text:
Power tool maker Stihl’s U.S. division has a new leader after both the previous president and a vice president left suddenly in late 2021.
Terrence “Terry” Horan has been named president and CEO of Virginia Beach-based Stihl Inc., the largest subsidiary of Stihl Group that supplies the majority of its products for the U.S. market, according to a Thursday announcement.
“We are pleased to welcome Mr. Horan, an internationally successful leader with 35 years of experience in the power tools, DIY, and consumer goods industry to the Stihl family,” Nikolas Stihl, chairman of the advisory board and supervisory board at Stihl Group, said in the announcement.
Horan has proven leadership abilities at major companies and global brands, making him the best choice for the position, chairman of the Stihl executive board Michael Traub said.
“I am excited both personally and professionally to join the team at Stihl Inc.,” Horan said.
Horan added that he was looking forward to building on the company’s legacy of success, accelerating growth and helping the business continue to be an industry leader in outdoor power equipment.
Horan has 35 years of experience in the consumer products industry, most recently as president of RPM International Inc., a specialty coating and sealant company. He has also held leadership roles at DAP Products, The Master Lock Co. and Dremel Power Tools.
Horan is a native of the Chicago area. He received a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Notre Dame and a bachelor’s degree in marketing at Northern Illinois University.
Horan’s arrival at Stihl comes after the sudden exit of former Stihl Inc. President Bjoern Fischer and Vice President of Sales and Marketing Nick Jiannas in October. A Stihl spokesperson said both executives left through mutual agreement and on positive terms.
Stihl employs more than 2,000 people at its headquarters off Lynnhaven Parkway.
Trevor Metcalfe, 757-222-5345, email@example.com


text:
Peloton instructors spared from job cuts as company eliminates 2,800 global roles
Peloton says its instructors and fitness classes won’t be impacted by its ‘restructuring program’
Peloton instructors are being spared from the fitness company’s job cutback and "restructuring program," which is expected to result in around $130 million in severance payouts and other exit activities to approximately 2,800 employees around the world.
In a news release published for investors on Tuesday, Peloton announced that it will "right-size the organization by enacting a workforce reduction."
The reduction will reportedly "occur across nearly all business operations to streamline reporting structures and create clearer lines of accountability," including an approximate 20% cut in corporate positions and an intentional downsize of owned and operated warehouses and delivery teams in favor of working with third-party logistics providers.
"Peloton's roster of instructors and breadth and depth of its content will not be impacted by the initiatives announced today," the fitness tech company wrote.
PELOTON REMOVES CEO JOHN FOLEY, SLASHES SALES OUTLOOK, JOB CUTS PLANNED
Peloton, which experienced high demand during the initial COVID-19 lockdowns with its exercise bikes, treadmills and digital fitness classes, has 54 instructors and one guest instructor listed on its website.
Currently, Peloton’s roster of instructors are training fitness enthusiasts in bike, tread and yoga.
FOX Business reached out to Peloton about instructor salaries, but the company declined to comment.
A representative for Peloton instead shared a statement from the company’s Q2 2022 Shareholder Letter, which says "operational restructuring will not negatively impact our instructor roster, number of classes produced, or range of class modalities."
PELOTON'S POTENTIAL SUITORS: AMAZON, NIKE, APPLE, DISNEY OR SONY?
Interviews provided by Peloton instructors before the company hit growth struggles seem to show the company's arsenal of fitness instructors is generously compensated. For example, a 2019 article from The Wall Street Journal that profiled Peloton instructor Jess Sims reported that she claimed to have made "six figures with stock options."
"[Peloton is] easily the best job you could have as a fitness instructor because we are treated like professional athletes," Sims told The WSJ at the time. "We get paid time off. We go to physical therapy every single week to prevent injuries."
Median salaries for fitness trainers and instructors throughout the U.S. are $40,510 per year or $19.48 per hour, according to data published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Customers who own Peloton equipment can still work out with instructors during livestreams or searching through Peloton’s on-demand class archive if they maintain their monthly $39 Peloton All-Access Membership while customers who don’t own Peloton equipment can get access to classes if they maintain their monthly $12.99 Peloton App Membership.
PELOTON RESURFACES AGE-POSITIVE AD AMID RECENT CONTROVERSIES
Peloton also expects to pay "$80 million in non-cash charges" related to its restructuring program layoffs.
The company is hopeful that its restructuring program will result in "at least $800 million of annual run-rate cost savings through operating expense efficiencies and significant margin improvement in its Connected Fitness category" once it’s fully implemented.
"These decisions, particularly those related to our impacted Peloton team members, were not taken lightly," said John Foley, Peloton’s co-founder and newly appointed executive chair, in a statement. "We greatly value the contributions of our talented colleagues and are committed to supporting impacted team members in their transitions. We thank our global team members for their focus and dedication through this process."
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
Peloton went public on the NASDAQ on Sept. 26, 2019, and saw a surge of growth when the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in lockdowns that closed gyms around the nation.
As the country has gradually reopened despite the pandemic’s persistence, fitness customers are returning to gyms and wellness centers for in-person classes or have found other at-home or outdoor workout opportunities. The shift in demand has resulted in a significant decline in Peloton sales and has reportedly led the company to temporarily halt production for its workout equipment, though Foley denied the warehouse rumor in January.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS
"Peloton is at an important juncture, and we are taking decisive steps," Foley said in Pelton’s Feb. 8 news release. "Our focus is on building on the already amazing Peloton Member experience, while optimizing our organization to deliver profitable growth."
He continued, "With today's announcements, we are taking action to ensure Peloton capitalizes on the large, long-term Connected Fitness opportunity. This restructuring program is the result of diligent planning to address key areas of the business and realign our operations so that we can execute against our growth opportunity with efficiency and discipline."

domain: news


text:
A new survey of console owners reveals that time spent using video streaming services like Netflix and Hulu on game consoles has increased across the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo Wii.
The Nielsen report, based on a sample of 3,000 U.S. console owners age 13 and up, showed that the percentage of time spent using video streaming and on-demand services across all consoles increased year-over-year, with usage rising by 4, 6, and 13 percent on Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii, respectively.
Nielsen attributes this growth to the increased availability of services such as Netflix, Hulu, ESPN3, and MLB Network, all of which have increasingly made consoles a destination for multimedia entertainment, not just games.
In addition, the report revealed that overall time spent on the three consoles increased 7 percent year-over-year, which is in-part thanks to the increased use of streaming video services.
Earlier this year, Nielsen reported
that half of existing Netflix subscribers stream content through a game console, with half of them using a Wii as their console of choice.
Image credit: Nielsen


text:
A giant bluefin tuna fetched 16.3 million yen ($177,000) in an auction Tuesday at the world’s largest wholesale fish market in Japan. The 513-pound (233-kilogram) fish was the priciest since 2001 when a 440-pound (200 kilogram) tuna sold for a record 20.2 million yen ($220,000) at Tokyo’s Tsukiji market. Only in Japan, check out the news at yahoo news. This is pretty darn big, I wonder how they are going to consume this big fish.
Japan is the world’s biggest consumer of seafood with Japanese eating 80 percent of the Atlantic and Pacific bluefins caught. The two tuna species are the most sought after by sushi lovers.
However, tuna consumption in Japan has declined because of a prolonged economic slump as the world’s second-largest economy struggles to shake off its worst recession since World War II.


text:
Last week, Disney boss Bog Iger revealed that one of his company’s movies had been stolen and was being held hostage for a bitcoin ransom. With press speculation that it might be the latest ‘Pirates’ movie, TF has spent more than a week trying to find out more. The whole thing seems highly questionable.
Was The Disney Movie ‘Hacking Ransom’ a Giant Hoax? – TorrentFreak


text:
Toyota dropped covers from the hydrogen engine vehicle prototype 'GR H2 Racing Concept' at a press conference of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) at Circuit de la Sarthe in Western France. The debut of the prototype was motivated by the recent announcement of allowing hydrogen-powered cars in 2026 by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), an organization, which oversees the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This hydrogen race car, which is now known as the Toyota GR H2 Racing Concept, according to Toyota, will be different from the hydrogen fuel cell vehicles used on the road. It will use a combustion engine to burn liquid hydrogen rather than an electric motor that receives power from a hydrogen fuel cell. Similar technology is employed in the Toyota GR Corolla with a hydrogen engine, which competed in the Super Taikyu Series in 2021. Let's look at the details of this new concept, which according to the firm, will aid in attaining carbon neutrality in motorsports, without compromising performance.
Toyota GR H2 Racing Concept: Key Highlights
Toyota's Chairman Akio Toyoda announced the company's intention to achieve carbon neutrality in motorsports without compromising performance and congratulated ACO on the 100th anniversary of Le Mans. He went on to say that the new prototype was developed with upcoming competition in mind and that, in light of the upcoming Le Mans H2 class, he is eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the new GR H2 race car. He hinted that the car will not make any compromises in terms of sound, torque, or dynamics. According to the chairman, the new car will deliver in terms of performance but will have no emissions.
Toyota has not revealed any information about the power, efficiency, weight, or any other detail of the new race car. However, it did share that its H2 racer will be 5,100mm long and 2,050mm wide. It will be a hydrogen hybrid and, therefore, will feature a combustion engine powered by liquid hydrogen and hybrid assistance.
How Toyota's GR H2 Racing Concept Will Benefit Road Car Projects?
Toyota has long been one of the foremost proponents of using hydrogen fuel. The Mirai and several prototype vehicles, including the Corolla with a hydrogen engine, are already part of its portfolio of hydrogen-powered vehicles. By bringing its GR H2 Racing Concept to motorsports and using its data as the basis for its hydrogen-powered road cars, Toyota hopes to improve its line-up of hydrogen-powered cars.


text:
US economy posts even stronger growth in Q3
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy grew even faster in the third quarter than initially thought, posting the strongest six months of growth in more than a decade and pulling further ahead of other big economies of the world.
The gross domestic product, the country’s total output of goods and services, expanded at a healthy 3.9 per cent annual rate in the July-September period, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. That’s a notable jump from its first estimate of 3.5 per cent. The revision was propelled higher by more robust consumer and business spending.
Together with a 4.6 per cent surge in the spring, the country has recorded its biggest back-to-back quarterly performance since 2003.
Thanksgiving trumps Black Friday for deals
NEW YORK (AP) — Thanksgiving could be the best day to shop all year.
An analysis of sales data and store circulars by two research firms contradicts conventional wisdom that Black Friday is when shoppers can get the most and biggest sales of the year.
Turns out, shoppers will find more discounted items in stores that are open on Thanksgiving. For example, there are a total of 86 laptops and tablets deeply discounted as door buster deals at Best Buy, Wal-Mart and others on the holiday compared with just nine on Black Friday, according to an analysis of promotions for The Associated Press by researcher MarketTrack.
As OPEC faces tough test, lower oil prices loom
NEW YORK (AP) — These are the moments OPEC exists for: A sharp drop in global oil prices has reduced the amount of money OPEC countries take in by nearly $1 billion a day.
The 12-member group’s purpose is to co-ordinate how much oil is produced in order to keep prices high and stable and maximize member countries’ revenue while making sure global demand for oil stays strong. A steep, co-ordinated cut in output could stop and possibly reverse what has been a 32 per cent decline in prices over five months.
But there is widespread doubt that OPEC will be able to do much of anything when it meets Thursday in Vienna. Either the members won’t agree to a cut, analysts say, or the cut will be too small to influence oil prices. They could also, as in the past, agree to lower production but then fail to stick to the target.
Google’s latest: A spoon that steadies tremors
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — Google is throwing its money, brain power and technology at the humble spoon.
But these spoons (don’t call them spoogles) are a bit more than your basic utensil: Using hundreds of algorithms, they allow people with essential tremors and Parkinson’s disease to eat without spilling.
The technology senses how a hand is shaking and makes instant adjustments to stay balanced. In clinical trials, the Liftware spoons reduced shaking of the spoon bowl by an average of 76 per cent.
Other adaptive devices have been developed to help people with tremors — rocker knives, weighted utensils, pen grips. But until now, experts say, technology has not been used in this way.
New iPhones push Apple’s market cap past $700B
NEW YORK (AP) — Apple, already the world’s most valuable company, surpassed $700 billion in market capitalization Tuesday as its stock hit another all-time high.
The company unveiled the latest version if the iPhone two months ago and sales have been surging. During its last quarter, Apple sold 39.3 million iPhones and said that it expected revenue from the sale of all of its products to come in between $63.5 billion and $66.5 billion in the current quarter.
Apple shares have risen 48 per cent in 2014 and the company announced its first stock split in 9 years.
US home price gains slow for 10th straight month
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home prices rose in September at the slowest pace in more than two years, reflecting modest sales gains and a rising number of available homes.
The Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller 20-city home price index, released Tuesday, increased 4.9 per cent in September from 12 months earlier. But that’s down from 5.6 per cent in August and the smallest gain since October 2012.
On a monthly basis, the 20-city index was unchanged, the first flat reading in seven months. The monthly changes aren’t adjusted for seasonal factors such as colder weather, which can impact sales. Prices dropped in nine of 20 cities from August.
Home price gains have slowed this year after rapid, double-digit increases in the previous two years. Investors helped drive the strong gains by bidding up prices but have started to cut back on their purchases. Smaller price gains and low mortgage rates could make housing more affordable.
US consumer confidence falls in November
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer confidence fell in November following a big gain the previous month, as Americans became less bullish about the economy and jobs.
The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 88.7 in November, down from a seven-year high of 94.5 in October.
Conference Board economist Lynn Franco said that the decline primarily reflected weaker optimism in the short-term, with consumers less upbeat about current business conditions and the state of the job market.
But she added that expectations about future income remained virtually unchanged.
Private economists expect a quick reversal of the November drop, especially given the large declines motorists are seeing in gas prices.
US bank earnings up 7.3 per cent in 3Q
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. bank earnings rose 7.3 per cent in the July-September quarter from a year earlier, as banks reduced their expenses and continued to lend out more money, which help drive up revenue.
The data issued Tuesday by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. showed that the banking industry continues to recover from the financial crisis that struck six years ago.
Banks and other financial institutions insured by the FDIC earned $38.7 billion in the third quarter, up from $36.1 billion a year ago. The percentage of unprofitable banks fell to 6.4 per cent of institutions, versus 8.7 per cent a year ago.
Calorie count to appear with many prepared foods
WASHINGTON (AP) — Diners will soon know how many calories are in that bacon cheeseburger at a chain restaurant, the pasta salad in the supermarket salad bar and even that buttery tub of popcorn at the movie theatre.
The Food and Drug Administration announced long-delayed calorie labeling rules Tuesday, requiring establishments that sell prepared foods and have 20 or more locations to post the calorie content of food and beverages “clearly and conspicuously” on their menus, menu boards and displays. Companies have until a year from now to comply.
By The Associated Press=
The Dow Jones Industrial average dropped 2.96 points, or less than 0.1 per cent, to 17,814.94. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index fell 2.38 points, or less than 0.1 per cent, to 2,067.03. The Nasdaq composite gained 3.36 points, or 0.1 per cent, to 4,758.25.
Benchmark U.S. crude fell $1.69 to close at $74.09 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils used by many U.S. refineries, fell $1.35 to close at $78.33 on the ICE Futures exchange in London. Wholesale gasoline fell 0.1 cent to close at $2.032 a gallon. Heating oil fell 0.1 cents to close at $2.395 a gallon. Natural gas rose 13.1 cents to close at $4.282 per 1,000 cubic feet.


text:
Wealthy vacationers reach for the plastic
Americans' annual marches to beach resorts, lakeside cabins, and national parks are under way. And many will be paid for with credit cards.
Slightly more than half of all Americans plan to take a vacation more than 75 miles from home this year, and a quarter of them will be charging their trips, according to a survey by Cambridge Consumer Credit Index.
Those traveling on credit are not the young and penniless. Older and wealthier Americans use their cards far more often to pay for vacations, says the survey. Among those age 65 or older, 40 percent are putting their holiday expenses on plastic, while 38 percent of workers earning more than $75,000 are doing so.
According to the Credit Counseling Service of Southern New England, incentives like free airline miles are driving consumers to use their cards for major purchases.
The data was collected from a monthly nationwide telephone poll of more than 1,000 adults. It was sponsored by The Debt Relief Clearinghouse, a debt-solutions provider.
The organization points out that card-charged vacations are just part of many Americans' growing willingness to take on significant amounts of debt.


text:
Celebrating 55 Years of advancing research methods in Sub-Sahara
ELGA's South African distributor, LABOTEC, celebrated its 55 year anniversary last month. The company was established in 1960 as one of the first laboratory supply companies in South Africa and has been an official partner for ELGA Labwater since 1987.
Since its early days, Labotec has been a key player within sub-Saharan Africa, supplying a diverse range of sectors with laboratory equipment and analytical instruments. The organisation is committed to ensuring customers are able to make more accurate diagnostic decisions, advance research methods and improve production performance within their industry.
“We are proud to have worked with Labotec directly for the last 28 years, in providing ELGA products to South African and supported by Labotec’s first class customer service.” said, Ian Richardson, Business Development Manager, ELGA LabWater.
The team celebrated their anniversary month attending the international event LAB Africa, this year held in Johannesburg, showcasing the latest ELGA PURELAB® Chorus Range. Delegates were invited to guess the weight of the Smurf, and 15 lucky winners went home with themed LABOTEC anniversary goodie-bags.
“Certainly a partnership that has stood the test of time and has gone from humble beginnings to us being chosen as a field testing site for new products.” confirmed Stefan Harth, Managing Director for Labotec.
For more information about our distribution Partner, Labotec and the services and products they provide, please visit: www.labotec.co.za


text:
India's e-com biggie Flipkart is looking to hire senior level positions to its leadership team.
Recently it has recruited Hari Vasudev as senior vice president (Engineering, IT & Analytics) for supply chain vertical. He will focus on innovative supply chain products and services enabled by technology, robotics, mobile, IOT and data sciences. It is also set to hire Peeyush Ranjan, a senior engineering director at Google. Candidates with the combination of technology, domain and experience are the hot cakes for e commerce firms. This is also a big challenge for IT companies to eliminate attrition rate.
All rights reserved © 2018 Wisdom IT Services India Pvt. Ltd


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Expansion will allow Birmingham’s Good People Brewing to can more beer
- Staff Birmingham Business Journal
Good People Brewing Co. said it will be able to triple production and increase the number of beers it sells in cans as the result of a recently completed expansion.
According to al.com, the brewery plans to begin canning its Pale Ale.
Good People currently cans its IPA, Brown Ale and Snake Handler Double IPA, and plans to eventually begin canning its Coffee Oatmeal Stout.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
- Most popular
- What's causing U.S. Steel's cutbacks?
- U.S. Steel starts layoffs of up to 1,500 workers in Fairfield
- Obama talks consumer safety, economic development
- Birmingham’s most popular sushi restaurants
- Downtown Publix project takes a step forward
- Millennials: Most likely to love Bham, most likely to leave it
- Five things Birmingham needs to improve on
- SummitMedia hires William Bell's former chief of staff Chuck Faush
- Hotel forms partnership with Riverchase Country Club
- U.S. Steel lays off 300 in Birmingham
A look at the day's business stories from media outlets around Alabama


text:
This isn't over yet.
For a decade straight, the Chevrolet Camaro from General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobile's Dodge Challenger have battled for muscle car supremacy on the street, on the track, and on the sales charts. But this isn't the only battle being fought between these two major global automakers.
Last November, GM first filed a racketeering lawsuit against FCA. Specifically, GM accused FCA of attaining a competitive advantage in labor costs by bribing union officials. This lawsuit has now been dismissed by US District Judge Paul Borman.
According to a report by Automotive News, Borman described the lawsuit as a waste of both time and resources last month. But Mary Barra, CEO of GM, said last year that FCA's unfair advantage in terms of labor contracts goes back to 2009.
Unsurprisingly, FCA concurs with the judge's ruling. In a statement, the parent company of Dodge and Jeep said: "We have said from the very outset that this was a meritless lawsuit. The dismissal of GM's complaint with prejudice earlier today vindicates our position."
Borman went on to assert that under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, there should be proof of a direct link between GM's inquiry and FCA's conduct, which GM's allegation does not support. GM has no intention of letting the matter rest, though, and was quick to disagree with the court order.
"There is more than enough evidence from the guilty pleas of former FCA executives to conclude that the company engaged in racketeering," said Jim Cain, a GM spokesman. "Our complaint was timely and showed in detail how their multi-million dollar bribes caused direct harm to GM."
On June 23, Borman allegedly ordered the CEOs of both companies to meet with the hope of finding a resolution, saying that if this didn't happen, the case could take years. Although the 6th US Circuit Court of Appeals said that Borman abused his power by asking the two CEOs to convene, it still denied a request by GM for a new judge to take over the case.
With GM saying it will pursue its legal remedies following Borman's dismissal, it remains to be seen what happens next.


text:
GM vehicles have been plagued with safety concerns and recalls over the past few months, and now another issue has appeared. A series of custom floor mats used in General Motors’ pickup trucks and SUVs have the potential to ride forward and dangerously interfere with the pedals. The floor mats were manufactured by a third-party company, Omix Ada, located in Georgia. The brands of mats involved include Cabela’s Custom Fit, Line-X Truck Gear, Rugged Ridge All-Terrain, and Tread Lightly. The mats were manufactured from 2009 to 2014 and fit almost all GM trucks and SUVs manufactured since 1999. The majority of the affected mats were sold through O’Reilly Auto Parts stores.
Omix Ada first became aware of the problem after three consumer reports were made earlier this year. The complaints only referenced the mats riding up and affecting the bottom of the gas pedal; to date there have been no known crashes or injuries related to this defect. Nevertheless, Omix Ada quickly redesigned its mats so that starting in the first quarter of this year all new mats have a hook system designed to prevent movement. The company also developed an installable hook system that can be applied to older mats in just ten minutes.
This is a relatively minor and well-handled recall, but it continues the trend of what has been a disastrous year for GM. In this year alone the company has issued more than 65 recalls affecting almost 30 million vehicles, not all of them for issues as minor as the floor mats. A flawed ignition switch on certain Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Saturn cars took more than a decade to discover and is believed to have killed at least 19 people. The defect caused car electrical systems to shut off while driving, resulting in simultaneous failure of power steering, electronic stability control, and airbags. GM’s conduct in that case, including an irresponsible delay of the recall, resulted in a $35 million in fines. Another case saw a major recall of vehicles whose brakes were not functioning correctly. The cost of all recalls for the year is expected to top $200 million.
GM CEO Mary Barra acknowledges the company’s responsibility, but notes that these issues stem from the profit-first corporate culture that existed at the old, pre-bankruptcy GM and insists that such problems could never happen today. However, with so manyrecalls affecting so many crucial systems, the public perception of GM’s safety has taken a beating. The sheer regularity of new recalls creates doubt about all of the company’s cars, as no one can say what defect will be discovered next.
If you are concerned that your vehicle may be affected by one of these recalls GM has set up a website where you can enter your VIN number. The site will then tell you if your car has been recalled or flagged for any reason, as well as help you proceed with getting the issue fixed.
About the Author: Edward Allen is a personal injury attorney at the Allen Law Firm, where he serves as the managing partner of the Fredericksburg office. He has over 25 years of experience handling a variety of cases including car accidents, truck accidents, traumatic brain injuries, and premises liability. He has been named a Virginia Super Lawyer since 2011 and has been listed in Best Lawyers of America since 2010.
 See Footnote 1.


text:
The Axis of Eco
Earth-friendly cool is everywhere, from Hollywood and innovative building design to hybrid cars and candy bars. You live, breathe, and play green alreadyso why not come full circle by bringing it all back home?
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
In the old days, trying to live with an environmental conscience could be tricky, if not downright unpleasant—filled with hard-to-find organic bulgur salads, tiresome carpools, and scratchy hemp ponchos. But there’s good news for greenies everywhere: You no longer have to live like John the Baptist to contribute to a healthier planet. Being kind to the earth has never been more hip, luxe, delicious, and deprivation-free. Simply put, a growing commitment to do no harm is transforming culture and commerce, making it possible to play hard and live well while living responsibly.
“It’s a lot easier being green now than it was ten years ago,” says David Gottfried, author of Greed to Green—a 2004 memoir about his transformation from grasping real estate developer to green do-gooder—and founder of the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit that certifies and promotes eco-friendly design. Today, green cred is a status symbol being sought by builders worldwide, including architects of such landmarks as the Freedom Tower, at the World Trade Center site, where wind turbines will help power the building. In fact, green is so red-hot that corporate America is getting the picture, creating nontoxic, recycled, and energy-efficient products, from skateboards to motherboards. “Being green spurs corporate innovation,” says Michael Porter, the pioneering professor who heads Harvard University’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness.
The result? Today you can choose green when you ski, drive, buy a dishwasher, or drink a beer. You can savor transcendent, sustainably produced chocolate, swig organic coffee, and heft a solar-paneled backpack on your way to hanging ten on a green surfboard (but first use natural sunscreen). The fashionista in you can enjoy eco-jeans or plush socks made from recycled polyester. And in 34 states, select utility companies will let you check a box on your electric bill and buy renewable energy, like wind power.
“When we look at nature, we do not see a glass half empty,” says renowned architect William McDonough, a guru of the green-design movement, whose buildings are famed for their “ecological intelligence.” “We don’t even see a glass half full,” says McDonough. “We see a world postively brimming with abundance.”
Take off that hair shirt, read our 13 hot trends—and let your glass runneth over.
“The term ‘ecological building’ is sort of an oxymoron,” says David Hertz, a leading green architect who designs spectacularly sustainable eco-manors (and mere houses) for everyone from Hollywood stars like Julia Louis-Dreyfus to, well, his own family. The irony, he says, is that the greenest structures are no structures at all—or tiny, movable ones. Still, this 44-year-old surfer and father of three constructed a beautiful 2,700-square-foot family residence near the ocean in Venice, California, using the latest planet-friendly technologies and materials, including one he invented himself. Syndecrete—a smooth concrete made from recycled fly ash (the byproduct of incinerated coal) and post-consumer industrial products like electronics, glass, and carpet fibers—graces his floors, counters, sinks, tubs, and planters. Sliding doors open to three inner courtyards, including one with a solar-heated, chlorine-free lap pool. Après surfing or beachgoing, the family can wash sand off in a solar-heated outdoor shower, then dry wet stuff on their bathroom’s solar-heated radiant floor. “For L.A., this place is modest in scale and large in inventiveness,” says Hertz of his multi-pavilioned home, which is sited to catch prevailing sea breezes and cloud views. “I can tell which way the wind is blowing from inside.”
1. For ventilation and natural indoor temperature control, the windows and skylights are “climate responsive”—programmed to open and close automatically by sensing atmospheric temperature and moisture.
2. Outfitted with photovoltaic panels, the rooftop maximizes solar gain via parabolic oxygen-free glass tubes that concentrate the energy from rays. The solar power runs the water heater.
3. Inside the upstairs master bedroom, and in bathrooms throughout the house, bidet-like paperless toilets offer a rear and front wash-and-dry option, with a push button that blows water and then warm air.
4. Beds and chairs on sleeping porches are made from sustainable teak and organic cotton batting and fabric.
5. Embedded with radiant tubes for circulating solar-heated hot water, the carpet-less floors offer a clean and efficient closed-loop heating system—and provide thermal mass to warm the house.
6. On most days, Hertz’s house creates “nega-watts”: It makes enough solar-powered electricity to sell some back to the utility company. On foggy days and at night, it draws from the grid.
7. Made of stucco, concrete, glass, and remilled timber such as Douglas fir, the house’s exterior echoes its interior, adding to the flow of indoor-outdoor living space. The stucco is pigment-integrated—free of paint and volatile organic compounds.
8. Made of rammed earth—the soil excavated from the site—the wall alleviated the need to buy soil or use wood to fence the property.
9. Hardy, drought-tolerant plants thrive in the open areas, keeping the foliage as eco-positive as possible.
Green Light OnTwice a month, ride your bike to work, play, school, or the store and reduce 360 pounds of auto pollution annually. Ride once a week and you’ll double that emission omission.
Modern life—from driving to jetting—has unavoidable enviro costs. How high are yours? Go online and check out your “carbon-dioxide footprint,” a calculation of the amount of greenhouse gases that your existence generates. Then shrink your footprint with simple lifestyle tweaks (see the “Green Light On” boxes on these pages). Or, for as little as $15, let groups like Future Forests (www.futureforests.com), Climate Care (www.climatecare.org), or Trees for the Future (www.plant-trees.org) offset your CO2 by planting trees or supporting clean-energy projects. Read up—and erase your trace.
Making surfboards is so toxic that glassers don respirators to protect themselves from pollutants. But Patagonia Surfboards—started by Fletcher Chouinard, son of Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard—aims to change all that. The company has switched to low-polluting foam, chromium-free fiberglass treatments, and epoxy resin, which is lighter and more ding-resistant than the widely used noxious polyester resin. $495; 805-641-9428
Jade Planet’s casual hiking boots for urbanites have evolved from the company’s first recycled-material shoe—developed by founder Julie Lewis with input from Bill Bowerman, of Nike fame—to the Pachira, a durable stomper with artificial leather derived from plastic soda bottles, a hemp-and-cotton-blend upper, and a sole made from 40 percent tire rubber. When you’ve worn them down, simply return the boots to Jade Planet and they’ll turn them into stuffing for dog beds. $75; 503-297-2093, www.jadefootwear.com
Who knew the green bug could find space in your dopp kit? It will if you use Recycline’s toothbrushes and razors, which are made from 100 percent recycled plastic, chiefly from discarded Stonyfield Farm yogurt cups. When you’re finished with a brush or razor, mail it back to Recycline in the included postage-paid envelope. It’ll be turned into plastic lumber. $7, four razors; $4, toothbrush; 888-354-7296, www.recycline.com
Sure, Teko’s line of toe cozies may be knitted for competitive sports, but its earth-friendly fabrics belie a softer edge: nontoxic dyes, Swiss-grown organic cotton, chlorine-free merino wool, and recycled polyester (a process that turns No. 2 plastics into fiber). Wear ’em once and you’ll be soled. $10–$23, depending on fabric; 800-450-5784, www.tekosocks.com
Sensitive-skin types can try Jason Natural’s 30+ SPF, a chemical-free sunscreen that uses zinc oxide and titanium dioxide instead of petroleum-based protection. $19; 877-527-6601, www.jason-natural.com
New York fashion company Rogan has collaborated with U2 frontman Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson, to create Edun (read it backwards), a rock-star-worthy full-fashion collection made in eco-friendly, sweatshop-free factories in Africa and South America. Available at Saks Fifth Avenue, from $163; www.edun.ie
Rocky Mountain Maestro
Green Light OnSave thousands of gallons of water a year by installing low-flow showerheads, faucet aerators (which reduce tap usage by 50 percent), and low-flush 1.6-gallon toilets.
Auden SchendlerSKIING’S LEADING EDGE: Auden Schendler and recycables at Aspen
After decades of wiping trees off mountains, plunking down swanky high-rise condos in alpine paradises, and spewing diesel fumes into the air, the ski industry is finally starting to wake up and smell the CO2 . Surprisingly, they’re being led by one of the ritziest players out there: Aspen Skiing Company. In 1997, prompted by growing concerns about climate change, ASC president and CEO Pat O’Donnell, 66, created the resort’s Environmental Affairs Department, the American ski industry’s first. Two years later, Aspen hired superstar enviro Auden Schendler, 34, a former corporate-sustainability researcher at energy-conservation nonprofit Rocky Mountain Institute, as its environmental-affairs director. Under Schendler’s guidance, ASC (which operates Ajax, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass) started recycling everything from bottles to building materials, and implemented guidelines that call for all new construction to incorporate improved insulation, sustainably harvested wood, recycled carpeting, and more efficient cooling and heating systems. Aspen now has an on-slope, no-impact microhydroelectric plant, which uses snowmaking runoff to power a turbine, and an employee foundation that in seven years has raised nearly $700,000 for conservation projects. Need more? Ajax’s Cirque chairlift runs on wind power, and 5 percent of Ajax’s energy purchase comes from renewable sources—more than any other ski resort in the country. Even the snowcats and snowmobiles at all four ASC mountains run on biodiesel. Schendler’s efforts have garnered the resort numerous awards—including certification from Switzerland’s International Organization for Standardization, which evaluates operating standards of everything from shoe manufacturers to ski areas. It was the first of its kind awarded to a U.S. ski resort. “In the green-business world, that designation is the Nobel prize of environmental responsibility,” says Schendler. “We’re in the big leagues now.”
The Wheel Deal
Smart CarSmart Car
Revolutions have a way of mixing things up, as the auto world surely knows. Veggie oil is the new diesel. Green is the new black. What’s a driver to believe? Well, here’s one turn signal you can trust: In 2004, sales of hybrid vehicles, featuring gas-and-electric engines, shot up 80 percent over 2003, to more than 85,000. And hefty haulers like the 2004 Ford Escape—the world’s first hybrid SUV—are selling faster than dealers can say “great gas mileage.” But small is also the new green, especially when it comes to a hyperefficient gas-only import that’s so puny it’ll fit in an SUV. Here’s what’s under the hood in 2005:
This two-seat Euro buggy (pictured above) looks like a Little Tykes Cozy Coupe—and gets a whopping 60 mpg. While DaimlerChrysler, Smart’s corporate parent, weighs whether to make the metallic pod in the U.S. or not, Zap (www.zapworld.com)—a California-based electric-car-and-scooter manufacturer—has been buying Smart Cars in Europe, floating them across the pond, reengineering them to meet U.S. standards, and selling them for a base price of $19,800. “They’re four feet shorter in length than the Mini Cooper,” says Zap CEO Steve Schneider, “and just as fun.”
To help meet demand, Ford plans to launch this hybrid SUV in late 2005—a year early. A cousin to the Ford Escape, the Mariner will offer up to 33 mpg in a new body surrounding Ford’s 155-horsepower drivetrain, with luxury trim and a smoother ride.
Due to debut in June, the Highlander will be the first seven-passenger, four-wheel-drive hybrid. Its V6 gas engine and 50-watt electric motors (one in front, one in back) create 270 hp and zero-to-60 acceleration in less than eight seconds—while getting 28 mpg.
Green Light OnReplace your five most-used incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights, which save 65 percent more energy, last ten times longer, and can cut lighting bills in half.
Before Gary Pearl, executive producer of the 2004 NBC miniseries 10.5, set out to cinematically destroy the environment with a massive earthquake, he wanted to make sure the set didn’t contribute to, um, destroying the environment. To that end, his production company, Pearl Pictures, used only sustainably harvested wood, ditched Styrofoam for reusable dishes, and required workers to refill their water bottles, among other major changes.
By the looks of it, filming on environmentally friendly sets seems to be a growing Hollywood trend. Once known for its apathetic attitude, the industry is now doing everything from printing scripts on recycled paper to leasing hybrid cars. Last fall, the Environmental Media Association (EMA) awarded its first-ever Green Seal Awards, honoring productions that take initiatives such as using nontoxic building materials, clean diesel fuel, and low-emissions transportation. In addition to 10.5, winners included the feature films A Cinderella Story and Garden State and the sitcom According to Jim, which goes so far as to use tablet PCs instead of paper scripts. “In the third season of According to Jim,” says Jeffrey Hodes, an executive producer, “we used nearly 300,000 sheets of paper. We’ve easily cut that in half.”
Still, making a film set green can come with a price. For his 2004 adventure thriller The Day After Tomorrow, director Roland Emmerich shelled out $200,000 of his own money to ensure that the set would live up to his environmental standards. Pearl, who is sticking to his eco-friendly ways with the sequel to 10.5, currently in production, believes the practice will continue. “It’s not hard to do this at all,” he says. “Nobody is going to say, ‘I want to pollute more.’ “
“We’re on a mission to make all of Hollywood green,” says Debbie Levin, president of the EMA, which teams producers with groups like Future Forests that help companies reduce or “neutralize” CO2 emissions and take other environmental steps. Next year, Baldwin Entertainment Group is expected to release a film based on tree squatter Julia Butterfly Hill’s best-selling book The Legacy of Luna, which co-producer Paul Bassis predicts will be shot on “the greenest set ever.” One thing he’s planning on: complete carbon neutrality. Stay tuned.
It’s no surprise that skateboarding—which is responsible for the existence of several hundred wooden-ramp-filled skate parks in America and the production of more than 200,000 wooden decks every month—is tough on forests. Enter Bob Burnquist, 28, a Brazilian-born, California-based pro skateboarder who cofounded the Action Sports Environmental Coalition (ASEC) in 2002. The nonprofit uses its street cred to convince board and park builders to choose sustainably grown materials surfaced with eco-friendly composites of water, recycled paper, and cashew oil.
In August 2002, Burnquist raised his effort to the international level with a Greenpeace benefit and skating competition in Manaus, Brazil. (Burnquist, who grew up in São Paulo, is one of Brazil’s top skaters.) The event featured a ramp endorsed by the Bonn, Germany–based Forest Stewardship Council, an international agency that certifies sustainable forestry. This year, ASEC hopes to green up the Gravity Games and NBC’s Action Sports Tour. It also plans to construct 20 new eco-friendly skate parks and adjacent organic gardens in at-risk communities. ASEC executive director Frank Scura says a key to continued success is leveraging its athletes’ grom appeal. With 82 percent of America’s nearly 12 million skaters 17 years old or younger, in an industry generating $5.2 billion annually, that could mean big bucks for the ASEC cause. “Everyone votes every day with their dollars, and we have a lot of influence on the youth,” says Burnquist. “It’s hard to change older people set in their ways, but these kids are going to be the leaders and CEOs of the future.”
Green Light OnMore than 50 percent of American consumers can buy clean, renewable energy like wind or solar power from their electricity suppliers. Find out if you can, too, at www.green-e.org.
LodgingREST ASSURED: Suite living at El Monte Sagrado
San Francisco, CA
From biodegradable cleaning products to office documents printed on recycled paper with soy-based ink, earth-saving attention to detail is high at this downtown boutique hotel. Rooms on the Eco Floor have organic linens and towels, energy-efficient light bulbs, and water-saving fixtures. Or book one of the Celebrity Suites, designed by the likes of Woody Harrelson and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Doubles, $149–$219; 800-800-1299, www.hoteltriton.com
El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa
The designers of this two-year-old high-desert sanctuary seamlessly wove conservation elements into a luxurious environment. As you soak in the private hot tub outside your Morocco-themed suite, you may not notice that it’s chlorine-free, or that the tropical gardens are living on recycled water, or that the wrought-iron tree sculptures actually integrate solar panels. Doubles, $255–$1,095; 800-828-8267, www.elmontesagrado.com
The Lenox Hotel
When the first guests at this posh 1900 hotel rolled up in their horse-drawn buggies, saving the planet was not yet in vogue. Now there’s at least one environmental upgrade in place for each year of its existence. Highlights include infrared motion sensors that help cut energy consumption, double-paned windows, and compact fluorescent light bulbs. Doubles from $189; 800-225-7676, www.lenoxhotel.com
Green Light OnBuy Energy Star products—the energy efficiency of which is certified by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy—and cut power bills by up to 30 percent.
I have a “friend” who swears it’s better to drive his ’78 Gremlin than to buy new wheels, since manufacturing cars is so toxic. Is he wack?
The next time you pass your pal’s heap, feel free to chuck your mochaccino at it. The increased fuel efficiency and decreased emissions of a new (post-1996) car more than compensate for the energy used to produce all of its steel, aluminum, and rich Corinthian leather. On average, driving a car consumes ten times more energy over its lifetime than building one.
Is there any defense for a lush lawn?
Sorry, Mr. Cleaver, but a typical lawn is the environmental equivalent of fertilized asphalt—or worse, if you use phenoxy herbicides and other weed killers and pesticides, 102 million pounds of which are dumped on 17 million acres of residential turf each year. On average, 30 to 60 percent of city water goes to lawn care, and more than half of it evaporates or pours down storm drains, toxic chemicals and all—polluting creeks, rivers, and water everywhere. The only way to redeem your soul is to use drought-resistant, slow-growing turf varieties, like zoysia grass, which need less H2O. Better yet, try native prairie grasses, wildflowers, or whatever grows naturally in your eco-zone. And, please, forgo the Roundup.
Paper or plastic?
Ah, a question for the ages. The answer? Neither. The real solution is to use that cloth tote bag the Sierra Club sent with your last renewal. Barring that, you should opt for (drumroll, please) plastic—which wins by a narrow, subjective margin. Plastic is more energy-efficient to produce than paper and takes a bit less juice to recycle. Then again, thanks to double-bagging, the average shopper uses more plastic bags than paper, negating plastic’s advantages. So ask yourself this: Would you rather waste oil or trees? Plastic comes from unrenewable petroleum. Paper sacks involve mowing down millions of trees a year—although, theoretically, they’ll grow back by the time your great-grandchildren visit Last Living Trees National Park. Mr. Green votes for the tote.
Do green household cleansers actually do the job?
It’s impossible to vouch for every phosphate-free soy-‘n’-aardvark-saliva product, since consumer eco-cleansers (unlike commercial ones) aren’t subject to standardized tests. But thanks to naturally derived (non-petroleum-based) cleaning agents and nonchlorine bleach, major brands like Seventh Generation and Simple Green are dandy sanitizers. Plus they come in recyclable packaging.
I’m on the fence: What’s better—electric or gas?
Electricity (usually produced from coal or by Homer Simpson) is so inefficient, 80 percent of it is lost to the ether during production, transport, and usage. Gas is 90 percent energy-efficient. So the gas is greener, no matter what side of the fence you’re on.
Revel Without a Pause
Gorge without guilt on Ithaca Fine Chocolates’ Art Bars (named for the recycled-paper “art cards” inside, featuring works by American artists and children from around the world). They’re processed in an energy-efficient plant in Switzerland, and with every bite you’re helping support Bolivia’s organic-cocoa farmers. 607-257-7954, ithacafinechocolates.com
Grounds for Change, based near Seattle, uses only organic, shade-grown, and Fair Trade– certified beans, then ships them in recycled-content boxes—letting you be a java snob without promoting pesticides, clear-cutting, paper waste, or low wages for coffee workers. 800-796-6820, www.groundsforchange.com
Fort Collins, Colorado’s New Belgium Brewing Company, which puts out the cult Fat Tire brew, employs a full-time sustainability coordinator, recaptures and reuses water, relies on wind power, and turns old keg caps into tabletops. 888-622-4044, www.newbelgium.com
If the roads in Salem, Oregon, smell like French fries, thank Kettle Foods—a snack-food biz whose company cars run on biodiesel made from safflower and sunflower cooking oils. The potato-chip maker uses only solar power and donates nearly 90 tons of potatoes each year to local food banks. 503-364-0399, www.kettlefoods.com
Lest you think Ben & Jerry’s has cornered the market, meet Northern California’s Straus Family Creamery, whose organic ice creams are just as tasty and eco-friendly. The dairy is powered by a methane digester that converts cow poop into electricity, reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and creating enough energy to keep it mostly off the public power teat. 415-663-5464, www.strausmilk.com
Green Light OnTo reduce wattage waste, avoid using the hot-water setting on your washing machine (warm and cold temps get most duds clean)—and use the sensor-driven auto-dry setting on your dryer.
His year kicked off with a Golden Globe for best actor, he’s made nearly 20 films (for which he now rakes in a rumored $20 million a pop), and he’s only 30 years old. Could life get any better for Leonardo DiCaprio? Yeah, he’ll tell you: The world could be a lot cleaner. Few stars push the green message as hard as DiCaprio—and he doesn’t just roll up to the red carpet in a Prius (the only kind of car he owns) to do it.
DiCaprio didn’t always live the life of e‘s. In 1998, a gorgeous beach on Thailand’s Phi Phi Leh Island got bulldozed during the making of his movie The Beach. But that year he also launched an enviro foundation in his name. Its Web site (www.leonardodicaprio.org) is a cyber-bullhorn, packed with news and “take action” tips about global warming, biodiversity, and sustainability. He supports groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council and Global Green USA. And, along with Global Green and Tree Media Group, he’s also writing and narrating movie shorts about conservation. Leila Corners-Peterson—Tree Media’s president and one of DiCaprio’s co-writers for the films—says the star never lets his green work slip. “Even in the midst of the Golden Globes,” she told Outside, “he e-mailed me and asked me where we were with everything. I think that speaks a lot to who he is.”
Get a Load of This
From your HDTV monitor to that other reigning rectangle, the fridge, it’s now possible to buy nature-nurturing appliances everywhere. To find great green goods—like those below—look for the Energy Star (www.energystar.gov), the government-backed energy-efficiency label.
Fisher & Paykel DD603 Dishwasher
F&P knows your dirty secret: You run the dishwasher half empty. No problem. The DD603 (pictured above) uses 57 percent less electricity than standard models and has two independent washing drawers. Half a load uses just 2.4 gallons of water, six less than old-school units. $1,419; 888-936-7872, www.fisherpaykel.com
Sun Frost RF-16 Refrigerator
The way-cool RF-16 runs up to five times more efficiently than a standard fridge, one of your home’s biggest energy hogs. $2,497; 707-822-9095, www.sunfrost.com
Bosch Nexxt Premium WFMC 6400 Washing Machine
The 6400 uses 76 percent less electricity and 72 percent less H2O than traditional washers—and can save more than 70 gallons of water a week. From $1,199; 800-921-9622, www.boschappliances.com
From a 50-inch HDTV monitor ($3,300) to a progressive-scan DVD/VCR combo ($170), Panasonic, an eco-innovator, sells 400-plus energy-efficient items. 800-211-7262, www.panasonic.com
Out of the Box
Green Light OnWhen building a new home, maximize natural heating, cooling, and lighting (and slash your power bills) by facing longer sides to the north and south, with few windows facing west.
Jennifer SiegalMETAL WINNER: Architect Jennifer Siegal puts the fab in prefab.
Living in a heap of metal is suddenly ultrahip, thanks to a new breed of talented prefab designers. Take 39-year-old Jennifer Siegal: The founder and principal of the Venice, California–based Office of Mobile Design (www.designmobile.com), she builds kinetic, affordable, wheelless homes that tread lightly and travel well—so you can take them with you when you move.
A hot-dog-cart operator while in graduate school, Siegal—whose own home in Los Angeles is part bungalow, part shipping container—admires all things easily disassembled. “Portable structures,” she says, “are dynamic, accessible, and sustainable.” Her Portable House—which starts at $79,000 for 480 square feet—is fully constructed, then trucked to your site. Her modular, endlessly reconfigurable Swell House gets assembled like Legos at your dream spot and features Biofiber (a recycled cabinet composite made from sunflower seeds), finishing material made from recycled newspapers, and “ply-boo” (renewable bamboo) flooring—for $200 per square foot. And if you’re picturing your uncle’s cheap vinyl double-wide—with its propensity to blow across the plains in tornado season—think again. Siegal’s sleek, modern models sit on solid foundations, with optional multistories and annexes. The dwellings in EcoVille, her 40-unit live-work development for artists, in downtown Los Angeles, are 60-by-12-foot boxes, stacked two high. She’s even designed a (not-yet-built) pod of neoprene-skinned, solar-powered, floating Hydra Houses, for a future of rising oceans. Homes, as she sees it, should be more like computer chips and less like immutable castles. “We have our iPods, our cell phones, our laptops. Mobility is integrated seamlessly into our lives, yet our residences are stale,” she says. “If we want to be lighter and more compact, why shouldn’t our buildings be, too?”


text:
Castlegar A&W joined hundreds of A&W’s across Canada on Thursday for Cruisin’ for a Cause. The event raises money and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis.
The event has become an annual tradition both in Castlegar and throughout Canada with each restaurant having their own unique way of doing it. At the Castlegar location there was a magician performing tricks, an appearance by the great Root Bear, Mountain FM live, and, of course, several classic cars and trucks.
“A&W has been supporting MS for the last four years and we do it from coast to coast,” said Trish Sahlstrom, vice-president of purchasing and distribution for A&W Canada. “There’s over 750 restaurants in Canada that today (Aug. 23) are selling teen burgers and donating $1 from each of those burgers to the MS Society of Canada. The funds actually find there way back to the locale in which the restaurants are situated and was raised.”
In the last three years, A&W Canada has raised more than $2 million for the MS Society. The target this year, says Sahlstrom, is $1.5 million.
“I think it just gets better every year,” said Shirley Henderson, franchisee for Castlegar A&W. “We do a lot of giveaways, a lot of prizes. We all wear nice t-shirts for a couple of months. The staff really gets into it. I think for them it’s a great cause because MS actually affects a lot of people that you may not know. it touches so many people that you may not be aware of.”


text:
Posted by News Express | 24 January 2017 | 2,787 times
A British schoolboy has rejected a £5 million offer by American investors to buy the money-saving website he created in his bedroom at his parents’ house, the Mail Online reports.
Mohammed Ali, 16, who launched his first company aged 12, has earned more than £40,000 after creating his own video game and a financial app for the stock market.
The teenager, from Dewsbury, Yorkshire, is now set to launch a price comparison site with 60-year-old business partner Chris Thorpe and claims it is unrivalled by competitors.
Mr Ali said that when the pair met a group of Americans in London to discuss an investment, they instead offered to buy the company for a sum of ‘more than £5 million.’
The sixth-form student would not disclose the exact figure but said: ‘We met the investors in London, they were a global data driven company, and they didn’t realise I created all the technology involved.
‘The offer was rejected in December, just before Christmas.
‘The main reason we rejected the offer was because, if the technology and concept is worth millions already, just think how much it will be worth once people use it.
‘I understand this is a big risk for me but I want to create this as a household name, and at the same time make something for myself.
‘The big thing about what we’re doing is that there are no competitors – this is a real time money saving expert – it’s like a Bloomberg for the general public.’
For his latest venture, weneed1.com, Mr Ali said he has ‘developed an algorithm which provides real time quotes instead of the normal pre-fixed quotes you find on insurance sites.’
The idea for the money-saving website came from Mr Thorpe, an entrepreneur who lives in Scarborough with his family.
He founded WeNeed1 in 2009 as a reverse marketing platform designed to introduce buyers to sellers of goods and services in the UK, but it wasn’t until he arranged a meeting with Mr Ali that the idea really took off. (NAN)
No comments yet. Be the first to post comment.


text:
Ask The Experts: May 22, 2019
Independent Transportation Analyst and Consultant
Q: What impact is the US-China trade war currently having on the rail industry?
A: Trade – the big issue since….2017. Wrote the FT’s Global Insight columnist Edward Luce: “(President) Trump has staked his reputation on eliminating the trade deficit (as opposed to changing the intellectual property rules etc) with China. Most economists think that goal to be unattainable – and undesirable”. Remember that the much-publicized AAR figure of “42% of US rail volume is trade-related “greatly understates the total impact on the Class One industry. The recent heating up of the US-China trade war, only a few days ago thought to be resolved, is obviously not great news for rails – impacting ag, autos, consumer goods, plastics, etc. The chemicals sector is “particularly hard-hit” (the FT, again). The latest salvos have been estimated to include fully 50% of the trade between the USA and China – and The Economist notes that “China vows to fight to the end” on this issue. Q1 US exports to China were down 30%; imports from, down 9%. Overall global trade declined 1.1% for the first two months of this year.
Q: What are your thoughts on the current NAFTA 2.0 situation?
A: Border disruptions related to immigration and our declining relationship with Mexico have been estimated to cost ~$800mm/day (although that should lead to market share opportunity for rail!). AMLO, meanwhile is both underwhelming in his attempt at broad changes (for example on the use of the army – “meet the new boss, same as the old boss”) and going back even further in time to offer broad support to Pemex, which just received an $8B credit approval, which would constrain US refined products imports, a big growth prospect for KSU. Meanwhile, NAFTA 2.0 is getting push-back – from the US Democratic congress, and from Canada and Mexico who argue, rather convincingly, for the rollback of the metals tariffs (and clearly will not accept quotas as a “substitute”). Meanwhile, the US International Trade Commission, an independent government agency, pegs the impact of 2.0 (AKA “USMCA”) as minimal (increasing GDP by 0.35%) – which makes sense in that, despite all of the rhetoric, it really is an only slightly modified 1.0; they see the biggest, unquantifiable, benefit being the investment/regulatory stability that USMCA (NAFTA resolution) would bring – but “stability” seems like a distant goal from here….The US added tariffs to Mexican tomatoes – so clearly, following the price gyrations in Avocados, this sector of the trade war isn’t auto-focused, but rather, concerns salsa….
Q: Do you think regulation is a current threat to the rail industry?
A: (Re) Regulation. Its seems to be a rising threat – one prominent lawyer, one of my few conservative/communist friends, says that rail assessorial “abuse is rampant” – and the STB will soon be holding a hearing on the issue. But its not just the USA – Mexico has stepped up what we might consider anti-trust oversight and the CTA up north has taken the CN to task for since-corrected congestion in Vancouver. But it’s the USA that is really heating up, as we have discussed since STB Chairman Ann Begeman’s incendiary (but enthralling) speech at last year’s RailTrends. Their recent “Rail Reform Task Force” report was scary – but remember it’s Washington. Things move slooooowly. The AAR’s Jeffries stated it “lacked balance.”
Click Here to learn more about Tony Hatch and ABH Consulting.


text:
Netflix has stated that they wish to eliminate inactive accounts. Netflix plans on asking members if they still want to keep their accounts, and if no response is received their account will be deactivated. These subscriptions will be canceled only after they do not hear back from the users. Netflix will also cancel user subscriptions if the users respond saying they wish to do the same.
The company has already begun contacting inactive users about whether they want to keep using Netflix or not. The targeted audience for this is members who have been inactive for 12 months after their subscription has begun. Also, Netflix has been reaching out to inactive users who have not watched anything in over two years.
“You know that sinking feeling when you realize you signed up for something but haven’t used it in ages? At Netflix, the last thing we want is people paying for something they’re not using,” Netflix had said in a blog post.
On a normal basis, companies tend to be happy when they withdraw their membership fees from user’s accounts. But Netflix has decided to play ethically correct and make sure that only those who use the app should pay for it. This simply goes on to show much loyal and beneficial the existing Netflix’s customers are.
In case users with canceled accounts wish to rejoin Netflix, they have time up to 10 months to join where their user preferences will be retained. Users will have access to their profiles, favorites, browsing history, preferences, and their List just as they were left.
Netflix has stated that these zombie account holders may account for hundreds of thousands in number. They also mention that even though these numbers may be extremely high, they constitute only about 0.05% of the total Netflix users. Netflix has already taken into account all the finances and carried out this decision.
The major video streaming company with over 182 million subscribers by 31 March 2020 has stated that they have carried out this step to allow users to save some hard-earned money for the people.


text:
Brace yourself for some remarkable July sales figures today.
Thanks to Cash for Clunkers, automakers are likely to report remarkably vibrant monthly sales figures, leading off with Ford. Ford officials said Sunday that it will today report its first monthly sales increase since November, 2007. None of the six biggest automakers -- GM, Chrysler, Ford, Honda, Toyota and Nissan -- have reported an increase since last August, Ford officials say.
Ford's gas-thrifty Focus, above, was one of the big sellers. "It is a sense that regular guys and gals...went out in July and bought cars and trucks," For sales Vice President Ken Czubay said.
Hyundai says Cash for Clunkers boosted its sales tally by 20%.
Photo of Ford Focus by Ford
Chris Woodyard is an auto writer for USA TODAY who covers all aspects of motoring. He revels in the exhaust note of a Maserati and the sharp creases of a Cadillac CTS. Chris strives to live a Porsche life on a Scion budget. More about Chris


text:
"Kosher" beats "All Natural." Who knew?
American consumers, it seems, who made the "Kosher" label the most popular claim found on product labels in 2007, beating out "All Natural" and "No Additives or Preservatives," according to figures from Mintel's Global New Products Database, which monitors worldwide product innovation in consumer packaged goods markets.
This past year, 3,984 new kosher food products and 728 kosher beverages were launched, the company reported.
The kosher marketplace has been growing 10-15 percent over the last 15-20 years, according to Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, senior rabbinic coordinator at the Orthodox Union.
Americans spend $10.5 billion annually on kosher products, the Jerusalem Post reported.
Mintel reports that a growing demand for dairy- and meat-free products is the driving force behind market growth in the U.S. Moreover, food that is certified as kosher is also suitable for Muslims.
"It is a misconception to think kosher is sought out only by Jewish people and observant people," Safran said. "It begins there, but the kosher marketplace in last 25-30 years has grown to meet the needs of many others."
"In food, there is no 'Good Housekeeping' symbol, and in the minds of many, the kosher symbol represents another pair of eyes looking at the food," he said. "All the things that go into certifying a kosher product - consumers feel good about it, because not only the manufacturer but a third party oversees it."
Asked whether the perception that kosher food was healthier and safer than non-kosher food was true, Safran said that when it came to meat, it was.
"All the halachic (Jewish law) requirements create cleaner meat products," said Safran. "As far as the rest of the products, we don't make the claim it's cleaner or healthier."
"All Natural" was the second most frequent claim made on food products launched in the U.S. this year, appearing on 2,023 products. It ranked fourth for beverages, being used on 405 items.


text:
Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing has arranged to bring a Latin American tourism marketing specialist to speak at the next meeting of the Tourist Development Council.
Victor Manjarres, President of Travel Tourism Marketing Latin America, will be the featured guest speaker at the meeting to be held Feb. 13 at 9 a.m. in Auburndale.
The Tourist Development Council (TDC) is the governing body that oversees the collection, marketing, management, capital investment and distribution of Polk County’s tourist development tax, also called a hotel tax or bed tax. The TDC comprises nine members drawn from Polk County’s tourism and hospitality industry and reports to the county commission.
The meeting will take place at Lake Myrtle Sports Park, 2701 Lake Myrtle Park Road, in Auburndale. Industry professionals are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Kris Keprios at 863-551-4750 or Kris@visitcentralflorida.org.
Here’s a description of Manjarres, from a release sent out by Polk County Tourism and Sports Marketing:
Manjarres, who has more than 25 years of experience in the tourism industry, will discuss his company’s strategies to promote Polk County as a tourist destination to Latin America markets, since PCTSM selected the company as their Latin America PR and sales representative last year. Formerly known as PR Latin America, TM Latin America has extensive experience in marketing, sales, communications, public relations, brand positioning and e-commerce in the tourism sector in the major markets of Latin America including Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina. Latin America is one of the fastest growing international markets in the travel and tourism industry and Central Florida is one of the top vacation destinations for Latin Americans. Manjarres will present an overview of this emerging market and how Polk County businesses can capture more visitors from Latin America.


text:
Hazelight Studios, the makers of video games like Brothers: A Story of Two Sons, and A Approach Out has been coping with a trademark dispute filed by recreation writer Take-Two over the title of this yr’s co-op hit It Takes Two.
The trademark dispute has been uncovered by the oldsters at Eurogamer, who additionally discovered that Take-Two has been swinging the dispute bat at quite a few media makers naming their merchandise after phrases which are near Take-Two’s emblems. Hazelight Studios has apparently opted to abandon the trademark for its personal recreation moderately than go toe-to-toe with Take-Two.
Hazelight advised Eurogamer in an announcement that it’s “hoping [the dispute] will probably be resolved.”
Eurogamer’s prying into Take-Two’s trademark bonanza has revealed the writer is swinging at anybody attempting to trademark names that embrace phrases like “rockstar” “social membership” “civilization” and “mafia.”
These embrace a Beijing-based firm’s trademark of “Starrocks,” tattoo parlours and eating places attempting to make use of “rockstar” of their names, a dwell efficiency trade e-book known as “Suppose Like A Rockstar,” and a Florida axe-throwing enterprise known as “Rockstar Axe Throwing.”
Trademark regulation is a messy affair partly constructed on the notion that trademark homeowners should be actively defending their desired emblems. Given Take-Two’s authorized assets, the corporate in all probability views it as being much less of a legal responsibility to overcorrect on trademark protection than undercorrect, notably the place different online game manufacturers are involved.
Whereas it is irritating to see a billion-dollar writer decide on a a lot smaller firm, mentioned smaller firm did publish their recreation with EA. It is a nearer overlap than Rockstar Axe Throwing, that is for certain.
Nonetheless, with “Take-Two” being an organization title, and “It Takes Two” being a recreation title from a a lot smaller studio, it does really feel like Take-Two is utilizing its monetary and authorized assets to take an unfair swing at competitors.


text:
There are legitimate reasons why you might not want to reveal your phone number when making a call, but how do you make this happen?
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) reports that for the first quarter of the year the level of complaints about mobile phones dropped by 30 per cent, but Australian consumers still found plenty to complain about, with an overall rise in complaints of 4.5 per cent.
ALDI has sold plenty of cheap gadgetry over the years, including tablets. Its latest rumoured move will see it launch into the competitive Mobile Virtual Network Operator space, reportedly reselling Telstra coverage in the same style as Kogan Mobile. How well will that work out?


text:
Finnish companies are looking forward to continued economic growth, but there are concerns ahead about recruitment, according to the latest ‘barometer’ from the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK.
The new economic ‘barometer’ canvased information from more than 12 hundred Finnish companies which employ nearly 260,000 people, during April.
In general the economic outlook for Finnish businesses over the next six months is still positive, as output and sales have continued to grow. The number of new orders received by the manufacturing sector also continue to increase, with expectations for the third quarter also high.
Manufacturing sector order books are now substantially above average says EK, with order intake exceeding normal levels also in the construction industry. Some 88% of companies that responded to the EK questionnaire said they were working at full capacity – that’s up from 80% in January.
One sign of trouble on the horizon however comes in recruitment. Out of all the businesses that responded, 28% felt that recruitment difficulties had become an obstacle to growth, up from 22% in January.
The business ‘barometer’ has been carried out by EK since 1966, and is published four times per year.


text:
Report: No Apple Watch 2 until autumn, new colours/straps coming in March
Apple may not be planning to launch a second generation Apple Watch 2 this spring, according to a report on Friday.
Following on from its report about the iPhone 5se earlier on Friday, 9to5Mac has more information on Apple’s plans for its rumoured March 2016 event.
According to the report, Apple isn’t done hawking the first edition just yet and will instead announce new colours and strap options in March.
The sources say there’ll be new straps made from a new material, while there’ll be more partnerships such as the one with Hermes.
Beyond the external revisions, Apple is also planning to roll out the WatchOS 2.2, which has been available to developers in beta from earlier this month. The beta allows for multiple Apple Watches to be hooked up to one iPhone.
See also: Apple Watch tips & tricks
That means a redesigned Apple Watch could be announced alongside the rumoured iPhone 7. Waiting until the latter part of 2016 would certainly give 1st-Gen Apple Watch users a little more time to enjoy their device before it is succeeded by the newcomer.
Will you be snapping up the always much-improved second generation Apple product before 2016 is out?


text:
News The bundled-in headphones will be dropped to help promote Apple's wireless AirPods when the iPhone 12 launches.
News If recent rumors are to be believed, the Google Pixel 4a will have 128GB storage as standard and cost just $350.
News It's my way or Huawei says Donald Trump, extending the executive order that shuts out the Chinese smartphone giant.
Review The iPhone SE line has returned, now cheaper but not skimping on power – making it a very compelling option.
Review The Samsung Galaxy S20 comes equipped with 5G and some excellent features, but all this tech will cost you.
News As video calling's popularity skyrockets, WhatsApp improves its service with eight-person calls to keep up with Zoom and Skype.
Deals We've rustled up best cheap iPhone SE deals, including AT&T's fantastic offer that gives you the handset for just $5 per month.
Review The Honor 9X Pro is an excellent budget smartphone that packs some serious gaming punch, but the lack of Google services spoils the party.
News New report exposes a security flaw in Apple's native email app that allowed malware to break through even if you didn't open the infected email.
NEWS Contact tracing is one of the key ways to stop the coronavirus, but what does it mean for your data?
Buying Guide Perfect for the commute, or for working outside, the best Bluetooth headsets will keep you connected on the go wherever you are - and all hands free.
Deal Microsoft offers big savings on Samsung phones including the S20, S10 Plus and Note10 Plus, plus deals on Xbox, laptops and tablets.
NEWS Google publishes location data from 130 countries, and all US states, to reveal who is following coronavirus lockdown.
News Sales of smartphones reach its lowest point in a decade due to the economic effects of the coronavirus outbreak.
Review Though it’s bulky, the Plantronics Voyager 5200 is intuitively designed and has great noise cancellation.
Review The solid features, design and performance of the Jabra Stealth make it one of the top-performing Bluetooth headsets.
Review The Sennheiser Presence just about manages to live up to Sennheiser's reputation, and its hefty price tag.


text:
“We're optimistic about 2015, but not equally in every market,” Senior Vice President Juan Carlos Ordonez said in a news conference at NPE 2015 in Orlando. “We're more positive in automotive, which surprised us again in growth [in 2014].
“We've also got good expectations in consumer and industrial, but less so in construction,” he added. “Commercial construction is positive in hotels and restaurants, but not residential.”
Lower oil and gasoline prices have had a mixed impact on BASF's business, according to Ordonez.
“When you talk to customers, you hear multiple stories,” he said. “Some of them think [material] prices will automatically go down, but you have inventories and other factors to consider.
“Establishing price is strategic, but you have to guess where oil is going. And when things are bumpy like they are now, there's a good chance to be wrong,” Ordonez said.
“We follow the market closely and try to buy at the best price,” Ordonez added. “But in turbulent times, I've learned it's best to shut your mouth.”
North America generates 20 percent of sales and profit for the performance materials unit. The unit has 100 manufacturing plants and 27 research and development sites in North America. Its R&D sites employ 1,850.
Also at the NPE event, BASF highlighted results of its Ultrasim simulation software, which has 90 to 95 percent accuracy in predicting the performance of parts using BASF materials, according to technical development director Mark Minnichelli. He cited three recent successful uses of Ultrasim using Ultramid-brand nylon 6.
Bemis Manufacturing Co. used Ultramid nylon in its Innova shopping cart design for Target Corp. The cart has an HDPE basket over a nylon 6 structure. It has twice the durability of steel models and is 100 percent recyclable, Minnichelli said.
Faurecia used Ultrasim to design a lightweight auto seatback. The product provides 30 to 40 percent mass savings by using a glass-filled Ultramid grade, reducing part weight by 6 pounds per vehicle.
A solar panel mount made by Solega provided weight reduction of almost 4 pounds, according to Minnichelli. The mount keeps solar photovoltaic panels in place and can withstand greater loads by using a glass-filled Ultramid, he added.
BASF is based in Ludwigshafen, Germany, with North American headquarters in Florham Park, N.J. The firm posted sales of $83.2 billion in 2014, up almost 1 percent vs. 2013.


text:
One of the biggest gripes we’ve heard with the recent onslaught of Tegra 2-only games is the fact that they’re Tegra-only. If you don’t own one of the shiny new dual-core Tegra devices, you simply can’t play these new games.
Our readers (and some staffers) have lamented that this type of fragmentation is the worst ... Read More »
When NVIDIA announced the Tegra 2 processor for Android smartphones, I think we all knew that gaming on Android was going to get significantly better. True to form, NVIDIA has started partnering with developers to unleash games which take advantage of its powerful Tegra 2 chipset.
On Friday, NVIDIA teamed up with Playbox ... Read More »
When Nvidia announced that they would be partnering with device manufacturers to bring awesome phones and tablets to market sporting its new Tegra2 processors, it was only a matter of time before we started to see increasingly complex, graphically-intense games come to the Android platform.
Today, Nvidia has partnered with Gameprob to bring Gameprob’s popular ... Read More »


text:
Here's where they get an "A" for effort, according to an FTC statement: "The defendants also cloaked each fake merchant with a virtual office address near a real merchant's location, a phone number, a home phone number for the 'owner,' a Web site pretending to sell products, a toll-free number consumers could call and a real company’s tax number." The beauty—or ugliness—of this effort is that had someone chosen to spend 10 minutes checking the thieves out, the information could have looked favorable. Yep, fraud detection packages are going to have to get some updates.
Anti-fraud tactics have become much more sophisticated in recent years, but the thieves have been boning up, too. Consider a global theft ring that the Federal Trade Commission moved against this week. In an attempt to avoid triggering any alarms, the suspects created bogus company names but made sure they resembled the names of legitimate businesses. Rather than waste time fleecing people who were broke, the thieves ran credit checks on potential victims.


text:
At the most recent India-Australia CEO summit held in Mumbai, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Business Council of Australia (BCI) extended their memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a further four years. The alliance aims to strengthen the commercial ties between the two nations. Anthony Albanese, the prime minister of Australia, was also present.
According to a press release from India’s ministry of commerce and industry, Albanese declared that the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) inked between India and Australia was a transformative agreement that will open up the next level of potential in trade and investment.
Senator Don Farrell and Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles Piyush Goyal both took part in the CEO Forum. Tourism and trade minister of Australia. Goyal remarked that the current target of doubling bilateral trade must be reset by the industries and CEOs present there as there was huge potential to enhance trade between the two nations. He reaffirmed the potential for expansion in the bilateral trade and investment between Australia and India.
In order to take advantage of the expanding trade and investment between the two nations, the event was organised by the Directorate for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the CII. to this. You may access this information by citing the following reference, to the………..
Farrell emphasised that the $2.5 billion in commerce benefited from the decreased tariffs. from ECTA in January 2023 alone, and they were comforted by the prospect of further expansion.
CEOs of top firms from Australia and India in a variety of industries attended the event. India was Australia’s ninth-largest trading partner in the fiscal year 2022. Leather, textiles and garments, and other appliances are among the top exports to Australia. Also, significant imports of chemicals, wool, dyeing extracts, and other goods are made.


text:
Apple and Samsung return to the U.S. courts –- here we go again
Apple’s stunning $1.05 billion victory over Samsung in August might have had the fanboys punching the air in delight, and left the South Korean company reeling, but it was never going to be the end of the matter. While patent battles continue to rage in other countries, all eyes are still on the U.S. courts as the two rivals square up once more for a second round.
Apple was back in court yesterday to defend its billion dollar award and persuade U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh to permanently ban a number of older, infringing Samsung devices. Samsung for its part is trying to get the figure awarded against it reduced, or for the verdict to be dismissed (and a new trial arranged) following alleged juror misconduct. The jury foreman, Velvin Hogan, was sued by his former employer Seagate Technology in 1993, and as Samsung holds a stake in that company, lawyers for the South Korean giant argued Hogan’s failure to disclose the issue brought into serious question his impartiality.
Apple is seeking an additional $500 million, on top of the original $1.05 billion (perhaps it needs the money, given the company’s current share situation) because the jury found Samsung willfully infringed on the Cupertino, Calif.-based corporation’s patents. Samsung countered that the base amount for that should be just $10 million. Pocket change for both of them.
Samsung’s lawyers also argued that the original amount awarded was flawed and should be reverse engineered to ensure the jury’s calculations were arrived at correctly, and legally. Apple naturally wasn’t keen, urging Judge Koh not to try to break down the jury's reasoning on a device-by-device basis, to which she replied, "I don't see how you can look at the aggregate verdict without looking at the pieces put together to make that verdict. If there is a basis to uphold the damages award, by the record, then I am going to uphold it," she added. "But I think it is appropriate to do analysis by product".
Samsung’s request to overturn the verdict and schedule a fresh trial is unlikely to go anywhere as Velvin Hogan’s connection to the company is tenuous at best, and he was not required by law to disclose any relevant litigation that occurred more than 10 years ago.
"I think it's time for global peace," Judge Koh said at the end of the hearing. Fat chance of that. She will give her rulings in due course, likely over a period of several weeks.


text:
Apple and Epic agree on one thing: a court trial sans jury
That's probably the only thing though
Apple and Epic Games have been at odds over the past month and a half in the early phases of a lawsuit concerning Fortnite's presence on the App Store. Epic has filed an anti-trust lawsuit against Apple concerning their control of the App Store while Apple have returned a countersuit based on Epic breaking the terms of service for the store by adding a secondary payment option inside Fortnite to circumvent the App Store payment system. After a lot of barbs and posturing, they've at last come to agree on at least one thing. Both request that their cases are tried by the court rather than a jury.
Earlier this week was the hearing for the preliminary injunction that Epic filed asking the court to prevent Apple from removing Fortnite from the store and revoking Epic's App Store developer licenses. (Unreal Engine was spared but Fortnite remains gone). During that hearing, as reported by Cnet, California Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers maintained her initial decision to uphold Apple removing Fortnite from the App Store.
She criticized Epic's decision to covertly bypass Apple's cut of V-Bucks sales, the event that initially led Apple to kick Fortnite off the App Store. "You were not forthright," she said. "You were told you couldn't do it, and you did. There's an old saying, a rose by any other name is still a rose [...] There are plenty of people in the public could consider you guys heroes for what you did, but it's still not honest."
She also challenged Epic's claims of irreparable harm from their the preliminary injunction filing. "There's no case law that says that my billion-dollar company is losing some millions and so therefore that's irreparable harm," she said.
On Monday, Rogers recommended that the lawsuit go to a trial by jury, saying "I think it is important enough to understand what real people think. Do these security issues concern people or not?"
Well, that recommendation revealed one thing that Apple and Epic do actually agree on. They both say thanks but no thanks to a trial by jury. Gamesindustry.biz report that the companies have filed a joint statement on the matter.
"Epic and Apple have met and conferred, and the parties agree that Epic's claims and Apple's counterclaims should be tried by court, and not by a jury.
"Therefore, with Epic's consent, Apple hereby withdraws its demand for a jury trial...The parties respectfully request that the case—including any claims and counterclaims—proceed to a bench trial on a schedule determined by the court."
Rogers expects the case to be heard in July 2021.


text:
The education leaders will provide schools with installation and maintenance services for Samsung Interactive Displays, as well as professional development resources
Samsung Electronics America, Inc., an industry leader in the global display market, announced today its partnership with STS EDUCATION, a respected education technology solutions provider, to supply Samsung Interactive Displays to schools looking to energize classroom learning. Through the partnership, schools that order Samsung Interactive Displays will receive installation and ongoing maintenance services from STS EDUCATION and access to Samsung’s professional development resources.
Launched at the 2023 ISTELive conference, the Samsung Interactive Display (model name: WAC) is an all-in-one collaboration hub that fosters classroom engagement and hands-on, active learning. Available in 65-, 75- and 86-inch models, the Interactive Display is built on the Android OS to provide intuitive usability for educators, enabling them to integrate the display with their lesson plans and favorite instructional tools right out of the box. Educators and students can wirelessly connect their own devices to the board and share and interact with content in real time. To further enhance classroom interactivity, a multi-touch feature allows up to 20 users to simultaneously write and draw on the board with a specially designed pen or their fingers.
“A national poll from Gradient Learning found that 80 percent of educators are concerned about their students’ engagement levels in the classroom,” said James Fishler, Senior Vice President, Display & Home Entertainment Divisions, Samsung Electronics America. “As a result, educators and academic leaders are working tirelessly to address this critical challenge. Forward-thinking districts realize that the old-school practices like traditional lectures don’t resonate with today’s learners and are instead embracing new-age solutions, including the Samsung Interactive Display, which promote active participation among students, helping to draw their attention to lessons, boost their knowledge retention and ultimately reach their full potential.”
STS EDUCATION will first supply Samsung Interactive Displays to a major metropolitan public school district in California. For every school’s order of Samsung Interactive Displays, STS EDUCATION will provide installation services to facilitate the easy integration of the displays into each classroom. STS EDUCATION will offer ongoing support and maintenance services as part of a five-year product warranty to ensure the displays continue to enable the seamless flow of lesson delivery and collaborative learning.
“Samsung and STS EDUCATION share a commitment to enhancing classroom experiences for both students and educators,” said Marc Netka, CEO and Founder, STS EDUCATION. “Our partnership enables us to meet this goal by providing schools with the most innovative technology solutions available and equipping students for success in the digital age.”
To help educators unlock the full potential of their Interactive Displays, Samsung provides customized in-person or virtual workshops based on a catalog of 60+ professional development courses that cover strategies for improving classroom management, accessibility, student collaboration, digital citizenship and more. Each workshop will be led by the Samsung Education Coach team, a cohort of former teachers, published instructional design experts and certified Google Educators and Innovators. STS EDUCATION offers additional resources for educators through Learn.EC, which allows school districts to consolidate their professional development initiatives, from new technology and curriculum to compliance for teachers and supporting staff. Learn.EC delivers anytime, anywhere access to personalized micro-courses, activity-based learning with feedback, digital badging, live training and reporting.
Continuing its investment in student ingenuity and innovation, Samsung is celebrating the 14th year of its Solve For Tomorrow competition. Since 2010, Solve For Tomorrow has asked teacher-led student teams to harness Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to create innovative solutions to critical issues impacting their communities. The competition provides students a chance to win $100,000 in Samsung products and classroom materials for their school. To date, Samsung has awarded $25 million in technology and classroom supplies to more than 3,500 public schools across the United States.
For information on how to submit an application for Solve For Tomorrow before the competition’s extended deadline at 11:59 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 14th, 2023, please visit www.samsung.com/solve. To learn more about how Samsung Displays transform teaching and learning, please visit: www.samsung.com/us/business/solutions/industries/education/.
About STS EDUCATION
STS EDUCATION is a technology solutions company located in Southern California with distribution facilities throughout the US. For more than 15 years STS has been providing the right technology for less money to K-12 schools and has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest-growing privately-held companies since 2012. From Second-Life Hardware with a lifetime parts warranty to complete IT and Network Management solutions, STS is an industry leader with a foundation built on legendary customer service.


text:
News - General News - Events
Toyota, Holden announce winners of skills awards
Winners of skill development programs finalised by Holden and Toyota
27 Nov 2015
- Toyota Australia and Holden have rewarded their best-performing employees in competitions testing the skills of workers across a number of areas and categories.
- Toyota gave out awards in six different categories - diagnosis technician, technician, service advisor, guest experience manager, parts sales and sales walkaround, while Holden's competition concerned technicians and apprentices.
Click here for full story: Toyota, Holden announce winners of skills awards
The Road to Recovery podcast series
Click to see larger images
Click to share
General News articles
Research General News
Motor industry news


text:
The Wall Street Journal this weekend went inside Wal-Mart Stores Inc.'s Black Friday experiment with Facebook, which the newspaper says is key to the social media giant's advertising future:
Over the next 72 hours Facebook and Wal-Mart rolled out the social network's biggest mobile-advertising campaign ever, consisting of 50 million ads. Wal-Mart's discounted deals on toys and televisions popped up in the Facebook mobile news feeds of tens of millions of people.
Unlike previous campaigns, for which companies paid Facebook only after users saw their ads, Wal-Mart prepurchased the ads and edged out other retailers for space during the all-important kickoff to the holiday shopping season.
Facebook now is considering making the option available to other companies.
In all, Wal-Mart bought more than 2 billion ads on Facebook -- three times more than last year -- as part of its evolving mobile and social media strategy, which we've examined here and noted here. For Wal-Mart, this year's results appear to be mixed, but there's still lots of learning to do.
The stakes are high for Wal-Mart as it tried to grow its online business. And this has been a crucial test for Facebook as its continues to refine is advertising platform, striking a delicate balance between its status as an online hang-out and its priorities as an ad-driven business.
- This Week in Tyson: EPA Investigates; Hillshire Deal Delayed Again
- Jerry Jones' Dallas Cowboys Top $3B in Value
- The Capital Hotel Opens One Eleven at the Capital
- Company Plans $900M, 440-Mile Crude Oil Pipeline Across Arkansas 1 day ago
- Davy Carter: Little Legislature Can Do To Help Turner Grain Farmers 3 hours ago
- 8 Farmers File Fraud Lawsuit Against Turner Grain 2 days ago
- Turner Grain Officers No Longer Principals in Related Company 3 hours ago
- Dates Approved for Arkansas Waterfowl Season 3 hours ago


text:
NBA will be streaming games in Oculus Venues and Gold tour experiments with VR 8K streaming.
This Week In VR Sport
Ice hockey training embraces virtual reality, Fanatic fans get a social space and base jumping is coming to PlayStation VR.
NASCAR release augmented reality experience, Big Shot Basketball gets a new update and more eSport tournaments are on the way.
Virtual reality for soccer recruitment, table tennis comes to PlayStation VR and Oculus discusses the future of eSports.
This Week In VR Sport: Vuzix And OnCore Target AR Golf, The VR League Finals Draw Near And Watch PGA…
Another busy week for the world of VR sport.
HomeCourt, T3R and Everbody's Golf VR in this weeks entry.
Another weekend, another chance to look back at the past week or VR and AR sports.
Shannons Nationals are hosting an eSports competitions, SyncThink looks to help with injuries and new features come to HawkeyeSports.
Become a goalkeeper in VR, bring newspapers to life with AR and learn the future of sports broadcasting technology
NextVR are broadcasting two live events, New England beat Japan at Home Run Derby VR and Greenwall VR comes to Sansar.