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Since the food GMPs were last revised in 1986, there have been significant changes in food production technology. There is also a better understanding of foodborne illnesses.
"Since food GMPs are an integral part of the nation's control over food safety problems it is essential that they adequately address the needs of today's food processes and foodborne hazards," said Dr Lester Crawford.
|The FDA will publish a white paper of its findings in September.|
"We believe this effort…will improve the safety of these products and create new opportunities for introducing better manufacturing techniques."
In order to evaluate its current food GMPs, the FDA established an internal Food GMP Modernization Working Group in July 2002. The Working Group initiated further research in 2 areas:
- The impact of the food GMPs on food safety.
- The impact of revised regulations on food safety and the likely economic consequences of such revisions.
The research effort includes several components, including, among other things, a literature review, and soliciting of expert opinions.
The agency plans to hold public meetings this summer to receive input on food GMP modernization from stakeholders.
The FDA will evaluate the data received to determine how to revise the food GMP regulations. It plans to publish a white paper with a summary of its findings in September.


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By Bonnie Price Lofton
Now that China has closed the door to most of our garbage, recycling plants around the country are closing, or limiting what they’ll accept, and Charlottesville is no different. Starting July 1, the McIntire Recycling Center will no longer take Nos. 3-7 plastics, things like yogurt containers, plastic cups, and bottle tops.
With recycling getting more difficult, it may be time to focus on those other Rs: reduce and reuse (or, as the city of San Francisco has been urging, refuse). Thanks to the Dillon Rule, Charlottesville and Albemarle likely can’t join the hundreds of localities that have tried to stem the flood of plastic by banning single-use plastic bags or plastic straws.
“We can only do community education and awareness,” says Susan Elliott, the climate protection program manager for Charlottesville.
So it’s up to locals to take matters into their own hands.
Take the customers of The Book Room, in the 29th Place shopping center, which practices its own form of recycling by buying and selling used books, CDs, and DVDs. Patrons often bring books to sell in a reusable bag, says clerk Erin Maupin. “They’ll refill that bag with more books and later return with the bag again. Back and forth. At least a dozen folks do this.”
Maupin herself carries reusable bags in her car but finds it hard to remember to take them into other stores. Sometimes, frustrated at forgetting her Trader Joe’s canvas bags, she’ll just throw her paid-for groceries back into the cart and haul them unbagged to the car, like Costco customers do.
Kroger, which also owns Harris Teeter, has pledged at the national level to stop distributing single-use bags by 2025. In the meantime, however, of 24 shoppers checking out on a recent Wednesday evening from the Kroger and Harris Teeter at Barracks Road Shopping Center, only four filled reusable bags.
On that same Wednesday, our unscientific bring-your-bag count was better at Whole Foods and at Integral Yoga Natural Foods (both of which offer a 5 cent credit for every bag refused), and at Trader Joe’s (which incentivizes the use of reusable bags with a weekly raffle), with one-third to one-half of the customers forgoing plastic.
Wegmans, however, was more like Kroger-—except for one fit-looking guy who packed a grocery cart worth of goods into a massive backpack and set off to hike to his apartment, looking like he was heading out for a week on the Appalachian Trail. “I don’t own a car,” he tossed over his shoulder in response to a hurried query, without offering his name.
For now, the McIntire Recycling Center is still accepting plastic bags in a specially labeled bin. Katie McIlwee of the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority says the bags are hauled to the Trex plant in Winchester to become decking and fencing.
Meanwhile, hometown hero the Dave Matthews Band is doing its part. When the band was in town in December, it offered fans a reusable drink cup, which could be picked up from craft beer stands for a $3 deposit and returned at the end of the night.
And as for straws, the Cville Stops Facebook group, started in April of last year, has 823 members who agree with its mission to “try to avoid using plastic straws and frequent establishments that support the S.T.O.P movement.” Around town, many coffee shops and restaurants have stopped automatically giving out plastic straws, and others have removed them altogether.
MarieBette Café & Bakery began discouraging use of straws of any kind about year ago, with a refuse-the-straw icon on the menu and a sign with a similar message on the take-out counter. Co-owner Jason Becton says he was inspired by Lampo Neapolitan Pizzeria, which he credits for being among the first in the city to try to reduce straw usage.
For customers who want straws no matter what, Becton says he’s bought paper straws, which are more expensive and typically on back order, due to increased demand as people switch from plastic straws to paper ones. “I know plastic straws are not the biggest thing nationally in terms of plastic waste, but it’s a step,” he says. “I think it starts people thinking and makes them want to use less plastic in general.”
So until policymakers come up with better solutions, it’s up to us to just say, “no, thanks” when offered a single-use plastic bag or straw—or even a beer cup.

domain: news


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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled examined which products in the Canadian market include HVP manufactured by Basic Food Flavors, Inc. A number of foods have already taken place.
In Canada, which Salmonella in hydrolyzed vegetable protein , CanadaThe Canadian Food Inspection Agency , Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada are closely following an investigation by U.S. Authorities because of possible Salmonella contamination the hydrolyzed vegetable protein in the United States.
What you can do as a consumer?Notice the list of recalled products. They will tell able to tell from ingredient lists if HVP in the diet because it is often part of a flavor mix. You can view a list of the recalled products from the Government of Canada on the Food Safety Portal. If you have recalled products in your home, do not eat them.Research reported into the 20 th July edition of Journal of Neuroscience , conducted by a team led by David Featherstone from of the University of Illinois in in Chicago assistant professor of biology, provides some key provisional responses. Kind confusion of to a condition synesthesia, a sound can have good taste, or an image can carry have a smell , the molecular principles of these disease is unknown.
Nerve cell can forward messages to blink – of – the-eye velocity by spraying chemicals called neurotransmitter in tiny synapses database managers to expect send receptor. But several receptors and neurotransmitters work simultaneously. That goes deliver the right message the right message?


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Photo: Getty Images Apple is working on a Digital Health initiative
The new tool will be included in the next version of OS – iOS 12, which is scheduled to present next week.
Apple working on Digital Health initiative, to users iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV to control the time spent by them for their devices. This writes Bloomberg citing sources familiar with the plans of the American IT company.
In particular, it is reported that the new tool will be included in the next version of OS – iOS 12, which is scheduled to present next week. Engineers will present its new development, allowing users to deal with attachment devices and dependence on them.
We are talking about the set of tools United under the name of Digital Health, which will allow Apple users to control the time spent by them for their devices and individual applications.
New feature iOS you can find in the settings . Presentation of the new operating system should take place at the worldwide developers conference Apple in San Jose on June 4. Users will be able to download iOS 12 on their devices in September.
Earlier it was reported that Apple Inc. increased net profit and revenues in the second fiscal quarter, both indices reached a record for this time of the year and exceeded market forecasts, although sales of the iPhone fell short of expectations.


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Alibaba affiliate Ant Financial was forced to apologise on Wednesday after users said they felt misled into allowing its Alipay service to share their data.
What we need is an Indian tech ecosystem that doesn't only create and extract data, but also transforms it into higher-level products with global worth.
Each of India’s four most-valued internet companies - Flipkart, Ola, mobile payments platform Paytm, and online travel agency MakeMyTrip - are more than 40% owned by Chinese corporations together with Naspers and SoftBank
Japan's SoftBank recently dropped out of talks to invest $200-250 million in Swiggy for a significant minority stake.
SoftBank’s most impactful move in India was trying to bring two large online retail firms - Flipkart and Snapdeal - together, a deal that fell through just before the finish line.
XpressBees is the logistics business spun out of baby and maternity products retailer FirstCry, known for its acquisition of Mahindra’s Babyoye in 2016.
Alibaba Cloud will launch its India data centre in Mumbai in January to meet the surging demand for cloud computing services among the fast-increasing number of Indian small and medium-sized businesses
Competition Commission of India has approved Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba’s stake purchase in the grocery e-tailer BigBasket
Ma’s recently established Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) has been roped in with the objective of reducing barriers and making it easier for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to expand their trading capabilities worldwide.
The Alibaba and Paytm Mall combine is likely to own around 35-40% stake in BigBasket. The transaction is expected to involve a primary investment of about $220 million while $80 million will be used to acquire shares from existing investors.
With eight investments closed in less than 10 months, the firm is leveraging its learning from the Chinese market and betting on companies which can gain from the mobile-internet boom.
Powered by Chinese smartphone users splurging billions on mobile games and online shopping, China's tech giants Tencent and Alibaba are racing up the elite league of the world's most valuable companies.
Internet giant Alibaba Group said it would invest HK$22.4 billion ($2.87 billion) for a major stake in China's top hypermart operator, Sun Art Retail Group, part of a wider push into offline retail.
One of the talking points for comparison was the advertising market of both countries. India’s advertising market is $9.5 billion this year, China’s is $75 billion.
Alibaba-owned mobile browser was earlier accused of sending the personal data of Indian users, even those who uninstalled the app, to a server in China.
Indian grocery items, ready-made food and Ayurvedic cosmetic brands like Amul, MDH Masala, Haldiram’s, Dabur, Patanjali, and Himalaya were snapped up on Alibaba’s Taobao.com, JD.com and several other internet marketplaces.


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There was a brief period when it seemed that mobile phone users were exempt from the problems that computer users were experiencing. After all, it had been a long time since any phone vendor had used Intel chips in any product, so there was nothing for the Apple fanboys or the Android customers to worry about.
That all changed when it was revealed that there were two processor flaws and the second one, Spectre, most decidedly did affect ARM chips – which meant pretty much every phone and tablet out there.
What followed then was almost a masterclass in how rumor was disseminated and how misinformation can spread. First of all, it should be remembered that this vulnerability was identified and reported seven months ago and was not supposed to have been revealed until next week (coincidentally in a week when the tech world had decamped to Las Vegas for CES and those pesky tech journalists would be otherwise occupied).
But then there was also the uncertainty of what Spectre meant to users and the contrasting messages, on one hand being told it was that it was worse than Meltdown as it wouldn’t have been so easy to apply fixes to it; and, on the other, how it wasn’t quite so bad as it wasn’t something that could be exploited by a script kiddie working on his own, but would need state-sponsored teams on the case.
And according to Zimperium security advisor, Adam Donenfeld, the dangers to individual users are limited. “Spectre is essentially an information disclosure vulnerability. While it is possible to steal information using that vulnerability, stealing a specific targeted piece of information is not as easy as it might appear,” he said.
He pointed out that there was already protection available. “As of now, the average user can either wait or install a 3rd party security solution. Obviously, it’s a new class of vulnerabilities we’ve yet to see, so there might be more to it. But, an upcoming patch will fix the known issues related to that class of bugs.”
That’s not to say that the vulnerabilities aren’t worrying for users. Many Apple users, whether of phones or computers have long been of the belief that their devices are secure against any form of attack, so the news that their phones were vulnerable to attack too – even though Apple put out a statement saying that the company would be reacting to the Spectre vulnerability. According to the company statement, “Apple will release an update for Safari on macOS and iOS in the coming days to mitigate these exploit techniques. We continue to develop and test further mitigations within the operating system for the Spectre techniques, and will release them in upcoming updates of iOS, macOS, and tvOS. watchOS is unaffected by Spectre.”
It wasn’t just Apple, of course, one of the issues that users had concerns about is what was happening to chips that ARM was making for other vendors, such as Qualcomm. The company also put out a statement to assuage customer anxieties. “Providing technologies that support robust security and privacy is a priority for Qualcomm, and as such, we have been working with ARM and others to assess impact and develop mitigations for our customers. We are in the process of deploying these mitigations to our customers and encourage people to update their devices when patches become available.”
With statements like this, it’s clear that the vendors have been trying to meet users’ worries. According to Donenfeld, the manufacturers have worries beyond the technical issues. “I think mobile vendors are not as concerned about the impact, but rather about the hype behind it: information disclosure vulnerabilities are not new. At the end of the day it’s just a simple patch that fixes those bugs, just like other vulnerabilities. One of the issues here however, is that the vulnerability (and some PoCs) were released before a patch was installed. But those vulnerabilities required more vulnerabilities to chain with, to achieve a full compromise of the device.”
The episode has done one thing, however, it has concentrated mobile users’ minds on how vulnerabilities their devices are. While users (on the whole) are diligent about updating PCs and installing antivirus software, there haven’t been the same efforts expended on mobiles: could the Spectre flaw change this. Donenfield is non-committal: “I hope so. But Spectre is no different and doesn’t shed light on how users view their phones: a security solution for mobile devices was needed before, and is needed after this patch as well.”
That’s not to say that, a week after Spectre was first reported, that the industry couldn’t improve matters. The fact that news of vulnerability was leaked and disclosure wasn’t handled properly is still contentious. Donenfeld believes it could have been handled better “I think there wasn’t a responsible disclosure. The fact that the vulnerability details, as well as PoCs, were released before some flagship devices were patched, implies miscommunication between the disclosing party and the vendors.”
And it’s probable that these points will have been noted and lessons are certain have been learned – the proof will be when it happens next – we’ll be better prepared: won’t we?


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Epic Games is set to launch a new Marvel themed Fortnite season on Thursday, August 27, 2020. The gaming giant has tweeted the new Chapter 2 Season 4 teaser of the Fortnite game amidst its ongoing legal battles with Apple Inc. Notably, the tweet comes following the game’s ban from the App Store on the alleged violations of Store’s term policies.
Marvel themed seasons and superheroes-inspired characters have been quite popular among game players in the past. Fortnite had launched its first ever Avengers themed mode back in 2018. Moreover, it has rolled out various characters inspired by the Marvel superheroes such as Captain America, Star-Lord, Black Window, etc. However, the iPhone users won’t be able to enjoy the new season due to its ongoing legal battle with the tech giant.
The legal battle between the iPhone maker and Fortnite developer began earlier this month following the latter’s attempt to bypass Apple App Store commissions. Notably, Apple receives a 30 percent commission cut on all the in-app purchases for applications available on App Store. However, in its latest Fortnite update, Epic Games had enabled players to bypass Apple’s payment gateway.
Consequently, Apple had removed the Fortnite game from its iPhone and iPad App Stores. Furthermore, after removing it from the App Store, Apple has also threatened to cut off Epic Games’ access to development tools. Notably, the potential restrictions will severely impact the company’s Unreal Engine.
Microsoft Defends Epics Games
Furthermore, Microsoft Inc. has also come in support of Epic Games. In its court filling, the software leader reportedly cited the ban’s potential impact on other gaming firms for its support. It said that restricting Epic Games’ developer account would not only affect the Fortnite owner but also other gaming firms including Microsoft that are dependent on the company’s “Unreal Engine”.
Kevin Gammill, General Manager, Gaming Developer Experiences at Microsoft said, “If Unreal Engine cannot support games for iOS or macOS, Microsoft would be required to choose between abandoning its customers and potential customers on the iOS and macOS platforms or choosing a different game engine to develop new games.”
For the uninitiated, Epic Game’s Unreal Engine is a set of technologies offering a framework for creating 3-D graphics. It is widely used by firms and developers across industry and is issued by the company against a licensing fee. Even the Microsoft executive noted that despite several alternatives available in the market, not many compare with the Epic’s Unreal Engine in terms of features and functionality.
Also Read: The Best Way To Stop Pocket Dialing Your Ex


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NRF NEWS 2021: Payments Platform Pockyt Announces Partnership With Delaware North
Pockyt, an alternative payments platform, announced a partnership with hospitality and entertainment company Delaware North that will enable the company to conduct rapid and contactless cross-border QR-code payments across its 200-plus venues around the world. Pockyt also announced today that it has significantly expanded its global presence and now supports 14 major digital wallets, including PayPal, Alipay, Venmo, WeChat Pay, UnionPay, and Klarna, among others.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Delaware North to offer their millions of customers a safe, reliable and convenient way to pay for goods and services,” said Mason Lin, CEO and founder of Pockyt. “Removing payment friction for cross-border payments, Pockyt allows all businesses to deeply connect with a high value, untapped global customer base of over 2 billion people who engage digitally with brands and venues.”
“Whether it’s a visit to an airport, a sports venue, a national park, a hotel or restaurant, we serve over a half a billion people a year across more than 200 locations – and providing them with the very best experience is key,” said Jeff Wilkinson, chief information officer at Delaware North. “We chose Pockyt because of their focus on alternative digital payments and the quantity of options we can offer our customers with one single integration. Pockyt seamlessly connects to our retail, food and beverage and property management systems such as Oracle Simphony, Opera and SpotOn Appetize, while also providing the safest, most secure payment option when it comes to customer data and privacy.”
Pockyt’s payments solution allows merchants to accept all major global wallets, including PayPal, Venmo and Alipay. Key features include:
➔ Seamless Integration: With one simple integration to the merchant’s Point-of-Sale and/or eCommerce platform, Pockyt removes friction from the checkout process by
offering customers the option to pay with 14 of the world's leading QR-based digital wallets. The integration bypasses a retailer's existing payment infrastructure, leveraging
their existing bar code scanner, not impacting their PCI certification and not requiring any additional hardware, software or peripherals.
➔ Global Solution: Major digital wallets are supported, enabling consumers to shop globally and pay locally with many additional global wallets being added each quarter.
➔ Access and Connection: Pockyt’s digital checkout experience alleviates churn and increases retention enabling brands to engage with their customers post-checkout.
Pockyt will be demonstrating its seamlessly integrated leading-edge payments solution with Oracle X-Store POS at Booth #18 in the NRF Innovation Lab on Level 1 of the Jacob Javits
Center in New York City from January 16-18, 2022. NRF’s Innovation Lab showcases the latest innovations in payments, applications in artificial intelligence, augmented reality, machine learning, facial recognition, robotics and more. This immersive exhibit tracks cutting-edge developments in retail’s tech transformation.
In addition, on Tuesday, January 18 at 12:00 p.m. ET during NRF, Pockyt CEO Mason Lin will be participating in a Featured Session along with Klarna, Foot Locker, Inc., and XRC Labs titled “Beyond Contactless: Are Flexible Payments the New Marketing Play?” More details and location can be found here.


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San Francisco—October 5, 2011—Clean Power Finance, the leading provider of integrated services and financing solutions for the solar industry, today announced Nicholas Mack has been appointed Senior Vice President General Counsel and Corporate Secretary and Kirstin Hoefer Vice President of Marketing. Mack’s and Hoefer’s software and solar industry experience is uniquely suited to leading Clean Power Finance’s legal and marketing efforts, respectively. They are joining a renowned team that includes solar finance pioneer and SunRun co-founder Robert “Nat” Kreamer, former Tioga Energy executive Kristian Hanelt and solar industry finance veterans Brian Robertson and Ed Feo.
Nicholas Mack joins Clean Power Finance from Sungevity, a residential solar finance provider, where he served as the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary. Prior to Sungevity, Mack was the General Counsel for Mainstream Energy, the parent of REC Solar and AEE Solar, the leading solar integration and distribution companies in the U.S. Before entering the solar industry, Mack was the Deputy General Counsel at Yodlee and Assistant General Counsel at Sun Microsystems. Mack has a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of Law and a BA from Georgetown University.
“Clean Power Finance’s residential solar finance delivers unparalleled value to consumers, investors, and installers,” said Mack. “I’m thrilled to help open the market for solar finance and help the industry grow profitably.”
Kirstin Hoefer brings more than fifteen years combined CMO and product management experience to her new role as Vice President of Marketing. Hoefer has helped build the brands of solar finance providers Sungevity and SunRun, and led the rapid growth of online networks eBay and Excite@Home. Hoefer’s experience includes managing large cross-functional teams to build thriving online networks and marketplaces on a global platform supporting millions of visitors daily. Hoefer holds an MBA from Stanford University and a BA from UCLA.
“Clean Power Finance is attracting an all-star team of experts to deliver on the mission of building an online marketplace for solar industry professionals and investors,” said Hoefer. “I’m excited to promote CPF services to our business customers and help them sell their products and services to consumers.”
About Clean Power Finance
Clean Power Finance is driving the mass-market adoption of residential solar by building an online marketplace to connect the solar industry and the capital market. The company provides solar professionals, manufacturers and distributors with access to consumer financing, easy-to-use software and essential services. For investors and lenders, the company makes it easy to deploy capital in residential solar projects. Funded by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), Google Ventures and Claremont Creek Ventures, the company was started in 2007. To learn more about how we can accelerate the growth of your business, please visit www.cleanpowerfinance.com


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Christmas came early this year for a few local school children thanks to the help of Fayetteville Public Utilities and Wal-Mart. FPU and Wal-Mart partnered together to purchase 14 bicycles to give away to area school children.
“The hope is these bicycles will bring excitement and fun to some well-deserving children in our community,” says FPU CEO/ General Manager Britt Dye. “At FPU we care about our community, and we want to give back. We wanted to do something for the children in our community this year, and we thought a bicycle giveaway would be a great way to bring Christmas cheer to some well-deserving children. We wanted to partner with Wal-Mart because they are a part of our community, too. Without the help of Wal-Mart and Store Manager Travis Jean this would not have been possible.”
When asked why Wal-Mart was eager to partner with FPU to help with the bicycle giveaway, Travis Jean said, “Wal-Mart may be a large corporation, but we are a community store. We appreciate our customers, and the community in which we live, and we want to give back to our community.”
The bicycles were awarded to one boy and one girl in the third grade at Ralph Askins, Blanche, Flintville, Highland Rim, South Lincoln, Unity schools, and Riverside Christian Academy. The bicycles were awarded on December 16, 2015 by FPU CEO/ General Manager Britt Dye and Wal-Mart Store Manager Travis Jean.


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Equity Gap and SIB help biotech MiAlgae raise seven figures
The £1 million cash injection – from parties including the Scottish Investment Bank (SIB) – comes as the firm targets the global aquaculture market, which it says is valued at $70 billion (£53bn) and set to double by 2030.
The biotech business will use the investment to double the size of its business premises, commission a demonstrator plant in East Lothian, and make five new appointments in the next 12 months.
The investment comes from previous investors in MiAlgae – Equity Gap and Old College Capital as well as the SIB, alongside quarry operator Hillhouse Group, a new investor in the business.
MiAlgae produces microalgae, which is high in omega 3 and other nutrients. The algae can be used to sustainably feed fish and create animal food, and the firm estimates that a tonne of its algae saves up to 30 tonnes of wild fish.
Martin welcomed the investment meaning that MiAlgae can focus on growing the business. “We plan to target the pet food and aquaculture industries with our sustainable, ocean-friendly, algae-derived omega 3.
“I am proud that we operate as part of the circular economy where, by using a low value co-product from the whisky industry, we are creating a valuable supply of nutrients for the animal and fish food industries, thereby using the planet’s resources more efficiently. There is no doubt we will see a rapidly growing market for our product.”
Andrew Vernon of Hillhouse Group said: “MiAlgae has essentially taken a by-product from one industry and turned it into a solution for another industry… this is a very promising business indeed.”
Fraser Lusty, investment director at Equity Gap, said: “Since our last investment in MiAlgae 18 months ago, the business has achieved a great deal, designing and building its pilot plant, making its first sales to a premium dog food company, and beginning production with its first large scale tank. This is an exciting business, and one to watch over the next couple of years.”
SIB director Kerry Sharp commented “MiAlgae perfectly epitomises Scotland’s willingness to take the lead on climate-related issues.” She also said the SIB looks forward to helping the firm realise its commercial and environmental ambitions.


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Digital-media company LiveXLive Media Inc. will acquire PodcastOne parent Courtside Group Inc., the companies said, in a bet that bigger is better amid the coronavirus pandemic and that ad revenue for podcasting will continue to soar unabated.
The all-stock deal, which will make PodcastOne founder Norman Pattiz a major shareholder in LiveXLive, values the podcast network at $18.1 million as of Thursday’s closing, with the transaction expected to close in June.
LiveXLive, which streams radio, on-demand video and live performances, will now offer podcasts both to its free, ad-supported users and to subscribers. Courtside, founded in 2010, brings via PodcastOne a roster of talent, including Adam Carolla, Shaquille O’Neal, Steve Austin, Kaitlyn Bristowe and rapper Tip “T.I.” Harris. Mr. Pattiz, a broadcasting veteran who also founded radio network Westwood One, will join as chairman of the new podcasting unit.
PodcastOne, with a library of more than 300 podcasts, produces over 350 episodes each week and generates over 2.1 billion downloads annually.
The deal, at current stock pricing, is more conservative than many in the fast-growing podcasting space over the past two years. Companies and talent have been fetching a premium when they join media giants Spotify Technology SA, iHeartMedia Inc., Entercom Communications Corp. and E.W. Scripps Co. ’s Stitcher. PodcastOne recorded $27.5 million in revenue in 2019.
Mr. Pattiz and LiveXLive Chief Executive Rob Ellin acknowledged the difficult environment—particularly for advertising—brought on by the pandemic and said they were focused on building a bigger and more diversified company.
“This is about, ‘Where are we going to be in three to four years,’ not where we are today,” said Mr. Ellin. “Nobody expects this year to be easy. We’re in this for the long run.”
The companies, both based in Los Angeles, envision cross-pollinating advertisers, subscribers and talent across their offerings, which span from streaming concerts and internet radio to podcasts.
“We can bring out our talent, our artists—many of whom are going to need new revenue streams—into the podcasting world,” said Mr. Ellin, referring to musicians who are struggling financially because of canceled tours.
U.S. ad revenue from podcasts stands out as a bright spot amid an advertising slump. It rose an estimated 42% to $678.7 million last year, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, and was projected to rise to $863.4 million this year and exceed $1 billion by 2021.
Mr. Pattiz said ad revenue for sports podcasts is lagging amid the pandemic but has grown in other categories, including shows geared toward women.
Mr. Ellin said LiveXLive’s business, which is currently about 90% subscription-based and 10% advertising, will be closer to 60% subscription and 40% advertising when the deal is done. The company last reported 820,000 subscribers of tiers running from $3.99 to $9.99. PodcastOne offers program-specific subscriptions for $4.99 a month and has a premium platform-wide subscription for $8.99 a month, though generates most of its revenue from advertising.
LiveXLive also plans to move into pay-per-view and tipping models, particularly in its live-streaming business, which has grown during the pandemic with many artists performing virtual concerts. To date in 2020, LiveXLive has streamed performances by over 775 artists, compared with 300 in all of 2019.
Write to Anne Steele at Anne.Steele@wsj.com
Copyright ©2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8


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“I think the dynamic between being a high-end pastry chef and having experience in manufacturing brought me to this role,” Katie says. “I love helping develop and make pies, then getting them on shelves for our customers. It’s really full circle.”
And this season, there’s a lot coming full circle. Jessica and Katie are proud to be introducing a limited run of brand-new pies and products to brighten the holidays. And not just new, some of these pies are exclusive: The Marketside Bourbon Pecan, Cinnamon Whiskey Walnut and Chocolate Coconut Pecan will be available from Nov. 16 till they’re gone—so act fast if you want the first taste of something new.
From the always-available Chocolate Chip Cookie and Brownie Batter Pies, to the new pie bars that feature flavors like double chocolate and apple cinnamon, ’tis the season for invention at Walmart.
But Jessica and Katie wanted to go beyond just giving customers and associates delicious new options. They wanted to up the ante, so they offered some ways to take any pie from plain to perfect.


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Nobel Studios names VP of business development
The former director of marketing for the Reno Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority has been named the vice president of business development of Noble Studios, the Carson City-based company announced Friday.
Michael Thomas will join the website and technology development company to oversee sales and new business development for the company.
“Michael is an experienced entrepreneur who shares similar business values, love for technology and community support,” said Jarrod Lopiccolo, president of Noble Studios. “We are looking forward to working with him as a strategic team player in continuing to add value to our services and company growth both nationally and internationally.”
Thomas has worked for the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, Twelve Horses and TechAlliance. He also worked as an anchor for KTVN.
He has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif.


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Don’t freak out, it’s not your phone (or ROM). It appears Google servers are down and as many of you have already discovered, you’ll be noticing the odd sign in errors. But like we said, don’t fret. We’re sure Google’s elves will have everything back up and running in no time. In the meantime, grab a sandwich. We don’t think it’s related to tonight’s Google Play event, or tomorrow’s rumored Nexus 5 release (sorry, we had to). Speaking of, where the heck is the Nexus 5 already?
stars Popular this Weeklaunch
The latest Samsung Galaxy S8 leak gives us our first look at what the phone’s on-screen navigation buttons will look like.
You no longer need to buy a Pixel, Google Home, Android Wear 2.0 watch, use Allo, or buy any of the newest smartphones to get Google Assistant. Google has announced that they’re bringing it to everyone starting this week.
more_vertSony Xperia X2 leaks
Sony’s Xperia X2 has leaked, and by god the bezels are small. No, like they’re actually small. Not even normal-sized. But tiny.
more_vertOG DROID Turbo gets soak test
It seems owners of the original Motorola DROID Turbo are receiving invites to a new soak test.
Google has let Pixel owners know that it has identified a fix for random Bluetooth disabling that has been happening with the phone on Nougat and an update will be rolling out soon.
Following yesterday’s leak which gave us out first look at the on-screen “Back” button that will make its debut on Samsung’s Galaxy S8 phones, we now have another image which shows off the on-screen “Home” button for the two phones.
Google is now selling Samsung’s Chromebook Plus at their online storefront. The Chromebook goes for $449, plus a $20 Google Play gift card.
We took the ZTE Blade V8 Pro and faced it off against its toughest competition yet — the iPhone 7 and Honor 6X — in an HDR camera shootout. The results may surprise you..
If you were curious to see what kind of hardware the Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus will be working with, @evleaks just leaked out most of the device’s specs.


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SUBANG JAYA: Malaysians aged between 13 to 25 with a valid Malaysian identity card are invited to enter the Proton Design Competition 2014 themed Proton City Car 2020 which runs from today until Aug 4.
“We believe that there are a lot of talented young Malaysians, so we would like to provide a channel for them to illustrate their ability in car design and hope to encourage aspiring future car designers,” Proton Holdings Bhd Chief Executive Officer Datuk Abdul Harith Abdullah said in a statement today.
Prizes include cash, MacBooks an internship at Proton’s R&D Creative Design Centre.
Participants in two age categories (13-17 and 18-25 years) may submit up to three entries, comprising A3 size sketches of the car including 3/4 front, side and rear views, by mail or online to citycar2020.proton.com. – BERNAMA


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Hyundai Creta (ix25) SUV to launch in second half of 2015 in India
We Indians just love big vehicles, don’t we? All of us expect the most amount of car for the least amount of money paid. As a result of this, the entry-level or compact SUV segment has been experiencing an unprecedented amount of growth over the past few years as soon as Ford launched the EcoSport in India. This product was so successful, that it changed the American company’s fortunes in our country. Same has been the case with the Renault Duster as well.
Renault was initially virtually invisible in our market when it was retailing the Pulse hatchback, Fluence sedan and the Koleos premium SUV. But when the Duster was launched, the French company literally went on to touch cloud nine. The Mahindra Scorpio has also been a very important SUV in the segment and is also the country’s largest selling SUV for quite some time now.
Therefore, more manufacturers including the likes of Hyundai, Tata and Maruti Suzuki are mulling to bring in their own products in the compact SUV segment to grab a piece of the ever-so-growing sales pie.
Hyundai has been known to be testing the ix25 for a long time. The Korean auto major has finally revealed that the Creta (ix25) SUV will be launching in the Indian subcontinent in the second half of 2015. Hyundai is all set to launch the 5-seater SUV to take on similar upcoming products from the Mahindra, Renault, Nissan, Ford and Tata stables. According to the company, the SUV has been completely designed and developed in its home country Korea, while its local engineers in Hyderabad and Chennai have played the all-important role of customizing the product for our market.
The company has not revealed the expected sales from the upcoming model, but is confident of getting a positive response for the same nonetheless. The Hyundai Creta will become an influential model for the company’s global market and will help them cater to a wider range of customers worldwide as well.
In India, the Hyundai Creta will compete against the likes of the Ford EcoSport, Renault Duster, Nissan Terrano, Mahindra XUV500, Mahindra Scorpio and the Tata Safari Storme.


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- News tagged "automobile"
Monday, 25 Jan 2016
The Wall Street Journal learns from its sources that the project leader for Apple Car, Steve Zadesky, is leaving the company after working there for 16 years.
Thursday, 21 Jan 2016
A senior Ford executive told Trusted Reviews that Apple has what it takes to succeed in the automobile industry. Hit the link to find out why.
Monday, 11 Jan 2016
Apple has registered three domain names - apple.car, apple.cars, and apple.auto - last week. Are these domains related to the rumored Apple Car? Or could they simply for the CarPlay?
Thursday, 8 Oct 2015
Pioneer's new GEX-X2850DVB2 TV receiver is powered by a dual-diversity chipset and uses two antennas for wider coverage and better reception.
Monday, 7 Jan 2013
Cisco and NXP have both announced their investment in Cohda Wireless, a company specializing in wireless communication for automotive safety applications.


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2 mega-trends will be pushing this stock forward in coming years … and you can buy it at a massive sale price today
Investors tend to have it backwards a lot of times …
As Cullen Roche said, “The stock market is the only market where things go on sale and all the customers run out of the store.”
The opposite can also be true, as the below cartoon from Paul Claireaux illustrates.
When prices surge, we often cheer and eagerly open our wallets to buy more shares at increasingly lofty valuations. Yet when prices tumble, we circle the wagons, assume the sky is falling, and refuse to benefit from the market “sale.”
Rationally, this makes little sense, yet investors do it all the time.
Today, there’s a sale going on in a certain world-class company. Shares have been beaten down as investors have turned a blind eye toward the future. You see, this elite company will be benefiting from not one, but two massive trends that are going to reshape the investment markets in the coming years. Yet, at the moment, many investors want nothing to do with it — they’re ignoring the bargain-bin sale that’s going on.
Now, could the selling pressure on it continue for a while? Absolutely. Does it mean we should run away from it and thumb our nose at this opportunity? Absolutely not.
Here’s why, per Matt McCall:
It’s one of the best buying opportunities in the entire stock market today. Period.
So, in today’s Digest let’s reveal what this stock is, as well as the two trends that will drive it higher in coming years. We’ll do this thanks to Matt’s willingness to let me share this company with you. You see, it’s one of his recommendations for his Investment Opportunities subscribers. But given how strongly Matt believes in this stock, I asked if he’d be willing to let me share it with our broader Digest circulation, and he agreed.
So, enough introduction, let’s jump in.
***The “on sale” company riding the crest of two mega-trends
Over the coming years, two trends will be supporting today’s company. The first is one regular Digest readers are quite familiar with — electric, autonomous vehicles.
The old science fiction fantasy of a driverless car is practically here. Every major automaker is pursuing this technology. Whether you realize it or not, it’s going to change how we travel and live. And in doing so, it will add $7 trillion to the global economy.
The second trend is one we officially added to our trend-list only recently — China.
You see, several weeks ago, Matt went to China to conduct boots-on-the-ground research. And what he saw there was not the doom-and-gloom in the news headlines, but was, in fact, abundant opportunity.
As Matt wrote to his subscribers, even with its economic slowdown, China’s growth remains robust, above 6% each year, which is the envy of most nations.
Plus, when you’re talking about a nation with 1.4 billion people — more than 4X the number of people in the United States — even “just” 6% growth means a lot of money is changing hands among a lot of people, businesses, and the government.
***Part of what will be driving the growth of today’s company is basic demographics and urbanization, so let’s go over a few statistics
Matt tells us that in 1978, 17.9% of the Chinese population lived cities. By the end of 2017, that number had surged to 58.5% — and this migration is far from over.
According to Global Demographics, China’s urban population will increase from 834 million today to 989 million by 2028. That’s almost one billion people in China’s cities, which would represent 70% of the total population.
Now, let’s look at what this means in practical terms, as it relates to electric cars, and eventually driverless cars.
From Matt, referencing his recent visit to Shanghai:
With more than 20 million people in the city, I can tell you firsthand that the everyday traffic rivals that of Los Angeles at rush hour. To keep the number of cars on the road to a minimum, potential car buyers must first be granted a permit. And that permit costs around $12,000!
You can get out of the fee … if you buy an EV. That’s right. Shanghai waives the $12,000 if you purchase an electric vehicle. So, unless you are incredibly rich, it makes zero sense to buy a regular, gas-guzzling car.
Obviously, the Chinese government is incentivizing electric vehicle adoption. But electric vehicles are just the next step as we move toward full autonomous vehicle adoption. Back to Matt:
The expansion of EVs around the world paves the way (so to speak) for autonomous vehicles (AVs) to see similarly incredible growth. Today they are just a concept. Within a few decades, I expect them to be the most popular vehicles on the road. The chart below of projected AV car sales looks very similar to the growth of EVs above.
In Beijing and other major Chinese cities, auto companies are testing AVs and logging hundreds of thousands of miles. One company in this space that stands above the rest just so happens to be one of our latest recommendations …
***This brings us to the company standing in the crosshairs of the China-growth and EV/AV trends
So, which company is at the center of all this?
For those of you less familiar with Baidu, you might think of it as the “Google of China” since it dominates Chinese online search. You see, Google itself is banned from China, and Baidu fills the void. It accounts for about two-thirds of China’s search market with approximately 175 million daily active users.
Recently, Baidu’s stock has been getting hammered, as you can see below.
Behind this are two issues.
First, Baidu has gotten caught up in the sell-off which a great many Chinese stocks have suffered due to the tariff war. This is simply reactionary selling, and its effects will fade away over the longer-term.
Here’s how Matt sees it:
The obvious trade issues between the U.S. and China have had a direct impact on the stock’s performance, even though they will have little or no impact on the long-term growth and potential.
But second, and more important, Baidu recently reported its first quarterly loss since it went public in 2005. And this is significant. Revenue growth has slowed somewhat the last few quarters, though sales still increased a solid 21% in the first quarter.
Now, if Baidu was nothing more than an online search engine company, then this would require greater pause. But here’s Matt’s take:
Those who sold the “Google of China” are ignoring the long-term plan for Baidu. That’s why we can say “thank you very much” as we buy at bargain prices given to us by the kneejerk sellers.
So, what is this long-term plan? Well, that takes us back to autonomous vehicles …
***Baidu is positioned to be an AV leader not only in China, but also around the world
Now, you might be scratching your head, wondering how a search-engine company is involved in autonomous vehicles. Well, first, remember that Google itself is doing the exact same thing with Waymo, its own self-driving unit.
Two, Baidu isn’t just a “search” company — it’s a sprawling tech company, with all sorts of different AI projects. That’s what lots of the investors who are selling are forgetting. And in this case, they’re forgetting “Apollo,” Baidu’s AV technology.
Baidu’s AV technology, referred to as Apollo, is the leader in China. In a few years, it could rival Google’s Waymo — yet another reason to think of Baidu as the Google of China.
The Apollo platform already has more than 130 partners around the globe with car manufacturers, parts suppliers, and other secondary businesses. It has been used by over 12,000 developers working on its platform in the last few years.
My first stop in China was Beijing, and Baidu is the runaway leader there in AV miles driven. A total of eight companies have AVs on the road in that city, and Baidu accounts for an astounding 91% of miles driven in cars like the picture above …
The AV part of the business is still quite small, but within the next decade I expect it to join AI applications as the primary growth drivers.
***So, what has the recent sell-off done for Baidu’s valuation?
Matt tells us that after pulling back 60% from its all-time high in June 2018, Baidu is now valued around $38 billion. As a direct comparison, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is valued at $727 billion.
When we factor in each company’s expected 2020 revenues, Baidu trades with a price-to-sales ratio of 1.9, while Alphabet trades at a price-to-sales ratio of 3.9.
Here’s Matt for the significance of this:
Baidu trades at half of Alphabet’s valuation. I am in no way saying they are equal and should fetch the same valuation. I am saying that Baidu could easily trade at 2.5 times 2020 sales — 30% higher than now — and still be undervalued …
It was a strong buy (a month ago, before pulling back 30%) and it’s an even stronger buy today. Can you hear me pounding the table?
***Coming full circle, when does a falling stock price mean “sale!” as opposed to “bad investment, stay away”?
The idea that started this Digest — investors running away from a sale — was a fun oversimplification. But the truth is, sometimes, a sell-off is warranted and does not mean it’s a good buying opportunity. So, how do we tell the difference?
Wise investors often make this decision by comparing “what’s the issue today?” with “what’s the opportunity tomorrow?”
And as we’ve seen, the issues today are a trade-war — the long-term effects of which will go away — and a slowdown in Baidu’s search-engine business. And while this second issue definitely is significant, it’s overshadowing “the opportunity tomorrow” which is Baidu’s massive growth as the autonomous vehicle trend develops. But this overshadowing is what’s leading to the today’s great prices.
Here’s how Matt sums it up:
In Baidu, we have the leader in search in the world’s most populous country that is growing at about 6% annually … with significant upside potential in AVs … and we can buy all this for just 2.5 times sales. That’s a bargain.
It makes BIDU the best buy in China, and in my mind, perhaps the entire market right now.
Another big thanks to Matt for allowing me to share this pick with our Digest readers. Keep in mind, the “Google of China” isn’t the only Chinese recommendation Matt has for subscribers. He’s also found the “Facebook of China,” the “Amazon of China,” and the “Netflix of China.” If you didn’t get into the FANGs early on here in the U.S., this is your second chance — in a market that’s even bigger. For more from Matt and his Investment Opportunities service, click here.
We’ll continue to keep you up to speed on China and Baidu here in the Digest.
Have a good evening,


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Steve Jobs, the visionary and business genius, died five years ago on October 5, 2011. He left the world’s most valuable company shortly before his death. Apple has since been doing fine without him. Was he overrated?
Let’s be clear: Nobody ever said Steve Jobs was loved by everyone. Some even hated him for his quirky lifestyle, his often eccentric ideas, and the way he avoided publicity beyond his spectacular product shows. But never mind. Haters gonna hate.
Towards the end of those shows, he’d invariably utter his legendary “and one more thing …” Those attending would immediately know that the most important part of the event was only just beginning, meaning that Jobs was about to reveal another breath-taking gadget for Apple-hungry consumers that would almost invariably turn out to be the company’s next big money spinner.
Consumers around the globe felt that a man of tremendous foresight and vision had left life’s stage five years ago. On a tribute page, a web user by the name of Sidharth echoed the feelings of a great many of his contemporaries.
“Steve changed the world, not once or twice, but several times,” he said. “His genius raised the bar for customer-centricity and gave us something to look forward to. He created magic and almost single-handedly kept the wow factor alive.”
No matter how you view Steve Jobs the person, you have to acknowledge his powerful leadership, says Ian Fogg from data analysis provider IHS Markit.
“Leadership is to influence and motivate others to achieve great things,” Fogg told DW. “It’s exceptional leadership to create an institution, Apple, with those principles embedded.”
Whole books have been written about Jobs’ seemingly endless achievements, a biographical drama movie about him followed in 2015. Basically, his greatest merit was his ability to see things through the eyes of the ordinary customer, meaning that he realized the need and business potential of making devices simple to use.
Wired.com writer Michael Calore pointed out Jobs had “made it his mission to humanize personal computing, rewriting the rules of user experience design, hardware design and software design.”
He had that in him right from the start when, together with Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Jobs pursued the idea of a personal computer for the mass market. Yes, there were PCs before, but the Mac eventually became the first successful PC to feature a mouse and a graphical interface, making it that much easier for users to handle the device instead of fiddling around with a command-line interface.
Market experts have rightly pointed out that Apple has not become so big because of any technological edge it might have had over its major rivals. No, it never had that. But it’s that focus on user-friendliness that’s made the company so successful, with ease-of-use the core of Jobs’ long-time strategy.
Look at the iPod with its simplified user interface, which hit the market in 2001 and “changed the way everyone now buys and listens to music,” Techrepublic contributor Eric Eckel commented.
Jobs’ vision in pushing for the iPhone was even more impressive. There were mobile phones before, as well as electronic calendars, email and music programs. What made the iPhone become such a hit from the moment it was introduced in 2007 was the integration of all those applications in a single, easy-to-use device. It became a huge, on-going market success despite its hefty purchasing price. Its popularity despite its high price allowed Apple to collect an astonishing per-unit profit margin of around 40 percent, making the iPhone a huge money-spinner for the company.
Steve Jobs made Apple big – not once, but twice. When he had to leave the firm for several years following disagreements with the board, Apple encountered rough waters. But after he finally returned to Apple in 1997, he managed to return the company to its former splendor, going from strength to strength until he handed over the reins to Tim Cook.
For much of the time, Steve Jobs’ life would have been unthinkable without the company he co-founded. But is Apple unthinkable without Steve Jobs? Well, Apple’s business earnings suggest otherwise, to the surprise of many who five years ago thought the firm would be doomed to failure without Jobs at the helm.
Jobs told Cook “I never want you to ask what I would have done – just do what’s right!” And Cook has heeded his advice, avoiding looking back too much.
According to technology advisory firm Jackdaw Research, Apple’s revenue in the four quarters before Tim Cook was appointed in 2011 came in at roughly $100 billion (89 billion euros). Five years later, that figure has more than doubled.
Operating profit over the past year has also been roughly twice what it was five years ago, notes Jackdaw Research.
Some argue this too can at least partly be credited to Steve Jobs. “The success of Apple since his death is perhaps Steve Jobs’ greatest achievement, because it shows he created a culture of creating new products which has proven to be long-lasting,” IHS Markit’s Ian Fogg argued.
There’s been a change of corporate culture under Cook, with spending on research and development increasing dramatically to about 4 percent of total revenue, instead of the 2 percent logged when Jobs was at the helm. And that’s bound to pay off mid-term. There’s enough cash to invest, despite another significant change in Apple’s policy: Cook has done what Jobs would stubbornly refuse to do until the very end – he has paid dividends to shareholders and bought back stock.
Can Cook keep up the excitement about new products created by Apple? This is yet to be seen. So far, the only really new Apple gadget that has hit the market under Cook has been the Apple Watch. It’s not been the biggest hit ever, but the estimated 15 million units sold in its first year aren’t exactly a failure either.


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Bright Side of News claims the yields of NVIDIA's first batch of GT300 GPUs at TSMC are terrible, sources told the site that the chip is not yet ready for production as fewer than one out of three GPUs are working fine.
According to our sources close to the [silicon] heart of the matter, the problem that nVidia has are yields in the 20 percentage range. You've guessed, that is waaay [insert several "a"] too low for launching volume production and we probably will see a new revision of silicon until the yields get high enough to earn a little bit of money. Having three faulty chips on one working one is much too much, since those faulty chips aren't exactly "GTX 360" or "slower Quadro FX" grade material. Some faulty parts might work under forced cooling, but the high leakage is an issue with the current graphics card layout. We won't go into the whole instability, does not work etc situation.


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Little earlier there were some Bing ads inviting people to sign up for the Black Ops Beta. Then nothing was said about the Beta. New ads appeared few days before, and this time on Google. It said, “Sign up for the exclusive Xbox 360 multiplayer beta on September 1.”
Treyarch’s Community Manager Josh Olin said in Twitter that the Bing ads as well as the Google ads were not official. He said, “As always if i don’t say it, it’s not official.”
Google Ads is using the URL of Call of Duty: World at War Beta. Recently it is seen that the URL is redirected to the homepage of Call of Duty.
Well, this is not to say that Black Ops Beta is not planned by the developer. May be, they are not ready right now and hence are not announcing it.
The release date of Call of Duty: Black Ops is November 9 and it will be released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC and Wii.


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Sotheby’s Blue Diamond goes to an international diamond merchant in further support of the colored diamond market, according to Bloomberg:
Moussaieff Jewellers Ltd.’s founder Alisa Moussaieff paid HK$49.9 million ($6.4 million) for a 5.16-carat blue diamond at a Hong Kong auction, beating Asian rivals with a price she says is less than the gem’s real worth.
Moussaieff, 80, says the fancy-vivid, internally flawless gem has a market value of about $1.5 million per carat and that she would have raised her bid had her rival persisted. A blue diamond of that size and caliber is so rare that it’s worth about $2 million a carat and high-street stores like Moussaieff could ask for $3 million, said Donald May, a Hong Kong-based jeweler who was also at the sale. A carat is a fifth of a gram.
“It’s a bargain and I got it at this price because everyone was asleep,” Moussaieff said in an interview. Her London-based boutique will change the gem’s mounting and offer the stone “to discerning clients, possibly in Asia,” she said. […] The auction record for a blue diamond was set by Hong Kong property tycoon Joseph Lau in May with his purchase of a 7.03- carat gem in Geneva for 10.5 million Swiss francs ($9.8 million).


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NBA Trade Rumors: The Denver Nuggets, while maintaining an interested in Paul Millsap, are shopping Jusuf Nurkic, Kenneth Faried and Danilo Gallinari
While the Denver Nuggets made headlines earlier this week for being one of the teams fully engaged on the pursuit of Atlanta Hawks all-star Paul Millsap, they too have other aspirations ahead of next month’s NBA Trade Deadline.
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, in addition to being involved in the bidding war for Millsap, the Nuggets are openly shopping Jusuf Nurkic, in addition to Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried and Wilson Chandler.
Article continues below ...
If this is indeed so, expect the Nuggets to be one of the most active teams in the weeks leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline.
The Nuggets, for the record, are now openly shopping third-year big man Jusuf Nurkic in addition to the widely assumed availability of vets Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried and Wilson Chandler.
It’s not exactly known what the Nuggets would be asking in exchange for any of these vets, but it’d be ideal if they could package them all together – or at least a couple of them – for a veteran star, like a Millsap-type.
Considering that’s pretty unlikely, unless the Hawks give in and accept a deal centered around Faried, Nurkic and picks, Denver will likely be forced to look elsewhere.
With a crowded frontcourt, one of Nurkic and Nikola Jokic was bound to hit the trade market – it sounds like Denver is choosing Jokic moving forward. At the same time, it’s pretty safe to assume that Faried has been on the block for quite a while – it seems that around this time every year, Faried’s name always pops up in the rumor mill.


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RBS asset offload faces RBI hurdle3 min read . Updated: 29 Jun 2009, 12:37 AM IST
RBS asset offload faces RBI hurdle
Mumbai: Royal Bank of Scotland Plc.’s attempt to sell the Indian assets of ABN Amro Bank NV has run into a glitch after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) declined to transfer its branch licences to a prospective buyer.
The banking industry regulator based its decision on the fact that the proposed transaction is a portfolio sale and not a bank buyout. “We have conveyed to the bank that branch licences are not transferable," said a senior RBI official who did not want to be named because he is not the official spokesperson.
RBI’s refusal to transfer the branches to a buyer may affect the sale valuation although it may not stop the sale itself.
“The UK-based bank had valued ABN Amro Bank NV’s India operations at about $500 million (Rs2,425 crore)," said a merchant banker close to the development, who did not want to be named because he is involved in the deal.
“However, if the branches are not part of the deal, the valuation would come down drastically."
A senior official with ABN Amro, who also did not want to be named, said the bank had been contemplating the transfer of “some branch licences to the prospective buyer, but this has not gone (down) well with the regulator". RBI did not respond to an email sent to it.
An RBS spokesperson said in an emailed response: “We are well advanced with the process for the potential sale of RBS retail and commercial assets in Asia. However, due to regulatory constraints and the confidentiality of the process, we will not be commenting on any individual bidders or elements of the transaction process until its completion."
The Indian branch network is critical for the valuation of RBS assets because it is not easy for foreign banks to acquire branch licences in India.
Under World Trade Organization norms, RBI is expected to issue 12 branch licences annually to foreign banks, but it typically gives about 14 every year. Foreign banks, however, have been asking for more.
However, he had declined to say whether the bank would sell its branch licences or surrender them.
“In the meantime, it is business as usual at our branches and offices," the RBS spokesperson said. “Royal Bank of Scotland is committed to its customers and employees to ensure smooth transition of the businesses to the new owners once the transaction is announced."
There is no precedent for RBI transferring bank branch licences to a prospective buyer in the course of a portfolio sale.
Citing an instance of a portfolio sale, the RBI official mentioned earlier pointed to Bank of America Corp. selling its Indian retail banking division to ABN Amro in 2006. Only the retail business assets were transferred in that transaction; no branches were. Bank of America continued to expand its wholesale banking business in the country.
Transfer of branch licences has been permitted only in the case of a bank buyout. For instance, Standard Chartered Plc. in February 2008 acquired American Express Bank Ltd from American Express Co. for a cash consideration of $823 million. Since this was a global acquisition, the seven branch licences in India were transferred to Standard Chartered.
In February, RBS declared that it would move its India retail and commercial banking operations into a for-sale, non-core division, effectively declaring its intention to exit that business. The retail and commercial banking units in India employs about 2,500 people.
“The bank is now planning to adopt a cluster-based approach to sell its assets as there is no single buyer that is willing to buy the Asian assets. It is clear that there would be multiple buyers," said the merchant banker mentioned earlier.
“Asia is one such cluster and India would be sold separately," said another merchant banking official who is involved in the deal. The official also didn’t want to be named.
According to some news reports, Standard Chartered and HSBC Holdings Plc. have decided against bidding for the assets of RBS.
The merchant banker involved in the deal, however, said HSBC continues to be “a strong contender for the Indian assets".
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd, which raised around $2.9 billion to support the RBS asset acquisition, is the “front-runner for Asian assets excluding certain markets such as China", added the merchant banker.


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Smartphones are predominantly being used for communication, social networking and task-oriented activities. To that end, messaging, talking and emailing still account for 45% of mobile usage, per new findings from RealityMine, which supports tools for market research.
Tablets, meanwhile, are mostly used for playing games, listening to music, and watching video or TV, RealityMine finds.
In other words, entertainment dominates tablet usage, which makes sense, considering that their larger screens provide a better viewing experience. On tablets, this means that brands can deliver a more immersive and interactive ad experience, RealityMine notes.
Brands should also note that 41% of tablet users surveyed reported feeling content, and 18% of Americans feel happy during tablet use. Tablet users also reported feeling “interested” more than twice as often as mobile users.
By way of explanation, RealityMines draw a connection between engagement (or “interest”) and users’ more relaxed mental state. Tablet users should be more relaxed given that their activity peaks at home.
In fact, consumers use their tablets at home about 78% of the time, while using their smartphone at home about 55% of the time.
Further, consumers’ said the most common accompanying activity when using their tablets was relaxing (30%), and drinking (7%).
By contrast, peak time for smartphone usage -- about 12 noon -- is also peak distraction time for most consumers.
For its findings, RealityMine analyzed consumption and contextual data from 2,066 U.S. panelists.


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Hyzon Motors (HYZN -3.81%), a maker of heavy trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells, disclosed in a regulatory filing on Jan. 12 that it has received a subpoena from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for information related to a short-seller's allegations.
Hyzon also said that while its 2021 deliveries slightly exceeded its forecast, its full-year revenue and margins will come in "materially lower" than its previous guidance.
Shares were down sharply in early trading after the news was released.
About that SEC subpoena
Hyzon didn't say much about the subpoena. In a terse 8-K filing, it said that it has received a subpoena from the SEC for "documents and information, including related to the allegations made in the report issued by Blue Orca Capital."
That report from Blue Orca, issued on Sept. 28, 2021, made some heavy allegations. Among them: that Hyzon's financial projections are inflated and unrealistic, and that at least one of the large orders announced by Hyzon last year came from what appears to be a shell company.
Of course, short-sellers make accusations all the time. But the electric vehicle segment has a rough history with short-seller reports that turned out to contain some truths, as any Nikola or Lordstown Motors shareholder can tell you.
Given the history around those companies, I think that EV investors are right to be concerned about the news that the SEC is investigating Blue Orca's allegations.
Hyzon also warned on its 2021 results
There's an old public-relations adage: If you have more than one bit of bad news to announce, announce it all at once.
Presumably heeding that advice, Hyzon also gave investors a preview of its 2021 results. The good news is that Hyzon delivered 87 fuel cell powered heavy-duty vehicles in 2021. Those were all sales, not leases, it said. (Commercial fleet operators sometimes rent a vehicle for a few months of testing; those deals are called "trial leases." Hyzon had eight trucks deployed under trial leases in 2021 in addition to the 87 total.)
Hyzon had said last February that it expected to deliver 85 vehicles in 2021, so 87 deliveries is a small beat.
But the deeper news wasn't good. The company said that because of "lower average selling price per vehicle due to product mix and multi-year revenue recognition for the majority of sales," its 2021 revenue and margins will be worse than it had expected.
In other words, Hyzon's 2021 financial results will fall short of its guidance, despite the deliveries beat.
What it all means for Hyzon investors
My take is that the financial "miss" doesn't really mean much. Supply chain challenges and other COVID-19 effects made 2021 a difficult year for any company manufacturing vehicles. Hyzon is a young company and things didn't go as expected. If it continues to execute on its plan in 2022, this "miss" will be forgotten.
The SEC investigation also doesn't mean much right now, though as I said above, investors are right to be concerned. Given the history around companies like Nikola and Lordstown, it shouldn't be surprising that the SEC is taking closer looks at other companies that have been the targets of short-seller reports.
If you've done your due diligence and you're satisfied you understand the risks and potential rewards of holding Hyzon's stock, I don't see a big need to sell right now on this news. But do keep an eye on that SEC investigation.


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In case you haven’t noticed, it’s Friday – meaning that more football will soon be upon us. Glorious!
And today Sport-locker.net can unveil an exclusive pair of adidas Ballon d’Or f50 adizero football boots to commemorate Leo Messi’s achievement of winning the FIFA World Player of the Year for a fourth consecutive year.
Following on from last year’s gold and white numbers, adidas have gone for a classier look with these, and they get a massive thumbs up from us!
The boots features sun graphics for each year that he has won the award and also his now iconic Messi logo.
There are no plans currently for these ultra-exclusive Messi football boots to go on sale. Nevertheless, @adidasfootball and @TeamMessi are offering fans the opportunity to win a pair, by entering on twitter – so make sure you put your name in the hat!
What do you think of the boots? Do you like the colourway? Let us know via the comments section below or on our Twitter and Facebook pages.
2 thoughts on “Football boot release: Lionel Messi Ballon d’Or adidas f50 adizero”
are these for sale
Not currently no. But you can win a pair on Twitter (see last paragraph)


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Updated: Around 800 Marks & Spencer customers had their personal details exposed online due to a technical glitch
British retailer Marks & Spencer temporarily suspended its website on Tuesday night, after some customers complained they could see each others’ details when they logged into their own accounts.
Posting on the company’s Facebook page, customers expressed alarm that they could see other people’s orders and payment details when registering for the new members club and card scheme called “Sparks.
“Interesting, I just created an M&S account to register my new Sparks card and out of a sudden I’m logged in to someone else’s account!” wrote Konstantinos Vlassis.
“M&S this is in breach of privacy and data security. I can see personal addresses, past orders and info of another account holder and I assume they can see mine? I can message you screen grabs if you want but this is not good security!”
Fellow customer Vanessa Frost wrote: “There seems to have been a data breach on your M&S website – if I log into my account on there it brings up another person’s details – this is happening to loads of people.”
M&S said that the glitch was the result of an internal error rather than a third-party attack on the site, and said no financial data had been extracted. However, personal data, including names, dates of birth, contacts and previous orders were exposed.
The website was taken offline at about 6.30pm and was back on by 9pm.
“We can confirm that around 800 people were affected by a technical issue that led to us temporarily suspending our website yesterday evening,” a spokesperson for Marks & Spencer said.
“We are now writing to every customer affected to apologise and to assure them that their financial details are safe.”
Commenting on the incident, Phil Barnett, VP Global at Good Technology, said that many companies are flying blind when it comes to security, because they don’t think it affects them.
“Marks and Spencer’s proves that customer data breaches are real threats and have serious consequences. Data is a company’s biggest asset, and as mobility becomes more ingrained across every enterprise, security must become a higher priority,” he said.
“When GDPR is implemented in 2016, companies experiencing a data breach could face a fine of two percent of worldwide revenue, so it’s not just going to be some painful interviews and a drop in share price, there’s the potential of big fines for every business.”
Last week British telecoms firm TalkTalk suffered a major cyber attack, which potentially compromised the data of more than four million customers. A 15-year-old schoolboy has been arrested in connection with the incident.


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Exclusives Abound at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con! And for the first time EVER, Michael Golden’s artwork will be featured as part of the VIP Package for the premiere upcoming pop-culture event!
Wizard World Chicago Comic Con is the place to be to collect exclusive prints, books, die cast cars, toys and other items, as more than 30 different pieces will be available only at the event, August 19-22 at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Ill.
But this eye-catching Power Girl piece by the co-creator of X-Men’s Rogue, is available ONLY as part of the VIP exclusives. And it’s certainly no mystery why Mr. G. was picked as part of this special promotion for the show.
During his career, Golden has been an editor at DC Comics as well as senior art director at Marvel Comics, and has worked on numerous movie production projects, including some currently in development. His art has been the focus of gallery shows in places as diverse as New York, Gijon and Barcelona, Antwerp and Brussels, and his class on storytelling has been conducted in Spain, Brussels, Canada, and the United States.
In addition to his groundbreaking art on titles such as “The ‘Nam,” “Micronauts,” “G.I. Joe Yearbook,” “The Avengers,” “Batman,” and “Dr. Strange,” Golden’s recent work can be seen on the covers of “Heroes for Hire,” “Exiles,” “Nightwing,” “Uncanny X-Men,” “Hulk Team-Up,” “Wonder Woman,” and “Spiderman 1602,” among much more! Books on his work include the recent publications “Excess: The Art of Michael Golden,” “Modern Masters: Michael Golden,” “Heroes and Villains,” and “MORE Heroes and Villains,” most of which will be available from Michael in artist’s alley while supplies last.
Chicago Comic Con will easily be one of the top conventions of the year. And joining Golden at the event will be Eva Ink Artist Group contemporaries Mark Texeira and Steve Scott.
Currently Texeira is finishing up a Punisher limited series for Marvel Comics, and you no doubt know him from his stunning work on Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, Black Panther, Conan, and much more. Mark will have copies of his books “Babes and Brawn,” and “Tex: The Art of Mark Texeira,” at the show.
Artist Steve Scott recently completed stints X-Men Forever, a Green Lantern special project and is currently working on a Batman story at DC Comics as well. At Wizard Chicago, Steve will be offering copies of his new sketchbook, “Steve Scott Sketches,” while supplies last, as well as some exclusive prints!
This year’s WWC also includes an impressive line-up from Hollywood including William Shatner, Linda Hamilton, James Marsters, Adam West, the Final Five Cylons from Battlestar Galactica, Linda Blair, Nicholas Brendon, Clare Kramer, Claudia Christian, Richard Roundtree, Julia Jones and many many more!
The line-up from the world of illustration and comics is also pretty amazing, and includes, along with Golden, Texeira, and Scott: Joe Madureira, Arthur Suydam, Brian Pulido, J. Scott Campbell, Jim Calafiore, William Christensen, Bill Sienkiewicz, Greg Horn, Stuart Sayger, Jill Thompson, Billy Tucci, Ethan Van Sciver, Leo Leibelman, James O’Barr, Mike McKone, Geof Darrow, Gary Friedrich, David Mack, Renee Witterstaetter, Mike Grell, and tons more! It can certainly be said that Chicago Comic Con boasts one of the largest Artist Alley in the country!
In fact, this amazing event features over 500 special guests and celebrities from the world of comic books, film & television, wrestling, pop culture and more will be in attendance, and you will not want to miss out! And don’t forget to sign up for the VIP package featuring that fantastic Michael Golden Power Girl print as well!
Chicago Comic Con runs from August 19-22, 2010 at the Rosemont Convention Center. For more information, go to: http://www.wizardworld.com
For more information on commissions, and appearances of artists Michael Golden, Mark Texeira, Steve Scott and Eva Ink Artist Group, contact Renee at: firstname.lastname@example.org
The Hero Initiative, the charitable organization dedicated to helping veteran comic creators in medical or financial need, is rolling into the Windy City in a BIG way.
Hero will be at booth #1421 at Wizard World Chicago Aug. 19-22 at the Rosemont Convention Center in Rosemont, IL with a variety of great activities for attendees.
â€¢ Hero’s exclusive hardcover edition of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #40 will be available at Wizard World Chicago. The limited edition of only 500 copies, with a great recreation of Conan #1’s cover by John Romita, Jr., was a near-sellout at San Diego, but we’ve managed to reserve 30 copies for Chicagoans. They’ll be available for sale at $35 per, with a strict limit of ONE per customer. So get to booth #1421 QUICKLY!
â€¢ Longtime (read: long-suffering) Cubs fan Brian Azzarello will be taking THREE lucky raffle winners to an upcoming Cubs game! Two dollars buys a chance at snaring a box seat alongside one of comics’ hottest writers! Swing by the Hero booth to get your two-dollar raffle ticket, and you could find yourself in the Friendly Confines with Azzarello!
â€¢ Hero’s famous Prize Patrol will be rewarding Hero Initiative members who are convention attendees! We’ll stop random members we spot wearing Hero Initiative T-shirts (Dawn, Hero H or Hero Hand) and hand out great prizes, including a signed-and-numbered limited-edition Stan’s Soapbox: The Collection autographed by BOTH Stan Lee and John Romita (a $100 value). Wear your colors, and you could win BIG!
â€¢ And of course, no convention is complete without a bountiful bevy of talented writers and artists parked at the Hero booth to sign autographs and do sketches. Check out your faves at these times:
Thursday, August 19 (convention hours 5-9 p.m.)
530-630: Tim Seeley
630-730: Brian Azzarello
Friday, August 20 (convention hours 12-8 p.m.)
1230-130: Mike McKone
230-430: Mike Grell
430-530: Brian Azzarello
Saturday, August 21 (convention hours 10 a.m7 p.m.)
1030-1130: Mike Norton
1230-130: Brian Azzarello
530-630: Mike McKone
Sunday, August 22 (convention hours 10 a.m.-5 p.m.)
1230-130: Mike McKone
130-230: Mike Norton
About The Hero Initiative
The Hero Initiative is the first-ever federally chartered not-for-profit corporation dedicated strictly to helping comic book creators in need. Hero creates a financial safety net for yesterday’s creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work. It’s a chance for all of us to give back something to the people who have given us so much enjoyment.
Since its inception, The Hero Initiative has had the good fortune to grant over $400,000 to the comic book veterans who have paved the way for those in the industry today. For more information, visit www.heroinitiative.org or call 626-676-6354.
Official Press Release
Comic legend Brian Azzarello, writer of 100 Bullets, Joker, Banner, and many more, is a HUGE Cubs fan. He’s also a Cubs season ticket holder at Wrigley Field. Azzarello has generously agreed to take three Cubs fans with him to the Friendly Confines to see the Cubs play the New York Mets on Sept. 3, 2010, all to benefit the Hero Initiative, the non-profit organization that provides medical and financial aid for comic creators in need.
How would you acquire one of these precious seats? Just buy a $2 raffle ticket at one of these great Chicagoland comic stores:
Tickets will also be available at Hero Initiative’s booth at Wizard World Chicago at the Rosemount Convention Center, August 19-22.
“Misery loves company, and I’m happy to share this experience with three lucky fans,” said Brian Azzarello. “The Hero Initiative is an important cause, and I’d like to thank the great Chicago comic retailers for making this all happen. Take it from me, the beginning of September is the perfect time to begin waiting for next year. Go Cubs!”
Tickets are available for purchase through Wednesday August 25, 2010. Drawing is for game ticket only. Winner will responsible for getting him/herself to and from Wrigley Field.
Hope to see you there!


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Protests by truckers at the Port of Oakland have halted the flow of trade for at least two days and some ships are now weighing anchor for another port or jumping port. In an effort to restore production, the port has established ‘free speech zones’ which were described in an open letter to the trucking community last night.
Truckers have been protesting California’s labor law since Monday. This law classifies workers as employees rather than independent contractors. Truckers classified as independent owners and operators were protected from the law for a two-year statutory stay, but after the Supreme Court decided not to hear the case, that protection was lifted.
“Strikers say the bill’s classification requirements are unreasonable and will negatively impact approximately 70,000 truckers, which represents two-thirds of port truckers in California,” Everstream Analytics told clients.
Truckers sit on a barricade as they block the entrance to a container terminal at the Port of Oakland on July 21, 2022 in Oakland, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union told CNBC that 450 ILWU workers were sent to the terminals over the past three days but were unable to work due to protests from truckers.
“Every day, ILWU workers get up at 5 a.m. to go to the shipping hall and take up shifts at the port,” said ILWU Local 10 President Farless Dailey III. “But when they arrive at the terminals, protests by truckers are creating conditions that make it unsafe for workers to walk through the gates and do their jobs. »
The ILWU has dispatched 450 workers over the past three days who have been unable to enter to move goods. “They don’t get paid when they don’t come in,” Dailey said. “ILWU workers want to work and move goods, as we do every day, even during the worst days of the pandemic. We are for AB5, not against it. But we are not going to put our members at risk to cross the line of truckers,” he added.
The impact of this labor shortage can be seen in both import container wait times and ships waiting at anchor on the CNBC supply chain heatmap.
“Currently, import containers sit at the Port of Oakland for over two weeks,” said Josh Brazil, vice president of supply chain insights at Project44. “Due to a lack of intermodal capacity, dwell times were over 10 days even before the AB5 protest. These containers will now spend even longer in port due to restrictions on independent truckers,” he said. .
The volume of containers waiting to enter the port at anchor has tripled, according to congestion tracking by MarineTraffic. This expectation forces some ocean carriers to weigh anchor and leave.
“We are already seeing ships skipping Oakland. Comparing ship schedules a week ago to today, expected arrivals through the end of August have already dropped 16%,” said Alex Charvalias, Supply Chain Transit Visibility Manager at MarineTraffic. One example is the Maersk Altair, which skipped Oakland after waiting about three days off the coast, and said it’s now heading to Long Beach.
The shutdown also impacted loaded US exports. The Port of Oakland, which is a major export port for U.S. agriculture, has had a history in recent months of being bypassed by shipping carriers due to congestion. Shipping carriers were trying to make up for lost time waiting for the Port of Los Angeles or the Port of Long Beach.
According to CNBC’s supply chain heatmap, ships awaiting unloading at the Port of Los Angeles are waiting longer due to growing container congestion. This port has a land capacity of 90% with more than 60% of its containers destined for rail.
The ports of LA and Long Beach have been battling increased rail container congestion for months. Port officials asked BNSF and UP for more equipment to move containers out. The wait for a rail container to the port of LA is approximately seven days; Port of Long Beach is nine days away.
Ship congestion on the east coast
The diversion of trade from west coast ports to the east coast continues and, as a result, an increase in the number of ships at anchor.
“You have 36 container ships waiting outside Savannah carrying a combined total volume of 311,300 TEUs (twenty foot equivalent),” Charvalias said. “That’s over half a month’s volume of what Savanah handles.”
Rerouting ships to the nearby port of Charleston may not solve the problem, as congestion will build there as well.
“It just creates a ping-pong congestion effect that further disrupts already strained ground operations. It can take months to clear the backlog,” he said.
Covid cases and trucking in China
CNBC’s supply chain heatmap for China shows mass testing in northern China, reported by CNBC earlier this week, is impacting the movement of trucks to ports in Qingdao and Tianjin.
EverStream Analytics noted that Tianjin’s top exports include smartphones and semiconductor chips and components.
Extreme heat in Europe adds to port pressures
Extreme heat in Europe is impacting water levels in major commercial waterways, slowing the movement of essential goods.
“Inland waterways are the hardest hit,” said Andreas Braun, director of ocean products for Europe, Middle East and Africa for Crane Worldwide Logistics. “This affects bulk transport more, but we have also seen some container barge operators, especially on the Rhine, having to reduce their maximum payload capacity.”
Braun said grains like wheat, fertilizers, coal and animal feed products are transported by bulk ships.
Grain prices have already been affected by Russia’s war against Ukraine. This congestion will only add further pressure.
The heat wave compounds the problems that logistics managers are trying to cope with. The latest European supply chain heatmap shows the challenges in a sea of red.
Congestion at German ports that has been hit by labor strikes shows no signs of easing. Waiting times for ships are increasing and containers are piling up as the rails get crowded. It also creates a rumble in the attempt to retrieve empty containers from the hinterland. The slowdown reduced loaded exports to the United States by two and a half months. Some of Germany’s top exports are automobiles and auto parts.
“The situation of ships awaiting arrival and unloading is becoming increasingly stressful,” Braun said. “The lack of availability of empty equipment in the hinterland will put additional pressure on empty containers returning to Asia due to being filled with exports. Congestion is slowing ships returning to China.”
The decrease in the number of empty containers is something logistics managers are watching closely. A smaller pool of containers could fuel prices if there is more demand than supply.
The CNBC Supply Chain Heat Map data providers are the global freight booking platform Freightos, creator of the Freightos Baltic Dry Index; the logistics provider OL USA; the FreightWaves supply chain intelligence platform; the Blume Global supply chain platform; third-party logistics provider Orient Star Group; the marine analysis company MarineTraffic; marine visibility data company Project44; shipping data company MDS Transmodal UK; ocean and air freight benchmarking and analytics company Xeneta; leading supplier to research and analytics company Sea-Intelligence ApS; Crane Worldwide Logistics, air and freight logistics provider SEKO Logistics and EverStream Analytics.


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To start, Ford claims the electric F-150 will have more horsepower and torque than any F-150 available today. That means it’ll best the current Raptor, which sits at 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. We have no doubt Ford can easily beat those numbers with what we now know will be a dual motor setup. Sorry, to those hoping for a quad-motor, but a dual motor F-150 should still be plenty fun. You can see an electric prototype pounding around in the video (above) Ford released alongside this news today.
Ford also claims the electric F-150 will have the “fastest acceleration” of any other F-150, too. The last capability claim Ford made is an obvious one, but apparently it will also have “the ability to tow heavy trailers.” Who would’ve thought? Unfortunately, Ford doesn’t specify how heavy.
The electric F-150 will also debut (unspecified) technology that will allow it to function as a mobile power generator at worksites and jobsites. Ford made it clear that the electric F-150 is designed and engineered for folks who need a truck that works, not a lifestyle vehicle like the Rivian R1T or Tesla Cybertruck are meant to be.
Potential customers will be happy to know it has a “giant front trunk” that can carry “hundreds of pounds” of cargo. That sounds like Ford is truly hollowing out the engine bay for useful storage, something not every new electric vehicle does. Over-the-air updates are promised to keep it up to date, and Ford is also making the claim that the electric F-150 will cost 40 percent less to maintain over the vehicle’s life than a gasoline powered F-150.
Moving on from the truck itself, Ford shared that it’s making a $700 million investment in the Rouge Complex (current home of the F-150) to also make the electric F-150 there in a “new high-tech manufacturing facility.” It’s scheduled to hit the market in mid-2022, so we’re just under two years away as of today. The new manufacturing center will support battery assembly for the electric truck, and will also be used to put together the batteries for the F-150 Hybrid.


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Evian’s new (Re)new system features a collapsible plastic bubble | Credit: Evian
The Evian (Re)new system features a five-litre water ‘bubble’ of recycled plastic so customers can refill water bottles at home
As scrutiny over brands’ use of plastic packaging continues to intensify, water giant Evian yesterday unveiled a new at-home water dispenser it claims will deliver a “significant reduction” in plastic packaging.
The Evian (Re)new system features a five-litre “bubble” of water attached to a dispenser, so customers can refill their water bottles with Evian mineral water at home.
The “bubble” is made from 100 per cent recycled plastic and is 100 per cent recyclable, the company said. It has a skin so thin it collapses as it empties, meaning it uses 66 per cent less plastic than a 1.5 litre Evian bottle. An accompanying app will allow consumers to order bubble refills when necessary.
Consumers are growing increasingly concerned by the impact of single-use plastics on the world’s oceans, and many brands and retailers have taken steps to cut their plastic use and promote refillable containers.
The rise in public concern poses a particular challenge for bottled water producers, which often rely on single-use plastics for their on-the-go products.
Evian has already promised to make all its bottles from recycled plastic by 2025, and launched a branded refillable water bottle earlier this year.
For its refillable system Evian – which is owned by Danone – is counting on consumers wanting mineral water even if it is sourced from their own home.
The launch of the new system is part of Evian’s efforts to become a ‘circular brand’ by 2025, explained Patricia Oliva, Evian’s global brand vice president. “At Evian we owe everything to nature and are committed to a healthy planet,” she said in a statement. “This will only be achieved by new ways of thinking and of doing business. And this is why we’re challenging ourselves to reinvent new ways to provide Evian natural mineral water to consumers. This unique bubble design represents a breakthrough in design thinking which brings the purity of Evian natural mineral water from the source to the home in a more circular way.”
A four-month pilot of 200 customers in London and Paris will get underway in September, Evian said, but no details on pricing were available. “We are inviting consumers to join a community of early adopters who will be an extension of our innovation team, helping us to co-create this solution,” Oliva added. “Together we will fine-tune Evian (Re)new with a view to bringing a scalable and circular solution to market.”
Source: – Business Green


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2021 Mini new cars
The new Countryman has just arrived, but more on the cards for 2021.
For somewhat of a niche brand, Mini had a pretty impressive year in 2020. Sales of the six-door Clubman were up over 24 per cent and many other models were limited purely by supply.
The brand recently saw the arrival of the hardcore JCW GP model as well as a refreshed Countryman SUV.
But, while a number of product updates are expected from Mini in 2021 (Cooper S facelift for one...), the brand's local arm remains tight-lipped about exactly which models will be launched in the new year.
Stay tuned though, as we'll update a full new car calendar with all launch details once we tick over into 2021.
MORE: Everything Mini


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Slow Food USA Blog
Reflections, insights and news about the food movement and “going Slow”
Jul. 17, 2012
We’ve teamed up with Daniel Klein and the folks over at Perennial Plate to deliver monthly video stories, our first dispatch features highlights from An American Food (Road)Trip.
May. 25, 2012
Founder and President of the International Slow Food Movement, Carlo Petrini, paid the Slow Food USA office a visit and took time to answer your questions from Facebook.
May. 14, 2012
For the first time, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues will have a guest speaker address its members -- Slow Food International President Carlo Petrini.
Mar. 27, 2012
The Manioc root can be found in many of your favorite dishes, but not on anyone’s bookshelf. Sara Franklin hopes to change that with a new book taking on this ubiquitous, versatile food and its its gastronomic importance.
Mar. 1, 2012
In Sonoma County, California, Slow Food Russian River has helped local growers bring a famed apple back into production.


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A California roll is an inside-out sushi roll which became popular throughout the United States in the 1980s. Born and raised in California, Alan Wong brought this Californian-style sushi to China in 2001 at his first Hatsune restaurant in Beijing.
The inverted sushi roll has become so popular over the last two decades that it can be found on the menu of almost all Japanese-style restaurants in China.
“It looks good and it tastes good,” says Wong. “It uses a small amount of sauce that has a strong flavor, but is not so strong that it overpowers the ingredients.”
Wong held a sushi class in Beijing on June 20 at the SKP branch of Hatsune, teaching guests how to make three basic types of sushi－temaki, hosomaki and the California roll.
The class began with Wong teaching everyone how to cover their hair properly and how to wash their hands thoroughly. “Pay attention to hygiene, it is the key to making sushi,” says Wong.
“There is a bowl of clean water to wash your hands during the sushi making, and please do not lick your fingers or the rice will stick on your hands,” Wong says.


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Founder of JetBlue David “Mortified” Neeleman is no longer the CEO of his company, effective immediately. He’ll continue on as “non-executive chairman,” and play a “more strategic role.” Whatever that means.
The move comes after an embarrassing service meltdown that on Valentine’s Day that exposed JetBlue’s inability to cope with weather disruptions. A flood of negative PR followed, leading David to publicly apologize for the incident approximately 800 times. We guess it wasn’t enough. More recently, several JetBlue employees have been charged with credit card fraud. The employees (including Customer Service representatives) stole credit card numbers of JetBlue customers and went on a “spending spree” that included trips to Victoria’s Secret.
David will be replaced by Dave “Sorry Doesn’t Cut It” Barger, 49.
“The board suggested to David that he could best serve the company in a more strategic role. David agreed,” JetBlue spokeswoman Jenny Dervin said. “The conversation was initiated by the board.” —MEGHANN MARCO
JetBlue CEO pushed out [CNNMoney]