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8 out of 10 vinegar brands found to be synthetic, says DOST
MANILA, Philippines — Eight out of 10 vinegar brands were found to contain fake ingredients, according to a new study released by scientists from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Researchers from the DOST-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) found that from more than 360 brands of vinegar in the country, eight out of 10 are made from synthetic acetic acid and not derived from natural sources, supposedly like the common sugarcane or coconut.
PNRI conducted the research by using isotope-based analytical techniques to determine what were the compositions in the vinegars.
“Condiments usually undergo the process of fermentation, and the raw materials must come from fruits and other natural products,” PNRI Nuclear Analytical Techniques Applications Section head Raymond Sucgang said.
His team’s research project distinguished vinegar and other condiments from natural or plant-based sources from those which obtained from petroleum-based sources.
“One can only imagine all the impurities and residues from the petroleum by-products, which can be the source of various degenerative diseases,” Sucgang said.
The natural vinegar coming from plants will have traces of carbon with natural radioactivity, unlike those made from synthetic raw material.
The results of the vinegar studies are being submitted to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These will hopefully serve as a basis for the development of the country’s new vinegar standards.
Apart from this, PNRI researchers are also developing isotope analytical techniques for use in detecting synthetic by-products such as ketchup, fish sauce (patis) and soy sauce (toyo). (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)


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Tom Smolenski, 33, officially joined Steinwall Inc. in 2012, but he's been at the company "unofficially" since 1989. "There is a picture of me on my first birthday in my mom's office playing with paperwork. … Then, as I was a teenager, during the summer months [I] would come in to the company and work in secondary operations," he said.
Founded in 1965 by Smolenski's grandfather, Carl Steinwall, Steinwall Inc. is a custom injection molder based in Coon Rapids, Minn., a suburb of Minneapolis. Its markets include agricultural, lawn and garden, industrial, appliance, consumer goods and more.
Smolenski started in a customer service and account manager role.
"It was never the 'plan' to work at Steinwall, but as soon as I started to dive into the world of operations, manufacturing and small business, I became enamored with the unlimited potential to have a positive impact on people's lives — personally and professionally," he said.
He became an account manager supervisor in 2014, then vice president of operations in 2016, and now is a third-generation leader as president, which he was named in 2020.
Smolenski graduated from Wake Forest University with a bachelor's degree in business management and minor in psychology. He has an MBA from Vanderbilt University, focusing on operations and human organizational performance.
"The plastics industry has evolved immensely even in the past decade since I have started my career at Steinwall. As an example, we are using newly formulated sustainable resins to produce products that pass quality checks with visions systems while being handled and packaged with collaborative robots," Smolenski said. "The future of manufacturing is in technology, and I'm excited to watch the next generation take grasp of the limitless potential that is in store for our industry."
Q: What should the plastics industry do to expand its efforts in diversity and inclusion?
Smolenski: Targeted scholarship and internship programs. Plastics manufacturing has many good-paying jobs with quick opportunities at career advancement with the proper training and skill development. There's a trade-off between being able to afford school, whether it's money or time, while also making enough money and having enough time to pay everyday bills. How can we as an industry be a part of a solution to no longer making it a trade-off, but an opportunity for those interested in pursuing a career in plastics or manufacturing, to have the opportunity to at the very least take the first step.
Q: What emerging technology or market most interests you?
Smolenski: Collaborative robots. We have invested in three different cobots the past few years, and our automation team is having a lot of fun finding new solutions for this technology. We focus on identifying repeatable tasks that may put a strain on a human from a safety perspective and train the cobot to do the repeated task. Pretty impressive to see in action!
Q: What about the plastics industry surprises you?
Smolenski: How close-knit the industry is. There were many times during the past few years where a competitor needed raw materials or capacity, and we were glad and able to help. Conversely, if we needed a certain raw material during the supply chain shortage and the vendor was not able to supply to everybody, a group of molders would get together to reduce purchase orders accordingly so that each molder would get some resin. I have a lot of respect for how our customers, vendors, employees and other plastics companies have come together; it has been an impressive true team effort.

domain: news


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Publishers’ affiliate businesses are also at risk from browser changes to limit tracking
It’s not just publishers’ ad businesses that are under threat from the browsers’ privacy push. Now, there’s a growing sense of unease about how the cookie crackdown from Apple Safari and Mozilla Firefox is going to affect publishers’ affiliate revenue.
Publishers with affiliate business models that plug into affiliate networks — which allow publishers to sell products from thousands of different retailers for a revenue cut — are starting to feel exposed, according to publisher sources.
Typically, all publishers that generate affiliate revenue do so by putting affiliate links on their sites to the advertiser, or retailer. These redirect to the affiliate networks’ ad servers, dropping third-party cookies along the way. The browsers blocking third-party cookies erodes this ability to track the user between the publisher and retailer, so the retailer can’t attribute the sale to the specific publisher. The result is the publisher can miss out on the commission they’re due. Another issue for affiliate publishers is Apple shortening the life cycle of the first-party cookie to just 24 hours. For some publishers, what they’re selling takes a longer consideration time, if the user can’t be tracked the publishers’ contribution to the sale can’t be either.
The direction of travel is clear, and publishers are bracing themselves for tighter regulation. But affiliate publishers are still early on in exploring alternative ways to identify users on their sites. Newspaper company ESI Media, magazine company TI Media and Shortlist — all of which have affiliate businesses — are all starting to explore new forms of identification that don’t rely on third-party cookies.
“Traffic and revenue are growing, but we don’t know if it’s growing at the right level because we don’t have the right tracking in place,” said Emily Ferguson, e-commerce director for Marie Claire Edit, the publisher’s affiliate platform launched November 2018. “We want to be on the front foot with this.”
According to Ferguson, Marie Claire Edit is seeing 675% average annual traffic growth. At such a high percentage, that’s likely to be from a small base, though she wouldn’t share traffic numbers. But half of its traffic is from Apple’s Safari browser, which earlier this year as part of its Intelligent Tracking Prevention 2.2, restricted the window for first-party cookies down from seven days to one. For publishers like Marie Claire Edit, the purchase tends to happen after 24 hours once people have taken their time to research and read reviews, said Adam Ross, chief operating officer at Awin.
“A 24-hour window is not enough, and even if the user, inspired by the article or review, made the purchase on the advertiser site, our technology wouldn’t be able to track it,” he said. “The publisher wouldn’t receive the commission they deserve.”
As with the advertising landscape, where publishers are looking for ways to leverage their first-party cookies and exploring how to identify users outside of third-party cookies, there are solutions emerging.
In the last week, Marie Claire Edit started using Awin technology which allows tracking without using publisher cookies or redirects through a network’s ad server. Instead, links are sent directly from the publisher to the advertiser and the tracking part is handled at the advertiser side. This also extends the life cycle of the first-party cookie from 24 hours to 30 days. Both publisher and advertiser need to have Awin’s tag installed.
However, it’s hard to quantify the scale of the problem now for several reasons: Publisher affiliate revenue streams are usually smaller than advertising, making dramatic changes harder to spot. Only the updated versions of Apple Safari and Firefox browsers are taking a tough stance, so traffic from other browsers or older versions are not impacted. Marie Claire Edit will need to wait a few months before it has enough comparison data to assess the impact that limiting tracking has had on its traffic, conversion and revenue.
“The only conversations I’ve had about this in the affiliate space are ones I’ve started,” said Paul Cunliffe, gm at Shortlist, speaking at an event on affiliate revenue streams hosted by trade body the Association of Online Publishers, in London this week.
Publishers that have been hit hard by browser changes have prioritized tackling how to recoup the ad revenue or find other ways to identify their audiences. But the affiliate side has lagged because the change has been gradual and from a smaller base. But with looming privacy regulations and browsers continuing to tighten ways of tracking, that’s now set to change.
Another reason is that applying data for affiliate businesses is more fledgling compared with advertising. Common processes in digital advertising like segmenting audiences are less established in affiliate businesses. For instance, some affiliate publishers are now implementing sentiment tracking to understand how a happy or a sad article will interlink with purchase data.
“What we need to track that journey is significantly less data than other channels,” said Ross. “Affiliates is inherently data light and privacy-conscious so we can build solutions that don’t get trapped by browsers prevention.”
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Finally, the CEO of Binance has spoken on the Paxos BUSD case that the SEC has been investigating, and he has confirmed that all funds are secure.
Zhao stated that although the troubled business Paxos issues and lists BUSD, the money is still safe despite the current investigation and the imminent lawsuit that would be filed by the SEC against Paxos. The CEO stated that Binance has granted Paxos a license to use the Binance name and emphasized that BUSD is a product issued and held by Paxos.
In a series of tweets (1), Zhao elaborated on the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) directive to Paxos to halt its minting operations in response to the claims.
In addition, the CEO of Binance speculated that the investigation into BUSD by the SEC has set off a chain reaction throughout the crypto currency market and would ultimately decrease the coin's value.
Zhao, however, thought that Paxos would continue to support the product even when there was an anticipated reduction in the market cap of BUSD.
The Chief Executive Officer of Binance also mentioned that the New York-based blockchain financial technology company would continue to manage any future redemptions.
Zhao further mentioned that the Paxos funds are secure and completely protected by bank reserves, which have been examined several times by various accounting companies.
Regarding the discussion that took place between Binance and Paxos, he continued:
"Binance is committed to assisting BUSD well into the foreseeable future. Users may switch to utilizing alternative stablecoins as time passes. And we will make improvements to our products following these findings. For example, we will stop utilizing BUSD as the primary pair for trading, etc.
Zhao also said that Binance is taking further safeguards by covering other projects throughout all of the jurisdictions considered regulatory hotspots. To quote the chief executive officer of Binance:
"Given the current legal uncertainty in some regions, we will be assessing other initiatives in those jurisdictions to guarantee that our consumers are shielded from any unnecessary harm,"
On the Paxos BUSD Case of SEC
Zhao stressed that he is unaware of the reported SEC complaint against Paxos involving breaches of investor protection laws and that he does not know about the litigation.
On the other hand, he said that classifying BUSD as security would significantly impact the whole crypto currency market.
"Stablecoins are an important safety net for investors seeking shelter from market fluctuations, and reducing their access might seriously affect millions of people all over the globe," a spokesperson for Binance said while describing that BUSD is 1 to 1 backed and NYDFS regulates.
In addition, he noted that the top crypto currency exchange would continue to keep an eye on the issue with the SEC.
Another crypto exchange, Kraken, was ordered by the SEC to comply with regulations regarding its staking services in the United States just the week before.


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Lee Chambers, the Founder of Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing and Ribble Valley resident, has been featured in TechRound’s BAME 50 Entrepreneurs Under 50.
This ranks the top 50 BAME-driven and founded businesses and startups in the UK, praised for their innovation and contribution to the UK’s fast-growing startup scene, whilst smashing social barriers along the way.
Whilst Lee is no stranger to being an entrepreneur, having founded PhenomGames in 2008, recognition has not always been at the forefront of his journey. Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing is a relatively new enterprise, launching in December 2019 and providing bespoke wellbeing strategy, delivery and coaching to SME’s across the North.
The announcement follows over 500 applications and a week of judging from an expert panel including Linda Plant; successful entrepreneur and renowned interviewer on BBC’s The Apprentice, as well as Rajeeb Dey, co-Founder of Learnebly and Startup Britain, Kike Oniwinde, Former Team GB athlete and CEO of BYP Network and Bindi Karia, the UK’s ‘Queen of Startups.
TechRound is one of the UK’s leading voices for startup news and opinions, and the BAME50 Under 50 highlights the diversity and success in the UK startup and business sectors, with people from all walks of life and from all nature of backgrounds demonstrating their ingenuity and creativity.
Innovation and hard work
The judges commended the innovation and hard work of all the entries and the entrepreneurs. One judge reportedly said that she was ‘bloody impressed’ with the quality of candidates and their ideas, which is a huge credit to the BAME community living in the UK, who continue to work hard and thrive despite various social and economic challenges.
TechRound co-Founder Daniel Tannenbaum said:
“The BAME50 Under 50 is set to be a game-changer and will promote those individuals who have fought harder than most to succeed and their stories will outline their journeys. As we are well aware, BAME entrepreneurs have historically been underfunded and underrepresented and this list’s purpose is to help change the status quo.”
“We want to celebrate people from all backgrounds and businesses of all sizes, and this list will be a testament to those individuals who are diversifying the UK’s startup landscape.”
Environmental Psychologist and Founder Lee Chambers said:
“It is a privilege to be recognised on a national level, alongside some of Britains highly respected entrepreneurs and companies, such as Missguided, Perkbox and Zoom. I’m proud of the impact that I’m making with my business and the collaborations that I’m currently taking part in. I want to thank my customers and associates for their continued efforts. I would not have made the list without the assistance and guidance of the business community here in Lancashire, including local networking groups and the East Lancs Chamber”
“I have big plans to bring my data driven and people centric bespoke wellbeing strategy and delivery to more SME’s across the North West in 2021, and be a part of driving Lancashire towards becoming the City of Culture in 2025”
Lee Chambers has had an eventful few months, also being recognised by Lancashire Business View as a finalist in Entrepreneur of the Year and New Business of the Year in their Sub36 Awards for young business leaders. He is the co-founder and director of Wellbeing Lancashire, an organisation with a mission to make wellbeing a top priority in the county. They aim to ensure that the wellbeing of employees and workers is protected during the challenging times we currently face.


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Ticketek fined $2.5 million for anti-competitive muscling of start-up rival
The Sydney court ruled that Ticketek took advantage of its strong market position on four occasions to prevent Lasttix from supplying its own services to event promoters.
The ruling is a major victory for Lasttix, which was launched in 2009 by Tony Faure, former CEO of NineMSN. Ironically, Ticketek is owned by Nine Entertainment, which has a joint venture with Microsoft to run NineMSN.
Lasttix’s board also includes Jack Singleton, founder of 1300 Flowers, and Nicholas Fairfax, a former board member at Fairfax Media. The business works by promoting last minute sales of tickets and providing users with a discount code which they use at existing market players, such as Ticketek.
It is estimated that Ticketek and Ticketmaster, the two dominant ticket selling outlets in Australia, account for more than 70% of all tickets sold for major domestic events."When a new start-up takes on an incumbent, it isn't easy. They don't take to it lightly. They tend to focus on anything other than consumers, while we are trying to cater for consumers."
The court action, brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, claims that event organisers requested Ticketek set up special discount ticket deals to be promoted by Lasttix, which specialises in selling ‘last minute’ discounted tickets.
The deal was meant to cover shows featuring celebrities including Liza Minnelli and TV talk show host Dr Phil.
However, Ticketek failed to carry out the agreement on four occasions. On one occasion last year, Ticketek create a special URL link for the ‘Warriors of Brazil’ production at Sydney’s Theatre Royal.
The company then shut down the link when it became aware that Lasttix was promoting it. The URL was only restored following requests from the show’s producers.
"Ticketek's market strength allowed it to do things it may not have done in a more competitive environment. Their behaviour towards Lasttix was opportunistic, anticompetitive and was found by the Court to be unacceptable," ACCC chairman Rod Sims said.
"With online technologies changing competitive dynamics, a business may attempt to capitalise on some of these uncertainties to damage their competition.”
“This decision of the court clearly states that they cannot. The ACCC's response to this conduct will ensure that event organisers have more choices in promoting their shows." Sims said.
"Consumers will also benefit from discount ticket deals becoming increasingly accessible in a variety of places, not just through ticketing agents."
"This action serves as a reminder to all businesses that illegal anti-competitive behaviour, of any type, will not be tolerated. The penalty imposed by the court indicates the seriousness with which this conduct is viewed."
Justice Bennett, who presided the case, said: "The four incidents comprising the conduct were not accidental. They each arose due to a deliberate decision and, apparently reflected a policy or practice not limited geographically within Australia.”
“The conduct was engaged in by both lower level employees and by more senior management."
Ticketek was fined $750,000 for each of the three 2009 instances when it refused event organisers’ requests to let Lasttix promote tickets. The 2010 incident attracted a penalty of $325,000.
Christopher Plowman, CEO of Lasttix, tells StartupSmart that he is pleased with the outcome of the case.
"We went to the ACCC about this a while ago as we thought some of the things Ticketek were doing wasn't right," he says. "I don't know what the implications will be, but we are pleased that the ACCC took the same view as us."
"When a new start-up takes on an incumbent, it isn't easy. They don't take to it lightly. They tend to focus on anything other than consumers, while we are trying to cater for consumers."
Neither Faure, who blogs for StartupSmart, nor Sims had returned calls on the judgement at the time of publication.


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YouTube launches standalone iPhone app
Knowing that its days as a native iOS app are numbered, YouTube has released a standalone iPhone app just ahead of Wednesday's media event, where Apple is expected to announce the newest iPhone and a release date for iOS 6.
The free app is available in a number of languages, however it doesn't appear to include native support for the iPad. The app does integrate voice search, autocomplete for searches, a new channel guide and a number of sharing options.
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Ikea is in discussions about trialling one of its ‘order-and-collection point’ store formats in the current BHS building on Oxford Street.
The DIY giant has revealed it is “seriously considering” launching a store on Oxford Street as it seeks to experiment with formats beyond its traditional big box out-of-town stores.
Ikea is already trialling a 19,000 sq ft ‘order-and-collect’ store in a Norwich retail park, which opened earlier this month and also acts as a studio where customers can plan complex purchases such as kitchens.
However, the Oxford Street store would represent the first high street store Ikea has launched in the UK. Ikea launched its first high street store last summer in Hamburg.
An Ikea spokeswoman said: “Over the coming year, we plan to test three order-and-collection points in the UK, exploring slightly different formats in each selected market.
“We will use these tests as an opportunity to find out more about how customers want to shop with Ikea in these areas. Our second is planned to open in Aberdeen in spring 2016. We are also exploring a number of other potential locations across the UK, one of which is the current BHS building on Oxford Street.”
Speaking in June, Ikea UK country manager Gillian Drakeford told Retail Week the small formats will not act as a “replacement” for upcoming big-box stores, which have struggled with planning permission.
Drakeford said: “We need to start testing different store models. That is one of the areas where many UK retailers have been at the forefront and now it is Ikea’s turn to do that. But it will always be as a complement to the [existing] store portfolio.”
In the Norwich outlet, which is less than a tenth the size of its existing UK stores, customers who order in store will have the option of having products delivered to their homes or to the store for pick-up.
Drakeford believes click-and-collect will launch in small format stores eventually, but only once it has launched in larger stores first, after the retailer completes a global IT infrastructure overhaul.


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A mobile porn app has changed its tagline after Apple threatened to sue it for using the words "app store," even as Apple's trademark for the phrase remains pending.
MiKandi (pronounced "my candy") is a Seattle-based start-up that billed itself as the "world's first mobile porn app store" when it launched in 2009. It offers Android-based content, from games like Pocket Hottie to "next generation boob bouncing" er, images, like iBoobs.
However, as the company notes on its blog, this description did not fly with Apple.
"Last week, Apple hit yours truly with a cease and desist over our use of the term App Store," the company wrote on Tuesday. "And just this week, Apple hit Amazon [with a] suit over their use of the term 'Appstore' (too close to 'app' space 'store' for Apple's tastes). Amazon gave Apple the proverbial finger and launched the Amazon Appstore this week any way," he wrote.
"Our pockets aren't as deep as Amazon's (although you can help us out with that by using your MiKandi Gold to buy some apps), so today we're introducing you to MiKandi- the world's first app market for adults," the company said.
MiKandi has replaced every self-reference of "app store" with "app market."
On Monday, reports surfaced that Apple sued Amazon for calling its own mobile app store the Amazon App Store, which allegedly sounds too similar to Apple's App Store. As MiKandi notes, Amazon officially launched its store on Tuesday without changing its name. Apple has been trying to trademark the phrase "app store" since 2008, something to which Microsoft has objected.


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Boeing Forecasts China’s Commercial Fleet to Double in Next 20 Years
Boeing has announced its 2022 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO) for China, forecasting that the country’s growing economy will see its commercial airplane fleet more than double over the next 20 years.
Despite the impact of the pandemic on China’s near-term growth, Boeing predicts that demand for air travel and air freight will continue to trend upwards through 2041, with the country’s commercial fleet growing from around 3,900 airplanes to more than 9,600 through 2041.
China will require 8,485 new airplanes valued at $1.5 trillion to serve passengers and trade.
This represents more than a fifth of global airplane deliveries over the next two decades, as Chinese carriers look to replace older airplanes with more fuel-efficient models such as the Boeing 737 MAX, 787 Dreamliner and 777X.
Notably, there will be continued growth in the freighter market, with China’s freighter fleet more than quadrupling in size to more than 800 airplanes through 2041.
Peter Gao, Boeing vice president, Commercial Sales and Marketing, Greater China said: “We have full confidence that China’s commercial aviation market will continue to prosper, despite recent economic headwinds, as Boeing celebrates its 50th anniversary in the country.
“China’s economic fundamentals will continue to fuel the significant demand for both its passenger and cargo fleets.”
The 2022 China CMO includes these projections through 2041:
Passenger traffic is expected to grow at 4.9% annually.
1,570 widebody airplanes and 6,370 single-aisle airplanes will be needed to support a growing network of international and domestic routes.
Demand for commercial services to support the rapid and healthy growth of the fleet will be worth $545 billion.
Freighter segment will see 205 deliveries to meet the requirements of continued e-commerce growth, and a strong industrial supply chain.
The country will also require 412,000 new aviation personnel, including 126,000 pilots, 124,000 technicians and 162,000 cabin crew members in the next 20 years.


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CONDE JOINS DIGITAL CROWD: Condé Nast made a significant move in its digital future Tuesday with the launch of a new iPhone application for GQ that will not only make money, but is also vetted by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the first of its kind to get the agency’s approval. That means sales of the app will count toward the magazine’s rate base.
Amid cost cuts, magazine closures and staff layoffs, Condé Nast also has been criticized for its slow migration to digital, a criticism that even chief executive officer Charles Townsend acknowledged at a meeting to unveil the iPhone offering. But the company has already launched five other iPhone apps for Lucky, Wired, Style.com, Reddit and Epicurious, with the latter already registering 820,000 downloads. The latest one for GQ, developed in-house over three months, will be a fully customizable, interactive version of the magazine, and the technology behind it will be used for other Condé Nast titles. It also gives the company entrée into adapting and applying magazine content to e-readers and tablets of any make. “If you can get here, you can get there,” said Townsend of the e-reader compatibility.
Company executives said the app is part of a larger mission within Condé Nast Digital to create additional distribution channels and new revenue opportunities through advertising, subscriptions and e-commerce. Condé Nast has another 10 iPhone apps in development, but executives were hesitant to predict when ones as comprehensive as GQ’s would launch. Nevertheless, advertisers believe Condé’s participation in the app world is a solid move. “Being attached to Apple and the iPhone is a really good thing,” said ad guru David Lipman — speaking on his iPhone. And though advertisers in GQ’s December issue did not pay more to be included in the program, it did help bring in additional business. “It put Godiva over the hump,” said Lipman. “It was on the bubble, but the iPhone technology made us make that decision [to advertise].”
The app also delivers a measurable, accountable and engaging platform for advertisers, who can provide links to video, Web sites or specific products for users to click through, and even make purchases. Condé Nast hopes to sell ads within the program after it gauges demand for the app.
The GQ application, which replicates the entire December issue, will be available on iTunes for $2.99, and will include touchscreen control, video, music and zoom features that make the screen easily readable. Users can buy music featured within the magazine through iTunes, and the application will include links to Web pages and phone numbers for brands listed in the fashion credits and interstitial advertisements that aren’t in the magazine.
Aside from ad revenue, Condé Nast will earn 70 percent of sales from the GQ application in Apple’s standard revenue sharing deal with developers, and also snag a share of the music sales on iTunes. The company hopes to release the application on Nov. 18, the newsstand on-sale date of GQ’s December issue. — Stephanie D. Smith
ADLER EXITS: Stephen Adler, editor in chief of BusinessWeek since 2005, announced his resignation Tuesday, effective Dec. 1. This follows the official announcement last week that Bloomberg LP is buying BusinessWeek from McGraw Hill Cos., for a reported cash deal of around $3 million, plus certain liabilities, which could eventually take the deal into the tens of millions. On Tuesday, Adler wrote on businessweek.com: “It was hugely important to me to help find the right home for BusinessWeek and to work closely with our business-side colleagues to ensure that staffers would be provided appropriate benefits under any circumstance. Now that these goals have been accomplished, I’m considering other opportunities, and I believe it makes sense for a new owner to move forward with a new editor.” Adler was unavailable for comment. — Amy Wicks and S.D.S.
REAL PEOPLE, REAL BIG SALES: People scored big with its exclusive photos of a grown-up Jaycee Dugard, the woman held captive for 18 years in California after being kidnapped in 1991. According to sources with access to scan data, the issue sold nearly 2 million newsstand copies last week, which included exclusive photos of the now 29-year-old woman for a cover story on her life after being rescued from captivity. Insiders in the celeb category claimed People paid between $200,00 and $400,000 for the photos, a move that clearly paid off. People declined to comment on specifics. As for People’s competitors, In Touch sold lower than its 745,000 single-copy average for the first six months of 2009, with 680,000 copies. Life & Style sold 570,000 and Star sold around 600,000, both better than their respective averages. But Us Weekly is reporting a softer week than usual, with two sources reporting the title sold 530,000 copies, although internal sources contend the number is closer to the mid-600,000. OK magazine trailed the entire category, selling around 400,000. — S.D.S.
LESS PLAYBOY: Even before the economic downturn, Playboy magazine struggled with declines in circulation and advertising, but now the title is about to reduce its rate base. Beginning in January, the magazine will drop to 1.5 million from 2.6 million — a decline of 42 percent. That issue will also be combined with February, although no additional double issues are planned at this point, said a spokeswoman. The news of the rate base decline was first reported on Mediaweek.com. For months, Wall Street has recommended Playboy Enterprises sell the magazine, but it’s widely believed Hugh Hefner is committed to keeping it in print. Year to date, ad pages are down 32 percent to 275, according to Media Industry Newsletter. Earlier this year, the company closed its New York office and a few weeks ago, Playboy appointed Alex Vaickus as president, a new position, where he oversees print, television, licensing and all digital media properties. — A.W.
LOCAL PLAYGROUND, FOR NOW: Rumors the New York Observer may take its parenting title, Observer Playground, national are unfounded at this point but a second edition is on its way, slated to hit newsstands Dec. 2. Beginning in March, Observer Playground will be published monthly, said Lyss Stern, editor in chief. Stern will probably need to hire a few more when the title goes monthly, but as of yet, she has not hired any former staffers from Cookie, which Condé Nast shuttered earlier this month.
“Gossip Girl” star Kelly Rutherford will appear on the cover of the second issue. The holiday, winter wonderland-themed shoot will take place in Central Park this Sunday, with Rutherford posing in a Swarovski crystal-encrusted Santa hat. — A.W.
ALL OVER THE SCREEN: Naeem Khan unveiled his new HSN collection on Monday evening and the entire line is priced under $450. “It’s accessible couture,” said Khan, who was introduced to HSN chief executive Mindy Grossman through his wife, Ranjana, who has sold jewelry on the network, and Colin Cowie. Khan said he expects his HSN collections to build into a $100 million business and he’s already at work on a new collection for spring. “This is the way of the future,” added Khan, who will reveal the line on Oct. 28 at 8 p.m.. — A.W.


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Uber Australia is now offering a 'premium economy' version of its UberX ride-sharing scheme under the banner of UberX Plus.
Promising 'an enhanced service at an affordable price', UberX Plus draws from a pool of 'experienced, highly-rated driver-partners with newer, spacious cars'.
Uber has previously indicated an UberX Plus ride would "cost 1.2x the price of an equivalent UberX ride".
UberX Plus drivers must have completed at least 500 Uber trips, maintain a rating of at least 4.85 stars and have a vehicles manufactured 2012 or later "with plenty of room to move."
The Sydney-only rollout of UberX Plus is described as 'a pilot ride option' and follows an invitation-only trial in Sydney which started mid-November 2018.
Uber has also launched its own loyalty scheme, dubbed Uber Rewards, through which passengers stand to earn credit based on how much they spend and are assigned tiers such as Gold, Platinum and Diamond, each of which comes with its own perks.
[This story has been updated from the original article to reflect Uber's public announcement of the Sydney trial.]


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© ClassOne Business | December 23, 2020
ClassOne receives repeat order from Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturer
Semiconductor equipment manufacturer ClassOne Technology has received a repeat order for its Solstice S8 electroplating system to a major semiconductor foundry service based in Taiwan.
This is the second S8 to be purchased by the company. The 8-chambered Solstice platform is designed specifically for ≤200mm wafer processing. The new tool will be used to produce Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors (HBTs) and Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs). "This user is a high-volume semiconductor manufacturer," says ClasOne Senior Technology Director John Ghekiere, in a press release. "So they are interested not only in the Solstice's superior plating performance, but also in its reliable, fully-automated high throughput. The tool is being used for wafer level packaging processes, including copper pillar and solder bump electroplating." "This customer has been using our Solstice S8 electroplating equipment for several years now," adds CEO, Byron Exarcos. "The tool has been fully qualified for their processes and is meeting their aggressive performance goals. Now, their business is rapidly expanding, and they've chosen to bring in a second S8 to support that growth. We're actually seeing this pattern across the industry today. As Solstice is becoming embedded into customer processes, the repeat orders are coming in with increased frequency. We're very gratified by this vote of confidence in the Solstice and in ClassOne." Ghekiere noted that today's HBT devices are used in many ultrafast circuits and those requiring high power efficiency, including next-generation RF power amplifiers, 5G cellular phones, etc. VCSELs are used in 2D and 3D imaging, facial recognition, smart-glasses, fiber optic communications, LiDAR, and much more.
Murata completes new Okayama production building The Japanese company’s production subsidiary, Okayama Murata Manufacturing, initiated an expansion of its operations in Setouchi City with a new production building in December 2019. Now the building stands complete.
Osram signs supply and commercial agreement with LeddarTech ADAS and AD sensing specialist, LeddarTech, and automotive lighting and laser systems supplier Osram, have entered into a long-term agreement.
Sponsored content by Shenzen Kinwong ElectronicThe development trend of printed circuit board products and Kinwong's solution With the rapid development of electronic technology in recent years, printed circuit board (PCB) products are pursuing higher heat dissipation capabilities, with high voltage and high current characteristics, and are developing towards high-density interconnection technology (HDI).
ITW to acquire MTS Test & Simulation business From Amphenol Illinois Tool Works Inc., a global multi-industrial manufacturing company, and the provider interconnect, antenna and sensor solutions, Amphenol Corporation, have entered into an agreement under which ITW will acquire MTS Systems Corporation’s Test & Simulation business, following the closing of Amphenol’s acquisition of MTS.
Tobey Gonnerman named Fusion Worldwide's new President The global sourcing distributor announces that Tobey Gonnerman has been appointed as the company’s new President.
Solving the Cable TV Infrastructure Downstream Transmitter Challenge Driven by demand for faster internet connectivity, the cable TV industry has developed new network architectures for the delivery of multigigabit services to subscribers. This fiber deep approach, using a remote PHY device (RPD), moves critical hardware closer to the users by using digital fiber.
Boyd expands its footprint with new facility in Mexico Thermal management and engineered material solutions specialist Boyd Corporation, has expanded its presence in North America with a newly built facility strategically located in Juarez, Mexico.
Farnell becomes a global distribution partner NI the distributor of electronic components, products and solutions has been appointed as an NI Authorized Distributor, expanding its product portfolio to include NI software-connected test and measurement solutions for customers of all sizes.
Foxconn and Winbond invest in chipmaker Kneron Foxconn and Winbond joins companies such as Qualcomm, Horizons, Sequoia and Weltrend as high profile investors in Kneron
EV Group sets up customer training facility at HQ EV Group (EVG) has established the EVG Academy, a training facility for customers that provides technical training on all classes of the company's equipment as well as on its CIM Framework software platform in an optimised environment.
Denso team up with Aeva to develop sensing and perception systems Mobility supplier Denso says that it is partnering with U.S. LiDAR and perception systems company, Aeva, to develop next-generation sensing and perception systems.
Fire hit Taiwanese MLCC manufacturer in China On January 13 a fire broke out at Taiwanese passive component maker Walsin Technology’s Dongguan, China site.
Thin Film Products joins SERMA Microelectronics SERMA Microelectronics, a subsidiary of the French electronics specialist SERMA Group, has finalised the purchase of TFP (Thin Film Products), a French manufacturer of thin-film microwave circuits for space, military and civil applications.
New Korean Zestron Technical Center opens for customers The provider of high precision cleaning products has expanded its operations by opening a new Technical Center, located in Anyang, Korea.
A2 Global Electronics names new executives Electronic component distribution and supply chain service provider, A2 Global Electronics, has appointed Anthony Andriano as its new Chief Financial Officer and promoted Jesper Romell as its new President.
ROHM expands production capacity of SiC power devices ROHM has recently held an opening ceremony announcing the completion of a new building at ROHM Apollo's Chikugo plant, which the company started building back in February 2019, to enhance the production capacity of SiC power devices.
Elmos acquires Online Engineering GmbH Elmos is strengthening its in-house competencies in software engineering via the acquisition of Dortmund based engineering service provider Online Engineering.
Plasmatreat expands with new subsidiary in Switzerland The technology company says it has further developed its international proximity to its customers by founding its new subsidiary Plasmatreat Schweiz AG, and thus taking steps to better serve the Swiss market.
RAFI Group increases their presence on the Nordic market The RAFI Group, a specialist of human–machine interaction and EMS, increases their presence on the Nordic market in 2021. Stefan Steiner has been named the RAFI sales manager for the Nordic operations located in Stockholm.
Filtronic wins new UK defence contract UK designer and manufacturer of antennas, filters and mmWave products, Filtronic plc, has won a significant contract from a new major UK defence customer for the supply of battlefield radio communications hardware valued at over GBP 1 million.
A2 Global expands with new facility in Singapore Electronic component distribution and supply chain service provider, A2 Global Electronics, announces the opening of its new distribution facility located in the New Tech Park area of Singapore.
Sensata acquires majority ownership of Lithium Balance Sensata, an industrial technology company that develops sensors and sensor-based solutions, has acquired 75% of Lithium Balance based in Denmark.
Analog Devices to shutter California facility In a WARN notice, the company says that due to changing business needs will require the company to permanently close its facility Milpitas, California.
Intelliconnect moves to larger factory as sales grow Intelliconnect (Europe) Ltd the UK based specialist manufacturer of RF, waterproof and cryogenic connectors and cable assemblies, announces that it has moved to a larger facility at the Corby Innovation Hub following sales growth of 30% in 2020.
Pat Gelsinger to replace Bob Swan as Intel CEO Intel has appointed 40-year technology industry veteran Pat Gelsinger as its new chief executive officer, effective February 15, 2021. He will succeed Bob Swan, who will remain CEO until Pat starts.
Qualcomm to acquire NUVIA Qualcomm says it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire NUVIA for approximately USD 1.4 billion before working capital and other adjustments.
Advanced Energy acquires RF specialist Advanced Energy, a provider of precision power conversion, measurement, and control solutions, has completed the acquisition of Versatile Power, a Campbell, California-based provider of radio frequency (RF) and programmable power supplies for medical and industrial applications.Load more news


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Voyager Innovations, the digital innovations arm of PLDT and Smart, introduced Lendr, the country’s first online marketplace platform for consumer loans, to members of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) during the group’s 58th Charter Anniversary Symposium held at the Mariott Hotel, Pasay City.
PLDT Smart SME Nation, Voyager Innovations join RBAP to boost financial inclusion in the countryside
The Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) has turned to technology to bring inclusive financial services to Filipinos in the countryside.
The Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines (RBAP) welcomed a strategic partnership with Voyager Innovations, a unit of telecommunications provider Philippine Long Distance Co. (PLDT) for a new mobile application called Lendr that will serve as an online consumer loans marketplace.
Innovations in digital and mobile technology are quickly changing the banking industry as customers are demanding "anytime, anywhere convenience" especially for the rapidly growing consumer loan market. The Morgan Stanley Research Global study entitled "Global Marketplace Lending: Disruptive Innovation in Financials" published last May 2015 cited that "marketplace lending is in lift off" and the market could exceed US$490 billion by 2020.
VOYAGER INNOVATIONS, Inc. (Voyager) and PNB Savings Bank have entered into an agreement to explore the automation of the end-to-end SSS pension loans process from application to loan release, via Voyager's tech-enabled loans platform, Lendr.
The Chamber of Thrift Banks (CTB) collaborates with PLDT and Smart unit Voyager Innovations for Lendr. PLDT/Smart Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan shakes hand with CTB and RCBC Savings Bank President Rommel Latinazo.


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According to recent reports, Microsoft’s lawyers suddenly said that Microsoft does not know why Activision Blizzard’s “Call of Duty” is so special, or even “Call of Duty” originally released time.
Last January, Microsoft announced that it would buy Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, emphasizing that the acquisition would help the company acquire several “iconic gaming IPs,” including Call of Duty, Warcraft and Candy Crush Saga, among others. Subsequently, gamers and regulators feared that Microsoft might stop offering the Call of Duty franchise on Sony’s PlayStation platform. Recently Microsoft’s lawyers suddenly said that Microsoft does not know why Call of Duty is so special, or even when Call of Duty was originally released.
Previously, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) tried to block this acquisition by Microsoft through a lawsuit. Microsoft then responded to the FTC with a 37-page response, one paragraph of which reads.
“Microsoft claims that there is insufficient knowledge or information to determine that industry perceptions about Call of Duty and its initial release date are true, or that claims about Call of Duty’s launch and typical launch schedule, and the resources and budget that Activision has allocated to Call of Duty, including the number of studios working on Call of Duty, are true. “
This claim by Microsoft is hardly convincing. Much of the information Microsoft is asking the FTC to prove is available in a Google search, and Microsoft must already have many details, including the budgets and an approximate number of employees at each of the studios working on Call of Duty.
First, Activision Blizzard would have provided this detailed information during due diligence on the deal before Microsoft announced it would acquire Activision Blizzard. Second, even if Activision Blizzard had not volunteered, Microsoft would have conducted extensive research. For example, in response to the lawsuit between Epic and Apple, Microsoft’s Games Business Planning and Strategy team produced a 67-page document that analyzed all of Microsoft’s major competitors in detail and even estimated much non-public information, such as $359 million in 2019 revenue for Sony’s PlayStation Now cloud gaming business.
Thus, Microsoft is likely playing dumb on purpose. The push to make Call of Duty an Xbox exclusive has been a topic of great interest to Microsoft, despite repeated insistence by Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft’s gaming business, that Call of Duty will continue to be available through rival game consoles.
Nintendo and Microsoft have reached an agreement to keep Call of Duty on Nintendo platforms for 10 years after Activision Blizzard was acquired. Microsoft has also offered Sony a 10-year extension after Sony previously rejected a three-year extension. Sony has not yet responded to the new proposal.


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Soho boutique and gallery Machine-A have officially kicked off their first anniversary celebrations by inviting Hair stylist and wig maker Charlie Le Mindu and rising star of styling, Anna Trevelyan, to create an installation. Since its launch a year ago, Machine-A has become a mainstay of London’s alternative fashion scene, with its meticulously curated mix of young designers and artists. Founder and Creative Director Stavros Karelis was recently invited to speak at Moscow Fashion Week about Machine-A and their strategy of finding and mentoring young talent. The event was a chance to see how far they have come and for fans and friends to come together. Guests from the art, fashion and music worlds including Roisin Murphy, Dominic Jones, Fred Butler, Bishi and Dave Stewart, enjoyed the interactive installation held in the boutique’s ground floor gallery.
Le Mindu teamed up with Trevelyan to teleport us into their combined sexual nightmare. The scene downstairs was reminiscent of The Ring, featuring nightmarish gravestones with vaginal entrances, eerie silhouettes of spread-eagled women and three ghoulish looking strippers crawling around a grass floor complete with Le Mindu waist length black wigs. Upstairs was the launch of Le Mindu’s exclusive collection of T-Shirts for Machine-A, surprisingly enough all featuring a naked woman with an expression of serious attitude. The T-Shirts will be on sale exclusively at Machine-A. The launch then carried on with an after-party at Caligula in The Bathhouse, the East End glamorous hot spot in a converted Turkish bathhouse behind Bishopsgate Church where Charlie and Warboy DJ'ed until the early hours of Saturday morning.
Another initiative taken on by Machine-A will be their platform for young emerging fashion designers. The pitch is to create the appropriate space, where they can host at
least 10 work stations for the designers. In these work stations, they
will offer the designers all the means needed for one to produce a
collection, including: Studio space, machinery, qualified and experienced technicians, and eco –friendly fabrics.


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THE Federal Government is facing an avalanche of anger from the textiles, clothing and footwear industry over its budget policy, but Industry Minister Kim Carr is maintaining that the criticism is misplaced.
Two key TCF sectors have expressed "bitter"and "great" disappointment at the Government the Footwear Manufacturers' Association of Australia (FMAA) and the Technical Textile & Nonwoven Association (TTNA). This follows similar criticism from the Carpet Institute of Australia.
FMAA executive director Peter Eames said it was a "complete mystery" where footwear fitted into the budget's TCF innovation package.
It showed "no understanding" that investment projects in a labour-intensive industry like footwear were far less than $1 million.
The budget's $30 million TCF "strategic capability" program focuses on large projects, while the clothing and household textile "building innovative capability" program, with $25 million in extra funding, supports investment and innovation.
TTNA executive officer Kerryn Caulfield said that despite significant research funding, the budget had excluded the technical textile sector from the "building innovative capability" (BIC) fund. "It has abandoned the very sector of TCF industry that was specifically identified in the Green TCF report as 'increasingly driven by knowledge and innovation'," she said.
This short-sighted decision would drive Australia's most promising entrepreneurs, researchers and businesses "to seek more favourable commercial environments and opportunities offshore".
Ms Caulfield said that, in total, TCF gained only an additional $30 million, contestable program over five years when the Green report had recommended a budget of $180 million.
Senator Carr told BusinessDay that TCF had gained an additional $10 million and there had been no change in legislative support. "We have refocused some of the program to provide extra assistance to the industry," he said. "The entire sector will have access to the new strategic capability program."
Senator Carr said the Government had also included a TCF network in Enterprise Connect to support collaboration between companies, researchers and educational institutions.
"A very significant proportion of what we provide through Enterprise Connect is going to textiles as well," he said. Also new was the TCF innovation council.
Senator Carr said the clothing and household textile BIC program had $112.5 million in total allocated over its four years.
"Supporting industry is not just about giving them money. The Government will continue to work with the entire TCF sector though the new innovation council to make it stronger and more sustainable," he said.
"In this climate, to get extra money should be acknowledged, rather than derided. Clearly we continue to work with industry on these issues. I don't think they are seeing the whole picture."


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Ford Mustang is Worldâ€™s Best-Selling Sports Coupe
Today, April 17, is National Mustang Day. Ford Mustang is the worldâ€™s best-selling sports coupe for third straight year including in Canada with sales of 8,348 in 2017, a 9% increase over 2016. Ford sold 125,809 Mustang coupes and convertibles in 146 countries last year.
While sports cars have traditionally skewed toward male buyers, Mustang is increasingly finding favour with women and research shows a 10 per cent gain in women buying Mustang in the last five years.
Next year, Ford is bringing back the Mustang Bullitt. It willÂ commemorate the 50th anniversary of iconic movie Bullitt starringÂ Steve McQueen. The 2019 Mustang Bullitt is powered by aÂ 5.0L V8 engine producing 475 horsepower with a top speed ofÂ 262 km/h (163 mph).Â Each Bullitt comes standard with the GT Performance Package, a 12-inch digital instrument cluster as well as the active valve performance exhaust system with a unique Black NitroPlate finish.


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Plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton swabs could be banned in england under plans proposed by the uk government to reduce plastic waste and protect the world's oceans. China's ban on imports of recycled plastic from developed countries takes effect this month it could be a game changer if it weans us off plastic and forces us to seek sustainable alternatives with no suitable strategies in place for dealing with this extra unexpected plastic, countries must quickly devise and. On tuesday, belize announced it would phase out all single-use plastic products such as shopping bags, utensils and straws by april 22, 2019 — coinciding with earth day the ambitious proposal comes on the heels of another initiative from the central american country, namely the moratorium it put on. Just weeks after issuing a plastics ban, the government of the indian state of maharashtra is believed to have decided to extend the deadline for disposal of banned items by two months for consumers and retailers the ban in india's second most populous state was only announced on 23 march. Taipei (taiwan news) -- taiwan's government is planning on banning the use of single-use plastic drinking straws in different stages, the first of which will be with the food and beverage industry next year, said environmental protection administration (epa) minister lee ying-yuan (李應元) at a press. The uk is set to ban all sales of single-use plastics, including plastic straws and cotton swabs from the country as early as next year prime minister theresa may announced the new ban during a meeting with commonwealth nations, noting that plastic waste is one of the greatest environmental challenges. Gaborone, feb 27 (xinhua) -- the government of botswana tuesday revealed its plans to ban plastic carrier and flat bags in the next 30 to 60 days the ban follows several failed attempts to manage or control the menace caused by plastic carrier bags in the environment, said tshekedi khama, minister. The country has just announced an impressive ban on all single-use plastics, starting in 2030 once that ban takes effect, many items that are currently handed out for free will no longer be available, from plastic grocery bags and disposable beverage cups to takeout food containers and plastic straws.
Twice a year for the past 13 years, a group called keep australia beautiful has dispatched teams of litter counters to beaches, shops, roads and other sites across the country to survey the nation's litter read more at straitstimescom. We need the victorian government to take action by passing legislation to ban plastic bags in victoria to do this we need your help plastic bags are the fifth most littered item in victoria plastics break down into smaller plastic pieces and never leave the ecosystem by taking reusable bags to the supermarket, refusing. There are increasing concerns about the use of plastics in our day-to-day lives single-use plastics of any kind, including grocery bags, cutlery, straws, polystyrene and coffee cups, are significant yet preventable sources of plastic land-based and marine pollution in canada, bans on plastics have so far.
The united nations climate change director achim steiner has called for a world wide ban on plastic shopping bags saying, single use plastic bags, which choke marine life, should be banned or phased out rapidly everywhere. I really hope that your initiative of banning plastic will succeed someday it is very sad what happens to earth nowadays, and if we can do something, does not matter how small or big, we should do it to protect it to make the future of our children better and breathable keep going see more peter angelwing october 1. Taiwan's environmental protection agency, in cooperation with a number of environmental organizations, proposed an ambitious 12-year timeline tuesday to eliminate four types of single-use plastics—takeaway beverage cups, drinking straws, shopping bags and disposable tableware—by 2030 to tackle.
In an effort to reduce unnecessary waste, some countries have placed bans on plastic bags continue reading to find out which places have taken this action as well as more information about the pollution problem facing our planet today plastic bag overload let's face it: plastic bags are everywhere these days, and while. The rwanda plastic bag ban has been in place since 2006, surprising many around the world who are not aware of the country's green footprint.
As of january 1, china effectively banned imports of plastic recyclables from other countries the change represents a major policy shift: in 2016, china took 51 percent of the 15 million tons of plastic recyclables in trade globally, including a whopping 40 percent of us citizens' plastic recycling so when. Taiwan has announced plans to ban plastic items in an attempt to reduce plastic pollution as reported by ecowatch, taiwan's environmental protection agency put forward a 12-year plan that will officially begin in 2019 with a blanket ban on plastic straws in stores and restaurants in 2020, the ban will be.
Plastic bags are everywhere in our environment the convenience of these plastic bags come at a very high cost to the environment and negatively affects human health several cities globally have begun banning the use of plastic bags while some have enforced restricted laws against the use of plastic bags because of. The bbc is to ban single-use plastics by 2020, after tv series blue planet ii highlighted the scale of sea pollution first, throwaway plastic cups and cutlery will be scrapped by the end of this year, followed by plastic containers in canteens by 2019 by 2020, the bbc hopes to be free of single-use plastic. In many countries of the world, there has been a phase-out of lightweight plastic bags single-use plastic shopping bags, commonly made from low-density polyethylene (ldpe) plastic, have traditionally been given free to customers by stores when purchasing goods—a popular method considered a strong, cheap, and.
Click here for cpia's members action plan (members login required) the plastic bag ban issue is polarizing and controversial across north america bans are not the answer as plastic bags are multi use, recyclable, environmentally friendly and convenient bans continues to threaten thousands of jobs in our industry. Dear earthtalk: what's the latest on efforts to ban plastic bags how many us locales have instituted some kind of ban, and have these initiatives made a dent in the amount of plastic litter—melinda clarke, new york, ny california made big news recently when it announced the first statewide ban on plastic shopping. Bag the ban was formed in response to misguided legislative proposals seeking to ban or tax american-made plastic retail bags we believe in a better solution that encourages plastics recycling, without banning products, threatening jobs or taxing hardworking families bag the ban is a project of novolex, north. Bp envisages demand plateauing rather than peaking and suddenly declining other experts and oil companies see demand peaking much earlier as governments' climate change policies and new technologies begin to bite for instance, a fitch report (pdf) says demand could peak in 2030 because of.
It would be difficult to ban plastic because of the environmental cost of doing so most, if not all, alternatives to plastic tend to be heavier, and that usually comes with negative energy consequences these alternatives will require more energy to transport around, to process and recycle, and they will not usually be so efficient. Plastic bag bans work—the results are clear in cities and states that have taken the plunge but that doesn't mean they're without controversy. The bbc has announced a three-step plan to cut out single-use plastics from its operations these steps include eradicating cups and cutlery by the end of this year, and plastic containers by 2019 ultimately, the company aims to be entirely free of single-use plastics by 2020 the bbc brought the problem.


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Latest Stories (4)
Jul 13, 2011
The supply chain for Boeing's long-awaited 787 jet has been stopped again to allow workers to catch up with assembly.
Jun 30, 2011
For years, the state of Washington has lured tourists to the Pacific Northwest with images of snow-capped mountains and Orca whales. But with a state budget fight in store, that marketing has come to an abrupt end.


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The Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A survey of dozens of Europe’s top business executives shows their optimism is waning as trade tensions and other geopolitical uncertainties cloud the outlook for the global economy.
A poll of 50 CEOs and chairmen carried out by German research group ZEW on behalf of the European Round Table for Industry, a trade association, shows that while the expectations for business remain slightly positive overall, employment and investment prospects are down.
Only about 25% of executives expect to increase investment in Europe in the next six months, with less than 50% expecting to create more jobs.
The findings highlight economists’ concerns that the stresses on manufacturing and trade created by the U.S.-China trade war and Brexit are affecting the wider economy.
Some experts estimate that the world economy will grow this year at its slowest since the global financial crisis. Yet unemployment is low in developed economies and services industries are holding up so far. Should the trouble in trade and industry begin to drag down other parts of the economy, the global slowdown could be more severe and painful.
The report by the ZEW surveyed executives of major companies like consumer goods maker Nestle, telecoms company Ericsson, steelmaker ArcelorMittal, among others, and was seen by The Associated Press ahead of its release Friday.
The European Round Table for Industry said the findings should encourage the incoming European Commission to focus on bolstering innovation, particularly in the digital and environmental sectors, and further integrating the economies of the European Union.
“While European industry’s current outlook is broadly positive, there are real structural challenges inhibiting companies from investing, creating jobs and competing with the rest of the world,” said Martin Brudermueller, chairman of chemicals conglomerate BASF and the head of the ERT’s group on innovation.


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Creative Toys, the team behind SoccerStarz is inviting customers to take part the firm’s own Fantasy League created on the official Barclays Premier League website.
Aptly named the Friends of Creative Premier League (F.O.C Premier League), the creators of the collectable football figurines are also offering all customers taking part the chance to win a variety of prizes.
Dominic Hanley, marketing executive of Creative, said: "With just three days left to go to the start of the new season, the excitement is growing and there is now only a limited time to sign up.
"We are yet to announce the prizes for the winners and runner-ups. They will be revealed during the season."
Customers interested in signing up with the Creative Fantasy League should contact either their sales rep at Creative or email Dominic@creativetoyscompany.com stating who they are and who their Creative sales rep is to receive a code to sign up with.


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University researchers have developed a NFC gas sensor that can tell if meat is spoiled and send smartphone alerts.
Scientists have developed a way for smartphones to send warnings when food spoils, eliminating the need for expiry dates or relying on your sense of smell and sight. Researchers from Nanjing University, China and The University of Texas at Austin, US are using gas sensors to detect the odour of decomposing meat.
The device incorporates a sensor made of nanostructured conductive polymer into a near field communication (NFC) tag. Nanostructured conductive polymers are able to detect the compound that releases the bad scent of spoiled meat – biogenic amines. To test the effectiveness of the NFC sensor tags, researchers left the meat out in 86 degrees Fahrenheit. To the human nose, this level of biogenic amines would not be noticeable. However, the sensors were able to successfully detect the spoiled meat as well as send wireless alerts to a smartphone.
In addition to being a useful tool for individuals, the researchers predict the device will be useful for food facilities. The device can help prevent foodborne illnesses and end uncertainty over whether to dispose of food. Researchers hope to release a commercial version in the future and plan to package it with raw meat. Doing so would allow consumers and suppliers to identify spoiled meat by holding their phones within range.
Here at Springwise, we have published many innovations that use NFC technology. For example, a wearable payment device from Australia uses NFC to make payments. The device fits onto any watch, piece of jewellery or fitness tracker. Another example is NFC enabled packaging from Germany that users can scan for beauty tutorials and tips. What other portable and wireless solutions can NFC offer?


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Ford India which had launched the updated EcoSport back in November 2017 with a facelift, has issued a recall for 7,249 units of its popular SUV, in India. Owners of the affected cars will be notified or can get in touch with a local dealer for the update.
The carmaker says that this is a voluntarily inspecting to check and update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software. According to the communication we received from Ford India, the affected Ford EcoSport petrol vehicles pose a remote chance of sudden deceleration or battery drainage.
This came after many owners have posted a video on YouTube detailing the issue of starting and acceleration dropping.
Even in July 2018, Ford had announced that it will be voluntarily inspecting 4,379 EcoSport vehicles, made at the company’s Chennai plant between May 2017 and June 2017, for weld integrity of the front lower control arm.
Ford’s EcoSport continues to be best-selling Ford in India with average sales of 4,000 units a month.


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Respondents voted for Glo in the “Most Innovative Network” category owing to its unique products and value-added services such as Glo Berekete, Glo Café, and friendly recharge and data plans”, organizers of the Beacon of ICT Awards have revealed.
Besides these, the award organizers further disclosed that the company’s remarkable achievements conferred the “Most Reliable Mobile 4G LTE Network” and “Most Innovative Mobile Network of the Year”.
The awards were given at the 13th edition of the event recently held at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos, with the theme “Impact of Blockchain Technology in a Digitalized Nigeria” during which the potential of Blockchain technology to disrupt digital interaction in the Nigerian economy and society were explored.
Editor-in-Chief of Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, organizers of the awards, Mr. Ken Nwogbo, said, “Glo emerged winner in the two categories in an online voting process.
According to him, ICT stakeholders adjudged Glo mobile the Largest and Most Reliable Mobile 4G LTE Network because the network is the most consistent data network in Nigeria regarding value and affordability.
He added that the Beacon of ICT Award was instituted 13 years ago to reward the vision and enterprise of individuals and companies that have contributed significantly to the growth of Nigeria’s ICT industry.


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Tips include doing research, changing defaults, securing router, and disabling camera
With web-connected cameras becoming “increasingly popular,” the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) has provided tips to help people keep images gathered by these cameras private.
According to OPC, it has become “surprisingly easy” for people to tap into web-connected cameras. It noted that while many of these cameras show outdoor or public spaces, others broadcast from inside people’s homes or other private areas. Some websites offer unedited streams from “unsecured” web cameras worldwide.
The OPC said that internet-connected devices with a camera − such as baby monitors, laptop cameras, and home security systems − can be “easily hijacked” to allow random strangers to watch intimate moments and can give away critical details about someone’s location and movements to others on the lookout for that kind of information.
“Fortunately, taking simple steps like changing the default password can drastically reduce the risk that someone can use your camera to spy on you,” the OPC added.
Below are some of the tips given by the OPC to keep a web camera “from being live-streamed”:
- Do research
The OPC advised that before purchasing a smart device or downloading a companion application, it is necessary to learn first about what personal information is being collected and what privacy controls are being offered.
“Be wary of companies offering products and services with no privacy protection information, or incomplete information. This should raise a red flag,” the OPC said. “Enter the camera make and model into your favourite search engine and see if there are any security related posts available about it.”
Make sure that there is a way to update the firmware on the camera by reviewing the operating instructions before use, the OPC added.
- Change default password
The OPC revealed that one of the principal ways others can access someone’s internet-connected cameras is through the manufacturer’s default passwords, which they can easily find online.
Accordingly, the OPC recommended the following: (a) change the default password; (b) use a secure password, with two-step authentication, if possible; (c) avoid using the same passwords across devices; and (d) verify that the password is changed instead of a new account being created with the old password still active.
- Secure router
The OPC recommended changing the password on a router as hackers can use weak router passwords to gain access to all of a person’s devices. Hackers can do this by setting up a guest network for connected devices, especially if a new password for a particular device cannot be set.
- Disable camera and microphone
The OPC suggested disabling device camera and microphone when not in use. Also, a sticky note or a commercially available camera cover may be used to cover the disabled camera.
“Make sure the device is set up to let you know when information is being collected – like a light to let you know the camera is on,” the OPC said.
Additionally, the OPC suggested monitoring children’s access to the camera to ensure they do not inadvertently turn it on by themselves and checking outdoor security cameras to ensure that they do not give away information like a street number or licence plate.


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