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Bentley has said it is "on course" to become the world’s most sustainable luxury car brand.
The manufacturer said the latest data recorded at its Crewe headquarters shows an "impressive overall reduction" in environmental impact per vehicle when comparing 2021 data against 2020 figures.
It added that it achieved the fall even though it increased production volume by 38.3% in the same period.
Bentley said that the latest reduction contributes to an overall reduction of 76.7% per vehicle since 2010.
The amount of water used at the factory was cut by 26.6% in 2021, thanks mainly to major investment in water capture measures and installing water recycling systems.
It added that some of this decrease was also due to a reduction in 'domestic' water usage onsite, caused by a greater proportion of employees working from home during the pandemic.
However, a second water capture tank – with the capacity to provide a further 1,800-litres of rainwater per day - has just been installed on the roof of the new Excellence Centre for Vehicle Finish. The new tank will also be attached to the reverse osmosis water system in the paint shop and will directly serve toilet facilities in the new manufacturing finishing area.
The new data also shows a drop of 70.2% in CO2 emissions at the Pyms Lane site, where all Bentley models are built.
Bentley said the fall is largely due to its use of green gas and biofuels in onsite logistic vehicles.
The figures further improve on past CO2 cuts at the factory, thanks to the use of energy generated from the company’s extensive onsite solar PV system. In January, Bentley confirmed that the system, which currently consists of circa 31,500 panels will be extended further.
The company added that energy consumption per vehicle was down 17.2% because of "an ongoing focus on efficiency, the use of green gas and the impact of a more efficient boiler system".
Peter Bosch, member of the board for manufacturing, said: "The focus of our Beyond100 strategy is to ensure Bentley is a world leader in the delivery of sustainable luxury mobility.
"These latest encouraging figures show that the continuous focus of our manufacturing strategy on reducing waste, water and energy use are paying dividends by delivering impactful year on year change.
"Our site is already carbon neutral and the ethos behind our Dream Factory concept is to go-to-zero in terms of environmental impact.
"We are planning more solar panels and investment in VOCs mitigation will take place in 2022, to make Crewe the most sustainable site that it can possible be.
"Longer term, the £2.5bn investment we announced in January 2022 will help us further transform our facilities, combining our unique fusion of craftsmanship, customer interaction and colleague experience to build the platform for our first Bentley BEV."


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After a successful business separation last year, XPO Logistics (XPO 6.64%) is looking to the same playbook again. The company announced in March it was planning to separate the truck brokerage business from its core LTL operations, and new details emerged on the plans in its latest earnings report.
Management said it is confident that such a move can unlock value for shareholders once again, as the company still believes that the business is undervalued by the market due to its complexity and high leverage ratio. CEO Brad Jacobs made a similar observation ahead of the GXO spin-off of GXO Logistics (GXO 0.36%) in August 2021, which has been a clear success. At the time of the spin-off, XPO's market cap was roughly $10 billion. Today, XPO's and GXO's market caps, when combined, total $11.5 billion (a gain of 15%) while the S&P 500 is down 6% since then.
In preparation for the truck brokerage spin-off, XPO is streamlining its business. It sold off its intermodal segment, which helped reduce its leverage ratio, and the company also plans to divest its European business, leaving both XPO and the truck brokerage spin-off exposed to just North America. It also named Drew Wilkerson as CEO, the current president of XPO's North American Transportation.
Why the spin-off makes sense
Jacobs has long argued that XPO has been undervalued by the market due to a "conglomerate discount," trading at a lower valuation than its peers.
The GXO spin-off helped simplify the company, as does the intermodal sale, but truck brokerage and LTL aren't necessarily complementary businesses. One functions as an asset-light digital freight marketplace connecting shippers with truckers, while the other is a shipping network for small loads. The two also have different customer sets and different growth rates, as the company's first-quarter earnings report highlights.
The truck brokerage business is currently on fire, with revenue up 38% to $824 million in the first quarter. XPO also saw total downloads of its digital truck brokerage app, XPO Connect, jump 78% to more than 700,000, showing the company gaining scale in a massive, highly fragmented industry.
The company currently has just a 3% market share in truck brokerage, giving it a long runway for growth, especially in an industry that is still transitioning to a digital-first world. Adjusted EBITDA also increased 21% to $134 million in truck brokerage.
Less-than-truckload is facing more challenges -- operating margin declined as the company has struggled with a driver shortage and wage inflation. It's ramped up its in-house driver school to meet the demand for drivers, and the company is making progress at rebalancing its capacity and demand, adding new terminals in a number of regions, with plans to open 900 new doors by the end of the year. Growth in LTL was solid, with revenue up 16% to $1.13 billion, and EBITDA increasing 6% to $460 million.
The spin-off should help spotlight the truck brokerage business, the smaller of the two, while at the same time giving the LTL business direct pure-play peers like Old Dominion Freight Line and Saia that will market it easier for the market to value it appropriately. As Jacobs sees it, a stand-alone LTL business should earn a higher multiple than XPO currently does.
What 2022 holds for XPO Logistics
While fears of a recession have wracked cyclical stocks like XPO, the company beat estimates in its first-quarter earnings report, and also raised its guidance, evidence that it sees few headwinds at the moment from rising interest rates or the market volatility that has weighed on some sectors.
XPO hiked its full-year EPS guidance from $5.00-$5.45 to $5.20-$5.60, meaning that the stock trades at a P/E ratio of less than 10 based on those expectations. If the truck brokerage spin-off delivers similar results to GXO, now looks like a great time to buy XPO stock.

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So far, there has been several disturbing rumors that suggest a massive Pre supply shortage at launch. For example, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse stated that they don't intend to heavily advertise the new webOS device early on, due to expected shortages. Also, analysts estimate that Pre stock would max out at about 375,000 units (compared to 1 million iPhone 3G units at launch that sold in just 3 days).
Best Buy was also rumored to get only 4,250 Pre phones, or about 4 per store, and launch in 2 phases to handle the limited stock. RadioShack could even be worse off, with rumors of a dismal 2 per store Pre stock on average. The inventory will be "murderously small", an article at Palm Goon states.
However, while Sprint has not denied that supply may not meet demand, the rumors so far are speculative, an official statement concludes via Boy Genius.
At Sprint, we’re excited by the response to the Palm Pre, but what’s been posted is pure speculation. Because of the Pre’s popularity, it’s likely that initially we won’t be able to keep up with the demand for the device. If that happens, we will work diligently to ensure that everyone who wants a Pre can get one as soon as possible.
So while you still shouldn't wake up too late on June 6 to grab your Pre (Premier customers might be able to pick one up early), at least we know that Sprint is looking out for customers and making sure that everyone can get a Pre in good time. What kind of Pre shortages are you expecting, come launch day?


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Amazon has signed a deal to expand the selection of Apple products on its sites, which also means only Apple-authorized resellers will now be able to sell Apple and Beats products on the Amazon marketplace.
This also means the world’s largest e-commerce company will soon begin selling Apple’s latest devices, such as the new iPad Pro, iPhone XR, iPhone XS and Apple Watch Series 4, the company announced Nov. 9. What won’t be sold on the marketplace, however, is Apple’s Homepod, a direct competitor of the Amazon Echo. Google Home Speakers are also absent from the marketplace. Third-party listings will be removed starting January 4, 2019.
The Amazon-Apple deal applies to the U.S., U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, India and Japan. There is no word yet on the deal applying to Canada any time soon.
Amazon’s first foray into the smartphone market came in the form of the Amazon Fire Phone, and it not only flopped, but contributed to Amazon’s worst quarter in years, taking nearly a $170 million loss on the device.
According to reporting from CNET, the agreement will not impact Amazon’s Renewed program, which sells certified refurbished electronics. The agreement allows Amazon to sell more devices from a leading device maker, while Apple gets to sell more of its products worldwide.


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OUTTAKES: Aug 3
Philanthropist, singer, jewelry designer Mary Pillsbury Wainwright is this week's St. Louis Character. She sat for pictures at her home near Wildwood and holds a photograph of herself about 1970.
St. Louis Character Mary Pillsbury Wainwright trained as a lyric soprano and launched her music career as the in-house singer at the Cafe Pierre Hotel on Fifth Avenue in New York.
Jason Mengel, tournament director for PGA of America, says corporate hospitality spending for the Senior Championship at Bellerive Country Club is on pace to set a new record.
Family counts: Mel Weinberg (left) sold his Accounting Career Consultants and Pinnacle Staffing Professionals to his son, Larry Weinberg. The firms expect to collectively post $2 million in revenue this year.
Zoe Dearing of The St. Louis Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association says the number of Missourians with the disease is expected to increase 18 percent by 2025.
Jim Connett is general manager of RAF-STL, a new radio station launched with the help of a $1 million gift from Centene Corp.
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The price of Bitcoin ($BTC) has crossed the $50,000 threshold for the first time in over two years. With the rest of the cryptocurrency market in a frenzy, it has followed Bitcoin’s positive trajectory.
With new entrants challenging the established players, the meme coin market has become one of the most dynamic. Investors are currently searching for the best meme coins to buy in order to make large returns due to the increasing optimistic sentiment.
Bitcoin ($BTC) Returns Bullish Sentiment To Market With Surge Above $50k
After the initial huge outflows from the Grayscale Bitcoin ETF, positive sentiment has returned to the crypto market. The market recovery is being led by Bitcoin ($BTC), which has increased by more than 21% on the weekly chart. As a result, Bitcoin has recovered above $51,500 for the first time in more than 2 years.
Following the breach of this level, Bitcoin will now set its sights on $60,000, as it remains the best crypto coin to buy. With Bitcoin leading the charge, the entire crypto market has been in a frenzy, with some of the best altcoins also setting similar highs.
Crypto Market Rebounds, Eclipses $1.9 Trillion
With most of the top altcoins now in the green, the global crypto market cap has topped $1.92 trillion for the first time since April 2022. The meme coin sector is seeing a significant rebound in prices. Solana, which has produced some of the best meme coins to buy over the past few months, is also on the rise.
dogwifhat ($WIF) is leading the charge, gaining over 150% on the weekly charge. Wen ($WEN) is not far behind, recording a price increase of over 148% on the same time frame. Bonk ($BONK) is not far off, with more than 35% gains in the same period.
Thanks to this recent market rebound, the meme coin market has crossed a market cap of $21.6 billion. TrumpCoin ($DTC) has also been building a head of steam, largely due to the participation of former president Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. elections.
The price of $DTC has more than doubled in the past week, fueling a rally above the $0.0000000050 level. While these are some of the biggest gainers in the past week, there is a new challenger that looks set to be crowned the best cryptocurrency investment of 2024.
Galaxy Fox ($GFOX) Nears Launch, Analysts Predict a Parabolic Rise
Joining the crypto market rally, the price of Galaxy Fox ($GFOX) has increased more than 230% to trade as high as $0.002178. However, crypto experts are even more bullish about this new ICO crypto heading deeper into the 2024 bull market.
Galaxy Fox has attracted a ton of bullish attention for fusing components of blockchain gaming and meme coin culture into one ecosystem. This makes its ERC20 coin, $GFOX, a dual-utility crypto, giving it more advantages than other cryptos.
Recognizing the potential of $GFOX, it has become one of the most-demanded cryptos over the past few weeks. This has resulted in the project raising more than $3.35 million from the sale of 2.66 billion $GFOX tokens.
The impending ecosystem launch of Galaxy Fox in the upcoming weeks will thrill holders of $GFOX tokens even more. Crypto analysts have projected a 100x price increase for $GFOX as launch day draws near, placing it among the best meme coins to buy in 2024.
The market is expected to be optimistic given the recent spike in the price of Bitcoin. The price increase observed in the meme coin market is indicative of this. Nevertheless, Galaxy Fox ($GFOX) is without a doubt one of the best cryptocurrencies to invest in right now considering its potential. It would be ideal to join the $GFOX community now that there are just two stages left in its initial coin offering.


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Amazon Web Services has launched a secure bridging service designed to connect enterprise datacentres with its cloud, filling in a missing part of its cloud lineup for enterprises.
With Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), announced in a blog post on Wednesday, Amazon Web Services (AWS) said that businesses can extend their security services, firewalls and intrusion-detection systems to its cloud.
The launch builds on AWS's enterprise-friendly cloud efforts over the past two years, which have seen it introduce reserved EC2 instances, longer-term deals and volume pricing, service-level agreements and partnerships with big enterprise software vendors such as IBM, Oracle, BMC and Red Hat.
To date, Amazon's enterprise cloud services have been missing a key element: the recognition that for enterprises, cloud computing will be a hybrid between private clouds and public clouds.
Adam Selipsky, vice president for product management and developer relations at AWS, said 'virtual private clouds' were the most popular feature request from enterprise customers.
Private clouds roughly equate to a normal on-premise datacentre. The new VPC is a virtual private network tunnel that corporations can use to tie their datacentres with Amazon's cloud services.
Amazon said its VPC has been in a private beta with companies such as Intuit and Eli Lilly, and is now entering a limited beta. According to Selipsky, VPC offers a secure VPN bridge between an enterprise's existing infrastructure and AWS.
It also allows IT departments to treat EC2 as just another resource; to specify an IP address range of their choosing; to examine cloud traffic with existing security and network technology; and to manage EC2 with their own management software from CA, Citrix and others.
Selipsky said the VPC approach will be added to all Amazon Web Services over time.


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The Vehicles and Assets Dealers Association of Ghana (VADAG), on Wednesday, asked the government to withdraw the Luxury Vehicle Levy within two weeks or they will hit the streets to protest.
The Association said if after two weeks the government does nothing about the levy its members would embark on a massive demonstration throughout the country to register their displeasure.
Government recently enacted an Act to impose an annual levy on vehicles with engine capacity ranging from 2.9, 3.0, 3.5. 4.0 and upwards.
Nana Yaw Owusu Duodu, General Secretary of VADAG said at a press briefing in Accra that although VADAG had petitioned a number of government agencies such as the Office of the Chief of Staff at the Presidency, the Speaker of Parliament, the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Finance, as well as Parliamentary Standing Committees on Finance, the appeals had yielded no response.
He described the new levy as “nothing but a rip off of we the importers, and Ghanaians at large.”
“In fact, there was no dialogue, and VADEG was not involved in the imposition of the levy,” he said.
Touching on the need to withdraw the levy, Mr. Duodu said already, engines with capacities, ranging from 2.9 to 4.5. attracted so much payment on duties at the ports of entry, “yet they are all stuck in their stores, thereby reducing the rate of turn over.”
He said because of difficulty in paying the levies, car owners were refusing to fix back engines which fell within the levy range, which was in effect, knocking drivers out of job.
Mr. Duodu observed, that the poor nature of roads in the country, forced many people to use vehicles with engine capacities, ranging from 2.9 to 4.0, and not because the cars were luxurious.
“The government stands to lose so much revenue if importers of such vehicles refuse to import them, while at the same time people who use such vehicles decide to park their cars,” he said.
Mr Duodu continued, “we the car dealers, in conjunction with other concerned groups, would stage “a very big demonstration against this levy, if it is not withdrawn within two weeks.”
The levy, captured in the year 2018 budget (Act 969), was passed by Parliament, accented by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on July 31, 2018.
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Last year’s DJI Mavic Mini might have been the smallest and lightest full-featured drone on the market, but it was also a little compromised out of the gate. Today, the DJI Mini 2 — don’t call it a Mavic — is addressing some of its limitations.
While the new $449 drone might look identical to the original, even weighing the same 249 grams (which means you don’t need to register it with the FAA), it now comes with DJI’s OcuSync 2 wireless connectivity for up to 2.5 times the wireless range and more stable connectivity. The original was unusual among DJI’s drones for relying on relatively shaky Wi-Fi, which was definitely a dealbreaker for me.
It uses the same controller as the new Mavic Air 2, though of course you won’t get that drone’s advanced obstacle avoidance and tracking because it has far fewer sensors.
The Mini 2 also bumps its maximum video resolution up to 4K at 30 frames per second at a 100Mbps bitrate, up from the 2.7K, 25/30p @ 40Mbps video it shot before — and you can grab RAW photos now instead of just JPG, as well as do auto exposure bracketing. You’re still looking at a fairly small 1/2.3-inch sensor when all’s said and done, though, so keep your expectations in check. It also still shoots 1080p at up to 60fps.


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The Suwanee American Craft Beer Fest was recently voted the No. 1 Beer Festival in the country in USA Today’s 2022 Best Beer Festival contest. Taking place on St. Patrick’s Day weekend since 2011, the festival doubles as the largest craft beer festival in Georgia and one of the most highly anticipated St. Patrick’s Day weekend events in the state. Boasting an unheard of selection of more than 350 craft beers from 100+ breweries, the festival draws an annual attendance of more than 6,000 craft beer fanatics from across the country (including Florida, Tennessee, Illinois and even California and Washington) to experience the ultimate celebration of American craft beer. Attendees come dressed head-to-toe in St. Paddy’s green with kilts, shamrocks, green beards and more, making for a truly unique beer festival experience.
“Being officially voted the No. 1 Beer Festival in the country is a testament to the community and culture surrounding Suwanee Beer Fest,” said Tiffany Belflower, Suwanee Beer Fest’s event coordinator. “It is more than just a few breweries and beer — for 11 years, each aspect of the festival, from the breweries, beer, games and entertainment to the vendors and sponsors, has been meticulously curated to create an experience that has become what many feel is ‘Suwanee’s Favorite Day.’”
The annual ode to craft beer is also a communal experience where like-minded people gather together to enjoy an afternoon exploring and learning about beer — while also having a really great time. Over the past decade, the festival has hosted an impressive musical lineup that includes nationally recognized cover bands like Departure and Slippery When Wet, as well as a variety of festival games such as axe throwing, giant beer pong and cornhole. The festival is also known for its annual Homebrew Contest, a competition whose winners (and a beer judge) have gone on to open their own successful Georgia breweries, including StillFire Brewing, Jekyll Brewing and Social Fox Brewing.
Mark your calendar, because Suwanee Beer Fest makes its way back to Town Center Park on March 18, 2023. Tickets officially go on sale January 13, 2023, at noon.
Read the whole article here!


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Many shale-rich countries face a dilemma, says a new report. It might mean a choice between fracking for energy or having enough water to drink.» Read More
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Teen vaping has increased 78 percent over the past year, according to federal health officials.
“It has become an epidemic,” said Chief of General Pediatrics at Baystate Medical Center, Dr. John O’Reilly.
Dr. O’Reilly told 22News that vaping products are just as dangerous as regular cigarettes, and one e-cigarette pod has the same amount of nicotine as an entire pack of cigarettes.
“A teenage would say, ‘I’d never smoke a pack of cigarettes,'” said O’Reilly. “But, they might vape continuously throughout the day, and by the end of the day, they’ve had as much nicotine and addictive stuff working on their brain.”
A study released Monday found that teens living in places with stricter tobacco laws were a third less likely to try e-cigarettes than those living in areas with more lax regulation.
In Massachusetts, strict laws were passed with the New Year. People must now be 21-years old or older to buy any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes.
In Chicopee, the minimum age to buy tobacco products was already raised from 18 to 21 in April 2018.
An assistant manager at Country Trading Post, a store that sells vaping products, thinks the older age restriction is a good thing.
“They might as well make it like alcohol,” said Ross LaFreniere. “Make it a little harder to get.”
Dr. O’Reilly said teens who vape are more likely to go on to smoke burned cigarettes.
In addition, Dr. O’Reilly told 22News that parents should talk to their kids about the dangers of smoking, both regular cigarettes and e-cigarettes. You can find out more information on how to do that in this video.


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In the US, electric vehicle growth is a market share play.
Because light passenger vehicle sales are basically flat and not expected to grow in the coming years, to increase the share of EV sales OEMs need to convince new car buyers to consider an EV over a gas, diesel or regular hybrid.
In the European market right now EV sales are increasing substantially in most countries due to automakers finally supplying an array of EV models and in high volume to minimize or eliminate huge EU emissions fines. As a result, while new EV sales are now capturing more than 10% market share in Europe, the US plods along at under 3%.
But the commercial electric delivery van market is poised to be very different for at least four reasons:
- Ecommerce growth
- Fleet owners focus on total cost of ownership
- Corporate sustainability goals
- Purpose-built vehicles
Ecommerce Took A Huge Leap in 2020
The 2020 holiday ecommerce season was the biggest ever in the US, with online sales accounting for 19.7% of overall retail sales, a 47% jump from 13.4% in 2019, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse.
And while much of the 2020 increase was due to shelter-in-place orders, eMarketer forecasts that US ecommerce sales will increase another 50% by 2024. And by then, 1 in 5 retail purchases will be online.
But the huge increase in online purchases can wreak havoc with shipping carriers (FedEx, UPS, USPS, Amazon, etc.) which in 2020 could not keep up with demand resulting in many gifts not arriving in time for the holidays. The shipping carriers simply didn’t have enough capacity – having a shortage of sorting workers, trucks and delivery vans, and drivers.
Increased Demand for Delivery Vans
On top of the continuing growth in online sales, consumers’ shipping options and expectations are changing rapidly as well. In 2000, if you ordered from an online retailer you had an average of a single shipping option that would take 10 days for delivery, according to Convey, a Delivery Experience Management company that works with retailers and the shipping carriers. Fast forward to 2020 and you had an average of 8 shipping options that took an average of 2 days for delivery.
What these trends have all led to is a relatively sudden increased demand for commercial vans to deliver an ever growing number of packages. And the demand for vans is not just coming from the major players such as FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL, Amazon, and Walmart – but close to 50 additional national and regional deliver carriers.
2020 saw a number of factors lead to a shortage of delivery vans. This included the pandemic closing down vehicle assembly factories and at the same time the shelter-in-place restrictions led to a huge increase in online orders during the already busy holiday ecommerce shopping season.
“If there’s a cargo van out there, we’re trying to buy it,” Brendan Keegan, CEO of vehicle provider Merchants Fleet, told Bloomberg. His company reportedly expects to have 15,000 vans out for lease at the end of the year, more than double the 6,000 it had last year.New York Post, November 25, 2020
~30 New Electric Delivery Vans Coming to North America and Europe
Beyond the growth in ecommerce, achieving corporate sustainability goals and reducing operating costs (total ownership costs – TCO) are also key reasons the shipping and last-mile delivery carriers are looking to ramp up purchases of electric delivery vans. By my analysis there are roughly 30 new electric delivery vans that will reach market in North America and Europe in the next 2 years.
The above factors – along with many new vans being purpose built for or in partnership with fleet customers like FedEx, UPS, and USPS – could drive the delivery van vehicle category to become the first transportation segment to reach near 100% market share of electric vehicles.
What’s Driving the Supply Side?
On the supply side, there are at least four interesting aspects to what’s driving OEMs to move more quickly to produce electric delivery vans than light passenger vehicles:
1. Van “Conversions”: Because of the fundamental configuration of delivery vans, several OEMs – especially the European brands – moved quickly to simply replace the internal combustion engine and traditional drivetrains with relatively smallish battery packs and electric powertrains.
Makers such as Volkswagen, Mercedes, Citroen/Peugeot/Vauxhall and Fiat have taken their existing diesel vans and converted them to electric drive – a relatively easy job within the large, flat expanse of metal found in the back of most vans. But there are newcomers to the class as well. – AutoExpress-UK
2. Fleet Orders: Most of the legacy automakers have been a bit slow to embrace electric passenger vehicles due to factors including higher vehicle price, cost of batteries, consumer range anxiety, lack of charging infrastructure and slow charging speed compared to gas station refueling. But electric delivery vans are an ideal fit with fleet buyers because of factors including:
- Known daily range requirements – 75 miles is the average daily trip in the US according to Ford’s analysis of its existing Transit customers. Unlike passenger vehicles, where most US consumers want at least 300 miles of range – fleet delivery van buyers can get buy with around 125-150 miles of range for most of their van’s daily delivery routes. This allows the OEMs to use smaller battery packs and reduce overall cost and weight of the vans.
- Ability to charge overnight: When vans return to the fleet yards in the evening, they can easily reach a full charge by the morning with Level 2 charging equipment – negating the need for more costly DC fast charging infrastructure. And unlike longer-haul trucks, fleet manages don’t need to worry about charging delivery vans out it in the field.
- Lower TCO: Unlike most consumers, fleet owners care more about the total cost of ownership (TCO) – the cost to operate and maintain a vehicle over its life – than initial purchase cost. With EVs requiring less maintenance, having very little down time, and lower “fuel costs” – they are a perfect match for the goals and needs of fleet buyers.
- Sustainability: Companies such as Amazon, Walmart, UPS, FedEx, and others are under increased scrutiny to reduce their carbon footprint and achieve certain sustainability goals. For those companies where the movement of goods is a significant part of their business, it is a no-brainer for most fleet buyers to transition to fleets of electric delivery vans with zero tailpipe emissions and the added benefit of a lower TCO.
- Purpose-built vans: Legacy OEMs are developing new or redesigned electric vans and startups like Rivian, Workhorse, Arrival and others are in many cases designing vans from the ground up for specific customers such as UPS, FedEx, and Amazon. For fleet buyers such as the shipping carriers, being able to have input on the design of these new electric vans makes them even more attractive than existing ICE-powered vans.
Scott Phillippi, UPS senior director of fleet maintenance and engineering, said the package delivery firm believes electric vans have the potential to disrupt the commercial market.
“It’s going to be similar to what the Model 3 has done for the consumer market,” Phillippi said, referring to Tesla’s small near-luxury electric sedan. “Now all of a sudden, we’re off to the races.”Reuters, June 4, 2020
3. Capital + Startups: Rivian has grabbed most of the headlines from both the amount of capital it has raised ($8 billion since 2019) and its order from Amazon for 100,000 delivery vans. But there are several other new entrants including Workhorse, Xos Trucks, Chanje, Arrival, Bollinger, and others with various levels of funding and huge plans to produce commercial vans.
4. Growth Market: Except for China, most major markets will likely see flat to modest growth in light passenger vehicles. According to a report from Infiniti Research Limited, the global electric delivery van market is poised to grow at a CAGR of 25% for the period 2020-2024.
In February, Ford said it would introduce an electric version of its Transit van for model year 2022. “The most critical bet we will be making over the next several years will be our commercial vehicles,” Ford’s chief operating officer, Jim Farley, told Reuters at the time. – Reuters, June 2020
Arrival, the UK-based startup that will produce electric delivery vans and buses says “the forecasted market for vans and buses totals $430B by 2025.” (They don’t break the forecast out for just vans, but it is presumable a large chunk of the $430 billion.)
The market opportunity in the US and globally for electric delivery vans is huge, but the most exciting aspect is how perfect these vans are for shipping carrier fleet buyers. And the continuing growth of ecommerce is adding to this perfect storm. The questions now are:
- How quickly can OEMs scale up production of these vans or will they have battery supply issues?
- And how rapidly will fleet buyers transition to purchasing near 100% electric vans?
Buckle up, the electric commercial van market is going to be fascinating to watch and see if the OEMs can actually deliver quickly enough on the opportunity.


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The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is looking for two men who were caught stealing from a Lowes store in West Palm Beach last week.
The incident occurred on Dec. 9 around 6:30 p.m. at a Lowes home improvement store located on Okeechobee Boulevard near the Westwood Shopping Center. On the store’s surveillance video, the men are seen taking a Dewalt 20 Volt 4 tool combo kit worth $400 and then fleeing the store in a silver Ford Expedition, according to PBSO spokeswoman, Teri Barbera.
Officers described the first suspect as a light-skinned black male with short hair, and was last seen wearing a gray polo shirt and black shorts. The second suspect has been described as a Hispanic male and was last seen wearing a black sleeveless shirt, black shorts, a silver cap and a design of a lion or wolf’s head tattooed on his right bicep.
Anyone with more information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS.


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Kamil Krzaczynski | Reuters
A shopper checks on merchandise at the J.C. Penney department store in North Riverside, Illinois.
J.C. Penney on Thursday reported sales that missed analysts’ expectations, blaming the declines on a cooler start to the spring season. The department store chain also cut its full-year earnings outlook.
Its shares tumbled more than 12 percent, falling below $3 apiece, in premarket trading on the news.
Revenues fell about 4.3 percent to $2.58 billion during the first quarter ended May 5, missing Street estimates for $2.61 billion, according to a Thomson Reuters survey.
Same-store sales rose 0.2 percent but this was also short of analysts’ forecast for roughly 2 percent growth.
Penney’s net loss narrowed to $78 million, or 25 cents per share, from $187 million, or 60 cents a share, a year ago. Excluding one-time items, it lost 22 cents a share, 1 cent better than the 23-cent loss analysts were expecting.
The retailer adjusted its full-year earnings-per-share outlook to be between a loss of 7 cents to earnings of 13 cents. That compares with prior guidance of earnings between 5 to 25 cents a share.
CEO Marvin Ellison said in a statement: “Although our overall top line sales results came in below our expectations for the quarter, we were encouraged by the strong positive comp performance throughout February and March, as well as the last two weeks of April, when temperatures began to normalize.”
As of Wednesday’s market close, J.C. Penney’s stock has lost more than 30 percent from a year ago.


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Retail sales advanced in August as non-food categories were boosted by autumn clothing ranges and back-to-school propositions.
Sales across the industry rose 1.3% on a like-for-like basis during the four weeks to August 26, compared to the same period last year.
On a total basis, sales were up 2.4% year-on-year – the strongest rate of growth since Easter – according to the BRC-KPMG Retail Sales Monitor.
Non-food sales returned to growth, increasing 0.6% on a like-for-like basis across the wider three-month period, while food like-for-likes climbed 1.8%.
Ecommerce purchases continued to outpace those made in-store, with online sales of non-food products surging 11% in August – outstripping the three-month and 12-month averages of 9.8% and 8.8% respectively.
In contrast, in-store sales dropped 1.4% on a total basis and 1.9% in like-for-like terms during the three months to August 26.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson hailed a “welcome pick-up” in sales during August, which she said was driven by homewares, autumn apparel and the new school term.
But she warned: “These figures tell a less positive story about the health of consumer spending than it might seem at first glance.
“Non-food sales have only just recovered to levels seen two years ago, after a dismal August in 2016, while strong figures for food are largely the result of rising prices, leaving growth in volume terms weaker than last year.”
Dickinson added: “Stark challenges lurk around the corner for the retail industry.
“Purchasing decisions are very much dictated by a shrinking pool of discretionary consumer spend, with the amount of money in people’s pockets set to be dented by inflation and statutory rises in employee pension contributions in a few months’ time.”
Dickinson urged the government to secure “a strong deal on customs and tariff-free trade with the EU” to protect British consumers from further price increases.
KPMG retail partner Don Williams added: “Retailers have managed to achieve stronger than expected growth; however, adding to this could be the fact that consumers appear to be turning a blind eye to the potential crush on spending power to come.
“The industry now needs to overcome further devaluation of the pound and the increased costs therein.”


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If you buy a car, rent an apartment, open an account with a utility, or even face sentencing in front of a judge, someone’s going to pull your credit report. Scores of “soft inquiries” can be made without permission, while “hard inquiries” that affect your credit report happen when you authorize a credit check for the purpose of granting a loan, establishing an account, or some other business activity. But how valid is the credit scoring system, and should we really be relying upon it as a system for establishing financial risk, especially in light of the multi-billion dollar online industry surrounding consumer credit?
Credit agencies compile a variety of information about any individual with open lines of credit, from student loans to car leases to, until recently, medical debt. Financial institutions can deny assistance to people with “bad” credit, and credit is also checked in housing, employment, and other settings, some of which might be argued as discriminatory—does bad credit make someone unemployable? Does a single eviction on a credit report in years of flawless rental records mean that someone can’t be trusted to make rent?
With the recent news that FICO, the nation’s most widely used credit scoring system, is readjusting its algorithm to address the pervasive issue of medical debt dragging down credit scores, some industry professionals are concerned. The widely heralded move that some see as a removal of punishments for medical expenses could backfire, argues Fiscal Times correspondent Rob Garver. Garver warns, “The worst-case scenario is that the new scores will result in many consumers getting loans they shouldn’t, landing in serious financial trouble.” How useful is a scoring system that even lenders don’t trust?
According to a Federal Trade Commission study, over a quarter of people surveyed found errors on their credit reports, and struggled to have them corrected. While Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—the big three credit reporting agencies—are obliged to keep careful records and update credit reports when customers file a complaint, many are sluggish to fix consumer credit reports. That can result in an artificially low credit score—and corresponding problems accessing funds.
Since most people don’t bother to check their credit until they’re getting ready to apply for credit or preparing for a major life event—or in the event funding is denied on the grounds of bad credit—the need to fix errors quickly is rather imperative. Credit bureaus can afford to be sluggish, though, as the almighty FICO score determines access to the mainstream economy—and those with poor credit are pushed to the shadowy and unregulated “fourth bureau,” an amalgamation of firms that collect information with no oversight and no controls.
Such firms harvest a variety of personal data with no restrictions, and data once considered less relevant or helpful is now becoming integral to credit evaluations—with no opportunities for customers to appeal erroneous information. Much of that data comes from an obvious source: Online activity. It’s not just which catalogs you order. It’s your online spending activity, where you go, which social networks you belong to, and who you associate with.
The fourth bureau takes advantage of nebulous privacy policies and unaware consumers who don’t take advantage of opt-out policies (yet another argument for opt-in policies as a default) to collect copious volumes of personal financial information. That information is in turn bought, sold, and traded with other firms, all without the consumer’s awareness or ability to intervene if the information is wrong.
This has a huge impact on individual consumer credit and the lives of people seeking access to banking services in the U.S. If information from the fourth bureau is incorrect, people may not be able to qualify for even the most basic of loans, and can be excluded from jobs, housing opportunities, and even volunteer possibilities. With no means for countering the information gathered through digital means and sold by such bureaus to whoever wants to pay for it, consumers are left with their backs against the wall.
And the situation isn’t much better when it comes to more legitimate credit services.
Under law, the three major credit companies are required to provide a copy of a consumer’s credit report, free of charge, annually; AnnualCreditReport.com acts as the FTC’s only authorized clearinghouse to allow consumers to readily access and request copies of their credit reports—something people should be doing annually or in advance of major events in order to be aware of what’s on their records. The site was founded not only to facilitate consumer access to their own credit history, but also to address the growing industry of sites preying on consumers desperately seeking information about their credit.
While the situation on Google has gotten better, a consumer searching for “free credit report” will be directed to a myriad of sites that demand payment—whether for subscription services, viewing a credit report, or credit advice. Freecreditreport.com, for example, charges $1 for basic services—and starts auto-charging your card $14.99 per month if you don’t cancel your subscription. Users are enticed to sign up for services like “credit monitoring” on such sites, which promise that for a low, low fee, they’ll protect consumers from adverse credit events.
Aside from the fact that credit reports can actually be obtained for free through the three major credit bureaus (and that a savvy consumer can stagger requests to check in once every four months), the “services” advertised are available for free, through easier means, and often from better quality sources.
For example, a growing number of banks and credit unions offer credit monitoring and protection free or at low charge in association with member accounts, just as credit card companies do—and not just on their elite member cards. Thus, consumers are duped into paying for services they don’t need through predatory firms that take advantage of the nebulousness of information on the Internet (as well as the widespread financial illiteracy in the United States).
Speaking to USA Today, Georgetown professor Annamaria Lusardi noted: “If we live in a world where people are in charge of their own financial well-being…we have to equip people to deal with this individual responsibility…Not everybody is given an opportunity (at home) to be financially literate. This is a topic that should be in the schools.”
A lack of understanding about financial matters makes it extremely difficult for individual consumers to spot practices like exploitative credit monitoring services, let alone more serious issues, like predatory lending. The financial industry has long taken advantage of this, and so do firms targeting worried and confused consumers with the Internet as a massive field of opportunity.
While the record collection and reporting system may have originally been designed as a means for assessing financial risk, it’s clearly outdated and potentially dangerous for consumers. Even with the FTC’s attempts to stay ahead of abuses of consumer credit, the agency is woefully behind, a common issue with government agencies and the digital revolution. The incredibly fast pace of digital developments makes it extremely difficult for legislators and regulatory officials alike to keep pace with, let alone anticipate, new developments in the financial industry as elsewhere.
The results can mean bad news for consumers, but it’s also bad news for the financial industry, which really does need a valid way to establish credit risk. When the financial industry is already a Wild West atmosphere, why make it worse?


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More lamb schedule lifts this week as demand in the UK, Europe, and North America remains strong, and stocks are low in China and the Middle East.
Local trade prices have lifted with export and butchers are now paying up to $6.30/kg cwt for prime lambs for local consumption.
The closure of the Fairton plant has been confirmed by Silver Fern Farms, but the pelt plant will continue processing product from the other South Island plants.
Job offers have been made for 60% of the laid off workforce at other plants, and strong interest has come from Timaru businesses for employment opportunities in that region.
The Overseas Investment Office reports it is watching the new company looking for the benefits promised under the new partnership.
Silver Fern Farms reminded the market it had increased the capital spend in its plants from $8m to $22million since 2015, and the regulatory authority was well aware some rationalisation was possible, and this new partnership has made it achievable.
Store lamb values have eased in the north but are stable in the south as buyers seem to believe most of the prime lamb value has been seen.
Scanned in lamb breeding ewes are starting to be seen in northern saleyards and quality sheep are making around $150/hd but numbers at present are low
The South Island wool auction saw a continuation of the gloomy market status, as again only 65% of the offering sold, and the stronger currencies saw crossbred indicators ease further.
There has been some price resurgence for lambs wool however with prices lifting this week to 417c/kg clean, closing in on the seasons high of 431c, reached in the March "false dawn" for wool.
Cavalier Corp the carpet manufacturer, has added to the products bad news by announcing a second profit downgrade for the year, but does forecast a better result next year with the low wool prices helping.
Some strong late demand for manufacturing and cow beef as the dairy cow cull eases, suggests some companies have struggled to fill their orders.
Extra global supply is building for beef, poultry, and pork but analysts forecast it will be 12-24 months before this extra supply will affect demand.
More prime animals will now be killed after the dairy cull finishes and this could put pressure on the domestic chilled product in a flat market.
Heavier store and forward prime animals are finding it heavy going in those areas that have had plentiful rain, as pasture utilisation rates are poor in the mud.
Prices have eased for store stock as most have filled their orders and the wet conditions have made buyers conservative for numbers.
Steady schedules this week as the industry reviews its progress at the annual Deer Conference.
The downturn has seen the closure of most of the stand- alone venison plants, a reduced reliance on seasonal markets, and a smoothing of schedule prices.
The industry has had a strong focus on improving on farm production and profits, and success is already being seen with much improved and earlier achieved, slaughter weights.
Demand for breeding females is re emerging, as existing farmers look to expand their herds probably at the expense of sheep numbers.


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Displaying results 1 - 10 of 108
UNCTAD helps Côte d’Ivoire’s digital entrepreneurs weather COVID-19 crisis
8 Apr 2021
An assessment of the e-commerce ecosystem in Côte d’Ivoire will help businesses in the sector adapt to COVID-19 challenges and comply with new regulations.
Zambia’s e-commerce firms stay the course amid pandemic
23 Mar 2021
Despite COVID-19 hurdles, online businesses in Zambia are clinging to their big dreams while the government strengthens the nation’s e-commerce ecosystem.
Five things to know about e-commerce star Nina Angelovska
22 Mar 2021
UNCTAD’s eTrade for Women advocate for Eastern Europe explains her journey to e-commerce success, discusses the impact of COVID-19 and encourages women to take a seat at the policymaking table.
How COVID-19 triggered the digital and e-commerce turning point
15 Mar 2021
In years to come, we will look back at 2020 as the moment that changed everything. Nowhere else has unprecedented and unforeseen growth occurred as in the digital and e-commerce sectors, which have boomed amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Global plastic trade 40% bigger than previously thought, study finds
3 Mar 2021
Drawing on a powerful new database that tracks and traces the plastic life cycle, UNCTAD shows where countries can apply trade policy pressure to reduce pollution.
Switzerland climbs to top of global e-commerce index
17 Feb 2021
Switzerland replaced the Netherlands at the top of UNCTAD's Business-to-Consumer E-commerce Index 2020, which ranks 152 countries on their readiness to engage in online commerce.
Success of circular economy hinges on better governance of ‘waste trade’
5 Feb 2021
By Henrique Pacini, Economic Affairs Officer, UNCTAD, and Tze Ni Yeoh, Consultant, World Bank
‘Going digital’: How to build an inclusive digital economy in the wake of COVID-19
29 Jan 2021
By Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD
UNCTAD updates principles to promote biodiversity-friendly trade
18 Jan 2021
Guidelines to help governments, companies and consumers benefit from sustainable trade in precious plants and animals now include elements such as climate resilience and marine biodiversity.


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A Quebec City woman who went on luxury shopping sprees on the public dime has been sentenced to more than three years in prison.
Over the course of two years, Anne-Barbara Forgues embezzled $160,000 from her employers and two scientific research centres, spending the money on furs, jewelry, watches, designer shoes, clothes, bags and perfume.
She used their credit cards and wrote up bogus bills in order to pay for her shopping habit.
Earlier this month, when she pleaded guilty to more than a half-dozen fraud charges, she cried, telling the judge she was a “compulsive shopper” who stayed up late at night scouring the internet and making lists of what she wanted.
She stole the $160,000 from two scientific research centres, one at Laval University and the other funded by the province.
Crown prosecutor Guillaume Michaud said it’s the second time Forgues had been caught.
He said she was sentenced to six months of house arrest for a 2004 fraud of $200,000.
He added that the fact that Forgues stole money from the government this time was probably a factor in the judge’s decision to send the 43-year-old to jail.


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April 16, 2013 — In a new Consumer Warning, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is updating the public on the steps they are taking to ensure that dietary supplements containing DMAA are no longer distributed or sold. The agency has determined that DMAA supplements are illegal. Furthermore, they are warning that they have received 86 adverse event reports, including 5 deaths. Side effects associated with DMAA include elevated blood pressure, heart attacks, psychiatric disorders, and more.
The FDA announcement has been published about a year after the agency sent 10 warning letters to manufacturers of DMAA supplements. Only one manufacturer, USPLabs, has stopped selling DMAA. Unfortunately, USPLabs also sells the two most popular DMAA supplements, Jack3d and OxyElite Pro. The supplements continue to be sold by GNC, one of the largest retailers of supplements in the United States.
The FDA communication indicated that USPLabs defended the use of DMAA in dietary supplements by submitting published studies. After reviewing the studies, the FDA found that they were “insufficient to defend the use of DMAA as an ingredient in dietary supplements.”
Since the controversy surrounding DMAA began a few years ago, USPLabs and other manufacturers have consistently defended DMAA as a “natural” botanical extract from the geranium plant. However, no independent scientist has been able to verify this claim. Herbal supplement associations do not recognize DMAA, and most experts agree that DMAA is actually a synthetic substance. In fact, the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly & Co. originally manufactured DMAA as a nasal decongestant spray in 1948. Its approval was withdrawn in 1983.
The FDA warned that they intend to take further steps to remove DMAA from the market. These steps may include an official ban of DMAA, more warning letters or public announcements, and asking USPLabs to issue a voluntary recall. If these efforts are not sufficient, the FDA could work with U.S. marshals to seize and destroy DMAA products and even bring criminal charges against manufacturers.
The FDA also commented on the challenge of regulating dietary supplements:
“With dietary supplements, there is no pre-market approval, and once a product is on the market, the burden is on the FDA to prove that a product is unsafe.”
Do I have a DMAA Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting DMAA induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured by DMAA, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Defective Drug Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Attention Lawyers: We consider a referral from another law firm to be one of the greatest compliments. If your firm is interested in referring us a case or for us to send you a list of previous award judgments and/or average referral fees, please visit the Lawyer Referral section of our website.


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In times of economic uncertainty, collaboration with startups offers corporates a route to becoming more innovative and profitable.
As Britain gears up for Brexit, the country is bracing itself for a period of uncertainty. Volatile stock markets, a stagnant economy and sliding currency all have far-reaching implications for the UK.
It is in times like these that business growth can be hard to come by. But larger companies can boost innovation and their bottom line by partnering with nimble, fast-growing startups, writes Siddharth Bannerjee for Management Today.


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Category Archives: 360
Sledgehammer Games boss, Michael Condrey, is not a guy you want to mess with when it comes to troll comments on Twitter. Recently, a popular YouTuber by the name of Connor, or Soo Superior (YouTube Name), decided he would leave this message for Mr. Condrey on Twitter.
Ubisoft knows exactly what Wii U owners want….more Just Dance 2016. Watch Tilmen from Nintendomination play the new demo released on the eShop.
It seems like Capcom is trying to gauge interest and opinions on a potential remake of Resident Evil 2. Coming from the official Resident Evil Facebook page:
Hello Resident Evil fans!
This is Capcom R&D Division 1!
First off, we would like to express our deepest appreciation to all Resident Evil fans, for your passion, enthusiasm and continued support for the Resident Evil brand.
Enthusiasm for a Resident Evil 2 Remake is something we’ve been hearing from you over the years, and has drawn some recent attention in the media.
However, as the team owns the RE brand, we’re not certain how we feel about this approach, and would like to ask your honest and frank opinion about the “Resident Evil 2 Remake” and what the brand identity is supposed to be about?
“This nonsense really needs to stop.”
AlphaOmegaSin discusses the recent “Women Video Game Characters Given a Realistic Makeover” article from Yahoo. Warning, Strong Language
Microsoft has announced the free games users can get with Xbox Live Gold this August. The headliner is Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes on Xbox One. The game will be free for the entire month. From August 16th to September 15th, How to Survive: Storm Warning Edition will be a free download.
“Xbox 360 owners can download Metro 2033 August 1 -15, and Metro: Last Light August 16-31, each for free as well.
More information on August Games with Gold, head over to Major Nelson’s blog.”
Square Enix America CEO Phil Rodgers discussed the decision to have Rise of the Tomb Raider a one year console exclusive to Microsoft.
“I hope fans know that it wasn’t an easy decision. I think any sort of partnership at this level is a decision that took a longtime for us to get to. The decision at a studio level, we took very, very seriously. We knew it would, in the short-term, disappoint fans,” Rogers said.
“Having been working with us on previous games in a lesser sense, they’ve been supportive. [However], for Rise of the Tomb Raider, they’ve just brought this passion and belief that has really enabled us to blow people away. People should feel that about Microsoft. Their commitment to Tomb Raider is just amazing for us,” Rogers said.
Square Enix will officially reveal a new Dragon Quest game today. Check out the livestream with the announcement below.
Source: Square Enix Japan
The legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan will not be included in WWE 2K16 over racist remarks he made in a private “sex tape” video eight years ago. These remarks also lead to him getting fired by the WWE. 2K Sports issued a statement on the matter.
“We are highly respectful of the way that our partners choose to run their business and manage our partnerships accordingly,” said the spokesperson in a statement.
According to a transcript of the comments by Hogan, he dropped multiple N-bombs and said he was “racist, to a point”. He also used the N-word regarding who his daughter was dating at the time.
China has permanently lifted its ban on foreign video game systems. Earlier in the year, the country temporarily lifted the ban on foreign video game consoles, but now its a permanent thing. Via: MNN, Source: WSJ
GameXplain has uploaded 8-minutes of gameplay from Skylanders SuperChargers on Wii U with Donkey Kong. And I’ll give the game this, it looks great graphically. Check out 60fps HD footage below.
Fortune has listed the top ten best selling games for the first 6 months of the year in the United States. The listing is based on the NPD numbers for each month. Get the full list below.
- Mortal Kombat X (Publisher: Warner Bros.)
- Grand Theft Auto V (Publisher: Take-Two Interactive Software)
- Battlefield Hardline (Publisher: Electronic Arts)
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (Publisher: Activision)
- Minecraft (Publisher: Microsoft)
- Batman: Arkham Knight (Publisher: Warner Bros.)
- Dying Light (Publisher: Warner Bros.)
- NBA 2K15 (Publisher: Take-Two Interactive Software)
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Publisher: CD Projekt Red)
- Super Smash Bros. (Publisher: Nintendo)
The latest issue of Jump magazine is teasing a new Dragon Quest game reveal on July 28th. Square Enix will be holding a press conference on that day were they will be introducing a new game, presentation is set to be streamed online as well. The big title is expected to be Dragon Quest XI. On August 3rd Jump will have more information on the game announced. Via: Nintendo Everything
Square Enix has announced the launch windows for Rise of the Tomb Raider on PC and PS4. Via Steam, PC owners can purchase the game in early 2016, while PS4 owners have to wait till holiday 2016. Rise of the Tomb Raider launches on Xbox One and Xbox 360 holiday 2015. Via: VGChartz
EventStatus is back with another hard-hitting episode of The Main Event. Warning, Suggestive Language!
Amazon is selling The Evil Within on all platforms for $19.99. You can check out the deal here.
Snoop Dog…..or Lion…. wants to be able to play NCAA 14 on Xbox One via backwards compatibility. Check out his tweet and pic here discussing it!
We need. 10000 votes. https://t.co/509pJo10DO
— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) July 22, 2015
AlphaOmegaSin discusses why “SWJs” need to leave the gaming, movie, music, comics and more. Warning, strong language, and suggestive themes.
This week’s Deals with Gold for Xbox Live members. The deals run through July 27th, 2015. Get the full rundown of games and discounts here.
Some of the top NFL rookies give their reacting to their ratings in Madden NFL 16. Some of them are pretty funny!
Source: EA Sports


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Mandatory linking of e-invoice with e-way bill, applicable from March 1 for certain types of transactions, may cause disruption in operation and has created confusion among tax planners who are seeking clarification from the authorities, experts said on Sunday.
The move was initiated after the mismatch in e-way bills and e-invoice statements was noticed in several cases, they said.
"Blocking the generation of e-way bill without e-invoice/IRN details for B2B (business to business) and B2E transactions for e-invoice enabled taxpayers," said an advisory issued by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), which manages the indirect tax portal.
Rajarshi Dasgupta, Head Tax at Aquilaw told PTI that the advisory on linking e-invoice with e-way bill will cause "technical difficulty in the hands of exporters having a turnover over Rs 5 crore as there is no time limit relaxation for the generation of e-invoice".
"What would happen if there are multiple containers for a single consignment? How will the shipping bill numbers be captured in e-invoice, which otherwise is a future activity?” he questioned.
These updates will further increase the compliance burden on business owners, and every day the system changes and business owners are expected to comply with the same, Lexportex India director Apurva Agarwal said.
An e-way bill is a document required for the movement of goods, and it includes details such as the name of consignor, consignee, transporter, the point of origin of the movement of goods and its destination.
The e-invoice system seamlessly integrates with the e-way bill system, generating such bills automatically if transportation details are included during e-invoice generation. However, some taxpayers generate e-way bills without linking them to e-invoices for B2B and B2E transactions, causing discrepancies between the separately entered invoice details in e-way bills and e-invoices, explained Vedika Agarwal, Indirect Tax Consultant at Aquilaw.
"To prevent these discrepancies, starting from March 1, e-way bill generation without e-invoice details will not be allowed. This is applicable for e-invoice-enabled taxpayers and for the transactions related to supplies under B2B (business to business) and exports," she said.
Transactions unrelated to B2B and B2E (business to employees), such as B2C (business to consumer) and non-supplies, will continue to generate e-way bills without changes, she said.
“I guess there will be a detailed clarification that will be issued soon addressing such queries," Agarwal said.
Putting HSN, a code to identify a product by the indirect tax system, in the e-way bill is also made mandatory from February 1.
Taxpayers with an annual aggregate turnover exceeding Rs 5 crore will be required to provide at least a 6-digit Harmonized System of Nomenclature (HSN) code, while those with less than Rs 5 crore need to provide at least a 4-digit HSN code.
"This requirement will be enforced in the e-way bill system starting from February 1. Taxpayers are advised to update their systems and ensure compliance," Agarwal said.


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You’ve seen it. The flimsy, crushed water bottles littering music festival lawns.
The inordinate amount of bubble wrap that comes with small items you order online. The obscene amount of plastic bags that engulf the itty-bitty parts of new furniture and electronics. The thick, child-proof wrappers around many cannabis edibles. Plastic is so malleable, so cost-effective, and so familiar, it’s no wonder that companies rely on it so heavily for packaging purposes.
But plastic packaging is a problem.
According to National Geographic, 40 percent of all plastic production comes from packaging. That works out to approximately 161 million tons produced each year, and those numbers continue to climb.
In the past, recycling efforts have attempted to curb plastic waste, but have proven to be a mere band-aid fix to a much larger problem: plastic is forever, no matter how many times we repurpose.
Here’s the good news
The demand for sustainable packaging is rapidly accelerating, as governments worldwide are implementing federal regulations to curb—and ultimately eliminate—plastic waste. The same is true from the perspective of the consumer, as conscientious consumerism is on the rise.
Consumers are becoming significantly more invested in their own environmental and social impact, and are using their purchasing power to support sustainable and ethical business practices. In fact, Green Biz reports that 52 percent of all Americans are willing to pay at least 10 percent more at checkout for products with sustainable packaging. A smaller percentage–28 percent–are even willing to pay up to 30 percent more. Though this particular demographic is largely comprised of younger generations, it indicates that the future of brand loyalty will become increasingly entwined with sustainable practice. In response, many big-name companies like Hershey, McDonalds, P&G, and Coca-Cola are converting to green packaging.
The cannabis industry is also making moves to meet the conscientious consumer demand. However, due to federal and state regulations, the industry is encountering unique obstacles that have made it difficult to avoid plastics. Under the Poison Prevention Act of 1972, cannabis companies are required to distribute their products in child-resistant (CR) packaging. Each new package design must go through a series of tests and certifications, which takes both a considerable amount of time and resources. In California, for example, new packaging regulations have caused price hikes, resulting in a decrease in sales. That’s why most companies turn to plastic when it comes to packaging; in the face of so many regulations, it’s cheap, it’s durable, and it’s easy to find ready-made options for practically any cannabis product.
Cost vs Plastic
As competition in the industry increases, the battle to keep prices affordable for the average consumer only makes low-cost packaging like plastic more appealing. For one, the black market is well-established and still going strong, and legal vendors need to keep their prices comparable in order to stay in the game. Additionally, oversupply also causes prices to plummet, a challenge that Oregon is grappling with to the point that the state is no longer issuing new licenses until the problem can be resolved. And, states with longer-standing legal markets are already seeing growth beginning to plateau; as such, variety and branding are quickly becoming necessary tools for success in the industry.
According to Ganjapreneur, the “visual appeal of branding is…crucial,” and building strong customer relationships are essential. As the demand for sustainable business practice continues to grow, brands that can develop customer loyalty with a sharp image that is also sustainable may prove to be the most successful over time.
Incidentally, the cannabis industry has already made considerable strides in green specialty packaging that looks great. Companies like Sun Grown Packaging, MM Green Packaging Solutions, and Sana Packaging are working with smaller brands to make bioplastics, molded fiber, and reusables more widely accessible. Not only are these designs good for the earth, but they are also extremely functional, affordable, and have produced some impeccable design. Here are some of our favorites:
Sun Grown Packaging: The Grandfather
Based in Oakland, California, Sun Grown Packaging is the original leader in sustainable packaging for cannabis products. Their CR designs are made from recyclable and compostable materials, including brown or bright white paperboard and soy-based inks. Each design is covered in an eco-friendly water based coating to keep the package structurally sound. And, by keeping everything domestic–from sourcing materials to manufacturing–Sun Grown is able to keep their shipping costs and carbon footprint low.
Grön chocolate, Spark!


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Concerns over an economic slowdown in China continue to pummel prices for soybeans.
The contract for May delivery of soybeans sank 26 cents, or 2 percent, to settle at $13.87 a bushel Wednesday.
Soybean futures have slumped 5 percent this week, following reports that China’s economy is slowing and that it’s cutting back on soybeans. The U.S. government reported last week that China canceled sales of 245,000 tons of soybeans for the 12 months starting last September.
“Soybeans are getting crushed on the weak Chinese data,” said Sterling Smith, a commodities analyst at Citigroup.
China is the biggest buyer of U.S. soybeans, and any hint of a slip in demand tends to lower prices for the crop.
In other trading, wheat and corn futures rose. Contracts for delivery of wheat in May surged 25 cents, or 4 percent, to $6.838 a bushel. Corn for the same month rose 5.25 cents, or 1 percent, to $4.885 a bushel.
Metals were broadly higher, led by silver and gold. Silver for May rose 54.3 cents, or 3 percent, to $21.358 an ounce. Gold for April jumped $23.80, or 2 percent, to $1,370.50 an ounce.
Platinum for April gained $11.70, or 1 percent, to $1,476.30 an ounce. Palladium for June rose $6.65, or 1 percent, to $777.15 an ounce.
Copper for May edged up 1 cent, or 0.3 percent, to settle at $2.962 a pound.


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NEW YORK — With the Bronx having some of the highest unemployment and COVID-19 infection rates in the city, some businesses here say it's becoming difficult to survive.
"People not trying to spend a lot of money. Just want to save some money or spend it on something else. This is nothing like before,” said Arafat Igbara, who has been the owner of BX Furniture on the corner of Westchester and Stratford Avenues for 12 years.
He says sales are down more than 40% and he hasn't been able to afford more inventory, causing him to lose even more business. Without additional help from the government, he says the store may not make it.
"I pay $21,000 a month, we are not making it now,” he added.
Some of Igbara's neighboring business owners rallied Friday, urging the City Council to pass the Small Business Jobs Survival Act. The bill would give businesses the right to sign long-term leases, prohibit rent gouging, and limit landlords from passing on certain property taxes.
Electronics store owner Faisal Qurashi says it would definitely help: "Small business owners must be able to negotiate a fair lease agreement with the landlords to make reasonable profits. No longer working for the landlords."
A version of the Small Business Jobs Survival Act was first introduced in 1986 by then-City Councilwoman Ruth Messinger, but it never came to a vote. Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez held a hearing on the bill three years ago, but it never came up for a vote.
Business owners say they blame real estate interests for convincing Council members to sit on the legislation.
A spokesman for Council Speaker Corey Johnson says, "Helping mom-and-pop shops has always been a priority for the Speaker, and this is more important now than ever."
Critics of the legislation say it does not make a distinction between small and large businesses, and would hurt shops without a lease, which are mainly immigrant-owned.
Marco Shalma helps Bronx businesss with their media platforms. He says something must be done: 30% of his clients have gone out of business.
"If New York doesn’t do anything? Whoever is gonna fill up the gap is going to be corporations and it it going to change who we are as a community," Shalma said.
Bronx City Council candidate Darlene Jackson has started a petition to build support the bill.
Did you know you can now watch, read and stay informed with NY1 wherever and whenever you want? Get the new Spectrum News app here.
Looking for an easy way to learn about the issues affecting New York City?


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Following a full risk assessment of the artificial sweetener aspartame, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that the current Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of 40mg/kg bw/day is safe for consumption for the general population.
The re-evaluation of aspartame is part a programme set up by the Commission Regulation (EU) which involves comprehensive re-evaluations of all food additives approved prior to 2009.
In May 2011, EFSA was asked by the European Commission to bring forward the full re-evaluation of the safety of aspartame (E 951), which was previously planned for completion by 2020, due to concerns raised regarding recent studies.
The comprehensive assessment included a rigorous review of all available scientific research on aspartame and its breakdown products, including both animal and human studies.
EFSA stated that they examined all uncertainties related to the evaluation of aspartame to ensure that potential risks associated with aspartame were not underestimated.
The assessment concluded that aspartame does not harm the brain, the nervous system or affect behaviour or cognitive function in children or adults, nor does it pose risks during pregnancy. Researchers also ruled out a potential risk of aspartame causing damage to genes and inducing cancer.
The only exception that the researchers mentioned was in relation to patients suffering from the medical condition phenylketonuria (PKU), where the ADI is not applicable as sufferers require strict adherence to a diet low in phenylalanine.
Chair of EFSA’s Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources Added to Foods (ANS Panel), Dr Alicja Mortensen said that the assessment marks one of the most comprehensive reports of the sweetener.
“This opinion represents one of the most comprehensive risk assessments of aspartame ever undertaken. It’s a step forward in strengthening consumer confidence in the scientific underpinning of the EU food safety system and the regulation of food additives”, said Mortensen.


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Is Foxconn, the huge electronics company that manufactures for global brands such as HP, Dell, and Apple (yes, they make the iPad and iPhone) a towering fortress of secrecy where employees cower in fear, ten people to a dorm room, or a normal manufacturing outfit that has had a weird cluster of employee suicides recently?
Ten Foxconn employees have committed suicide in the last year, and five in the last month alone. The first that attracted major media attention in recent months was a 25-year-old man who claimed that company security officers accused him of stealing an iPhone prototype and beat him.
The company has responded to the damage to its image with promises to improve management techniques and working conditions, a rumored 20% raise for factory workers, and asking employees to sign a pledge not to kill themselves.
But is there another reason for the suicides–a demographic one, that has nothing to do with problems specific to Foxconn? One expert thinks so.
Jing Jun, a sociology professor at Tsinghua University in Beijing and one of the experts Foxconn invited here, dismissed the idea that the company’s labor practices were to blame. He said the victims were young people, ages 18 to 24, almost all of whom had recently moved to Shenzhen from rural areas. He said he believed they struggled with personal problems and the challenges of adjusting to factory life.
Professor Jing also offered a theory that widespread reports about the earlier suicides at Foxconn this year had created a contagion of copycats, particularly after rumors spread about the high compensation the company was paying some of the victims’ families. Some families had received about 100,000 renminbi, or a little more than $14,600, according to several Foxconn employees.
Keep in mind that a Foxconn worker can expect to earn the equivalent of $46 per week.
Have Foxconn’s labor practices been criticized before? Yes, even before the release of the iPhone.
To look at how Chinese media are dealing with the controversy through cartoons, check out this M.I.C. Gadget post.


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PGG Wrightson, the rural services company controlled by Singapore-based Agria, listed first-half profit by 55 percent on earnings growth from retail and ag services, allowing it to declare a 2.2 cents a share interim dividend.
Profit rose to $4.8 million in the six months ended December 31, from $3.1 million a year earlier, the company says in a statement. Revenue from continuing operations fell to $589 million from $694 million.
Wrightson sold its finance unit to Heartland New Zealand in August 2011 and booked a loss of $3.37 million in the first half of the 2012 that was not repeated in the latest period. Revenue from discontinued operations fell to $1.5 million in the latest half from $13.6 million a year earlier.
The latest results also include $25 million in repayment of loans over the Crafar Farms after the sale of the properties to China's Shanghai Pengxin Group.
Earnings from Wrightson's retail division, which includes Rural Supplies, Fruitfed retail and AgNZ (consulting) rose to $13.4 million from $12.9 million, the company says. Livestock earnings fell to $350,000 from $668,000.
Earnings from other AgriServices, which includes insurance, real estate, wool, irrigation and pumping, AgNZ (training) and South American activities, rose to $1.6 million from $743,000. AgriServices rose to $15.3 million from about $12 million and AgriTech, which includes seeds and gain and animal feeds, fell to $23,000 from $8.9 million.
"The tougher conditions being faced by farmers clearly impact on some areas of our business, but overall our businesses have performed strongly and most have lifted earnings year-on-year," managing director George Gould says.
Wrightson shares last traded at 41 cents and have declined 2.3 percent this year.
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Falken has revealed that the company is to release its first tire with an integrated tire sealant technology, claimed to be capable of immediately sealing punctures.
The Falken all-season Euroall Season AS210 will be available to customers in two sizes, with its Coreseal technology capable of sealing punctures that are up to 5mm deep in the tread’s surface.
The system consists of a layer of highly adhesive, viscous sealant situated on the inside lining of the tire. If a puncture occurs, the sealant then flows into the hole to prevent a loss of air pressure.
“Coreseal is a simple solution to a disruptive problem,” commented Andreas Giese, senior manager of corporate planning/product planning, Falken Tyre Europe. “Now you no longer have to change a tire or wait for roadside assistance, you can simply continue your journey. Coreseal is a significant step in making tires smarter and more efficient.”
The tire will be available in Germany this month, in a size 235/55R18 104V XL followed by a 225/50R17 98V XL all-season Euroall Season AS210.


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Lounge first for Abbey Crescent
THE first business earmarked for the new Abbey Crescent has been announced.
Award-winning all day cafe/bar operators Loungers has confirmed it has exchanged contracts on one of the four restaurants within the prestigious Abbey Crescent development.
The restaurant will have views across the Bay and both internal and external eating space. The group, which has outlets across the country, including in Bournemouth, Birmingham and Cardiff, is the first operator to commit to the scheme, opening under its Lounge brand (www.thel ounges.co.uk).
Loungers say they are: 'informal, neighbourhood food led cafe/bars' and offer a 'relaxed comfortable environment'.
The confirmation follows the recent granting of full planning consent and the announcement by developers Havard Tisdale's construction partner, Mansell Construction Ltd, that building work is scheduled to start in June.
Loungers managing director Alex Reilley said: "We see a lot of similarities between this scheme and Royal William Yard in Plymouth where Loungers was the first operator, opening Seco Lounge in 2010. This remains our busiest Lounge site.
"The success of Royal William Yard has been a game-changer for Plymouth, and while Abbey Crescent is architecturally very different, the developers are building a very striking building we believe could have a very similar positive effect for Torquay."
John Havard, director of Havard Tisdale, said: "We are delighted that the Loungers group recognises the potential offered by Torquay and has agreed to form part of this exciting development.
"The Lounge brand will significantly contribute towards the shared vision for Abbey Crescent, providing a high quality destination for both residents and visitors to eat, drink and relax in an attractive environment, adjacent to the seafront.
"Havard Tisdale hopes to announce additional operators within the coming months."


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Watch Christmas Spending Surge
There are two theories about what will driven consumer spending. On the pessimistic side, the trade war with China will raise consumer prices and cost jobs in some parts of the country. On the other side, unemployment is low, and consumer sentiment is high. Based on new research , the optimists will win out.
Gallup takes a poll every October and November to test what people will spend on the Christmas holiday. The 2019 figure is one of the highest on record. Americans say they will spend $846 on holiday gifts, up $52 from last year. The number is slightly below the level in 2017 ($862), and 2007 ($866), the year before The Great Recession. In 2008, as the economic collapse hit, the figure fell to $616). The poll was in the field from November 1 through November 14.
The number of big spenders is also near a record level. Gallup experts reported: “In this year’s survey, 34% of Americans say they plan to spend $1,000 or more on holiday gifts, which, along with 2006 and 2017, is one percentage point behind the highest percentage at that threshold, from 1999.” The people who they will spend more this year than in 2018 will spend an average of $1,068 this year.
Economists continue to argue over whether China tariffs will hit consumer prices in December and erode holiday spending forecasts. So far, the biggest retailers who have posted forecasts have rarely mentioned this as a headwind.
The forecast will help some retailers who have already been successful this year. At the top of most lists are Walmart and Target, the two largest big box retailers each of which posted strong earnings last quarter are expected to do so again in this one. On the other hand, a large number of retailers which include Macy’s, Kohl’s, and J.C. Penney expect dim sales over the course of the holiday.
For a look at the broader retail market see 24/7’s 20 fastest growing retailers in the world.


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Plain old banner advertising eyed with renewed interest
APRIL 18, 2011 – The 2010 online advertising industry numbers posted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau this month showcased an impressive increase in US online ad spending for the year.
Search marketing remained the largest ad spending contributor, its share down slightly to 46% of all US internet advertising dollars. Display advertising, which includes banner ads, rich media, video and sponsorships, increased its share, accounting for 38% of US online ad spending in 2010, up from 35.2% in 2009.
Within display, rich media, which includes Flash-animated banners and often features sound, saw a slight year-over-year decline, most likely to the benefit of online video.
Video ad spending grew 39.6% in 2010, according to the IAB; eMarketer projects an additional 40% ad spending increase for online video in 2011. However, for now, video remains a small percentage of total US ad spending, with only 5.5% share in 2010.
Somewhat surprisingly, banner advertising, which includes basic static display images, saw strong ad spending growth in 2010�up by 23.1%�and accounted for 23.9% of total online and 62.9% of all display ad spending.
In a March 2011 interview with eMarketer, Alan Osetek, president of Resolution Media, said in the past 12 to 18 months, the maxed-out state of paid search inventory, coupled with the increased offering of behavioral targeting, search retargeting and audience retargeting, has created an environment ripe for a resurgence of display advertising.
As ad networks, exchanges and even publisher sites offer behavioral targeting and audience retargeting�allowing advertisers to purchase inventory through performance-based pricing instead of bulk impression buys�marketers who once saw display advertising as a branding-only ad format will be sure to reconsider.
IAB data reflects a stark preference for performance-based marketing among online marketers. In the pre-recession year of 2006, ad revenues for performance-based and CPM-based pricing models were almost equal at 47% and 48%, respectively. A few years later, as economic conditions challenged advertisers to become more accountable, performance-based pricing ad revenues surpassed CPM-based pricing ad revenues by 29 percentage points, indicating a clear shift in ad spending and strategy among marketers.
Now, as newer ad formats like online video grab marketing dollars and targeting practices are questioned by the government, it remains to be seen whether banner advertising will continue to increase its share of US online ad spending.
By gathering the latest research and news from over 1,000 sources, eMarketer has established itself as the world’s leading provider of internet and e-business statistics. eMarketer’s Web site is at www.emarketer.com.


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Google has worked closely with Asus on the affordable Nexus tablet. Both companies expect to start shipping about 6 lakh units in June.
Google and Asus, who were earlier expected to bring their Nexus tablet in July this year, will now reportedly launch it as soon as next month. DigiTimes, quoting upstream supply chain sources in Taiwan, has reported that Google and Asus will ship about six lakh units of the Nexus tablet next month.
Google chairman Eric Schmidt did spill the beans about the affordable $250 (approximately Rs 12,500) tablet with a 7 inch display, the idea being to make the hardware affordable enough for consumers to try out tablets.
As per recent reports Google and Asus have worked on initial shipments of 600,000 tablet units for the month of June while the tablet will be released in the market in July. Google aimed for a May launch but due to design and cost constraints, the date was pushed to July.
More 7 inch tablets are expected from Samsung, Asus and Acer to stir up some competition in the second half of this year.
If it happens it will be for the first time Google will foray into the smartphone hardware space without any handset partner.
Chromecast Audio is a new device that plugs into speakers to stream radio, podcasts and music over WiFi.
Users can now get dedicated information on over 400 health conditions like malaria and dengue fever using Google's app.
Google Maps mobile app now offers information on cab services in India.
Google has issued the Android N preview for developers that reveals some crucial features of the next Android version.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai is coming to India on his first trip and will host an event on December 16.
Now you can get turn-by-turn driving directions, search for specific destinations, and find useful information about places all without an internet connection.
The LG Nexus 5X's price starts from Rs 31,900 while the cheapest model of Huawei Nexus 6P will cost Rs 39,999.
Android 6.0 comes with major improvements and new features in comparison to its predecessor.
Google Pixel C tablet is priced at approximately Rs 32,900 for the 32GB storage version while its 64GB model has a price tag of about Rs 39,490.