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The planned EV sharing offer by Renault in Paris is taking shape: The French automobile manufacturer will cooperate with ADA to start the free-floating car-sharing service in September. The service will start with 100 Zoe and 20 Twizy.
As of January 2019, the service will be expanded in steps. Renault is planning to offer a 2,000 strong electric vehicle fleet in the greater Paris area by the end of next year. The timing is good: Currently the communities around Paris are extricating themselves from the deeply indebted Autolib program by Bolloré. The plug is expected to be pulled at the end of the month. Renault is one of several manufacturers who have an eye on the market gap.
The fleet comprising of 100 Zoe and 20 Twizy will start in the eleventh and twelfth Arrondissement of Paris and the community of Clichy, which borders the northern side of the capital. Renault has described the start as a testing phase, and plans to perform quality optimisation.
The cooperation with ADA, a subsidiary of the Rousselet group with more than 100 rental car agencies in the capital, will look as follows: Renault will manufacture the EVs and cover maintenance and repairs, while ADA will provide the digital app for the car-sharing service, as well as charging and positioning the vehicles, and the financial aspects of the transaction.
In further news from the capital, Paris’ mayor Anne Hidalgo recently mentioned that other companies had also expressed interest in becoming a car-sharing operator in the city. It seems that Paris is not planning on passing Autolib’s legacy on to one single car-sharing operator, but plans to split the work between several. It is already known that PSA will start a car-sharing service, for example. The service will start with 500 EVs from Peugeot and Citroën.
The post Renault and ADA start e-car sharing Moov’in in Paris appeared first on electrive.com.
Gyon is one of the newest EV manufacturers from the Chinese mainland. They have also recently announced their first vehicle model, which will be presented together with the brand in Los Angeles on the 08th of August. The vehicle features a 700 km range and will be able to accelerate from 0 – 100 km/h in four seconds.
A teaser image was released to create some hype for their presentation event. As far as we can tell, the silhouette looks like it belongs to a luxury sports vehicle with dynamic design.
What we do know so far, is that Gyon picked up the Chinese startup Sitech Electric Automobile as an investor, and is cooperating with the US American company Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters for design. The autonomous driving system with which the vehicle is equipped was provided by Bosch.
The ride-share operator Didi Chuxing looks to be the first major customer for the new EV joint venture by Magna and BAIC in China. Singulato Motors also looks to have the JV produce their vehicles in future.
The report breaking the news did not specify sources, but did have five of them confirm that the appropriate negotiations had been kept under tight wraps thus far. Magna could export their European business model, where they are manufacturing EVs for Mercedes, BMW and Jaguar as a contract partner. The model could be very successful in China, where there are several automobile startups who lack production capacities.
This background also explains the potential deals with Didi and Singulato. The Chinese ride-share operator has already been working with BAIC for some time to develop an EV specifically suited to their needs. By 2020, they plan to present their own vehicle which will be called the D1. Later, the D2 and D3 models will follow as upgrades are made. Didi is putting their iron in several fires with preparation for the production, and also announced a cooperation with Continental to develop networked EVs, which will be modified to help serve the unique needs of the ride-share operator.
Singulato can expand on the already existing cooperation with BAIC, which is focused on the development of intelligent vehicles and gaining access to their required resources. Their startup seems nearly ready to begin production, but does not yet have the required license for vehicle assembly. Time is also running low: the market launch for Singulato’s debut BEV iS6 was announced for the end of this year.
As a reminder: In June the automobile supplier Magna signed two joint venture agreements with Beijing Electric Vehicle (BJEV), the subsidiary of BAIC. The location for the JV is will be BAIC factory in Zhenjiang with a production capacity of up to 180,000 vehicles.
In October Magna announced the founding a of a joint venture in China for electrical motors with SAIC subsidiary Huayu Automotive Systems.
The post Didi and Singulato potential customers for Magna-BAIC appeared first on electrive.com.
VW is planning to upgrade their manufacturing capacities in Wolfsburg and Dresden during the summer months from 120 vehicles to 160 e-Golfs manufactured daily. They are not the only ones to do so.
More automobile manufacturers are responding to the long delivery times for electrified vehicles by increasing production capacities. The most recent company to join the trend is Volkswagen. The Wolfsburg-based company plans to reach a production target of 160 e-Golfs per day, as well as determine whether another manufacturing increase is necessary. At the start of March, VW announced a second shift at the “gläserne Manufaktur” factory in Dresden, where the daily production capacity was increased from 36 to 72 vehicles per day.
It was also somewhat recently announced that BMW would increase production capacities for the i-model vehicles in fall of this year from 130 to 200 vehicles per day. A BMW spokesperson referenced a 50% increase in production for the incoming upgrade in their Leipzig facility. This is the location where the i3 and i8 are being manufactured. In future, the automobile manufacturer plans to produce both EVs as well as combustion vehicles in the same locations.
Renault also recently announced their plan to double production capacities for the Zoe at their factory in Flins, as well as tripling production capacities in Cléon. The plan is to produce 440 (instead of 220) Zoe vehicles after the upgrade in fall. The initiative will cost the French company about 1 billion euro in new development and production capacities.
The post Volkswagen to upgrade manufacturing to 160 e-Golf daily appeared first on electrive.com.
Tesla has announced a series of new initiatives to improve their service around the globe. Among other things, a new distribution centre for spare parts was opened in California, tripling the capacity for parts of North America. A similar facility is planned for Europe, as well.
Additionally, the Californians are planning to improve their global service area from 25% to 40% coverage by the end of the year, particularly in markets where customer satisfaction was found to be low. They plan to expand “aggressively” and hire additional personnel to deal with the challenge. As an example, Tesla Norway was cited, where the service team has already grown by 30% compared to last year, and the opening of a new service centre is planned. It was reported that customer complaints rained hard on Tesla and customers had to wait up to several months for support from service centres.
Furthermore, Tesla announced a plan to set up a small network of chassis workshop in selected markets. This will test whether small repairs can be done closer to locations, and will evaluate whether this type of customer support works and could be expanded.
At the same time, Tesla has bid a few of their suppliers to repay a part of their already made payments in order to help the company become more cost-effective. This revelation came from an announcement sent by Tesla to suppliers.
At the start of the month, Tesla wrote to their north American customers asking for the final payment of 2,500 dollars following the 1,000 dollar pre-payment, before their vehicle will be finished. This is likely also part of Tesla’s ambitious goal to become profitable within a short time. At the same time, there are also multiple reports regarding tense working conditions at the company who are assembling the vehicles.
The post Tesla plans to improve spare part replacement and service appeared first on electrive.com.
Parking lots full of Model 3s have been spotted around California last week, promptly giving rise to renewed speculation regarding the vehicle. Some critics even went so far as to accuse Tesla of cheating investors by manufacturing cars no-one ordered.
While we can’t speak to why Tesla would be stockpiling the cars, the rumors have certainly inflamed both fans and detractors.
Scenario 3) The cars can't be delivered, because the buyer would refuse delivery.
This is a fraud scenario. $tsla will have lied about "cars produced."
— Value Dissenter (@ValueDissenter) July 20, 2018
Volkswagen has founded another subsidiary after Electrify America too construct an EV charging network in Canada. The company is called Electrify Canada and will set up a DC charging network that will include HPCs.
The charging network is planned to go live in the second quarter of 2019. For starters, a network of 32 charging stations will be set up near highways and in metropolitan areas around British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec with four charge points and performance between 50 and 350 kW, on average.
Daniel Weissland, CEO of Volkswagen Group Canada, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to be able to offer this service and to take a leadership position in providing this key EV adoption enabler to the Canadian market.”
The post VW founds subsidiary to construct Canadian charging network appeared first on electrive.com.
BYD announced in an ad-hoc statement to investors that two major bidding calls for the delivery of electric buses in China. The company will deliver more than 4,000 electric buses to several companies in Guangzhou.
The exact numbers for the contract are 4,810 electric buses, where BYD managed to receive the majority of it – specifically 4,437 buses. The company will deliver models in different sizes ranging between 8 and 12 metres. The total value for both contracts is around 5.52 billion Yuan (0.7 billion euros). In the next step, BYD will sign individual agreements with the customers in Guangzhou.
BYD has also been collecting orders from Europe and North America, even if the bids are slightly smaller. Public transit operator Nobina ordered 24 BYD electric buses for use in the Swedish province of Södermanland, where they will likely start use in the summer of 2019. Nobina is already using BYD buses in Ängelholm and Oslo, and has ordered more for the communities around Nortällje, Landskrona and Oslo.
Furthermore, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the largest public transport operator in Canada ordered another ten BYD electric buses, combined with an option to expand the order to 30 more.
The post Mega contract: BYD to deliver 4,000 e-buses to Guangzhou appeared first on electrive.com.
Supplier Dana Incorporated has developed an electric drive system in cooperation with Mecalac for their compact digger Mecalac 12MTX. The electric version of the digger is called e12 and features two electric motors and a 146 kW battery pack.
With the electric system, the digger will have an operating time of 8 hours. The lithium-iron-phosphate battery (LiFePO4) can be charged overnight within about seven hours.
Patrick Brehmer, the head of product design and management at Mecalac stated that the challenge to electrify the vehicle were three-fold: “Any electric engine must rise to three major challenges: range, performance and compactness. The Mecalac e12 is the first 100%-electric excavator that does not compromise on any of those three criteria.” He stated that a major factor had been the decision to separate the energy source from the drivers cabin. This allowed for the 146 kWh performance and the eight hour operating period.
Mecalac is a construction machinery manufacturer from Schleswig-Holstein, which used to belong to Ahlmann Baumaschinen GmbH, and was purchased by the French Groupe Mecalac in 2002.
The post Mecalac digger 12MTX will come with electrical variant appeared first on electrive.com.
The flying car developer taken over by Geely, has announced that they will be ready to begin production on a two-seated flying car named Transition with a hybrid system next year. Details to price and performance have not been released yet.
The Transition was designed for the needs of the road, as well as the air, and will be powered with a hybrid system and lithium-iron-phosphate battery (LiFePO4). It will also feature a boost function, which will temporarily provide a significant speed increase.
The newest adaptions, including the interior setup, safety systems, parachute system, motor and flight instruments, will be extensively tested in the incoming prototype, before serial production will begin. CEO Chris Jaran sees the project in a critical stage: “We can implement the best design features based on years of flight and drive testing. This will improve function, safety and aesthetics for the optimal flying and driving experience.”
Next for the development process will be to pass FAA and NHTSA standards for both air as well as road traffic.
Next to the Transition, Terrafugia is also working on a VTOL for cargo and personal transport named TF-2. The company was founded by an MIT graduate in 2006.
The post Terrafugia: First flying car to go in production in 2019 appeared first on electrive.com.
Honda will be bringing their Clarity, which was originally marketed as an FCEV, to Japan as a plug-in hybrid. For the first year, the company hopes to sell around 1,000 units.
The Honda Clarity PHEV will have a purely electric range of 114.6 km, thanks to a 17 kWh battery (The WLTP range was called 101 km) and will start selling in Japan for about 5.9 million Yen (45,000 euro). Propulsion is managed by the combination of a 1.5 litre combustion motor and a new hybrid system call i-MMD, which combined two electric motors. Honda stated this is the first vehicle where the system is being installed. The total performance of the Clarity PHEV stands at 135 kW. The battery of the vehicle will also be fast-charging capable and will be able to charge to 80% capacity in 30 minutes, according to the manufacturer.
Last year there had been some rumors that Honda were planning a fully electric version of the Clarity. Over the past year, not much has changed with the situation, however. The market launch of the Clarity PHEV has not brought mention of any further BEV development with it. The company generally set themselves the goal to make about 2/3 of their income through the sale of electrified vehicles by 2040.
The post Honda bringing Clarity to Japan as a plug-in hybrid appeared first on electrive.com.
Kia has started selling their Niro EV in South Korea. The European premiere will take place at the Paris Motor Show, and will be available before the end of the year.
The fully electric Niro is Kia’s second BEV after the Soul EV that is sold globally. After the market launch in Europe toward the end of 2018, the Niro will continue to north America in the first quarter of 2019.
The EV completes the Niro model range, which had previously only included a complete hybrid and a plug-in hybrid version. Since their launch in 2016, the hybrid variants of the Niro sold around 200,000 units around the world.
As previously reported, the battery for the fully electric Nuro as well as the Hyundai Kona Electric, which was presented in February, will be offered in two variants with 39.2 kWh or 62 kWh. This will allow for ranges over 300 km for the smaller battery and 450 km with the larger one. Total consumption is stated to be 13.9 kWh for the smaller version and 14.3 kWh on the larger battery per 100 km. The values are the same as for the Kona Electric.
The electric motor in the Niro features performance of 150 kW. The charging performance for the batteries was undisclosed for some time, but it was recently confirmed that both can be charged at CCS high speed chargers (up to 100 kW) to 80% within 54 minutes.
At a Legoland in Germany, Hyundai is offering children aged between 7 and 13 years of age to get their “drivers license” with a look to the future. The children drive a real electric car with a top speed of up to 6 kph.
Similarly to the real thing, the kids first must undergo theoretical instruction before being allowed to drive a vehicle. They then get to drive a course with realistic traffic situations, signs and traffic lights.
We’re not quite sure if they’re allowed to build their own cars, but surely that can’t be too far off.
hyundai.news (in German)
The UK airport has launched a car-sharing service with ten electric vehicles and charge points from Bolloré’s BlueCity, building on an earlier trial. The vehicles are part of a larger city fleet, and can be used and dropped anywhere in London.
Gatwick also stated that the cost to drive one of the 4-door vehicles from the airport to the city centre would cost about £15 “in moderate traffic”. Should the service prove successful, the initiative is set to expand further. Chief commercial officer Guy Stephenson said: “Given the popular demand for similar electric car sharing services in other parts of the world, this new service has the potential to take off in the UK and we are proud to be at the forefront of this transport revolution.”
This also marks Bluecity’s first airport-based charging hub. Their managing director, Christophe Arnaud stated: “Our cars are powered exclusively with 100% renewable energy making the service the greenest and most affordable transport option to and from central London.”
For Bolloré, this is good news after their crisis in Paris, where the city cancelled their Autolib contract reportedly. In London however, BlueCity has been undergoing successful trials and also expanded the charging network BluePoint.
The companies Tassima, Ziehl-Abegg and IAV are working together to electrify the tourist double-decker buses in Berlin. The diesel buses were once used for public transit, and will now be electrified to serve tourists.
Several hundred vehicles are being spoken of, which will be refitted with electric motors in a factory in Brandenburg. In order to achieve this, the vehicle refitters Tassima, the supplier Ziehl-Abegg and the engineering partner IAV entered a strategic partnership. The double-decker buses owned by the BVG are already in use as sightseeing buses, but still maintain their old diesel motors, which will now start changing.
The work split between the three partners will look as follows: Ziehl-Abegg is developing and producing the electric drive axle for conversion, where the electric motor and performance electronics are integrated into the wheel hub. Tassima, and their specialized team will take care of the conversion itself, as per their specialty. IAV will deliver the components. Finally a traction battery will be mounted where the diesel motors are currently located.
source: via Email
The decision has fallen: the French battery manufacturer ForseePower will be delivering the lithium-ion batteries for Altom’s e-bus Aptis. Serial production is slated to begin in early 2019.
The vehicle is a fully electric bus designed to resemble a trolley, which features four steerable wheels. First tests for the Aptis are planned on Parisian streets in the near future. The electric buses will be serially fitted with lithium-ion batteries with NMC chemicals, which is where Foresee Power enters the game.
An announcement by the Alstom states that the two companies Alstom and Foresee cooperated to develop a specialized battery for the buses. The charging speed as well as the number of battery modules will be selectable by public transport operators in future. The Aptis will have a range between 150 km and 250 km, depending on which battery package is selected. A cooperation for real-time analysis for the battery system is also underway, to help optimize use and life-time.
The batteries delivered by Foresee Power will be rented to transit operators by Alstom. The concept is designed to alleviate the cost of purchasing an electric bus for customers, by spreading the cost over time.
The post Foresee Power to deliver batteries for Alstom’s e-bus Aptis appeared first on electrive.com.
The Chinese automobile manufacturer GAC and the battery cell supplier CATL have founded two joint ventures in Guangzhou to produce and market batteries for BEV’s and PHEV’s. The corresponding contract was signed today.
With a starting capital of 1 billion Yuan (about 127 million euro) the first JV, called Amperex GAC Power Battery will focus on manufacturing and developing batteries, as well as after-sales and a consulting service. The second one will start with a fund of 100 million Yuan (13 million euro) and will be called GAC Amperex Power Battery System, which will focus exclusively on battery development and sales. GAC and CATL each own 51 and 49% of the companies, respectively.
“The joint ventures are going to deepen cooperation between CATL and GAC Group in the field of new-energy vehicles. We will fully take advantage and leverage the resources of both parties to further expand business scale, and enhance profitability and competitiveness,” said CATL in a statement.
LG Chem has announced plans to construct a second battery plant in China for EVs. The new factory will be set in Nanjing, like the first, and construction will begin this October. Battery production will likely start a year later by October 2019.
The South Korean company is responding to growing demand for battery cells, and plan to achieve an annual production capacity of 32 GWh in the new facility by 2023. This would provide enough batteries for 500,000 electrified vehicles. The company is planning investments around 2 trillion Won (about 1.53 billion euro) to make this happen.
Outside of China, LG is also operating battery factories for vehicle manufacturing in South Korea, the USA, the Netherlands and Poland. Their main customers include the US company GM, as well as Volvo, Renault, South Korea’s largest automobile manufacturer Hyundai and their subsidiary Kia.
LG Chem is under pressure, as is Samsung SDI, as both companies are losing ground to Chinese battery manufacturers. An analysis by market researchers at SNE research showed that both Korean manufacturers are losing ground to Chinese competitors. Between January and April 2018, LG Chem delivered batteries with a total capacity of 1.671 GWh. That is a 38.9% increase compared to the same time period in the previous year. Despite the growth, the market percentage fell from 13.8% in 2017 to 10.6% this year. In the global rankings, LG fell from second to fourth place.
The electric scooter manufacturer Govecs is taking over the brand Elmoto from ID-Bike, further expanding their electric scooter model range. The company will begin releasing their next bike, the Elmoto HR4 at the start of next year.
Govecs will be taking over the operational business aspects as well as all employees from Elmoto. The location of ID-Bike in Stuttgart will be taken over and integrated into the Govecs network. The financial details behind the acquisition were not released.
ID-Bike is a manufacturer of light electric bicycles, which has sold more than 4,000 bikes since being founded in 2008. Thomas Grübel, ceo of Govecs stated: “We have already known the ELMOTO team for many years now. We will benefit from their many years’ experience and expertise, especially in research & development and in product design.”
Govecs is known for their Go! series and Schwalbe electric scooters. In the B2B market, the company was able to prepare for e-scooter sharing business early, and now does business with three of the four largest sharing services in Europe. Next to Cityscoot, Cooltra in Spain and emmy in Germany are part of Govecs’ list of customers, as well as multiple food delivery services. The company produces their scooters in the Polish Breslau, unlike most of their competitors, who are largely manufacturing in China.
The company also stated that many ride-sharing operators are ready to expand to further cities and regions, and Govecs delivered 2,750 new electric scooters to Cityscoot in France, who expanded their fleet to around 4,350 scooters with the purchase.
By taking over Elmoto, Govecs is also moving to be more dominant in the growing B2C market. CEO Thomas Grübel is convinced that the Elmoto team’s experience will prove invaluable for this, as well as research and design efforts.
Govec’s scooters are sold via their own platform HappyScooter. In future, the company plans to add more stores next to their flagship store in Berlin across Germany, as well as in several European metropolises.
Rumours surrounding the BMW i3 receiving a battery upgrade have been circulating for some time and have now been amplified. Apparently BMW has been preparing intensively to introduce a 120 Ah battery by the end of 2018 or, early 2019.
The NEDC range for the new battery would upgrade the i3 to a 350 km range, according to a report by the BMW blog. A year ago, they already predicted that the company was planning to use battery cells with a 120 Ah capacity by the end of 2018 (we reported).
The total capacity of the battery would rise to about 42 kWh and allow for a significantly higher range. In everyday life – and we are talking from experience as our editor-in-chief drives an i3 – the 94 Ah cells last for about 200 kilometres realistically, while the NEDC indicates 300 km. An upgrade to 120 Ah would thus result in about 400 km in NEDC terms and in 260 to 300 km in real-life.
In terms of market entry, the report states that the new 120 Ah batteries will receive similar treatment to the 94 Ah batteries – at first the bigger battery will be available as an upgrade, before it eventually replaces the smaller version as serial components.
The market entry of the i3 was about five years ago. At the last IAA, the Bavarians also presented a successor model, flanked by the new Performance variant i3s. The global market rollout for the newly fitted i3 and the i3S started last November.


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Cargill, Wichita, Kan., established its own licensed buying company in Ghana called Cargill Kokoo Sourcing Ltd.
Cargill Kokoo Sourcing has been fully operational since November 2016, and allows Cargill to directly source cocoa from certified farmers in Ghana for the first time. So far, over 25,000 farmers are registered, 9,000 of which are actively pursuing selling beans through Cargill’s licensed buying company network. Cargill already sources directly from farmers and farmer organizations in other origin countries. Moving to this model in Ghana means that the company will be better positioned to efficiently implement the Cargill Cocoa Promise, Cargill’s commitment to improving the lives of cocoa farmers and their communities.
Cargill’s innovative high-tech purchasing model is built on the principles of sustainability and full traceability. Farmers deliver their cocoa to community warehouses where their beans are digitally weighed in front of them, assigned a fully traceable barcode and funds are then transferred straight to the farmer’s phone or e-wallet using e-money through partnerships with E-Zwich, MTM mobile Money and Tigo Mobil Money. The revolutionary move to mobile money adds assurance for the farmer, improves their ability to trade more effectively and eradicates all risks associated with cash payments.
Details of the beans are then recorded in a standardized management system before the beans are collected by larger trucks, which transfer them to central warehouses. Through Cargill’s new barcode system, the company can now trace each individual bag of Ghanaian cocoa beans sourced through the Cargill Kokoo Sourcing to the individual farm, creating a fully traceable supply chain down to farmer level.
"Never before has it been more critical for cocoa farmers in Ghana to be the master of their own destiny and improve their own livelihoods,” says Lionel Soulard, managing director West-Africa Cargill cocoa and chocolate. “With the introduction of an innovative digital payment system, or mobile money for short, this first-of-its kind initiative at scale in Ghana is creating a great opportunity for smallholder finance at the farm level. We strongly believe that this way of doing business is the future for cocoa farmers in Ghana. Mobile money is the first step towards improving incomes for farmers, as we build the infrastructure and capabilities for a more efficient and effective supply chain. Our aim is to create an enabling environment for smallholder finance for the future, resulting in better entrepreneurial spirit already noticeable at the farmer level."

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From January to July, China exported 13.29 million tons of ceramic products, an increase of 1.6%.
According to the analysis of the “2017-2022 China Ceramics Production Special Equipment Industry Market Prospects and Financing Strategy Consultation Report” issued by the China Business Research Institute and the large database of the China Business Research Institute, the export of ceramic products in China in July 2017 was 2.19 million tons. , an increase of 5.3% year-on-year; China's exports of ceramic products exported 13.29 million tons from January to July, an increase of 1.6% compared with the same period last year.
Source: China Business Research Institute
In July, the export value of China's ceramic products was 1.88 billion US dollars, an increase of 24.3%. From January to July, the export value of China's ceramic products reached 11.16 billion US dollars, an increase of 14.1%.


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According to a recent report by Pando Daily, Facebook logs more active users on its mobile web app monthly than it does on its native Android and iOS apps combined. The featured graph, shown during a press meeting at the Facebook headquarters, lacks specific numbers, but the company pointed out that the bars are to scale.
iOS slightly beats out Android in active monthly users, and mobile web uses obviously take the cake – it should be noted that the “Web” field does include mobile web browsers accessed via Android/iOS devices. Basically, even on platforms where Facebook offers native applications, users still like to access the site plainly through a browser. Essentially, those developing a web service need to incorporate a proper mobile web app.
A recent study has shown that mobile internet usage has almost doubled in the last year, from 4.3% to 8.5%. While iOS beats out Android regarding Facebook access, more Android users got online in general in 2011. Web access via a mobile device is expected to exceed 10% in 2012.
The above chart shows the generalized trend regarding mobile OS market shares, ending last year. With RIM on the out, it can be assumed to that Android and iOS will take up the largest part of the market, as mobile web access gains on desktops.


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British Tomato Growers’ Association is a finalist in the Horticultural Oscars
Yes, its awards season again and the BTGA is delighted to have been shortlisted in the 2014 Grower of the Year Awards in the category ‘Best Consumer Marketing Campaign’.
Our application, along with all the other finalists, goes before the judges on 22 January and the winners will be revealed on 4th March at the awards ceremony at the Grand Connaught Rooms in central London.
We have been overwhelmed with the support that our application has received from our colleagues and are looking forward to the awards ceremony on 4th March.
Watch this space! www.thegrowerawards.co.uk.


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2010/29/01, 01:01 pm
Despite a slow start, Apple's smartphone presence in China could grow to 5 million iPhone sales per year -- and could even double that if the company were to offer a lower cost prepaid model.
2010/28/01, 10:01 am
With an aggressive $499 starting price point, Wall Street analysts believe Apple's e-reading, game playing, media consuming iPad device is a worthwhile risk that will become a multi-million seller in its first year.
2010/27/01, 05:01 pm
With Apple introducing its iPad tablet on Wednesday at entry-level pricing much lower than anticipated, one prominent research and investment firm was quick to increase its first year unit sales estimates by as much as two-fold, while predicting that 2011 will see the device break out even further.
2010/26/01, 08:01 am
Apple beat most Wall Street analysts' expectations Monday when it reported its most profitable quarter ever, but the impending product announcement scheduled for Wednesday is what everyone is really waiting for.
2010/25/01, 05:01 pm
The first quarter of Apple's 2010 fiscal year was another record breaking three-month frame for the company, which sold more Macs and iPhones than ever before. Monday, the company conducted a financial conference call with analysts and the press, and notes of interest follow.
2010/25/01, 09:01 am
As Apple prepares to report its earnings today at 5 p.m. Eastern time, most Wall Street analysts expect the company to report its best quarter ever, with the potential for record holiday iPhone and Mac sales.
2010/22/01, 09:01 am
Selling an estimated 5 million units in its first year as a "base case" scenario, Apple's tablet would earn the company $2.8 billion in additional revenue and solidify it as more than a niche product, a prominent investment baking firm said Friday.
2010/14/01, 09:01 pm
With a war chest of $23 billion in cash, along with increasing competition by Google, Apple looks to continue its recent trend of acquisitions in the new year.
2010/11/01, 12:01 pm
Apple will report its earnings for the first quarter of its 2010 fiscal year on Monday, Jan. 25, two days before the Cupertino, Calif., company is expected to announce new products.
2010/06/01, 08:01 am
Apple is projected to sell 36 million iPhones worldwide in 2010, but Piper Jaffray concedes that total is likely conservative for international sales, and doesn't include the possibility of expansion to other carriers in the U.S.
2010/05/01, 07:01 am
Apple's recently concluded December quarter is expected to produce blockbuster results for the company, and that momentum is forecast to carry into early 2010 with a favorable landscape.
2010/04/01, 11:01 pm
Apple is poised to announce that it has acquired mobile advertising outfit Quattro Wireless for $275 million.
2010/03/01, 01:01 pm
Following Apple's rebirth over the past decade under the leadership of chief executive Steve Jobs, the company is now set to build on its established foundations over the next decade.
2010/01/01, 06:01 pm
Apple ends the year with solid iPhone OS growth, a slowing - but stable Mac OS X market share, and its Safari web browser being edged out by Google's Chrome.
2009/30/12, 11:12 am
Strength in all of Apple's core business segments during the December quarter is likely to see the company breeze past already heightened expectations on Wall Street, investment bank Kaufman Bros. said Wednesday.
2009/28/12, 12:12 pm
Apple come next month is expected to announce -- by far -- the most successful quarter for iPhone sales in the handset's history, according to one Wall Street analyst who raised his price target on the company to $260 per share.
2009/23/12, 04:12 pm
Steve Jobs was compensated $1 for his work as Apple's CEO in 2009, a tradition that has existed since 1997.
2009/14/12, 02:12 pm
New retail sales data shows that Mac sales were up 21 percent year-over-year in the months of October and November, positioning Apple for a potentially strong December to close out 2009.
2009/09/12, 12:12 pm
Though Apple's stock has underperformed in the last 10 days, one analyst expects it to rebound by the end of the month before Apple closes out what is forecast to be a "blow-out" quarter.
2009/08/12, 03:12 pm
Though AAPL stock has dropped 8 percent in the last 10 trading days, it's no cause for concern over the Mac maker's shares, one Wall Street analyst has said.


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Vermont, the little Holland of the United States, has been a leader in pot decriminalization, gay marriage, and socialist presidential candidates. One of the perks of living here is the annual free workout video that arrives in the mail. These elaborate DVDs go to all Vermont teachers (my wife's a librarian), paid for by the teacher's union and designed to get Vermonters through the harsh winters.
Our friends in Burlington worked extra hard this year to come up with a steampunk, time-travel theme. Props include a Tardis-like vehicle with a cockpit made from a wicker chair, fire extinguisher propulsion system, and voltmeter control panels. After a brief intro, some kind of evil time lord takes us through many sets of jumping jacks, pushups, and burpees. As goofy as the premise is, the workout is so intense I'm always praying for a Dalek invasion to end my misery.
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In the 1990s, London was home to notorious book-thieves who stole to order for the shops of Charing Cross road, who paid a fraction of cover-price for them -- meaning that each thief would have to steal £50,000/year worth of books (and often stole more). Read the rest
Incredibly weird-cool airbrush body art by Natalie Fletcher. Read the rest
The rapper is assisted by “celebrity medical marijuana consultant” Dr. Dina, who apparently gets paid to do exactly what it says in her ridiculous job title.
Apple and Google both announced today that the companies have each developed fixes to help protect users against the newly revealed 'Freak' security flaw, which affects mobile devices and Mac computers.
Technology companies are scrambling to fix a major security flaw that for more than a decade left users of Apple and Google devices vulnerable to hacking when they visited millions of supposedly secure Web sites, including Whitehouse.gov, NSA.gov and FBI.gov.
The flaw resulted from a former U.S. government policy that forbade the export of strong encryption and required that weaker “export-grade” products be shipped to customers in other countries, say the researchers who discovered the problem. These restrictions were lifted in the late 1990s, but the weaker encryption got baked into widely used software that proliferated around the world and back into the United States, apparently unnoticed until this year.
The vulnerability in web encryption technology could enable attackers to spy on communications of users of Apple's Safari browser and Google Inc's Android browser, according to researchers who uncovered the flaw. Apple spokesman Ryan James said the computer had developed a software update to remediate the vulnerability, which would be pushed out next week.
Google spokeswoman Liz Markman said the company had also developed a patch, which it has provided to partners. She declined to say when users could expect to receive those upgrades.
Reuters, and the original Washington Post reveal. Read the rest
Matt Novak and James Burke help us understand why we are to terrible at predicting the future
Here are the five reasons why these measuring spoons ($(removed)) are the best I've used: Read the rest
“My cat keeps my wife awake on the pillow next to her.” Read the rest
Recent divorcee Frank Curlip shares his culinary knowledge. “I'm doing great, Karen.” Read the rest
A subway ad intervention By Jilly Ballistic.
Enjoy some free purposely cheesy stock photos featuring Vince Vaughan, Tom Wilkinson, Dave Franco, and other stars from the film Unfinished Business! Read the rest
Dreamed up for OTOTO by Tel Aviv-based designer Jenny Pokryvailo.
Goat, motherfucker, do you speak it! Read the rest
I hate changing guitar strings. These coated extra light ones last me a very long time.
Read the rest
You might call this place pussy paradise.
Food designer Chloé Rutzerveld's concept for "healthy and sustainable" 3D-printed snacks that sprout little herbs and mushrooms sounds like something we'd very much like to munch.


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Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday ordered the formation of a fund to repay the extra amount charged to gas consumers who had received inflated bills during the last billing cycle, reported Express News.
According to sources, the Ministry of Finance was instructed to release Rs500 million to facilitate consumers and effected gas users will be paid back in phases.
Over 3 million consumers receive inflated bills
“The premier wants the entire extra charge to gas consumers to be returned by June this year,” sources added.
“The sum of inflated bills will be returned in three phases. In the first phase, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) will return Rs50 million to gas consumers.”
It was revealed earlier in March that public gas utilities had charged inflated bills from 3.2 million consumers because of a change in consumer slabs introduced by the government and manipulation of gas pressure factor in the case of domestic consumers.
The application of high gas pressure factor had forced many honest consumers to bear an additional cost of gas consumption.
According to sources, 50% of domestic consumers had been overcharged by applying the high-pressure factor illegally.
An inquiry committee told PM Imran that 30% of gas consumers had been overcharged. It came to the conclusion after analysing data of 10,000 consumers where it found that 30% of consumers had been overcharged by applying the high gas pressure factor during winter.
PM orders nationwide crackdown on gas theft
Separately, the premier was informed that 3.2 million gas consumers had been sent inflated bills due to manipulation on the part of gas utilities. In a meeting chaired by Finance Minister Asad Umar, it was revealed that 50% of domestic gas consumers had received inflated bills due to a wrongful application of the high-pressure factor.
The prime minister later directed the gas utilities to reimburse the amount overcharged from honest consumers. The government had also decided to correct the revised slabs which had led to inflated bills.


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Direct marketing concern MemberWorks Inc., Stamford, CT, lost more than a third of its value last month after it was implicated in a financial-privacy lawsuit levied against a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp, Minneapolis.
MemberWorks, which denied any wrongdoing and issued a new privacy statement immediately after the news of the lawsuit, saw its stock fall about 25 percent in one day, from just over $37 to just under $28 per share. It closed the month down slightly more, at just over $27, which is about half its 52-week high of $52.50 and double its 52-week low of about $12. It started the month above $43.
The decline illustrates how vulnerable the companies in the direct marketing industry can be to privacy issues which recently have come under increased government scrutiny. This is especially true in the financial services industry, where pending legislation would facilitate mergers between banks and insurance companies.
The Minnesota lawsuit, which did not name MemberWorks as a defendant, accused U.S. Bancorp of providing confidential information about its customers to MemberWorks for affinity marketing programs. The bank responded by denying the allegations and said it would sever its relationships with four direct marketing companies, including MemberWorks, and pledged not to market nonfinancial products to its customers. Several other banks followed suit, saying they would tighten their privacy policies and re-evaluate some of their marketing programs.
James Pettit, an analyst with Hambrecht & Quist, San Francisco, said MemberWorks' stock has been pressured because of attention generated by the suit, but he noted that the business it lost with U.S. Bancorp was not significant.
“There clearly have been some macro events that have affected the stock,” he said. “But, at this point today, I don't see any long-term material effects.”
He added, however, the impact of the U.S. Bancorp suit and other financial-privacy issues in Congress has been difficult to gauge because of the volatility in the market.
Pettit said the lawsuit, which followed a scathing speech to bankers about telemarketing and other issues by the Comptroller of the Currency, would serve as “a wake-up call for the [banking] industry.” After the banks tighten their controls a bit and re-evaluate their privacy positions, they will probably continue to work with companies like MemberWorks, Damark International and Cendant to market products to their customers, Pettit said.
“They represent the marketing arm for a lot of these big financial institutions,” he said.
MemberWorks has ongoing marketing programs with several other banks, and also maintains marketing partnerships with other organizations that market products to their members, such as oil companies and insurance companies.
Damark, Minneapolis — also one of the four companies U.S. Bancorp said it would no longer do business with — saw its stock price fall by 16.45 percent during the month, although it was not clear that the two events were related. Damark had been in the early stages of testing a marketing initiative with U.S. Bancorp but was not named in the lawsuit.
George Richards, president/CEO of Damark, said no other banks had canceled their business with the company, adding that he expected business to continue as usual with other banks.
Cendant Corp., Stamford, CT, which was a pioneer in the kinds of affinity marketing practiced by Damark and MemberWorks, did not seem to suffer from the brew-ha-ha over financial privacy. Its stock gained 8.3 percent for the month.
Pettit said he expected privacy concerns to continue to gain significance with the growth of the Internet.
“As we get more online oriented, this is going to be more of an issue,” he said, citing the pending merger between offline database concern Abacus Direct Corp. and online ad agency DoubleClick, which was announced earlier this month.
Abacus' stock bounced up and down after the announcement of the merger, which was criticized by some privacy advocates. The stock finished the month ahead by about 5 percent.
Portfolio value: If $1,000 had been invested in each of these companies at the beginning of the year — for newly public companies when the stock first closed — the value would be $109,615, an increase of 9.6 percent.


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Universal Studios Japan has released the first concept art and details for the newly-announced Super Nintendo World; giving our first glimpse on what we could possibly expect to be announced for Universal Orlando.
The concept art features the Mario Bros prominently, along with familiar landmarks such as Bowser’s Castle, Peach’s Castle, Toad’s House, and the familiar look of a Super Mario Bros game level – which seems to feature a whole bunch of Yoshis. Also included in the concept art are walk-around characters of Peach and Toad meeting with guests.
Per Universal Studios Japan, Super Nintendo World will be comprised of “expansive and multilevel environments filled with unprecedented, state-of-the-art rides, interactive areas, shops and restaurants, all featuring Nintendo’s most popular characters and games”.
The expansion is expected to cost 50 billion yen – or 432,882,000 million US dollars. For the sake of comparison, both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade of the Wizarding World at Universal Orlando cost a combined estimated $456 million.
Super Nintendo World is set to open in 2020, right before the opening of the Olympic Games which will be held in Tokyo.
As of now, nothing has been announced for the planned Nintendo Worlds coming to Universal Orlando or Universal Studios Hollywood.


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When it rains it pours for former OC husband Jim Bellino.
After announcing his divorce of wife Alexis, Jim has had money issues coming out of the woodwork and is now being sued by an ex business partner.
The business involved is none other than the trampoline park which has raised eyebrows after Shannon alleged that people had been seriously injured and therefore would not allow her children to go there.
According to Page Six, “Hughes claims he owned a 20 percent stake of Jim’s indoor trampoline park company, Sky Zone. He alleges that he agreed to sell Jim his share last October for $635,000, and that Sky Zone agreed to pay him $317,5000 once the deal was signed. He said he was to receive 16 payments of $19,843.75 to complete the transaction, but the deal had a provision that the entire balance would be due at once if the company was sold to a third party.”
The claims further state that Bellino sold the company earlier this year, and is now refusing to cough up the remaining payments.
Jim always came off a little creepy and shady to me while he was on the show. I think Heather Durbow called them out perfectly as ‘fake rich’ as nothing really was what it seemed with them. They seemed to always put on a show (kinda like a grown up version of Speidi) and it now seems to be catching up with them.


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The Bank of Japan (BOJ) on Monday kicked off the first phase of experimenting with a central bank digital currency (CBDC), having made the necessary preparations in the first quarter.
"In PoC Phase 1, the Bank plans to develop a test environment for the CBDC system and conduct experiments on the basic functions that are core to CBDC as a payment instrument such as issuance, distribution, and redemption," the BOJ said in an announcement on Monday.
The blockchain PoC, or proof of concept, is a demonstration of the real-world feasibility of the project idea.
BOJ's Phase 1 will run through March of next year, following which the central bank will make a detailed assessment of the CBDC's various functions, including the maximum amount of the currency a single entity can hold, as per Reuters.
Interest in CBDCs and contactless payments has grown in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and its requirement to avoid physical contact.
A survey conducted by the Bank for International Settlements this year showed 86% of central banks are actively researching the potential for CBDCs, 60% are experimenting with the technology, and 14% are deploying pilot projects.
CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.


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China is to fine motor manufacturer Audi 248.6m yuan (CNY) or US$40.5m and Chrysler CNY31.7m (US$5.2m), in its latest anti-monopoly crackdown on the car industry that has triggered complaints of foreign businesses being treated unfairly.
The country’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) also fined eight distributors a total of CNY30m. According to the Cabinet agency that oversees anti-monopoly enforcement Audi, the luxury cars division of Germany’s Volkswagen AG, improperly enforced minimum prices that dealers were required to charge for vehicles and service.
Chrysler, part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, was fined for enforcing minimum prices for vehicles sold by dealers in Shanghai, according to the city’s price bureau. It said three dealerships were fined a total of CNY2.1m for agreeing to fix minimum prices for service, paint jobs and repairs. While setting minimum retail prices is standard practice in some countries, Chinese regulators reportedly regard it as a violation of free market principles.
Three weeks ago the NDRC announced fines totaling CNY1.235bn imposed on
12 Japanese motor parts suppliers
for colluding to raise prices. A government statement said they were found to have colluded, some for as long as 10 years, to set minimum prices.
China’s regulators have launched investigations into the pricing and business practices of motor manufacturers, technology suppliers and other companies in an apparent effort to force down prices. Business groups complain that the secretive and abrupt way the investigations are conducted is alienating foreign companies and this week the US Chamber of Commerce suggested that Beijing might be violating its free-trade commitments.
However, regulators have responded by denying that foreign companies are treated unfairly. In a report they defended the investigations and said that foreign companies account for only 33 of 335 cases launched under China’s 2008 anti-monopoly law.
“All types of market players are treated equally in anti-monopoly enforcement,” said the report by the NDRC and the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC).
The watchdogs maintained that enforcement is open and transparent, despite complaints that companies sometimes are blocked from seeing evidence against them or from bringing lawyers to meetings with regulators and are threatened with more severe penalties if they challenge accusations.
Despite the data protection regulation being implemented in 2018, 69% of IT decision makers don’t have the backing of their board to achieve GDPR compliance, according to Calligo.
The US dollar and debt yields falling on the North Korea missile test, treasury being a top target for cyber criminals and why treasurers aren't into real-time payments all hit the latest headlines in the world of treasury this week. Don't miss our ten top news stories from around the world.
Treasurers are being expected to do more work with fewer resources than ever before, so it is little wonder that the automation of day-to-day operations was highly discussed on the second day of EuroFinance, the annual treasury event held in Barcelona this week.
Chicago based Treasury Management System (TMS) vendor GTreasury and Sydney based risk and treasury management vendor Visual Risk have joined forces in a strategic alliance to ... read more


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Stream the artist’s new song, “B THERE FOR ME,” co-written and co-produced by Heavy Duty’s Lecx Stacy. Victor Internet’s new record, BLUE 2000, is out now.
Singer-songwriter and Heavy Duty signee Luke Wild has once again teamed up with Deb Never. “PIE” is the two artists’ first official release together.
Watch the video for the single here.
Night Teeth is slated for release October 22, only on Netflix.
Watch the trailer here.
The Heavy Duty Trailers team’s remix of The Seshen’s “This Bitter Earth” has been featured in the global trailer campaign for Apple TV+’s new series, Invasion. Series premieres 10.22.21 only on Apple TV+.
Kumo 99, a Japanese-American duo consisting of Ami Komai and Heavy Duty’s Nate Donmoyer, recently had their song “200” featured in Apple Japan’s new campaign. The campaign is entitled, “Apple Watch — Come on, for the Active” and it debuted on June 1st.


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It’s hard to believe that, as recently as five years ago, EVs were considered a niche technology. Stereotypes pegged owners as either high-tech Tesla fans or tree-hugging environmentalists, both of which had to accept trade-offs in terms of either cost or range to buy with their conscience. At that point, the adoption timeline was murky, at best.
Fast forward to 2022, and the EV landscape has changed wildly.
The market for new and used electric vehicles is limited by supply, not demand, and even cars that are no longer eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit are sold out and marked up. Used EVs are continuing to appreciate in value month over month, and there are years-long waitlists for electric trucks.
Now that a new round of EV tax credits in the U.S. has been signed into law, what will the next five years look like?
Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global consulting firm with a robust automotive practice. Almost every year since 2018, BCG has released a thoroughly-designed market projection for EV adoption. In the few years since the first projection was released, the numbers have continually been revised to increase the rate of adoption.
Recurrent published this chart on U.S.-specific market projections in BCG’s global EV projections. It shows that over the course of four years – from 2018 to 2022 – U.S. EV sales projections for 2030 more than doubled, growing from an estimated 21% to 53%.
Feel free to take a moment to let that sink in. It’s a staggering acceleration timeline from one of the world’s top analysts. Perhaps even more exciting, the latest report was released in June, ahead of the Inflation Reduction Act and recent state commitments to emission-free vehicles.
How might the updated EV tax credits affect adoption by 2030?
With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, not only can we anticipate a rise in new EV purchases as sales caps are lifted for Tesla and GM, but there will be growing interest in the used EV market. Although only 17% of used EVs are listed at prices that make them eligible for the tax credit, taking $4,000 off a $20,000 car is a 25% discount, and may suddenly make EV ownership seem more achievable. The new regulation may also exert downward pressure on used EV prices that hover around the $25,000 mark and new EVs around $55,000.
There is an auto industry concern that, in the short term, the Inflation Reduction Act might harm EV sales by slashing eligibility. As of its signing on August 16, 70% of formerly eligible EV models became ineligible because they are not assembled in the U.S. Legacy automakers worry about more models losing eligibility with the still-in-progress “critical minerals and battery sourcing” requirements that go into effect on January 1, 2023.
Of course, the ultimate goal of all these requirements is to onshore the production and manufacturing of EVs and their parts. Automakers who have already pivoted to North American operations – such as Volkswagen, Tesla, Ford and GM – will be rewarded. And it will take a lot of momentum to slow down interest in EVs: Tesla has been ineligible for the federal tax credit since 2019, but their Model Y is rapidly becoming the world’s best-selling car.
Another very recent change that might drastically alter the near-term adoption rate is California’s plan to ban the sale of gas vehicles by 2035. California has the most cars of any state – about 10% of them – so this would be a huge driver of nationwide adoption. Plus, as goes California, so goes the 14 other states that follow the emissions guidance of the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The potential is for one-third of the nation’s vehicles to be emissions-free by 2035.
What do you think BCG’s 2030 projections will look like when they are updated? I’ll give you one guess.


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According to the data found in a new report, “The Buying Power of Black America,” now may be the most opportune time ever for businesses to develop a strategy for increasing their share of the Black American market. With the nation slowly recovering from recession, Black consumers represent the margin of profitability in most consumer product categories.
“What the recession did to Black America’s buying habits is to give them a reason to re-evaluate how they spent the billions of dollars they earned collectively,” said Ken Smikle, president of Target Market News and editor of the report. “Before tight economic times, companies felt they could afford to take their loyalty—especially to top brands—for granted. That changed during the downturn. Price was a bigger factor driving purchasing decisions. Now brands have to earn the loyalty of Black consumers all over again. Black consumers are asking brands, ‘what have you done for me lately.’”
For the past 17 years, Target Market News has published the only report that breaks down in dollars the impact of the Black Consumer Market. Now approaching a trillion dollars in spending, the earned income of Black America is already the 16th-largest market in the world, and is on the verge of surpassing the gross national income of Mexico.
Read the rest at the Louisiana Weekly
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During a press conference about Viva Technology Paris, the top international meeting place dedicated to open innovation and the growth of startups, Maurice Lévy, Chairman & CEO of Publicis Groupe and Francis Morel, CEO of Groupe Les Echos presented details about the first two B2B-focused days, June 30th and July 1st, and revealed a preview of the program of Saturday July 2nd, open to the public.
This endeavor was deemed a long-shot at the beginning, but we are well on our way to succeeding. France, Paris, will soon welcome the world’s leading event dedicated to open innovation between startups and large companies. The figures speak for themselves – more than 5,000 startups, over 100 VCs and innovative companies. The most important, from my perspective, is that his event is taking place in Paris, bringing together the most important industry leaders and leading innovations. I am sure that the third day, open to the public, an innovation in and of itself, will allow for an even a wider audience of inquisitive minds, students, families, to take part in a wondrous experience
Chairman & CEO of Publicis Groupe
We have built a unique editorial programme, with 300 inspiring sessions, interviews and keynotes by the world’s most high-profile tech leaders. How does innovation disrupt society as a whole? What are the emerging trends? Those are just a couple of the topics we will be exploring at Viva Technology
CEO of Groupe Les Echos
Two B2B days to Discover the Top of Tech Coming from all around the world, opinion leaders will reveal their visions of the digital world. Will be attending: Jay Carney (Amazon), Joe Schoendorf (Accel Partner), Jim Ginopulos (21st Century Fox), Bob Pittman (iHeartmedia), Xavier Hürstel (PMU International), Rosabeth Moss Kanter (Harvard Business School), Isabelle Kocher (Engie), Jacques Aschenbroich (Valeo), Tim Amstrong (AOL), David Kenny (IBM), Demis Hassabis (Google DeepMind), Zack Weisfeld (Microsoft Ventures Europe), Adam Singolda (Taboola), Chemi Peres (Pitango Venture Capital), Yossi Vardi, Eric Schmidt (Alphabet), John Chambers (Cisco), Jim Wales (The Wikimedia Foundation), David Marcus (Facebook), Yuanqing Yang (Lenovo), Sandra Rey (Glowee), Robin Li (Baidu), SY Lau (Tencent), and the rising Centaurs and Unicorns such as BlaBlaCar, Airbnb, Houzz, WorldRemit, Criteo, etc.
Viva Technology’s Open Day is the moment where an international event opens its doors to the public. Students, future entrepreneurs, young talents and families will be able to attend three conference cycles, and meet with major business and political players; participate in the Talent Connect job board, created with ManpowerGroup, to boost their careers or find a job; to learn coding with the Mairie de Paris (City Hall), and enjoy dozens of attractions that will take place all day long on July 2nd.
Viva Technology Paris is an international event organized by Publicis Groupe and Groupe les Echos, dedicated to the growth of startups, and digital transformation and innovation. From 30th June until 2nd July 2016, in Hall 1 of Porte de Versailles, Viva Technology Paris will bring together more than 30 000 visitors, including tens of thousands entrepreneurs, talents, investors and academics.


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Vivo V7 Release Date, Vivo V7 Specifications, features & Vivo V7 Price in India. Vivo 7 will sport a special focus on Vivo V7 camera.
Checkout the Vivo Mobiles, Smartphones, Latest Vivo Smartphone, Vivo 2017, Vivo Mobile Price List, Vivo Selfie Phones.
Vivo Mobile Phones
- Vivo V Smartphone Series
- Vivo X Smartphones series
- Vivo Y Series smartphones
Unlike Oppo, Vivo Mobiles not only manufacturers Selfie phones but also has affordable smartphones in tow. After launching Vivo V5, a perfect selfie phone with 20 megapixel front camera with Sony IMX376 image sensor, now unveils Y25, a budget 4G smartphone in Malaysia. It’s the latest addition by Vivo to “Y Series” of smartphones and gets […]
Upcoming flagship Vivo X7 phone has hit the back fence talks. Track Vivo X7 Specs, Release Date, Photos, Leaks and all details as it happens.
Vivo Mobiles is all set to launch Vivo X7 and Vivo X7 Plus on June 30, 2016. Check Vivo X7 & Vivo X7 Plus Specs, Features, details.
Vivo has officially launched Vivo Y51L smartphone in India. With atleast half a dozen of smartphone launched today, it looks like Mobile World Congress 2016 has begun in India although we are set for official MWC at Barcelona on February 22 where Gionee will launch Elife S8 smartphone. Powered with 5 inch qHD display, the […]


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Hyundai posted a total of 53,159 unit sales in February 2022 as against 61,800 units during the same period in 2021 with YoY decline of 14 per cent
Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has released a statement revealing the sales data for the month of February 2022. The second-largest carmaker in the country posted a cumulative domestic tally of 53,159 unit sales last month as against 61,800 units during the same period in 2021 with YoY negative volume growth of 14 per cent.
In the domestic scene, the South Korean auto major’s sales were down by 14.6 per cent as 44,050 units were registered against 51,600 units during the corresponding period twelve months ago. On the export side, Hyundai shipped 9,109 units in the month of February 2022 as against 10,200 units during the same period twelve months ago with a YoY volume drop of 10.7 per cent.
Just like other car producers, Hyundai is facing headwinds due to the semiconductor shortage situation and it noted that the brand is working along with its partners to explore alternatives to handle the situation better and presumably reduce the waiting period. In addition, the company will more likely bring in new products along the course of this year to strengthen its portfolio.
Hyundai is expected to launch the facelifted version of the Venue compact SUV in the coming months in India. It could be followed by the heavily updated version of the Creta midsize SUV which is already on sale in Indonesia. The upcoming Venue and Creta will stick by the brand’s latest Sensuous Sportiness design philosophy taking plenty of inspiration from the global Tucson.
The Creta will continue to be powered by the 1.5-litre petrol, 1.5-litre diesel and 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engines while retaining their respective gearbox choices. However, the interior could gain a host of new features including ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) in response to the growing competition in the segment.
The Tucson is also expected to get a major makeover this year as the new generation could arrive while the electric vehicle portfolio could be consolidated with the launch of the facelifted Kona Electric and the all-new Ioniq 5. The retro-themed Ioniq 5 is the first Hyundai model to sit on the dedicated E-GMP architecture and it could be brought into the country via CBU route.


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Indian companies lay off expat executives
K Sudarshan, Managing Director, executive search firm EMA Partners' India unit said, "Many of the expatriate executives, who have been asked to leave, are subject experts. Their value diminishes in a downturn as companies are no more expanding, and thus don't need people to guide in a new venture."
Since last few months, some companies have replaced their expat executives by Indian ones at the senior level. For instance, Aviva Life Insurance removed Bert Paterson and appointed former Citibank executive TR Ramachandran as the CEO for its Indian operation. Another Insurance firm Metlife replaced its CFO Nick Paket with an Indian hire. Aditya Birla Retail is reportedly hiring an Indian executive from a beverage company to head its supermarket chain, More, which was earlier led by Andrew Denby. Dabur Retail replaced its three expats, including CEO Peter Baker with Indians.
Expats were in big demand during the boom period of 2003-07, as Indian companies expanded rapidly and diversified into new sectors.
Most of these expatriates drew high salaries as compared to their Indian counterparts. "At least in one case, an expat CEO who was heading a sunrise foray of an Indian company was getting paid Rs 4 crore per annum, twice the amount that was being paid to his Indian counterparts," said an executive search professional, who requested not to be named.
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TikTok continues to grow around the world, but the business model is still being defined.
It’s true that there are ads, but not many. Publishing them is expensive, and the public is very young, with little purchasing power.
Now TikTok reports that it is looking for partners to launch its live shopping offering in the United States, something similar to what other social networks, such as Instagram, are already doing.
We read this in the Financial Times, where they indicate that TikTok is in talks with California-based TalkShopLive, which aims to offer the live shopping function that many have come to expect. For example, if someone posts a video wearing a costume, followers can buy that outfit.
The goal is for manufacturers and brands to be able to sell products via video. 10% of the paid money will go to TalkShopLive, however it is expected that during the first phase, TikTok will take care of all the commission so that the consumer can get a better price.
There is no signed agreement at the moment, but the way for Tiktok is clear. Last year it partnered with Shopify to allow business accounts to integrate their catalogs into a dedicated tab, and began testing a dedicated store feed with products sold by merchants.
This function was only tested in the United Kingdom a few months ago, and it is already working in Asia. Now the proposed targets are more concentrated in the United States and Germany.
While Instagram has admitted that its e-commerce system hasn’t been as successful as expected, TikTok has started betting heavily on the issue. I’m of the opinion that we’re talking about a very young public that can’t afford to buy clothes advertised by models on stage, but this wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been wrong.


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Nestlé acquires Guatemalan food company Malher
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Nestlé, the world’s largest food company, agreed to buy a majority stake in Guatemalan food and powdered-beverage maker Malher, the second acquisition the KitKat maker has announced in two weeks.
Malher has 1,300 employees and two factories, which will add to Nestlé’s 3,500 workers and six factories in central America. Nestlé didn’t disclose a price or Malher’s annual sales.
Miguel Angel Maldonado Arriola founded Malher in 1957, selling consommés. Malher now sells spices, canned beans, Yus powdered fruit drinks, and Fruty Dulce sweets.
Original source: Bloomberg


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FDA considers expanded use of HPV vaccine
Pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck & Co. Inc. said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will consider expanding the use of its cervical cancer vaccine.
Merck said the FDA has agreed to conduct a priority review of Merck's application to expand the current approved usage of Gardasil -- a vaccine used to prevent infection by the human papillomavirus, or HPV -- from children and women ages 9-26 to women ages 27 through 45.
The pharmaceutical company said Gardasil is used to prevent cervical cancer, precancerous or dysplastic lesions and genital warts caused by HPV.
Gardasil, sold in some countries as Silgard, has been approved in 100 nations, including the United States, the European Union, Mexico, Australia, Taiwan, Canada, New Zealand and Brazil, Merck said.
Copyright 2008 by United Press International


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A new tax credit will benefit Virginia’s farmers and the food banks to which they donate.
The Food Crops Donation Tax Credit was approved by the General Assembly last year. It allows Virginia farmers who donate edible food crops to a nonprofit food bank to receive up to a 30 percent tax credit for their donation.
“This is a way for farmers and food banks to support one another and allow food bank patrons to access local foods,” noted Tony Banks, a Virginia Farm Bureau Federation commodity marketing specialist.
“Sourcing food on the local level helps Virginia’s agriculture industry,” explained Leslie Van Horn, executive director of the Federation of Virginia Food Banks, which represents seven food banks and over 2,000 nonprofit food pantries and feeding programs. “It reduces food waste and provides an incentive to growers to donate produce. But, most importantly, it gives food-insecure individuals across the commonwealth access to food they need to thrive and prosper.”
In 2016 FVFB members served almost 1.2 million Virginians and provided more than 139 million pounds of food and other grocery items. Almost 40 million pounds of that was fresh produce, a 52 percent increase since 2010, according to Van Horn.
The organization has made a concerted effort to increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables available at member food banks and pantries. They have formed a statewide produce collaboration plan and are focusing on purchasing apples, cabbage and white potatoes.
Van Horn is hopeful the tax credit will help fill the food bank’s need for additional fresh produce while helping farmers get rid of seconds or thirds they can’t sell to retailers.
The credit took effect Jan. 1, 2016, and will last through 2021. Approved growers are entitled to a tax credit of up to 30 percent of the fair market value of a donation, not to exceed $5,000. It originated with legislation introduced by Del. Benjamin Cline, R-Amherst, and Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath.
For the 2017 tax year, growers wishing to participate can submit a Virginia Department of Taxation Food Crop Donation Tax Credit application by Feb. 1, 2018. The form FCD-1 is available on the department’s website: tax.virginia.gov.


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Midwest City developers plan to open 58 Taco Del Bar restaurants in Oklahoma
Wednesday, February 1st 2006, 10:20 am
By: News On 6
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A Midwest City couple is planning to open a chain of ``healthy concept'' fast-food Mexican restaurants across Oklahoma and in Texas.
Raymond and Meri Walker say they'll open 58 Taco Del Bar restaurants with 16 in Oklahoma City and 13 in Tulsa. Another three will be in both Norman and Lawton and two each in Midwest City, Broken Arrow and Edmond.
Yukon, Bethany, Altus, Duncan, Moore, Ponca City, Shawnee, Ardmore, Bartlesville, Muskogee and Stillwater will each have one. Others will be in the Wichita Falls and Sherman areas in Texas.
Meri Walker says the restaurants are like Subway shops and have a healthy concept with no fryers used.
Taco Del Mar is based in Seattle and has 193 restaurants in the US and Canada.


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The Pending Home Sales Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) rose in October on both a month-to-month and year-over-year basis.
The forward-looking indicator based on contract signings jumped 10.4% to an index of 93.3 in October, compared with a reading of 84.5 in September. The latest figure is up 9.2% compared with October 2010.
"Home sales have been plodding along at a subpar level, while interest rates are hovering at record lows and there is a pent-up demand from buyers who normally would have entered the market in recent years," said Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. "We hope this indicates more buyers are taking advantage of the excellent affordability conditions."
Earlier this week, Consumer Confidence showed a similar, double-digit surge -- increasing to 56.0 in November, compared with 40.9 in October.


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New movie to get UK nationwide theatrical release with National Amusements.
Mattel’s latest Thomas & Friends movie will receive a UK nationwide theatrical release in partnership with National Amusements.
Thomas & Friends: Big World, Big Adventures will run in over 400 cinemas from July 20.
In addition, Channel 5’s Milkshake block has signed up the new series of the same name to air from September.
The series has undergone a major refresh, opening up the world of Thomas & Friends to the next generation of children.
The changes will first be seen in the tentpole feature-length film, where Thomas will travel across five continents and discover new cultures, sights and friends.
Following the movie, series 22 will have a more contemporary feel, increasing global appeal for preschool viewers. The all-new format series will feature faster paced action, increased humour and music, plus new international friends, animals and fantasy elements.
Sanjay Luthra, md of Mattel Europe, said: “We are delighted to announce the theatrical launch and Milkshake signing of Thomas & Friends: Big World Big Adventures.
“2018 is going to be an incredibly exciting year for the brand as we see a huge transformation to the content which offers many opportunities for the franchise, taking Thomas & Friends from an evergreen to a must-have property.”
The UK deals follow the recent signing for the refreshed new show of broadcaster’s ABC TV (Australia), Televisa (Mexico), TV Cultura (Brazil), Super RTL (Germany) and Nick Jr (US).


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Google VP of Location and Local Services Marissa Mayer has resigned as one of the search giant’s top execs to be the next CEO of Yahoo, making her one of the most eminent women corporate America and IT center Silicon Valley has ever seen.
Yahoo, the one-time leader in web search, chose Mayer, 37, from a shortlist of prominent candidates in an effort to bring life to its struggling business. Mayer had become one of the faces of Google during its press conferences and keynotes, and accounted for the look and feel of the company’s most successful products and services. In spite of her highly adorned background, she will face up a rather daunting challenge.
An Internet company known to have pioneered the online search industry in the 1990s, Yahoo is now attempting to stay relevant after lagging behind its main rivals at a time of rapidly changing innovations, such as advanced web search technology and social media tools, fields that Google and Facebook has taken full advantage of with great success.
Once seated, Mayer will be the fifth chief executive officer of Yahoo – two of which interim – to helm the company in less than one year.
Will Mayer, or anyone Yahoo’s board chooses to steer the company, be enough to help recover its former glory?
Yahoo’s board members, including the three newest directors led by hedge fund manager Dan Loeb, who joined in May, believes so, as they pushed the Sunnyvale, Calif., company to find a product expert who could make Yahoo more relevant to today’s Internet users.
“Yahoo is a company with an amazing following, terrific brand and huge amount of potential,” Mayer said in an interview.
Yahoo chairman Fred Amoroso cited Ms. Mayer’s “unparalleled track record in technology, design, and product execution” and said those make her “the right leader for Yahoo.”
WPP CEO Martin Sorrell is somewhat optimistic, saying, “It’s a very interesting departure and a very interesting choice. She comes with a formidable reputation, but we’ll see how she analyzes it all.”
For 13 years, Mayer lived mostly under the shadow of anyone Google places in front of her, even under unfavorable circumstances. Yahoo’s appointment will be an opportunity to prove how ready she is for the bigger stage.
Marissa Mayer, employee no. 20 and the first female engineer at Google, has degrees in symbolic systems and computer science, both of which specializing in artificial intelligence. She ushered in the popular, unadorned white search Google homepage and the method users interacted with Gmail, Google News and Google Images.


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Marquette, MI – November 29, 2021 – Christmas time is a special time of year, and mediaBrew wants to make it a good one for the men and women of D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans. Bring holiday cheer to the people who dedicated their lives to protecting our country by donating gifts this Christmas.
You can find donation boxes at mediaBrew Communications, Super One Foods of Marquette, and Super One Foods of Negaunee. A list of items requested by the residents at the D.J. Jacobetti Home for Veterans can be found here.
The deadline for donations is December 20th.


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Ofwat has confirmed the appointment by its Board of PwC as its delivery partner for its 2014 price review.
PwC will provide advice, analysis and assurance through the price control process. The appointment follows the regulator’s changes to the way it sets prices to create a more efficient, dynamic and customer focused sector. Independent analysis shows that these changes could generate more than £2 billion of benefits by setting separate retail controls and encouraging more water trading alone.
Sonia Brown, Ofwat’s Chief Regulation Officer, said:
“Changing how we regulate water companies is going to be good news for customers, the environment and the economy. We are already seeing a change in the culture of the sector and we want companies to take ownership of their business plans and engage more effectively with their customers.
“The support of PwC will help ensure we are able to get the best deal possible for customers and the environment over the next five year period.”
David Lancefield, Head of Economics and Policy at PwC, said:
“We recognise the vital importance of the water industry for UK consumers, business and the environment. We are delighted to have been chosen to help Ofwat conduct a pricing review that supports its clear goals to create a more efficient, effective and environmentally friendly sector.”
Ofwat’s Board appointed PwC following a competitive process. The contract runs from now until the end of 2014. As part of the contract, PwC will be working with its partners CEPA and Jacobs.
Ofwat is due to carry out its risk based review of each company’s business plan from December to March in 2014. Ofwat will set final limits on the prices companies can charge by January 2015.
Notes to editors
- The Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) is the economic regulator of water and sewerage companies in England and Wales. It exercises its powers in a way that it judges will protect the interests of consumers, promote value and safeguard future water and sewerage services by allowing efficient companies to carry out their functions properly, and finance them.
- Ofwat published its final methodology for the 2015 – 20 price review in July 2013.
- The contract is due to finish when Ofwat sets final price limits. Ofwat is due to set final limits on how much companies can charge by January 2015. The fees to PwC consortium are capped at £6.45m.
- Media enquiries to Ofwat Press Office on:
Benedict Fisher 0121 644 7642 / [email protected]
Harbinder Babra 0121 644 7616 / [email protected]


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Most reporting on the local housing markets focuses on prices and sales in the Washington metro region, such as the Maryland suburbs, but zooming out and looking at statewide data for Maryland shows a wide spread in home prices.
Maryland Realtors’ monthly report on statewide residential real estate transactions breaks out sales and prices by county.
Allegany County — including Cumberland, Maryland — had the lowest average price in April, at $127,511. That is also 8.5% lower than the average selling price a year ago.
There are currently 117 homes for sale in Allegany County.
Based on average selling price, Montgomery County is not the most expensive in Maryland. In April, the average in Talbot County, on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, was $941,004. There are currently 90 homes for sale in Talbot County, which includes Easton.
Average price versus median price is also relative to monthly sales. The median price in Talbot County was $410,000, indicating a handful of very expensive sales that skewed average price. (See the chart below for comparisons.)
Statewide, the average price of a home that sold in Maryland in April was $464,620, up 8.1% from a year earlier. The median price was $390,000, up 8.3%.
The overall number of sales that closed in April — 7,933 sales — was down 13.9% from a year earlier. Active inventory at the end of the month — the number of homes for sale — was 7,033. That’s down from more than 10,000 in April 2021.
“While the lack of inventory, lower sales and higher prices have shaped this market, the next thing to look out for is rising interest rates,” said Craig Wolf, president of Maryland Realtors.
Below is a comprehensive breakdown of residential sales activity by county in Maryland, courtesy of Maryland Realtors.
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A report by PTI says that Nepal’s drugs watchdog has asked Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurveda to recall several Ayurvedic medicines. Ramdev’s Patanjali has risen like no other company after the formation of NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Yoga guru has been a huge supporter of Modi and the saffron camp and campaigned for the saffron party in major elections recently.
Reports suggest that Nepal’s medical watchdog has asked Patanjali to recall six drugs from Nepali market claiming that these were found to be of “substandard quality” following microbial tests.
Patanjali has manufacturing units in Nepal under the trademark Nepal Gramudhyog and imports majority of herbs in India from Himalayas of Nepal. According to CLSA and HSBC, Patanjali is the fastest growing FMCG company in India. It is valued at ₹30 billion (US$470 million) and some predict revenues of ₹5,000 crore (US$780 million) for the fiscal 2015–16. Ramdev baba has stated in his interview with CNN-News18 that profit from Patanjali Products goes to charity. Baba Ramdev established the Patanjali Ayurved Limited in 2006 along with Acharya Balkrishna with the objective of establishing science of Ayurveda in accordance and coordination with the latest technology and ancient wisdom.
Future Group which has tied up with Patanjali sells about ₹30 crore (US$4.7 million) worth of Patanjali products every month. Patanjali Food and Herbal Park at Haridwar is the main production facility operated by Patanjali Ayurved. The company has a production capacity of ₹350 billion (US$5.4 billion) and is in the process of expanding to a capacity of ₹600 billion (US$9.3 billion) through its new production units at several places, including Noida, Nagpur, and Indore. The company plans to establish further units in India and in Nepal.
A PTI report said that Nepal’s Department of Drug Administration, in a public notice, said six Ayurvedic medical products made by Divya Pharmacy in Uttarakhand, were found to be substandard during inspections at various outlets and tests on specimens. The medicines which failed the microbial tests are Patanjali’s Amla Churna, Divya Gashar Churna, Bahuchi Churna, Triphala Churna, Aswangandha and Adviya Churna, the notice said.
The batch of medicine which was inspected by the department are found to have contained pathogenic bacteria,” an official of the Department told PTI. The Nepalese drug authorities have urged the stakeholders not to sell or prescribe the use of these six medicines with immediate effect. A source at Patanjali Ayurveda Kendra in Kathmandu, the sole distributor of the products in Nepal, said the medicines have not been banned but restriction was imposed on the sale and use of certain batch of the medicines that failed lab test. The company officials have said that they will promptly recall products if asked to do so.


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Marketers love to romantise their craft. But the truth is that you can build high-converting websites, rank higher, automate your onboarding, acquire more leads, build links, grow your email list and retain customers in record time thanks to marketing software. This field has exploded in recent years and Surges aims to help EU businesses to navigate the many options out there.
Articles about Surges:
- August 30, 2022 Berlin-based GreenTrade scores fresh funding to build nature-based carbon credits and impact claims marketplace
- August 23, 2022 Stockholm-based Worldfavor secures €10.2 million for its platform empowering business sustainability
- June 4, 2021 Weekly VC Overview: All 105 European startup funding rounds we tracked this week (May 31 – June 4)
- May 31, 2021 Swedish heathtech startup Doktor.se boosted by funding of €50 million as telemedicine demand surges
- April 28, 2021 “Demand for more authentic online experiences will continue to grow”: Interview with Yubo’s co-founder & CEO, Sacha Lazimi
- December 16, 2020 “I ask myself, am I empowering people to make decisions effectively?”: Interview with Rika Christanto, co-founder and COO of Ontruck
- February 24, 2020 Estonian taxi app Bolt integrates with Google Maps to appear in the ‘Journey Planner’
- August 20, 2019 Why and How to Build a Startup – Chapter 6: Future!
- July 18, 2019 The startup grind: why starting a business is stressful and can even be depressing
- November 21, 2017 London-based Zeelo raises €1.35 million in funding to expand with its on-demand transport platform
- October 9, 2017 5 Berlin-based blockchain startups to watch in 2017 and beyond
- December 9, 2014 Mesosphere Raises $36 Million to Accelerate the Roll Out of World’s First Datacenter Operating System


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Tokyo Steel Manufacturing Co Ltd. will raise prices in August to 4.7% on some of its steel products to reflect a challenging market environment, Japan’s leading electric arc furnace steelmaker said Tuesday.
The company has raised prices for heavy plate by 4.9% this month, but left other prices unchanged to keep the market strong last month.
“Overseas steel markets have been good, especially in the United States and Europe, and prices are expected to remain stable on the back of strong demand and higher raw material prices,” the company said in a statement.
In August, prices for six products, including the main H-beams, will be increased by ¥ 3,000 (US $ 27) per tonne, or 2.6-3.6%, while thick plate prices will be increased by ¥ 5,000. ton, or 4.7%.
Prices for H-beams will rise to 106,000 yen ($ 960) per tonne from 103,000 yen, while prices for steel rods, including rebar, will rise to 86,000 yen per tonne from 83,000 yen.
The domestic market is also becoming more tense with a series of renovation projects around the capital Tokyo, as well as plans to build new logistics facilities, he added.
Tokyo Steel’s prices are closely watched by Asian competitors such as South Korean POSCO 005490.KS and Hyundai Steel 004020.KS, as well as China’s Baoshan Iron & Steel Co Ltd (Baosteel) 600019.SS.


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A bipartisan group of senators introduced the bill on Wednesday
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill on Wednesday that will make it easier For people to cancel the online subscription after the free trial period is over. Sense. Brian Schatz (D-HI), John Thune (R-SD), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and John Kennedy (R-LA) say unsubscribing requires companies to be more transparent about their membership. will need to be.
“Subscription-based business models are exploding, and this is largely due to the deceptive practices that some companies use to lure and entice customers,” Schatz said in a statement. “When people sign up for a free trial, they don’t have to jump through hoops to cancel their subscription before they’re charged.”
The bill is known as “negative option billing,” where a customer signs up for a free trial and the company automatically switches to a full-price subscription when the trial ends. Customers are often not notified that the free trial period is ending until the company charges them. Other companies allow potential customers to sign up for service online, but then require them to call the customer service phone line to cancel. And as someone who wants to support my fellow news sites and newsletters, it’s a good idea to not simply let me sign up online for $1.99 but force me to call a customer service line. When you can charge me for one year subscription in advance. Didn’t want to (maybe I did, but I’d rather opt in).
The unsubscribe act would require sellers to allow customers to unsubscribe in the same way they signed up, requiring sellers to provide notice when a free or reduced-price trial is underway. expires, and provides customers with a clear understanding of the terms. of contract. And sellers won’t be able to automatically transfer a free trial customer to a contract longer than one month.
California has a The law is in force since 2018 For which companies have to allow customers to cancel online subscriptions.
According to a news release, a collaborative law to abolish membership is being introduced in the House.


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Train robberies are something people would expect to see in an old Western movie, but modern day train heists happen every single day.
"It's a big issue," said Ron Greene of Freight Watch International. "Nobody really knows how big of a problem it is, but it's in the hundreds of millions of dollars range," said Greene.
Greene said to forget the box of gold. Today's bandits strike it rich by targeting cargo trains.
"Trains sit idle for long periods of time without any security around them and thieves open up the containers and throw out the cargo to be picked up later," said Greene.
Industry experts say California is a hotspot for train thieves. So is New Jersey, Chicago, Florida, New Mexico and Arizona.
"Arizona is a place where the trains stop, where they switch cars, they move them around and it's just a natural area that's easy to target," said Greene.
Most of the large rail companies have their own police force that quietly handles train heists. This keeps negative publicity to a minimum but also creates a shroud of secrecy around the problem.
CBS 5 Investigates penetrated this clandestine world and found a band of thieves using a secret language and dangerous moves to pull off a highly organized train heist in the desert outside of Los Angeles.
Federal court records show the bandits spend days scouting the train yards. Once on board they hide under the axels of the railcar, and will ride the rail for hundreds of miles until it's safe to unload the merchandise.
"Companies who ship or manufacture high value products such as electronics, computers, high-end retail items have a big issue with cargo theft and they have to mitigate the risk," said Greene.
The way that's done is by marking up the cost consumers pay in the stores.
So while train heists have been happening for more than 150 years, today's modern bandits are picking your pocket - even if you don't ride the rails.
Copyright 2013 CBS 5 (KPHO Broadcasting Corporation). All rights reserved.


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Radisson Hotel Group has signed seven new hotels in tier one locations across Italy. The deal forms part of an ambitious expansion plan for the company.
Set to open this year, the new properties include two premium lifestyle Radisson Collection hotels in Milan and Venice, the debut of Radisson Hotel Group’s latest brand, Radisson Individuals with two properties in Piedmont and Sicily, two new Radisson hotels in Ferrara and Nola, as well as Radisson Blu’s latest hotel in Florence. Chema Basterrechea, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Radisson Hotel
Group, said: “I am very proud to continue building our reputation in this key market. “We have grown exponentially from three to close to 20 hotels in just a few years.
“We are extremely grateful to our local partners and see these openings as a positive signal for the recovery of the hotel industry in Italy.”
Stunning Radisson Collection hotels in Venice and Milan open their doors this summer, in time for the reopening of international travel as announced recently by the Italian government.


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Jan 28th, 2013
A more varied trade portfolio: It's what's for dinner – in China.
Dec 7th, 2012
Following the Conservative government's approval of a $15 billion sale of Calgary-based Nexen Inc. by a state-owned Chinese enterprise, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced today that "Canada is...
Oct 19th, 2012
Some analysts say a little bit of economic imperialism isn't all that bad.


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Back to the future.
After a whole console generation of waiting, Mass Effect Legendary Edition is finally here — a fully remastered and party reworked collection of all three games in BioWare’s original sci-fi trilogy. What a time to be alive!
Many an existing Mass Effect fan will no doubt have already had Legendary Edition pre-ordered, but we wonder whether this remastered package will pave the way for a new generation of Commander Shepard enthusiasts. After all, it’s quite easy to forget that the first Mass Effect is now 14 years old.
Read the full article on pushsquare.com


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Pink Boots Australia has a new president after founding member Tiffany Waldron was voted in at the organisation’s AGM last week, as membership opens up to all those in fermentation industries.
The Gold Coast’s Lost Palms Brewing Co. is the latest to join the ranks of multi-venue breweries like Range, Ballistic and BrewDog.
Former champion independent brewpub All Hands Brewing House is being transformed into a sports bar following a collaboration between The Sporting Globe and 4 Pines.
Modus Operandi is the latest to add a no-alcohol beer to its range in Nort, and we spoke to Jaz Wearin about setting up a brand within a brand and the growth of wellness in beer.
Container suppliers like O-I, Orora, Petainer and Konvoy are juggling logistics, carbon footprint and recyclability concerns as they look to create a more sustainable industry.
Settlement after $2 million suit from a former bartender who lost arm after a keg explosion highlights the need for brewers to understand their duty of care.
Gage Roads is opening the doors of its Atomic Beer Project venue in the Sydney suburb of Redfern this week as part of its ongoing venue strategy.
Complainants have accused Victoria Bitter of featuring an underage person and associating drinking with a high risk activity – rollerskating – in two reposts to its Instagram account.
The easing of rules allowing venues to repackage duty-paid kegged beer and cocktails for takeaway is being extended until next year according to the ATO.
Independent beer is on the up, especially during COVID-19 according to IRI, but big brewer-owned ‘craft’ brands are catching up fast.