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Faced with a rising tide of data from the United States and around the world showing that soda taxes work to reduce consumption and improve public health, the soda industry is battling back hard with big-dollar bully tactics geared toward crushing local soda tax campaigns before they even get off the ground.
New tactics being deployed by the soda industry include state bills banning local soda taxes, broad statewide initiatives to ban all grocery taxes or require a supermajority before raising any taxes, and political spending geared toward bending state politicians to their will.
Soda, Like Tobacco, Has Serious Health Effects
The public health community — pediatricians, dentists, the American Heart Association, and more — is energized to take action as never before on soda and other sugary drinks because new data is showing that consuming sugar in liquid form increases risks of serious health conditions, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and obesity in a much more significant way than was previously known.
One Harvard study found that consuming just one to two sugary drinks a day increases your risk of developing diabetes by a whopping 26 percent. Another Harvard analysis showed that men averaging one can a day of a sugary drink had a 20 percent increased risk of heart attack. Further, more than three-quarters of American adults are considered overweight or obese, as are 30 percent of children, according to an international study published in The Lancet.
Soda Taxes, Like Tobacco Taxes, Work
Multiple studies, including a recent analysis by researchers at Drexel University, show that soda taxes work. Drexel surveyed consumers before and after the implementation of Philadelphia’s tax and found that daily consumption of soda decreased by 40 percent and energy drink by 64 percent, while consumption of bottled water increased by 58 percent. Researchers at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health found that sugary beverage consumption fell 21 percent in Berkeley after that city’s tax was implemented, while water consumption increased by 63 percent over comparison cities.
Many U.S. localities have implemented a soda tax to reduce obesity and related public health problems: Berkeley, CA; Philadelphia, PA; San Francisco, CA; Oakland, CA; Albany, CA; Boulder, CO; Santa Fe, NM (defeated 2017); Cook County, IL (repealed 2017); and Seattle, WA. In each locality, the American Beverage Association (ABA) has bankrolled a big-dollar PR campaign against the tax.
States with soda taxes include West Virginia (1951), Arkansas, Virginia, and Tennessee. And there are more than 30 countries with soda taxes, including France, Hungary, Ireland, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, South Africa, and the UK. Many other countries are pursuing such taxes.
Leading the Opposition: Coke, Pepsi, and the ABA
As cities and counties in the United States use the tools of local democracy to introduce modest soda taxes, they are facing sophisticated opposition spearheaded by the ABA, the blandly named trade association representing Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, and other sugary drink manufacturers. The use of the ABA name on websites and in anti-soda tax commercials effectively shields the brand-name companies from accountability and culpability for the harms caused by sugary beverages.
The ABA is a $125 million powerhouse bankrolled by the largest players in the soft drink industry. Coke brands include Fanta, Sprite, Fresca, Dasani, Honest Tea, and Minute Maid. PepsiCo brands include Gatorade, 7Up, Tropicana, and Mountain Dew.
In city after city, the ABA has fought grassroots campaigners seeking to implement a soda tax using front groups or big-dollar PR campaigns that spin the tax as a “grocery tax” and a burden on working families. You won’t see the CEOs of Coke and Pepsi making the case against a soda tax. Instead we see sympathetic front men and women, like the African American “single mom” in Chicago who told the camera “We’re being taxed out of Cook County. I’m a single mom. I can’t afford this tax!” The ABA has consistently worked to deflect the conversation away from public health and to frame the tax as an unfair, unnecessary “grocery tax.”
Preemption Strategy to Defeat Soda Taxes Borrowed from Big Tobacco
Municipalities have long played a valuable role as “laboratories of democracy” for important public policy innovations, including in public health. When U.S. cities began to regulate tobacco and create “tobacco free” work environments in the 1980s, the industry jumped into action.
“We could never win at the local level…. So the Tobacco Institute and tobacco companies’ first priority has always been to preempt the field,” said a tobacco lobbyist. Today, the majority of states have some type of tobacco preemption, and the soda industry is borrowing the same technique.
According to Grassroots Change, 12 states have enacted laws preempting local ordinances related to nutrition, including measures rammed through in Michigan, Arizona, and California over the past year.
In Michigan, House Bill 4999 was introduced Sept. 20, 2017, rushed through the legislature, and signed into law on Oct. 31. The bill bans an excise tax “on the manufacture, distribution, wholesale sale, or retail sale of food for immediate consumption or nonimmediate consumption.” Beverage and soda taxes are not mentioned, but included, according to legislative counsel analysis.
A host of agricultural interests were activated to register in favor of the bill, making it a “farm interests” bill. These groups testified in a very vague manner that they make and export many food products and are responsible for a lot of jobs in the state, but did not address any specifics nor mention a beverage tax.
The powerful $100 million National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) also testified in favor of the bill, specifically citing the beverage tax passing in other states. The NFIB has also worked to preempt paid sick days and local minimum wage hikes in other states and was cited by the media as a key player in Michigan.
In Arizona, HB 2484 received its first reading on January 30, 2018, rushed through the legislature, and was signed into law on March 16. This bill also broadly discusses food taxation, not just a beverage tax or a soda tax. The groups registered to lobby for the bill include the Arizona Retailers Association, Arizona Restaurant Association, Arizona Beverage Association, Arizona Food Marketing Alliance, and Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the Arizona Association of Food Banks. CMD has submitted an open records request to the bill authors for more information.
Broad Anti-Grocery Tax Measures on the Ballot in Washington and Oregon
But the strong-arm tactics don’t stop there. The industry is rolling out statewide ballot measures in referendum and initiative states to ban all grocery taxes, including soda taxes.
Seattle’s soda tax took effect in January 2018. Since then, more kids and adults are drinking water, and it brought in more than $10 million in revenue for use on educational and health programs in its first six months. But in February 2018, a committee with the name “Yes! To Affordable Groceries” was launched to make sure the public health measure would not be adopted by any other local governments in Washington. Initiative 1634 is a deceptively simple anti-grocery tax measure that has been run through the corporate spin machine; it opens with the line “Whereas access to food is a basic human need of every Washingtonian.” The soda industry has raised over $20 million for the effort so far, with little organized opposition on the other side.
Heavy-handed industry tactics are also on display in Oregon this year, where grocers and the ABA have raised $6.5 million on an overly broad constitutional amendment that would not just impact soda taxes but can be read as prohibiting taxes at all stages in the chain of commerce, permanently preventing the state and its cities and counties from levying any taxes related to distribution or sale of groceries. The ABA recently kicked in two enormous cash contributions of $500,000 each.
Opponents of the measures on the ballot in Oregon and Washington appear unlikely to be able to muster the kind of big money wielded by the soda industry. But health groups like the American Heart Association are doing their best to educate the media and voters.
One headline in the Seattle Times summarized what’s on the line for local democracy campaigns well: “Vote for this initiative and you may as well bow down to your corporate overlords.”
Supermajority Strategies and High-Stakes “Hostage Taking” in California
Early in 2018, California had the most soda tax measures under consideration of any state. Cathedral City, Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, and Richmond all seemed poised to join Berkeley, San Francisco, Oakland, and Albany as cities with soda taxes on the books.
That changed in April when the ABA spent millions on a campaign to get an explosively controversial measure on the November ballot that would have required a two-thirds supermajority vote by either voters or an elected body before any tax hike at the local level could be implemented. The move prompted an outcry by mayors across the state and was characterized as an “abomination” by Governor Jerry Brown.
After meeting with the soda industry, the governor cut a deal that resulted in legislators in Sacramento passing a preemption bill to ban local soda taxes until 2030 in exchange for taking the measure off the ballot. The whole incident was called a “shakedown,” “extortion,” and “high-stakes hostage taking” by the media.
Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) said, “Industry is aiming basically a nuclear weapon at governing in California and saying if you don’t do what we want, we’re going to pull the trigger and you are not going to be able to fund basic government services.”
This supermajority tactic, popularized by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which has peddled a “Super-Majority Act” for decades, is now spreading. Following last year’s repeal of a short-lived soda tax in Cook County, Illinois, a group of county commissioners introduced legislation last month that would require a two-thirds supermajority vote by commissioners to enact any new taxes.
Public health groups campaigning for soda taxes did score one big win this year, when the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania upheld the City of Philadelphia’s 2017 soda tax after an industry challenge.
Consumers can anticipate more deep-pocket PR campaigns and tactics in 2019 to bully localities into abandoning the soda tax idea.


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Efficiency is Precedent at Thermo King
New reefer embodies today’s business world
The trucking business is changing. Everything changes over time, of course, but the trucking industry has been remarkably resistant to change over its 100-year-plus history.
The most recent trend I’ve seen is the movement toward greater efficiency. For a long time, efficiency wasn’t a critical component of trucking operations, due mostly to some good fortune on the part of the American economy: Fuel was dirt-cheap, drivers were plentiful, regulations were comparatively mild and trucking technology was both robust and affordable. Most fleets made money, and efficient fleets made more money.
Today, efficiency drives every aspect of a trucking operation. Our industry has become a game of pennies and even partial pennies. If you can find a way to add .04 mpg to your fleet operation, your boss will be ecstatic.
Efficiency is essential for competing in today’s marketplace, complying with a wide range of state and federal regulations and – perhaps most importantly – allowing your business to survive in a turbulent, unpredictable business environment.
Those tenets were driven home to me during a recent visit to Thermo King’s headquarters in Bloomington, Minn. When it comes to auxiliary power unit and reefer technology, Thermo King is one of the most forward-thinking companies I’ve come across. They have to be; just like you, they’re driven by good competition, ever-changing government regulations and a rock-solid belief that system efficiency is vital to the success of their products.
The platform sets new standards in both fuel efficiency and cleaner emissions.
Thermo King’s newest temperature control system, the Precedent refrigerated trailer unit, is a perfect example of this thinking. Thermo King president Ray Pittard says the Precedent is a game-changer for both his company and the refrigerated food industry as a whole.
“We have invested $60 million in this new product,” Pittard says. “It is one of the largest – if not the largest – product developments in the history of Ingersoll-Rand.”
More efficiency: The trucking industry is a game of pennies.
Big investment: Thermo King invested $60 million in the Precedent.
Many innovations: The company calls the new system a game-changer.
Tom Kampf, trailer product manager for Thermo King, describes the Precedent platform as an entirely new design with stated and accomplished goals of setting new standards in both fuel efficiency and clean exhaust emissions.
Key to this approach was developing a new Thermo King-exclusive Diesel DirectElectric powertrain architecture that Kampf says delivers optimal efficiencies in temperature control, along with double-digit fuel savings in real-world operations. According to Kampf, customers typically will see refrigerated unit fuel savings of 11 percent, with savings of up to 19 percent in certain applications. That’s big news in an industry that thrives on pennies saved.
Both S-Series models feature a new fuel injection system that Kampf says delivers optimized combustion to tightly control particulate matter in the engine cylinders, eliminating the need for diesel particulate filters and selective catalytic reduction systems.
A new belt-driven permanent magnet generator allows the engine to be matched optimally to the system compressor and generator to deliver maximum cooling efficiency. At the same time, dual electronically controlled condenser fans allow the Precedent units to manage engine load over a wide range of operating conditions.
The Precedent units are six inches wider than current Thermo King models to accommodate a full-width evaporator that provides maximum coil surface area, while a centralized air discharge system ensures optimal delivery of cooled air to the trailer. A new SR4 control system has been designed with an easier human-to-machine interface to make programming and operating the units simpler and more efficient.
And as I said, efficiency is the name of the game today. Isn’t it?
JACK ROBERTS is Executive Editor of Commercial Carrier Journal. E-mail [email protected] or call (205) 248-1358.
Kenworth spotlights natural gas efforts
At a press briefing at its corporate headquarters in Renton, Wash., Kenworth officials detailed their efforts to prepare for a major heavy-duty natural gas push beginning next year. The company’s natural gas offerings, which already span three engine choices in six different vehicle platforms, will receive an additional boost when Kenworth is one of the first truck manufacturers to receive the new Cummins ISX12G 12-liter natural gas engine in early 2013.
The new engine initially will be offered in the Kenworth T660. Andy Douglas, national sales manager, specialty trucks, said the new engine has been in verification testing for more than a year and already has logged more than 2 million test miles.
Bridgestone cites value of Ecopia-FuelTech combo
Bridgestone officials said during a press briefing last month that the company’s new Ecopia tires and complementary Bandag FuelTech retreads provide added value over the tires’ lifecycles due to their fuel-efficient designs and the Ecopia’s premium long-life casing. Fleets should consider these tires assets to be managed, thereby gaining maximum value, said Scott Damon, vice president of marketing.
“We don’t just keep in mind the original wear performance of the new tire,” Damon said. “We want to make sure that tire will be retreaded two to three times with the same rolling-resistance benefit.”
Navistar devises post-EGR plan, looks toward the future
Company talks new engine strategy, restoring confidence, profitability
By Jack Roberts
Navistar says it is hitting the “reset” button.
After years spent developing and marketing its own engine platform, a series of negative turns this year resulted in an about-face on Navistar’s engine technology and a nosedive in its stock price. Now, executives say, they are charging ahead with a new engine strategy and a plan to restore customers’ and investors’ confidence in Navistar’s products and return the company to profitability.
“We really feel like our competitors are telling our story instead of us, and we want to change that,” said Jack Allen, North American Truck Group president for Navistar, during a meeting last month at Navistar’s headquarters in Lisle, Ill., with editors from Randall-Reilly Publishing Co., owner of CCJ and Overdrive magazines.
Allen said the controversial push to meet 2010 emissions standards using an exhaust gas recirculation-only engine, as opposed to one using selective catalytic reduction, was rooted in the pride Navistar takes in understanding its customers. “More than 9,000 fleets went out of business during the economic crash, while government regulations such as HOS (hours of service), CSA (Compliance Safety Accountability) as well as rising fuel prices have created big challenges for them,” he explained. “We really thought an engine without SCR would be a big help to them.”
Every other diesel engine manufacturer ruled out an EGR-only engine as impractical for meeting 2010 standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. But Allen said Navistar felt their engineers could develop one, which would give the company a huge advantage for years.
“So we started early back in 2000 building engines that allowed us to stockpile credits because we knew we’d have a race against time on our hands to get to the EPA’s 2010 NOx requirement of .2 grams before those credits expired,” Allen explained. “And it really surprised us how loud our competition screamed about our efforts.”
In the end, “Our EPA credits ran out before we could get the technology perfected,” he said. “The angst in the marketplace was starting to become overwhelming. So we’re going to move forward.”
As previously announced, that means offering the Cummins ISX15 in International ProStar+ tractors beginning in January, with an EPA-certified MaxxForce 13 – with ICT+ exhaust aftertreatment, Navistar’s SCR technology – appearing in March. Until then, the company will continue to sell EGR-only MaxxForce 13 engines and pay an EPA noncompliance penalty for each one sold. A final EPA ruling as to the amount of the NCPs per engine is expected in 30 to 60 days. The announcement also said that Navistar would adopt a proprietary SCR system based on Cummins’ exhaust aftertreatment systems.
A federal appeals court decision ruled that EPA did not follow proper procedures in assessing NCPs to the MaxxForce 13 engines. The ruling also said that initial NCPs of $1,200 per engine were insufficient punishment and created an unfair advantage for Navistar over competitive companies that invested in SCR technology.
The court decision intensified the industry spotlight on Navistar’s struggle to develop an EGR-only emissions solution as well as the company’s ability to continue selling noncompliant engines. Additionally, reports of reliability issues with MaxxForce-equipped trucks and questions about the value of MaxxForce-equipped used trucks led Navistar’s stock price to drop from $47.42 a share in February to $24.75 by mid-August.
Prior to the decision, Navistar’s EGR-only project had devolved into a bitter war of words and lawsuits against competitors, the California Air Resources Board, EPA and even customers as the company struggled to perfect its emissions solutions before EPA credits expired. The fallout left Navistar battered and the North American trucking industry awash with rumors of unreliable engines and angry dealers and customers. Mainstream reporters in recent months questioned the company’s long-term cash-flow situation and viability and reported on shareholder efforts to remove top Navistar officials. There has been speculation that an acquisition by foreign automakers or full-blown bankruptcy are likely outcomes.
Allen and other Navistar officials expect nothing like that, now that their new strategy is in place. Customers should not be hesitant to purchase an EGR-only MaxxForce-equipped truck between now and March, Allen said. And likewise, he predicted concerns over the resale value of EGR-only MaxxForce-equipped trucks will prove to be temporary.
“The judge didn’t void the trucks,” Allen said of the recent appellate court ruling. “Check out the Website about trucks sold under interim rule. Nothing will happen. And as for used truck values? We feel the secondary market will be very receptive to a truck built without SCR. Our MaxxForce fuel economy is great. Our performance is great. And we have more than 50,000 of those engines out there.”
Likewise, there should be no concerns about integration of the ISX15, said David Majors, vice president for North American product development. Majors said Cummins and Navistar engineers working at an International R&D center in Colorado took a Cummins ISX15 from a competitor’s truck, installed it in a ProStar+ and added a Cummins aftertreatment system in two days. “We can’t afford any more teething problems,” Majors conceded, referencing problems with MaxxForce reliability.
Tim Shick, vice president of North American engine sales, said those problems were a result of production ramp-up problems and not related to EGR or high engine temperatures as rumored. “Customer demand had increased greatly,” Shick said. “We were building 220 trucks per day. A lot of our big suppliers went to third shifts to keep up with demand.” Inexperienced employees led to problems with leaking EGR coolers and some valving issues, he said. “Those issues cleared up as more experienced employees taught the newer ones. And we are still replacing some of those parts.”
“Our strategy here is to get the Cummins ISX15 out there first,” Majors added. “It’s already proven from an EPA standpoint and will be offered in the ProStar+ with four ICT+ packaging options. We’ll add the MaxxForce 13 back into the mix in March, followed by full engine integration into ProStar, WorkStar, TranStar, finishing up with the 9900 and PayStar. We will be fully integrated throughout our model line with these new engines in 2013.”
The current plan leaves up in the air the status of the MaxxForce 15 diesel engine, which has not begun the certification process for EPA approval. “We haven’t made any final determination on that engine,” Allen said.
The time and money poured into the EGR-only technology wasn’t wasted, Allen stressed. “We don’t lose anything from the in-cylinder standpoint. We learned a lot about the different levels of EGR. And we feel we can combine that knowledge with proven Cummins aftertreatment systems and have a winning engine with a winning emissions solution.”
This approach will give Navistar customers “the best of both worlds” in terms of diesel engine technology, said Shick. “Most of our base engine components are the same,” he explained. “This includes the entire EGR system, the fuel system and the turbocharger – only now we’re adding a NOx sensor and Cummins aftertreatment. So our efforts are directed at adjusting our combustion chemistry – making our exhaust more similar to what the Cummins aftertreatment system is used to seeing.”
And while the return of Cummins power to its heavy-duty lineup will provide Navistar with much-needed stability in the volatile months ahead, the question remains of how the move will be received by Caterpillar and its new CT660 heavy-duty truck, which is built by Navistar. When asked if Caterpillar would assent to Cummins power, Shick was noncommittal. “Surprisingly, their first response was not, ‘Hell no!’,” he said. “Over the next 30 to 60 days, we’ll have an answer on whether it’s our 15L or Cummins. In the interim, we have the 13L, and that’s been working for them.”
Navistar’s EGR research gives the company a “huge” advantage in terms of enhancing SCR, Majors said, and eventually will yield a superior heavy-duty engine offering. “Fuel economy and performance will be improved over time as we get comfortable with SCR and dial back the amount of EGR in the combustion chamber,” he said. “But for now, the emphasis is on getting the engine certified and soothing the angst that is out there.”
Meritor WABCO develops ‘smart’ ESC
Company upgrades collision safety system
Meritor WABCO, a provider of integrated safety systems and efficiency components for the North American commercial vehicle industry, introduced ESCsmart technology designed to help advance the performance, functionality and flexibility of its Electronic Stability Control safety system.
ESCsmart, to be included in Meritor WABCO’s next-generation ESC when it is released in 2014, builds upon the current “self-learning” capability whereby the system is designed to automatically adapt to changes in vehicle characteristics and wear without the need to reprogram a separate electronic control unit.
“ESCsmart is a significant step in the evolution of electronic stability control,” said Jon Morrison, president and general manager, Meritor WABCO. “Fleets can reduce downtime due to the need for reprogramming the ECU every time they have a truck and/or trailer configuration change.”
Meritor WABCO also introduced the next generation of its OnGuard collision safety system, featuring advancements in its radar-based technology. The improved OnGuard system – which integrates collision warning, adaptive cruise with active braking and collision mitigation – will be available on every vehicle ordered with OnGuard after Oct. 1.
The system, which features improved object tracking performance and immediately available stationary object warning capability, also is designed to integrate stationary object braking capability in the near future.
Meritor WABCO also announced that its Electronically Controlled Air Suspension will be available in September to the North American market, and that its next-generation Lane Departure Warning system – including the SafeTraK technology by Takata Corp. – will be available for fleet installation starting in October this year.
DTNA showcases Cascadia Evolution with DT12 transmission
Integrated powertrain maximizes fuel efficiency, safety
Last October, Daimler Trucks North America spoke for the first time about its plans for a vertically integrated powertrain using proprietary components from Detroit Diesel Corp. The company followed through with the introduction of its Detroit axle line in January and completed the powertrain rollout by announcing its DT12 transmission in March.
At an August press event in Napa, Calif., DTNA provided a hands-on demonstration of the new Freightliner Cascadia Evolution equipped with the 2014 DD15 engine paired with the new DT12 OA 2050 automated manual transmission. Available in direct-drive and overdrive, the DT12 will be in production in May 2013. A smaller DT12 OB 1650 to be paired with the DD13 will be available later that year.
Features of the DT12 are designed to maximize fuel efficiency and improve vehicle safety and performance. The 12-speed transmission weighs in at 789 pounds (the DT12 OB 1650 weighs 670 pounds) and combines a traditional manual gearbox with high-speed computer-controlled shift and clutch actuators that select shift pattern and clutch engagement automatically.
One way the DT12 maximizes fuel economy is its eCoast feature that places the DD15 engine in idle as the tractor coasts down grades while maintaining vehicle momentum. As the tractor slows, the transmission seamlessly kicks back into gear to maintain the desired speed. In a 2,500-mile test run from San Diego to Gastonia, N.C., the transmission’s eCoast was engaged for 650 miles of the journey.
Another fuel-saving feature of the DT12 is Skip Shift, a feature that lets the transmission run through lower gears more quickly by skipping gears and select shift points in order to achieve cruising speed sooner.
An advanced cruise control system features three levels: a low range that tops out vehicle speed at 3 mph over the set cruise speed, a medium range that increases vehicle speed by 6 mph, and a no-limit high range.
A “creep mode” simulates a torque converter to improve maneuverability at low speeds for heavy traffic, docking and parking applications. In addition, a hill start aid prevents rollback when starting from a stop on an incline.
The transmission is integrated with DTNA’s Virtual Technician: When the transmission light comes on, a fault code is sent to the Detroit Customer Support Center for analysis. The DT12 comes with a five-year 750,000-mile warranty and a two-year 250,000-mile warranty on the clutch – Jeff Crissey

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IBM won’t be going down without a fight. The company is trying to re-invent itself through blockchain innovations, and has even emerged as the early leader in the still-embryonic industry.
In Juniper's Blockchain Enterprise survey, 43 percent of enterprises ranked IBM first, more than twice 20 percent by second-placed Microsoft.
IBM is an old-tech company whose core business of selling large physical servers to enterprises has been seriously disrupted by the cloud server model. Big Blue itself has been making in-roads into the cloud space with heavy Bluemix Cloud investments, though it still has a long way to go to catch up to Amazon's AWS or Microsoft Azure, ranked first and second in the industry.
IBM endured a revenue tailspin that stretches back more than 20 quarters, only managing to break the unfortunate streak last term.
Consequently, IBM stock has lost nearly 30 percent of its value over the past five years.
That has forced even an ultra-long like Warren Buffett to dramatically cut his IBM holdings, the stock's generous 4-percent dividend yield notwithstanding.
IBM's Blockchain in the Supply Chain
One of the sectors that IBM has been targeting with its blockchain technology is the supply chain. Related: China’s $33 Trillion Finance Industry Opens To Foreign Investment
The company aims to revolutionize the supply chain process by building blockchain applications atop its Hyperledger Fabric.
In 2017, the company partnered with shipping giant Maersk to build blockchain solutions that shipping supply chains can use to streamline the stodgy paper processes and cut costs.
A 2013 study by the World Economic Forum reported that reducing friction around border administration and information sharing in international trade can potentially increase global GDP by between 5-15 percent, translating to trillions of dollars every year.
IBM has even taken that idea a step further. The company has entered into a joint venture with a slew of jewelry firms to develop blockchain technology that will be used to track the origin of jewelry and check whether it has been ethically sourced.
The companies will initially use the technology to track six styles of diamond and gold engagement rings. The immutability of the secure blockchain ledger makes it an ideal choice for use in the supply chain to reduce fraud and errors.
IBM is not exactly a pioneer in the field: Leading industry players including De Beers and Fura Gems are already developing similar solutions in a bid to eliminate 'blood diamonds' from their supply chains.
In 2017, De Beers, responsible for mining 30 percent of the world's diamond supply, announced that it was in the process of creating the industry's first blockchain ledger to trace stones right down to their mines of origin.
Conflict diamonds are rampant in parts of Africa where government-backed troops or rebel militia use them to fund violence and repression against civilian populations.
IBM Watson and IoT
IBM is not content to just dominate a few blockchain niches but rather is looking to cover as many bases as possible.
The company is busy working on pilots in finance, healthcare and, notably, the Internet of Things (IoT). IBM is seeking a patent to use blockchain to connect IoT devices via the ‘Watson IoT platform,’ which will allow IoT devices to send data to private ledgers and tamper-resistant records.
It appears as if IBM is keen to live up to CEO Gini Rometty's quote that:
“Blockchain will do for transactions what the internet did for information.”
Hopefully, IBM will remain at the forefront of the half-a-trillion-dollar-industry revolution.
By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com
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Search meets video sharing in one of the biggest, most buzzed about digital media acquisitions in recent memory.
Google will acquire YouTube for $1.65 billion, marrying the dominant force in Internet search with the first and most powerful brand in networked Web video sharing, the companies announced. The deal is expected to close in Q4.
The agreement represents a big step into multimedia content and tools for Google. The company has long stated its enthusiasm for video, but has so far struggled to build a large audience around its own platform. With a value pegged at nearly three times the price News Corp. paid for MySpace only 15 months ago, the deal is also testament to the rise of social networking technologies.
"The YouTube team has built an exciting and powerful media platform that complements Google's mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful," said Google CEO Eric Schmidt in a statement. "Our companies share similar values; we both always put our users first and are committed to innovating to improve their experience. Together, we are natural partners to offer a compelling media entertainment service to users, content owners and advertisers."
YouTube CEO Chad Hurley: "By joining forces with Google, we can benefit from its global reach and technology leadership to deliver a more comprehensive entertainment experience for our users and to create new opportunities for our partners. I'm confident that with this partnership we'll have the flexibility and resources needed to pursue our goal of building the next-generation platform for serving media worldwide."
YouTube will retain its brand identity and keep its offices in San Bruno, Calif.
Join the Industry's Leading eCommerce & Direct Marketing Experts in Chicago
ClickZ Live Chicago (Nov 3-6) will deliver over 50 sessions across 4 days and 10 individual tracks, including Data-Driven Marketing, Social, Mobile, Display, Search and Email. Check out the full agenda and register by Friday, Oct 3 to take advantage of Early Bird Rates!
Until March 2012, Zach Rodgers was managing editor of ClickZ's award-winning coverage of news and trends in digital marketing. He reported on the rise of web companies, data markets, ad technologies, and government Internet policy, among other subjects.
IBM Social Analytics: The Science Behind Social Media Marketing
80% of internet users say they prefer to connect with brands via Facebook. 65% of social media users say they use it to learn more about brands, products and services. Learn about how to find more about customers' attitudes, preferences and buying habits from what they say on social media channels.
An Introduction to Marketing Attribution: Selecting the Right Model for Search, Display & Social Advertising
If you're considering implementing a marketing attribution model to measure and optimize your programs, this paper is a great introduction. It also includes real-life tips from marketers who have successfully implemented attribution in their organizations.
September 23, 2014
September 30, 2014
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October 23, 2014
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Amazon Increases Brick-and-Mortar Footprint: Why It Matters
With its rapidly growing brick-and-mortar footprint, Amazon has already surpassed Costco when it comes to the number of store locations in the United States. While this may seem surprising, the tech giant still has a long way to go in order to catch up to some of its other retail competitors.
With nearly 600 physical retail locations throughout the US, the Amazon umbrella includes brands such as Amazon Go, Whole Foods Market, Amazon Books, AmazonFresh Pickup, and Amazon Pop-Up stores located in shopping malls and package pickup storefronts.
With Amazon’s push on brick-and-mortar retail, it makes the company’s acquisition of Whole Foods even more important, with Whole Foods currently representing nearly 80 percent of the Amazon-owned storefronts throughout the country. This acquisition allowed Amazon to put even more pressure on traditional retailers, many of which have shuttered a number of stores in recent years.
Retailers still dwarf Amazon’s footprint
Several physical retailers still dwarf Amazon’s footprint, including Walmart (5,295 stores), Kroger (2,769 stores), Home Depot (1,981 stores) and more. And when it comes to healthcare and pharmacy needs, CVS and Walgreens are leading the way, with nearly 18,000 US locations between the two chains. Industry experts name this an industry to watch for an Amazon expansion, so keep an eye on the eCommerce behemoth for its next move.
What do many of these brick-and-mortar giants have in common? Most have been building physical stores for decades. This makes Amazon’s trajectory even more impressive, being new to the physical retail world. In fact, Amazon only opened its first physical retail location in 2015 – the Amazon Books location in Seattle’s University Village Mall.
What does logistics have to do with it?
While Amazon is still playing catch up to its competitors in the scope of its physical presence, the company’s sheer prowess in logistics and eCommerce has inspired many other traditional retails to try to up their game in these areas. Walmart is a prime example – the discount super chain recently purchased Jet.com for more than $3 billion and acquired Bonobos for $310 million. Additionally, they are in the midst of a flurry of other strategies, whether expanding their grocery delivery services throughout the nation, buying New York-based Parcel to strengthen their capabilities for same day deliveries, or building a network of pickup towers where customers can find their online orders. The company is also partnering with tech companies, such as Google and Microsoft, to develop proprietary technology that may rival Amazon Go.
Grocery super chain Kroger has also taken notice of Amazon’s latest moves. It has invested in Ocado, an online grocer, to help boost its delivery business and also purchased Home Chef, the meal kit company, for a combined price of $450 million. And Target recently purchased Shipt (the same day grocery delivery service) for more than $500 million and has also started their own version of curbside pickup.
Amazon’s expanding footprint into the physical retail world stands in stark contrast to the large number of major retailers that are either shuttering stores to minimize losses or even going out of business altogether. With this industry trend in mind, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Amazon begin to surpass even more of its competitors in the years to come.


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Survey: Teens use Tumblr more than Facebook
Teenagers, and investors alike, have been showing great interest in Tumblr. Recent research has revealed that social network and blogging platform is now used more than Facebook among young adults.
Founded in 2007, Tumblr now boasts over 89.5 million blogs and over 40 billion posts. The site's tens of millions of registered users create over 120,000 new blogs every day resulting in some 18 billion page views each month.
While those figures pale in comparison to Facebook's volume of users and status update count, there is one Tumblr statistic that might surprise, found Y Combinator start-up Survata. Their survey of 1,038 young adults, split equally between the age groups 13-18 and 19-25, found Tumblr was the most-used out of major sites including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat.
Fifty-nine percent of those between the ages of 13 and 25 said they use Tumblr regularly compared to 54% who said they use Facebook regularly. Among the younger of the two age groups, the percentage who said they use Tumblr regularly rises to 61% compared with 55% who said they use Facebook regularly.
One in five respondents between 13 and 25 said they use Twitter regularly, followed by 16% for Instagram and 9% for Snapchat.
Advertising on Tumblr is subtle - no banner ads or social ads. Instead, 'sponsors', as advertisers are referred to, are presented via Tumblr's Radar feed, as well as front and center in their Spotlight feature.
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Morrisons has reported a jump in profits for its most recent financial year, helped by a strong performance across its stores but also a push into wholesale and a focus on online shopping.
The retailer, which is the UK’s fourth biggest supermarket, on Wednesday said that pre-tax profits had risen by 16.9 per cent in the year to 4 February to £380m. That was ahead of the average analyst forecast in a Reuters poll. Revenue rose by 5.8 per cent to £17.3bn and the company also said that it had decided to pay shareholders a special dividend of 4 pence.
“We had a strong year, becoming more competitive and increasingly differentiating Morrisons for all stakeholders,” said chief executive David Potts.
“We are pleased to be paying shareholders a special dividend of 4p a share, which reflects our good performance so far and confidence for the future,” he added.
Looking ahead, Morrisons said that it was confident that the group would continue to grow. It said that it was on track for annualised wholesale supply sales to its partners to exceed £700m by the end of this year and to be more than £1bn “in due course”.
During the past year, Morrisons started a programme to supply McColl’s with branded products and Morrisons’ own Safeway brand across the country. It also ramped up its online service and expanded its collaboration with Amazon.
According to market analytics firm Kantar Worldpanel, Morrisons had a 10.6 per cent share of the UK grocery market as of the end of last month, trailing only Asda, at 15.6 per cent, Sainsbury’s at 16.2 per cent and Tesco, at 27.9 per cent.


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Ad Tech’s Alphabet Soup: There are so many acronyms in ad tech — DSP, DMP, AMP, SSP — that the idea of creating a new one is a standard joke. But the serious problem is that these acronyms come at a cost to the sector’s credibility with brands. The confusion and complexity can often appear like a mask for a bunch of very well-funded tech startups trying to overcomplicate the ad-buying process in the hopes of taking a piece of the action. Simulmedia CEO Dave Morgan, founder of ad targeter Tacoda, picks up on this theme in his Mediapost column. He finds it particularly irksome that people throw acronyms around without explaining what they mean — or why they matter.
Airbnb’s Cautionary Tale: For a startup that few had ever heard of, Airbnb is in the midst of a full-on public relations nightmare. What’s interesting is the fans of the controversy were fanned by Silicon Valley blogs. The problem started when a San Francisco woman used the short-term house and apartment rental service to rent her apartment to a person who then proceeded to wreck the place. This is pretty terrible. Airbnb bungled its efforts to ameliorate the situation, leading to a series of distraught and angry blog posts from the victim. It’s a tough story, but I have a feeling we’ve heard it before with all manner of online services that aim to bring people together who never otherwise would. Craigslist, Match.com, MySpace, Facebook — all have dealt with instances where unscrupulous folks have used it to facilitate crime. At the end of the day, people using these networks have to realize they’re at some points taking on a certain amount of risk, such as when they agree to let a complete stranger stay in their apartment.
New Yorker’s iPad Success: Score one for words. It turns out that in the sea of publisher iPad apps loaded to the gills with all manner of techie geegaws, the New Yorker is having quiet success by going in the opposite direction. It’s doubled down on the actual words. The New Yorker app, like the magazine, is rather spare. The results are impressive so far. This approach, of course, won’t work for every publisher. It would make no sense for Vogue to emphasize the text of its articles. But it does show that many different approaches can work on the iPad.
Content + Commerce + Community: In Web 1.0 there was no shortage of companies that sang the same “content, commerce and community” song. Few succeeded. There are better opportunities to do so nowadays. Thrillist is building a tidy business that’s half commerce company, half publisher. The six-year-old email service has over 3 million young-male subscribers for both its editorial content of what’s going on around them that’s fun and commerce offers in the form of Jackthreads and Groupon-style deals. Tying it together is a laser focus on community: young dudes with some money to spend. It all adds up to a $40 million company with 115 employees.
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Concrete is the second most consumed substance in the world after water, with the appetite for it in New Zealand matching worldwide demand, says Rob Gaimster, chief executive of the Cement and Concrete Association of New Zealand (CCANZ).
“Huge volumes are going out producers’ gates. We’re predicting that around four million cubic metres of concrete will be produced this year to exacting standards. This is the equivalent of 4000 rugby pitches covered in 100mm thick concrete, or a six-lane road between Auckland and Wellington.”
Driving demand is the estimated $30 billion of construction activity in New Zealand this year alone.
The buoyant times look set to continue for the sector with around 13,000 new dwellings required in Auckland each year for the next 30 years, the commercial rebuild in Christchurch finally hitting its straps, and growth strong in many other regions throughout the country.
The recently released National Construction Pipeline Report 2016 (4th ed.) produced by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), BRANZ and Pacifecon paints a bright picture for the New Zealand building industry across its forecast period to 2021, says Rob.
“Auckland residential building is projected to increase by another $3.3 billion by 2017, while Waikato/ Bay of Plenty region is predicted to grow significantly. The construction industry now employs 500,000 people in New Zealand who are going to be busy for a number of years to come.”
Rob says consumers can have ‘great confidence’ in the quality of concrete production in New Zealand.
“We are ahead of the game in terms of ready mixed concrete, having had a quality assurance scheme for around 40 years. Add to that a new precast concrete quality scheme, and we are well placed.”
Procuring from a Precast NZ (PCNZ) Certified Plant or a facility that is part of the New Zealand Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NZRMCA) Plant Audit Scheme assures specifiers and purchasers that precast concrete components and ready mixed concrete are manufactured using quality systems, with audits carried out by an independent body to ensure they meet robust standards.
“These schemes provide a rigorous audit of the quality systems in place at a concrete plant,” says Rob.
Although concrete standards can be assured, in recent months there have been some quality issues around steel reinforcing mesh products and other critical building materials including glass balustrades and plumbing fittings.
“This issue has been very topical, attracting a lot of media attention. Current concerns, along with the shadow of leaky buildings, demand that issues of product performance be addressed to ensure confidence amongst architects, designers, engineers, builders and their clients.”
Seismic grade steel reinforcing mesh was one of the products in the spotlight.
“The Commerce Commission took this very seriously with its investigations revealing that a number of products did not comply with the Australia/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 4671 Steel reinforcing materials. As a result some products were temporarily withdrawn from the market until the suppliers in question could demonstrate they had passed specific independent testing.”
In response, MBIE sought feedback on proposed updates to one of the Acceptable Solutions and the Verification Method for Building Code clause B1, in relation to testing of 500E ductile steel mesh.
“The Government is tightening the requirements for verifying that steel mesh used in New Zealand matches up to our standards. They are increasing the number of tests required, clarifying exactly how the tests are done and requiring the tests be undertaken by internationally accredited testing laboratories,” says Rob.
MBIE consultation closed 8 September 2016.
From a strictly concrete perspective, he says product assurance options are well established, with industry suppliers aware of the importance of demonstrating excellence across all areas of operation and output.
“As such, specifiers, practitioners and consumers should remain confident with their informed choices when it comes to concrete products. Our independently verified quality schemes for precast concrete and ready mixed demonstrate an ongoing commitment to safeguard product performance.”


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Remember the old adage Food First for those of us of a certain age the quality, consistency, flavor and freshness of the food will always be number one. In fact Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru® stated “our Grocerant ScoreCards indicate today the number one reason to return to a restaurant, or prepared food vendor is the ‘quality, flavor, and freshness’ of the food.
In a new study by AlixPartners, however drew some contrast as to how a food retailers must evolve while maintain quality, flavor and freshness including the fact that 44 percent of consumers cited “want to eat healthier”. Not surprisingly, is a growing gap between millennials and baby boomers when it comes to technology. The Study found:
1. Forty-two percent of millennials said that technology is “very” or “extremely” influential in their decision to dine out.
2. That number plummets to 18 percent for baby boomers.
3. In total, 42 percent of respondents say they’ve never used mobile technology for dining out and that only 40 and 35 percent, respectively for the generations, care if there is free WiFi in the eatery.
4. Loyalty programs also appear slow to catch on. Only 19 percent of consumers said loyalty programs are “very” or “extremely” influential in their decision-making process—a number that is up 5 percent from a year ago.
5. Forty percent polled said they haven’t joined a loyalty program. However, those who are in one are using them more frequently (36 percent compared to 31 percent from a year ago).
6. Fifty percent of millennials in the survey expressed interest in the availability of call-in-advance delivery. Baby boomers, at a 46 percent clip, prefer traditional “in-the-moment” delivery.
7. Nearly 75 percent said they order delivery from the same restaurant routinely, and more than half (53 percent) credit that to a lack of good options.
8. Thirty-eight percent said they would like to see more casual-dining options, while 37 percent want more fast-casual offerings, and 34 percent hope for additional fast-food outlets.
9. A whopping 71 percent said they prefer to order directly from the restaurant, showing that third-party services aren’t for everyone.
Kurt Schnaubelt, managing director at AlixPartners edified the team at Foodservice Solutions® findings noting that Food quality (63 percent) was number one in their study followed by price (57 percent) led the way as motivators. Also, 56 percent said that grocery stores are better options due to price.
Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions 5P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization? Email us at: email@example.com or visit: www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.
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| Dec 8, 2014
| 4:39 PM
SeaWorld visitors can use a monthly payment plan to buy annual passes, but the credit-card charges don't end after a year —they keep recurring until the customer opts out.
That part of its EZpay system has prompted a federal lawsuit against...
| Dec 9, 2014
| 9:54 PM
Young shooting phenom Sarah Osborn of Hampton has earned a ticket to the World Cup season opener in Changwon, South Korea, in early April.
Osborn, 15, will be representing USA Shooting in the women's 10-meter air rifle competition. It will be her...
| Dec 11, 2014
| 5:27 PM
With its stock price suffering and attendance dropping, SeaWorld announced Thursday that CEO and President Jim Atchison is stepping down and it is laying off employees.
A company spokesman would not say whether the board asked for Atchison's...
| Dec 16, 2014
| 8:20 AM
Winter in Florida is the best time of the year. The cooler weather makes this time ideal for enjoying the outdoors, whether at parks, zoos or playgrounds or in your own backyard.
Winter is also a great time to visit Florida's theme parks. January...
| Dec 16, 2014
| 2:39 PM
SeaWorld has laid off the three mimes who for years were a popular part of the Clyde & Seamore sea-lion and otter show, according to friends and fans.
The trio apparently was part of a mass layoff announced by Orlando-based SeaWorld Entertainment on...
| Dec 18, 2014
| 12:30 PM
The Schmidts were waiting in line at 7:30 a.m., snacks and sandwiches at the ready. But they weren't hoping for a holiday deal. They just wanted to soak up the holiday spirit -- as soon as Disneyland opened at 8 a.m.
They'd driven 565 miles from Redding,...
| Nov 7, 2014
| 11:29 AM
November 11 is Veterans Day and your favorite restaurants and local businesses would like to say thank you to those who serve our country by serving YOU!
Check out the list to see who's serving up our Vets and active military this year. Please note,...
| Nov 20, 2014
| 5:44 PM
Scott Gasparich, vice president of entertainment at Busch Gardens, sums up the park's annual Christmas Town attraction in two words: "Absolute joy."
Of course, given the opportunity, he expands and uses more than two words.
"We feel a great sense of...
| Nov 30, 2014
| 4:21 AM
Move over Black Friday, Cyber Monday may be taking your place.
Although Black Friday deals get all of the hype — and most of those start on Thursday — Cyber Monday accounted for 42 percent of the overall sales during the Thanksgiving...
| Dec 1, 2014
| 11:44 AM
Here is a list of holiday events around the Hampton Roads area. It will be updated regularly.
Thursday, Nov. 27-Jan. 1: Celebration in Lights at Newport News Park, 13560 Jefferson Avenue, opens on Thanksgiving and runs through New Year'...
| Nov 10, 2014
| 3:04 PM
Busch Gardens will discount its Christmas Town tickets to $12 during a special online sale from Nov. 12 to 18, the park announced via press release on Monday.
This $12 single-day Christmas Town ticket represents a $20 savings off the regular $32 one-...


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The Oculus Rift is touted to be the coolest thing in the market right now. It is a gaming experience that detaches you from reality and takes you into a whole new virtual world of games. It is an upcoming virtual reality head-mounted display, being developed by Oculus VR.
What is the Oculus Rift all about?
There are more a couple of things that sets this apart form anything else in the market; Rift offers more than 90 degrees horizontal (110 degrees diagonal) field of view and is the primary strength of the device. The resolution is 1280×800 (16:10 aspect ratio), which leads to an effective resolution of 640×800 per eye. The weight of the headset is approximately 379 g (13.4 oz). Games currently with full or partial support include Left 4 Dead, Skyrim, Portal 2, Half Life 2, and Bioshock. "It is a device which will revolutionize the gaming arena," said Puneet Wagh, a gaming enthusiast.
So, is India ready for it?
The answer unfortunately is : Not just yet.
India does not have the super fast internet speed that Oculus Rift needs. Slow speeds will make it lag and that can be horrible while playing virtual reality games. Considering India's economic demographic, the number of people who will be able to afford such an expensive product too is extremely low. Additionally, India is also not even considered in the top 40 markets for games or gaming consoles by market experts. Out of 80 million sets of a popular gaming console sold all over the world, India bought only about 95,000 so it will be difficult to get Oculus in India for a long time. Technology and infrastructure to operate such a powerful device is not yet common place in India. "It still has a long way to go when it comes to gaming, but it can be used effectively for surgeries and in the army," said Shivang Joshi, a graphic designer.
So unless, India gets faster internet speed and steps up in its gaming marketing strategies, we might just have to wait a wee bit longer for the Oculus Rift experience.


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FARM equipment distributor All Certified Equipment Trading Corp. (ACETC) expanded its branch network and the Massey Ferguson product lineup it offers in the country.
“In the past 24 months, ACETC expanded the Massey Ferguson model range here in the Philippines and along with that, we expanded our branch network to 11 to assure that all farm tractors and combine harvesters in the hands of our valued clients receive quality after-sales and spare parts,” Benigno P. Limcumpao, ACETC president and chairman, said in a statement on Monday.
ACETC is the exclusive distributor of Massey Ferguson products in the Philippines. The products it offers under the brand include small farm tractors, medium-sized tractors, large farm tractors, and combine harvester for rice and corn.
Mr. Limcumpao said the company is looking into the possibility of adding more branches in the future.
“Despite the pandemic, ACETC maintained its current lineup of Massey Ferguson farm tractors, with a model range catering to a wide market segment in the agriculture sector, including agribusiness firms ranging from small cooperatives to large multinationals,” he added.
Bhong Amoroso, ACETC vice-president and general manager, said the company was able to expand the Massey Ferguson lineup in the country since it started operations in June 2011, as part of its objective to become one of the leaders in the Philippine farm machinery industry.
“The quality after-sales service and spare parts we delivered to our valued clients of Massey Ferguson served as our word-of-mouth advertising, which also led to ACETC expanding its product lineup for the Philippines,” Mr. Amoroso said.
He added the company also carries two brands of spare parts for Massey Ferguson products, namely: AGCO and Sparex.
“We make sure that all the spare parts we supply to our valued clients are the ones recommended exclusively for Massey Ferguson farm equipment. And that has helped build more trust and confidence towards Massey Ferguson and ACETC over the past 10 years,” Mr. Amoroso said.
According to Mr. Limcumpao, the company’s clients include Dole Philippines, San Carlos Biopower, Del Monte Philippines, Department of Agriculture, Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization, International Rice Research Institute, Department of Agrarian Reform, and Land Transportation Office.
Currently, it has 130 employees and distributes farm machines and related equipment from 26 international brands. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave


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The Netherlands is about to see a new crop of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations springing up. ABB, an international power and automation technologies company, said it has started installing multiple fast-charging stations at some BP service stations in the Netherlands as part of a nationwide trial.
In the central city of Utrecht, ABB deployed the first two direct current (DC) Terra systems, which were officially officially opened on earlier this week. Another charger will be installed at a BP service station in Rotterdam later this month December, with two more to follow at locations to be identified early next year.
ABB said its Terra stations can recharge an EV battery in as little as 15 to 30 minutes – compared with eight hours when using a regular alternating current (AC) power outlet. ABB will install two types of Terra chargers to meet the specific capacity requirements at the various BP locations. The multiport Terra Base Station 100.2 can charge up to two cars simultaneously and is said to be ideal for locations that are expected to see an increase in electric vehicle traffic over the next few years. The Terra 51 is a single-port charger designed for locations with regular traffic.
Utrecht-based taxi company GreenCab has a vested interest in seeing charging station infrastructure in the city. The company operates a large fleet of electric cabs and GreenCab even went so far as to finance one of the Utrecht charger installations. “We have to keep our 20 EVs operational throughout the day and can’t afford to wait eight hours for a battery to charge. Fast charging makes our business case work. That’s why we were keen to make a business deal with BP,” said George Jansen, CEO of Prestige GreenCab. “GreenCab financed one of the two chargers in Utrecht and has taken an active role as launching customer. The EV fast-charging network in Utrecht increases autonomy of our GreenCabs and at the same time stimulates new EV adopters as it is open to everyone.”


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Significant Financial Assistance To Pakistani IT Companies To Enable Their Participation In Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2021.
The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), an entity of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, would be extending facilitation and Significant Financial Assistance To Pakistani IT Companies To Enable Their Participation In Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2021, scheduled to be held in Barcelona, Spain, from 28th June to 1st July 2021, said a press release.
Prospective customers of IT products regularly attend major IT events across the globe to scan for potential business partners, evaluate products, emerging technologies and creative solutions to existing problems. Participation in international trade events is one of the most effective ways to project Pakistan as an ideal destination for outsourcing and provide opportunities to Pakistani IT companies to market their respective products and services directly to prospective customers.
MWC Barcelona is among the world’s largest trade events and is among the world’s most significant events in terms of scale, content, and influence. Technology companies worldwide showcase their products and services in MWC’s zones and pavilions. More than 109,000 visitors from 200 countries and 3600 media and industry analysts attended the 2019 event.
Nearly all of the world’s ICT majors, such as Cisco, IBM, Huawei, Samsung, Sony, have a major presence at MWC Barcelona. The trade event attracts high-profile decision-makers and influencers from around the globe. Osman Nasir, Managing Director, Pakistan Software Export Board, said that a number of Pakistani IT companies would represent Pakistan’s information technology industry at MWC Barcelona. The PSEB would build a custom-designed, Pakistan-themed Pavilion for the purpose.
This news was originally published at B Recorder.


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Mattel Inc. has filed a lawsuit against Rap Snacks over its Nicki Minaj-branded Barbie-Que Honey Truffle chips.
According to reports, Mattel is asking federal court in Los Angeles to bar Rap Snacks from using “Barbie” in its products and is seeking monetary compensation, including profits from the sale of the Barbie-Que chips. The toymaker adds that Rap Snacks’ product may “create customer confusion and false association with the ‘Barbie’ brand”, as Mattel runs its own line of Barbie-branded snacks.
“The association is so evident that upon viewing the packaging, representatives of the defendant’s celebrity partner asked if Rap Snacks had obtained Mattel’s clearance,” the lawsuit states. “Indeed, Rap Snacks has never requested or received such permission.” Mattel adds that Rap Snacks chose to continue using the name and did not “correct the false impressions it imposed on the public”, and that the lawsuit was filed “as a last resort”.
Minaj, who has been using “Barbie” since the start of her career, was not named as a defendant. The rapper herself has collaborated with Mattel in the past, however creating a doll for charity in 2011.
In related news, stream Nicki Minaj’s latest single “Super Freaky Girl.”


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- UK moves to negotiate new, beefed-up free trade deal with fellow ‘services superpower’ Switzerland
- Government launches eight-week consultation on new UK-Switzerland FTA to gather feedback from UK businesses and public and set negotiating objectives
- The new agreement will take our relationship to the next level in industries of the future such as digital commerce and innovative services
The UK today (28 April 2022) kicked off work on a new, enhanced trade deal with Switzerland, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson hosted Swiss President Ignazio Cassis for bilateral talks in London.
The improved deal aims to boost two-way trade between two of the world’s biggest services superpowers through measures such as removing barriers and opening up access for UK businesses to the Swiss market.
The Department for International Trade is launching an eight-week consultation calling on businesses and the public to provide input before negotiations begin.
Switzerland is already an important partner for the UK, with two-way trade worth nearly £35 billion a year. Many UK businesses benefit from tariff free trade on most goods under our existing renewed EU trade deal, but the current deal does not cover services, which make up more than half of our bilateral relationship .
As two services powerhouses globally recognized for their expertise, the United Kingdom and Switzerland want to negotiate an ambitious and unprecedented free trade agreement that will boost our two economies and show the world what is possible between two innovative democracies and like-minded.
International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:
A new, enhanced trade agreement with Switzerland is a tremendous opportunity to liberalize trade with our 10th largest trading partner and unlock new opportunities for our world-leading services sector.
As two services superpowers, we have a huge opportunity to negotiate a modern, ambitious and unprecedented agreement that will boost our two economies and show the world what is possible between two innovative and like-minded nations that are firmly in Europe. but outside the EU.
In 2020, the UK was the world’s second largest services exporter, with exports worth £266.8 billion. Switzerland was 12th, with £89.6 billion.
This agreement will help take our relationship to the next level in industries of the future such as digital commerce, innovative services and green growth – creating better paying jobs across the country. It will support trade in industries vital to the UK economy, including finance, legal services, consultancy, technology and the creative industries, helping to set new rules and standards for digital trade in the 21st century.
CBI Chairman Lord Bilimoria said:
The fact that the DIT is seeking input to improve the FTA between the UK and Switzerland is to be welcomed, and the CBI looks forward to responding. The UK-Swiss Bilateral Trade and Investment Council, launched earlier this year, has identified significant opportunities to deepen existing trading relationships, primarily by improving digital and services trade.
Alongside the ongoing dialogue on financial services, this consultation offers an opportunity to increase cooperation on issues ranging from customs to reducing the complexity of short-term mobility and strengthening cooperation on innovation through to our world-class research institutes.
Nicola Watkinson, Managing Director, International Trade and Investment, TheCityUK, said:
As the world’s largest and third largest net exporters of financial and related professional services, the UK and Switzerland have much to gain from establishing a new gold standard for trade in services between two sovereign nations.
In the UK, nearly half of these exports are generated outside of London, in UK towns and cities, so making progress with this deal can bring real benefits to local jobs and prosperity. In the long term, a free trade agreement with Switzerland will complement broader progress towards mutual recognition and can serve as a model for next-generation trade agreements with other partners around the world.
*The consultation can be accessed on the gov.uk website.


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On the occasion of the Andritz Capital Market Days 2008, Wolfgang Leitner, President & CEO of Andritz AG, announced the long-term targets for the international technology Group up to 2010/2011.
“From today´s perspective, we expect sales to rise to approximately 3.5
billion Euros and EBITA margin to increase compared to 2007. The actual
extent of the increase depends on the further development of the global
financial and economic crisis and its impact on our customers and – consequently
– ourselves,” Leitner said.
The Andritz Group´s declared sales target for
2010/2011 is 4.5 billion Euros. “Given our cash position of about 800 million
Euros, the current financial crisis can also provide opportunities for Andritz
to acquire interesting companies at very attractive terms”, Leitner said, but
did not mention potential acquisition targets.
Along with the growth in
sales, Andritz also aims to increase profitability. “The goal for the Andritz
Group is to achieve a sustainable EBITA margin averaging 7% over the economic
cycle, with the target to reach 8% at the economic peak.
will already be able to improve the margin in 2009 cannot be predicted at this
stage, given the current difficult economic environment.
“The solid order
backlog and the high sales contributions from business areas that are likely to
be less affected by the general economic situation should help to mitigate, even
if they cannot entirely prevent, the impact Andritz may feel from a possible
severe economic slowdown,” Leitner said.
The Andritz Group is a global player in the supply of
customized plants, systems, and services for the feed industry, among


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Seattle’s Frye Art Museum has embraced crowdsourced curation. Their upcoming exhibit, #SocialMuseum, will be curated from the museum’s art collection exclusively from votes by users of Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. The exhibit will also credit the thousands of virtual curators who helped bring it to life.
“In reinventing the Frye for the 21st century, we’re all about embracing uncertain outcomes,” Frye’s director Jo-Anne Birnie Danzker tells Wired.
Read the full story here.


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A new note from investment bank JPMorgan advises traders to not buy into the hype that President Donald Trump has ended his own trade war with China.
As reported by CNBC's Carl Quintanilla, JPMorgan is telling investors that Trump's declaration this week that China will immediately drop all tariffs on American cars has no basis in reality.
In particular, the note said that investors should have "valid reason for caution" when it comes to investing on the hopes that Trump is on the verge of a major breakthrough with China.
"It doesn’t seem like anything was actually agreed to at the dinner and White House officials are contorting themselves into pretzels to reconcile Trump’s tweets (which seem if not completely fabricated then grossly exaggerated) with reality," the note states.
Shortly after a dinner meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G-20 summit in Argentina, Trump excitedly declared that China would eliminate tariffs on American cars and would also start bulk buying American soy beans once again.
However, the only concrete measure to have come out from the meeting seems to have been a decision to not further escalate trade tariffs while the United States and China try to hammer out a new deal.
See an excerpt from JPMorgan's note below.
@zachgraeve https://t.co/hWNFC2Sle5— Carl Quintanilla (@Carl Quintanilla) 1543927381.0


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Intel's highly anticipated 14th Gen Core Desktop CPUs, the Raptor Lake Refresh, have been prematurely sold by a European retailer, Alternate, before the official embargo was lifted, raising concerns about Intel's communication with retailers.
- Intel Raptor Lake Refresh is the worst kept secret in CPU launch history
- European retailer, Alternate, accidentally sold nine Core i9-14900K CPUs before the official embargo was lifted
- The listed price of €684.99 for the Core i9-14900K gives us a rough idea of what customers can expect to pay
Intel Raptor Lake Refresh, the highly anticipated new line of desktop CPUs, has become the worst kept secret in CPU launch history. European retailer, Alternate, made a major blunder by accidentally selling nine Core i9-14900k CPUs before the official embargo was lifted. Enthusiasts wasted no time in snatching up these processors, despite the premature sale being terminated shortly after it went live.
Although Alternate may not offer the most competitive prices in Germany, the listed price of €684.99 for the Core i9-14900K gives us a rough idea of what customers can expect to pay. Interestingly, this price is only €21 higher than the current listing for the i9-13900K at the same store.
However, it’s important to note that these prices may not be official and could have been mistakenly displayed as placeholders. This incident raises concerns about Intel’s communication with retailers, as it is not the first time a Raptor Lake Refresh CPU has hit the market prematurely. Just recently, an Indonesian store sold the Core i7-14700k without any apparent issues.
The product page on eBay confirms all the specifications and product codes associated with the Core i9-14900K, including 24-core configurations and clock speeds of 6.0 GHz. Notably, this particular CPU was sold as a tray unit.
Officially, the 14th Gen Core Desktop CPUs are set to be launched on October 17th, with preorders starting a day earlier.
About Intel: Intel Corporation, a global technology leader, is for its semiconductor innovations that power computing and communication devices worldwide. As a pioneer in microprocessor technology, Intel has left an indelible mark on the evolution of computing with its processors that drive everything from PCs to data centers and beyond. With a history of advancements, Intel's relentless pursuit of innovation continues to shape the digital landscape, offering solutions that empower businesses and individuals to achieve new levels of productivity and connectivity.
CPU: The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the brain of a computer, responsible for executing instructions and performing calculations. It is the most important component of a computer system, as it is responsible for controlling all other components. CPUs are used in a wide range of applications, from desktop computers to mobile devices, gaming consoles, and even supercomputers. CPUs are used to process data, execute instructions, and control the flow of information within a computer system. They are also used to control the input and output of data, as well as to store and retrieve data from memory. CPUs are essential for the functioning of any computer system, and their applications in the computer industry are vast.
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Here's the official statement from Nokia:
"We have noticed a number of media stories about N-Gage game transfers and wanted to clarify the issue. Due to copy protection, N-Gage games, like most mobile games, are linked to one device. As the value of content increases, a robust copy protection mechanism is essential as it makes it possible for the games industry to invest in N-Gage content.
We acknowledge our customers’ concerns and have been working on a solution that would allow people to transfer purchased N-Gage games to a new Nokia device. We are working with our Nokia Care Centers with an intermediate solution to enable the licensed transfers of games until a final solution is ready to be deployed.
We apologise for the confusion around this issue and look forward to delivering an appropriate solution to transfer purchased N-Gage games to new Nokia devices."
From the earlier version of this story: There's also a post about this on Nokia Conversations, an official Nokia blog. It says that 'a fix is in in the works' and initially this will be facilitated through Nokia Care, but there is also 'a long-term fix in the works'.


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Kosherfest, a two-day networking and nibbling convention for those working all facets of the kosher food industry, returned to the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey, on November 9 and 10, after having been canceled last year due to the pandemic. Established companies were there to introduce new products and keep up visibility. Up and coming entrepreneurs made inroads with distributors. The most notable change was the absence of many overseas companies due to ongoing travel restrictions.
There were approximately 300 exhibitors. Healthier food is a growing category. In the new product competition, winners included a lower-calorie light challah and a line of pasta and noodles made from spelt flour. Sourdough is trending and expanding beyond the pandemic lockdown loaves. Aqua e Grano, a Brooklyn-based specialty pizza maker, is coming out with a line of frozen, ready-to-bake sourdough crusted pizza. Jonathan Mandel, CEO and founder of Swyft Breads, was there looking for help in commercially producing his Kalamata olive and za’atar sourdough bread. There’s always room for old favorites with a new twist. Meal Mart offered sliders with its three new pastrami flavors: pepper crusted, hot and spicy and honey mustard. I’m told they make a very tasty deli roll together with no other ingredients needed.
The Jewish Link Expanded Edition and The Jewish Link Wine Guide had a booth at Kosherfest for the first time. Publisher Moshe Kinderlehrer said, “It was a great opportunity to meet new businesses looking to get more exposure for their products by introducing them to our readership, and to maintain and strengthen our relationships with existing advertisers. We also wanted to promote the paper and our annual wine guide to the few remaining kosher food companies that have not yet included us in their advertising campaigns. It was also a great chance for our enhanced digital/social media team to show our expanding capabilities.”
Editor and Associate Publisher Elizabeth Kratz, who has attended the conference as both a Jewish Link reporter and as a culinary school student (at the school now known as the Kosher Culinary Center, headed by Chef Avram Wiseman), said she got a different perspective of the industry this year by talking to producers and suppliers about how they are getting new products through the pipeline. “I spoke to many talented entrepreneurs with a great product to sell but no knowledge of how to develop it on an industrial scale and then get it into the consumer’s hand. They started to get answers at Kosherfest by making connections with the right people at all points in the process. And we gave them advice about how to tell their stories through the media when they’re ready.”
In his “State of the Kosher Industry” address, Kosherfest organizer Menachem Lubinsky gave credit to the hashgacha agencies that sent mashgichim for about 25,000 visits all over the world last year to keep kosher food in production. Although supply chain problems have been felt everywhere, Lubinsky said there have been no total product shortages; if one kosher brand became unavailable, there was another to take its place. Retailers survived as people learned new ways to shop. New restaurants are opening despite the pandemic struggles.
Although Kosherfest is open to the trade only, consumers are the beneficiaries. The deals just made at Kosherfest will bring exciting new products into your shopping cart in the months ahead.
By Bracha Schwartz


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Apple iPhone 13 series is likely facing production issue COVID-19 wave in Vietnam which has limited manufacturing capacity for the devices’ camera systems. Also Read - iPhone SE 3 likely to bring some interesting specs at a budget, release timeline out
As per the source familiar with the matter, the disruption is mainly associated with constrained supplies of camera modules for the four iPhone 13 models because a significant number of its component parts are assembled in Vietnam, reports Nikkei Asia. Also Read - Apple AR/VR headset mass production may be delayed until end of 2022 : Report
The iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max all feature sensor-shift optical image stabilisation. In 2020, the technology was only available on the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Bringing it to every model has reportedly put a strain on Apple’s suppliers. Also Read - Apple Watch Series 7 first look: Classy with lots of health features
As per the report, the production issues are expected to clear up in mid-October but Apple’s other suppliers, such as Foxconn and Pegatron may start to see issues in the near future.
Currently, key iPhone assemblers Foxconn, Pegatron, and Luxshare have not yet been significantly affected by the power cuts.
Apple suppliers are also facing issues due to new energy restrictions in China. The outages have been focused on areas where smartphones are assembled.
The new iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini includes a smaller notch allowing for more display area. The notch is 20 percent smaller, and the new Super Retina XDR display is 28 percent brighter with 1200 nits peak brightness. The iPhone 13 features a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR display. The iPhone 13 sports a new A15 Bionic chipset under the hood, which is claimed to be up to 50 percent faster than the leading rival chips and offers up to 30 percent better graphical performance.
(With IANS inputs)


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Turkey's share in the gaming industry has increased to $1.2 billion as the number of digital players continues its climb to around 42 million, esports agency Gaming in Turkey CEO Ozan Aydemir said Monday.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency (AA), Aydemir cited a 2021 report on the gaming industry in Turkey released by the agency and noted that while the total global market was $138 billion in 2018, this figure increased to $152 billion in 2019.
The size of the global gaming market increased to $177 billion in 2020 when the pandemic and closures fueled indoor activities like gaming, Aydemir said, noting that the figure exceeded expectations.
In 2021, this figure was recorded as $176 billion.
When comparing 2020 and 2021, there appears to be a loss, said the CEO, adding, however, that this is also related to the COVID-19 pandemic
“2020 was actually a leap year. 2021 was a slightly more balanced year,” he said.
Elaborating on the size of the gaming industry in Turkey, Aydemir said the country had a market share of only $853 million in 2018.
“In 2019, this figure decreased to $830 million. Actually, it is not quite right to call it a regression because the money we normally spend in Turkish lira per capita has increased. But since the dollar rate has also increased, it seems to decrease when we calculate it in dollar terms. In 2020, our total income increased to $880 million. In 2021, this figure has increased to $1.23 billion," he said.
The number of players in Turkey also increased from 30 million to 42 million from 2018 to 2021.
“There is a very young population in Turkey,” Aydemir said, noting that the number of hours spent gaming and the number of new players both increased.
“When we look at the male-female ratio, if it had been three to four years ago, we would have been talking about a more male-dominated audience. Now there seems to be a balanced situation with 47% female players and 53% male players," he explained.
Aydemir went on to say that Turkish gaming companies received almost $2 billion of investment in 2020, adding that investments continued in 2021.
"In 2021, 54 startups received investment in Turkey and a volume of $266 million was created. These figures show that the success of Turkish games not only in Turkey but also globally is undeniable,” he noted.
One of the underlying factors of these successes are the highly successful Turkish software developers and mobile game companies, said Aydemir.
“The human resources inside are increasing day by day. Today, many game companies have both Turkish and foreign employees. The main purpose here is to open up not only to our region, but to the whole world. To gather all cultures together,” he said.
Aydemir said Turkey has highly qualified software developers who have attracted great interest from companies abroad.
He explained that Turkish universities provide students a quality education in game development and that young people are able to turn their theoretical knowledge into practice through the increasing number of game companies.
Highlighting that there are over 165 professional esports teams and 8,126 licensed esports players in Turkey, Aydemir defined esports as "the shining star of the industry."
Many brands have invested in the metaverse, Aydemir added, noting that many games have their own economies and incorporate different integrations within.
“Concerts and events were held there. This is something we are not unfamiliar with. To create an 'other universe' where virtual worlds are intertwined. Some time is needed with this technology. The game industry will be the foundation of the metaverse world,” he said.


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Gen-X and Xbox just don’t mix.
For those old enough to have seen the dawn of the video game era, retro is winning out over realistic graphics.
Or so it seemed this holiday season, when old-school video games like Atari and Mattel Classic Football flew off the shelves in record numbers, largely in the hands of twenty- and thirtysomethings looking to relive childhood memories.
“I had an Atari 2600 when I was 7 or 8, so for me it has a definite nostalgic quality,” says Joe Maidenberg, 30, a post-production supervisor at Oxygen, who owns the 10-in-1 vintage Atari Joystick, which includes classics like Asteroids and Pong.
“[And] the games are very simple, so it’s good for a short amount of time wasting – as opposed to some games nowadays, which take a long time.”
eBay recently reported that more than 43,000 vintage gaming items – including Atari, ColecoVision and Commodore – are on auction and that over the past three months, merchandise sales for the Commodore alone are up 61 percent.
Radio Shacks throughout the city are sold out of Mattel’s classic handheld football and basketball games. (The white plastic ones with the LED lights that move across the screen – remember?)
Even modern gaming systems are getting in on the act – both Playstation2 and Xbox offer Intellivision’s “Intellivision Lives!” package, which includes blast from the past games like “Shark! Shark!” and “Space Armada.”
“They’re a curiosity thing,” says Santos Gonzalez, 27, manager and technical advisor at Manhattan’s Game Time Nation Gaming Lounge. “You play the game, you remember your childhood, you get that big smile on your face. “


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Pub trades in Brighton say they are experiencing a lack of sales due to Dry January.
Dry January is when people give up alcohol for the entire month. The campaign is officially run by the charity, Alcohol Change UK, which first launched in 2013.
The charity reports that around four million UK adults take on the challenge every year.
Dr Richard Piper, CEO of Alcohol Change UK, claims that it comes with a list of benefits such as “sleeping better, feeling more energetic, saving money, better skin and losing weight”.
By taking part in the annual movement, the good news is that your liver and wallet will thank you.
The bad news is that your local pub may be suffering from a decline in sales this month.
Manager of The Joker Pub in Brighton, James Miller, says: “coming from December, which is one of our biggest times of the year, it’s such a drastic change to January where the pub is basically empty”.
Miller adds: “We try and get more people through the door with Dry January drinks but at the end of the day we are a pub and our main trade is alcohol”.
He reports that he has seen a loss in profit and has to resort to cleaning during the day to cure his boredom.
It’s not all doom and gloom though as food delivery company, Deliveroo, have estimated that alcohol orders are expected to surge on the 19thof January. This suggests that people can’t help having a mid-January tipple.
BBN spoke to the residents of Brighton at Churchill Square to find out what they think about the campaign and if they’ve had a drink this month, despite it being Dry January.
One resident said: “I did have a drink last night; I don’t normally partake in Dry January, but I do believe in moderate drinking”.
Another said: “Yes I have had a drink this weekend. I think in January, you need to be cheered up, so a few drinks are a jolly good idea”.
From the people BBN spoke to, the majority expressed the idea of drinking in moderation rather than taking part in the month-long intervention.
According to the British Liver Trust, they say that giving up drinking isn’t necessarily a good thing as the people most desperate to prove they can go without a drink are problem drinkers. Instead, they advise: “to drink sensibly throughout the year and have a few dry days every week”.


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ACS to sell federal business
- By Michael Hardy
- Jul 31, 2003
Affiliated Computer Services Inc., a technology outsourcing firm based in Dallas, Texas, is planning to sell its federal government business.
ACS is in late-stage discussions with a buyer, according to its quarterly report, released this week. Company officials declined to say why ACS, well-known in federal circles, wants to sell the federal business.
"The federal government sector only accounted for a little bit more than 20 percent of our business," said Lesley Pool, senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "Our larger concentration is in state and local [government]."
According to the company's financial filings, federal government sales brought in $217.6 million in revenue for the quarter ending June 30, which is the fourth quarter in ACS's fiscal year. State and local government sales accounted for $463.9 million and commercial sales $332.7 million.
ACS also reported its lowest profit margin, 7.7 percent, from federal sales, with an operating income of $16.1 million. It netted $79.2 million from state and local government, a 17.1 percent margin, and $58.8 million from commercial customers, a 17.7 percent margin.
ACS officials would not identify the potential buyer.
The Defense Information Systems Agency in July awarded ACS a place on I-ASSURE II, an information assurance contract vehicle worth up to $1.5 billion for the 11 contractors who have a stake in it. The fate of such existing business, if there were to be a sale, would vary, Pool said.
"What would typically happen is you have to reassign or transfer or reprocure or requalify, and it's different on every contract," she said.
The company is also in talks to purchase a commercial information technology business, according to the quarterly report.
It is an unusual time for a company to sell off a federal business, said Larry Allen, executive vice president of the Coalition for Government Procurement.
"Right now you'd think it was a nice core piece of business to have. The federal government is one of the markets that's buying right now," he said. "On the other hand, maybe they feel that now is a good time to bring in some extra cash."
ACS reported $1.014 billion in revenues for the quarter. That represents an 18 percent increase over the $857 million it reported in the same quarter a year ago. Net profits rose 34 percent, from $229.6 million to $306.8 million.