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The world’s largest Tesla Supercharger station is currently under construction in China. The country is definitely an optimal location due to the fact that the Chinese market is the largest auto market in the whole world.
The electric automaker has announced plans of installing 10,000 Supercharger stations all over the world with 1,000 stations allocated to China alone. Currently, Tesla (Nasdaq:TSLA) owns and operates 951 Supercharger stations worldwide with 6,550 Superchargers.
One Supercharger station is set to have 50 Superchargers installed, thus making it the world’s largest. Previously, California was set to have the largest Tesla charging stations with 2 stations of 40 Superchargers each being constructed. However, the recent reports show that the record is now beaten. According to Electrek, the world’s largest and most extensive station is currently being constructed underground at the Lilacs International Commercial Centre in the Pudong district of Shanghai. It requires a massive amount of power supply in order to simultaneously charge 50 electric vehicles. The whole station could potentially have a power output of over 3 megawatts.
On the other hand, Tesla has also previously announced their plan to introduce and spread smaller Superchargers across the cities to aid in the ease of being a Tesla vehicle owner. Written on the company’s website, “We are at work around the globe constructing new sites to enable additional routes and expand popular stations. In addition to Superchargers, we have a growing network of Destination Charging Partners with dedicated Tesla charging. Tesla partners with hotels, restaurants, shopping centers and resorts to make charging when you arrive at your destination as simple as charging at home.”
In 2016, Tesla tripled its sales in China to $1 billion despite experiencing a rough start. The revenue from the country represents 14% of Tesla’s total revenue for that year. Over 11,000 vehicles were delivered last year and the business continued to thrive during the first quarter of 2017.
In recent news, China reportedly plans on relaxing its policies with regards to foreign automakers planning to manufacture in the country. Despite the possibility of allowing them to build a manufacturing site in the country without a local partner, the automakers will still be charged a 25% import tariff on their products if sold.
There is no confirmation yet as to whether Tesla will execute its proposed plan of attaching convenience stores beside its stations. However, if the plan pushes through, Tesla’s business is set to flourish as the company will have a win-win situation.
Supercharger stations being planted all over the world promote accessibility that could boost the sales of Tesla. The accessibility of charging stations globally could encourage more consumers to buy electric as recharging becomes easier. In line with this, the world’s growing awareness of the environmental problems we are currently facing could result in the promotion of battery-powered vehicles and the eventual banning of gas-powered ones. As of now, the future is looking bright for Tesla.
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20 percent Indians victims of online phishing: Microsoft index
New Delhi: Twenty percent of Indians are victims of online phishing attacks, the third annual Microsoft Computing Safer Index (MCSI) revealed Tuesday.
According to the MCSI survey, the annual worldwide impact of phishing and various forms of identity theft could be as high as USD 5 billion-worth, with the cost of repairing damage to peoples’ online reputation higher yet at nearly USD 6 billion, or an estimated average of USD 632 per loss, the statement said.
The company surveyed more than 10,000 consumers globally. Phishing is the act of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details (and sometimes, indirectly, money) by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.
Feb 11 is Safer Internet Day.
“The Internet touches our lives every day, whether we are communicating with loved ones, for work, shopping, and paying bills. But how cautious are we about monitoring our online presence, and taking note of our own vulnerabilities? There are many things you can do to stay safer online,” said Prakash Kumar, national technology officer, Microsoft India Pvt. Ltd.
To mark the Safer Internet Day, Google India has launched “Good to Know”, a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about staying safe online as well.
“Through the Good to Know campaign, we want to help equip millions of new Internet users coming online in India with the knowledge and tools needed to become responsible digital citizens,” Chetan Krishnaswamy, country head - public policy, Google India said.
“Internet safety begins with exercising meaningful choices when online, having an open conversation about it with our families, and teaching them the basics such as using strong, unique passwords and not sharing personal information.”
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domain: news


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June 15, 2010
Functional Goods Appeal to Emerging and Mature Markets Alike
By Kim Da-ye
Emerging markets no longer just follow trends. They now create them.
International firm trendwatching.com this month looked into emerging markets such as India and Brazil and found a compelling pattern among recently launched products.
They are small, simple and cheap - or simply "functionall," the firm remarked.
Small, Simple & Cheap
The products chosen by trendwatching.com range from instant noodles and cars to financial products. They include Tata Nano, an Indian-made hatchback smaller than the Daewoo Matiz, and microcredit from the Nobel Prize-winning Grameen Bank.
Originally designed for lowincome consumers, the "functionall" products tend to be small and their features limited.
But they have become increasingly relevant to global consumers "with cross-over appeal," which, it says, includes good design and energy efficiency.
Busy lifestyles and the recession also have left consumers desiring simple and inexpensive goods more than ever, according to the company.
Here are more details about how the trends are projected to play out in the global market.
Tata Nano by Tata Motors is the epitome of a "functionall" product. The basic model weighs only 600kg and its petite, rounded body maneuvers easily in the busy streets of Delhi, India. It skips a few features, including central locking and a magazine holder on doors, and the price starts from 115,361 Indian rupees or about $2,500. It ticks all the boxes: small, simple and cheap.
Tata Motors now plans to reach the European market by launching the Tata Nano Europa.
The car has been upgraded to a 3-cylinder engine, an automatic transmission and electric power steering for its target customers, according to Tata Motors's press release.
Small loans known as microcredit from Grameen Bank also come from the Indian Subcontinent.
Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist, built Grameen Bank in 1976 with $27 to help "the poorest of the poor" get small loans with no collateral and start their own businesses.
According to its Web site, the Bank's financial model became replicated throughout sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas following the formation of the Grameen Foundation in 1997.
The foundation works with microfinance institutions, including Project Enterprise in New York City, in 25 countries.
Yunus and the Grameen Bank eventually won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.
A series of "functionall" goods have been just launched or will be soon. It is too early to tell if they will appeal to global consumers, but some manufacturers are confident about the success of their products.
Low-cost game console Zeebo, for example, was introduced last June in Brazil at less than $200 and was featured in Western publications, including the Financial Times and Forbes.com. The latter wrote that its 3G wireless content delivery "solves the piracy problem that has stymied efforts to sell games in the developing world for decades." The console's producer is ambitious in taking over emerging markets, stating on its Web sites that nearly 800 million consumers in Brazil, Russia, India and China will join the middle class and "perhaps 200 million households will be candidates for a product like Zeebo."
Consumers don't want to spend a dollar on an item and pay two to maintain it. Low maintenance cost and ecofriendliness attracts not only frugal consumers but also eco-conscious ones.
High energy-efficiency is the most common feature among products chosen by trendwatching.
com. The Zeebo consol uses only 1 watt of power, the firm says, while Tata Motors highlights its Tata Nano as being fuel- efficient and low on emissions.
Some products take their "ecostatus" to the next level by using renewable energy, including solar power. The Kiran solar lantern by an international consumer products company called D.light, for example, provides up to eight hours of light after a day's solar charge.
While the Kiran targets households without reliable electricity, large companies like Ikea have also implemented the same idea in their goods. The Swedish furniture company launched the solar- cell-powered Sunnan lamp at $19.99 last June.
For every unit sold in IKEA stores worldwide, trendwatching.
com says, another is donated via UNICEF to children without electricity in refugee camps and villages.
The technology isn't just limited to lighting goods. Samsung India released the Solar Guru, a $59 phone that offers 5 to 10 minutes of talk time for every hour of solar charging. Even a messenger Bag called Timbuk2 FLAP is equipped with photovoltaic panels on the front, an internal USB charger for electrical gadgets and a flashlight, according to the trend firm.
Functional in Korea
Functional goods are yet to enjoy popularity in South Korea, the world's 14th largest economy.
In South Korea, home appliances have become larger and more luxurious over the past few years as consumers' buying power has grown. According to the "Survey on Electricity Consumption Characters of Home Appliances" by Korea Power Exchange, 27.7 percent of the households surveyed owned a 600-liter refrigerator or bigger in 2006, the latest figures available.
The number has nearly doubled from 14.5 percent in 2004.
Large cars, including Hyundai's Grandeur and Equus, are also seen more often than five years ago. Year 2006 marked a 47.5 percent growth in sales of large cars, according to Yonhap.
The latest survey by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs shows that the number of vehicles registered with an engine displacement capacity of more than 2500cc jumped to 976,301 last December from 836,710 a year earlier.
Ironically, however, the growing buying power is creating a niche market for small and cheap goods, says Son Min-seon, senior researcher at the LG Economic Research Institute, a private think-tank.
"The market for large home appliances is not shrinking, but as consumers' buying power grows, some consumers look for additional small appliances," Son says.
Son says that as main home appliances become bigger, some consumers buy smaller products of the same kind to complement their large gadgets.
Samsung's "Love Baby" washing machine is one of those products to complement large ones.
Designed to boil baby clothes, this 3kg-capacity washing machine sold well among mothers who want their babies' clothes germ free while saving water and electricity. Chinese brand Haier's 3kg-capacity washing machine was also a "big hit," Son said.
While Korea leads its own distinct trend involving "functional" goods in emerging markets, companies have toiled to improve energy efficiency and some firms are now investing in renewable energy.
LG Electronics, one of the leading electronics brands, launched a full touchscreen phone that can be recharged using solar power. The LG GD510 phone, one of the company's "green initiatives," provides up to 2 minutes and 15 seconds of talk time after ten minutes under the sun.


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Animate Channel will be running all of both seasons of GuraP & Rodeo back to back next week. Details Air Date: 2/16/17 Time: 12:00~
The store displays for voting on are up on the Animate site now, and can be found here. Voting is open from 2/10~2/21 and there doesn’t seem to be a limit on how many displays you can vote for.
Staff announced today that Pierrot versions of Roger and Gina will be coming soon. Samples will be available at Japan Amusement Expo (JAEPO) this weekend.
Last night Kiiyan and e-zuka recorded an episode, Under the Sky, that will air next week on Tokyo loud.


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Microsoft and RealWear have released a new version of the Microsoft Teams RealWear app - bringing even more features to the frontline.Microsoft s update for Microsoft Teams for RealWear is now available via RealWear Cloud! Bringing even more of Teams functionality to the frontline, the latest version includes some amazing new features that drastically improve the hands-free, voice-controlled Teams experience.
While it was previously only available for RealWear HMT-1 and HMT-1Z1, you can now use four levels of digital zoom within Microsoft Teams on RealWear Navigator 500! This is hugely important in that you can provide Teams participants with an even greater level of detail than ever before.
Breakout Room Support
Breakout rooms are an incredibly useful feature of Microsoft Teams and now this incredibly handy piece of functionality comes to RealWear devices.
Upgrades to the User Interface
While it s not strictly a feature, the interface has been given an upgrade, making it easier to navigate the app than ever.
720p video support
As standard, all content will be presented in 720p HD video and 15fps.On top of the new features, the update also includes the fantastic features you're used to:Local Camera Flashlight: turn the device flashlight on/off for your outgoing video during a call/meetingAdd participants: nudge new participants into a call/meetingOpen images/pdfs in the native viewer: images and pdfs in chat now open natively allowing control to pan/zoom/freeze The new Microsoft Teams release is available now on RealWear Cloud. For more information how to install the new app, visit our handy knowledge base article.


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Samsung is currently working on its upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite smartphone. The phone has been in the rumour mill for a while now. Now the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite European version’s key specifications have leaked online.
The latest development comes from WinFuture website. As per the report, Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite will feature a 6.7-inch full-HD+ (1080 x 2400 pixels) Super AMOLED display. The display has a punch hole in the middle for the front-facing camera and has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. It will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 SoC coupled with 8GB of RAM. Notably, Samsung will not offer Exynos-powered variants that are sold in Europe.
The Galaxy S10 Lite will reportedly pack 128GB of onboard storage that can further be expanded via a microSD card (up to 1TB). It will be backed up by a 4,500mAh battery with 45W fast charging support and is tipped to run Android 10 with One UI 2.0 on top.
For the cameras, the Galaxy S10 Lite is said to come with a 48MP primary sensor on the rear with an f/2.0 aperture and tilt-optical image stabilization (tOIS). It is different from regular OIS and it allows the lens in front of the camera sensor to tilt a few degrees in different directions to compensate for your hand’s movements. The primary sensor will be coupled with a 12-megapixel ultra-wide angle lens with an f/2.2 aperture and a 5-megapixel macro camera with an f/2.4 aperture. On the front, there will be a 32-megapixel selfie camera with an f/2.2 aperture.
The Galaxy S10 Lite is tipped to launch in the next few days, and will reportedly be priced at EUR 679.99 (roughly Rs 53,700). The phone will reportedly come in black, white, and blue colour options.


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STEVE INSKEEP, Host:
NPR business starts with Nike's $7.6 million pay-up.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
INSKEEP: That's how much Nike says it will pay to settle a race discrimination lawsuit. It was filed on behalf of 400 black employees four years ago. The employees claim that managers at the Nike town store in Chicago used racial slurs and segregated black workers in the lower paying jobs like stock room workers and cashiers. Nike denies these allegations, but agree to pay the employees a total of 7.6 million. The company also agreed to review its hiring practices and create a mentoring program for black employees.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.


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Catawba's best-known beer, the Firewater IPA, has big hops and a slight citrusy flavor.
- Filed Under
Catawba Valley Brewing Co., a craft brewer based in Morganton, is on the verge of opening a new "boutique brewery" in Asheville, according to Scott Pyatt, a vice president and company co-founder.
"The hammer's cocked and we're going to do it," Pyatt said.
Catawba Valley Brewing had already planned to open in Asheville, but earlier real estate plans fell through, according to Pyatt. The company is closing in on a new location and has already purchased the equipment it needs to install a planned 7-barrel brewing system, Pyatt said. ...


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According to SEMRush study online games like PUBG, Minecraft, Fortnight Battle Royale, League of Legends, Counter-Strike, World of Warcraft, and Clash of Clans have seen increased traction during May – when the country was battling the coronavirus-driven lockdown.
Almost 22 lakh people played PUBG last month making it the most popular game in the country. Second came Minecraft that was played by 8.2 lakh people. About 8.5 lakh people played Fortnite, 1.5 lakh played League of Legends, 1.5 lakh played Counter-Strike, 1.1 lakh people picked World of Warcraft and another 1.1 chose Clash of Clans.
The related searches on games have also seen a sharp spike between January and April. Keywords related to gaming competitions that were most searched include Fortnite World Cup, Counter-Strike, Pokemon World Championships and League of Legends World Championship. Online searches for Mobile Premier League (MPL) saw a 406 per cent rise in the same period.
From January to April 2020, there was a 406 per cent increase in the number of searches on MPL, the study said.
Coming to mobile games, India’s favourites are PUBG Mobile, Subway Surfers, Ludo King, Garena Free Fire, Temple Run, Angry Birds, and Clash of Clans which were searched 10 lakh times, 8.2 lakh, 18 lakh, two lakh, 2.4 lakh, 1.6 lakh, and 1.1 lakh times respectively from January to April this year.
There is no denying that Indians are spending a significant amount of time during the coronavirus-driven lockdown in playing online games.


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Since the trade surplus already reached US$83.2 billion (97.97 trillion won) at the end of November, the overall figure this year is highly likely to be a record high. However, it is the recession trade surplus, which is achieved by the further decrease in imports than exports, so it is not so welcome. The problem is that sluggish exports came from structural issues, not the temporary state, and its aftereffects are not limited to only export companies.
Much concern is being voiced that “Export Korea” will fall into the prolonged recession if the trend continues. Since emerging countries, including China, are hot on the trail and narrowing the gap with Korea, Korea will have no place in the global export market with low priced products, which are made with general-purpose technologies.
External conditions are also tough. Due to rising U.S. interest rates, a slowdown in the Chinese economy, a prolonged recession in Europe and a slump in the market of raw materials, including oil, emerging countries also show a severe recession. The Korea-China FTA has come into effect after many complications. However, there are doubts over how long the preoccupancy effect of the FTA will last since the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), centering on the U.S. and Japan and excluding Korea, is being accelerated.
Export has declined in importance of the national economy and the large and sound domestic market, which is not greatly affected by external factors, is becoming more important. However, export is still the biggest growth engine and the source of jobs. President Park Geun-hye has attended the Trade day of Korea every year after her inauguration. At the event this year, she presented specific measures to boost exports again, such as the creation of new added value by integrating manufacturing and IT industries, Hallyu marketing strategy combining with cultural events and lower barriers to e-commerce.
Economic industry sources and exports also agree that Korea should change its export strategy. According to a report called “Open New 4.0 Era for Korea’s Export” released by international trade analysts at the KITA, Korea’s trade industry should seek to change the paradigm in order to create added value and employment through economic activities abroad.
The report argued that the concept of exports should be changed from quantities to added value first. The percentage of added value created in Korea out of its total exports stood at 58.3 percent as of 2011, showing the lowest figure among the 10 biggest exporting countries in the world. Therefore, it is important to secure the nation’s own production elements, including “knowledge-based assets” which are difficult to move to other countries and imitate.
Main export products should be changed as well. The period to keep Korea’s 10 main export items, such as steel, automobile, semiconductor, vessel and synthetic resin, is 22 years on average. The report said Korea should promote technology and idea intensive industries, including pharmaceuticals, medical device, IT and business service, new material and aerospace, and luxury consumer goods integrating Hallyu and idea, rather than labor intensive items, in the future.
Moreover, the analysts urged that startups, which are spreading around the world, should pursue a “born global” strategy, which aims for the global market, rather the domestic market, from the early stage. In addition to the domestic production system, it is also crucial to diversify export methods, including the no-factory manufacturing industry and B2C export through e-commerce. Kim In-ho, chairman of the KITA, said, “Instead of blaming the international economic environment, we hope that Korean export companies rearm with the global entrepreneurship, which reads the global economic trend, and use wisdom and courage to take it as an opportunity to strengthen the competitiveness.”


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But Majorca's manifesto was immediately opposed by several business associations in this Mediterranean island which pointed to the benefits of cruise ships on the local economy. (Shutterstock/vulcano)
Activists and locals in the Spanish holiday island of Majorca on Tuesday launched a campaign asking for fewer cruise ships just days after thousands in Venice called for an outright ban in the Italian city.
In a manifesto published on campaign website You Move Europe, some 20 associations asked local authorities to limit arrivals in Palma de Majorca, the island's capital, to one a day and 4,000 visitors.
"Three or four cruise ships accumulate at a time and unleash 15,000 people on the city," Jaume Garau, head of environmental platform Palma XXI, told AFP.
The number of cruise passengers descending on Palma has lept from 545,000 in 2009 to 1.19 million last year, according to the regional statistics institute.
A recent study by the European association Transport & Environment said Palma de Majorca has the second-worst air pollution of the type caused by cruise ships in Europe, after Venice.
Discontent with cruise ships is not exclusive to Spain.
On Saturday, thousands of people took to the streets in Venice calling for a ban on large cruise ships following a collision between a massive vessel and a tourist boat.
But Majorca's manifesto was immediately opposed by several business associations in this Mediterranean island which pointed to the benefits of cruise ships on the local economy.
"It's a type of tourism that consumes, that shops, goes to restaurants," they said in a statement.
"It's a type of tourism that spends, and in a short time frame."
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Teen accessories mall-based retailer Claire's Stores has begun negotiations with creditors about restructuring its debt, sources told Reuters.
Losses have accumulated in the face of competition from e-commerce and slowing traffic to malls, with the company’s debt totaling $2.4 billion, Reuters reports.
Private equity firm Apollo Global Management, which owns Claire's, has tapped law firm Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP to represent the retailer the negotiation, sources told Reuters.
Headwinds faced by teen apparel retailers American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Aeropostale, which is under bankruptcy protection, seem to be also hitting accessories retailer Claire's.
But while American Eagle and Abercrombie have seemed to pull out of their troubles with large changes to their marketing, stores, and product quality, Claire's doesn't look like it's following suit.
The retailer saw same-store sales fall 5.1% in the first quarter, including a 0.8% decrease in the U.S. and a 12.7% decrease in Europe. First quarter net sales fell $20.3 million, or 6.4% year over year, to $299.6 million due to the closure of more than 150 stores this past year, the strong dollar, and decreased shipments to franchisees, the company said in May.
Apollo took Claire's private in 2007 in a leveraged buyout valued at some $3.1 billion, and earlier this year refinanced some debt to delay interest payments, Reuters said.
Credit rating agency Moody’s has steadily downgraded Claire’s since 2014, and earlier this year downgraded its outlook to negative in light of the company’s debt.
"Claire's continues to feel the ill-effects of declining mall traffic and an increasingly competitive landscape, with the result debt/EBITDA has risen to over 8 times. The new ratings further acknowledge the challenges faced by Claire's to grow earnings sufficient to support its presently unsustainable capital structure,” Moody's Vice President Charlie O’Shea said in a statement in April.


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Russia bans Pakistani fruit
Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) began a temporary ban on the import of Pakistani plant products on Oct. 1, blocking a market that is worth US$150-170 million to the South Asian nation.
Rosselkhoznadzor cited "systematic violations" of its phytosanitary requirements as the reason behind the ban, along with the "destabilization" of Pakistan's phytosanitary situation.
Pakistan's Business Recorder reported Kinnow mandarins, mangoes and aloos (potatoes) would be the main products to suffer under the restrictions.
All Pakistan Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, Importers and Merchants Association (PFVA) spokesperson Waheed Ahmed told the publication the move dealt a crushing blow to horticultural exports, urging Minister for National Food Security and Research, Sikandar Hyat Khan Bosan to act swiftly to resolve the situation.
Photo: Flickr Creative Commons, Koshyk


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Every year, the Estes Park Farmers Market starts the first Thursday in June. At yesterday’s seasonal opening, 55 vendors were stationed outside Town Hall for shoppers to find their locally sourced vegetables, wine, salsa, olive oil, baskets, flower baskets and more. Several new vendors have opened up shop this year. The Estes Park Farmers Market recurs each Thursday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. through the last week in September.
This is Corey Crespi’s first time with a booth at the farmer’s market. About two years ago, when moved to Estes Park, he started making organic chocolate from the comfort of his own kitchen.
“Things are shifting with people consuming tons of sugar and it’s really nice to have other options,” said Crespi. “That’s one of the things that got me into it.”
In the 15 years Estes Valley Farmers Market coordinator Vickie Dennis has been running the market, she has seen it move from the brewery to the fairgrounds and land downtown. She said its now bursting at the seams with vendors and if she added anymore the market would be duplicating products. There are also several nonprofits with booths, throughout the season. Dennis explained why nonprofit booths are limited.
“If you were a consumer, and you’re coming to the farmers market to see what kind of products are there and were walking around to see what’s there, for chili or salsa or honey, and someone drove verses a lot of the nonprofits aren’t selling anything, they’re just promoting something to get their own word out which is great,” said Dennis. “But a lot of the people who come to the market feel harassed.”


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Lexus teases design of upcoming city-sized electric car
Posted By Green Car Reports
Date Thursday, 10 October 2019, at 11:30 a.m.
Lexus has released a teaser shot—2014 and video burst—for a new electric-car concept, due to be revealed later this month at the Tokyo Motor Show. The model, which is expected to be a production-bound small city car based on the Lexus LF-SA concept from 2015, will be what Lexus chief Koji Sato described to Autocar earlier this year as...Read more
This post was created from content on the Internet.
GREEN CARS is maintained by Nem


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HARRISBURG (AP) – Pennsylvania’s attorney general is encouraging people to contact her office if they have complaints about unexpected and dramatic increases in their electricity bills.
Attorney General Kathleen Kane said Wednesday her office has already been contacted by hundreds of consumers, and their complaints suggest the issue is variable-rate pricing deals.
She’s telling those with complaints to provide documentation on contracts, billing, and marketing practices. Her Bureau of Consumer Protection is trying to figure out if anyone has been overcharged.
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted last week to review policies and rules that pertain to electric generation suppliers that buy and sell electricity. The PUC says it has fielded more than 750 informal complaints from consumers about large bills.


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The City of Beaumont and the Beaumont Chamber of Commerce are partnering up to support local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The #OpeninBeaumont initiative will allow local businesses to let the community know they are still open and ready to serve the community at this time. The Beaumont Chamber of Commerce also has a listing on its website of local businesses that are currently open, which includes 60 names so far.
“It’s really cool to see the engagement of our entire business community. I’m really excited and really impressed with how everybody’s pivoting and finding creative ways to continue serving Beaumont,” said Curtis Haley, president of the Beaumont Chamber of Commerce. “I’m proud of our business community.”
Beaumont residents can show their support for their local business community by shopping local, ordering online and ordering for takeout or delivery. Many businesses are adapting to the changing situation with their own curbside pickup, making the switch to online ordering and different delivery options.
Residents can post photos or share their experiences on social media using #OpeninBeaumont to let others know they are helping to support local. Haley added there has already been a number of comments and posts with the #OpeninBeaumont tag.


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Shortly, Libra will be launched by Facebook, a worldwide cryptocurrency accessible to its users in platforms like WhatsApp and Messenger. Any trader having an account in these platforms could transact using the cryptocurrency with clients who have accounts in these for anything, such as purchasing online such as food supplies and paying in restaurants.
Facebook is gearing up to declare its much hyped-up cryptocurrency this month, yet very little is known about the venture, referred to as Project Libra. On Sunday, Long shared a few forecasts about how the cryptocurrency may function and how it will affect the crypto business.
In a recent tweet,
Facebook’s GlobalCoin cryptocurrency will likely pay interest to its users. That’s the prediction of Wyoming Blockchain regulator and crypto champion Caitlin Long.


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Twitter has established a new team (Twitter Crypto) whose focus will be blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and dApps.
Led by software engineer Tess Rinearson, the team will work with BlueSky to achieve their goals and further Twitter’s crypto and blockchain interest.
Delving deeper into cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, Twitter is now launching a dedicated crypto team to support the adoption of digital assets and decentralized apps (dApps). Newly hired software engineer Tess Rinearson will be at the helm of the team dubbed “Twitter Crypto.”
Before joining Twitter, Rinearson served at Tendermint blockchain protocol, specifically on the consensus engine Tendermint Core. She also worked at the cross-border payments firm Interstellar.
Rinearson announced the news via a Twitter thread:
I’m thrilled to share that I’ve joined Twitter, to lead a new team focused on crypto, blockchains, and other decentralized technologies—including and going beyond cryptocurrencies.
As I build out the team, we’ll be working to figure out what crypto can do for Twitter, as well as what Twitter can do for crypto. Twitter truly “gets” crypto (hello bitcoin tipping & NFTs!) but there’s so much more to explore here.
Twitter and crypto industry
Twitter Crypto’s very first task will focus on dApps, their creators, and audiences. The team, Rinearson notes, will support such software in managing virtual goods and currencies. Thereafter, Twitter Crypto will explore “how ideas from crypto communities can help us push the boundaries of what’s possible with identity, community, ownership, and more.”
Additionally, Rinearson’s group will work closely with ‘Bluesky’, a decentralized social networking effort from Twitter. Formed in 2019, the Bluesky team consists of independent architects, engineers and designers tasked with developing an open and decentralized standard for social media. Twitter plans to operate on a decentralized social media protocol from Bluesky.
Rinearson concluded with a call for applicants in engineering and product to join her group which she touts as the “center of excellence” for all things blockchain at Twitter.
For quite a while now, social media giant Twitter has been making highlights in matters of cryptocurrency and blockchain. The company’s CEO Jack Dorsey is among other high-ranking figures such as Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook, who have expressed strong backing for cryptocurrencies.
In August, Dorsey tweeted,
#Bitcoin will unite a deeply divided country.
(and eventually: world).
In the same month, he rolled out a new open developer platform for decentralized financial (DeFi) services on the financial super-app Square. He even appeared with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and Ark Invest CEO Cathy Wood in a discussion on “Bitcoin as a Tool for Economic Empowerment.” Dorsey also hinted at a possible integration of Twitter and the layer-2 protocol Lightning Network.
Twitter itself boasts of having a crypto tipping feature and an NFT profile verifier for those using NFTs as their Twitter avatars. The platform also become the first to approve a Bitcoin emoji in 2020.
Der Beitrag Twitter rolls out dedicated crypto division to explore blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and dApps erschien zuerst auf Crypto News Flash.


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Google acquired the highly regarded Java and Ajax tools business, including the company’s Eclipse team, from Instantiations for an undisclosed amount. Instantiations made its name (and revenue) selling tools for Java developers as well as for Smalltalk developers. Now, with the proceeds of the sale, Instantiations’ CEO Mike Taylor said he and the Smalltalk side of the company will hold onto the Instantiations name and work to grow the Smalltalk business.
Google gets a proven team of developers, including several seasoned veterans of the Eclipse community. Instantiations was a founding member of the Eclipse Foundation and Taylor’s name has been nearly synonymous with Eclipse, as he has held various positions of authority in the organization.
In a Twitter “Tweet” about the acquisition, Mike Milinkovich, executive director of the Eclipse Foundation, said, “I am thrilled for the Instantiations team. The Google acquisition is great news for the Eclipse community as well.”
In a letter to Instantiations’ customers, Taylor said:
“In brief, we have entered into an agreement with Google in which they have purchased our highly regarded Java products, technology, and business. Our VA Smalltalk business, products, personnel…and commitment…continue independent and uninterrupted, except that now the new Instantiations (yes, we kept the name) will focus exclusively on Smalltalk!
“This may be the most significant news our VA Smalltalk community has experienced since Instantiations and IBM joined forces in 2005–a relationship that remains strong and unchanged as we move forward.”
Taylor further explained in his letter that he will continue as president and CEO of the new Smalltalk-focused Instantiations. Founder Eric Clayberg will join Google, but will also continue as a director/board member, technical advisor and major shareholder of Instantiations. Principal Smalltalk architect John O’Keefe will assume an even stronger role guiding the technical development and advancement of the company’s VA Smalltalk technology. And Chuck Shawan will continue working with customers as Instantiations’ vice president of sales.
Meanwhile, during a conference call with customers on Aug. 5, Taylor could hardly contain his glee over the opportunity the sale of the Java assets creates for himself and the team he helped put together.
“We’re extremely excited about both halves of this new development for the company,” Taylor said. “We’re excited for our Java business to go to Google – an excellent home it. And the Smalltalk group is excited about being in a new mode where we can focus on Smalltalk.”
Clayberg added: “We’re very excited by the way things have happened and also happy that Instantiations will continue to go forward and grow the Smalltalk business, and continue to be funded.”
Indeed, “Our plan is to leverage some of the money we’ve all made in the Google transaction” to keep the Smalltalk business rolling, Taylor said. However, “our Smalltalk business is showing significant revenue growth year-over-year since we got it,” he added. The business has been profitable and self-sustaining, he said. And to quell any concerns about the future of the business, Taylor ensured customers that he and his leadership are not just geeks (despite Taylor personally having been coding Smalltalk since 1984). “We see this as a viable business, and we plan to make it work.” he said, adding, “We both have MBAs, and Eric’s is from Harvard. We’re confident we can not just keep this alive but grow it.”
Taylor said he expects to gain some converts from IBM’s and Cincom’s Smalltalk platforms. In addition to being a founding member of Eclipse, Instantiations also was a founding member of the Smalltalk Industry Council.
Meanwhile, asked why Google did not acquire Instantiations’ Smalltalk business, Taylor said although he could not speak for Google, “Google is a very large company and they have their own visions and ambitions. Java is only one of many technologies they’re involved in. They’re looking at their world and they said they needed some more Java expertise. They weren’t ready to bite off a whole -nother new technology. They wanted something they could immediately leverage.”
Although some outlets have described Instantiations as a “startup,” that is far from the case — the company was founded in 1997 and has offices in Portland, Ore., and Raleigh, N.C. Rather, Instantiations has toiled as a band of software craftsmen turning out tools to help developers’ work faster, easier and more productively. Instantiations also is an IBM Business Partner. With a line of products for Eclipse, IBM Rational, JBuilder and MyEclipse, the company is named as one the fastest-growing Oregon companies four years running. And while other such companies have folded, fortunately for Taylor and his crew, Google took notice. Hats off.


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Tax fatty foods to aid the obesity challenge
- Published on Wednesday, 14 November 2012 10:52
- Posted by Scott Buckler
New duties on foods known to be unhealthy should be part of a package of public health policies to tackle overweight and obesity and other diet-related diseases, according to the National Heart Forum (NHF)
In a report released today (Wednesday 14 November), the NHF recommends the introduction of duties on sugary soft drinks to curb consumption and raise revenues to support public health programmes or subsidise the cost of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables.
The NHF publication 'What is the role of health-related food duties?' reports evidence from around the world presented at a meeting of the NHF membership in June, and makes recommendations for Government action.
"The current debate about food taxes is not about whether to use them, but about how they should be applied, on what foods and how the tax revenues should be used," said Jane Landon, deputy chief executive of the NHF.
"There is a growing consensus among policy makers across many countries that carefully applied food taxes are both cost-effective and justified to help tackle the spiralling costs and huge social burdens of non-communicable diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes caused by over-consumption of unhealthy foods high in fat, sugar and salt. Added to this, there is an accumulating body of evidence from natural experiments in countries such as France, Denmark and Hungary as well as modelling studies and studies on alcohol and tobacco which provide a better understanding of the likely impacts of food taxes on prices, on consumers and on food producers and retailers."
"Our recommendation is that a duty on sugar-sweetened soft drinks would be a good place to start. Excise duties applied with care to specific food categories such as sugary soft drinks which are 'unhealthy', non-essential, and which can be easily substituted for a healthier alternative are likely to be straightforward to implement and unlikely to have unintended effects. Taxes are never popular but public support could be strengthened if the revenues generated are used for health-related purposes, such as public health programmes or subsidising the cost of healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables to achieve a fiscally neutral policy."
The NHF makes 10 recommendations for policymakers:
1. As a proportionate response to the current crisis in diet-related ill health, the application of additional taxes on foods known to be 'unhealthy' should be part of a package of public health policies.
2. Excise duties are the most promising option because they offer the maximum facility for
flexibility, control and focus of the tax instrument.
3. Taxes applied to specific product categories, such as sugar-sweetened soft drinks (SSSDs), are
straightforward to apply and are unlikely to have significant unintended effects.
4. Price elasticity and cross-price elasticity effects must be carefully analysed to identify potential
5. Duties on unhealthy foods are not likely to have substantial effects on changing consumption
and supply patterns in isolation, but should be part of a comprehensive package of policy measures to shape food consumption and supply.
6. Careful modelling of any new tax instruments is essential to understand how different types of consumers and businesses are likely to respond, and how combinations of taxes on unhealthy foods with subsidies on healthy foods could potentially achieve fiscally neutral policies.
7. Concerns about regressivity must be taken into account, but should not, by themselves, be seen as barriers to implementing taxes on foods.
8. Clear communication of the purpose of a tax and its potential benefits – including how revenues may be used to support health services or health programmes or to subsidise healthy foods – is crucially important, as it will determine public acceptance of the tax.
9. The term 'health-related food duty' is recommended as it conveys the health purpose of the policy and the notion of responsibility underpinning the payment of duties on goods that contribute to social harms.
10. Any proposed statutory instrument should be introduced with a 'sunset clause' so that it is subject to regulatory review after a specified period of time.


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Jul 30, 2007 (From the CalCars-News archive)
We're working to catch up on media coverage, so this report doesn't include the past few days of news and analyses. But some of these, including multiple stories in the San Francisco Bay Area, are worth checking out!
Toyota Video | Toyota Display |
Slashdot/Engadget/Jalopnik/Daily Green | San
Francisco Chronicle | San Jose Mercury News |
Industry Week | Southern CA Public Radio | Wall
Street Journal | Denmark TV | A correction by
Prof. Andy Frank to a previous posting
See Toyota's under two-minute video showing its Plug-in HV at http://toyota.pod.tv/jp/tech/environment/phv/conference/driving_300.wmv
UK Battery Vehicle Society's "Toyota Have Finally Done It" has a good close-up photo of the Toyota display showing the car plugging in. http://batteryvehiclesociety.org.uk/wordpress/?p=216&sid=
Slashdot, the Open Source cornucopia, generated over 500 comments from Friday night to Monday morning for a posting, "Toyota Unveils Plug-in Hybrid Prius" <http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/27/2312257http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/07/27/2312257 Engadget, the popular blog, reports "Toyota set to test new plug-in hybrid vehicle" http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/25/toyota-set-to-test-new-plug-in-hybrid-vehicle Jalopnik reports, "It's Electric! It's Official, Toyota Testing Plug-In Hybrid In Japan http://jalopnik.com/search/plug-in%20hybrid
Daily Green, "the consumer's guide to the green revolution" is a new website from Hearst Media. Jim Motavalli, veteran auto columnist and editor of e/The Environmental Magazine, launches his blog, "Driving Directions: Getting There Green," with " Plugging in the Future With New Hybrid Cars" http://www.thedailygreen.com/2007/07/26/plugging-in-the-future/4273
LOCAL SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA COVERAGE:
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE ran one page one report, followed by two stories on page one of the B (local) section.
CLEANER FUTURE? PLUG IN - Electric hybrid cars hold promise of slashing greenhouse gases, by Zachary Coile, San Francisco Chronicle, 07/20/07 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/20/MNGT7R3OH81.DTL This long story, the day after the EPRI-NRDC study was released, included large PHEV graphics on the Friday paper's front page, photos of Felix Kramer with his car and Ron Gremban working on a battery pack. Quotes included:
- "The studies finally give an environmental stamp of approval" to plug-in vehicles, said Felix Kramer, founder of CalCars.org, which promotes electric hybrids. "Scientist have confirmed that unlike gasoline cars, plug-ins will get cleaner as they get older -- because our power grid is getting cleaner."
- "It shows the next generation of hybrid vehicle technology will reduce both global warming pollution and conventional air pollution in most parts of the United States ... particularly if we are conscientiously taking steps to clean up the power grid," said Dan Lashof, science director at the Natural Resources Defense Council's climate center.
- John Bryson, chairman and CEO of Edison International, parent company of Southern California Edison... said he sees huge environmental benefits from plug-in hybrids, especially in California, where 40 percent of greenhouse gases are emitted by cars and trucks. "What we are talking about here is potentially a very, very, large effect" on emissions, Bryson said.
- GM's Tony Posawatz, who heads the vehicle line for the Chevy Volt and attended the announcement of the study, said his bosses are committed to producing the Volt and other electric hybrids on a mass scale. But he would not commit to a firm date or say how much the car would cost. "We believe that this is the future," he said. "The potential for plug-ins is tremendous."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/21/BAG08R4M7E1.DTL PLUG-IN HYBRIDS - Making green cars greener costs a bundle - With $24,000 add-on, plug-in Toyota Prius is mostly for rich, Michael Taylor, San Francisco Chronicle, 07/21/07. The follow-up story the next day on the front page of the B section highlights Hybrids-Plus of Colorado, currently the only after-market company selling not just to fleets but to individuals (at $24-$32K to convert the car the individual provides). It quotes Sven Thesen, a supervisor in the Clean Transportation Program at Pacific Gas and Electric Co., about the experience driving "Sparky," PG&E's converted Prius. And the story says, At the California Air Resources Board, they're just as cautious about plug-ins as they are at Toyota. "We think there's a definite role in the future for plug-in hybrids, but there are still some hurdles to overcome in developing a battery that will last the life of the vehicle," said board spokeswoman Karen Caesar. "Today they are still considered experimental. We are not encouraging people to disassemble their Priuses to turn them into plug-ins."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/26/BAGJPR75VB1.DTL&hw=calcars&sn=003&sc=395 CALIFORNIA - UC to street-test 2 plug-in hybrid Toyota Priuses, by Michael Taylor, San Francisco Chronicle, 07/26/07 The following Thursday, the Chronicle reported on Toyota's plans to start a small pilot PHEV Prius program. The story includes:
- "This is absolutely the first step of a major manufacturer in putting plug-ins on the road," said Felix Kramer, founder of the California Cars Initiative, a Bay Area plug-in hybrid advocacy group. "It forces every single carmaker to figure out what it's going to do. It means the race is really on."
- Susan Shaheen, a research director at UC Berkeley's Institute of Transportation Studies, will supervise the testing of one of the plug-in Priuses. Institute staffers, faculty members and students, along with employees of some local businesses, will take the altered Prius through its paces to see how it performs in the everyday world -- the trip to the grocery store, the run down to San Jose for a business meeting...."I'll look at the response of users to plug-in technology, see how they (deal with) refueling and charging, to get a sense of how different this is from (using) a traditional internal combustion engine car or a gas-hybrid vehicle," Shaheen said. "And I will definitely get to drive this car, I hope." The second and third stories both point to CalCars.org for more information, and both include reader comments.
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS
Toyota working with University of California on plug-in hybrids By Matt Nauman, Mercury News, 07/25/2007 http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_6459228
Every Car I Drive, blog by Matt Nauman Plug-in hybrid race gets early kick http://www.mercextra.com/blogs/nauman/2007/07/25/toyota-california-universities-will-study-plug-in-hybrids Toyota: California Universities Will Study Plug-In Hybrids Wednesday, July 25th, 2007
Nauman also filed a report that the Prius is now the top-selling car in the 11-county San Francisco Bay Area, with 5.4% of total sales, surpassing the Toyota Camry, Honda Civic and Accord and Toyota Corolla: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6420656. The Bay Area joins five states in the Pacific Northwest where the Prius is now the top-sellig car (see our report at http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/762.html).
The influential magazine Industry Week reports on the EPRI-NRDC report http://www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=14647
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC RADIO
KPCC ran a good report on PHEVs -- excerpts below:
"California Provides Outlet for Plug-in Hybrids,"
by Molly Peterson, July 26, 2007
Molly Peterson: A couple of weeks ago, Southern California Edison president John Bryson stood proudly before a gaggle of reporters, waving what he said may be the next big car accessory: a thick orange extension cord. John Bryson: The future needs to be as simple as this plug. Someday we believe millions of Americans will fill up their vehicles at the plug instead of the pump saving money and protecting the environment. Peterson: Bryson announced a plan with Ford to develop 20 hybrid electric cars that'll charge up in standard 120 volt outlets. The utility's recruiting Southland consumers as test pilots.
Peterson: Then last week a new study came out, sponsored by environmental and electric nonprofits. The result: even with a mix of power sources, and even if only 20 percent of Americans drove plug-in hybrids, greenhouse gas emissions would drop by at least 163 million tons a year. These developments were music to the ears of... James Woolsey: ...the tree-huggers, the do-gooders, the sod-busters, the cheap hawks, and the evangelicals...
Peterson: Kramer heads an advocacy group called CalCars.org, and so he got a Southern California company to take out the standard issue self-charging battery in his Prius and install a bunch of lithium ion ones the same kind computers use. Kramer: Conceptually, people have been tinkering with cars in California especially for a long time, and we think that what we're doing is green tuning.
Peterson: Charging a seven kilowatt battery pack overnight can cost $.50 in L.A., and can yield more than 100 miles per gallon. Miguel Pulido, the mayor of Santa Ana, loves that about his plug-in; that and the usual hybrid amenities. Miguel Pulido: See how silent it is? Nobody knows when I'm leaving 'cause I just float away. Peterson: Pulido, who studied mechanical engineering, also sits on the board of the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Regional air boards like his can't regulate auto emissions, he said, but severe air pollution makes them part of the debate. Pulido: We at the air district are very frustrated because we think we have solutions, certainly things that ought to be tried, that ought to be supported, that ought to be attempted, so even if we're wrong, we can address that learning curve and try to move things forward.
Peterson: South Coast has been demonstrating plug-ins and electric cars for years. Pulido said that shows the state air board what's possible. The state air board overhauled its Zero Emission Vehicle program four years ago under fire from the auto industry. Now, as technology has evolved, the state agency will review its regulations again. The Zero Emission program's manager, Tony Andreoni, said caution is the watchword. Tony Andreoni: In our workings we try to really stay more neutral and say, "The technologies are going to be there, they're going to be used; let's see when they can actually take advantage of really reducing the emissions."
Peterson: The air board will take on regulations under a hotter public glare than during the 1970s, when California got a waiver from federal law to install smog-cutting catalytic converters in cars first. Jack Rosebro of the Green Car Congress said the buzz around plug-ins makes this state's consumers a strong market force. Jack Rosebro: When catalytic converters were proposed, we're talking about one small component. And if I remember right, car companies went to Congress and said, we will go out of business if this is put in. Now we're talking about a much bigger change. So we have to have much bigger pressures.
Peterson: Automakers exert pressure of their own. Like lobbying the Energy Department to kick in for battery research and development. The federal government's still working out how much of that to do. General Motors and Toyota do say they'll race to plug in to the market. But most other manufacturers even the ones trying to develop the cars, like Ford are still holding out on commitment. Ford Motor's Sue Cischke: Sue Cischke: There isn't any one answer, and so we're betting on all these technologies with the idea that whatever we can drive down and make affordable to the consumer, that will win.
Peterson: The odds of the bet keep changing. Just this week, Toyota announced plans to test manufactured plug-in hybrids on the road in Japan and start leasing them there soon.
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, which missed the Google RechargeIT launch, the Southern California Edison-Ford announcement and the EPRI-NRDC report (except for passing mention in its Energy Roundup BlogRoll), ran a brief story, Toyota to Test Plug-in Electric Hybrids, By YOSHIO TAKAHASHI, July 26, 2007, including: When the company will be able to market the vehicle "depends on when we can succeed in developing batteries" that are smaller and more efficient than current ones, said Masatami Takimoto, an executive vice president with Toyota. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118538875541177827.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
DENMARK Thanks to Pia Jacobsen in Copenhagen for translating ""50 kilometers a Liter!," a story that appeared on DR TV, in video and online reports on one of the two largest national TV stations in Denmark. http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Penge/2007/07/18/20070718103215.htm. Here are some excerpts [50KM/Liter is actually about 117 MPG]:
- Cars could be so much better than they are now, I think. The drivers do want better and more energy efficient cars, so why can't we have them? If we show the way, we can go to the car industry and say build them for us!, Felix Kramer told DR.
- Twice the range a Liter: In faster or longer fares, the electric motor and the gas motor cooperate. This results in a gas economy of more than 43 km/l, twice as far as a standard Prius. Felix Kramer himself drives around 50 km/l in his daily car routine, and as most other people he seldom drives more than a daily 40 kilometers.
- The electricity bill will of course rise, as the battery is recharged by the regular electricity network, but even with the low American gas prices it costs Felix Kramer less than a third to drive on electricity.
- Cars can store electricity: Apart from the wonderful mileage a liter the plug-in hybrids can, if they become popular, reshape the consumption pattern of electricity. As cars are parked 20 hours a day, they can become decentralized electricity storage for the electricity networks. For example all the wind power can be produced and stored by night in car batteries and used during the day, when the consumption is at its highest, says Felix Kramer.
Finally, a correction, from Prof. Andy Frank, to our July 20 posting "Report: PHEV from Toyota Within a Month? More Unclear Specifics..." http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/800.html, where we said, "Three years earlier, in 2003, Toyota flew an SUV, the Ford Explorer PHEV built by UC Davis students and Prof. Andy Frank, to its research HQ for a look." Andy clarifies: The car was a Mercury sable that was flown to Europe then to Japan. The car got 58 mpg on gasoline only and over 200 mpg if calculated like the current PHEV Priuses. Also it has 60 miles AER [all-electric range] on the EPA driving city cycle.


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Precision power meter brand 4iiii, whose products retail from around £400 – £1200, have been spotted with an early proto-type of an anti-theft tracking system built into their power meter at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show), a technology fair which runs in Las Vegas.
The news was broken by website dcrainmaker and you can read their full article here.
The technology uses the Chipolo tracking system ( a competitor for Tile) and will signal the location of your power meter if you register it lost. To get a “ping” on the map however, it must pass within a certain distance of another users phone – as the system works via Bluetooth.
It appears that 4iiii were looking to keep this under wraps, but after the news was broken, published this message on their website “We were keeping things low-key. Sure, we were at CES, but we thought we were keeping a low profile, hidden in a booth with Chipolo. And then Ray Maker of DC Rainmaker spotted us and got the scoop”
CIN has messaged 4iiii and will update you if we hear more about the official release date for this new product.
Anti-theft bike tracking has had some notable success, such as Vanmoof tracking their stolen bikes this time last year.


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Conclusion of Shipping Season in Thunder Bay
Photo by Richard W Falshaw
THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO ~~~~~ January 15, 2022 (LSNews) The 2021 Navigation Season will conclude tonight with the departure of MV Manitoulin carrying a shipment of wheat. Seasonal cargo volumes topped 8.5 million metric tonnes (MMT), 6% lower than the 5-year average of 9.1 MMT. Despite decreased grain shipments caused by weather conditions on the Prairies, the Port experienced growth in most areas, demonstrating success in its diversification initiatives.
Keefer Terminal cargo volumes doubled in 2021, with shipments of steel products and phosphate fertilizer making the most significant gains. The tonnage of cargo handled at the Terminal was the highest in 20 years. The Port acknowledges its partnership with cargo operations partner Logistec Stevedoring as key to its success in growing business at Keefer.
“Success in transporting general cargo, particularly valuable dimensional pieces, depends on safe and secure handling. Reliability of the operation is critical,” says Port CEO Tim Heney. “Thunder Bay has developed a reputation as a trustworthy Port, and this helps to generate new and repeat business.”
The increase in inbound shipments improves competitiveness of the system, enabling two-way cargo for vessels. “We’re bringing more inbound cargoes every year. Matching these cargoes with export grain for saltwater vessels (Salties) reduces the overall cost and environmental impact of shipping,” notes Heney. “It also ensures a consistent volume of Salties available in Thunder Bay for grain exports.”
Potash shipments grew substantially this season as well. Exports of Canadian-mined potash exceeded 600,000 tonnes for the first time since 2004. The commodity, utilized as fertilizer, ships primarily to Europe by Saltie.
Grain volumes dropped in 2021, following a surge in 2020 that gave the Port its highest cargo tally in decades.
With a probable return to more favourable crop conditions on the Prairies, Port officials are optimistic for a stronger shipping season in 2022. Several large wind turbine shipments are due at Keefer Terminal in the summer, amidst another strong slate of steel and other general cargoes. Further growth is anticipated in phosphate fertilizer shipments, which are imported for use by Western Canadian grain farmers.
Four vessels have laid up in Thunder Bay for the winter and will undergo varying degrees of maintenance and repair.
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Fall Eighteen it is?
For those of you who’ve never owned a high-end MacBook, Apple is ensuring your pockets will burn later next year, when the iPhone 8 officially releases. Analysts are expecting the eighth-generation smartphone to cost more than $1000, which is the same as their current price for a standard laptop.
Following the release of their iPhone 7 model last year, which had a high-end model upwards of $970 USD, as many expect Apple to pack it with numerous new features and completely new design, screen, camera – which should lead to higher and extra payments on your leasing plan.
Regarding its release date, Business Insider cites that progress has unfortunately reached a screeching halt this spring. At the moment, the device isn’t set to make the 10-year anniversary target of this fall and could be delayed until the middle of 2018.
Due to rumored manufacturing issues, Deutsche Bank of the publication went to say, “As we have written in previous notes], several supply chain reports have suggested that key component shortages and technical challenges could delay the release of a high-end iPhone 8 device this fall. We believe this report further underscores the uncertainty around the timing of Apple’s next model.”
It’s unclear what the company will have in store for their fall presentations, since an i8 release is unlikely; but we’ll keep you updated if anything significant happens beforehand.


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Nearly every facet of our lives was affected by the coronavirus epidemic. The retail industry was the most affected, with major changes in the way they do business and how consumers deal with them. These changes were clearly seen in the retail stock exchange.
Many retail shares have seen their value drop dramatically due to the pandemic. The retail stock market has seen rapid growth since the COVID-19 effect in 2020 and through the start of 2019 onwards.
By reading on, you will gain a thorough glimpse into the many ways that the pandemic has affected retail shares, and what this might entail for the future retail stock market – and its professional traders.
Is there any impact on retail stock shares from the pandemic?
- The initial wave
In the first stages of 2020, retail shares were affected by the pandemic. The majority of countries placed their first restrictions on retail sales once the pandemic became a serious global problem. Businesses were shut down and workers sent home. The smooth flow of retail sales seemed to have stopped.
There were many stock price drops across the market due to the uncertainty surrounding the retail industry’s financial future. Low sales rates meant that traders started questioning the likelihood of success for retail businesses. Stock values began dropping.
Some companies even saw greater misfortune and went into administration – along with all their shares. Debenhams (DEB), one of the UK’s major retailers, went into administration in April 2020, before succumbing to liquidation in December. All shares were suspended as a result. Whilst the majority of retailers’ shares were heavily affected, some suffered outcomes worse than others.
- Retail bouncing back
Fortunately, some businesses began to recover from the effects of the pandemic by 2021. This was due to the way these retailers dealt with e-commerce.
Because physical stores were difficult to reach, many consumers have turned to the internet for their shopping needs. Through 2021, nearly half of UK’s non-food retail sales took place online. This allowed for increased investment in stock retail and helped to save retail shares.
Next (NXT) shares increased to an all-time high in April 2021, reaching £82.32. This is due in large part to the 60% increase of online sales since last year. Next focused heavily on their online retail engagement, and also offered homeware products which were in high-demand throughout peoples’ home isolation period.
ASOS (ASC), and Boohoo(BOO) both increased earnings per share (EPS), respectively, for the year ending February 2021. This was 39% more EPS for Boohoo than 2017, and 67% for ASOS. This is a reflection of an increase in both the corporate value and shareholder interest. Peoples’ desire for comfortable lounge clothing, and the easy access of online retail was a huge factor in these developments.
- Recurring challenges
However, share values continued to decline after 2021’s repeated lockdowns. ASOS’ share price fell by 52% in the last quarter 2021. This retailer, amongst others, was impacted by the more severe lockdowns and increased variant cases – delta/omicron.
Due to people being unable to work or business revenues suffering, less money was flown into retail markets. Many retailers also lost time due to this disruption in their production chain, which meant that many businesses were unable to provide consistent product supply, which resulted in stock losses.
- Positive outlook for 2022
The current retail market state (February 2022) is still uncertain. There are many retail stock value fluctuations. However, there are some promising signs for the future.
Globally, vaccination rates are rising and there is no restriction on the amount of retail that can be done online or in-person. Many companies are adapting their business models to make it more convenient for customers who live in the home. For instance, Amazon claim that their in-home entertainment platform Amazon Prime, is their ‘secret sauce’ for shares growth in 2022.
These predictions could help in the recovery and growth of retail stock prices. They also point to a bright future for retail share traders. There is always room to profit when stock trading takes place in such times. You can explore different stock trades through a platform like Plus500 stock stock trading and profit from these value movements while you still have the opportunity.
The post A Review of Retail Stocks — How the Pandemic has Affected Shares appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.


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Zansaar, a Bangalore based online portal retailing home décor products has raised $6 million funding from Accel Partners and Tiger Global, reports Techcircle. The company intends to use the funds to expand inventory and supply chain capabilities, and for meeting marketing cost and working capital requirements. Following this deal, Subrata Mitra of Accel Partners will be joining the company as a board member. The investment follows various recent early stage e-commerce venture fundings, indicating that the segment is still attracting VC money, despite fears of saturation. The portal was launched last month, and offers home decoration and utility products across categories such as kitchen, bed and bath, outdoor, kids and accents among others. In addition, it also offers an international collection of products such as wine glass set, teapot, bowls and others. Zansaar was founded by Jawad Ayaz and Vinod Chandran. They had previously started 20north.com, an e-commerce portal that sourced international products. It is currently under maintenance and will reportedly be re-launched, later this year, as the report notes. Tiger Global recently invested $21 million in Myntra while Accel invested in BlueStone, an online jewellery portal, funds worth $ 5 million. Both the investors have invested in multiple ecommerce ventures including Flipkart, LetsBuy, BabyOye and others.
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India's smartphone operating system BharOS has received much buzz in the media lately, but does it really merit this attention?
After using the Mapples app as his default navigation app for a week, Sarvesh draws a comparison between Google Maps and Mapples
The regulatory ambivalence around an instrument so essential to facilitate data exchange – the CM framework – is disconcerting for several reasons.
The provisions around grievance redressal in the Data Protection Bill "stands to be dangerously sparse and nugatory on various counts."
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Small businesses are concerned about what their future holds despite many reporting an increase in revenue over the past 12 months.
Research from accountancy software firm MYOB's latest Business Monitor Employer's Snapshot which surveyed more than 300 local small and medium-sized businesses shows many business operators still lack confidence in the economy.
More than 40 per cent of small businesses surveyed said they expected the economy to decline over the next 12 months in the survey. Only 25 per cent expect it to improve.
Thirty per cent of firms said their revenue had increased since June last year, while 28


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Have you ever wondered why in recent years, more and more computers, tablets, mobile phones, and other electronic devices can support Tibetan input methods?
Tashi Tsering, a researcher of the China Tibetology Research Center
The home page of the Tibetan Document Resource Data Center
The world’s first Tibetan website page.
With the development of communication technology, Tibetan language has needed to adapt to the popularization and updating of mobile terminals such as mobile phones. Led by Tashi Tsering, a group of people has developed the Qomolangma series of Tibetan fonts with 17 different styles.
A schematic diagram of the international standard for Tibetan coding.
The Qomolangma-Urgyen Saqiong Tibetan font.
The Qomolangma -Tibetan seal font.
From 2007 to 2010, the China Tibetology Research Center launched 10 Qomolangma fonts based on national and international coding standards. There are 17 different styles of the font, including Dunhuang style based on the Dunhuang Tibetan manuscripts, and the engraved style based on the Drepung Monastery scripture collection.
The Qomolangma fonts on the Android phone interface.
“In the past, the development of Tibetan software was mainly applied to computer desktop systems, such as the Windows operation system and the Macintosh Apple operating system. In the past 10 years, with the popularity of mobile phones, Tibetan software for mobile terminals has also been development,” Tashi Tsering said. He said that since2015, the China Tibetology Research Center has
begun to promote the application of Tibetan software on mobile terminals, especially domestic mobile phones based on national standards. Referring to existing user experience, a Tibetan input keyboard has been designed for Huawei mobile phones, which launched mobile phones with its own Tibetan input method in 2017.


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Coinbase is one of the safest and highly secure online platforms for buying, selling, transferring, and storing digital currency. It is the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the US which revealed the empowering of listing security tokens. So, here we are going to talk about Coinbase getting a green signal to list security tokens and the outcome of obtaining license from US regulators.
Is Security Token Can Be Future of The Digital Economy?
According to the last month’s report, Coinbase was all prepared to acquire Keystone Capital in a bid to enter in the list of regulated broker-dealer firms. However, the company was waiting for the acceptance from SEC (the Securities and Exchange Commission) and (FINRA) the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. Finally, a month later, on 16 July 2018, company has got the approval for the purchase.
Moreover, the company also obtain the license for firms like Digital Wealth LLC and Venovate Marketplace Inc. After the purchase this trio, it seems like now Coinbase can function as ATS (alternative trading system), broker-dealer and RIA (registered investment adviser). If the company has plans to function as the Alternative Trading System, then the San Francisco-based organization can handle outside the mainstream public stock exchange market.
However, there are many other similar services available for emerging digital asset classes which is different from both alternative trading systems and public stock exchanges. After getting the green signal from the US Regulators now the company can smoothly work as one of the first regulated trading platforms that provide security tokens listed in initial coin offerings (ICO).
Well, the first announcement took place on June 6, 2018, and Asiff Hirji, the Chief Operating Officer Of Coinbase shared; “If approved, these licenses will set Coinbase on a path to offer future services that include crypto securities trading, margin and over-the-counter (OTC) trading, and new market data products.”
Listing Cryptocurrency as A Security Tokens
After obtaining the license from the Securities and Exchange Commission and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Coinbase can list security tokens. In fact, Coinbase regulatory status allows its providers to give an upgrade from a collection of state licenses to being under federal supervision. It seems like the company has got the necessary approvals and forthcoming steps to combine the new platform with the existing technology.
Moreover, in America, trading securities need precise and strict adherence to law and regulations. So, the company has plans to ensure its protocols are up to mark to go further without any interruption. In fact, staff workers also need to adhere to the required licenses to trade tokenized securities.
Coinbase Adds Five More Coins
As per the source, the company has the plan to add five new tokens in its exchange in the forthcoming months. In fact, this Friday revealed the name of five coins that they are considering ZCash (ZEC), Stellar (XLM), Cardano (ADA), 0x (ZRX) and Basic Attention Token (BAT).
The added coins would be in addition to the Ether, Litecoin, Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash. These are one of the coins that are currently supported on the platform, and Ethereum classic is new among these coins that the company is planning to add shortly.
The outcome of Obtaining License from US Regulators
After acquiring new companies Digital Wealth LLC and Venovate Marketplace Inc and obtaining the license to security tokens, it seems like Coinbase has a long way to go.


text: Osborne Industries Inc., Osborne, Kansas, has introduced a new digital weight display for its ACCU-ARM portable livestock scale. The new digital display features special programming that allows it to display animal weights within seconds and also to have a measured accuracy within 1%. Programmed with a “quick freeze” feature that holds a displayed weight until the animal being weighed is unloaded, the digital display makes the job of weighing small animals fast and easy. Settings are easily changed on the display to weigh animals in the scale or to allow direct-weighing of feed or other items up to 220 pounds. ACCU-ARM scales equipped with the all new digital display are available in an 18- or 24-inch wide platforms and all previous models of ACCU-ARM scales can be retrofitted with the new digital display. For more information, call 800-255-0316 or visit www.osbornelivestockequipment.com.


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Two recent FCC filings have possibly outed the Xbox One Slim and a new Xbox One console altogether.
The wireless chips for both the Xbox One Slim and new Xbox were approved by the FCC, which is why their filings were outed. Both Xbox One consoles have NDAs attached to them, with the Xbox One Slim’s NDA expiring on June 25 while the new Xbox console’s NDA expires on July 29. This means Microsoft could very well introduce the Xbox One Slim during its E3 2016 presentation.
The time between the Xbox 360 and the Xbox 360 Slim was roughly five years, which would make the Xbox One Slim’s release much more timely considering it’s only been a little over two years since the Xbox One released in November 2013.
While an Xbox One Slim wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility, we’re curious to see what Microsoft has in store for it’s newer Xbox One. Sony is reportedly working on a PlayStation 4 that will support 4K gaming, so this could very well be Microsoft’s response to that device.


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LAST UPDATED: 26 April 2012 at 11:20am
As part of the auction, managed through eBay trader Stuff U Sell, will now also include an exclusive consultation with Ian Stuart and choice of any of his Killer Queen dresses; a champagne afternoon tea for two with sought-after wedding planner Sarah Haywood and cake-maker extraordinaire Peggy Porschen at her parlour in London's fashionable Belgravia; flowers from our favourites By Appointment Only and Philippa Craddock; and a luxury wedding tipi worth £5000.
Couples who win items won't just get something special for their big day; their money will go to supporting people to re-build their lives through Oxfam Unwrapped's emergency work.
Auction begins April 29 - May 9. For more information on the fabulous items available and details of the auction go to: www.ebay.co.uk/oxfam
LAST UPDATED: 13 Februrary 2012 at 5:45pm
Celebrating the anniversary of the Royal Wedding, Oxfam are launching a unique online auction offering couples the chance to bid on exclusive items for their big day at a fraction of the retail price.
The online wedding auction will start on April 29 on eBay and run through to May 9. All proceeds from the auction go towards helping those who live in poverty around the world.
The auction will feature one off gifts worth up to £10,000, including wedding gowns by designers such as Sassi Holford, Tammam and Ian Stuart, a wedding hair styling session with celebrity hairdresser Errol Douglass, a fabulous eco-chic Sawday's honeymoon to the Lake District and much more.
The celebrated bridal designer Sassi Holford said: "I've been a long term donor to Oxfam's successful network of bridal shops, so I am thrilled to be able to donate a dress for this exciting online auction. There are some truly amazing items that have been donated and everyone has the opportunity to bid on any (or all!) of them at more affordable prices and with money going to a really worthwhile cause."
Since launching a weddings range Oxfam have raised over £1 million to help change the lives of vulnerable people living in poverty around the world.
The online wedding shop, which launched last year, offers a huge range of items needed for the big day including Oxfam Unwrapped wedding lists and favours that guarantee a life-changing difference for generations to come.
Brides-to-be can also visit one of their 11 bridal boutiques to buy dream designer and vintage dresses, all for bargain prices. The online shop also includes a special ethical 100% silver jewellery line, including elegant bracelets, necklaces and earrings.
For more information and for details of the auction go to: www.oxfam.org.uk/weddings


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With the recent outbreak of COVID-19, nonessential businesses and places have been ordered to shut down in Indiana, as well as throughout the United States.
Nonessential businesses include community and recreation centers; gyms including yoga, barre and spin facilities; hair salons, barbers, nail salons and spas; casinos; concert venues; theaters; bars; sporting event venues and golf courses; retail facilities, including shopping malls, except for pharmacies or other health care facilities within retail operations, said Gov. Tom Wolf.
According to Wolf, licensed child care centers, adult day care centers and senior community centers were also to close.
Essential businesses included grocery stores, convenience stores, pharmacies, post offices, gas stations, banks, laundromats, pet stores, public transportation and hotel and commerical lodging.
If businesses deemed nonessential still remained open, the punishment could include citations, fines or license suspensions, according to Wolf.
Stores across the United States have closed their doors. Retailers such as Abercrombie & Fitch, Bath & Body Works, Hollister, Kohl’s, Nike and Urban Outfitters have completely closed, as well as electronic businesses such as Apple.
McDonald’s have closed dining rooms but are keeping drive-thrus open. Starbucks has closed their doors in the hard-hit areas. Walt Disney World and Disneyland have shut down as well.
For students who have remained at IUP or in Indiana, this can mean a shift in where they get supplies, clothes, food and drinks.
Grocery stores such as Martin’s, Giant Eagle and ALDI have remained open for business for the community, as well as Ollie’s, Dollar Store, Dollar General and Family Dollar. While these stores may not be the first place to shop for food, they have a variety to choose from at a fair price.
Dollar stores mainly offer non-perishables, such as canned goods, dried fruit and pasta.
Walmart has remained opened; however, business hours have changed. Rather than be open 24 hours, it is now opening at 6 a.m. and closing at 11 p.m. until further notice. While Walmart is usually stocked with everything you need, there have been shortages in not only toilet paper, but in food and medicine.
Stores in downtown Indiana have closed their doors as well. Restaurants, such as Thai@Indiana and Insomnia Cookies have remained opened for business but only for carry-out and delivery. Valley Dairy and Eat’n Park offer deliveries through programs such as DoorDash and Grubhub. Some bars are still offering carry-out or delivery of their food and alcohol.
You can check individual restaurants’ websites or Facebook pages to see how they have modified their businesses.
Retailers that have already put their stores online are still doing online ordering and delivery. Amazon, Bath & Body Works, Kohls, Walmart and others are still catering to online ordering.
When it comes to shopping, it seems the best bet is Walmart for household goods, clothes, makeup and more. However, when groceries are needed, Martin’s, Giant Eagle and ALDI have your back. However, the hot food and salad bar at Martin’s and Giant Eagle are closed, while already-prepared meals are available to purchase.
Life around campus has also taken a shift. Classes have been moved online via Zoom, D2L or Moodle and students that still reside in Indiana may sense a change in where to get food, hang out or get other forms of entertainment.
North Dining Hall, Crimson Cafe, Java City and Subway have closed their doors until further notice. The Hawk HUB is still operating; however, new business hours are in effect. Breakfast is served 7 a.m. until 9 a.m., lunch will be served 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and dinner is served at 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. Students can use one meal swipe for anything in the food court.
Chick-fil-A and Einstein’s are closed until further notice as well. The hours are still subject to change, and IUP Dining suggests following their social media on Facebook for updates.
The Philadelphia Street Playhouse has closed their doors until further notice, as well as the MovieScoop movie theater located in the mall.
STATIC events for the rest of the semester have been postponed or canceled, as well as concerts and festivals that were to be held in the upcoming months have experienced the same. For the first time since 9/11, Broadway in New York City has closed as well, and IUP’s Lively Arts productions have been canceled.
This can be difficult to navigate. With popular stores and restaurants closing their doors, it can be challenging to find the best place to buy much-needed supplies and groceries. However, there are stores still opened that are doing their best to carry essentials. Ordering online is always an option, even while maintaing social distancing to remain healthy.
To quote Abraham Lincoln, “this too shall pass.” In the meantime, if local businesses are opened, show them some extra love. You may find more bang for your buck.


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An East Hampton building has been sold for $28 million in what is being called the largest sale within any village business district on the East End.
Hal Zwick and Jeff Sztorc of Compass Commercial represented the buyer and the seller of 66 Newtown Lane in the off-market deal that closed on June 1.
Zwick called it “one of the best-maintained properties on the East End.”
Babette’s had long been considered its anchor. A favorite with Paul McCartney, Steven Spielberg and even President Bill Clinton, who always stopped in when he was in town, the restaurant closed in October of 2021.
Sant Ambroeus, an Italian eatery and coffee bar located with locations in Southampton Village, New York City and Palm Beach, will be opening in Babette’s former location soon.
The 20,000 square feet of space is spread over two floors. It holds nine retailers on the ground level and 12 office suites on the second floor. The 1.126-acre property also boasts a dedicated parking lot in the rear, a rarity for the village commercial property.
“The building was not on the market for sale,” says Zwick. “The buyer asked me to approach the owner and it was kept quiet through closing.”
According to property records, the seller was 66 Newtown Corp, a private family entity, which bought the property in 1997 for $4 million.
The buyer, who we’re told is a low-key investment entity, has not been publicly named yet.
Neither party wanted to speak about the transaction, according to the broker.
In East Hampton Village’s business district, the largest sale was 63 Main Street, a retail storefront, that sold for $12.3 million in 2007. Last year, Zwick and Sztorc also sold the two-story building at 51 Newtown Lane, with entrances from both Newtown Lane and Reutershan’s parking lot, for $11.5 million, the highest commercial sale in the village in recent years.
The deal will likely top the list for the most expensive commercial real estate trade on the East End in 2022.
In 2021, the biggest commercial real estate deal on the East End was the purchase of the Van de Wetering Greenhouses in Jamesport by a cannabis-growing company Columbia Care. While the deal for the 34-acre facility was worth a reported $42 million, the purchase of 5784 Sound Avenue is being completed in phases. When the first phase finally came through deeds, it was valued at $30 million.
Aside from that outlier trade, the next biggest sale came in at $18.2 million. An entity tied to the Friends of Bay Street, a not-for-profit created to purchase a new home for the Sag Harbor Village-based theater, purchased 2 Main Street, a property known to locals as Fort Apache.


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Fasig-Tipton to Open Saratoga Sales Grounds for August Digital Horses of Racing Age Entries
Fasig-Tipton has announced that its sales grounds in Saratoga Springs, New York, will be available for August Digital Sale sellers who wish to utilize the facility to show their consignment’s horses of racing age to prospective buyers.
“The July Selected Horses of Racing Age sale illustrated the strength of the current marketplace for active racehorses, and we want to offer sellers another avenue by which to showcase their consignment towards the end of the Saratoga meet,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton’s Director of Digital Sales. “Top trainers and owners from across the country will be in Saratoga for the Travers that weekend and recent results have shown that the demand for racehorses is as strong as ever.”
Horses of racing age sellers will be permitted to ship in on Sunday, August 27, for the purpose of showing their offerings on Monday, August 28. August Digital Sale offerings will be made public when the catalogue is announced on Thursday, August 24, at 12 pm ET. Bidding for the online-only sale closes starting at 2 pm ET on Tuesday, August 29.
“The August Digital Sale offers buyers an opportunity to purchase horses of racing age ahead of the lucrative fall race meetings – meetings that feature the last turf racing opportunities of the year in many states,” Aaron added. “We encourage racing stables to take advantage of the strong demand for horses of racing age and enter into our August sale.”
The deadline to nominate for the August Digital Sale is August 16. Learn more or nominate online at digital.fasigtipton.com.
For more information:


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Vertically integrated textile company Arvind
Ltd on Monday launched ready to wear menswear under the brand Arvind. The RTW
brand will be launched across The Arvind Stores before branching out as a separate entity eventually to cater to the $10 bn market in the country.
“Arvind Ltd comes full circle with brand Arvind,” said Kulin Lalbhai
, ED, Arvind Ltd. The brand will offer garments that will cater to the requirement of the Indian men for his work, leisure and ceremonial requirements, respectively. The company expects to make brand Arvind a Rs 100 cr entity in 3-4 years.
The company will launch Arvind across 50 The Arvind Stores in Gujarat and Karnataka and eventually make it available across all 170 The Arvind Stores by next season, he said. Lalbhai said the brand will be retailed online on nnnow.com.
The collection is a seamless blend of Indian motifs, fabrics and western fashion and the company is even contemplating teaming up with certain indigenous handloom clusters for the label, he said.


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Vivienne Westwood has enlisted Pamela Anderson as a muse for the launch of her latest fashion collection.
The former Playboy covergirl poses in hot pants and a knit dress and stars alongside Dame Vivienne and her husband Andreas Kronthaler in the campaign for the line, reports the Daily Mail.
Anderson has long been a fan of Westwood and the pair apparently hit it off immediately when they met at the spring/summer Red Label show in London last autumn.
A spokesperson for Westwood said: "At a meeting backstage after the show, Vivienne thought Pamela looked stunning in her clothes. When thinking of casting her next campaign, she immediately thought of Pamela and called her to ask if she would be interested. Pamela agreed on the spot."
The campaign was shot in one day by renowned photographer Juergen Teller, who is in his fourth season for Westwood.


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Retail media has revolutionized the search ad market, where most of the focus still is. But display and video ads that target consumers higher in the funnel are becoming a more important part of the mix, and technological innovation is ushering in new ad products that bring together the best of branding and the best of performance marketing.
As we’ve previously discussed, among Amazon’s various query-targeted, cost-per-click-based ad products, Sponsored Product ads (for a single product listing) have recently been losing share to Sponsored Brand ads (featuring a brand logo, custom headline, and multiple product listings), which are a bit higher in the funnel. And within Sponsored Brands, ads with video have taken off over the past couple of years.
But Sponsored Brands Video ads are just a few short steps up the funnel from Sponsored Product search results. Other video ad formats, such as those appearing against video content on Amazon properties like Twitch or IMDb TV, provide a more TV-commercial-like branding experience while being targeted with the rich shopping data Amazon owns. The company’s Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Newfronts presentation this year highlighted new shoppable video formats that allow viewers to add to cart, buy now, and so forth, by using their voice or an Amazon Fire TV remote to interact with the ads.
There are other ways to use retailer data to buy video ads in a TV-like experience, for example by taking advantage of Kroger’s data partnership with Roku. Earlier this year, Walmart announced a partnership with The Trade Desk, the largest independent DSP, to create Walmart DSP. The new platform, which goes live in October 2021, will use The Trade Desk’s technology plus Walmart’s data to allow advertisers to purchase ads on and off Walmart properties. Given The Trade Desk’s strong focus on CTV, we expect advertisers to look to Walmart DSP to help them target TV screen ads with Walmart’s shopper data.
11 Times SquareNew York, NY 100361-800-405-0844


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A new Linux project named XikiHub has been spotted on Kickstarter. It aims to add a social community feature right into the Linux command line.
Linux Kernel Long Term Support (LTS) releases will now be supported for six years instead of two. This will enable Android devices to survive four OS upgrades.
Atari has just announced a new retro gaming console based on Linux. It will be available in Spring 2018 and is expected to cost between $249-$300.
It’s official! Ubuntu is dropping 32-bit desktop support from the upcoming Ubuntu 17.10.
Purism is making a true Linux smartphone called Librem 5. KDE and GNOME have just lent their support for Librem 5.