company offering minimally processed, high-quality snacks.
Mondelēz International announced today it has taken a minority investment in Uplift Food, a US-based early-stage start-up focusing on prebiotic functional foods. This is the first venture investment the company is making as part of SnackFutures, the company’s innovation and venture hub aimed at unlocking snacking growth opportunities around the world.
Mondelēz International Highlights Progress on Strategic Plan and Reaffirms Outlook at 2019 CAGNY Conference
Mondelēz International on Monday reiterate its 2019 financial outlook and long-term growth targets at the 2019 Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) Conference.
Mondelēz International announced today that it has joined the Loop initiative, founded by recycling leader TerraCycle, which aims to tackle packaging waste with a new subscription-based model for distributing consumer goods to homes in reusable containers.
Arla Foods to Acquire Kraft-Branded Cheese Business in Middle East and Africa from Mondelēz International
Mondelēz International, Inc. today announced that it has reached an agreement to sell its Kraft-branded Cheese Business in Middle East and Africa(MEA) to Arla Foods of Denmark. Financial details of the transaction will not be disclosed.


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DFNN Inc., through its subsidiary Inter-Active Entertainment Solutions Technologies Incorporated (IEST), has secured an online gaming licence from the Philippine Gaming and Amusement Corporation (PAGCOR).
InPlay, IEST’s new remote gaming platform, has been developed to be an extension of its current land-based system allowing a certain part of gaming take place in the privacy of the client’s own home. However, this service is only available to VIP players who must meet strict eligibility and registration procedures as well as rigid KYC protocols; including a two-way video call, personal registration and fund deposit & withdrawal at the outlet. DFNN’s suite of technology capabilities guarantee that all these security protocols are successfully executed.
DFNN Chief Executive Calvin Lim said: “The main focus now should be combating illegals and the industry should work in unison to do so. Illegal online casino has been flourishing, becoming so creative as to engage agents/affiliates in order to differentiate themselves by forming clubs to recruit players. In many countries, both online and land-based, gaming has co-existed for many years and all remained profitable.”
“So many people have been scammed falling prey to identity theft and credit card fraud by illegal operators using social media platforms, even plastering the logos of government agencies such as DTI, DOF and PAGCOR to lure players. Anything illegal is unsafe and detrimental to the economy. These illegal operators take the government’s business and revenue allotted for charity and various free social services. Worse, it siphons money overseas to the detriment of the economy taking away much needed aid for indigent Filipinos,” DFNN said.
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Powered by The Ticket Factory, TeamRock Tickets will be a great addition to the TeamRock portfolio providing the opportunity for rock and metal fans to access the best tickets for live events and concerts for the music they are passionate about, say the publishers.
Managing Director of TeamRock, Tony Dowling, said: “This is an exciting initiative which will help cement Teamrock.com as the home of rock and metal. As well as original content, news and interviews our fans can now access tickets for live events too. Our audience is built of loyal and passionate people, who will soon be able to buy tickets under our brand, meaning we can provide an even better TeamRock experience.
The Ticket Factory’s technology and systems mean we’ll deliver a reliable service to our customers which will integrate seamlessly with the TeamRock brand. Their proposition of standing ‘for the fans’, developing their product with a customer-first approach and strong stance against secondary ticketing, aligns closely with our ethos as a credible and authentic media owner.”
Stuart Cain, Managing Director of The Ticket Factory said “We are delighted to enter an innovative and exclusive partnership with the metal and rock powerhouse that is TeamRock. TeamRock has a worldwide global footprint of over 6 million rock and metal fans, so thanks to the creation of TeamRock Tickets, The Ticket Factory and this powerful new marketing channel will be the go to selling platform for promoters of rock and metal events and concerts up and down the country.”
As part of this new service, TeamRock Tickets’ customers will also have the chance to take part in exclusive competitions, as well as gain access to preferential offers.
TeamRock Tickets will launch in August with an associated full multi-channel marketing campaign utilising print, online, social media, newsletter, email and radio platforms, says TeamRock.


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HONG KONG — In late Mach, H&H Group announced that it had launched Zesty Paws into the UK pet market, significantly expanding the brand’s international footprint.
“We’re thrilled to be expanding our Zesty Paws range into Europe, further realizing the company’s vision of being recognized as a global leader for the health and wellness of pets and giving pet parents the tools to optimize their pet’s holistic health,” said Rafi Kalachian, who was recently appointed chief executive officer of H&H Group North America.
Founded in 2014 and based in Florida, Zesty Paws offers high-quality, functional products for cats and dogs. In August 2021, the brand was acquired by H&H Group, which followed H&H Group’s acquisition of Solid Gold in 2020.
According to research from Euromonitor International, the global pet food and supplement market is currently worth about $123 billion and is expected to continue to grow. With this in mind, H&H Group has decided to expand Zesty Paws into the United Kingdom, meeting global consumer demand for functional products supporting pet health and wellness.
“Looking at the UK specifically, the country has the third largest number of pets following the United States and China, with 35% of UK pet owners agreeing that supplements are the most efficient way of delivering functional benefits to pets, reflecting the desire for these products [according to market research firm Mintel],” said Mike Rondas, chief executive officer of H&H Group Europe.
“Following the pet ownership boom which we saw occur during the pandemic, pet ownership continues to persist, alongside a growing demographic of older pets who require specialized products for their senior needs, which Zesty Paws supplements provide,” he added.
The first Zesty Paws products to debut in the UK market are Mobility Bites in both duck and bacon flavors. The supplement bites are currently available to UK consumers via Amazon. H&H Group will roll-out more Zesty Paws products in the UK later this year.
“This UK launch is an exciting first step into European expansion for our pet nutrition and care segment and rings true to our business mission at H&H Group to make people healthier and happier, which extends to our pets and our passion for holistic pet health,” Rondas said. “We know that Zesty Paws can bring transformative supplementation to pets worldwide, bringing efficacious solutions, powered by branded ingredients and in an easy-to give soft chew format that pets love. With over 330,000 5-star ratings and reviews in the United States, Zesty Paws continues to deliver results you can see with ingredients you can trust.”
Read more global pet food and treat news from outside North America.


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A new logistics tracking solution for Serie A has been announced by the club.
Livestreaming services, and new capsstone tracking services for logistics are being launched, starting from the end of the 2018/19 season.
The new service is being piloted by the Liguori group, who previously had the Capstone logistics system in place.
The new system is based on a data-driven approach, and has been developed with the support of an innovative team of logistics experts and a technology platform that offers a complete solution, from the delivery point of view.
This new Capstone service will provide the same benefits as the Liguiori system, but will be delivered in a more agile manner.
“We have developed a new system for logistics tracking based on data and analytics that will help us improve the delivery of our products and services to the fans,” Luis Fauci, president of the Livestreamers Association of Italy (LFA), said.
A complete logistics system for Serie E was also discussed, and the LFA is pleased to announce that the system will be rolled out by the end.
In addition, LivestREAMers.com has now launched the Ligoros Capstone, a service that will provide customers with a detailed account of all of their orders. At the end


text:
Search Winsight Grocery Business
Partnerships offers Meijer customers same-day delivery in as fast as an hour.
Cardenas Markets is the latest grocer to partner with DoorDash to offer delivery of its fresh prepared foods.
Walmart's membership program cuts $35 shipping minimum in bid to better compete with Amazon Prime and others.
This year, consumers embraced online grocery ordering to stay safe amid the pandemic.
For $99 a year, Hy-Vee Plus offers monthly offers and coupons; free grocery delivery and two-hour express pickup; and a personal concierge service.
The Lempert Report: The real problem of too many riders is not being addressed.
The Bay Area internet grocer, now expanding in the Carolinas, says the new investment capital will support further growth as a retailer and software provider.
Heat-and-eat dishes from Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises' Wildfire restaurant are available for delivery through Nov. 25.
The company, which recently expanded to grocery delivery, has lost money every year since its founding, it said in a prospectus.
Cruise's fleet of all-electric self-piloted vehicles, which Walmart was test for delivery is Scottsdale, Ariz. early next year, can support sustainability goals and delivery ambitions, the retailer said.
Class Has Contributed Greatly to Success of Grocery Fresh Departments
WGB and BrandSpark collaborated for the third annual Most Trusted U.S. Food Retailers market study to identify the retailers that are capturing the highest affinity among shoppers from coast to coast.
Listen in to WGB’s flagship podcast, 10 Items or Less, featuring insights from retailers and industry professionals.
Exclusive industry info and insights straight to your inbox
Your go-to resource for all things grocery
Take a peek at the latest issue of the magazine


text:
Archive for August, 2004
Plastic bags are affecting the environment in India more than in most countries because of our complete lack of discipline and enforcement.
People throw plastic bags everywhere. Though we have legislation in place banning the manufacture and use of thin-gauge plastic bags, these laws exist only on paper, are flouted every day, and plastic bags continue [...]
Online Greek publication ekathimerini.com today published this shocking fact.
“There will have to be a change in the law forcing supermarkets to charge for shopping bags so that their excessive use, which is detrimental to the environment, can stop,” said Apostolos Alexakis, president of the Association of Greek Supermarkets.
An average store serves about 800 customers a [...]
The Daily Yomiuri today reported that Japan’s Environment Ministry has decided to forbid retailers to hand out free bags.
The ministry hopes to submit a bill to revise the law in the ordinary Diet session next year.
Wise. The Japanese throw away 30 billion plastic bags annually.
As one of the cleanest, most well-kept societies in the world, [...]
Too many discussions on branding focus on projecting a brand to external audiences. To the extent that branding gets considered as being synonymous with advertising.
I disagree. I think the place a branding exercise starts from is within the organisation. It is only when an organisation is in total internal agreement on the subject of [...]
Sure is a great looking bag, isn’t it? We call it the Jute #B06.
Attractive, economical and capable of saving the world from the waste of as many as 1000 plastic bags, this bag is a hero!
Packing and shipping costs are being worked out even as I write this, and we hope to have this lovely [...]
A few months back our Australian associate Tom Rayner (www.tomrayner.com.au) forwarded me a mail he got from a 13 year old young lady who was going to be the Australian delegate to the International Children’s Conference on the Environment in Connecticut http://www.icc04.org
She’s recognised how dangerous plastic bags are. To spread the message at the conference [...]


text:
Vicinity Motor Corp. has inked a deal with another Toronto-area distributor, Peninsula VMC Truck Centre.
The newly launched dealership will be headed by industry executive Kelly Jennings, the electric truck maker announced. The territory will cover the Southern Toronto region. Jennings is owner of Peninsula Ford Lincoln, with dealerships in Owen Sound and Port Elgin, Ont.
Peninsula will offer the VMC 1200 electric truck to customers in Hamilton, Burlington, Brantford and Niagara.
“Kelly’s experience and focus on the Canadian automotive market makes his family of companies a perfect fit for a new VMC dealership to help fleet operators seamlessly transition to an all-electric future,” said William Trainer, founder and CEO of Vicinity Motor Corp.
“Peninsula VMC Truck Centre will support fleet operators in their electrification journey, offering the purpose-built, custom-upfit all-electric VMC 1200 to a new generation of customers. We look forward to helping Kelly and the dealership share how the VMC can deliver immediate cost savings while concurrently reducing carbon emissions for commercial fleet operators.”
Credit: Source link


text:
Checkout charities contribute millions to good causes, but use caution when donating
Just about anyone who's gone through a check-out line at the grocery store or stopped to pick up a few snacks and pay for gas has experienced it. As the clerk tallies up your purchases they casually ask, Would you like to help feed the hungry? or Would you like to donate to fight childhood cancer?
For many, the answer seems automatic. When you're buying $200 in groceries, a few dollars to feed someone less fortunate seems little to ask. But dollars and cents added up across hundreds of thousands of locations add up to big bucks.
The corporate fundraising consulting organization, Engage For Good, reports that in 2016 the nation's top 73 "point-of-sale" charity fundraising campaigns collected more than $441 million in the United States alone - and the figure is probably much higher.
"Tens of thousands of businesses from single location restaurants to major chains engage their customers and staff in such programs each year and there is no central repository for this data," Engage For Good reports.
What the organization can say is that point-of-sale donations at stores, restaurants and on-line have become one of the most important and lucrative sources of charitable giving in America.
Children's health organizations such as the St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital and Children's Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals) received more than $70 million in charitable contributions from point of sale fundraising - also called checkout charity - in 2016 alone. The Walmart and Sam's Club family of businesses have donated $935 million to CMN Hospitals over the last 20 years.
These eye-popping figures are both a testament to the power of well-organized fundraising campaigns and a potential cause for concern. Whenever big money is at stake there are always scammers who are more than willing to exploit the goodwill of charitable donors.
For example, in 2004 the San Francisco area fundraising company PipeVine was ordered to repay United Way $13 million for donations it received but did not distribute. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, PipeVine collected and processed more than $100 million annually through workplace campaigns and an Internet fundraising site, but eventually admitted to misspending millions of dollars on internal operations.
However, charitable frauds of this scale are relatively uncommon and most often involve a third-party intermediary. According to Shaun Tatarka, director of the Great Falls Community Food Bank, the vast majority of checkout contributions remain in the community in which they are donated and are vital to sustaining local charitable organizations.
"The ones that I know about are all 100-percent legitimate," Tatarka said. "Town Pump is a good example. They do a ton of stuff in our community."
This year the Town Pump Charitable Foundation expects to raise over $3 million to fund around 80 food banks across Montana. The campaign has raised over $26 million for food banks statewide in the last 15 years, including about $5 million in matching grants donated by the Town Pump Charitable Foundation.
"They fund the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry (in Great Falls), so the money is not actually going to us," Tatarka explained. "However, once a year we ask them to fund our Backpacks for Kids program and for the past two years they've given us $10,000. That's in addition to what they give St. Vincent de Paul."
Walmart and Town Pump are just two of the scores of local and national companies in Great Falls that actively encourage checkout charitable contributions. McDonalds, Taco Bell, Domino's, Albertsons, Buffalo Wild Wings, Arby's, Ace Hardware, Ross Stores, Circle K, Applebees's and Dairy Queen all have their season point-of-sales fundraisers.
The concern is not so much that any of these community partners is engaged in some sort of fraudulent collection, but rather in the rush to get through with their purchases, many donors likely have little idea of where the contributions are actually going - or just as important, whether their donation is staying within the community in which it was gathered.
"Ideally you should be able to ask that checker or that clerk, whoever that person is, and they should be able to tell you exactly where those donations are going," Tatarka said. "I don't know that that always happens."
Poor transparency about where the money goes is, according to Canadian survey, the single largest complaint about point-of-sales fundraising campaigns. Two-thirds of the respondents of a 2015 survey conducted for the marketing firm Public Inc. said they were uncertain about how the money they were donating was allocated, how much of it went for administration, how much of it was going to the people it was intended for, and if the retailer itself was making any contribution to the charity.
Daniel Borochoff, president of the independent charity watchdog organization Charity Watch, said the best thing to do if you're uncertain how your dollars will be spent is to simply ask.
"I think a store should have that information readily available," Borochoff said. "There should be a slip or print out that gives the specifics that can be easily handed out to somebody with questions."
Borochoff made a comparison with online or telephone solicitations.
"If they can't tell you who's being helped, what portion is going to fundraising costs, which portion is going to charity - if they can't answer these questions then its better to look elsewhere because you don't know what could happen with your donation."
Still, the average donor at the checkout line is typically donating only the cost of a candy bar or a lottery ticket. According to Borochoff, the effectiveness of checkout charitable giving is built largely upon convenience. Better to encourage people to give something rather than nothing at all.
"This type of impulse donation is okay if its just a small amount," he said, "but if you're making a more significant donation you really ought to do some research and find the charity of your choice who can do the most with your donation."
"It's so easy to give to charities today through the internet," Borochoff added. "You can go directly to their web site and just about any charity of any size has a donate button. Why not just give direct if you really want to help, then you get the tax deduction rather than the store getting it."


text:
It’s long been rumoured Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott are engaged as the youngest KarJen sister has often been spotted wearing a diamond on her ring finger.
The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star could be even closer to wedding her baby daddy (if she hasn’t secretly already!) judging by a recent trip to an LA jewellers.
The pair were spotted shopping at Polacheck in Calabasas, and it’s been claimed they may have been buying themselves some wedding bands during their trip, leaving with little bags containing their purchases.
Is there a wedding in the very near future?!
Or could there have been one already? She did manage to keep her pregnancy – and birth – secret until she was ready to announce them.
It was their first public outing since Kylie’s huge 21st birthday at the weekend, which ended in drama when one guest, Tammy Hembrow, had to be taken away in an ambulance.
The model was wheeled out of the bash on a stretcher and loaded into a waiting ambulance, the soles of her feet blackened and her face appeared badly bruised.
The party itself looked like a typically Kylie affair, with the 21-year-old wearing an $8,000 (£6,200) bespoke pink jumpsuit.
Designed by LaBourjoisie, the jumpsuit featured 70,000 Swarovski crystals and took 10 days to create.
She celebrated alongside her sisters and had a ‘traffic light’ theme to her drinks – with pink cups meaning taken, yellow meaning single af, and green for it’s complicated.
Kylie then went on to celebrate in Las Vegas, further marking her big birthday by partying to Drake’s tunes with a humongous birthday cake and tequila shots.
That girl knows how to do birthdays.


text:
Performance responsiveness has been finessed with new fuel injectors and a new oil baffle pan, and each hand-built engine gets a plaque with the builder's name. Nissan says the 3.8-liter twin-turbo V6 for 2014 gets injected with 15 more horsepower and 15 more pound-feet of torque, but the 545 hp and 463 lb-ft are the same as the 2013 model listed on Nissan's web site. Compared to 2012, however, both numbers are up by 15.
It's love-it-or-else looks are unchanged, but inside, the Premium model gets revised color and stitching; the Black Edition gets new accents and the option of a Premium Interior Package with Red Amber color semi-aniline leather. Nissan hasn't mentioned any price increases – the 2013 models came in at $96,820 for the Premium and $106,320 for the Black Edition, plus $1,000 for destination and handling.
It hits dealerships in January of next year. It's in our gallery of high-res photos right now.


text:
Tech Week Ahead: Apple's iPhone 5 Stumbles
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.
MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
I'm Melissa Block. And it's time now for All Tech Considered.
(SOUNDBITE OF THEME MUSIC)
BLOCK: As of today, there's a new world order. Today, Google surpassed Microsoft to become the second largest tech company in the world in terms of market capitalization.
LAURA SYDELL, BYLINE: Which means the PC is losing to the Web, because Google is all about being on the Internet or in the cloud, as people like to say.
CORNISH: That's NPR's Laura Sydell who says Google is now riding high on a different sort of cloud. The overall value of the company's shares now ranks second only to Apple. And speaking of Apple, the big news there lately has been the iPhone 5.
BLOCK: The new iPhone has had a couple of problems. Last week, CEO Tim Cook publicly apologized for all the trouble with Apple's replacement for Google Maps. Some have called that mapaggedon. Users have also reported that the aluminum body is easy to chip.
SYDELL: And now, one more. Dun, dun, dun.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
SYDELL: Verizon subscribers have been complaining that there is a bug that could end up costing them a lot of money. So when you're home, say, and you have the Wi-Fi on on your phone and you're downloading data and looking at videos and so forth, you figure it would download on your Wi-Fi so that it's not costing you extra, as it might on your Verizon or AT&T plan if you were watching the same video.
CORNISH: Rather than using Wi-Fi, the bug uses your data plan instead. Apple rolled out a software update yesterday to fix the problem.
BLOCK: And that's today tech news with NPR's Laura Sydell. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


text:
Egypt agrees to a $35…
But despite the industry as…
California will get 38,000 more electric vehicle charging stations after the Public Utilities Commission voted for Southern California Edison’s Charge Ready 2 program.
The power utility’s program involves $442 million in investments, of which the bulk would go towards building charging infrastructure. The remaining $14.5 million would go towards “marketing, education, and outreach.”
The program is part of California’s stated goal to reduce emissions by 40 percent from 1990 levels by 2030, and by 80 percent by 2050, the PUC’s decision said.
California is the largest EV market in the United States, with EV sales accounting for as much as 46.8 percent of the total in 2018. Though electric vehicle sales fell globally, EV sales in California still outperformed traditional gas-powered vehicles.
The state, which is notorious for its efforts in reducing emissions, has committed some $2.46 billion from various government agencies to encourage the switch from internal combustion engines to electric cars, according to calculations made by the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Of this total, the California Public Utilities Commission has committed close to $1.1 billion for the transition, the daily noted in a report on California’s spending on EVs. Most of this will support additional charging infrastructure, which is an essential aspect of the EV revolution anywhere.
The state has a target of as many as 5 million electric cars by 2030, but if it to reach it, it would need to put a lot more effort into encouraging EV buying: to date, there are some 537,000 EVs on the roads in California. Charging infrastructure would be essential in this as anxiety about charging points is one of the reasons people are reluctant to buy EVs along with range and price considerations.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Irina is a writer for Oilprice.com with over a decade of experience writing on the oil and gas industry.


text:
IBM has joined an increasing number of vendors who are pushing for real-time cybersecurity information sharing among private and public organizations, researchers and other network defenders.
The destructive malware program that the FBI alerted some companies about this week was likely used against Sony Pictures Entertainment, according to technical evidence found by researchers in the program's code.
Attackers deploy Web-based reconnaissance tool to gather information about potential targets in different industries
An exploit for a vulnerability that affects all versions of Internet Explorer and has yet to be patched by Microsoft has been integrated into the open-source Metasploit penetration testing tool, a move that might spur an increasing number of attacks ...
A recently announced and yet-to-be-patched vulnerability that affects all versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) has been exploited in targeted attacks against organizations in Taiwan since the beginning of July, according to security researche...
Microsoft has released a temporary fix for a zero-day vulnerability in Internet Explorer 8, which was used by hackers in a prominent attack against the U.S. Department of Labor's website.
A subdomain of a U.S. Department of Labor website appeared offline on Wednesday after an apparent hack that looks similar to a known China-based hacking campaign nicknamed DeepPanda.
Two security vendors have detected an uptick in targeted malicious software attacks against the Uyghur community, an ethnic group in western China that has long campaigned for greater independence from Beijing.
An exploit for a previously unknown and currently unpatched vulnerability in Java is being used by cybercriminals to infect computers with malware, according to security researchers.
A new piece of malware that deletes entire partitions and user files from infected computers has been found in Iran, according to an alert issued Sunday by Maher, Iran's Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Center (CERTCC).
The recent cyberattack that infected Israeli police computers with malware was likely part of a year-long cyberespionage operation with targets in Israel and the Palestinian territories, according to security researchers from antivirus vendor Norman.
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Apple is counting on the $249 iPad Mini to draw you into its stores. But it's hoping you end up buying a $499 iPad Air instead.
Satirist Stephen Colbert complains that a Google search has his height wrong. So, try searching "How tall is Stephen Colbert" now.
Find out when your device will be updated to the latest version of Android.
Apple's tablet lineup has expanded from six configurations to more than 50 in four years. Has the product lineup become too complex?
After complaining about his Comcast service, Conal O'Rourke claims the cable giant contacted his boss and got him fired.
The Air Force says that the almost one-of-a-kind spacecraft "conducted on-orbit experiments" in the the longest-ever mission for the X-37B program.
The social network is No. 1 on Glassdoor's "Top 25 Companies for Culture and Values." Not far behind are Google, Facebook, and Apple.
The update, which became available for download Monday, adds support for Apple Pay, brings back the camera roll and launches the iCloud photo library.
Microsoft chief Satya Nadella pushes new services from the world's largest software maker. But his controversial comments on women in tech earlier this month remain a focus of attention.
The Chinese tech giant will form a new subsidiary that will have a different name and branding with an aim to sell directly to customers in China via the internet.


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Nokia has announced that it is phasing out its Symbian operating system and putting it into "maintenance mode".
The news broke when a user of Nokia's 'Drive' app for the Nokia E7 reported a bug in its FP2 update, only to receive a statement from the company confirming the platform will no longer be developed.
"Thank you for your improvement ideas, thus (sic) Symbian is in maintenance mode and no new features will be implement[ed] without extremely good reason," said Nokia.
"We have written down your ideas for future development if there is a chance that new features will be released."
Nokia has been winding down the once-dominant Symbian for some time, having adopted the Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 8 operating systems for its current and future handsets.
Symbian was the world's leading mobile operating system until it was eclipsed by Google's Android in November last year.


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Global fintech leader Airwallex today announced that it has closed its Series D fundraising round at A$250m (US$160m), marking its biggest raise to date.
Australia’s first smartbank, 86 400, has closed its Series A capital raise. $34m of new equity was raised in March, bringing its total capital to $90m.
Xinja Bank, Australia’s independent neobank built entirely for mobile, has launched a fund raise aimed at sophisticated investors.
Investment in fintech has risen sharply in most major markets in 2019, led by the US and UK and emerging economies such as India and Brazil: Accenture
Australia’s first and largest consumer marketplace lender, SocietyOne, has established a warehouse facility arranged by NAB, alongside a $15m equity raise.
More than $1.4 billion in capital was secured by Australian Fintech firms in 2019 across 38 deals or partnerships, setting a new record.


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Tesla has introduced a brand new model of Mannequin three with a brand new Mid-Vary battery pack and 260 miles of vary that can promote for $45,000. That’s $Four,000 lower than the worth of the Lengthy Vary battery pack model, which has a 310-mile vary.
The rear-wheel-drive possibility will now solely be obtainable with the brand new Mid-Vary pack, and the Lengthy Vary pack will solely be offered with a twin motor AWD powertrain (Elon Musk says that RWD will nonetheless be obtainable with the Lengthy Vary pack for a restricted time).
Is that this a step within the route of the $35,000 base model that the corporate has promised?
“As Mannequin three manufacturing and gross sales proceed to develop quickly, we’ve achieved a gentle quantity in manufacturing capability, permitting us to diversify our product providing to much more prospects,” Tesla says. “Our new Mid-Vary Battery is being launched this week within the U.S. and Canada to higher meet the various vary wants of the numerous prospects wanting to personal Mannequin three, and our supply estimate for patrons who’ve ordered the Normal Battery is Four-6 months.”
Musk tweeted that the brand new pack shouldn’t be a software-limited Lengthy Vary pack. “It’s a protracted vary battery with fewer cells. Non-cell portion of the pack is disproportionately excessive, however we are able to get it performed now as a substitute of ~February.”
Supply: Electrek, CNBC
Picture: mariordo59 (CC BY-SA 2.zero)


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HUGE LOGO WHITE BORDER SQUARE.jpeg
Escape Games Live is bringing a new trend to the midstate.
Their service involves customers using team building skills to attempt to find a door key and escape from a locked in a room in an hour.
"Basically, we want to lock you in a room and see if you can get yourselves out by finding clues and figuring out puzzles," Steve Shellenberger, co-founder, said.
The two rooms that are currently available are "Escape the 70's" and "The Precinct," which involve a replica of a 1970's living room and a 1950's Los Angeles Police Department precinct, respectively.
Shellenberger and Michelle Hil decided to open Escape Games Live in York at 147 W. Philadelphia St. after playing similar escape games in New York and Philadelphia.
Escape the 70's and The Precinct costs $125 for about six people. A more "advanced" room, titled "Sherlock's Office," is scheduled to open this season.
All games are private and there are a limited number of games available per month.
Reservations can be made at www.escapegameslive.com or by calling Hill at 267-386-5916.
Have you participated in an escape game before? Tell us about your experience in the comment section.


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Facebook, the social networking giant has a somewhat bad news for their users. According to a blog statement by Facebook, almost 600,000 accounts get hacked each day.
This figure was first brought into light by security company Sophos which gave out this number while discussing new privacy settings that were introduced on the social networking website. According to Sophos, about 0.06% of a billion logins are compromised each and about 0.5% of facebook users get spammed on a single day.
Facebook is however working on this problem and have come up with certain solutions such as ‘trusted friend’ in which a user can select three or four of his trustworthy friends which in case of a lockout will receive codes that will get you your account back. Another solution from Facebook is ‘App Passwords’ which will automatically generate different passwords on your behalf and you will not have to remember them.
Well, almost all social networking sites face these kinds of problems and the number of hacks generally increases with each day. Do you think Facebook is doing enough to eradicate these type of problems? Let us know in comments.


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When YouTube Red first launched back in October, the biggest question was whether anyone would subscribe. The second question was whether artists would finally get a decent paycheck. Here’s what the initial royalty statements look like.
YouTube’s royalty payouts are the lowest in streaming, which is why the music industry has a serious problem with YouTube. But if YouTube could get people to subscribe, that story could change pretty quickly. Now, months later, we’re starting to get a little clarity on both questions.
According to details in a royalty statement leaked to Digital Music News on Thursday, YouTube Red royalties are strongly competitive with Apple Music and Spotify.
In this statement, which involves a chill electronica catalog, the per-stream royalty after several thousands streams landed at $0.00759, or, 0.7 cents per stream. Now, interestingly, the statement also included a separate accounting for publishing royalties, albeit for a drastically smaller amount. Specifically, publishing-only payouts amounted to $0.0009751 per stream, or, $0.09 pennies, lifting the overall per-stream payout to roughly $0.008, or 0.8 cents per stream.
Here’s the specific breakdown for each area, with the full-blown statement after that. Keep in mind that it’s actually very difficult to reach massive streams on YouTube Red, because, well, there don’t seem to be many people paying for it. Which means that this may never reach the scale required to truly become a meaningful revenue stream for artists.
Total Streams: 2,040
Cumulative Payout: $15.49066
Total Streams: 1582
Cumulative Payout: $1.54
And, here’s the spreadsheet, which has been heavily redacted to protect the confidentiality of the label in question. I will mention that AdRev is the one handling this.
Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a high payout bonanza that sometimes happens with premium services. That’s been the case with Microsoft Groove, whose Xbox-delivered streams strangely started averaging $4.65 per stream (yes, one stream).
And, for a look at the latest payouts from Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and YouTube, here’s what one independent rap label recently discovered. As you can see, for the vast majority of YouTube streams, which aren’t subscription-based Red, the payouts are pretty paltry.
More detail on the above breakdowns here.
And, please share your statements with us! Just send them to [email protected], we’ll be sure to protect your confidentiality.


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As if dealing with Meltdown and Spectre wasn't enough of a mess already, Intel has revealed that its firmware updates are causing problems on some older PCs.
"We have received reports from a few customers of higher system reboots after applying firmware updates. Specifically, these systems are running Intel Broadwell and Haswell CPUs for both client and data center. We are working quickly with these customers to understand, diagnose and address this reboot issue," Intel said.
In other words, the patches for Meltdown and Spectre may need patches themselves, though Intel has not come to that definitive conclusion just yet. If it's determined that a revised firmware update is needed, the company said it will make it available through normal channels.
The notice comes on the heels of a report in The Wall Street Journal that Intel has been quietly advising its customers not to install the latest firmware updates. WSJ got its hands on a document Intel has been sending out, which recommends that customers "delay additional deployments of these microcode updates" while it figures out the reboot issue.
This puts clients in a tough position. On one hand, with these vulnerabilities now disclosed, there is a sense of urgency to patch up systems as quickly as possible. However, dealing with reboots and other unintended behavior can create a whole new set of headaches.
The good news for the general public is that this doesn't affect them, at least not directly. Intel says that end-users should continue applying updates recommended by their system and operating system providers.
That said, Intel is still assessing the performance impact that patching systems will have. The company recently released an expanded set of benchmarks, including graphics tests. For the most part, the performance penalty has been pretty small, though Intel is currently working on collecting more data from a wider range of platforms and usages.
An earlier version of this article stated that Intel had notified "some" of its customers about the reboot issue, as originally reported by WSJ. Intel reached out us to clarify that it sent notifications about the reboot issue to all of customers, not just some, through its standard patch notification process.


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After parting ways with Joystick, HKT’s focus has shifted away from the far-east supply chain and towards a more sustainable UK-based partner. “By partnering with Unite Components, we’ve been able to do just this,” commented the company in a recent statement.
HKT confirmed that the newly-formed relationship is currently taking positive form, with POS and display units as a key focus of discussions.
“Unite holds innovation and quality in the highest regard and is set to be one of, if not the only UK brand to be ISO 9001 accredited. In short, when it comes to quality, it is not messing around!” commented HKT’s Oliver Green.
“As far as innovation goes, HKT have been lucky enough to see what’s next for unite and it is safe to say we are all pretty excited for it. Watch this space for some pretty interesting new products coming soon! At present Unite have a strong range of chain rings to suit all cranks, chainguides, bash guides, replacement Santa Cruz linkage bolts and a whole host of other products all made right here in the UK.
“Through our partnership with Unite, we have already managed to put a few nice little changes in place, the first of which will be a spares and replacement parts list, this means that your customers can easily swap out any broken or bent parts such as designed fail safes like bash plates. These will all be at a sensible price, no more chucking good kit in the bin,” concluded Green.
All lines will be available on the HKT B2B.


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We’re only two months away from Google I/O and this when the company is expected to announce the successor to Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Speaking of the successor to Marshmallow, known only has Android N for now, the notification bar and quick settings menu has now been leaked.
According to Android Police, they have received several screenshots of what seems to be an internal build of Android N. While they weren’t able to share these said screenshots, they have conveniently provided us with mockups that closely resemble the real deal. First off, the new notification bar looks a lot more streamlined with it stretching across the screen and having smaller app icons corresponding to the notification.
Additionally, the notification bar also provides access to the most commonly used quick toggles similar to what other OEMs have already implemented in their skins. However, the full quick settings menu is still available just like the current version.
Do note that this may change at any time, before the developer preview in May.


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There is reason for fresh optimism for the Welsh farming industry following the announcement that Japan will end a ban on British beef and lamb.
Originally put in place due to the outbreak of the mad cow disease epidemic, imports of UK meat products are set to resume following restrictions for two decades.
The news was formally announced last week during a visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the UK to meet with Theresa May.
With the UK set to leave the EU this year, Welsh exporters hope to take advantage of the decision by Japan to reverse the ban on British beef and lamb. The deal is expected to open up £127m to British farmers over five years, around £75m for beef and £52m for lamb.
The market opening for lamb is set to be especially advantageous for the Welsh farming industry, where lamb accounts for a third of total food and drink exports.
Currently 92% of Welsh lamb exports are sold to EU countries. As members of EU’s single market and customs union potentially ending, this new opportunity with Japan and other Asian countries could provide a solution. In 2018, China also lifted its ban of UK beef, India agreed to import British sheep meat and Taiwan opened its market to pork.
Rhys Llywelyn, Hybu Cig Cymru (HCC)’s Market Development Manager, said:
“One of the greatest barriers to growing Welsh red meat exports is the historic ban on UK lamb and beef which some countries retain.
“Japan and India are among the countries we’ve been prioritising.
“We met Japanese government inspectors during their visit to Britain last summer and have been proactive in providing all the reassurance they need on the excellent quality and traceability of Welsh Lamb and Welsh Beef.”
Secretary of State for Wales, Alun Cairns commented that the deal ‘brings even greater opportunities for Welsh farmers to market their produce around the world’.


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Intel and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority have announced the inauguration of Intel’s Ignition Lab for the Internet of Things innovation for the MENA region.
Located in Dubai Technology Entrepreneurship Centre (DTEC), DSOA’s technology incubation centre, the lab will collaborate with local companies in promoting IoT developments.
The Dubai-based Ignition lab will focus on the pillars of smart cities and smart transportation.
Intel is also developing a smart home solution to deliver the hardware, software and cloud services tying multiple device ecosystems into a single end-user experience.
Commenting on the new milestone, Dr Mohammed Alzarooni, Vice Chairman and CEO of DSOA, said, “The opening of Intel IoT Ignition Lab is a new milestone that we are confident will add significant value to start-ups and entrepreneurs that have opted for DTEC as their incubation centre of choice and co-working space. This lab will not only serve as a creativity and innovation stimulator, but will also function as a melting pot for ideas in the promising Internet of Things space and provide a launch pad to bring radical ideas to reality, regardless of the pillar they fall under.”
Nassir Nauthoa, General Manager Intel Corporation Gulf Countries, said, “Globally, market opportunities and solutions around IoT continue to gain more prominence. We believe that the growth potential for IoT in the UAE market is huge given the move towards implementing the Smart City concept. We look forward to working with local companies and partners to explore ways in which we can help to make our environment a smarter place to live, work and play.”


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Dodge is proud of its electric muscle car. Tesla ranks first in research on the charging experience. Acura shows how its design attracts attention in electric vehicles. There is growing evidence that BMW is changing its battery strategy. And we’ve narrowed down the list of vehicles eligible for EV tax credit to a very few. This and more is here at the address Green car reports.
The IRS has released some guidance on the revamped EV tax credit, now called the Clean Transportation Credit, which was introduced after President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law on Tuesday. Since the cap on Tesla and GM won’t be lifted until 2023 and assembly in North America is mandatory, you can buy an EV and claim the credit in 2022, but it very short list of suitable vehicles.
The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Electric Muscle Car Concept found Wednesday to be the anti-Tesla in some ways, with retro looks, a multi-speed transmission and an “exhaust system” that will make a loud screeching (and “bone-shaking” sound) to those on the outside. It is definitely a new kind of EV.
As indicated by the new deal with China’s EVE Energy BMW’s wide transition to cylindrical cells in its upcoming mass-market electric vehicles due in 2025? The report suggests it is – and larger format cells like the Tesla 4680 could be part of it.
Tesla’s Supercharger network again led JD Power’s research on satisfaction with the charging experience again—both in terms of fast charging on the go and charging at a Level 2 destination. But this year, Power noted that across the survey, dissatisfaction with charger reliability is growing.
And Acura has set its sights on the future of its brand’s design — and 2024 electric car production — as it transitions to electric cars, with The Precision EV concept. It shows a duality in the design that channels the racing of Formula 1 inside while driving and is calm and soothing for automated driving.


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Anyone who has worked in the gaming industry for five minutes understands the diversity of the workforce, and it’s only getting more diverse. Last month, the American Gaming Association issued a report on just how diverse, and the results were impressive.
The findings of this in-depth examination show that the gaming industry is more diverse than national and hospitality industry benchmarks, and boasts a diverse executive pipeline, while identifying opportunities on gender representation.
- More than six in 10 (61 percent) of gaming industry employees are minorities, compared to 52 percent of the broader hospitality industry and 42 percent of the total U.S. workforce.
- 23 percent of gaming employees are Hispanic and 19 percent are Black—both higher than the national workforce and in line with the hospitality industry.
- 60 percent of operator employees are minorities, up nearly 20 percent from 2011 and higher than the hospitality sector and national workforces overall.
- 45 percent of gaming manufacturer employees are minorities, compared to 38 percent of the broader electronic manufacturing workforce.