text:
But some analysts say it may be too little, too late, for the world's top mobile phone maker.
With price tags of (euro) 420 ($580) and (euro) 270, the Lumia 800 and 710 are based on Microsoft Corp.'s Windows 7 software and come eight months after Nokia and the computing giant said they were hitching up.
“Lumia is reasonably good ... but it's not an iPhone killer or a Samsung killer,” Neil Mawston from Strategy Analytics said. “But where Nokia does stand out is on their price -- it looks like they are going to be very competitive.”
Lumia 800, with Carl Zeiss optics and 16GB of internal memory, will be available in selected European countries in November, including France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Britain. It will be sold in Hong Kong, India, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan before the year-end.
Lumia 710, with a 1.4 GHz processor, navigational applications and Nokia Music -- a free, mobile music-streaming app -- will first be available in Hong Kong, India, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan toward the end of the year.
The company's share price jumped almost 3 percent in an otherwise depressed market on the Helsinki Stock Exchange but settled, closing almost unchanged at (euro) 4.80 ($6.68).
Nokia also unveiled four cheaper smartphones aimed at emerging markets -- the Asha range priced (euro) 60 to (euro) 115 -- with cameras, navigation applications and fast downloads -- in a bid to help “the next billion” users connect to the Internet, Nokia CEO Stephen Elop said at the Nokia presentation in London.
Equipped with QWERTY keyboards and some with the popular dual SIM cards, the Asha handsets will be shipped globally in the fourth quarter or early 2012.
Nokia, which claims 1.3 billion daily users, has been the world's biggest handset maker since 1998, selling 432 million devices last year -- more than its three closest rivals combined. But after reaching its announced global goal of 40 percent market share in 2008, it has struggled against rivals making cheaper handsets in Asia, and its share has shrunk to 24 percent earlier this year.
Worse still, Nokia's sales in the more lucrative smartphone market crashed 39 percent in the third quarter as it continued to be squeezed in the low end by Asian manufacturers like ZTE and in the high end by the iPhone, Research in Motion's Blackberry, Korea's Samsung Electronics and Taiwan-based HTC Corp.
The iPhone has set the standard for smartphones among many design-conscious consumers, the Blackberry has been the favorite of the corporate set and increasingly Google Inc.'s Android software has emerged as the choice for phone makers that want to challenge the iPhone.
Samsung and HTC -- snapping at Nokia's heels for third place in topend smartphones behind the iPhone and Samsung -- are the biggest users of the Android platform.
Nokia is still operating Symbian software, older than Apple's software and considered clumsy by many, although it has been upgraded. Nokia also introduced the MeeGo platform in its flagship N9 model launched last month.
Elop has said Windows software will become the main platform for Nokia smartphones but that it won't stop developing Symbian or MeeGo.
Mawston says Nokia has been pushed into a corner as Symbian was unable to compete with other operating systems and MeeGo took too long to develop.
“It's a risk that they may be juggling too many balls at once,” Mawston said. “They were pushed into a multi-platform strategy for at least the short-term, but given the competitive situation with Symbian and MeeGo they really had no choice but to develop a third (platform) and juggle all three at once.”
Elop described the Lumia phones as a “new dawn” for Nokia.
“Lumia is light ... Lumia is the first real Windows Phone,” Elop declared to the London audience.
He acknowledged that since he took over the Nokia leadership a year ago there had been “some difficult moments and some tough decisions to make,” including more than 12,000 layoffs, but was upbeat about the future.
“Eight months ago, here in London we outlined a new direction for Nokia,” Elop said. “Since then we've gone through a significant transition and we are playing to win -- no holding back, no hesitation, no second guessing.”
Ovum analyst Nick Dillon said the success of the new Windows devices will be critical.
“The challenges which Nokia faces are significant -- many potential Windows Phone customers will have already bought an Android or iPhone and will have some form of attachment to those platforms,” Dillon said. “Nokia will have a challenge to convince them to switch to what is a largely unknown, and therefore risky, alternative.”
Nokia, which according to Strategy Analytics, is the world's top seller of dual SIM card handsets, sold 18 million such devices in the third quarter.
“Dual SIM is really something Nokia should have been doing in 2007 and 2008 when the market really started rocketing quite aggressively,” Mawston said. “Like with smartphones really, they're two or three years behind and are gradually playing catch-up.”
The Espoo-based company, near Helsinki, employs 136,000 people -- up from 132,000 a year ago.
노키아, MS 운영체제 탑재한 첫 윈도폰 공개
국내에서는 KT 통해 연내 출시 예정
핀란드의 휴대전화 제조사인 노키아가 마이크로 소프트(MS)의 최신 모바일 운영체제(OS) '망고'를 탑재한 첫 윈도폰을 공개했다.
노키아는 26일(현지시간) 영국 런던에서 열린 노키아 월드 행사에서 '노키아 루 미아 800'과 '노키아 루미아 710' 등 '망고폰'을 포함한 스마트폰 라인업을 공개했 다.
이들 두 제품은 노키아가 열세를 보였던 스마트폰 시장에서 재기하기 위해 자체 OS인 '심비안'을 포기하고 MS의 OS에 기반을 둔 윈도폰을 제작하겠다고 선언한 지난 2월 이후 처음으로 공개된 것이다.
스티븐 엘롭 노키아 CEO는 "8개월 전 공유한 새로운 전략이 순조롭게 실행되고 있음을 보여줬다"며 "노키아는 강력한 신제품을 어느 때보다 빠르게 시장에 선보이 고 있다"고 강조했다.
국내에는 이들 제품 중 노키아 루미아 710이 KT를 통해 판매될 예정이 다.
1.4㎓ 프로세서를 장착한 노키아 루미아 710은 흰색과 검은색 등 2가지 색으로 출시되며 뒷면 케이스를 푸른색(cyan)과 붉은 보라색(fuchsia), 노란색 가운데 고를 수 있다.
KT 관계자는 "노키아 루미아 710의 연내 출시를 준비하고 있으며, 이르면 11월 중에 시판할 수 있을 것"이라고 말했다.
MS가 지난 5월 공개한 모바일 OS '망고'는 여러 이메일 계정을 하나의 수신함에 서 관리하는 기능과, 문자메시지와 페이스북 채팅, 윈도라이브메신저를 자유롭게 오 가며 대화할 수 있는 기능 등을 탑재했다.
삼성전자와 HTC는 이에 앞서 10월 중 망고 OS를 탑재한 스마트폰인 '옴 니아W'와 '타이탄(Titan)'•'레이다(Radar)'를 출시한 바 있다.


text:
While Apple sets to unveil their second-generation iPad this coming week, technical bloggers are advising professional marketers to start thinking about what this means for their industry.
With 15 million iPads already sold since the device shipped less than a year ago, “the cool kids all have it and more people are going to,” said Dave Snyder, associate creative director for Dentsu digital agency Firstborn. “It definitely means marketers need to open up to custom brand apps.”
Regardless, marketers and advertisers have been largely absent from branded apps, leaving a large opportunity for movers and shakers in this industry to experiment with branded apps. Many technology blogger experts are stating that marketers are missing a large opportunity here, but what exactly are we missing out on?
Face time with consumers seems to be the big selling features for marketers. With the new front facing camera, this makes yet another way for consumers to interact with live customer service chatting via video chat functions. It has also been suggested that marketers could consider a click to call app, allowing consumers to call a customer service agent with the click of a branded app right on their iPad. With faster processing, the iPad 2 could potentially open doors for more powerful web-based apps and multitasking opportunities. The devices HDMI output also allows web surfing or apps to be shared on monitors up to 59” for optimal usage.
While the new device is only ounces lighter than the original, industry experts are noting that this device won’t become a personal shopping device anytime soon. There is still the awkward issue of holding the device for long periods of time.
While there are many cool new features with the iPad2, more graphic features and faster processing, I personally am still not sold on the different functionalities of the iPad 2 that marketers are said to be missing out on. I am, however, very interested to see if the iPad2 is going to live up to the hype of revolutionizing the marketing realm.

domain: news


text:
Clothing meant for more than just wearing and the first mountaineering tent to stand up on its own without poles are among innovations on display at the Outdoor Retailer winter show here.
These days outerwear doesn't just get worn, it does something - it can keep you toasty with battery-powered heating coils, fight body odor, require less washing or glow with luminescence.
The semiannual Outdoor Retailer show, held in Salt Lake City in October, had 724 U.S. manufacturers displaying goods for retailers from around the world. The show featured the latest advances in apparel and gear and would make an avid consumer drool, but the public wasn't allowed inside and manufacturers took only bulk orders for sale.
Here's a look at some of the latest outdoor gear and clothing.
More winter jackets are now coming equipped with an electronic signature that can help rescuers find a skier who gets lost or caught in an avalanche. The thumb-size RECCO reflectors, attached to jackets, work with proprietary detectors being deployed by ski areas in the West after gaining popularity in Europe.
The reflectors are no substitute for avalanche beacons that can help one backcountry skier dig out another in a hurry. Only professional rescue crews are using RECCO detectors, and a buried skier who has to wait for their arrival is more likely to die. The system is more useful for finding skiers who get lost in the woods - or for finding bodies.
The jacket of the future also could guard a skier against a hard fall. Spyder Active Sports Inc. is using a new, flexible material inside Olympic race suits that instantly stiffens on impact to protect elbows and shins.
"You can hit it with a hammer, and it absorbs the blow," said Tommy Moe, the gold-medal winning U.S. Olympian at the 1994 Winter Games.
Moe said the new material replaces a padded undergarment skiers wore that didn't always spare his arms from welts when his upper body hit slalom gates. Spyder is making the suit available for U.S. and Canadian Olympic team skiers.
Also part of apparel's future are multicolored, luminescent "threads" that take their power from tiny batteries.
"We'd like to light the outdoor industry," said Avi Timor, president of Elam USA Inc., showing off coils of electroluminescent wire, which can be woven into everything from clothing to dog leashes and already has found a place in toys and games.
"Everywhere we go, we get the 'wow,'" said Timor, who predicts that tent manufacturers will soon offer tents wired for light so hikers can find them in the dark.
Many tents have shed the rainfly, using waterproof, breathable fabric to save weight, but Nemo Equipment Inc. of Nashua, N.H., is out with a tent that doesn't even need poles, using inflatable air bladders instead for support.
"They are the BMW of tents," says Cam Brensinger, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate who developed the 4.8-pound Morpho ($565), a roomy tent for two that packs almost as tight as a loaf of bread. An even lighter version, at 2.8 pounds, goes for $395 and packs into the size of a cantaloupe.
The tents can be set up within minutes with a tiny hand or foot pump that fills airtight fabric chambers that turn remarkably stiff under pressure, letting the tents absorb and rebound from high winds that could snap an aluminum pole.
The concept isn't far from the space suit of the future that Brensinger helped NASA develop for a possible manned mission to Mars to replace more cumbersome 280-pound suits. He worked on designs meant to be lighter and easier to use.
Brensinger's tents have other nifty features like a window, a retractable canopy for warm nights and multiple doors and vents.


text:
A satirical sports blog from NGSC Sports is reminding readers that the National Football League (NFL) still has a long way to go when it comes to reforming its cannabis policies.
The blog, authored by Sammy Sportsface, which is definitely a real name, claims that a 30-second ad detailing the benefits of medicinal marijuana has received the green light to be aired during Super Bowl Sunday.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Unfortunately, this is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
With millions of viewers — CBS Sports reports that 148.5 million people watched at least part of last season’s game — getting a message to that many eyeballs would be a big win for North America’s cannabis sector.
Any such move, though, would be out of step with previous weed ad offerings. A storyboard presentation of an ad from Acreage Holdings — which showed how cannabis had helped the health and lives of three people before advocating for the legalization of medical cannabis and displaying the company logo — got the hook from CBS in 2019.


text:
Black Friday and shopping season are officially drawing in. Since the pandemic in 2020, online shopping has increased by 59%, so it’s no surprise that businesses and brands begin prepping for the big event way in advance!
As customers and brands alike start thinking ahead for the online rush, we thought we’d take a look back at some of the best Black Friday and Cyber Week campaigns for you to take inspiration from.
So, here you have it, our top six creative Black Friday campaigns. Enjoy!
IKEA - Buy Back Friday
Ikea is no stranger when it comes to producing a good campaign or two. For most retailers, Black Friday revolves around discounts and pushing new products, but Swedish furniture brand Ikea took a completely different approach.
Over Black Friday, Ikea ran with its ‘Buy Back Friday’ campaign, promoting sustainability and recycling old items over selling new stock. Consumers can register to sell old furniture online, and in return, they receive vouchers to spend in-store, with the voucher value calculated by the condition of their sold items.
The initiative became so successful that it debuted across 27 countries and became a unique way to approach the fast-paced shopping season!
Gymshark - Jim Shark
Last year, fitness brand Gymshark decided to launch a completely unconventional campaign to capture the attention of its audience! Using the online platform Cameo, Gymshark chose unknowing celebrities to record a video birthday message for ‘Jim Shark’.
Celebrities, including Tom Felton, Captain Lee Rosbach, Carol Baskin and more, were chosen to record videos that last between 40-60 seconds. As explained on their Instagram post, Gymshark created the campaign to ‘break the internet’ and drive attention to their Black Friday sale as they released the following;
"Pranking celebs to wish us happy birthday when it’s not our birthday > promoting our up to 70% off Black Friday sale (link in bio if you're interested)".
Deciem - Slowvember
We’re all too familiar with the manic rush to buy the products we’ve been eyeing for weeks, waiting for a sale to hit - however, Deciem opted for a slightly different approach to the Black Friday FOMO!
The Toronto-based company, famed for its brands such as The Ordinary and NIOD, rather than running a quick flash sale, Deciem extended their 23% discount to run throughout the whole of November.
The aim behind this campaign was to make their customers take a slower approach to shopping and make more conscious choices!
Passenger - Green Friday
Sustainable clothing brand, Passenger also decided to go down the more sustainable route for Black Friday. Aptly rebranding the event to ‘Green Friday’, their campaign revolved around planting trees and protecting the environment with every order.
Overall, they planted five trees per order and protected 500sqm of rainforests. The campaign’s main goal was to give back to the planet and create a greener future!
Last year marked the 5th year that Passenger ran with their Green Friday initiative, and no doubt they’ll continue their ever-successful campaign this year too!
Just Eat - FoodCycle
To celebrate Black Friday, JustEat partnered with FoodCycle, a charity dedicated to providing vulnerable people with food by serving nutritional three-course meals!
With the slogan, ‘Make Black Friday a bigger deal’, instead of offering discounts, JustEat pledged to donate 50p from every order to FoodCycle, which not only encouraged customers to order food via their site but also helped contribute to a good cause!
And there you have it! Just a few of the best creative Black Friday campaigns. Think we’ve missed one? Why not slide into our DMs on socials and let us know!


text:
While 3D printing used to be out of reach for most due to its high costs, recent advances are poised to bring the unique technology to the masses. President Obama even mentioned it in his recent State of the Union Address.
As a result, the copyright infringement implications for 3D printing are becoming even more important.
Through 3D technology, it is possible to create a new object by simply downloading a design file and printing it out in plastic. Of course, any time an object is digitized and copied, there are intellectual property implications.
Much like music sharing sites, there are also 3D model marketplaces where users can share 3D renderings, which can then be printed. Thingiverse and Shapeways are two of the most popular. Both have seen a significant uptick in activity in recent months, with many of the designs based on copyrighted and trademarked content.
Not surprisingly, Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notices and cease and desist letters are also on the rise. For instance, HBO recently requested that a Florida man stop selling a 3D printed iPhone dock that he modeled after the Iron Throne chair from its Game of Thrones series. “While we appreciate the enthusiasm for the Series that appears to have inspired your creation of this device, we are also concerned that your iron throne dock will infringe on HBO’s copyright in the Iron Throne,” HBO wrote.
Although rights holders are starting to take action, the intellectual property law surrounding 3D technology is largely untested. Given its novel characteristics, it would not be surprising if 3D printing tests the bounds of existing IP laws and even generates new precedent.
How Can I Help?
If you, or someone you know, need help with any Intellectual Property issue, from filing a patent, trademark or copyright, or just advice regarding how best to protect your ideas and your brand, contact me for a free 30 minute consultation at email@example.com or call TOLL FREE at 1-855-UR IDEAS (1-855-874-3327) and ask for Norman.
– Ex astris, scientia –
I am and avid amateur astronomer and intellectual property attorney in Pasadena, California and I am a Rising Star as rated by Super Lawyers Magazine. As a former Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Navy, I am a proud member of the Armed Service Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association working to aid all active duty and veterans in our communities. Connect with me on Google +


text:
Scientists Rediscover Climate-Resistant Wild Coffee Species
With climate change threatening to wipe out half of all land suitable for coffee production by 2050, the race is on to find new strains that can withstand these complications. Scientists in Sierra Leone believe they have done just that with the rediscovery of a hardy coffee species not seen in the wild since 1954.
The species, called Coffea Stenophylla, can withstand a mean annual temperature of 78.6°F – 12.24° hotter than Arabica and 3.42° higher than Robusta varieties (The Washington Post, 2021), which together currently make up 99% of the entire world’s coffee supply. It’s also resistant to drought and leaf rust, a fungal disease that can devastate coffee crops.
Coffea Stenophylla is similar in taste to Arabica, with 80% of blind taste testers unable to tell the difference between the two. This is pertinent as Arabica – which is considered superior to Robusta and generates higher prices – is particularly sensitive to changes in climate conditions.
This discovery could be a game-changer for the growing $465.9bn global coffee industry, as shifting weather patterns continue to threaten production and farmers’ livelihoods.
To read up on the current coffee market and the consumer demand for more sustainable options, read Coffee 2021: Sector Outlook and Meet the New Coffee Consumers. For a further example of how scientists are looking to future-proof coffee consumption, read Faux Coffee that Skips the Bean.


text:
The Stocks You Should Be Buying After Monday’s Drop
If you’re looking for bargains after Monday’s market sell-off, take a look at cybersecurity. Few industries got sold as hard - and yet it has the best growth prospects.
That’s due to a worldwide surge in hacking from criminals and terrorists. After all, when it’s so easy to be a hacker and get away with it, anyone who wants to will be a hacker.
But it isn’t hopeless. America is going to fight back. In fact, U.S. companies have been told they MUST fight back - or else.
Uncle Sam Steps In
A federal court ruled Monday that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) now has the power to go after corporations that fail to take adequate measures to protect customer information from hackers. (You’d be forgiven for missing the news... there was a lot going on that day.)
The ruling came about because Wyndham (NYSE: WYN) had major data breaches in 2008 and 2009. Hackers stole credit card numbers and other personal information from 619,000 customers. This resulted in more than $10.6 million worth of fraudulent charges. Now the FTC wants to make sure Wyndham pays for its lack of preparedness.
And it’s just a taste of what’s to come. The FTC is also considering a case against Target (NYSE: TGT) over the hack that exposed data for as many as 40 million customers.
Home Depot (NYSE: HD)... Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL)... EBay (Nasdaq: EBAY)... Bank of America (NYSE: BAC)...
All of these companies have experienced high-profile cyberbreaches in recent years. Now, which do you think they would rather spend money on - cybersecurity measures or huge court settlements?
I know how I’ll bet.
Some more frightening stats...
- A whopping 91% of U.S. companies have been targeted by a cyberthreat within the past year.
- There were 118,000 attempted attacks PER DAY in 2014. Successful hacks on Anthem (NYSE: ANTM), JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM) and Sony (NYSE: SNE) show no industry or company is truly safe.
- Last year, each successful cyberattack in the U.S. cost the affected company an average of $12 million. The amount of damages per incident has doubled in the past five years.
- According to the AARP Fraud Watch Network, cybercrime cost ordinary Americans $800 million in 2014.
I could pummel you with hack attack facts until you’re curled under your desk, cradling your hard drive. But I don’t want you to get scared. Instead, I want you to (a) protect yourself - starting with the five simple steps I outlined here - and (b) profit.
That second part should be easy since spending on cybersecurity is expected to grow 20% this year alone. And now that the FTC is stepping in, plenty more companies and government agencies will be seeking professional anti-hacking services.
Plus, as I mentioned at the top of today’s column, this is the perfect week to jump into this trend.
An Easy Way to Play Cybersecurity Now
When the market panicked on Monday, nobody got hit harder than the PureFunds ISE Cyber Security ETF (NYSE: HACK). It’s a basket of 32 cybersecurity stocks, including industry leaders Trend Micro, Fortinet (Nasdaq: FTNT) and Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR).
Check out the chart...
You can see that the PureFunds ETF swooned more than 30% upon opening. Then it clawed its way back the rest of the day and closed above its open. This shows that the smarter money knew panic was the only thing dumping the PureFunds ETF on the curb. Once the market turned, buyers came in.
The funny thing is, we may not have seen a bottom in the market or the PureFunds ETF. Not if the market gets another whiff of panic. I’m not saying you’ll be able to buy it under $19 - but if fear sweeps through the market again, you might be able to pick up the PureFunds ETF or its components for dimes on the dollar.
I expect the fund will do well. The individual companies it contains have real potential for extraordinary outperformance.
The cyberwar against America is raging. And the tsunami of spending in cybersecurity hasn’t crested yet.
Don’t get mad... get rich. It’s the best kind of revenge.
Editorial Note: The FBI and NSA are sounding the alarm... Hackers now have the capability to mount devastating sabotage operations against our electric grid. For tens of millions of Americans, this would mean a sudden and frightful return to the Stone Age.
But there is hope! A handful of publicly traded companies are working to make sure this NEVER happens - and making a killing for shareholders in the process. Click here for more information.


text:
UK: Rheumatoid arthritis scare linked to coffee
People drinking too much coffee may increase the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to new medical research.Studies at the National Institute of Public Health in Finland, have found that people who drink 11 cups of coffee or more a day are almost 15 times as likely to have rheumatoid factor, which contributes to the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. The findings, published in the latest medical journal of Rheumatic Diseases, also show that those who have more than four cups a day are twice as likely to test positive for arthritis than those who drank less.But, more research has been called for as the ingredient in coffee that may increase the risk of developing rheumatoid factor has yet to be identified. According to the Coffee News Information Service, the study showed an association but not a cause and effect relationship. Coffee drinkers, it said, can be assured that coffee consumption in moderation is perfectly safe.The data was collected 20 years ago, when strong boiled coffee was the norm, so does not represent the normal UK consumption that is primarily of the instant variety, the Service added. Sarah Diston
Get full access to all content, just $1 for 30 days
A Message From The Editor
just-drinks gives you the widest beverage market coverage.
Paid just-drinks members have unlimited access to all our exclusive content - including 16 years of archives.
I am so confident you will love complete access to our content that today I can offer you 30 days access for $1.
It’s our best ever membership offer – just for you.
Olly Wehring, editor of just-drinks
- Will Coca-Cola Co’s Dunkin’ Donuts move pay off?
- Five ways small brands can beat big players
- Heineken's Q3 2016 results - Preview
- Alcohol brands and the 'better-for-you' trend
- Interview, Bulldog Gin CEO Anshuman Vohra, Pt II
- Diageo weathers Thailand alcohol ban
- Heineken's YTD performance by region - Focus
- SWA's David Frost to leave for foreign office role
- Stock Spirits appointments provoke investor unrest
- Anheuser-Busch InBev's Q3 & YTD results - Preview
- Global gin insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- Global Wine Market 2016-2020
- Global Scotch whisky insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- Global rum insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- Global RTD insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends


text:
“My Google Home Mini was inadvertently spying on me 24/7 due to a hardware flaw,” wrote a tech blogger who purchased Google Inc.’s latest internet of things (IoT) device. Following the incident, a pact of consumer advocacy groups insisted the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recall the Google smart speaker due to privacy concerns arising when the device recorded all audio without voice command prompts.
The CPSC is charged with protecting consumers from products that pose potential hazards. Traditionally, this has meant hazards that may cause physical injury or property damage. But as internet-connected household products continue to proliferate, issues like the “always-on” Google Home Mini raise an important question: Where does cybersecurity of consumer IoT devices fit within the current legal framework governing consumer products?
The Explosion of IoT
Forecasts predict that by 2020 IoT devices will account for 24 billion of the 34 billion devices connected to the internet. According to a recent Gemalto survey, “[a] hacker controlling IoT devices is the most common concern for consumers (65%), while six in ten (60%) worry about their data being stolen.”
The rapid growth of the IoT market and continued integration into daily life raises the question of which regulatory body or bodies, if any, should be responsible for consumer safety when it comes to cybersecurity for consumer IoT devices.
The Intersection of Consumer Product Safety, Privacy and Cybersecurity
The CPSC’s jurisdiction has traditionally been limited to physical injury and property damage. It is “charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of the thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction.”
Continue Reading Connected Devices Bring New Product Liability Challenges


text:
Seven shops have been caught out selling cigarettes, alcohol and fireworks to children.
More than a third of shops visited by volunteers aged 15 and 16 were found to be prepared to sell the products to under-age customers.
The investigation by West Sussex Trading Standards and Sussex Police found four shops in Worthing and three in Bognor operating illegally.
Trading standards officers said in some cases no questions at all were asked of the volunteers let alone requesting proof of age.
It is illegal to sell these products to those under 18 and Trading Standards supports the Think 25 policy encouraging traders to ask for ID from anyone who looks under that age.
Christine Field, West Sussex County Council cabinet member for public protection, said: “What is an especially worrying development is the sale of fireworks to our volunteers.
“In the past this has proved very rare. However, in this exercise two shops sold both fireworks and cigarettes to the volunteer in the same purchase.”
Anyone suspecting a shop of serving under-age customers can report them anonymously on 0845 404 0506 or via www.westsussex.gov.uk by typing “incident reporting form” into the search bar.
See the latest news headlines from The Argus:
- Brighton mother hits out at TV presenter Dan Hill over child maintenance
- Brighton and Hove City Council 'lays down welcome mat for travellers'
- Ballot for train drivers over 2.65% pay offer
- Brighton 'at crisis point': City’s heritage and architecture victim of wanton neglect
- ‘Schools must focus on the arts for top rating’: Harman


text:
Francisco J. Sánchez, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration met up with AMCHAM members during a roundtable discussion hosted by PricewaterhouseCoopers on May 21st, 2012. Mr Sánchez provided an overview on the American Business Community Issues, US-Malaysia Bilateral Trade Issues.
Together with Matt Ingeri, Deputy Economic Counselor of the US Embassy of Kuala Lumpur who just had returned from a trip to the US to attend the TPP negotiations in Dallas, the Under secretary provided an update on the Trans- Pacific Partnership negotiation status. The Dallas round was a very successful round according to Ingeneri and the nine TPP countries are continuously working on bringing the 21st century free trade agreement to a success.
Because of the increasing interest for TPP from the AMCHAM member companies we will organize 2 members only TPP briefings from the US Embassy and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in respectively June and July 2012.


text:
German financial services company Wirecard has partnered with MasterCard to roll out its host card emulation (HCE)-based mobile payments service “boon.” that will allow all Android users with NFC-enabled phones to make contactless payments throughout Austria, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.
“Any user of an NFC-capable smartphone with the Android 4.4 operating system or above will now be able to use boon. Users simply install the Android app on their smartphone, then register with boon and that’s it — they can make contactless payments within just a few seconds,” the company said in a press release. “Boon is based upon a prepaid MasterCard, which is issued by Wirecard Card Solutions. This can currently be topped up by bank transfer or credit card.”
The Munich-based company has also introduced an additional security layer called “boon.protect,” which will prompt users to pass additional security features, such as PIN request. Some of the other features include risk management tools, data encryption via HCE and a real-time transactions tracker that allows users to monitor transaction activity on their account.
“The solution offers an unparalleled payment experience, from an intuitive user interface to its design, and the very highest security standards,” said Dr. Markus Braun, CEO of Wirecard. “The addition of innovative features and business models will help ensure that boon continually grows. We will work with both distributors and cooperative partners to establish boon on a global basis.”
For 2016, the company said it plans on enabling new features in boon., including additional payment functions and a wide range of personal finance services, like microcredits and peer-to-peer (P2P) payments, among other things.


text:
Amazon is known for its interest in autonomy as it has a delivery drone project and Scout robots, but the company might be taking it a notch higher. The company has invested $530 million in Aurora Innovation, a self-driving car startup found by people like ex-Googler Chris Urmson, former Tesla Autopilot leader Sterling Anderson and Uber autonomy co-founder Drew Bagnell.
While Amazon hasn't spoken about its expectations from the new investment, Aurora's technology may provide some clues. Aurora focuses on developing a driverless system rather than producing cars.
This system can be incorporated in various vehicles, and major companies like Hyundai and Volkswagon have already pledged to use Aurora software in their cars by 2021. Amazon might use this technology for the self-driving cargo and courier vehicles, to speed up delivery times.
Besides, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has accused the owner of the outlet AMI and leader David Pecker of blackmail. "Rather than capitulate to extortion and blackmail," Bezos wrote in a blog post on Medium, the executive published emails they sent proposing a "completely confidential" agreement.
Bezos cites his lawyer's investigation into how National Enquirer got their hands on the text messages as the prime reason for the outlet threatening to release his "below the belt selfie," with other images.


text:
Gabriella Wilde and Rob Pryor
Burberry has launched The Britain, its mechanical watch collection for men and women which celebrates 156 years of Burberry history, British functional design values and the craftsmanship at the heart of the brand.
Burberry Regent Street Flagship Store
Directly inspired by the iconic Burberry trench coat, the collection features four different movements, including a 40-hour power reserve automatic, automatic and chronograph watches for men and women.
Ren Harvieu performing
An iconic Burberry colour palette runs through the collection and details, and a transparent case back on automatic watches highlights the intricacies of the movement and the Swiss craftsmanship behind it.
Shot by photographer Mario Testino in London, the ad campaign for The Britain features a British cast of emerging cultural talent that represents the many facets and attitudes of the brand and The Britain.
To celebrate the launch, Gabriella Wilde and Rob Pryor hosted a cocktail event at the newly opened Burberry Regent Street flagship in London on october 2nd, attended by over 400 guests including Olympic gold medallist Victoria Pendleton, musician and Roo Panes, TV presenter and DJ Greg James, Gemma Chan, Olivia Grant and Jeremy Piven.
Further launch events with the cast are planned in New York and Beijing.


text:
Once our clocks have been set to British Summer Time, all we can think of is, well Summer. This is why Mackie’s Ice cream’s launch is just ideal for this time of the year.
They give you their new Pink Gin & Lemonade sorbet which is made with real pink gin and lashings of real cloudy lemonade – yum.
The Mackie family have been farming at Westertown farm since 1912 and Mackie’s of Scotland is now a well-known Scottish food brand.
Initially being a milk retail company, they started making ice cream in 1986.
Mackie’s ice cream is now firmly established as one of the UK’s most popular take-home ice creams.
You could be wondering about whether there’s actual gin in this, and all we’re saying is that they advise people to have their ID when wanting to taste this mouthwatering delight.
This exclusive flavour is offered in one of their Aberdeen stores since last Sunday March 31st.


text:
Retirement savers need to recognize inflation as the threat that it is, and craft a strategy to deal with it.
Here are five key items to look at now that we're midway through 2014.
So many of us are banking online and by phone, but only 3% want a phone call from bank customer service.
An alarming 45% of all consumer identity theft complaints last year came from Americans over the age of 50.
Critics asked 'Why bail out the bankers whose policy decisions paved the way for the economic collapse?' But it seemed to work.
Baby boomers stay frugal when leaving home, but millennials want to leave their cares behind.
Treat dad like a king for a day without spending a king's ransom on gifts and swag.
The U.S. isn't there yet, but its next backward step would be in the same downward rate direction as the E.U.
Generation X and millennial professionals will find it much harder to move up the career ladder than they might have thought.
Small-business lending is better, if still relatively tight compared with before the recession. How do you take advantage?


text:
Andes plans indoor farmers market in former Citihope building
By Brian Sweeney
A new Andes Farmers’ Market is set to open on Saturday, May 3 in the former Citihope building on Main Street.
Cheryl Terrace and Andy Wos are organizing the project and she will serve as market manager.
“Andy and I are thrilled with the interest and are confident this will be a huge success, with the right vendors and energy,” Cheryl noted.
“We are also creating a community commercial kitchen in the back to prepare and serve food,” she added.
The market will operate seasonally on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The market may be ultimately expanded to Sunday operation, if there is sufficient public interest. Cheryl said she anticipates that the market will run through year’s end, since it’s a heated space.
All the right foods
Cheryl continued, “We want to make this the ‘go-to-local-food’ market, featuring local meats, milks, cheeses, produce, etc.”
She said the Andes Farmers’ Market will be food-oriented and won’t feature crafts, but explained that such items may be featured as part of an occasional “pop-up” event.
The building that will house the market is centrally located on Andes’ Main Street. Cheryl pointed out that the building has bathrooms, heat and ample amounts of natural light.
“We are looking forward to creating a (well-needed) fabulous and fun Andes Farmers’ Market,” Cheryl stated.
Vendor spaces are 10-feet-square and are $30 per week. The fees include the cost of heating, Wi-Fi and electric. There will be room for about 20 vendors.
Anyone interested in learning more about becoming a vendor is welcome to e-mail Cheryl for particulars at: Cheryl@vitaldesignltd.com


text:
NEW YORK (77 WABC) — The Dow rises for a third straight day, but unlike Monday’s rally that evaporated by the closing bell, Tuesday was a different trading session.
The Dow soared 556 points, or 2.1%, to 26,642, its best day since June 29.
The Nasdaq gained 97 points, while the S&P posted a 42-point increase.
Caterpillar paced the Dow with a 4% boost. By contrast, Amazon and Netflix lost on the day .6 and .1, respectively.


text:
CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- The merger of XM Satellite Radio Inc. and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. could get a thumbs-down from federal regulators, yet the companies would survive if they were to remain separate, analysts said Tuesday.
If the deal is approved by shareholders and regulators, investors in XM would get 4.6 shares of Sirius common stock for each XM share they own. The $13 billion deal includes debt of about $1.6 billion. See full story.
But if Federal Communications Commission or Justice Department officials determine that going from two satellite-radio providers to one would harm the public interest, the initial consequence could be a steep decline in the companies' stocks.
With widespread speculation about a potential agreement between the companies, XM XMSR shares soared 80% to the $18 level between early November and the middle of January, after moving downward for most of 2006. The shares have leveled off in the last month or so, but shot up again Tuesday.
Over the same November-January span, Sirius SIRI, -1.12% shares were more volatile, rising 16% before plunging on news of a slashed year-end subscriber forecast. The stock then jumped again amid merger talk in January.
"The stocks have been trading on speculation about a deal rather than fundamentals," said Tuna Amobi, analyst at S&P Equity Research, in an interview.
If the deal isn't ruled on for some time, and both companies are profitable on a free cash-flow basis, that would offset some of the resulting negativity about the merger's demise, according to Amobi.
Still in orbit
Though both companies have seen subscriber-growth rates slow down in recent quarters, falling short of some analysts' estimates, it's clear that there remains a growing market for satellite radio, as some consumers still regard terrestrial radio as tired and repetitive.
Broadcasters are fighting back by airing fewer commercials on music stations, and experimenting with eclectic formats designed to give listeners more variety, but satellite radio has a niche and it's not going away -- with or without a merger.
XM and Sirius now have a combined total of nearly 14 million subscribers, after having just a fraction of that total four years ago.
Among skeptics, much has been made of the inability of XM and Sirius to turn an earnings per-share profit after several years in operation.
In the third quarter ended Sept. 30, XM said that it lost $84 million, or 32 cents a share, compared with a loss of $134 million or 60 cents a share in the prior year. In the same three months, Sirius said it lost $163 million, or 12 cents a share, compared with a loss of $180.5 million or 14 cents a share a year earlier.
However, per-share profit won't be the standard a stand-alone XM and Sirius would be judged by for many years, said Maurice McKenzie, Signal Hill Capital Group analyst.
Free cash-flow generation, or the cash generated by operations minus the capital necessary to operate the company, should be the yardstick used to measure the companies' progress, he commented.
"I think we'll see free cash flow from these companies on a sustained basis over the next two years," McKenzie added. "These are still viable economic entities."
The key, according to McKenzie, is that both XM and Sirius have a significant number of fixed costs. If they can grow subscribers against the backdrop of those fixed expenses, more of its cash flow will go to the bottom line.
One important factor for both companies if a merger is not approved is cost control, despite the need to keep competing with each other, said Don Hodges, manager of the Hodges Fund.
Pointing out that the decision to merge was clearly driven by economics, Hodges also said: "You've got a couple of companies with extremely high overhead that realize that they've spent too much money, and that making a profit is way off in the future unless they're willing to cut some expenses."
XM reported that subscriber-acquisition cost per gross addition rose to $93 from $89 in the third quarter from the year before. At Sirius, subscriber-acquisition costs per gross addition fell to $114 from $149 a year earlier.
Spending on ego
If they have to remain separate, XM and Sirius "could have very profitable businesses if they just cut back on their big ego-type programming," Hodges said. The manager is referring to the signing of such big names as Howard Stern and Martha Stewart on Sirius, and Bob Dylan and Oprah Winfrey on XM.
The companies also carry expensive sports contracts with the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA and other leagues.
McKenzie said that as stand-alone companies over the next several years, XM and Sirius might not have to find themselves in expensive bidding wars over hot programming assets.
"Celebrities that are of premium quality today may not have the same cachet 10 years from now. So they could be more affordable or have less of an impact," he added.
In the event the merger is scuttled, neither XM nor Sirius would be dealt a fatal blow, according to Steve Mather, satellite analyst at Sanders Morris Harris.
"They're both going to have 10 million subscribers before long," he said. "And then 15 million."
Mather and McKenzie said that XM has a modest edge over Sirius due to its superiority in factory-installed automotive customers.
The way the proposed merger is structured, though officially being presented as a merger of equals, assigns a premium to XM shares, implying that the companies themselves see XM has having greater value.
Hodges, who held XM shares for many years before selling them last year, has just recently begun to buy the stock again. In a two-company environment, he would still prefer XM over Sirius. He pointed to the company's greater number of subscriptions -- 7.63 million at the end of 2006 to the Sirius total of just more than 6 million, as well as the advantage in deals with car manufacturers.
XM has deals in place with automakers General Motors GM, -0.03% Honda HMC, -1.18% (7267), Hyundai HYMTF, -1.79% Nissan NSANY, -1.54% (7201), Porsche (693773), Subaru (7270), Suzuki (7269) and Toyota TM, -0.56% (2703). Its radios are available in 140 different vehicle models for 2007.
While Amobi also gives a slight edge to XM, he also said that Sirius is closing the gap thanks to its generally better performance on the retail front, fueled by such plug-and-play devices like the Stiletto and s50 portable radios.


text:
With the announcement of the Xbox One today, EA has decided this would be a good day to announce the Battlefield 4‘s pre-order bonuses and a release date.
The next Battlefield will be ready for action on 1 November for PC, current-gen consoles, the PS4 and Xbox One. This is four days before Call of Duty: Ghosts which is released on 5 November.
If you decide to pre-order there’s also the chance to get your hands on the China Rising expansion pack where “players fight for dominance across the vast and majestic Chinese mainland in four massive multiplayer maps, using all-new vehicles and high-tech military equipment”.
Pre-ordering the Digital Deluxe edition through Origin will bring extra goodies including the base game, bonus in-game digital items, the China Rising digital expansion pack and access to the beta test.


text:
For Immediate Release
Wellington Drive Technologies COVID-19 support payments
14 April 2020
Wellington Drive Technologies has received $434,376 under the New Zealand Government’s COVID-19 Wage Subsidy scheme.
The company is also applying for other COVID-19 related government support for its international offices:
• In Australia, where Wellington’s iProximity subsidiary has two staff members, the company expects to receive a refund of its PAYG obligations from the Australian Tax Office for the March, June and September quarters. This is expected to be around A$10,000 per month.
• Wellington’s United States (US) subsidiary has applied for two COVID-19 related programmes; the US Paycheck Protection Program for its five US-based staff members and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. Grant eligibility and amounts will be determined by program underwriters.
Wellington is a leading provider of IoT solutions, cloud-based fleet management platforms, energy-efficient electronic motors and connected refrigeration control solutions. It serves some of the world’s leading food and beverage brands and refrigerator manufacturers, and offers proximity-based marketing for Smart Cities to the Australian market. Wellington’s services and products improve sales, decrease costs and reduce energy consumption. Headquartered in Auckland with a global reach, Wellington is listed on the New Zealand stock exchange under the ticker symbol NZ:WDT
For further information visit www.wdtl.com
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Financial Officer
+64 27 5870455


text:
Microsoft’s first Windows 10 smartphone, or smartphones as the case may be, are expected soon what with the release of Windows 10 for desktops just around the corner. So a few leaks and some speculation are in order and the newest info claims that Microsoft will be launching two Lumias, the 950 and 950 XL, at some point in the future. They’re not pictured above, however.
The info, via Chinese website IT Home, doesn’t feature a timeline for the devices but it does give out quite a few specs for the apparent handsets. And unlike Microsoft’s last few Lumia releases, these look like they could stand up to the current crop of high-end devices.
The Lumia 950 will reportedly contain a Snapdragon 808, the same processor that we’ve seen in LG’s G4, which will be powering a 2K 5.2-inch display. 3GB of RAM, a removable 3,000mAh battery and microSD support are also mentioned in relation to the handset, which is codenamed Talkman.
The handset is also supposed to feature a USB C-type charging port, a 20MP camera and a front-facing 5MP camera. If the report is correct, this is a Windows phone we couldn’t mind taking a decent crack at.
The Cityman-coded Lumia 950 XL is said to be much the same, though there’s apparently a 5.7-inch 2K display and a Snapdragon 810 processor slated for that device. It’ll also sport a slightly larger battery, at 3,300mAh.
Without official confirmation, there’s no way of knowing how much credence we can give this report. But we do so want it to be true, it’d be fantastic to see a Lumia slugging it out with the other smartphone heavyweights for a change.
Source: via Pocket-Lint


text:
“The EU Agency ENISA, the European Network and Information Security Network Agency, launches a report on virtual worlds with 25 safety tips for parents on how to make their children behave safely in online virtual worlds.”
Some commensense guidelines and rules for parents to help support their children play safely and happily in online virtual worlds. Overall a positive review that doesn’t seek to demonise virtual worlds. Instead it argues that:
Parents should be educated, empowered and engaged to ensure truly positive and valuable experiences for their children, while reinforcing safety online habits in these three-dimensional environments.


text:
Free Newsletters for the Channel
Register for Your Free Newsletter Now
June 3, 2021
FireEye channel partners have a lot to look forward to when the company separates in two later this year.
That’s according to Bryan Palma, executive vice president of FireEye products. On Wednesday, FireEye announced it’s selling its products business, including the FireEye name, for $1.2 billion. A consortium led by Symphony Technology Group (STG) is the buyer.
The transaction will separate FireEye’s network, email, endpoint and cloud security products, along with the related security management and orchestration platform, from Mandiant’s controls-agnostic software and services. FireEye and STG should close the deal by the end of the fourth quarter.
FireEye acquired Mandiant in late 2013. Post-closing, the company will continue to publicly trade as Mandiant.
The separation provides a significant opportunity for FireEye to expand its partnership with the channel, Palma said.
Keep up with the latest channel-impacting mergers and acquisitions in our M&A roundup.
FireEye’s Bryan Palma
“Specifically, it provides consulting firms, managed security firms and MSPs the opportunity to build services around the FireEye technologies,” he said. “All contracts will continue to be assumed by both companies so partners will continue to have the same access and relationships that existed pre-separation. After close, both companies are looking to forge a strong partnership designed to maximize the benefits to our joint customers and partners. They can also expect to benefit as the two companies share technology, telemetry, threat intelligence and expertise.”
The FireEye products business and Mandiant solutions will operate as a single entity until the transaction closes. Management and STG will develop a transition of the FireEye products business to a standalone entity within the STG portfolio.
“The transaction provides each business the opportunity to pursue new go-to-market pathways, focus innovation on their respective solutions, and better target growth investments,” Palma said. “The separation also allows FireEye to expand its relationship with the channel, and better positions Mandiant as controls agnostic.”
Post-closing, FireEye will be the name of the FireEye products business, he said.
Partners will be able to pick and choose products and services from both companies to suit their needs.
You May Also Like
Cloud Computing News: AWS Loses Another Key Exec to Azure; Canalys, Vega Cloud, Hyve NewsFeb 23, 2024
Channel Futures Reveals 2024 Circle of Excellence InducteesFeb 23, 2024
Canalys Channel Leadership Matrix Names AWS, Cisco, HP Among 'Champions'Feb 22, 2024
CrowdStrike, SonicWall Cyber Threat Reports Highlight Attacks, Popular TacticsFeb 21, 2024


text:
Hampstead businesses ordered to remove ice-cream advertising board ‘street clutter’
- Credit: Archant
Camden Council is accused of “bullying” small businesses after ordering owners to remove essential advertising boards and newspaper delivery trollies from the street just days before Christmas – branding them a “danger to mothers, the elderly and the disabled”.
Several independent businesses in Heath Street, Hampstead, were handed a notice last week telling them to get rid of anything obstructing the road’s public highways, or else face a fine.
Village Newsagents was given the warning for displaying an ice-cream advertising board, and for storing trollies used to deliver newspapers to residents every morning outside the shop.
Owner Pravin Malviya said the trollies are “part and parcel” of his livelihood, and that he has never received a complaint about them in his 35 years of running the shop.
The 74-year-old said: “We are trying to survive in these difficult times, it’s ridiculous.
“They can’t bully us like that. It’s because we are small.”
He added that his shop has no basement or storage at the back of the premises to store the trollies and the advertising board.
- 1 Barnet: Three arrested as victim of fatal stabbing named
- 2 Spurs survive 'Lasagna-gate 2' and it's over to Arsenal
- 3 Man in his 30s stabbed to death
- 4 West Hampstead woman's kids' clothes success story
- 5 Motorcyclist injured in Highgate Hill collision
- 6 St John's Wood nursery 'requires improvement' after surprise Ofsted visit
- 7 Hampstead pharmacy under investigation over extra charges for prescriptions
- 8 'The law isn't important to us': Car tyres deflated by activists in Camden
- 9 Court: Disciplinary rules not followed in 'unfair' sacking, lawyer suggests
- 10 Tributes paid to Belsize 'man of many talents' who co-founded Abacus school
The notice was handed to business owners in person by a council employee last week, three days before Christmas. It read: “Your obstruction on the public highway causes not only an inconvenience but also a danger to pedestrians, especially mothers with children and the elderly or disabled.”
The owners have been told to remove the advertising boards and all belongings before early January or the council will take them away and charge them for removal.
Ghassan Akar, owner of Tania’s of Hampstead, in the courtyard of Hampstead Craft and Antique Emporium, was also handed a letter for displaying a sandwich board.
The 62-year-old said: “It’s not a Christmas gift, is it? I don’t feel like it was the right time to do this.”
The Ham&High went to Heath Street to ask pedestrians if they consider the boards and trollies to be an obstruction.
Marika Cobbold, a writer, of Church Row, Hampstead, said: “There’s not a lot of Christmas spirit down at the Town Hall.
“I have walked around the streets of Hampstead for 10 years and I haven’t tripped up on an ice-cream board yet.”
She added: “If Hampstead was flowing with the blood of pensioners from the ice-cream sign, then I would understand.”
Mother-of-one Thora Helgadottir, 35, of Vale of Health, also said the signs and trollies do not cause her any problems when pushing her pram along the street.
However, Farokh Khorooshi, founder of anti-street clutter group Hampstead 2020, said: “I think Camden should be praised for finally taking care of the pedestrian’s rights. Shops are for shopping in, pavements are for waking in and streets are for cars.”
He added: “The amount of street clutter... is a disgrace and a stain on the visual character of Hampstead.”
Cllr Phil Jones, cabinet member for regeneration, transport and planning said: “An increasing number of complaints have been brought to the council’s attention about A-boards and other obstructions on our public footpaths.
“Many local blind and partially sighted people have told me that these obstructions make their lives very difficult.
“The council has a legal obligation to keep footpaths free of such obstructions to allow safe, unhindered access to all users, particularly to our residents and visitors who have visual impairments or mobility issues.”


text:
Texas officials report that companies are raising food, water and hotel room prices following a winter storm that struck Texas this week. This is because residents wait in long lines in grocery stores and face food and water shortages. Thomas Shea / AFP via Getty Images Hide caption
Thomas Shea / AFP via Getty Images
Thomas Shea / AFP via Getty Images
Texas officials are cracking down on companies they say have raised food, water and hotel room prices while the state continues to grapple with shortages caused by unprecedented winter weather.
Harris County attorney Christian Menefee, chief civil attorney for Texas’s largest county, and Harris County judge Linda Hidalgo, said Houston residents have complained that hotel rooms and bottled water are being sold at exorbitant prices.
“The main kinds of things we see are hotels that set prices at ridiculous prices,” Menefee told the Associated Press. “We have seen allegations that packs of water were sold for two to three times the normal price or packs of water were split up and individual bottles were sold at inflated prices.”
Menefee and Hidalgo have since put in place a system that allows consumers to report suspected incidents of price cuts. In just 20 hours, the system logged more than 450 complaints.
This is while much of the state continues to face food and water shortages following bitter cold temperatures and power outages that lasted days after a Texas winter storm this week.
We have heard reports of outrageous prices for essential items such as food, water, and housing. We will not tolerate any price cuts. Sign up at https://t.co/ainGTAAjMn or text 346-354-7459. Violations can result in fines of up to US $ 250,000. District Attorney @CDMenefee is leading this effort.
– Lina Hidalgo (@LinaHidalgoTX) February 17, 2021
Raising the price of essentials during an emergency statement is against the law in Texas.
Selling or leasing fuel, groceries, medicines, shelter, building materials, construction tools, or any other necessity for an exorbitant or inflated price after the governor declares a state disaster is illegal under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act.
Hidalgo said violations could result in fines of up to $ 250,000.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton this week urged residents to report incidents of price cuts or other disaster-related fraud to the state consumer protection hotline.
“No one in Texas is exempt from price-cutting laws. Anyone who sells goods, necessities, or services at exorbitant prices will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Paxton said. “I’m not going to stand up for any person or company that Texans are illegally exploiting.”
The sticker shock wasn’t limited to just food and water. Houston Public Media reported that this week about 27,000 CenterPoint Energy customers in the Houston area opened their emails to a heart attack-surprise surprise: a bill for $ 202,102.16 from their utility company.
But the bill was just a technical flaw, the company said.
CenterPoint Energy tweeted “You don’t owe this amount” to its consumers who may have received such an email.
We are aware of an ongoing technical issue caused by the Houston power outage that resulted in some customers receiving false gas billing emails. If you received a $ 202,102.16 email, please ignore it. You don’t owe that amount.
– CenterPoint Energy (@energyinsights) February 18, 2021
The company said, “We are aware of a recent technical problem caused by the Houston power outage that resulted in some customers receiving false gas billing emails. If you get an email for 202,102.16 USD, please ignore it. “


text:
A tax credit for electric vehicles wrapped into landmark US climate legislation comes with an asterisk: later this decade, there will be years when not a single car qualifies for the $7,500 subsidy.
The looming hiatus for the tax credit may make EVs less affordable — at least temporarily — as the Biden administration aims to wean Americans off internal combustion engines. It reflects an effort to advance lower-carbon transport while also nurturing domestic manufacturing of battery cars.
The law signed by president Joe Biden last week immediately requires that any EV sold in the US must be assembled in North America to qualify for the credit. The requirements grow stricter in 2024, when eligible EVs must have battery components not made or assembled “by a foreign entity of concern”, which includes China, the dominant battery producer.
In 2025 those batteries must exclude “critical minerals” extracted, processed or recycled from the same foreign countries. An increasing share would need to be from North America or selected trade partners.
Under the North American final assembly rule, the administration published a list of 21 models eligible for credits for the remainder of 2022. According to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a manufacturer group, 72 EVs are available for sale in the US.
The impending limits on battery components and minerals will further shorten the list. “If the Treasury Department interprets the law, strictly as written, that would actually in my view disqualify all vehicles,” said Jay Turner, a professor of environmental studies at Wellesley College who researches the role of batteries in the clean energy transition.
A Treasury official said that changes to the tax credit will strengthen US clean energy supply chains and the country’s energy security, adding that the department expects a range of credit-eligible vehicles to be available beginning in 2023, including when the battery-related provisions take effect in 2024 and 2025.
No one predicts that the US EV market will stop short in the face of the new domestic manufacturing requirements. The US auto industry largely endorsed the new law, known formally as the Inflation Reduction Act. Ford, which has announced $14bn in US investment in EVs and batteries, was among the supporters.
“While its consumer tax credit targets for electric vehicles are not all achievable overnight, the bill is an important step forward to meet our shared national climate goals and help strengthen American manufacturing jobs,” the Michigan-based carmaker said.
One reason is because EV sales have continued to grow even under the previous tax credit system, in which incentives halted once a manufacturer sold more than 200,000 electric vehicles, as happened to industry leader Tesla in 2018. Further, that 200,000-vehicle cap will be eliminated at the start of 2023.
US EV sales grew from 319,554 in 2019 to 656,845 in 2021 and are forecast to climb to over 1.2mn in 2022, according to BloombergNEF, a clean-energy research group.
“Many EV buyers today are buying [them] knowing that they are not likely to get a federal tax rebate” because of the sales caps, said Seth Goldstein, an analyst at Morningstar.
The law extends the EV tax credits to 2032. By then, 30 to 50 per cent of EVs could qualify, said BloombergNEF analyst Colin McKerracher, who said the law will provide “a significant boost” for the US EV market.
Bernard Swiecki, research director at the Center for Automotive Research, said that the law is a net positive for the transition to US electric vehicles. However, Swiecki said that some consumers are at risk of being priced out of the market if the tax credit is unavailable for the cars they want to buy.
“My big question mark is: will the automakers who produce vehicles that don’t qualify drop prices to at least partially offset [the absence of a tax credit]?” he asked. Swiecki noted that Tesla and General Motors lowered prices once their sales reached the 200,000-vehicle cap.
The impending restrictions on the origin of battery components and minerals loom large over the US industry.
China refines 73 per cent of the world’s cobalt, 68 per cent of its nickel, 59 per cent of its lithium and 40 per cent of its copper, making it the “dominant global player in refining strategic minerals”, according to a Brookings Institution report.
China also makes most of the world’s mineral-rich battery cell components, including 70 per cent of cathodes, which boost the amount of power a battery can deliver. The nation’s dominance in mineral refining and battery manufacturing means that it plays a role in the production of every EV currently sold in the US, experts said.
Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat whose support was critical to the bill’s passage, had been outspoken against supply chains based in China. “I’m going to do everything I can to stop it because I think it’s stupid, because we are not able to protect our investments in the country,” he said in June.
Manchin’s “staff got carried away with the [manufacturing] goals they were trying to set” instead establishing ones that “will be too hard to meet” in the timeline set out by the act, said Dennis Blair, a former director of national intelligence under US president Barack Obama who now chairs Safe, an energy security organisation.
Having more expensive EVs would mean “less energy security for the country” in the short term, Blair said.
Though the Alliance for Automotive Innovation reported that automakers have invested over $100bn for EV production expansion in the US, “there’s no way the supply chain is going to reach us” over the next two years, said Mike Ramsey, an analyst at Gartner.
But he and other analysts do not believe the US EV rollout will be hindered by restrictions on the tax credit, mostly because consumers have shown they are willing to shell out money for EVs.
That Tesla was able to gain such a large market share “without access to the tax credit really tells you that making vehicles that consumers actually want to buy is still more important than making vehicles that qualify for the tax credit”, McKerracher said.
Read the full article here


text:
With roughly a week before its official release, "Mass Effect: Andromeda" made some noise over the weekend at the PAX East 2017 event.
Game developer BioWare showcased a new 32-minute game footage of the upcoming action role-playing video game, according to a report from gaming website Gamespot. The video gave spectators a glimpse of the game's combat scenes, which included a "death sequence" involving the player. Moreover, the video also showed a Loyalty Mission, particularly that of Liam Kosta.
Creative director Mac Walters have already stressed in the past that importance of incorporating missions in the game since these add more color to the characters. "As a writer, one of the things I loved was the freedom to say, 'I know this character is coming along,' so they can carry a lot of the narrative. That made my job easier, but it also made it more fun, because I could tell a more specific story in one of those missions," he shared.
Gaming enthusiasts have also noticed some notable changes in Andromeda, compared to the previous "Mass Effect" games. A report from Gamezone mentioned the upgrade in the way a player interacts with the ship, which was a result of the Frostbyte Engine developed by EA and the powerful hardware of next gen consoles. Furthermore, another telling difference is that players of Andromeda can now switch classes easily through a Profile System, which is a welcome improvement for gamers who wish to shake the gameplay anytime they want.
Last week, the game's trophy and achievements list was leaked and posted by Exophase, showing the three different categories: Bronze, Gold, and Silver. The Platinum trophy, being the ultimate prize, can be attained by completing the first three.
In addition, Fernando Melo of BioWare also posted last week on his Twitter account a series of screenshots showing the Female Korgan, as well as some details on the character selection screen.
"Mass Effect: Andromeda" will roll out on March 21 for the Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4.


text:
The bats (committee and sponsors) will be at the course before even the first bird has had a chance to chirp. Tee off for the early birds has been set for 06h45 whilst the not-so-early risers will be teeing off at 11h45. Dinner and prize-giving will follow as soon as the last group completes their round. “Eat Greek will be catering the event again this year, so we know the chow will be good,” says Kerry Sandiford, Chairperson of ABF Durban. “If you do not have a ticket for dinner please give one of the committee members a call and we will reserve one for you at a cost of R100.
Because last year was such a success, we will be using the same prize giving format this year,” she says. “The top three 4 balls will be awarded prizes, followed by lucky draws which allows everyone an opportunity to be a winner.”
This year three items will be up for auction: a R50 000 television package provided by Oracle Airtime Sales and a R50 000 outdoor package sponsored by INM Outdoor. “We also have the most amazing framed print of an original painting by Richard Palmer of the Durban Yacht Mall donated by RJ Palmer Advertising,” says Kerry.
A silent auction will precede events. To book your fourballs, confirm sponsorship or make any bids prior to the event, contact Kerry on
or Barbara Leask on
The music will be pumping and the drinks flowing so get down to the golf course and have a fun-filled day and evening with us!


text:
Netflix set for Wii this spring
The Nintendo Wii will - as rumoured - be getting the Netflix movies on demand service, with a release this spring said to be on the cards.
"From Day 1, we always had other capabilities within the console," enthuses US boss Reggie Fils-Aime. He added that this new service is "is a continuation of an effort to bring more and more entertainment to consumers who interact with the Wii."
"Our growth in the last two years has been propelled in large part by our investments in streaming content and in the streaming platform," adds Reed Hastings, Netflix boss.
"When the Wii application ships, it's going to really open up a large additional opportunity."
As with the PS3 version, a disc will be required on the Wii. More on this expected soon.
- Watch Us Play.tm: Metro Redux
- Capcom suing Koei Tecmo for a lot of patent infringement
- New fighters and gameply features come in with EA Sports UFC's second free update
- NHL 15 demo faces off on PS4 and Xbox One
- Chair bringing the Infinity Blade saga to a close next week
- Watchmen and Dexter actors provide the voices for The Evil Within
- Square Enix apologises over confusion surrounding the Rise Of The Tomb Raider announcement
- Antitrust issues caused Google to back out of buying Twitch
- Metro Redux launch trailer arrives as the collection launches in North America


text:
Montclair's restaurants and cafes are switching to take-out only, and numerous other businesses have closed, as ordered by the state, to stem the COVID-19 outbreak.
Montclair businesses affected by the COVID pandemic can apply for up to $10,000 to pay the rent under a new state program.
“After too many months to count, buses are back rolling again,” a message on the DeCamp website said.
by ERIN ROLL email@example.comAfter seven years serving crafters in the Montclair area, Rock Paper Scissors will be saying goodbye this weekend.The Bloomfield Avenue fabric and craft supplies store is closing its doors for good this...
By LINDA MOSS firstname.lastname@example.org With this price cut, maybe now you can afford Yankee legend Yogi Berra’s former home in Montclair, a lavish Tudor mansion. The price tag for the 1.4-acre estate on Wayside Place has been...
King's grocery store will stay in Montclair despite bankruptcy, while Lidl appears to be some time away from arriving at Lackawanna Plaza.
Building houses Mesob, Shade Store, Ani Ramen and condos.


text:
Somewhere within the mayhem of Occupy Philly protestors staging their own mock meeting, and Councilman Jim Kenney handing out Primo Hoagies, City Council managed to pass Bill #110341, better known as the Gratuity Protection Bill or simply Tip Bill. When signed into law, it will prohibit restaurateurs and owners of other businesses where employees rely on gratuities from taking a cut of tips to cover credit card transaction fees. While it’s viewed as a win for servers, restaurant owners see it as an added burden to their businesses, which are already taking a hit from an economy that’s on life support. “I don’t think City Council members truly understand the reality of it,” Marc Vetri told Grub Street. “They think they’re doing something good, but servers aren’t going to make anything more than a few extra dollars a night.”
“For servers its a few extra dollars a night,” Vetri added. “But for us, the small business owners, it adds up to thousands of dollars a year.”
Councilman Bill Green, who was one of the two council members who voted against the bill, described it as nothing different than “a targeted tax increase.”
Aside from the added expenses his restaurants will incur from the law, Vetri said what bothers him more is, none of the bill’s supporters bothered reaching out to him or any other of the city’s restaurateurs to get their side of the story.
“The issue isn’t just the bill,” Vetri explained. “There was no discussion. City Council didn’t ask for our input. They wouldn’t even meet with Stephen Starr or take my phone call.”
Just as Jim Kenney and Philly Restaurant Opportunities Center cited a weak economy as a reason for taking action on the issue now, Vetri said that the economy is also a reason to create incentives for small business owners. “We get them and we open more restaurants and we’re able to create more jobs,” he said.
So what’s the next step? Vetri said its going to be business as usual.
“I don’t have time to fight nonsense like this,” he said. “It’s not the end of the world. We’re still out there doing what we do, and trying make the city an awesome place to live.”
Tension surfaces between Councilmen Green and Kenney [Metro]


text:
Fifth-Gen Opel Corsa Sales Surpass 750,000 Units
The fifth-generation Opel Corsa launched in 2014, and in the three years since, it has established itself as one of the brand’s best-sellers. Opel last week delivered its 750,000th Corsa, extending the legacy of a vehicle that has seen more than 13 million sales since debuting in 1982.
In the 35 years between launch and this latest milestone, the Corsa has collected a number of awards. More recently, it was named Ireland’s “Small Car of the Year 2016,” Germany’s “Most Sensible Car 2015” and “Value Champion 2015,” and AUTOBEST’s “Best Buy Car of Europe for 2015.” With the continued success of its newest generation, the Corsa shows no signs of slowing down.
More of What’s New from GM: 2018 GMC Terrain gets smarter engine options and a sharp new look
“The Corsa is one of our most important models in Europe and accounts for around one-quarter of Opel’s total sales volume. Depending on the version, it is the perfect car for singles and couples as well as for the whole family,” says Peter Küspert, Opel/Vauxhall Vice President Sales and Aftersales.
The Corsa A debuted in 1982 to much acclaim, selling 3.1 units over its decade-plus lifespan. Sales only improved for the second generation, when the longer and more advanced Corsa B racked up more than 4 million units moved. Designer Hideo Kodama returned for the third-gen Oepl Corsa C, which grew wider and longer and improved performance and efficiency with a four-cylinder ECOTEC gasoline engine. The fourth-gen Corsa D introduced more fuel saving technology between 2006 and 2014, building momentum for the successful launch of the current-gen Corsa.
More New Opels: Insignia wagon makes the leap to the US as a Buick
The sixth-generation Opel Corsa is expected to launch in 2020 as one of—if not the first—vehicles built exclusively using PSA Group IP.


text:
By Vanessa Obioha with agency reports
The multi-picture film deal with the online streaming giant Netflix was announced on Friday by Viacom Inc’s Paramount Pictures Chief Executive Officer Jim Gianopulos during an earnings call.
“Our priority is to expand our role as a major global content supplier. As such, we’re exploring various new revenue streams in addition to our traditional theatrical releases as a producer of first-run films and television for other media platforms,” Gianopulos said on a conference call with analysts.
Details of the new deal were not disclosed, but the company led by CEO Bob Bakish noted Viacom had licensed product to Netflix for some years and that it had turned around its core business, with gains in audience share, U.S. distribution and Paramount across both film and TV.
He added Viacom was accelerating growth initiatives as it continued to scale and transform the studio. The company also reported higher fiscal fourth-quarter earnings that exceeded Wall Street estimates.


text:
Real estate investor Cytonn has launched off-plan sale of the Sh120 million townhouses at its Applewood gated community on Miotoni Road in Nairobi.
Chief executive officer Edwin Dande said Sh2.5 billion will be spent on development of the 18 units (its newest acquisition) that will stand on half an acre on a 10-acre plot.
“Applewood was inspired by the success of our flagship development Amara Ridge in Karen where we put up 20 units priced at Sh100 million apiece.
Mr Dande said the new development follows wide consultations with affluent clients seeking to buy properties located in upmarket locations.
“Applewood location boasts easy accessibility to a large concentration of international schools, several leisure and recreational sites as well as The Hub shopping mall and The Water Front Park in Karen,” said Mr Dande.
In its latest report, Wealth-X, the firm that publishes the annual World Utra-Wealth Report, says the number of Kenya’s ultra-rich—defined as people worth $30 million (Sh3 billion) or more, grew by 11.7 percent in 2017, ahead of India, Hong Kong and the United States.
In a separate report realtor Knight Frank said businesses in Kenya created 180 new dollar millionaires in 2017, increasing the number of persons with net-worth of more than Sh500 million to 1,290.
Kenya is expected to mint more multibillionaires over the next five years owing to newly found natural resources such as oil, private investments in energy production, real estate, manufacturing, logistics and e-commerce. Other developments by Cytonn Real Estate include Amara Ridge in Karen, The Alma in Ruaka, Situ Village in Karen, River Run in Kiambu, Taraji Heights in Ruaka.


text:
Firaxis working on Civilization 5
2K Games has announced that Sid Meier's studio Firaxis is working on Civilization V.
Not only that but the latest game in the legendary strategy series will arrive on PC this Autumn.
"Each new version of Civilization presents exciting challenges for our team," said Meier. "Thankfully, ideas on how to bring new and fun experiences to Civ players never seem to stop flowing. From fully animated leaders and realistic landscapes, new combat tactics, expanded diplomacy and shared mods, we're excited for players to see the new vision our team at Firaxis has brought to the series."
Firaxis is also working on a Facebook version of Civilization called Civilization Network finding yet another platform for Meier's enduring strategy franchise.
- New Destiny trailer teases interesting new stuff coming with The Dark Below
- Geometry Wars 3 hits PC today, consoles tomorrow
- Retail listing for ZombiU 2 spotted
- 343 admits last week's Halo: The Master Chief Collection patch didn't work as well as they'd hoped, promises to keep working
- Dark Souls II is heading to PS4, Xbox One and DirectX 11 PC next year
- Square Enix boss promises a brand new console RPG reveal next month
- Ubisoft reveals there will be no release day reviews for The Crew
- Surprise! Tales From The Borderlands episode one is out today
- StarCraft 2 pro-player expelled from Fragbite Masters tournament for Twitter rape comment about a female opponent


text:
Brace yourselves, or your websites rather! Google Panda’s latest update is rolling out. According to Search Engine Land, Google recently announced that it has started rolling out its new update, the latest version of Panda 4.2. With the announcement of new Google Panda 4.2 roll out, webmasters need to thoroughly examine their site for the presence of anything suspicious, that might result in Google penalizing the site.
Gary Illyes of Google announced this update saying, “This past weekend we began a Panda update that will roll out over the coming months.” He also said that Google is always working to improve the user’s experience. These updates are rolled out at frequent intervals to make the users search more relevant. Google, however, confirmed that the rollout would be rather slow and take months for the full update. Still, websites should begin preparing themsleves for the new Google Panda 4.2 roll out. Webmasters needs to start searching sites for any duplicate content as that is what Panda algorithm really checks.
The update has already affected around 2% to 3% of the search queries. This percentage is however lower than that of the previous update that rolled out during September last year.
Google says that the new Google Panda 4.2 roll out is more of a modification of the previous version rather than being an update. Thus, even sites that were previously hit by Panda 4.1 update, stand a chance to be hit again.
Google, however, also announced that any new changes that a website wishes to implement will not be taken into account by this new update. Thus, sites that have previously failed to amend their duplicate contents will again be hit by the new Google Panda 4.2 roll out update.
The update will affect all kinds of sites. Many sites that are ranking high in the page rank but contain duplicate content will be affected by Panda 4.2. The worst part in the update is that webmasters will not be able to make any necessary changes while the roll out continues. And with the rather slow update, sites will also not be able to quickly detect whether they have been penalized by the roll out.


text:
Western Canada’s best attended consumer show brings together engaged and excited visitors over a six-day period where they can see hundreds of different car brands under one roof, manufacturers and dealers see the Vancouver International Auto Show as a major boost to the industry they cannot afford to ignore.
PULL QUOTE: “There was a parade of new sport/crossover utes from virtually all manufacturers, all scrambling to get a share of this hot market segment.”
Keith Morgan picks five trendy faves from Ford, Infinity, Lincoln, Hyundai and Chevy at the L.A. International auto show
I hear a new version of the electric VW Golf could have an astonishing range of 300 kms.
Chevrolet promised to offer the first affordable electric vehicle with up to 320 kilometres of range.
That promise will not only be met but also exceeded when the 2017 Bolt EV goes on sale later this year. With the vehicle’s US EPA-estimated range of 383 kilometres, owners can expect to go beyond their average daily driving needs — with plenty of range to spare — in the 2017 Bolt EV when charging regularly.
“Chevrolet showed the world the production version Bolt EV earlier this year and in a few short months we’ve moved from that vision to a reality,” said GM North America President Alan Batey. “The Bolt EV is a game changer for the electric car segment and it will start to become available at (US) Chevrolet dealerships later this year.”
Batey says Bolt EV buyers won’t be able to find a better value for an all-electric, thrill-inducing ride offering plenty of range, cargo space, technology and safety features that make the Bolt EV a great package for any driver.
“While range is important, we knew Bolt EV owners would want more — more space and more power — and the Bolt EV delivers,” said Bolt EV Chief Engineer Josh Tavel. “Our team took special pride in optimizing every aspect of this vehicle, especially its impressive range and ride dynamics.”
The manufacturer’s suggested retail price has been set at $42,795 plus a $1,600 destination freight charge. Pricing could be in the low 30s (plus the freight charge), after provincial incentives are applied to the purchase price.
“Value is a hallmark for Chevrolet and the pricing of the Bolt EV proves we’re serious about delivering the first affordable EV with plenty of range for our customers,” said Batey.
Bolt EV buyers will find range, cargo space, technology and safety features standard in a vehicle that has crossover proportions. The DC fast charging provision and the tire inflator kit are standard equipment.
The base LT trim starts at $42,795 and comes with standard features that include, among others, Regen on Demand™ steering wheel paddle, rear vision camera, 10.2” diagonal colour touch-screen and MICHELIN™ Self-sealing tires. The top trim Premier includes all LT equipment plus additional standard features such as leather-appointed seats, front and rear heated seats, surround camera and rear camera mirror. The Bolt EV will be arriving at Canadian dealerships in early 2017.
All-new 2016 Volt with extended range, offers up to 80 kilometres of pure electric driving on a full charge then the onboard gas-powered generator kicks in.
The comfort of the SS sport seats, a rumbling 6.2-litre, V8 and the glory of air conditioning eliminates the discomfort of the Sunshine State’s clammy atmosphere.
When it comes to Google searches for cars, Canadians differ considerably from their American cousins.
The search engine company has just released its top ten lists for all manner of topics but the auto searches topped Driveway’s interest list.
The Ford Mustang topped the Canadian charts and the top selling F-Series truck the Escape and the Focus joined it. Google suggests the Mustang topped the list because it was the best-selling sports car last year and it features a complete redesign.
While Ford dominated in the Great White North, Chevrolet vehicles were Googled more down south. Four feature in the top ten with the Chevrolet Malibu at the top followed by the Silverado truck in second place, the Camaro at four and the Colorado truck in eighth place. The Corvette was in fourth place in Canada and the Camaro sixth.
The Honda Civic, top in car sales here, was number two in Canadian searches.
Mainstream, domestically produced vehicles dominate both sides of the border. Interestingly, the BMW 3 Series made it into the top 15 for the first time. Google says it is a rare event for a luxury vehicle. People Googling cars have usually made their short list and are looking to buy in many cases. However, the trend from which BMW benefitted follows greater interest by Canadians in luxury brands. Luxury searches on Google are up 18 per cent in 2015.
The world’s two largest manufacturers, Toyota and Volkswagen didn’t make the Canadian list but the Toyota Tacoma truck made it to three in the US.
“The all-new Volt delivers a total driving range of up to 675 kilometres.”
LOS ANGELES, California.
This is the second time the Volt has won the award, the first time being when it debuted in 2010 as a 2011 model. Green Car Journal praised the Volt’s increased range, all-new propulsion system and bold design.
“Chevrolet’s all-new Volt is a milestone, building on an already-technologically advanced ‘green’ car and delivering what buyers have longed for, including an impressive 53-mile (85 kms) driving range on a single charge,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and CarsOfChange.com.
“A visually appealing design, increased five-passenger seating, and an array of on-board electronics combine with the Volt’s inherent efficiencies to make the 2016 Chevrolet Volt a real winner,” Cogan said.
The all-new Volt delivers a total driving range of up to 675 kilometres. Combined with EPA-estimated fuel economy of 5.6 L/100kms highway, Chevrolet expects owners to travel 1,600 kilometres between gasoline fill-ups.
“Chevrolet is all about bringing affordable electrification to our customers, and that is exactly what we did with the Volt” said Steve Majoros, Chevrolet marketing director. “For Volt to stand out in Green Car’s evaluation, it reaffirms Chevrolet’s commitment to being a leader in electrification.”
According to independent surveys, Volt owners are the most satisfied in the industry, and 70 percent of those owners are new to General Motors.
The Green Car of the Year award is determined by an 11-member panel, and is based on fuel efficiency, Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board certifications, performance and affordability. The other finalists were the Audi A3 e-tron, Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Prius.
“The Transformers edition is by far the best-recognized Camaro of all time and a sure-fire future collectible…”
As we await the arrival of the sixth generation Chevy Camaro, let us look back at some favorite Camaros from each generation.
Rob Sass is the vice-president of content for Hagerty Insurance. Hagerty is the world’s leading specialist provider of classic car and boat insurance. Learn more at hagerty.ca


text:
The Nasdaq is leading the way today with the help of Apple’s better-than-expected earnings.
The Nasdaq was rising by 22 points to 5,132, while the Dow Jones Industrial average gained just 8 points to trade at 18,481. The S&P slipped by 3 points to 2,165 as a result of Coca-Cola cutting its sales outlook and the S&P Retail ETF dropped by 21 cents to $45.04.
Earnings are beginning to roll in from shopping center real estate companies and while results may be decent, investors aren’t too thrilled.
Simon Property Group Inc. stock fell more than 1 percent to $221.07 even as the mall operator delivered strong results for the second quarter and raised guidance for the full year. Net income for the quarter ending June 30 fell to $455.4 million, or $1.45 a diluted share, down from $472.9 million, or $1.52, a year ago. Last year’s bigger number was attributed to a gain on the sale of marketable securities. The Capital IQ estimate was $1.46 and the analyst miss was the reason the stock was slipping in early trading.
Value-oriented shopping center company DDR Corp. was also down slightly to $19.25 for a loss of 9 cents. DDR’s funds from operations of 33 cents beat last year’s number and analysts’ estimates by 2 cents. Total revenue was $245.9 million, which beat analysts’ estimates of $244 million, but was lower than last year’s $248.9 million. Rents were up 3.8 percent year-over-year. DDR raised its 2016 FFO range to $1.23 to $1.26 from $1.20 to $1.25.
Gildan Activewear fell more than 4 percent to $29.52 after acquiring sock company Peds Legwear and delivering second-quarter results that missed analysts’ expectations and the company lowered expectations for the year. Net income for the quarter fell to $94.7 million, or 40 cents a diluted share, down from $99.4 million, or 41 cents, a year ago. Adjusted earnings per share totaled 41 cents and was 1 cent below the 42 cents analysts projected. Peds was purchased for $55 million and generates annual sales of $80 million.
Coach Inc. shares were getting a nice pop from an upgrade by Credit Suisse analysts. The handbag and accessory giant rose 2 percent in early trading, but lately was only up 10 cents to trade at $43.23. Credit Suisse lifted the rating to “outperform” from “neutral” on the basis that the core business has stabilized. The analysts also think that there could be acquisitions in the future.
Looking ahead, more retail real estate investment trusts will report earnings on Thursday. Get ready for CBL & Associates Properties Inc., Kite Realty Group Trust and Taubman Centers Inc. Also, online retailer Amazon releases its earnings on Thursday.


text:
Victoria Beckham loss widens but Target, Reebok, Lauder deals to boost growth
Victoria Beckham’s brand may have lost over £8 million last year but the company is upbeat and said in accounts filed at the UK’s Companies House this week that it “continued to perform well in all its markets, despite a difficult trading environment”.
The accounts, which frustratingly only cover the year to last December, may have revealed “stable” revenue of £36.372 million (actually down ever-so-slightly from £36.912 million a year earlier), but net losses ballooned 78% to £8.4 million. That was the result of it investing "heavily" in design, production, marketing, and sales, it said.
The company, which makes the Victoria Beckham and Victoria ranges, as well as licensing products like eyewear and beauty, is controlled by the pop star-turned-fashion entrepreneur, her husband David and her former manager Simon Fuller. It is a subsidiary of Beckham Brands that represents the overall Beckham family interests.
The results could have been seen as bad news for some companies, but its owners have deep pockets and the strong reception for Beckham’s collections mean outside investors also find it an appealing prospect. The firm was restructured and refinanced this year and saw a £30 million investment from private finance group NEO Investment Partners only last month. That valued it at around £100 million. And the owners said they remain committed to growing it and driving it towards profitability, which must be a relief for its 180 employees.
So just what are its future prospects? In the accounts statement, Robert Dodds, one of its directors, said that a new link-up with US-based Target and a licensing deal with the Adidas-owned Reebok brand "will further enhance the profitability of the business.”
The Target deal is seen as important as it exposes the brand to a much wider audience, while the company also cited the strength of its Estée Lauder beauty license in its accounts, describing it as a “huge success” that sold out in a few weeks.
As far as the core fashion business is concerned, Beckham has been focusing on building distribution, working with key clients in North America, mainland Europe and the UK “to secure larger brand spaces in department stores.”
It said the retail channel “continued to perform well this year, through the flagship store in London and its second store in Hong Kong.”
Copyright © 2023 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.