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There’s been a lot of buzz this year around human trafficking. It seems to have kicked off with the arrest and death of Jeffrey Epstein, and now the stories keep rolling in.
Exhibit A is a wildly prevalent theory that has gained traction in the past few days and almost sounds like it came from a spy thriller or action movie: Wayfair is trafficking children through their website.
Wayfair Is Selling Children...in Cabinets?
On July 9, Reddit user PrincessPeach1987 posted a question about the price of utility cabinets for sale on Wayfair.com on a Reddit conspiracy thread.
How she jumped from “wow, these cabinets are expensive” to “they must come with a child inside” is the question every sensible person is asking right now. PrincessPeach1987 told Newsweek that she is "involved in a local organization that helps victims of human trafficking," making her "suspicious most of the time now." She also asserts that her Reddit post was intended to ask if anyone else had information that could confirm or deny her suspicions.
Sleuths have pointed out that the cabinets — as well as other items for sale on the website — have the same name as missing children.
But it's not only overpriced cabinets that have shown up. It's also pillows, couches, and other exceptionally expensive items, again with names that can be linked to missing children.
Another piece of “evidence” that has surfaced is, if you were to search the Wayfair item stock keeping unit number (SKU) with the phrase “src usa” on Yandex, a Russian search engine (who even thinks to try these things?), you’ll get images of children in bathing suits. (Snopes confirms this actually does happen, by the way, but explains it could be connected to the Russian image hosting website Imgsrc.)
Past events are seen as confirmation of present events.
In June 2019, Wayfair employees at the Boston headquarters held a walkout to protest the sale of beds to a Texas detention center for detained migrant children. According to CBS, “Wayfair sold about $200,000 worth of bedroom furniture to BCFS, a nonprofit government contractor, for use in a 3,000-person detention camp in Carrizo Springs, Texas.”
Wayfair maintained it’s right to sell to any legal customer and washed their hands of any morality attached to the sale.
This incident, combined with the fact that nearly 1,500 immigrant children are unaccounted for in the eyes of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (which simply means their sponsor didn’t respond to follow-up calls), was enough to convince people that Wayfair has a means of acquiring children to sell.
So now, who knows how many hundreds, thousands, or even millions (?) of people believe that Wayfair, or someone using the site, is concealing the sale of children under the guise of overpriced furniture in a thinly veiled human trafficking operation.
Denials and Fact Checks
Wayfair was quick to offer an explanation for the price of the cabinets: “The products in question are industrial grade cabinets that are accurately priced.” But Wayfair recognizes that the listing didn’t provide the average customer enough information to justify the price, so they have “temporarily removed the products from site to rename them and to provide a more in-depth description and photos that accurately depict the product to clarify the price point."
“The products in question are industrial grade cabinets that are accurately priced.”
The fact-checking site Snopes swiftly labeled the Wayfair allegations “false,” but their "investigation" rested pretty much on Wayfair's hurried initial statement and a vague assertion that the story was just too crazy to believe. “The more we pondered this claim, the more nonsensical it appeared,” Snopes author Dan Evon wrote of the allegation. “Would a large business really use their official website to allow people to purchase children online?”
Let's also remember that Wayfair is a site that hosts sales listings from third-party sellers (just like Amazon does). Wayfair hosts the transaction between the consumer and the supplier — so if something shady were actually going on, there's a range of possibilities for the level of Wayfair's involvement, from completely ignorant and innocent to monetarily benefiting from child trafficking sales by receiving their cut for hosting the sale but without being directly involved.
We're not weighing in on whether or not we think the conspiracy theorists are correct. But this is 2020, and anything could happen. The death of Jeffrey Epstein, and the subsequent reveal of the extent of his sex trafficking operation, have made even the most naive Americans aware of how prevalent sex and human trafficking still are.
Being informed is sexy. Get an unbiased news breakdown of everything you need to know in politics, pop-culture, and more in 60 seconds or less.


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The next Baltipreneurs Demo Day will take place on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. Details coming soon!
Baltipreneurs Demo Day on Wednesday, April 27, 2022 was a success with $24,500 awarded! 8 talented Baltimore entrepreneurs pitched to an audience from the general public and Loyola community.
Award recipients from the 2022 Demo Day include:
Platinum: Chesapeake Collection, an apparel company that donates a portion of annual revenue to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Gold: Dolphin University Swim School, a learn-to-swim brand emphasizing water safety and social development
Silver: Agui Swim, an eco-friendly swimwear company
Bronze: Keppel and Kismet, a creative workshop and boutique
Audience Favorite Award: Keppel & Kismet
Pitch Creator Hustle Award: Mindful y Radiante, a wellness company that promotes well-being and stress reduction
Who are the Baltipreneurs?

domain: news


text: The Planning and Zoning Commission Oct. 8 put off a vote on the zone change and text amendments for the proposed Wilton Heights retail and apartments project until Oct. 22. It was a question of some commissioners wanting more time to study the public hearing materials and review the testimony. Wilton Heights LLC, wants to tear down five existing buildings and replace them with two buildings that would consist of retail space and residential units within a wetland. The application for the actual retail and residential project has not opened yet to a public hearing. That will open either on Oct. 22 or on Tuesday, Nov. 13. The developer was expected to make a decision on the date and notify the planning and zoning department.


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General Motors is Still in the Hotseat, but Sales are Soaring
August 31, 2014•51 min
On this rebroadcast of To The Point: General Motors risked its reputation by instituting a record number of recalls after news of deaths and injuries due to faulty ignition switches. The company has admitted it failed for years to address safety problems. So why are sales back to where they were before the recession?


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The Witcher 3 has been, alongside GTA V, one of the biggest releases of the year. The game has seen one million PC activations via the company's GOG Galaxy service, netting a profit of $62.5 million USD in 1H15. First-half net profit of the Witcher 3 grew 768% over 2011 + 2012 figures.
Epic Games has posted a showdown for the all the major virtual reality headsets currently competing. Those who own or have access to an Oculus DK2 (and up), Sony Morpheus (a device that seems aptly named for Showdown), or HTC Vive can download and run Epic’s Matrix-inspired VR experience.
Activision’s (ATVI) World of Warcraft is one of the largest, longest-lived MMORPGs on the PC market. For a game originally released in 2004, currently having 5.6 million players – for a monthly subscription fee – is an impressive feat. For Activision-Blizzard, World of Warcraft has been a major source of revenue for more than a decade.
In late 2010, the game reached a total of ~12 million subscribers around the arrival of the Cataclysm expansion. Despite this impressively large player base, WoW’s size has recently seen a period of decline. This is not to suggest that WoW’s player base has shrunken steadily -- last November’s Warlords of Draenor expansion caused subscriber count to exceed 10 million -- but there’s been a loss of late.
Despite an ongoing period of general growth for the tech sector and desktop computing space, Jon Peddie Research today released a report indicating an 11% decline last quarter's GPU shipments.
The report indicates that embedded GPUs and IGPs are eroding dGPU sales. Year-to-year total GPU shipments fell 18.8%, combining the 21.7% desktop graphics decline with a 16.9% notebook dGPU decline. Note that this report represents the entire dedicated graphics industry and is not a linear representation of the gaming-only market, to which this website caters more directly.
Despite overall weak PC sales in recent years, Jon Peddie Research has projected that the computer graphics industry will exceed $235 billion by 2018, with a growth of 6.3% per year. This is due partly to the fact that the computer graphics industry is rooted in cross-platform sectors such as mobile, consoles, PC gaming, software, and workstations. For reference, the 2014 computer graphics industry was ~$184 billion (total of applications and hardware). Jon Peddie research attributes this to the move to 4K and a big boost from mobile, along with emerging technologies like 3D scanning/printing, augmented reality, and VR.
The Electronic Sports League -- more commonly, “ESL” -- just announced the launch of the first 24/7 Counter-Strike eSports channel. This development is made possible by a “cloud-based content management system” developed specifically for this endeavor.
We've gone through a series of concerning conversations over the past six months. The website has grown. GamersNexus now draws nearing one million pageviews per month through the website alone; YouTube traffic has tripled in a little over a year. This growth is something I firmly attribute to our dedication toward neutral, methodical analysis of software and hardware. Our readers have strongly voiced support of our methods and primary objective to deliver fair content to the industry.
The site has gone from a position of almost no power to one of small, but measurable negotiation positioning. We've got two rooms full of components that are tested on a daily basis, and that's because we've proven we're capable of delivering quality analysis.
Users on the cutting edge of Microsoft's new Windows 10 builds should likely already have build 10162, which launched on July 2. The build was Microsoft's third Windows 10 build in a single week, reinforcing the company's commitment to a nearing launch date. The OS is slated for a July 29 release.
“Amnesty” and “anti-malware” are not two words generally paired together, but the popular program Malwarebytes recently changed that. In response to the rising number of pirated copies and sales of counterfeit copies of their program, the company rolled-out its amnesty program.
Excitement continues to build over Valve’s long-awaited Steam Machines -- PCs that will come preloaded with the SteamOS. Many fans, though, will have to wait a little longer for their own machines as the first line of pre-orders for Steam Controllers and Steam Links have already sold out. October 16 is the expected shipping date for Steam’s first public venture into hardware.
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The Cork Racecourse in Mallow is set to be the venue for new summer festival that will showcase the best in Cork food, music and, of course, ‘the Sport of Kings’.
2018 has been an extremely exciting year for us across all of our brands. There has been so much change and innovation that we have finished the year on a very positive note.
“When I interviewed Jim Barry
in August 2018, the Barry Group
was focused on rolling out its
new sub-brands, including its
Urban Sips coffee, Market Street
Deli, Freezi Licks ice cream and
its healthy salad-to-go option,
The Salad Patch. Now the group
strategy is all about ensuring
that its retailers are as recessionproof
as possible.” Maev Martin, Checkout Magazine
Although we are living in unprecedented times at the moment, we still wanted to shine a light on all the hard working moms out there this Mother’s Day. Today, with the help of Chef Brendan, we launched our Costcutter Mother’s Day campaign. We hope you enjoy!


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The 802.11ax Wi-Fi standard is set to unleash a new wave of opportunities for the telecoms industry and support the early delivery of many 5G use cases, according to the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA).
In a new white paper, the alliance argued that the latest generation of the Wi-Fi standard has the capability to deliver fundamental improvements to Wi-Fi as a standalone business and help operators and enterprises solve a number of business challenges.
Support for functionality including multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO), dual-band frequencies and flexible channel sizes will also enable the industry to expedite the delivery of some 5G use cases by multiple years.
WBA general manager Tiago Rodrigues said the 3GPP's 5G standards are designed to allow better integration between Wi-Fi networks and 5G new radio (NR), in recognition of the importance of Wi-Fi in carrying smartphone data.
“Investment in 802.11ax offers operators and enterprises a compelling proposition to dramatically accelerate the delivery of 5G use cases, at a much lower cost,” he said.
“However, it shouldn’t be viewed as ‘just the next evolution in Wi-Fi technology’ that can complement cellular. The WBA has developed this paper as part of its venture to raise awareness of 802.11ax as a standalone technology, providing new capabilities which can be used by the entire industry to address a whole new set of opportunities and use cases.”
According to the white paper, the benefits of 802.11ax include enhanced investment effectiveness, time to market and capacity and density.


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-Vice President of Europe for Stella & Dot to share insights on ‘achieving business success ’ at IBWC 2014, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Kathleen Mitchell, Vice President of Europe for social selling boutique business Stella & Dot, has been announced as one of the guest speakers at next month’s International Business Women’s Conference IBWC 2014: Creating a New Economy (Belfast, Northern Ireland, 13/14 May 2014).
Hosted by Women in Business NI, IBWC 2014 will bring delegates from across the globe to Belfast under the theme of ‘Creating a New Economy’ to inspire and empower entrepreneurs and create international working partnerships. Kathleen Mitchell will be hosting a masterclass centred around achieving success and balance as a working woman. Through her role with Stella & Dot, Kathleen helps businesswomen achieve success and a personal life by allowing them to run their own flexible fashion business.
Online jewellery boutique brand Stella & Dot has become a firm favourite among fashionistas with a celebrity fan base including Jennifer Aniston and Sheryl Crowe. The San Francisco-based social selling company gives women the means to run their own fashion business, selling a range of statement necklaces, charm bracelets and funky tech accessories, all designed in New York, to name just a few, all of which are exclusively available online or via Stella & Dot stylists.
The company has gone from strength to strength, with an expansion to the UK in 2012 and more recently to the Republic of Ireland in 2014, as well as being named as one of Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Companies. Kathleen’s role has seen her create marketing strategies and train over 1,200+ women in the UK.
American born, Trinity College Dublin graduate, Kathleen has a wealth of experience in launching global beauty brands and working with both men and women at all levels. Having led a division of L’Oréal, Kathleen was involved in launching Kerastase in the US & building Redken in the UK & Ireland.
Roseann Kelly, Chief Executive of Women in Business NI said, “We are delighted to welcome business expert Kathleen Mitchell to IBWC 2014 to host one of our master classes. Kathleen’s experience will no doubt prove insightful and engaging to all our delegates. Her positivity, enthusiasm and vision will be a welcome addition to our conference. Kathleen is a true inspiration for female entrepreneurs.”
IBWC 2014 will welcome keynote speakers such as: Carla Busazi, Editor in Chief, Huffington Post UK; Helena Morrissey, founder of the 30% Club targeting female leadership in FTSE 100 companies; Professor Lizbeth Goodman, SmartLab, NUI, Dublin; Ann Francke, MD of the Chartered Institute of Management; Dr Anita Sands, former Group Managing Director of UBS and Member of the Global Irish Network; Anna LiseKjaer, founder of trend forecasting agency Kjaer Global and Ingrid Vanderveldt, Entrepreneur-in-Residence (“EIR”) for Dell Inc – each of whom are exceptional and inspirational female leaders.
For information on and to register for the International Business Women’s Conference 2014 ‘Creating a New Economy’ visit www.ibwc2014.com and follow @IBWC2014 on Twitter.
IBWC 2014 is supported by Visit Belfast, Invest Northern Ireland, Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister, Department for Employment and Learning, Belfast City Council, Ulster Bank, NYSE Euronext, Queen’s University Belfast, Equality Commission NI, Enterprise Ireland.


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Budget constraints due to inflation, supply chain shortages and rising fuel costs are prompting some brides to consider renting reusable silk wedding flowers instead of buying fresh ones.
Something Borrowed Blooms’ ecommerce business sells rental silk floral bouquets for the occasion. Customers use the flowers and mail them back. And the company is busier than ever, says Lauren Bercier, co-founder and CEO.
Costs are on the rise no matter what industry. The wedding sector is no different. The average wedding cost $27,063 in 2021 and is on track to reach $27,805 in 2022, according to trade group the Wedding Report.
According to Digital Commerce 360 research, the Top 2000 retailers grew overall web sales 15.7% in 2021. Comparatively, retailers that sell only or mostly wedding goods grew 32.9%.
Something Borrowed Blooms has more than 20,000 unique items in its inventory ready to rent. That includes bouquets, garlands, lanterns, candle sticks, boutonnieres, corsages and other products, Bercier says. Flowers are made from silk produced overseas with other raw materials sourced from U.S.-based wholesalers, Bercier says. Most of the products are manufactured overseas.
Something Borrowed Blooms grew 90% in 2021 year over year.
“This year, we’re on track to grow 120% year over year,” Bercier says.
Something Borrowed Blooms expands online business
After six and a half years, Bercier says the company has managed to grow, even during the pandemic.
“During the height of the pandemic, we were able to grow our overall business 35%, which is not our normal growth rate,” she says. “The majority of our business is online.”
Bercier did not specify how much of its business is online but noted that the company provides wedding retailers with sample bouquets to carry at stores.
“It’s used as a closing tool once a bride has chosen a dress,” Bercier says. Each bouquet has a QR code that leads the shopper to the website.
“All of our transactions are online,” she says. “But sometimes a bride finds us through a physical retailer.”
Blended and unblended average order values (AOV) are different. Blended includes preview packs. Brides can order a sample bouquet, and samples with delivery are $40. The website offers photos of each design. Currently, AOV for blended orders is about $350. Orders without a preview pack included are about $600, Bercier says.
“But we’ve seen that $600 amount increase in the last 18 months,” Bercier says. “Our AOV has increased about 20% compared to 2021.”
Something Borrowed Blooms’ conversion rate is about 1%. Its $600 AOV is lower than the average cost of wedding flowers in the U.S., which is approximately $1,500, according to WeddingWire.com. WeddingWire is a marketplace that offers couples options for local wedding professionals and vendors.
Technology helps improve the customer experience
As the company’s popularity grew, Bercier says it became a priority to invest in an easy customer portal with a login and access to orders. Something Borrowed Blooms upgraded its website in the summer of 2021. Since then, customers can sign in into the website to view their orders. Over several months, Something Borrowed Blooms’ IT department developed customer-friendly website capabilities and ongoing bug fixes and upgrades.
“We don’t have an IT development budget of $15,000 to $20,000 a month,” Bercier says. “We combined our efforts with other website upgrades and bug fixes.”
The retailer recommends that couples dedicate 8% to 10% of their budgets to florals. Something Borrowed Blooms charges a 50% deposit to hold a customer’s orders. Customers can also adjust their order and edit as plans change, which is particularly useful as COVID-19 lingers on and plans change.
“We know brides tend to change their minds and we want to give them that flexibility to do so online,” she says. “When you compare to traditional vendors where you have to call or email or there might be a fee, it is convenient.”
There are no blackout dates or other restrictions to changing an existing order, she says. On average, customers place orders three to four months in advance.
“Some might go as far ahead as 12 to 18 months,” Bercier says.
Flowers with sustainability in mind
Sustainability is appealing to shoppers, Bercier says. Plus, data from The Knot shows that one in five couples throwing a personalized affair includes sustainable elements. 70% of couples say they did/will put some or significant effort into incorporating sustainable or eco-friendly options into their wedding. Using secondhand décor/upcycled items, minimizing food waste, and avoiding one-time use products are the most popular decisions, according to the survey, which included more than 15,000 couples who got married in 2021.
“Fresh flowers used once end up in a landfill. Our bouquets are used on average about 26 times per year,” Bercier says. “But we have some products on the shelf that have been in rotation for several years.
“When you compare it to fresh flowers sourced from all over the world and shipped via refrigerated containers, it’s an energy-intensive shipping method,” Bercier continues.
About 85% of the world’s source of fresh-cut flowers come from The Netherlands, Ecuador, Kenya, Ethiopia and Colombia, according to Worlds Top Exports research. In the U.S., 75% of flowers are imported. Flowers can be transported up to 6,000 miles in refrigerated airplane holds. Emissions are problematic, but so are the use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers that can pollute groundwater and poison pollinators.
Something Borrowed Blooms also stores its silk flowers in Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) packaging. Retailers must adhere to certification standards and be able to track the source of raw materials, including inventory control, employee training, reporting, and invoicing, according to SFI. Foam cushions the flowers during shipping. The company reuses the foam, “forever, unless they get really damaged,” she says. “We never throw the foam inserts away.”
“It is important to us to continue to look at how to expand ways we can be more sustainable,” she says. “We understand that we need to be sincere. We make sure our customers can see the SFI stamp on our boxes so that people know and can feel good about making that choice.”
That choice is more expensive, Bercier says.
“It’s about 30% more expensive than a regular non-certified box,” she says. “The SFI-certified box is beautifully designed. That adds to the customer experience when they open it at home.”
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US - Today, we review the livestock and poultry numbers in last Friday’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand (WASDE) report from the US Department of Agriculture, write Steve Meyer and Len Steiner.
WASDE analysts’ expectations for lower feedstuff costs filtered-through to their livestock and poultry forecasts, but the changes in production numbers were rather modest.
For the current year (2016), total red meat and poultry production was reduced very slightly from their July forecast (down 0.1 per cent). None of the 2016 production changes compared to a month ago (August WASDE compared to July’s) in the individual commodity break-out (beef, pork, broiler, and turkey) were of a magnitude to deserve lengthy commentary and were clearly not price impacting.
So, essentially USDA reaffirmed their 2016 increase in total red meat and poultry production compared to 2015’s of 2.98 billion pounds, or 3.1 per cent.
Looking ahead to 2017, in terms of total red meat and poultry production, WASDE latest forecast is up slightly from their prior estimate (increasing 0.1 per cent from July’s).
The WASDE report did state: “Production forecasts for 2017 red meat and poultry are raised as lower forecast feed prices are expected to encourage increased production.”
Year-over-year USDA forecasts US total red meat and poultry production in 2017 will increase by 2.8 per cent. According to USDA, 2017’s beef production is set to rise 3.4 per cent compared to 2016's, pork to increase 2.4 per cent, broiler to be up 2.6 per cent, and turkey to increase by be 2.5 per cent.
On the international trade front, for the US the WADSE report said: “The beef import forecasts for 2016 and 2017 are raised in part due to expectations of increased imports from Brazil beginning in the latter part of 2016”.
Importantly, note that even with their Brazil change, large year-over-year declines in US beef imports are forecast in both 2016 and 2017.
Also, they noted that they lowered US broiler exports for 2016 due to the slower pace of exports achieved in June. In the graphics associated with this article, the numbers match the WASDE forecasts for 2016 and 2017.
For pork, essentially no changes were made to WASDE annual import or export forecasts.
Annual average livestock and poultry price forecasts were generally slightly reduced for 2016. This year’s annual average slaughter steer price was reduced from the July forecast by about $1.00 per cwt. to a range of $124-$127 per cwt. The annual average slaughter barrow and gilt price for 2016 (live weight basis) also was reduced by about $1.00 per cwt. to a range of $47-$48 per cwt.
For 2017, WASDE put all livestock and poultry prices except for broilers below 2016’s. They currently have 2017 slaughter steers in the range of $118-$128 per cwt. and live slaughter barrows and gilts $42-$45 per cwt.
ThePigSite News Desk


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Amar Abrol, CEO, AirAsia India Image: Selva Prakash
AirAsia India, a joint venture between Tata Sons and the AirAsia Group, is in the process of setting up an innovation centre at its headquarters in Bengaluru. This innovation centre would focus on the intersection of technology and travel. This will be the Malaysia-based AirAsia Group's second innovation centre.
“We have already hired one person and are looking for office space,” Amar Abrol, CEO, AirAsia India said. To begin with, Abrol is putting together a 30-member team that would be involved in data analytics. “The innovation centre at Kuala Lumpur is all about virtual reality, new technology, and gamification,” Abrol said. And is quick to add, “We (the India innovation centre) will drive the tech innovation for the AirAsia Group.”
At the 52nd International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, in June, Tony Fernandes spoke of driving AirAsia to becoming a ‘digital airline’ and how technology could make travel simpler and hassle-free for passengers. “I’m very much in favour of getting rid of check-in counters and looking at self-boarding. We are working on facial recognition, whereby passengers can board an aircraft using their face,” Fernandes said. “And that will cover people with plastic surgery as well,” he quipped.


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Super fuels are a waste of money for most drivers, according to Which? Car magazine.
Tests showed that super fuels do not save the drivers money, don’t improve car performance and are of no help to the environment, the consumer magazine said.
For many drivers it was a ‘waste of money’ paying over the odds for the fuels, which the manufacturers claim can help the engines run more smoothly, Which? Car editor Richard Headland said.
“For many cars it’s a waste of money paying over the odds for so-called ‘super fuels’. The standard fuels we tested were all up to the job, whether from a major fuel brand or a supermarket,” Mr Headland said.
“There’s no conclusive evidence to show that super fuels are better for your car in the long run. So in a time of high oil prices, why would you choose to pay more?”
The magazine had tested three superfuels — Shell V-Power, which is said to help the engine turn more efficiently; Tesco Super Unleaded, which claims to be a cleaner fuel which remove existing deposits and allows smoother running; and BP Ulimate Diesel, which promised up to four times the cleaning strength of ordinary diesel, increased power and decreased fuel consumption.
“Shell V-Power gave a Ford Focus 1.6 a marginal power increase. However, filling the car on this petrol for 12,000 miles will cost £115 more than using Shell’s standard petrol. Tesco Super Unleaded actually decreased the power of the Focus,” Which? Car said.
“The Volkswagen Golf’s hi-tech 1.4 TSI engine responded well to Shell V-Power, but there was little to choose between super fuels and ordinary petrol on economy and emissions.
“The economy and performance of the Renault Megane 1.5 diesel were both slightly worse using BP Ultimate diesel, the super fuel furthest from the marketing claims in the test.”
None of the fuels had any more than a marginal effect on the emissions of measured pollutants (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particulate matter), apparently putting paid to environmental claims, the magazine revealed.
“There may be benefits to using super fuels in the long-term as they include detergents to improve engine longevity. However, Which? thinks any break-even point in terms of reduced repair bills could take many years to reach,” it said.
The study revealed that 65% of Which? Car readers choose standard petrol, while 30% go for standard diesel, 4% opt for super petrol and 1% choose super diesel.
Some 25% of readers buy their fuel at Tesco, 19% from Sainsbury’s, with 15% buying Shell and 8% choosing BP.


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Clampdown on social media adverts for risky hay-fever jab
Companies will be prosecuted if they continue to advertise a prescription-only hay-fever drug on social media, the UK government says.
Kenalog is a steroid injection that the NHS stopped offering years ago because of the risk of serious side effects.
Some private medical and aesthetic beauty clinics have been told to remove promotional posts for the jab from Facebook and Instagram.
Even including a syringe emoji would be a breach of the law.
Kenalog is not licensed for the treatment of hay-fever in the UK, although it is licensed for some other conditions on prescription.
Some beauty and aesthetics clinics, however, are offering it to hay-fever sufferers.
Hay fever is a pollen allergy which is most commonly treated with antihistamine drops, tablets and nasal sprays.
It causes sneezing, coughing, a blocked nose and additional problems for those with asthma.
For some, these treatments don’t have any effect, which is prompting some people to try Kenalog instead.
It has not been approved for hay-fever treatment by the NHS because its benefits do not outweigh the risks of using it.
Steroids are anti-inflammatory medications used for asthma and arthritis but come with side effects such as weight gain, sleeping difficulties and sometimes anxiety or depression.
The Committees of Advertising Practice (Cap) have worked with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to issue the enforcement on Kenalog advertising.
It must not be advertised anywhere, including on social-media posts or on websites, as a treatment for hay fever in the UK or referred to as a “hay-fever injection” or “hay-fever jab”.
Companies have until the end of August to make these changes before being referred to the MHRA for further enforcement action.
Claire Tilstone, from the MHRA, says “the advertising of prescription-only medicines in the UK is banned under UK advertising law” and encourages anyone who sees a clinic advertising Kenalog to report it to the agency or to Cap.
Allergy UK has previously said the steroid injection is not recommended as it is a high-dose steroid given by an intramuscular injection, and once injected, the steroid cannot be removed – and it comes with “a high side-effect profile”.


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The upcoming but most appealing and attention-grabbing smartphone Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus has now been surfaced on AnTuTu. And not only surfaced but beating up Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro and its super-powerful HiSilicon Kirin 980 Chipset with a help of its main specifications.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus Specs
According to Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus specifications, has a gorgeous and bright 6.4-inches screen with a maximum resolution of 2280 x 1080 Pixels (lower resolution due to a software) and running on Android’s latest operating system – Android Pie 9.0.
The handset is powered by 8 nanometer Exynos 9820 Chipset – partnered with a whopping 6GB of RAM (perhaps more) and 128GB of an impressive amount of onboard memory. The device has posted an eye-catching benchmark score which is 325,076.
According to 325,076, it’s beating an official AnTuTu score of Huawei’s recently announced Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro but quite less as compared to Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 8150 Chipset.
During the run on AnTuTu, Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus clocked as highest as 2.7GHz. The brain behind the handset is Exynos 9820 which packs 2 Exynos M4 cores, 2 Cortex-A75 and 2 Cortex-A55 cores – developed by Samsung.
Aside from AnTuTu, several analysts are predicting that there’s an even more and super-powerful Galaxy S10 with a hefty 12GB of RAM, 1TB of onboard memory and larger 6.7-inches screen. Keeping Galaxy Note 9 in our minds, Galaxy S10 should be backed by at least 8GB of RAM or a little more.


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The upcoming 2020 Mahindra Thar has been spotted multiple times and the SUV is likely to debut at the 2020 Auto Expo
Mahindra and Mahindra, India’s largest utility vehicle manufacturer, will soon launch the all-new Thar in India as the second generation model. The SUV has been spied doing tests wearing full camouflage many times and will replace the current Thar that has long been in the market. The new Thar will get many Jeep inspired design elements and will be safer and feature loaded.
Mahindra also paid a tribute to the outgoing first-gen Thar by launching a limited-run Thar 700 edition where 700 represents the number of units to be built. Once the production of the last remaining 700 units of Thar ends, Mahindra will start rolling out the 2020 Mahindra Thar SUV.
Here’s all you need to know about the 2020 Mahindra Thar-
The upcoming all-new Thar has been rendered multiple times using the visual cues from the spy shots by many rendering artists and gives us an insight on how the SUV would look like. As per the rendering of the artists, the upcoming 2020 Mahindra Thar will have an evolutionary design, having ample similarities to the outgoing model, including the overall stance and size.
However there’s an increase in the width and the big wheel arches makes it have an imposing stance. The wheel size is bigger and there’s a snorkel too. The all-new Thar will feature a seven-slot vertical front grille flanked by round headlights, inspired from Jeep CJB3, giving it an iconic look. The upright windscreen will also be carried forward from the current Thar. The Jeep inspired body gets a black hard-top roof giving it a dual-tone look.
The upcoming Thar will not have any radical design elements inside the cabin as the SUV is being offered as a value-for-money SUV. Instead, it will get a new infotainment system, a new dashboard layout, better quality material, new big MID, round AC vents and an all-black finish. The seating layout will be customizable with 2 seats at the front and an option to either have a bench-type seat for 3 passengers or two parallel seats for 4 passengers.
The 2020 Mahindra Thar will be equipped with all the safety features missing in the previous-gen model such as driver airbag, rear parking sensors, speed alert system and more which will be made mandatory under AIS 145 safety norms that came into effect on 1 July 2019. The next-gen model will also be compatible to the BNVSAP crash test norms that came into action from 1 October 2019.
The biggest change in the new 2020 Mahindra Thar 2020 will mostly be underneath the iconic body. The 2020 model will get a BS-VI compliant diesel engine. The 2.0-litre diesel engine will deliver 140 PS of maximum power and a peak torque of 300 Nm and will be mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox sending power to all the wheels.
5. Price and Launch
Mahindra will most probably debut the 2020 Thar at the upcoming 2020 Auto Expo as a production model. However, the sales are expected to begin only after the first half of next year. The Thar will be priced north of Rs 7 Lakh (ex-showroom, India) and there can be 2-3 variants to choose from, with the top-spec model going as high as Rs 9 Lakh (ex-showroom, India).


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For too long, manufacturers and their dominant distribution partners have danced around the trade-offs that price- and cost-only systems create. The trade-offs are especially acute when a marketplace is supplied by long, overseas supply chains where oversight and quality control are more difficult to assure. While long supply chains are an important part of the global economy, they still demand operating oversight which drives up costs and investment. Contract manufacturers (and distribution channels building their own store brands) are finding out there's more to sourcing than "spec and buy".
- NYT on risks of cost-only sourcing: a sales manager at a company in southern China said leaded paint was about 30 percent cheaper than paint without lead...it depends on the client’s requirement, if the prices they offer make it impossible to use lead-free paint, we’ll tell them that we might have to use leaded paint. If they agree, we’ll use leaded paint. It totally depends on what the clients want.”
- WSJ on toys supply chain: After a summer of toy recalls, toy licensors and trade associations are counting on stepped-up safety pledges to reassure parents before the holiday shopping season...some industry analysts question the effectiveness of tighter safety measures by companies that own brands and images but may have little manufacturing know-how...licensors have less experience... toy manufacturers such as Mattel and Hasbro Inc. are better seasoned at quality control.
- NYT on government oversight: A working group appointed by President Bush recommended preventing problems by building safety into manufacturing and distribution, intervening when risks were identified and responding quickly after an unsafe product made its way into the country...Representative Rosa DeLauro [said] the plan should detail how bad actors will be held accountable, how strict safety standards will be developed and enforced, and how such a system would be funded
In a related development, earlier this summer the U.S. Supreme Court seemed to anticipate such developments when they overturned a nearly 100 year old ruling to give manufacturers the right to set minimum resale prices. Why would the court suggest that higher prices are better for consumers?
The underpinnings of the court’s new reasoning were developed long ago by economists at the University of Chicago who argued that allowing manufacturers to stipulate prices on branded products can lead to greater benefits for end consumers when increased retail margins are used to fund required service levels. In reaching its new decision, the 2007 court acknowledged and embraced this view of consumer market dynamics, and concluded that any given instance of resale price maintenance is now within the law – if the manufacturer can show it has not concentrated market power to drive a supplier or retailer cartel, and if it can show that in setting a minimum price at retail, it is promoting consumers’ best interests and driving up overall demand.
Current consumer sentiment seems to be supportive of the Supreme Court's direction. None of this, however, suggests that manufacturers and their resale channel partners have free reign to drive up prices beyond what customers are willing to pay. But watch for new developments. In the new era of distribution, forward-looking manufacturers and their channel partners will once again offer trusted products at price points required to actually deliver on the brands' promises.


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The cryptocurrency market has seen remarkable growth in the past few years. With the emergence of new digital assets, investors and traders are looking for the best coins to invest in. One such digital asset is Loopring Coin, which has been gaining a lot of attention lately. This article will analyze the potential of Loopring Coin’s price in 2025 and provide insights into the coin’s future.
What is Loopring Coin?
Loopring Coin is a decentralized cryptocurrency designed to facilitate peer-to-peer transactions and reduce transaction costs. The network is based on Ethereum’s blockchain technology and utilizes the Loopring Protocol to enable trustless and secure trading of digital assets. The coin is highly scalable and can process transactions much faster than traditional payment methods.
Loopring Coin Price Prediction 2025
Loopring Coin has been experiencing a steady growth since its launch in 2017. The coin has seen a significant increase in its value over the past few months, with its price reaching a high of $1.48 in May 2021. Analysts believe that the coin will continue to grow in the future, predicting that it could reach a value of up to $3.50 by 2025.
The growth of Loopring Coin is largely due to its unique features and its potential to revolutionize the way digital assets are traded. The coin is well-positioned to benefit from the increasing popularity of digital assets and the increasing demand for decentralized solutions. As more investors and traders become aware of the potential of Loopring Coin, its price is likely to continue to rise.
Will Loopring Coin Reach $3.50 by 2025?
It is difficult to accurately predict the future price of Loopring Coin, as there are various factors that can affect the value of the coin. However, based on the current market trends and the increased demand for the coin, it is expected that Loopring Coin will reach a price of $3.50 by 2025.
The coin has been steadily increasing in value since its launch and has achieved a high of $1.48 in May 2021. This indicates that the coin could continue to grow in the future and reach a value of up to $3.50 by 2025.
What Factors Could Affect Loopring Coin Price in 2025?
There are various factors that could affect the price of Loopring Coin in 2025. These include market volatility, regulatory changes, and technological advancements.
Market volatility is a major factor that could affect the price of the coin. The cryptocurrency market is subject to sudden and drastic price changes due to changes in the market sentiment and investor sentiment. If the market experiences a sudden and drastic change, the price of Loopring Coin could be affected.
Regulatory changes could also have an effect on the price of Loopring Coin. The coin operates on Ethereum’s blockchain technology and, as such, is subject to any changes in the regulation of Ethereum. If the regulations are tightened or relaxed, it could have an effect on the price of the coin.
Finally, technological advancements could also affect the price of Loopring Coin. As the coin is based on Ethereum’s blockchain technology, any advances in this technology could have a positive effect on the coin’s value. Similarly, any new developments in the cryptocurrency market could also benefit Loopring Coin.
Loopring Coin Adoption
Loopring Coin is being adopted by a growing number of individuals and businesses due to its unique features and potential to revolutionize the way digital assets are traded. The coin has seen an increase in its user base, with more users joining the network every day. This is due to its low transaction costs, fast processing speeds, and flexibility.
Loopring Coin is also gaining traction with institutional investors, as the coin offers numerous advantages for both individual and institutional investors. The coin is highly secure, allowing investors to make transactions without having to worry about the security of their funds. It also offers a wide range of trading options, allowing investors to access a variety of markets and assets.
Furthermore, Loopring Coin has been actively involved in the development of various decentralised applications (dApps) and protocols. This has enabled the coin to increase its reach and adoption, as developers can now build new projects on the Loopring Protocol.
Loopring Coin Price Prediction 2025: Conclusion
Loopring Coin has been experiencing steady growth since its launch in 2017, with its price reaching a high of $1.48 in May 2021. Analysts predict that the coin could reach a value of up to $3.50 by 2025. This is due to its unique features, potential to revolutionize the way digital assets are traded, and increasing adoption among investors and businesses. The coin is well-positioned to benefit from the increasing popularity of digital assets and the increasing demand for decentralized solutions. Although it is difficult to accurately predict the future price of Loopring Coin, it is expected that the coin will continue to grow in the future.


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Some good news for corporate housing owners and professionals. Business travelers who hit the road in 2011 can expect airfares and hotel rates to increase by an average of 10%, according to a forecast released last week by American Express Business Travel, the corporate travel division of American Express.
The primary piece of good news in the forecast was that rental-car rates will likely remain about the same because of increased competition and a large inventory of rental cars.
The forecast itself is based on price predictions for airline tickets, hotels and car rental rates for more than 500 cities worldwide.
Even though more businesses are expected to send their employees to business meetings next year, meeting planners will be doing everything they can to make it cheaper to attend by hosting less-expensive conferences with significantly pared-down amenities, according to American Express Business Travel.


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by Esther Mobley at sfchronicle.com
Gianpaolo Paterlini sees a lot of California winemakers at his San Francisco restaurants Acquerello and Sorella. Naturally, winemakers tend to drink wine when they dine out, and Paterlini observes one consistent pattern in their ordering habits.
“They never drink American wine,” he said. “Absolutely never.”
It’s something of an open secret: Among American winemakers, American wine is not cool. These aficionados would prefer to drink bottles from Champagne, Burgundy, the Jura — really, just about anywhere in Europe.
For years, some vintners have called out their community for its anti-American bias, urging peers to celebrate each other’s wines. In the past, that sentiment had a cute team-spirit feeling to it. Now, in 2024, the message feels more dire. “After the wildfires, COVID, supply chains, inflation, all these tech layoffs in the Bay Area — it hits differently now,” said Noah Dorrance, owner of Reeve Wines in Healdsburg.
If these winemakers want their businesses to survive, they’d better start believing that American wine is cool.


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Analysts at Juniper Research say the value of digital and physical goods purchased via mobile ‘OS-Pay’ platforms will increase by fifteen times in the next two years.
More specifically, a combination of in-app purchases and website retail payments is projected to drive annual spend via Apple Pay and Android Pay to $8 billion in 2018, up from $540 million this year (2016). In addition, more than 85% of remote goods payments are forecast to be made using mobile devices in 2021.
According to Juniper, the integration of OS-Pay into apps will be a ‘no brainer’ for developers looking to reduce buyer friction, where password entry on smartphones remains cumbersome. Indeed, Staples recently confirmed that over 30% of its iOS app users already make in-app purchases via Apple Pay. In addition, more than 85% of remote goods payments are forecast to be made using mobile devices in 2021.
“It is clear that even in markets where PCs and laptops have a high installed base that the smartphone is playing an increasingly important role where remote goods purchases are concerned,” Steffen Sorrell, a senior analyst at Juniper, stated in a new report. “For merchants, this means that the buyer experience must be made as frictionless as possible – from product search and discovery to purchase.”
As Jason Ward of EMC notes, the movement towards mobile payments has been a “disruptive trend” in the banking sector, with new payment services accelerating the shift away from cash.
“Mobile payments can take many forms, including device initiated credit and debit transactions, digital wallet transactions and peer to peer payments,” he explained. “The opportunity they present is significant – the market for mobile payments is estimated to be worth US $2.8 trillion by 2020. However, with so many new players entering the market and looking to capitalize on this opportunity, retail banks will need to adapt in order to beat the competition.”
In order to succeed, says Ward, mobile payment systems will have to solve multiple issues that have obstructed adoption in the past.
“Technology can also help here. For example, new biometric technologies like fingerprint scanning and facial recognition are already enabling safer transactions,” he added. “In fact, Juniper Research predicts there will be nearly 770 million biometric authentication apps downloaded per year by 2019.”
Indeed, Samsung’s recently launched Galaxy Note7 features iris scanning along with fingerprint recognition capabilities. According to Asem Othman, a biometric scientist at Hoyos Labs, iris scanners will likely reach Apple’s phones in 2018.
“Unlike fingerprints, capturing the iris biometric is like taking a picture, and facial expressions and aging effects cannot easily alter its pattern,” Othman recently told IDG’s Agam Shah. “I think due to size and price limitation, adding this sensor to phones requires time.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Vinod Chandran of the Queensland University of Technology told News.Com.Au iris scans are the “best-performing” biometric scans that can be done in real time.
“Speed-wise, fingerprint scanners work at the same rate but security-wise there’s a big difference between fingerprints and iris scans,” he confirmed. “With fingerprints, there’s about a 1 in 1000 chance of a duplication. With the iris, it’s about 1 in 100,000 or even one in a million. The iris has a very different type of texture and pattern [so] spoofing it is very difficult.”
Although the mobile payments sector is still evolving, frictionless commerce promises to usher in an exciting future. When combined with technology such as augmented reality (AR), Bluetooth beacons and advanced biometrics, mobile payments will allow retailers to positively disrupt an outdated paradigm and significantly bolster engagement with shoppers.


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Google is translating the incognito windows of a web browser into voice through the newly announced Guest Mode feature for..
Tag Archives: Privacy
Tricking Amazon into publishing Alexa skills that blatantly violate its policies is shockingly easy, according to Clemson University study. In..
Amazon Quietly Patched an Alexa Hacking Vulnerability Discovered by Cybersecurity Researchers in June
Hackers could trick Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant into giving away personal information and accept commands from unauthorized users, according to..
Google Home smart speakers this year recorded people nearby even without wake word activation, according to a Protocol report and..
Google announced in an email to users of any of its voice-powered services that restarting human reviews of audio recorded..
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are building an open-source database of sounds in people’s homes using a video game they..
Voice assistants are facing more scrutiny than ever, including a new inquiry by the European Union into potential antitrust violations..
The European Union is looking into potential antitrust problems with voice assistants and related Internet of Things products. Regulators at..
Voice assistants will awaken when they hear a wide array of words and phrases that are not their actual wake..
After Whistleblower Letter, Irish Regulators are Asking Apple About the Revised Siri Recording Program
Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) is discussing potential privacy violations by Apple and the Siri voice assistant. The communication began..


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updated 12:35 am EDT, Fri April 18, 2008
Google beats estimates
Google today posted its first quarter profits, thoroughly outpacing Wall Street analyst estimates, which were based on the effects a slowing economy would have on sales and earnings. According to CNN Money, the news follows a weak fourth quarter last year, with earnings coming in under analyst estimates. The report shows Google's income rising 30 percent to $1.31 billion - $4.12 a share - with $1.54 billion before one-time charges.
Sales rose 42 percent to $5.2 billion, with advertising sales netting a total of $3.7 billion, beating predictions of $3.6 billion. A conference call with CEO Eric Schmidt revealed that he and the other board members do not see an impact from broader macroeconomic trends.
Analyst worried that Google's paid click volume would be flat or even drop slightly, but the company announced that paid clicks increased 4 percent fro the fourth quarter 2007, and up 20 percent from the year ago quarter.
Shmidt said that any slowdown in paid clicks is attributed to the company examining more quality advertisements in fewer number, which would actually generate more revenue per click.


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Sleight-of-country not just for tax, Burger King protests
Burger King will avoid hundreds of millions of dollars in US taxes if, as planned, it completes its pending buyout of Canadian coffee-and-doughnuts chain Tim Horton’s, a tax activist group says. In one of the most notable of several corporate tax “inversion” deals this year, Florida-based Burger King announced in late August it would buy Tim Horton’s and put the headquarters of the combined company in Canada.
US companies doing inversions – which involve buying a foreign company and assuming its tax nationality to cut overall tax costs – have been blasted as tax dodgers by Democrats and liberal groups. President Barack Obama has criticised a “herd mentality” by companies seeking deals to escape US taxes.
Americans for Tax Fairness, a group often critical of corporations over taxes, says the fast-food chain’s inversion “creates substantial tax avoidance opportunities.” For instance, it says, by placing its headquarters in Canada so it is no longer a US company for tax purposes, Burger King could avoid $US117 million in US taxes by never having to pay corporate income tax on foreign profits it holds offshore. As future foreign profits would no longer be subject to US income taxes, that could save about $US275 million from 2015-18, according to earnings estimates.
Burger King says the analysis is “materially flawed” and the figures do not accurately represent the facts and circumstances.
“As we’ve said all along, this transaction is driven by growth, not tax rates. Going forward, we do not expect our tax rate to change materially,” it says.
Earlier, Tim Horton’s shareholders approved the deal, with the combined company to be called Restaurant Brands International.


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Nokia Adds NFC to the Lumia 610
Nokia today announced that it is offering a version of the Lumia 610 smartphone with near-field communications on board. The NFC-equipped 610 will be sold by Orange in Europe. Nokia said the Lumia 610 NFC can be used for mobile payments and ticketing services. It has been certified for contactless payments both with MasterCard PayPass technology and with Visa's payWave mobile application. Nokia has not yet announced plans to bring the Lumia 610 to the U.S., but Nokia said it plans to add NFC to all its smartphones over time.
Hands-On: Nokia Lumia 610
Nokia introduced the Lumia 610 today at Mobile World Congress, an entry-level Windows Phone that steps down the specs in favor of affordability.
Nokia Debuts the Lumia 610
Nokia today announced the Lumia 610 Windows Phone. This phone is a low-cost model aimed at younger users.
Nokia Offering DLNA-Based 'Play To' App to Lumia Phones
Nokia recently released a beta application called Play To, which uses DLNA technology to allow Lumia smartphone users to share media from their device to other DLNA-compatible equipment. To start, the application can share photos and video, but not music.
PayPal, Box, Other Apps Headed to Nokia Lumia Phones
Nokia today announced new software partnerships that will bring exclusive content to its line of Lumia Windows Phone devices. Some of the most prominent apps that will only be available to Nokia's smartphones at launch include the Box cloud storage service and PayPal mobile.


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Americans now say they approve of free trade by 64%-27%, a margin of better than two to one. That's up from 57%-37% early in Trump's presidency, and 51%-41% near the end of...Politicsread more
The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note briefly fell below the 2-year rate on Wednesday, a phenomenon in the bond market known as yield curve inversion, which is...Marketsread more
The MacBook Pro recall and its subsequent ban from flights underscores the increasing brand risk from problems with lithium-ion batteries.Technologyread more
Experts say the timing of Amazon executives' contributions to Rep. David Cicilline likely reflect the company's heightened urgency over growing regulatory scrutiny.Technologyread more
CNBC combed through Wall Street research to see which stocks are still a buy after their earnings reports.Marketsread more
Despite aggressive strides, Waymo needs one thing before their self-driving cars become a seriously useful transportation system: people. We talked to the ones closest to it.Technologyread more
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Fraud investigator Harry Markopolos' accusations extended beyond GE's management to actuaries, auditors and analysts who he claims overlooked billions in liabilities.Marketsread more
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Bianco Research's James Bianco suggests Wall Street is desperately looking for a signal that a 50 basis point cut is coming next month.Trading Nationread more
The company's S-1 lays the groundwork for what is widely expected to be one of the largest initial public offerings of the year, second only to Uber's IPO in May. It's also...Technologyread more
Disney continues to take full advantage of its 2012 purchase of Lucasfilm and the "Star Wars" franchise.
Two new "Star Wars"-themed areas, one at Disneyland and the other at Walt Disney World Resort, will open next year, Disney announced May 22.
"Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" will first open in Anaheim, California, during the summer of 2019 and then at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida, in late fall 2019.
The additions will be Disney's biggest "single-themed land expansion" ever, according to Disney CEO Bob Iger. Each will be an expansive 14 acres.
A replica of the Millennium Falcon spaceship, which guests will be able to pilot, will be a key attraction.
Set on the planet Batuu, "Galaxy's Edge" will provide a fully immersive experience for guests. Rather than interact with Disney employees, guests will interact with Batuu's residents: a collection of smugglers, bounty hunters and rogue adventurers. Fly the Millennium Falcon well, and you can expect congratulations from a passerby.
Unique specialty items will be on sale in Batuu's street markets rather than Disney's usual theme park merchandise.
Disney purchased Lucasfilm Ltd. in 2012 for $4.05 billion. That blockbuster deal has proven to be quite the bargain. Since then, Disney has made that money back through its "Star Wars" films alone.


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With 16 days until Brexit, the UK Government is still keeping no-deal on the table, despite the UK Government’s own evidence saying it would be the worst possible option for public services, jobs and living standards.
The Prime Minister may be the first in history threatening to deliberately plunge the UK’s economy into recession – we cannot, and will not, allow it.
No-deal would have a severe impact on the Scottish economy
A no-deal Brexit would see Scotland’s GDP shrink by up to 7% and reduce real disposable income by almost 10%. Economic slowdown caused by a no-deal would be expected to increase the unemployment rate to up to 8%, potentially causing 100,000 Scottish jobs to be slashed.
🏴 A ‘No Deal’ Brexit could mean:
📉 7% drop in GDP
📦 10-20% drop in Scottish exports
🇪🇺 Net migration turns negative
👩🏭 Unemployment rising by 100,000
💷 Recession in 2019
— The SNP (@theSNP) February 21, 2019
Holidays will become even more expensive and complicated
The fall in the value of the pound has made the cost of European holidays more expensive and, outside of the EU, we may need to pay additional charges for going on holiday too. The UK government has also confirmed that booking accommodation and flights could become more expensive, due to the return of the ‘rip-off’ booking fees.
What’s more, UK passport holders with less than six months validity on their documents will be barred from entering Schengen area countries, such as Spain, Portugal or Greece. 26 Schengen countries require at least six months validity on passports.
BREAKING: Higher costs to book a Ryanair flight and hire an Airbnb in a no-deal Brexit – with no guarantee for financial services and exporters of organic food, government papers admit https://t.co/04O8rPoFWe
— Paris Gourtsoyannis (@thistlejohn) August 23, 2018
Medicines are being stockpiled
Any disruption to medical supply exports, cause by the chaos of tariffs, border checks and regulatory issues, could delay NHS patients from accessing treatments and pose serious risks.
Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, confirmed that the UK Government told drug companies and the NHS to stockpile six weeks’ worth of medical supplies to ensure there would be no immediate medical shortages.
What’s more, he admitted the cost of securing storage for stockpiling medicines would amount to tens of millions of pounds.
— Nick Eardley (@nickeardleybbc) July 24, 2018
People living in the EU could lose access to UK bank accounts
Alongside more expensive credit card payments when buying EU products, UK citizens living abroad could also lose access to their bank accounts and face slower processing times.
Britons in EU could lose access to UK bank accounts under no-deal Brexit https://t.co/DFDVgVrOYU
— The Guardian (@guardian) August 23, 2018
UK citizens living in the EU could lose access to pensions income
The UK government confirmed that leaving the Single Market without a deal would see the UK labelled a “third country”. That could see people who have lived and work in the EU lose access to their pensions, if they had paid into European pensions schemes.
— Mirror Politics (@MirrorPolitics) August 23, 2018
More red tape and bureaucracy for businesses
With a no-deal outcome, the UK government is encouraging businesses to employ experts to help them navigate the EU’s customs rules for “third countries”.
This will put an extra burden on businesses and increase costs for importing and exporting.
What’s more, businesses would have to register for a number of schemes and classifications, to enable them to register as importers and to be able to declare customs.
1) Britian would be more bureaucratic. The papers are replete with new regulatory regimes, doubling up of registration and extra processes for British business and consumers. This for example would be the new hurdles for UK importers/exporters to the EU. Currently there are none. pic.twitter.com/wFyAA5L2CW
— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) August 23, 2018


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Ash & Erie Inc., which makes small-sized men’s clothing, is looking to expand after closing a $ 1.2 million investment round.
The Detroit-based online retailer secured the funds at the end of the summer and doubled its staff with plans to eventually move to a larger office space downtown, said co-founder Steven Mazur. .
The round, announced on Tuesday, was led by Chicago-based early stage investment firm IrishAngels Inc., along with nine other companies, including Detroit-based Woodward Angels. Terms of the deal with the companies were not disclosed. Mazur said he and his co-founder Eric Huang, who were Crain’s 20 and 20 this year, still own the majority of the company’s shares.
Business partners are determined to move from seed to scale – online first, then brick and mortar, eventually with their own store.
“The aim is to accelerate product development,” Mazur said. “Our customers are asking for more options every day and we have a fairly limited wardrobe.”
Ash & Erie has sold over $ 2 million worth of clothing since its inception in 2015 and has grown its revenue by 200% on average every year since its inception. The startup got a boost in 2017 after appearing on ABC’s hit show “Shark Tank” and landing a $ 150,000 investment from billionaire Marc Cuban for a 25% stake in the company. Detroit-based business mogul Dan Gilbert is also an investor.
The retailer sells men’s clothing that is 5ft 8in and shorter, with waist sizes ranging from 28in to 38in and inseam from 25 to 29in. She started selling dress shirts and spread to flannel, jeans, sweaters, T-shirts and jackets. Over the next month, she plans to launch an expanded line with Henley shirts, T-shirts, chinos and jackets. Dress shirts sell for $ 88 and jeans for $ 158, according to its website.
Ash & Erie delivers to over 30 countries, but most of its business is in the United States. The clothes are made from “premium materials” and made mainly in China, Turkey and Guatemala. The company plans to move some of the production to Los Angeles, Mazur said.
In the past three months, the company has hired four full-time employees for product development and marketing. His team of eight, including the co-founders, is based in a coworking space at 1555 Broadway St.
Mazur said Ash & Erie is looking for a permanent office downtown but has yet to decide where. He said he was also looking to hire a few more marketing staff next year.
The company has raised approximately $ 1.6 million to date and is open to further investment from “partners who believe in our vision and our growth potential,” Mazur said. They are also looking for potential partnerships with retailers, although nothing has been solidified.
Ash & Erie expects another 200% increase in sales next year. The company declined to provide income figures.
While it focuses on online sales, brick and mortar might not be far behind.
“We are always open to different ways for customers to touch and smell our clothes and experience our brand in person,” said Mazur.


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The 5th anniversary of Fluorine Salts Chemical Plant
11 - 02 - 2016 г. The 5th anniversary of Fluorine Salts Chemical Plant
Fluorine Salts Chemical Plant celebrates its 5th anniversary on February 11.
Started from manufacture of ammonium fluoride, company has significantly increased its opportunities for the past few years. Fluorine Salts Chemical Plant supplies the market with more than 50 chemical products today, part of which have a unique quality. Company constantly works on the developing of the technologies and has its own patents and know-how. But the key priority for us are people — those who work for our company and those for whose benefit we work.
We are grateful for our partner’s and colleague’s congratulations.
We will do our best to reach higher successes.


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Lexus will recall the 2016 RX 350 and RX 450h to replace the knee airbag assembly.
Toyota is re-notifying owners and expanding its Takata airbag inflator recall for some regions. The renewed campaign covers 247,000 examples of the Toyota Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia, Tundra and Lexus SC430 that are located in southern Florida, along the Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa. All of the models come from the 2001-2004 model years and have potentially faulty Takata-made inflators on the front passenger side. According to the company,
UPDATE: Toyota is now announcing specifically which models are covered under its fuel pipe recall in the US. The company is repairing about 423,000 Lexus models that include the 2007-2010 LS, 2006-2011 GS, 2006-2011 IS, 2010 IS C and 2008-2010 IS-F. The automaker says that it isn't aware of any fires, crashes, injuries or fatalities caused by this problem.
Toyota has announced a recall of roughly 20,000 vehicles covering the 2014 Avalon, Camry, Highlander (pictured) and Sienna, as well as the 2015 Lexus RX luxury crossover. The affected vehicles are all powered the 2GR-FE engine, which in layman's terms, is Toyota's well-regarded 3.5-liter V6.
The recall of faulty airbag inflators supplied by Takata has exploded today to grow to seven automakers. In most cases, only models in certain high-humidity regions were affected because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found in its investigation that moisture played a role in determining whether there would be a problem. However, some companies opted for national campaigns. The exact number of affected models for these campaigns isn't yet known at this time.
The recall bug strikes Toyota again. The automaker has issued a voluntary recall of three models that, in total, represent more than one million units. Around 752,000 2003-2004 Toyota Corolla and Matrix models are being recalled for airbag concerns, while a windshield wiper issue is causing the recall for close to 270,000 Lexus IS sedans from the 2006-2012 model years.
This summer, we brought you news that Lexus was recalling over 150,000 RX and RX hybrid crossovers tied to its massive pedal entrapment issue. An update to that story included word from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it was considering launching a federal investigation into potential delays by the automaker in notifying owners about the problem. Now comes news that parent company Toyota will pay a hefty $17.35 million in fines for delaying its recall of the 2010 Lexus RX
According to Consumer Reports, Toyota is set to release a fix for trunk release pulls on certain Lexus vehicles that could snap off in an emergency. As you may recall, CR found the federally-mandated emergency releases could break if pulled toward the user. As it turned out, the trunk surround behaved like a fulcrum, putting more force against the center of the release than toward the trunk mechanism itself. While the organization found the problem to exist on 2013 Lexus ES and GS, Toyota was ab
Toyota has announced that it will recall a total of 778,000 units that may have been manufactured with improperly-tightened nuts on the rear suspension. The manufacturer says around 760,000 2006-2011 Toyota RAV4 models and 18,000 2010 Lexus HS 250h units may have fasteners that were not torqued to the correct specification during alignment.
76Lexus adding over 150,000 RX crossovers to pedal entrapment recall, may face NHTSA investigation [UPDATE]
Remember the giant Toyota pedal entrapment recalls that all started in late 2009? Well, it's not over yet. No, we aren't just talking about the various lawsuits that the automaker still faces in connection with the recalls, we're talking about yet another set of vehicles that are being added to the list. Welcome to the gang, 2010 Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h.
- Volvo shoots for self-drivers by 2021
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- Find Parts & Accessories for your vehicle!
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- Compare Volvo XC90 and Lincoln MKX
Get recall details from the NHTSA and find out what to do if your car been recalled.


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Now, send virtual gifts to other gamers via Google games store
Gamers will be able to send gifts to other players through Google's game store.
The search giant announced addition of several new features, aimed at users and developers, to its Play Games app marketplace, including sending virtual gifts during a game.
According to Mashable, the new features also include cross-platform support for iOS and new analytics tools for developers.
The search giant would also expand multiplayer support to include iOS, making it possible for Android users to play turn-based games in real-time with iOS users.
For developers, the company has added new tools to make it easier for creators to monetize their apps through in-app ads, as well as analyze user engagement with more support for Google Analytics.
The report said that the new additions for users and developers would become available in this week.
(Posted on 18-03-2014)
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30 SECOND GUIDE: Olive oil crisis
Oh no! My salads will never be the same
Don't worry, it’s not running out – the problem is there’s too much. Falling demand from Italy and Greece has coincided with a bumper olive crop in Spain.
This has caused prices to fall to $2,900 (£1,850) a tonne – a ten-year low.
High volumes: Spain has a bumper crop of olives this year
Consumers are switching to cheaper alternatives – which is set to cause the amount of olive oil used in Italy and Greece to fall to 1995 levels.
In Spain, however, consumption levels will stay at the same level as last year, according to the International Olive Oil Council.
What’s the big deal?
It’s bad news for these countries, which are by far the largest producers of the commodity, accounting for 70 per cent of the world’s output.
The crop is crucial for the poorest areas of Spain, including top-producing region Andalucia, where a third of people of working age are unemployed.
Spain is the biggest producer of olive oil overall, churning out almost 1.5m tonnes of it a year.
What’s the solution?
The EU has tried to intervene to reduce the surplus. It’s attempting to strike a deal to pay companies to stockpile olive oil rather than flooding the market with it.
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After the exciting SEMA show in Las Vegas, the tuning world is preparing for another major event, this time, on the Old Continent at the Essen Motor Show. The event usually focuses on aftermarket products, but this year, several automakers are making an official presence as well.
BMW M will take part for the first in the event, and while it won’t bring its full M line-up, the company will showcase its line of performance accessories. BMW M will include a variety of factory-tuned and customized models with numerous performance parts including the 1 Series, 3 Series, X5, X6 M3, X5 M and X6 M.
To make things even more exciting for the fans, a driving simulator will be installed allowing everyone to test their driving skills aboard the M3 Coupe. The winner gets a “rookie workout” in a Formula BMW race car.
Essen Motor Show takes place in Germany from November 26 to December 4.


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Pru, IFP unveil professional development centre
Mr Hickson, intermediary sales director for Prudential, said the centre would offer free continuous professional development-accredited gap-fill modules, which would cover retirement planning, taxation and trust.
He said: “The need for advisers to continue their professional development regularly, alongside their day-to-day workload can be time consuming.
“Our professional development centre will give them easy access to CPD-accredited modules, allowing them to complete their ongoing professional development in the comfort of their work, home or anywhere with access to the internet.
“By including material that goes beyond the minimum CPD criteria, we hope the added extras such as helpful case studies and practical examples give advisers useful scenarios to assist their clients’ financial planning aspirations.”
Meanwhile, PruHealth, which was launched into the UK market in October 2004 as a joint venture between Discovery and Prudential, has launched a suite of mental wellbeing online tools available to all its individual and corporate customers, as part of its Vitality wellness programme.
Neville Koopowitz, chief executive of PruHealth said the results from four online assessments covering stress, psychological wellbeing, resilience and social support, would give a complete picture of each individual’s emotional health and mental wellbeing. There is also free access to an online lifeskills course.
Will Palmer, financial development manager for South Yorkshire-based Atkinson Smith, said: “I have found workshops to be most useful and videos and online training can also be helpful.”


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The retail industry has reiterated its call to the public to avoid bulk buying groceries.
Retail Ireland said there are no issues whatsoever with the supply chain and there is therefore no rationale for people to panic buy.
Such action undermines normal supply processes, it said.
Retail Ireland director, Arnold Dillon, said bulk buying is putting totally unfair strain on retail workers and is totally unnecessary.
Earlier today representatives of the main supermarket chains met with Minister for Business, Heather Humphreys and sources present said it was clear that there are no problems with supply at manufacturing, distribution or retail level.
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SuperValu saw a surge in demand yesterday and is calling on its customers to "bear with us" as it delivers stock to stores across the country.
Managing Director Martin Kelleher said SuperValu had made every effort to stock our stores overnight and all 223 SuperValu stores were replenished again today.
"We would call on shoppers to only purchase items where necessary, as we may have to introduce some restrictions in certain stores out of fairness and particularly in consideration of vulnerable people in the community," Mr Kelleher said.
He assured customers that its retailers, staff in stores, drivers, warehouse staff and suppliers are all going above and beyond to minimise disruption. "We thank them for their ongoing efforts and thank you for your patience," he said.
Aldi said its 142 stores remain open across Ireland. It said its store and warehouse teams are working around the clock to restock and replenish all daily essentials as fast as they can.
It says that due to unprecedented demand it has limited customer purchases to four units on all products to ensure all customers have an opportunity to purchase them.
Tesco said its stores continue to be very busy today. It is reiterating its call for people not to alter their normal buying habits.
Lidl also repeated that its supply chain is robust and agile and it is confident of maintaining supply of key lines as consumer demand remains high and its stores are continuing to receive deliveries as planned.
Retail Excellence Ireland's chief executive David Fitzsimons also said there is no necessity to panic buy saying all major grocery outlets are "bulging with product".
He said the continuity of supply, especially in grocery, has been boosted by Brexit planning.
He said over the last few years all major groceries outlets had "doubled and trebled" warehouse capacity in planning for a potential hard Brexit and as a result are 'bulging with product'.
He said people "need to calm down" as robust contingency plans will ensure food supply "for months and months".
But he said we need to very carefully plan emergency supports for those businesses which will have to curtail hours or close.


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An American brewery is filling its cans with water instead of beer, to help flood victims in Texas and Oklahoma.
Thunderstorms and flash floods have swept through the two states this week, resulting in at least 25 deaths and damaging thousands of homes. Hundreds were evacuated from their properties last night amid flooding fears as the Colorado River began spilling its banks.
NBC News reports that the Busch beer company has stopped production at its plant in Cartersville, Georgia in response. The brewery are behind a number of major US beer brands including Budweiser and Beck’s.
The factory will now can water instead of beer, to give to the American Red Cross. The charity will then distribute the water in affected regions.
The beer brand is a disaster relief partner to the Red Cross and produces cans of emergency relief water several times a year for the charity. Around 2,000 cases of the water cans are now on their way to Texas. They aim to produce 50,000 cans in total.


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Alibaba Group Holding
on Thursday reported a 42% increase in sales and more than doubled its profits in the quarter ended June 30, beating estimates, showing that the Chinese e-commerce giant continues to flourish despite for a saturated market and economic weakening amid the US-China trade conflict.
The quarterly report, the last pre-billionaire founder
resigns as chairman next month, indicating that his successor, the current CEO
can continue the company's current strategy to focus on increasing sales in China's rural areas while also investing in relatively emerging businesses, such as cloud computing, and international expansion.
Alibaba also announced a share repurchase program of up to $ 6 billion over two years. The company's share increased by 3% in pre-market trading.
"This definitely marks a good ending to his role as chairman and also signals a very smooth transition," said Bernstein analyst
"This should give investors more confidence in an era after Ma Ma."
Alibaba sales grew to 114.9 billion yuan ($ 16.3 billion) in the quarter ended June 30, up 42% year-on-year. The vast majority of revenue came from the core e-commerce business, where sales rose to 99.5 billion yuan in the quarter, up 44% from the previous year.
Alibaba is China's dominant online retailer, with about two-thirds market share. After saturating the gigantic and relatively prosperous cities including Beijing and Shanghai, the company focuses on the growing middle class in less developed areas. It said that 70% of new customers in the quarter came from less developed areas.
Alibaba is also growing rapidly in China's emerging cloud industry, which operates with systems for other companies. Alibaba said sales of cloud computing in the quarter rose 66% year-on-year to 7.8 billion yuan.
The robust spending by both consumers and businesses suggests that the Chinese economy remains resilient even amid other signs of weakening, analysts say.  Alibaba's quarterly net profit more than doubled from the previous year to 21.2 billion yuan.
Write to Robert Barba at Robert.Barba@wsj.com
Copyright © 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8


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The Mercedes A-Class has won What Car? Safety Award 2019 with Audi Q3 and Volvo XC40 completing the top three awarded models.
Mercedes-Benz's new A-Class four-door saloon is now on sale, priced from £27,875.
Mercedes will launch a saloon version of the new A-Class at the end of the year, with models expected in showrooms by Spring 2019.
The Mercedes A-Class's premium price tag does come with improved quality, more technology and increased space – and it is enjoyable to drive.
Mercedes-Benz has opened a pop-up store in London’s Westfield shopping centre to showcase the new A-Class.
Mercedes-Benz has revealed pricing for the new A-Class starting from £25,800.
Mercedes-Benz has revealed pricing for the new 2018 A-Class starting from £25,800.
Automotive Management Live: Where franchised and independent dealers will find everything they need to know about operating a modern showroom and service and repair facility fit for the digital age.
When: November 12 2020
Where: Birmingham NEC
Find out what features are in this month's, and future, issues


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eBay Rolls out Major Initiative to Fight Counterfeits
By Ina Steiner
eBay has rolled out a major new initiative to fight the problem of counterfeit goods and will begin scrutinizing all sellers who list items that are particularly susceptible to counterfeiting. eBay already prohibits the sale of counterfeits on its site and has a VeRO program for rights-holders to report violations. But companies such as Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior Couture have filed lawsuits against eBay claiming it is not doing enough to fight the problem (http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y06/m09/i22/s03).
The new initiative was announced to some sellers by phone on Tuesday, and eBay said sellers need to adapt to four "safeguards" that make up the new program. The initiative only applies to items particularly susceptible to counterfeiting. eBay will not provide sellers with a list of those items, however, stating those items often change, and that providing such a list publicly would help counterfeiters.
The four safeguards of the program are as follows:
1) Sellers who list items that appear on eBay's list of items particularly susceptible to counterfeiting (which we'll herein call eBay's anti-counterfeiting list) must become PayPal verified. However, those sellers are not required to offer PayPal as a payment option in their listings.
2) eBay will conduct manual "seller reviews" for sellers who list items on its anti-counterfeiting list. eBay will not authenticate items, but will use various information to determine if sellers will be permitted to sell such items. eBay would not get specific about exactly what criteria they would consider during the review process, but said it would consider "a variety of factors."
3) eBay will ban 1-day and 3-day auctions of all items on its anti-counterfeiting list to give eBay members and rights-holders enough time to review items.
4) eBay will restrict cross-border trade on items on its anti-counterfeiting list. Sellers in the U.S., Germany and UK may ship such items worldwide except to Hong Kong and China. Sellers in English-speaking countries can trade such items freely with each other. But sellers in China and Hong Kong may not list these items on their local sites or on any other eBay site.
ChannelAdvisor President and CEO Scot Wingo, who broke the news on his eBay Strategies blog on Tuesday, said he loves the new initiative but is concerned with any changes made during the busy fourth quarter, even positive ones. "My take is they've dipped toe in water with other efforts, seen positive results, and now are going deeper."
eBay Senior Director of Seller Development Todd Lutwak said the move was "not a holiday initiative." When asked if it was in reaction to litigation, eBay spokesperson Catherine England said the move was designed to ensure a good buying and selling experience on eBay that would bring long term value to the marketplace.
Lutwak explained that after a seller lists more than a certain number of items on the list, the system would set off an automatic trigger requiring a manual review of the seller. "If you've sold these items in the past, your account may have already been reviewed," but if sellers alter what they are selling, they may be subject to another review. He said eBay is looking to make the review process a quick one. When asked what turnaround time he was striving for, he would only say a "very reasonable" one.
eBay does not inform sellers whether or not their accounts have been reviewed. A combination of staff on the Seller Development and Trust and Safety teams on eBay will be conducting the reviews. Lutwak and England would not say how many staff are devoted to conducting the reviews, but England said Trust and Safety has more than 2,000 employees globally in a variety of roles.
Lutwak encouraged sellers to be proactive. Just as they would notify a credit card company ahead of time if there would be significant changes in account activity, he recommended eBay sellers be proactive and communicate selling changes to eBay so they don't hit triggers, including triggers designed to spot account takeovers. These are "best practices" that eBay encourages sellers to follow, he said.
Sellers of items that are particularly susceptible to counterfeiting will want to become PayPal verified, and also change the ship to location on listings to uncheck China and Hong Kong, Lutwak said.
England said this week's anti-counterfeiting initiative is one of a couple of initiatives coming in the next couple of months to provide a safe and trusted marketplace for buyers and sellers.
About the author:
Ina Steiner is co-founder and Editor of EcommerceBytes and has been reporting on ecommerce since 1999. She's a widely cited authority on marketplace selling and is author of "Turn eBay Data Into Dollars" (McGraw-Hill 2006). Her blog was featured in the book, "Blogging Heroes" (Wiley 2008). Follow her on Twitter at @ecommercebytes and send news tips to firstname.lastname@example.org.
You may quote up to 50 words of any article on the condition that you attribute the article to EcommerceBytes.com and either link to the original article or to www.EcommerceBytes.com.
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2019 Collaboration Offers Live In-Game Auction for Fans
Lancaster Barnstormers are pleased to announce a partnership to utilize the LiveSource mobile app for live jersey auctions and more for the upcoming 2019 season.
With LiveSource in play at the games, fans of the Barnstormers will be able to bid and win unique memorabilia and fan experiences from their seats in the stadium or from home or work if they’re not able to attend the games.
“We are excited about this new relationship,” stated Lancaster Barnstormers General Manager, Michael Reynolds. “The integration of theLiveSource app provides an opportunity to enhance our fans’ game day experience right from their seats. Additionally, the platform will provide fans the chance to bid on Barnstormers memorabilia regardless of their location. Both of these options will not only add to the fan experience but also help raise additional dollars for our charity partners.”
You can access the app from your smart phone by visiting http://www.livesourceapp.com.
Our introductory auction will run from March 5th at 11 a.m. to March 15th at 12 p.m. We will auctioning off three signed Blake Gailen baseballs with 3 sets of family 4 packs of Peter Pan tickets good for either Friday March 29th or
Saturday March 30th.
The Barnstormers’ 2019 season kicks off on April 26 against the Highpoint Rockers. Tickets are available now. For more information or to purchase tickets visit lancasterbarnstormers.com or call 717-509-4487.