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World Pork Expo celebrated its 25th anniversary this week and I've been to every one. Why stop now? I had a good time at the Iowa State Fairgrounds talking to producers, hearing the news, and eating ribs, sausage, bacon, and more.
The Top 5 Hog Issues, according to producers in the trenches:
1. New porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PED). First diagnosed this spring, one Midwest producer lost 18,000 pigs in four days to the disease. Scientists are swarming the issue and hope to have a vaccine soon, but so far they don't know how the virus is spreading. Hog farms are on virtual lockdown. (This virus does not affect humans.)
2. Corn crop. Will there be enough corn? Spring was late and wet. Sam Carney is a happy Iowa pork producer. He planted around the clock and got his crops in by Memorial Day. "We ran hard."
3. Crate regulations. Gestation stalls are being banned in some states. Are the largest producers going to make the switch to pens? Smithfield is converting farms, but most of the other Pork Powerhouses are not ready to move away from crates.
4. Chinese company buying Smithfield Foods. China's largest meat processor is acquiring the U.S.'s largest hog farmer and processor. What do U.S. pork producers think? I heard everything from, "It will be good for our export market" to "This could be a food safety nightmare." Most producers fell into this camp: "It's business as usual for us."
5. Trade. Trade is always an issue for the hog industry. Everyone hopes the export markets stay strong and countries do not ban our pork for one reason or another.


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Usd vs bitcoin coindesk
Find the live Bitcoin to US Dollar Bitfinex rate and access to our BTC to USD converter, charts, historical data, news, and more.
Dai 24h $ 1.00 +0.001128 +0.11%. Top Assets. have criticized Tesla and bitcoin. Speaking on CoinDesk TV this morning, The Relationship Between US Government Debt and Bitcoin, Explained Bitcoiners are looking for persistent USD inflation to validate their favorite asset. That’s unlikely to happen soon, economists The following graph shows the price of bitcoin (BTC, +7.38%) vs. the U.S. dollar (USD) compared to another fiat currency, the Canadian dollar (CAD), to see how much each currency fluctuates in CoinDesk Bitcoin’s Break Above $54K Could Open Path to New Price Record: Technical Analysis Bitcoin finds support at $50,000, with next resistance seen at $54,000, and then at the all-time high On February 16, the price of a bitcoin exceeded a historical threshold of 50,000 U.S. dollars - Bitcoin price exceeds USD 50,000, - Coindesk - 112.international Bitcoin price exceeds USD 50,000, - Coindesk Source : 112 Ukraine 50,484 dollars per one unit became the largest price ever since the bitcoin was created in 2008 USD Coin 24h $ 1.00 +0.16%.
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Вы здесь: Главная; Результаты по "bitcoin usd price coindesk【Bityard.com 7 Jan 2021 The price of Bitcoin currently stands at around $38,361 (£28,287) according to Coindesk.
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Morrisons has made a major change to its supermarkets this week - and it's very good news for shoppers.
Customers visiting the supermarket giant, which operates stores across Birmingham, will notice a big difference.
Morrisons is known as one of the country's Big Four supermarkets alongside Sainsbury's, Tesco and Asda.
And as the lockdown continues amid the coronavirus pandemic, the supermarket giant has modified stores in a major way.
Morrisons is reopening its pie shop counters this week and offering a half price deal on the nation's favourite pastry.
Morrisons will be offering their popular sausage rolls - as well as cheese and onion rolls - for just 50p.
Buying Manager at Morrisons, Mark Pearson, said: "We know sausage rolls hold a place in our hearts that not much else can fill, so we’re pleased to bring ours back at this bargain price."
Morrisons operates multiple stores across Birmingham including the flagship store in Hagley Road.
Over the past month and a half, Morrisons has introduced new rules and regulations for shoppers visiting its branches.
Social distancing measures and 'one in, one out' systems remain in force at stores across the country.
And extra delivery slots have been rolled out to meet demand.


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SEOUL, South Korea — “The final 4 or 5 months have been full chaos,” admits Jung Kuho, govt director of Seoul Fashion Week. “Everyone seems to be so involved with politics and the financial system that they don’t wish to spend their cash. You don’t purchase luxurious items when there’s this a lot uncertainty.”
Seoul is dwelling to 1 of the most essential luxurious items markets in the world, an leisure trade that dominates Asian tradition, magnificence manufacturers with world attain and a trend week that sits firmly on the worldwide calendar. However as editors, consumers and road fashion stars collect for Seoul Fashion Week, the collections this season shall be overshadowed by severe political and financial upheaval.
In October, a significant corruption scandal in South Korea led to public outcry and widespread road protests which resulted in the current impeachment of the nation’s president Park Geun-hye. Now, in the wake of counter-protests and different home instability, a diplomatic disaster with China has emerged. One end result of these crises is that associated safety considerations are deterring each native and overseas buyers.
In line with Bain & Firm, gross sales of luxurious items in Seoul reached $7.6 billion final 12 months. To place that into perspective, it implies that luxurious gross sales in the South Korean capital alone are usually not far off these for the total Center East area (at $eight.7 billion). Clearly there's a lot at stake.
However final month, World Blue reported that in January alone, journey retail gross sales in Seoul declined by an alarming 19 % 12 months-on-12 months and by 15 % 12 months-on-12 months for January and February mixed. Earlier this month, shares of corporations buying and selling in cosmetics and journey dropped sharply in Seoul and, in January, the Baidu Index reported a 25 % decline in progress for Korean magnificence manufacturers in China.
Between a rock and a tough place
At the starting of March, the first items of a US-constructed missile defence system designed to keep off a menace from North Korea arrived at the Osan Air Base in South Korea. It's referred to as the Terminal Excessive Altitude Space Protection system (Thaad) and China has been notably vocal in its opposition to it. The cause for this seems to be associated to Thaad’s monitoring units, which have the potential to comply with China's missile techniques and would give the United States a bonus in any potential battle.
Since the official launch of the programme, the Chinese language authorities has retaliated to what it sees as a navy menace by placing financial stress on Korean companies. Dozens of supermarkets owned by the Lotte luxurious division retailer group have been shuttered throughout China on the pretext of fireplace security; Chinese language guests have been stopped from visiting South Korea in teams; Ok-Pop bands have been restricted from airing on Chinese language tv; licences for South Korean video video games have been frozen; and even imports of 19 Korean cosmetics merchandise have been refused on ambiguous-sounding high quality-management points.
“The temperature that's felt inside China can solely be measured by these inside the area,” says Inhae Yeo, the director of Oikonomos Fashion Consulting, “However right here on the Korean aspect, there are fixed media studies about it and on the Chinese language authorities banning giant teams of vacationers travelling to Korea.”
China has used these ways to show the recognition of Korean merchandise into a way to spark anti-Korea sentiment. The Hallyu wave of Korean tradition has been flooding China since 2010, serving to to make every part from Korean sneakers and lipstick to musicians and actors widespread. However now, as a result of of the restrictions on Korean imports in China, the media and peculiar Chinese language residents are being compelled to take a stand in opposition to Korean merchandise in the title of patriotism.
Luxurious gross sales in the South Korean capital alone are usually not far off these for the total Center East area.
That is proving problematic for Seoul as China is South Korea's largest buying and selling associate, with exports to the nation price $142 billion in 2014, and cultural merchandise hitting a report $5.three billion in gross sales the identical 12 months. So understandably, the Korean trend and wonder industries have change into more and more reliant on each gross sales in China and the fixed inflow of Chinese language vacationers who fly to Seoul primarily to buy Korean merchandise and worldwide luxurious manufacturers.
“At the current, a variety of Korean industries — not simply magnificence and trend — have began to undergo from this robust Chinese language nationwide motion,” says Julia Juyeon Kang, the editor-in-chief of Elle Korea. “Specialists are saying that whether or not it continues or not will depend on our new subsequent authorities, which may negotiate between China and US.”
Seoul Fashion Week’s Jung agrees: “I don’t assume the numbers will choose up till Could when we've got an election and hopefully then we'll get again on the proper observe,” he says.
Home instability upsets retail
Compounding upon the dramatic drop of their largest buyer-base, trend manufacturers in South Korea have additionally been coping with a significant political fallout. On March 10, Park Geun-hye turned the first president of South Korea to be forcibly faraway from workplace. Park was accused of colluding with controversial determine Choi Quickly-sil, the founder of the Church of Everlasting Life, to extort hundreds of thousands of in bribes from main South Korean companies and permitting Choi to intrude in authorities issues.
The impeachment was preceded by months of protests each for and in opposition to President Park, which led to the closure of companies, procuring malls and eating places round Seoul as the public took to the streets. This unrest was undoubtedly one other consider China’s reluctance to permit its residents to journey to Korea, partly for his or her security but additionally as a result of it's an instance of the sort of public demonstration that Beijing each fears and detests.
In the meantime China is displaying no signal of backing down its name for protests in opposition to South Korea, that are apparently erupting round the nation with movies of bloggers destroying Korean items going viral and the state-run World Occasions working anti-Korea editorials. “We is not going to sacrifice the nationwide curiosity for Korean cosmetics,” says one. “We must always begin growing sanctions towards Seoul in an orderly method, comprehensively decrease the stage of Sino-South Korean exchanges [and] roll again all privileges that Seoul has gained from China,” says one other.
However can this newfound Chinese language antipathy for Korean manufacturers actually final? And the way widespread is it? There have been recommendations in the Korean press that some of these protests have been staged or no less than exaggerated by the Chinese language media.
But when they're actual and certainly develop, will loyal customers stay undeterred in the long term? Korean magnificence manufacturers noticed an 84 % 12 months-on-12 months Baidu Index progress in December 2016, a price greater than double that of Western, Chinese language, or Japanese rivals. That progress did sharply decline as the disaster took maintain in January, falling beneath Japanese manufacturers, however nonetheless it has managed to remain forward of different opponents.
China is displaying no signal of backing down its name for protests in opposition to South Korea.
“Chinese language customers have continued to point out a excessive curiosity in Korean manufacturers all through the dispute,” says Liz Flora, the editor of Asia-Pacific analysis for enterprise intelligence centre L2.
“However of course, boycotts in the title of nationalism can have a major affect on manufacturers’ gross sales — we noticed this in the case of China’s anti-Japan boycotts in 2012, and Korean gross sales are definitely taking a success. However Japan was in a position to bounce again after a couple of 12 months, and noticed a large inflow of Chinese language vacationers in 2015 due to the declining worth of the yen. This exhibits Chinese language customers shall be nationalist of their consumption habits to a degree, however worth benefits and better high quality will finally win them over.”
Nevertheless, it is very important keep in mind that Korean magnificence manufacturers are in a considerably extra highly effective place than their trend counterparts. “Certain, Korean trend just isn't but as widespread as Korean magnificence [but] inside the trend trade, the delicate designer manufacturers that are exhausting to search out and harder for the Chinese language to repeat, are nonetheless extremely valued,” says Park Yeon-joo from the Council of Fashion Designers of Korea.
“However as a consequence of the restriction order, quite a few occasions associated to Korean trend have been cancelled. So, sure, the probabilities of Korean trend manufacturers increasing into the Chinese language market have now decreased. Due to this fact, we’re lowering the dependency on the Chinese language market, and specializing in the so-referred to as 'Submit-China market’ of Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and so forth.”
In line with Yeo of Oikonomos, the continued professionalisation of South Korea’s trend market and the position of the authorities shall be key to its resilience in the face of current challenges.
“Fashion is a really difficult trade and there are layers and layers of methods in addition to key factors that must be addressed and developed. That is solely doable when consultants with expertise can come collectively,” she says, referring to the have to construct “community infrastructure” between the private and non-private sectors.
The sting of anti-corruption laws
Along with the present political and diplomatic crises, trend manufacturers in South Korea produce other causes to be apprehensive. The nation’s new anti-graft regulation, popularly often called the Kim Younger-ran Act, took impact at the finish of September 2016 and has had a marked impact on the luxurious items market.
In an effort to stamp out corruption, this new regulation bars public servants, authorities officers and others from accepting items price greater than $45 and is being critically enforced. Members of the trend group have gotten more and more involved as a result of some manufacturers — each native and worldwide — have change into reliant on luxurious reward-giving for a major proportion of their earnings.
“I do assume that the lower of Chinese language vacationers is the important cause for the decline in gross sales we're seeing, however the anti-graft regulation has additionally had a big impact on Korean society, which conventionally provides and takes items,” says Kang of Elle. “I’ve heard a PR particular person from one of the huge French luxurious home saying that some of the low-priced merchandise like ties and scarves are nonetheless promoting nicely however excessive-priced baggage are promoting little or no.”
Bom Lee, the editor-in-chief of Dazed Digital Korea goes one step additional, insisting that this new regulation bears the most accountability for the current drop in gross sales in Seoul. “The Kim Younger-ran regulation has triggered no less than 50 % of the downside,” he says. “Thaad, the presidential impeachment and rigidity with North Korea are chargeable for the different 50 %. However I hope that the delicate situation with Thaad will fade as quickly as doable.”
The anti-corruption regulation has definitely come at a delicate time, whereas the presidential scandal makes the probability of it being repealed very slim. Members of the trend trade are nonetheless pinning their hopes for a return to normalcy on the upcoming election that can result in a restoration in gross sales. However this depends on the assumption that the political and diplomatic occasions that provoked the disaster are non permanent in nature and will be solved with the arrival of a brand new president in Could. And that the underlying financial system is in fine condition — as assertion which some economists dispute.
“Effectively, we've got quite a bit Chinese language consumers coming to Seoul Fashion Week now and they're assured that their clients will proceed shopping for Korean trend as a result of a brand new president will remedy the Thaad dispute,” says Jung. “However perhaps this incident has taught us an essential lesson that in future years we must be extra ready for these sorts of occasion, and never be so reliant on China ever once more.”


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Walmart is seeking a new trial in a case over the firing of a longtime employee with Down syndrome. A jury in July found Walmart wrongfully terminated the employee, Marlo Spaeth, and awarded her monetary damages.
In a court filing late Tuesday, Walmart said it did not know about the link between Spaeth’s disability and her struggles to adapt to a new work schedule, which ultimately led to her firing. Spaeth served as a store associate at a Walmart SuperCenter in Wisconsin for nearly 16 years.
The big-box retailer further claims the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which represented Spaeth in the case, did not show proof that Walmart “discriminated against her ‘with malice or with reckless indifference to [her] federally protected rights.’ ” The company is asking that the damages ordered to be paid to Spaeth be tossed and that a new trial was merited.


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The Pro AV world was taken by surprise with the cancellation of NAB this October with concerns around COVID's persistent waves and the financial viability of still holding the show.
The organization did make sure Read more
Modular construction has grown tremendously in the past few years, leading many to believe it's a new innovation in the building industry. In reality, it has been around for quite awhile, but has Read more
Did the pandemic rewrite the rules for the holiday shopping season? Is there even a rulebook anymore? As consumers look to engage with their favorite brands across all channels this upcoming Read more
Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group, which emerged from court protection with new owners last year, will reopen four shows in the coming months, including two in Las Vegas this Read more
This week on Say Yes To Travel, Sarah Dandashy sits down with John Dekker, one of the best Travel Agents she knows. He was a guest on this podcast back in April--he is so knowledgeable, Sarah Read more


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AUTO REPAIR FRANCHISE STARTS 2015 WITH 135 LOCATIONS NATIONWIDE AND HAS NEVER CLOSED ONE
Christian Brothers Automotive plans to open 20 locations in 2015 — continuing the strong growth that has earned the auto repair franchise recognition from both Entrepreneur magazine and Franchise Business Review.
Even our bays at Christian Brothers are immaculately clean. Customers appreciate that and we continue to grow our business.
Christian Brothers is a highly rated, faith-based auto repair franchise with a unique financial model. We assume a majority of the risk by purchasing land and constructing “built-to-suit” buildings, which the franchisee then manages. We don’t charge a franchisee fees based on top-line revenues like virtually every other franchisor, but on a share of the profits, which is calculated after expenses. Franchisees also pay themselves a salary before they pay the franchisor a nickel.
“We make it possible for good people to start a strong business in an industry that has had a troubled reputation, and we create a better experience for customers,” says Mark Carr, CEO of Christian Brothers.
What sets us apart from other auto repair franchises is what we like to call the “nice difference.” The “nice difference” includes a gorgeous, solid brick building, a lobby that is reminiscent of an upscale hotel and comfortable furniture. The bathroom is clean — just the way you’d want it for a guest at your home — and even the repair bays are impeccable.
The “nice difference” at Christian Brothers — a gorgeous brick building, a lobby for upscale hotels and comfortable furniture — has been key to our growth.
“I like being in the garage and the camaraderie, but what I really like best is having an opportunity to speak with a guest about what is wrong with their car, what they can do to fix it, how they can prevent it from happening again and things like that,” says Doug Beachy, a franchise owner in Cincinnati. “I like the personal interaction, and like many families in today’s economy, our guests typically can’t invest huge sums of money in their cars. We try to help our guests out as best we can and give proper advice as far as what they can do to keep their car safely on the road for as long as possible.”


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Web 3.0 is coming.
A term first created by The New York Times‘s John Markoff, Web 3.0, also known as Web3, describes the next wave of the internet. In the past decade and a half, the use has grown in popularity, even as the world entered a fully Web 2.0 landscape.
Web 3.0 is about new innovations and big ideas. What does it mean for our collective digital future?
A Brief History of the Web
The 1990s heralded the arrival of a new phenomenon: the internet. While, in its purest form, this game-changer of a concept was invented earlier, in the 1980s, it didn’t truly become the bones of what we know it as today until the last decade of the first millennium.
This was Web 1.0, although, at the time, it was simply “the web.” And for its age, it was a wonder. Today, we look back at rudimentary web pages and laugh, but back then, this was a radical means of spreading and consuming information. There was little to no interactivity, with pages almost entirely in “read-only” form. There was also plenty of what we would now call fake news.
In the 2000s, the internet entered its second wave: Web 2.0. This era of digital innovation was characterized by the emergence of today’s tech giants, the Amazons, Googles, and Facebooks of the world. Search engines, social media networks, and complex media designs reigned king. Customization and personalization, leveraged by the new languages and features, became more feasible.
Web applications, new media, and more became ubiquitous. So, too, did new devices — mobile devices and tablets were suddenly digital vehicles, allowing people to access all sorts of content via an internet connection.
And now it’s time for Web 3.0.
What Do We Mean by Web 3.0?
Web 3.0 is a complex idea. At its core, it’s about the democratization of the internet — essentially handing the power back to the people, rather than concentrating it in the hands of a few tech giants like Amazon and Google.
“There’s a small group of companies that own all this stuff, and then there’s us who use it, and despite the fact that we contribute to the success of these platforms, we don’t have anything to show for it,” said Mat Dryhurst of New York University. Web 3.0 aims to address that issue.
Web3 will incorporate the semantic web, which involves a computer’s ability to read and attach meaning to multimedia content and draw connections among items. This is a web of linked and shared data, not a string of keywords.
Decentralization is another key facet of Web 3.0. Think blockchain — the power behind cryptocurrency has also launched a movement toward a transfer of information and data without a need for an intermediary. This means greater autonomy for the people who use the internet, rather than the giants who currently govern the web. That way, we won’t need an intermediary, either — just what is essentially a peer-to-peer network.
Thanks to innovations introduced during the Web 2.0 phase of our digital lives, this new era will mean greater accessibility from practically any device in any place where there is an internet connection.
Naturally, any discussion of Web 3.0 would be incomplete without touching on artificial intelligence (AI). This increasingly ubiquitous tool will enable computers to act with human-like intelligence, processing information at a rapid speed in order to understand and deliver more refined results. Because of AI’s ability to learn through repetition, results will become more accurate, too.
And finally, Web 3.0 will incorporate more sophisticated graphics, including 3D images and VR technologies, in all types of products.
How Will Web 3.0 Affect the Internet and Its Users?
Right now, Web 3.0 is still an emerging entity. But it’s not as far away as some of us might think. Already, we have the building blocks of this new phase of the internet — we just have to put them together.
People will have access to and control over their own information. Their activities will be recorded on a public, decentralized ledger — a blockchain — and they will be able to facilitate connection, streamlining their lives and making everything more efficient.
The ability to share information will be back in the hands of the people who need it — not social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
Take, for example, non-fungible tokens, or NFTs. These enable individuals to effectively own virtual materials and are made possible via sales with cryptocurrency. Ownership is cataloged on blockchain.
But Web3 will mean far more than representative ownership. It will be the next phase of the sharing economy and facilitate stronger communication and accessibility.
What Should We Expect?
Are we going to see Web 3.0 in the near future? It’s still not clear.
While many innovations that have already materialized may seem web 3.0-like, such as voice-assistance technology enabling location-specific searches and VR/AR allowing us to “experience” otherworldly places, we are still fairly firmly in Web 2.0 territory.
According to some experts, Web 3.0 is a distant innovation, one that may not even fully materialize. But others believe that it will operate hand in hand with Web 2.0, without ever truly replacing the latter phase. In fact, perhaps we would do better to stop thinking of these as separate eras but rather groups or categories of digital entities.
That means that the most likely scenario is that while decentralization will grow, so, too, will the businesses that have a considerable amount of power. But the fact remains: we are in for an immensely transformed digital future.


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Mercedes A 25 AMG On The Way: Report
Mercedes-Benz could be done with taking a back seat to Audi and BMW in the small hot-hatch niche, with reports this week that a new A-Class AMG flagship is in the works.
The regular version of the 2013 A-Class has yet to be revealed, but with the l
The regular version of the 2013 A-Class has yet to be revealed, but with the latest batch of Mercs now brandishing their own AMG guns, the carmaker's tuning arm is understood to have turned attention to its smallest model yet.
This is not the first time that reports have pointed to a hi-po version of the new A-Class, with last year's 156kW Concept A-Class suggesting that a rival for at least Volkswagen's Golf GTI could be in the works.
Rumours in the months since have pointed to a brand-new twin-turbo 2.0 litre engine, producing figures in the realm of 240kW and making the so-called A 25 AMG a new champion in the hot-hatch segment - and almost matching the 250kW 1 Series M Coupe.
Unlike the front-wheel-drive 224kW Ford Focus RS, the A 25 AMG will reportedly send power to all four wheels, transferred through the company's 4Matic system and a seven-speed double-clutch transmission.
According to British magazine Car, the project is now well underway and should bear fruit soon after the regular hatch debuts later this year.
If an AMG-tuned A-Class is indeed on the way, it could be joined by a hardcore version of the mysterious new "CLC", with spy photos in August last year revealing a pint-sized version of the big CLS four-door coupe.
According to enthusiast blog BenzInsider, the CLS-inspired small sedan will feature front-wheel-drive in its regular form, while high-powered AMG variants will get an all-wheel-drive system.
US website Edmunds has pointed to a New York Auto Show unveiling for the CLC, this coming April.


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The family of a victim and several survivors of a mass shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis have filed a lawsuit against the companies involved in the production, marketing and sale of the high-capacity magazine used by the gunman who killed 8 people and injured others in 2021. .
The federal lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, targets a gun distributor and magazine manufacturers and claims the companies recklessly marketed and sold their products to impulsive young people at risk of violence.
The gunman in the April 15, 2021 attack, Brandon Hole, 19, was previously employed at the unit and opened fire on his former colleagues before killing himself. About a year before the attack, Hole browsed white supremacist websites, CNN previously reported. His mother contacted police in March 2020 because she was concerned about his behavior and threatening statements he made after purchasing a gun, according to police.
The suit was filed on Thursday on behalf of the estate of Jaswinder Singh, who was killed in the shooting, Harpreet Singh, who was injured, and his wife Dilpreet Kaur, and Lakhwinder Kaur, who was also injured in the attack. They are each seeking at least $75,000 from the suit and are requesting a jury trial, according to the complaint.
The lawsuit targets American Tactical Inc., an American importer, manufacturer and seller of firearms, along with the company’s president and director of marketing and purchasing. Schmeisser GmbH, a German firearms manufacturer; and 365 Plus doo, a Slovenian company that designs, manufactures and distributes firearms accessories and other tactical equipment are also listed as defendants.
The three companies were involved in the production, marketing and sale of high-capacity 60-round magazines that “were used repeatedly to slaughter and terrorize Americans in horrific mass shootings well before April 2021,” it said In procces.
The lawsuit alleges that these companies made these magazines easily accessible to Hole and directed their marketing campaign to “a consumer base filled with impulsive young people who feel they must harm others to demonstrate their power and who have militaristic delusions to fight in a war. or a video game.”
“This case is about what happens when companies recklessly design, market, sell, and distribute these accessories to the general public — without discrimination — and without taking reasonable precautions,” the lawsuit states.
American Tactical declined to comment to CNN about the lawsuit. Attorneys for the other defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Schmeisser GmbH manufactured the magazine used in the mass shooting and distributed it in the U.S. through American Tactical and 365 Plus, the lawsuit alleges.
“The large magazine capacity encouraged the shooter to commit the attack, knowing he had the ability to fire 60 rounds continuously without having to stop to reload,” the lawsuit says.
The complaint says American Tactical promoted marketing videos showing men wearing tactical vests similar to what Hole wore during the 2021 attack as they fired “a steady stream of bullets at unseen targets in various offensive, tactical operations.” .
The lawsuit alleges that the firearms companies brought an “unreasonably dangerous product to market without sufficient safeguards to prevent its foreseeable unlawful use.”
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, the gun control advocacy organization that employs two of several attorneys representing the plaintiffs, wrote in a statement to CNN that the nonprofit “is trying to get justice for these survivors and their families and to owns American Tactical, Inc. . responsible for their irresponsible marketing and sales practices.”
“If you decide to sell such highly lethal products to the general public anyway, you have to be very careful who you sell them to. As we allege in our complaint, the defendants here instead took a heavy turn and specifically marketed their highly lethal products to a dangerous class of individuals,” said Philip Bangle, Brady Center Senior Litigation Counsel.


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Amazon has delayed the release of its upcoming MMO New World multiple times, but its official launch is on the horizon.
Following closed beta testing at the end of July, the game’s developers wrote that they wanted “a few extra weeks” to “polish the game.”
New World is now officially set to be released on Sept. 28, 2021.
Prior to this announcement, New World was supposed to come out nearly a month earlier (Aug. 31).
Throughout the closed beta, New World experienced numerous issues with servers and the game went through extended downtime for maintenance on a regular basis.
The closed beta for New World lasted just two weeks. But in that time, many players were able to reach the game’s max level and participate in some forms of end-game content.
Delaying the release of the game one more time allows the game’s devs to “smash bugs” and “improve stability,” presumably of servers.
New World comes into the MMO genre that’s largely dominated by World of Warcraft, which now also has legacy servers to appeal to multiple different demographics of its fan base.
The game will also be competing for attention in the space with Final Fantasy XIV and other MMOs that are in development, like Ashes of Creation.
Amazon’s team originally set that game’s release date for the spring of 2021, but the developers pushed back the release to polish the MMO’s end-game content. That led to the announcement in February that the game’s release was being moved back from May to August.
Since then, New World has made news specifically for detailing its plans to include microtransactions that give it a pay-to-win element. This led to popular content creators in the MMO genre, like WoW’s top streamer Asmongold, criticizing the company’s approach.
But following some backlash, Amazon said it’d refrain from putting those aspects into the game, at least early on.


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Xiaomi is reportedly working on two smartphones, Mi 9 and Mi Mix 4. Both the smartphones will come with three rear cameras. Moreover, both smartphones are expected to come with Snapdragon 855.
According to a research note from GF Securities of Hong Kong, Xiaomi Mi 9 is set to be the company’s first smartphone with a triple rear camera. Additionally, the Mi Mix 4 will have a periscope lens, which allows for greater optical zoom while not needing more space in the chassis.
Xiaomi Mi 9 will be the company’s First smartphone with triple rear cameras
The Mix 4 might have a foldable screen, But we are not sure about it. Moreover, the company is also working to launch the 5G variant of Mi Mix 3. The co-founder and president of Xiaomi, Lin Bin posted a photo on Weibo. Furthermore, he assured the fans that the company will fulfill its promise. Xiaomi will try its best to manage to launch the device ahead of MWC 2019. However, if that happens then it might be the first smartphone to bring 5G support, overtaking Samsung, OnePlus, and Huawei. Xiaomi Mi 9 may also have 5G technology.
We have not much information about the phones yet. But we hope that both will be high-end smartphones. Also, both will launch next year. So we may also hope that the smartphones will run Android Pie operating system.


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The new Doom had its reveal at QuakeCon, but it was a somewhat strange one and exclusive to attendees. Bethesda's Pete Hines has explained why the company chose to unveil it that way, and when we'll be seeing more from Doom.
Those hoping to jump into the Destiny beta will find themselves disappointed, because Bungie has taken it down for maintenance until Wednesday.
Of course, no one can say Bungie didn't offer ample warning. The maintenance period was originally announced back when Destiny beta details were first revealed. Outside of these two maintenance dates, Destiny will remain playable on PS4 and PS3 until July 27. As a reminder, log into the beta on July 26 at 5PM EDT for a chance to receive special rewards.
EA and Maxis are hoping to entice fans of the long-running Sims franchise with some new features and a fresh coat of paint. So with that in mind, the Sims creators have released the demo that they showed off at E3 earlier this year, offering up 15 minutes of new gameplay footage.
Also check out...
The recent announcement that a woman will be taking up Thor’s hammer shook up the comic book community and provides a brand new perspective to one of Marvel’s oldest characters. It’s important to note she will trully be Thor - not She-Thor, Lady Thor, or Thorita. So, it’s a very exciting time for female characters and fans. With the San Diego Comic Con right around the corner, we started thinking about video game characters that might benefit from a gender switching fem-flip.


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International food, ingredients and retail group Associated British Foods (LSE: ABF) reported a solid set of results for 2014 this morning, but shares barely budged as management warned profits would likely be flat next year.
The company reported an earnings per share increase of 30% for 2014, although this was largely driven by last years one-off cost of sale and closure of business charge that impacted 2013 profit.
The EPS gain flattered a 1% revenue growth and 2% operating profit growth, both at constant exchange rates (CER). Management proposed a final dividend of 24.3p, resulting in a full-year increase of 6% covered more than three times by earnings.
Management pointed to a weak performance from AB Foods Sugar business to account for the lacklustre performance and predicted stall in growth. The department, which generated 37% of operating profits in 2013, struggled to maintain margins in the face of structural changes to the European sugar market and a low world sugar price. High stocks of sugar in the EU and intensifying competition knocked the departments return on average capital employed from 23.3% last year to 10.5%, losing the company 245m. Management were not fazed by the poor performance, stating:
AB Sugar has risen to challenges of this nature before, and does so this time with a programme of continuous performance improvement. We are one of the most efficient producers in the EU and will continue to take the necessary action to ensure that we are well placed to operate in the post-quota environment.
All other business segments reported increased operating profits, with fashion retailer Primark leading the charge. It reported a 30% increase in profits at CER and continued its rapid expansion with 28 new store openings across Europe. The company invested 691m across its business in 2014, with the largest tranche being assigned to Primark. The retailer now operates in nine countries and reported sales close to 5bn. It experienced a further expansion of margins, and management expect progress to continue into 2015 and beyond.
The Agriculture segment reported an 11% increase in adjusted operating profit on the back of strong growth in AB Vista, Specialty Nutrition and Frontier.
The smaller Ingredients business also had a good year, reporting a recovery in profits from 5m to 41m, driven by progress across all regions for AB Mauri and the absence of restructuring and accelerated depreciation charges experienced last year.
Grocery increased profits at an impressive 24% at CER with Twinings Ovaltine taking record market share in its top markets, Allied Bakeries growing both revenue and profits and George Weston Foods experiencing a significant jump in performance through cost reduction initiatives and improved procurement.
AB Foods reported net debt of 358m, down from 446m last year. Management saw little opportunity for earnings growth in 2015, but said we have every reason to be confident of further progress for the group thereafter.
Primarch might experience a temporary stall in growth next year, but if you are happy to invest for the long term then I fully recommend you check out The Motley Fool’s exclusive investment report, 5 Shares to Retire On. This completely free report details five buy-and-hold shares with steady growth and high dividend yields – One even yields a market beating 5.5%. Click here to get your free copy now!


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Atari has divided itself into two parts, with one division that will focus on games and another that will be focused on blockchain.
The developers of Call of Duty: Warzone at Activision Blizzard have a never-ending war with hackers and cheaters.
I love buying a bunch of handhelds in China while I wait for the Analogue Pocket. This is what makes me happy.
Manticore Games has raised $100 million for user-built games in a "multiverse," which is the company's preferred term for gaming's future.
Warchief unveils Chris Metzen's fantasy boardgame world Auroboros: Coils of the Serpent. He started the game as a teen.
February hardware sales were up huge thanks to strong performance from all console platforms and a historic pace for PS5.
Hugging Face is going to triple efforts to build an open source community for AI with the close of a $40 million series B round today.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge is a new beat-'em-up revival from DotEmu and Tribute Games.
Final Fantasy is one of my favorite series, so I had a lot of fun going through its games for our latest tier list video.
Nvidia and Harvard researchers say they've developed an AI tool that can dramatically speed up genome analysis.


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Even with all the supply chain issues, the Trade deficit is at an all time high. This obviously is not sustainable.
Americans’ spending on imported physical goods has gone through the roof, while exports are growing slowly, making the U.S. the world’s consumer of last resort.
Why it matters: High trade deficits let us buy more stuff during the pandemic. The flip side is the higher U.S. government debt that helped fund the surge in spending — much of it held by overseas investors.
Through the first 11 months of 2021, Americans imported $290 billion more in goods than in the same period of 2019.
Meanwhile, exports of goods rose slowly — up only $86 billion. Exports of services plunged as international travel collapsed.
The result: An overall trade deficit 48% higher than 2019, and on track for a record (by dollar amount) for 2021.Axios AM
By Mike Allen ·Jan 26, 2022


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One group took Almased in place of meals; the other group had a standard North American diet.
The Almased group experienced increased thermogenesis, better absorption of nutrients, enhanced fat burning, improved appetite and use of carbs, and less of a tendency to gain fat.
The study authors said this proves that “a calorie is not just a calorie” — meaning that a high-protein low-glycemic diet, one with the same number of calories as a regular diet, can offer more benefits for energy metabolism, fat burning and weight loss.
This new research confirms the results of a 2018 study, which showed that Almased can help the body lose weight and burn more fat, all with less effort.
The authors concluded that Almased provides a “metabolic advantage” compared to a regular diet.


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Togo's Sandwiches is looking for entrepreneurs who want to own their own restaurant. The California sandwich chain is holding a series of free seminars throughout California to share the Togo’s story with individuals interested in owning a Togo ’s franchise.
The first seminar is April 21 in Culver City. Others will be held in Thousand Oaks, Fresno, Modesto, and Pleasant Hill. Click here for the schedule, including times and locations, and to reserve your seat.
Founded in San Jose almost 40 years ago, Togo’s has grown to more than 240 West Coast restaurants, all owned and operated by independent franchisees.
“I’ve been associated with Togo’s for more than 25 years, and with the economy turning around, this is a great time to explore owning a Togo’s,” says Tony Gioia, chairman and CEO of Togo's. “Togo’s really has a unique place in the market. The freshness and quality of our food, combined with the special way our staff interacts with our guests, makes for an experience – and brand loyalty – that no other sandwich shop can match.”
The Togo’s management team will be on hand to answer questions about owning a Togo’s restaurant. Attendees will hear from current franchisees and get a behind-the-scenes look at their operations through a series of videos.
“Togo’s is the perfect opportunity for entrepreneurs who want to own a business and have a passion for great food and service,” says Todd Peterson, Togo's vice president of development. “Opening a Togo’s requires a low investment, and we pride ourselves on giving new franchisees the support they need to be successful from the very start.”
According to Peterson, Togo’s restaurants produce some of the highest sales among sandwich shops. Togo’s is already planning to open 10 restaurants this year. The chain is looking to expand in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.


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Radar | Dec 10,2018
An export coffee preparation facility is being set up in Jimma and West Guji Zone in Oromia Regional State. Constructed by Kerchanshe Trading, one of the largest producers and exporters of coffee in the country, the facilities will be the first of their kind located outside Addis Abeba and Harar. Kerchanshe, which embarked on the project over a year ago, expects to have the facilities functional at the start of the next fiscal year.
The new coffee preparation facilities will be an addition to its three facilities in Addis Abeba. Two of the facilities in Addis Abeba can process up to 30,000tn of coffee annually and have been operational for over five years. The third one, located near Gelan Condominium, is expected to start work shortly, according to Asnake Kassam, quality control & certification director at the company.
The majority of the country's coffee preparation facilities, or industries as they are commonly referred to, are located in or near the capital, which has 105, while Harar has 25.
"The facility in Jimma will be able to serve all the company's western sources of coffee," said Asnake. "Coffee sourced from the south and southwestern parts will be processed at Bule Hora in Guji."
Kerchanshe, which specialises in coffee sourced from Yirgacheffe, Lekempti, Gimbi, Jimma and Sidamo, has finalised the civil construction of both new sites. A milling machine is being installed at the facility in Bule Hora, West Guji, from where the company plans to export coffee through the Port of Mombassa. The milling machine for the site at Jimma is in transit.
Coffee contains up to 30pc waste before it gets to its final stage and this all adds on to the extra cost in logistics, according to Asnake.
"We can avoid these costs, as well as save time and labour in the process," he said.
Assigning representatives from the Customs Commission and the Coffee & Tea Authority, which is responsible for grading, is what remains to be done, according to Hairu Nuru, market information & regulatory director at the Authority.
"The advantages of this will be increased efficiency," he said. "Instead of coming to the capital, the coffee can be exported through ports directly from the facilities."
One of the biggest bottlenecks in the coffee sector is the extraneous chain through which the product passes, explained Hairu.
"When coffee was required to pass through the Ethiopian Commodity Exchange (ECX) system, it entailed an extra 15pc cost," he said. "The construction of the facilities will also be beneficial to other exporters in that area who can gain from using these facilities."
While this is a great initiative, it requires an in-depth study for its success, according to Mesfin Moges, founder and CEO of EtBuna, a coffee sourcing and consulting company.
"There's an established and common route for the export of coffee through Djibouti," he said. "This will have to study the safety systems in place, roads, transport availability, and transiters at the port in Mombassa."
The route from Guji to Mombassa is certainly shorter, but whether the route from Jimma will save substantial costs depends on a number of factors, he added.
"The most important factor is the response of the international market to this change," he said.
The expert also recommended an in-depth analysis of the industry's bottlenecks as multiple factors play a role in the efficiency of coffee exports.
PUBLISHED ON Dec 19,2020 [ VOL 21 , NO 1077]
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Last updated on July 2nd, 2019 at 09:11 pm
Foxconn Technology Group and one of its subsidiaries are acquiring a combined 7.24 percent stake in the California-based television brand Vizio for nearly $70 million, according to a report by Nikkei Asian Review.
Hon Hai Precision Industry, the Foxconn parent company, and its LCD panel subsidiary Innolux are making the investments. Nikkei reported Jim Hung, who becomes Innolux chairman on Thursday, said the investment will provide the company steady shipment demand to the brand over the long term.
The report also noted the deal could pave the way for potential TV assembly operations at Foxconn’s planned manufacturing campus in Mount Pleasant while also providing access to Vizio’s sales channels in the U.S.


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According to the latest report by Anti-counterfeits Agency, three-quarters of Kenyans use duplicate goods. The Kenyan government bureau states that the most copied goods in the market ate mobile phones at 51.8 per cent and alcohol at 30.8 per cent. In the list, DVD items are on the third spot at 26.4 per cent while bottled water comes on fourth with 24 per cent.
Besides these products other commonly duplicated goods are toners, software, accessories and lubricants. The report also revealed that out of the 70 per cent people who use low-grade products, 19 per cent purchase the goods knowingly whereas 49.6 per cent said that they bought the goods as they were cheap.
An additional 17.3 per cent of the consumers were looking for genuine products but couldn’t find them while 18.3 per cent were not aware of the issues.
ACA chairperson Flora Mutahi said that duplication included branding & trademark manipulation, misspelling of names and copying of colouring. She revealed that the Kenyan government has confiscated goods worth Ksh 8.5 billion in the last few months.
She stated the country loses an estimated Ksh200 billion annually due to trade in counterfeit products. “Kenya is indeed ahead of its counterparts in the fight against counterfeits, but manned land borders open the country to illicit trade,” remarked ACA chief executive Elema Halake.


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Jeans found contaminated with azo-dyes
Thirteen batches of clothing tested by the city's quality watchdog were substandard, officials said on Wednesday — one batch failed for containing carcinogenic azo-dyes.
Shanghai Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau checked 84 batches of leisure clothing in total.
Other substandard items included unmatched fiber content, pH index and poor color fastness.
A batch of jeans for females labeled Baleno and sold at the Changli outlet of Pushang Department Store in the Pudong New Area was contaminated with azo-dyes releasing cancer-causing amines. The jeans also had serious quality problems, the bureau said.
Azo-dyes, which have no color and smell, can only be found via technical tests, according to the bureau. They added the dyes can trigger malignant diseases if they come into contact with skin.
The dyes are banned for use on all textile products, according to China's national standard on textiles.
Six batches of clothing failed for pH index. They included trousers for women labeled Basic House and sold at Xinzhuang Parkson, and a batch of jean skirts labeled Lily and sold at the same department store in Minhang District.
A batch of ES jeans sold on yhd.com was also on the list.
Substandard pH index is harmful to the skin,but it is a common substandard item found in textile products, bureau officials said.
In addition, a batch of K.S.BERE jeans sold at No. 1 Yaohan Department Store in Pudong failed for unmatched filler content compared with its label marking.
A batch of Baffee pants for men failed for poor color fastness to sweat and water and fiber content, according to the bureau.


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Infinity Ward's confirmed that its security patch for Modern Warfare 2 has now finished production and has gone into QA.
No release date has been decided for the update, though.
"The latest patch for Modern Warfare 2 has finished production and is now going through internal quality assurance. This new title update will address security issues that have affected online play," community boss Rob Bowling said on the IW forums.
"We plan to release this update for all platforms (Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC). No release date is set at this time. Once an ETA is established, it will be posted here."
The update will also fix a exploit on multiplayer map Fuel.
The update comes after Infinity Ward said it'll no longer rely on the security of the platform holders following PS3 being hacked in January.


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Google on Monday dropped a surprising letter from Chief Executive Larry Page, who laid out a new corporate structure separating core businesses such as search, YouTube, Android, Chrome and advertising from its moonshot businesses involving Nest, Fiber and Google X projects like Internet-beaming balloons.
It all sits under an umbrella company called Alphabet Inc. The shake-up is more than in company name only; the changes reach into the ranks of who is running what businesses, and how the company will report its financial results. For example, Sundar Pinchai is now the CEO of the slimmed-down “core” Google Inc.
Here’s the full text of Mr. Page’s letter.


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Madison Malone Kircher was a reporter at Tech Insider covering digital culture.
She graduated from Hamilton College with majors in Comparative Literature and Linguistic Anthropology.
4 reasons big brands still matter to millennials
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Paddy Power and its main British rivals have tried to outflank any moves for more government-imposed regulation in the UK by agreeing to establish an independent standards commissioner.
The initiative will see the four firms - Paddy Power, Ladbrokes, Coral and William Hill - introduce a voluntary TV advertising ban on sign-up offers, such as free bets and free money, airing before 9pm.
However, the UK initiative does not extend to Ireland, where there has been less political push-back to date about the growth in online gambling in particular.
The companies have undertaken to remove all advertising of gaming machines (which aren't permitted in Irish bookmakers) from betting shop windows.
They've also pledged to commit 20pc of their shop window advertising to responsible gambling messages.
From the start of next year, the operators will fund an advertising campaign to educate people on responsible gambling.
"Recently, concerns about gambling have grown - particularly because of the tone of some of the advertising of betting on TV at times when children may be watching," said the companies.


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SINGAPORE - About $30,000 worth of fake goods were seized and four women arrested for selling them, police said on Friday night (March 15).
Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department conducted raids around Kaki Bukit and Serangoon on Wednesday and Thursday.
A total of 1,465 pieces of trademark-infringing goods such as T-shirts, pants, caps, dresses, floor mats and handbags were seized, police said.
Four women, aged between 26 and 28, were arrested for their suspected involvement in selling counterfeit luxury goods and apparel online.
"Preliminary investigations revealed that the women had procured these counterfeit goods from foreign sources, before reselling them locally via various online platforms," police said, adding that investigations are being conducted.
Those found guilty of selling or distributing goods with falsely applied trademarks may be fined up to $100,000 or jailed up to five years, or both.
Photos provided by the police show a room with clothes and other items piled in stacks on shelves set against the wall and containers on the floor.
In its statement, the police said it takes a serious view towards intellectual property rights infringements.
"Distribution and sale of counterfeit goods are serious offences and the police will not hesitate to take tough action against perpetrators who profit at the expense of legitimate business and consumers," it said.
Police also advised members of the public to be careful of fake goods being sold on e-commerce platforms.


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Review: Sony Ericsson TM506
Sep 8, 2008, 1:00 PM by Eric M. Zeman
Sony Ericsson and T-Mobile have teamed up for the first time in four years to offer the 3G-equipped TM506. It is capable in many departments, but falls short in others.
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For Sony Ericsson lovers who happen to be T-Mobile customers, there's good reason to cheer. The TM506 marks the first SE handset on the T-Mobile network in years, and it supports T-Mobile's 3G network, to boot. The good news is that it is a solid clamshell that offers a decent range of features. But there are a few things holding it back.
Sony Ericsson and T-Mobile have teamed up for the first time in four years to offer the 3G-equipped TM506. Was it worth the wait?
Feb 9, 2022
Samsung today announced its lineup of flagship phones for 2022: the Galaxy S22 series. The top-end S22 Ultra sees the biggest changes as it essentially absorbs Samsung's Note series with an integrated S Pen stylus and a more Note-like shape and design, instead of the Contour Cut design of the other models.
Mar 23, 2021
OnePlus today announced the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro, its newest flagship phones. The 9 Pro is a true flagship-class phone with a QHD AMOLED display with variable refresh from 1 to 120 Hz, and IP68 water rating, starting at $969.
Jan 8, 2021
Motorola today unveiled a full lineup of four new affordable phones, including three g-series models ranging from $169 – $299 and one 5G model for $399. All four feature large batteries (4,000 – 5,000 mAh) and large displays (6.5 – 6.8 inches).
Jul 8, 2021
Qualcomm has partnered with Asus for a new flagship-class phone called the "Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders". Asus will make, sell, and support the phone, which is intended for members of Snapdragon Insiders, Qualcomm's new fan club.
Why is it that Sony Ericssion will make a 1700 AWS 3G phone for T-Mobile...and they won't make CDMA?
T-Mobile... and that is a limited user base to sell phones to. Yet... for years they have dogged CDMA technology for years because of it's "limited user base" (compared to GSM)... yet they could be selling phones to Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, Metro, Cricket, Virgin.... who probably cover 80 million people alone. I don't get it.
Ericsson had a big fight with Qualcomm a while back.
There is also a big long story about ...
3G Plans and Tethering


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The most recent iPhone 14 Pro models will be introduced with several higher-level improvements and exclusive updates.
The 14 standard models would also receive a wage raise despite not having any forerunner enhancements.
Dav Ives, head of research firm Wedbush Securities, claimed that problems with the supply chain are to blame for the price increase.
He explained that Apple must pass these expenses along to the customer with this release since prices have been rising across the whole supply chain.
The starting price for the iPhone range has hiked from $699 to $899.
Apple said that the newest iPhone operating system would include new features.
These include a revised lock screen with extra widgets, improved customizability, and a new notification technique.


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Paolo Berlusconi, brother to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, is rumored to be making a play for MV Agusta as Harley-Davidson continues to look for a purchases of the iconic Italian brand. According to Motociclismo, Berlusconi’s name continues to be mentioned in the same sentence as the Italian company, as the purchase would play well into Belusconi’s holdings in scooter manufacturer Garelli.
Garelli currently designs its scooter line in Italy, but does manufacturing and engineering in China. The company is reportedly looking for an Italian facility, which MV could conceivably provide and help the company go all Italia. Price is of course still a major issue, as MV Agusta has minimal yearly sales (and revenue), and with its current 2010 revamp being yet fully tested with consumers, it’s difficult to gauge whether or not Harley-Davidson was able to fully turnaround the failing company.
This rumor would seem to add another woer of MV Agusta, as Geox’s Mario Moretti Polegato (yes, the shoe manufacturer) and his group of investors is also rumored to be in talks with Harley-Davidson about acquiring the brand. With Harley likely interested in only one thing, it’ll be up to both groups in coming up with the most cash if they want to be the new owners of MV Agusta.


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Fair Isaac Corporation, the Minneapolis-based company that invented the credit score, faced a quandary earlier this decade.
With the recession deepening, and consumer spending and debt-paying patterns changing, the company decided to give its flagship product, the FICO score, a tune-up, so the score’s predictive models would be sharpened against the toughest economic conditions since the great depression.
The company’s data picked up a growing distinction between consumers who started paying late on a handful of credit lines (known as “tradelines” in the credit reporting industry) “not simply because they were bad borrowers but because they were sloppy payers,” explained Joanne Gaskin, director of mortgage scoring solutions at Fair Isaac.
But the company wanted to be able to predict whether a consumer would pay late on an occasional basis on one or two tradelines or would go delinquent across the board.
It was the eighth such revision of the FICO credit scoring model, and when the FICO 8 Score was launched in 2009, the company said it improved its credit risk prediction by 15 percent.
Which might work for general credit, but when it comes to approving mortgages, lenders have become so conservative that they wanted even more detailed information about whether someone might default specifically on a mortgage or home equity line of credit, while continuing to pay a credit card debt on time.
Gaskin said FICO had already created a specific scoring model for those consumers who are shopping around for an auto loan or a credit card. In October, they introduced the FICO 8 Mortgage Score, to help lenders more easily predict consumer behavior no matter what happens in the economy.
In creating the FICO 8 and FICO 8 Mortgage Score, Gaskin said the company took a deeper look at the following issues, and refined their impact on the credit scoring model:
- Authorized users. During the housing boom, Fair Isaac saw mortgage application abuse associated with authorized users. “Consumers were adding someone who wasn’t a relative to a tradeline as an authorized user, known as ‘piggybacking’,” she explained, sometimes paying as much as $1,000 to $2,000 to buy that positive credit history. The new scoring model allows lenders to take a more thorough look at when that authorized user was established to better determine credit risk.
- Loan Modifications. Fair Isaac has worked with the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA) on implementing two new credit history codes that relate to loan modifications. “CN” refers to a permanent government loan modification and “CO” refers to a permanent non-government loan modification. According to Gaskin, these are brand new codes to signify that a loan modification that has taken place, but neither will be considered “derogatory” by the FICO score. Unfortunately, during the loan modification process, a homeowner’s credit might have been damaged by the way their lender reported their payments, she said, adding “We continue to work with Treasury and CDIA to make sure the right codes are being used.”
- Economic impact. How do you take what you know today and predict the future? Gaskin said that the FICO 8 has incorporated economic forecasting based on Moody’s Economy.com six macroeconomic outlook alternative scenarios, which ranges from a stronger recovery to a fiscal crisis where the dollar crashes and you have hyper-inflation. “Incorporating macroeconomic data allows lenders to adjust their policies. We see it as the next wave of predictive analytics,” she noted.
Gaskin said one of the most interesting things about credit and the recession is that the median FICO credit score remains 712. But the score distribution has changed.
“When you go into an economic downturn, those consumers who score higher in the FICO Score ranges move higher yet, and those in the lower bands move further down the chart,” Gaskin observed.
She said the interesting idea is that consumers who manage credit well and have higher scores tend to get more conservative with their finances so they move further up in the score distribution. Those who are in trouble financially will get hurt worse by an economic downturn, and so their credit scores will drop further.
Since the FICO 8 Mortgage Score looks at credit a little differently, the median score is around 760, or significantly higher than the median FICO 8 Score. What that shows, Gaskin said, is that the vast majority of Americans pay their mortgages “as agreed.”
“There’s just a lot of [media] coverage about the 10 percent that are not paying as agreed,” she added.


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It still manages to astonish me, just how fast performance SUVs have become. First, it was the Lamborghini Urus smashing SUV records and becoming the world’s fastest ‘utility’ vehicle. Then, it was the Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S. Now, though, we’re learning that the upcoming Audi RS Q8 might actually be the fastest SUV in the world, as it may have just broken the Nurburgring lap record for SUVs.
To be perfectly honest, we can’t say if this is very accurate or not, because no timing gear was used by anyone outside of Audi (and Audi isn’t talking) to time this lap. However, YouTuber and frequent Nurburgring car-spotter Misha Charoudin recently claimed that the Audi RS Q8 lapped the ‘Ring in 7 minutes and 47 seconds.
That’s a whopping two seconds faster than the previous Nurburgring lap record holder, the aforementioned AMG. However, there’s a bit of a caveat.
Charoudin times these cars by timing the car through certain spots on the ‘Ring and then piecing it all together. Typically, Charoudin is within a second of the manufacturer’s claimed time. Audi has yet to comment or publicly claim a time but, according to Charoudin, the Audi RS Q8 is the fastest SUV in the world.
Which is surprising, actually. While there are no specs of the upcoming RS Q8, it’s likely that it will be powered by the same 4.0 liter twin-turbocharged V8 from the Audi RS6 Avant. The V8 in the RS6 makes a whopping 592 hp and 590 lb-ft but it’s not as absolutely brutal as some other cars in its class. There’s a possibility, though, that the Audi RS Q8 gets the same version of that V8 as the Lamborghini Urus, which makes 640 hp.
Audi has yet to publicly claim a lap time around the Nurburgring but this is entirely possible. We’re hoping it ends up being true but only time will tell.Motor1]


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Android smartphone users may experience a sharp increase in the power consumption of their mobile device after updating Google Play services. According to Android Police, we are talking about the version of the Google Play Services application 18.3.82.
After the update, Google Play services running in the background can become the main consumer of battery power – they can consume from 15 to 30 percent of the charge. Created 108 megapixel camera for smartphones. She will appear in the new Xiaomi device. Users of a wide variety of smartphones, from budget to flagship, complain about a sharp decrease in battery life.
Android Police notes that rolling back to an older version of Google Play Services, clearing the cache and local memory can help in this case. If this does not help, then you can only wait until the developers from Google release a new version of the proprietary application. Those who have not had time to update the application are advised to disable background data exchange for it.
In addition, users of the Chinese smartphones Honor and Huawei faced serious problems after updating Google Play Services. When they tried to launch some popular applications, they received the message “Google Play Services are updating”. Among these applications were Google Maps, the Play Market app store and Uber. After starting, they show a message about updating Google Play Services, but it does not disappear, so it is impossible to use applications. The error affected smartphone models such as Huawei Mate 7, Mate 8, Mate 9, P20, P10, Honor View 10, Honor 9.


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Bluemel, who made his millions as founder of TLCS Global Visa Services, bought the classical rock station after it was put up for sale by GCap four months ago.
Bluemel, having trounced the likes of Queen guitarist Brian May to buy the station, says “I share the station’s passion for rock and radio. Now we aim to take it to the next level.”
The staff at Planet Rock are said to be thrilled at Bluemel’s successful purchase of the station, and believe he has what it takes to ensure the digital radio station rocks on.
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One fault per stockplate, two in every tenth jumbo: That’s the reality – aggravating and ex-pensive for glassworkers. But why, asked A+W optimization expert Dr. Klaus Mühlhans, don’t we use intelligent optimization to cut out the fault sites identified by the jumbo scanner, or at least to place them in as small a pane as possible? No sooner thought than done – the A+W Defect Optimizer was born, and will cut the number of defective panes in half for users in the future!
“Optimization is the heart of what we do at A+W” – with these words, spoken as part of his opening remarks, A+W CEO Dr. Uwe Schmid summed up not only the main topic of the cur-rent value+ event, held at Wetzlar’s Rittal-Arena, but ultimately also the whole identity of A+W and the benefits the company offers to its customers: The new generation of A+W cutting optimization systems alone saves A+W users real cash, day after day – news that made the audience sit up and take notice, generating excitement even before the national handball game that put the finishing touches on the event.
But in the A+W philosophy, “optimization” means much more than just “improved material yield.” To the software maker, which is based in the German state of Hesse, the term always also includes process optimization, so it stands for a holistic approach with the goal of boost-ing success for glass and window industry businesses.
The value+ success model
First, though, it was all about the value+ customer concept, which has turned out to be a successful model a year after its launch. “Investing in maintenance,” Schmid says, “pays off” – that’s the result of studies so far. As for how value+ makes it possible to turn this insight into actual reality for mid-sized glass companies, A+W sales manager Peter Dixen explained. Value+ customers, Dixen said, not only have access to a broader range of resources; they also, and especially, receive support in making better use of their existing “license assets” – they have A+W’s best experts and specialized consultants at their disposal for that. Ingo Neuber, who is responsible for training and documentation at A+W, explained the innovative tools A+W has available for doing this.
Product fireworks: a look ahead to glasstec
The product fireworks announced by Schmid continue – A+W, says Heiko Schuh, sales manager for Central Europe, has improved and expanded its product range, promising an exciting glasstec appearance. One area of focus: more information, prepared for optimum usability. One example is the business intelligence tool A+W Discovery, which can be used to combine and prepare data from various sources across sites. Fast data access and clearly organized depiction of current KPI data from production are offered by the A+W Dashboards – browser-based with a high information density and clearly laid out graphics, this highly flex-ible management tool can also be used on smartphones, tablet computers, and PDAs.
In the core area of optimization, the A+W team plans to exhibit not only the A+W Defect Op-timizer, but also the model optimizer A+W Shape Optimizer and the A+W Stack Optimizer, a special optimizer for A-rack organizations, plus the A+W Logistics Optimizer for route optimi-zation.
The future is now:
Web-based order configuration
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises was the browser-based order configurator presented by development manager Josef Körner as part of a sneak preview. The configurator features an intuitive touchscreen interface, showing how the future of order processing might look. The advanced operating concept was thrilling, as was the substantial potential for savings in the area of internal order processing.
The final point in the informational part of the event was made by Rainer Feuster, sales manager at A+W technology partner Viprotron, who presented on topics including the error detection options offered by the jumbo scanner.
After this challenging agenda, everyone was looking forward to exciting entertainment during the handball game between two countries’ national teams. Unfortunately, Germany lost to Norway – but the event was still a complete success, as one participant noted: packed with information, it firmly convinced attendees that a visit to the A+W booth at glasstec 2014 will be well worthwhile!


text: Vacancies fell once again. Net absorption has been on a tear of late, 11.5 million SF since the start of 2015. Vacancies ended the first quarter at 11.2%, marking a new low point for this economic expansion. High tech manufacturing remains a key driver of the market. A solar manufacturer from overseas is touring the market (and other locations in the states) looking for up to one million SF of space. Metro Boston’s highly educated workforce is encouraging this type of manufacturing to grow, while many parts of the country continue to bleed manufacturing operations. Rents have risen 22% since 2010 and 8% in the last year alone, ending the quarter at a new high-water mark. Landlords with competitive properties remain in the driver’s seat. Improved fundamentals and scarcity of quality product are even fueling growth in second-tier assets.


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MALCOLM BERKO: Signs point to a possible recession in 2017
Dear Mr. Berko: We recently saw you speak and enjoyed your comments on the stock market and economy and your speaking style. Your discussion of brokers and economists was fascinating. But you were bearish on the economy! You said, “There’s a 25 percent chance the U.S. will enter a recession in late 2017 or early 2018.” You said that “slower home purchases and lower car sales next year” could push us into a recession. But you never told us why they’ll be lower.
— SA, Orlando
Dear SA: Consumer spending — the dollars we spend daily for food, toys, vacations, clothes, entertainment — constitutes the largest component of our gross domestic product. Now a growing number of observers believe that the American consumer lacks the necessary spendable dollars to boost the economy in 2017 and beyond, which could cause higher unemployment. The consumer is debt-stuck and flat broke.
According to a poll by The Associated Press, two-thirds of Americans would have difficulty coming up with $1,000 for an emergency expense. That’s a large percentage and very scary. In households making less than $50,000, 75 percent of people would have difficulty producing $1,000 to pay for a home repair, to fix their car’s air conditioning, to pay a civil fine, to cover an unexpected bill or to hire a lawyer if need be. For households with income between $50,000 and $100,000, the difficulty decreases only modestly; 67 percent of those people would have trouble raising $1,000. Even among the country’s wealthiest 20 percent — households that make more than $100,000 a year — 38 percent admit they would have “at least some difficulty” coming up with $1,000 in cash. This speaks volumes about the sad financial position of the consumer, whose spending is responsible for 70 percent of our GDP. Home purchases and car sales are a significant portion of consumer spending.
Consumer spending has always been the power behind our economic growth. Just prior to the Great Recession, the average household earned about $52,500 annually. Today the average household earns $50,225 — about $200 a month less than eight years ago. And that $2,275 loss in consumer spending doesn’t take into account an average 1.5 percent inflation rate, which has increased prices by 12 percent since 2008. In May 2008, individual consumer debt totaled $2.45 trillion. By May 2015, consumer debt had increased to a shade under $4 trillion, and that didn’t include home mortgage debt. Total student loan debt in 2008 was $575 billion, and those loans are projected to reach $1.6 trillion by the end of this year. Between 2008 and 2016, total corporate debt doubled, from $28 trillion to $57 trillion, and the U.S. national debt jumped from $12 trillion to more than $19.4 trillion. Basically, during the past eight years, borrowed money has been responsible for the growth of our GDP. Resultantly, the American consumer is more deeply in debt than at any time in history and must spend a greater portion of income on debt payments.
We may be on the verge of a car bubble. New cars can be financed for 96 months. Delinquent car loans are soaring. And 1 in 3 vehicles traded in for a new car have a negative equity. Last year, 23.5 percent of new car loans were subprime, meaning they were made to people with credit scores below 620. This year, the percentage will be larger. Delinquencies in Texas and Oklahoma exceed 14 percent, and 3.4 percent of all auto loans made last year are at least 90 days delinquent. The numbers for 2016 may be hugely larger because dealers and banks will finance cars for consumers without taking down payments.
And we may be on the periphery of a real estate bubble. In New York City, the number of contracts signed during the first quarter reached the lowest level since 2009. There’s a big condo bust in Miami, and developers have begun canceling projects and cutting prices. Southwest Florida home sales are down 11.1 percent from six months ago, though prices are higher. Wells Fargo advertises home loans requiring just 3 percent down, while other lenders offer zero-down loans.
Consumers are the economic engine that moves the GDP, and most have maxed out their borrowing limits to do so. Their spendable dollars have dried up. And that may be an omen that a recession will come next year.
Please address your financial questions to Malcolm Berko, P.O. Box 8303, Largo, FL 33775, or email him at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Africa should embrace technology and innovations to boost agro-production and, hence save the billions of dollars the continent spends on food imports, the Minister for Agriculture and Animal Resources has said.
Dr Gerardine Mukeshimana said use of advanced technology helps increase crop yields across the continent, a development that would help reduce imported foodstuff. Citing maize, the minister said the crop’s yield can increase by half if farmers planted hybrid maize seeds compared to using ordinary maize seeds. Read more. Source | New Times
Tanzania plans to introduce the first ever center of excellence on irrigation training to serve East African countries. The training centre at Oljoro with exemplary farm and man-made lake, is the brainchild of Arusha Technical College’s (ATC) irrigation engineering department. It was established to devise modern ways of farming that free farmers from extreme reliance on rains. Read more. Source | Daily News
Grain dealers and farmers have been urged to ensure quality and standards as part of efforts to support cross-border trade and also help develop the grain sector in the region.
Janet Ngombalu, the Eastern Africa Grain Council (EAGC) regional programme coordinator, said more efforts were required to create efficient, structured, inclusive and profitable grain trade in Rwanda and across the region, adding that this will also ensure quality and standards. Read more. Source | New Times
Agriculture supports directly and indirectly up to 75 per cent of the Kenyan population and generates almost all the country’s food requirements.
With reliance on rain-fed agricultural production in most parts of the country and infestation by notifiable insects in recent times, Kenya remains susceptible, with the pests putting the country at risk of growing food insecurity. Read more. Source | Daily Nation
Rwanda is prepared to improve grain quality and recover from the post-harvest losses it has been facing over the past few years with the construction of grain storage facility. The country has counted over 30 per cent post-harvest losses due to poor storage that has indirectly affected the quality of their crops and propelled food insecurity issues in the country.
The profits of the farmers have been cut short with the same challenge, which has demoralized their status in the individual and corporate level. The government has been left scratching its head on how to make the mountain plain as it seeks to feed its citizens and harness some revenue from the exportation of the crop produce. Read more. Source | The Exchange
Kenya will next month waive duty to allow millers to import maize from Uganda and Tanzania. Kenyan traders imported more than 77,500 tonnes of maize worth $31.2 million since January from its neighbours. This is the highest amount of imports in the past five years as drought and the effects of the fall armyworm manifest in the country’s staple.
Outgoing Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Willy Bett said that the government would, through the Foreign Affairs Ministry, formalise importation of maize. Read more. Source | East Africa
Intra-regional trade in quality cereals and pulses is expected to increase following the launch of the gazetted East African standards of staple foods.
Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the launch of the nine standards for staple foods on Wednesday by East Africa Grain Council (EAGC) in Kampala, Mr Gerald Masila, executive director EAGC, said the lack of harmonised regional standards has for a long time barred trade as each East African country has been using its standards.
“We have lost out on a market position. I do not have a number right now. Read more. Source | Daily Monitor
The quality of regional trade in cereals and pulses is expected to improve following the launch of newly gazetted standards for staple foods.
The harmonisation comes after a long period where each East African country used its own yardstick to determine quality of cereals including maize, millet, wheat, sorghum, rice and pulses such as beans and peas traded across borders.
Speaking during an interview on the sidelines of the launch of the new standards by the East Africa Grain Council (EAGC) in Kampala Wednesday, executive director Gerald Masila said the lack of uniform guidelines had served as a technical barrier to trade. Read more. Source | Business Daily
Tanzania hopes to increase its rice exports to Kenya and Rwanda by one-third this year, according to forecast by a trade tracker. According to the East Africa Cross-border Trade (EACT), the trade volume will be boosted by supplies from the August harvest and high carry-over stocks, which are likely to lower prices. The low rice prices are due to lower maize flour cost which is a substitute staple food to rice. Read more. Source | East African
Farmers of maize, sorghum and soya need not worry anymore about market for their produce as local fortified foods manufacturer is looking to double local sourcing of raw materials this year to increase production.
Officials at Africa Improved Foods (AIF), which is behind the Nootri range of fortified foods, say the firm is targeting to produce 45,000 tonnes this year, an increase from 35,000 produced last year as the firm targets the export market, according to Darshana Joshi, the AIF commercial director. Read more. Source | New Times


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According to an article over at Reuters, Dell has a new aim for the Streak: the medical field. On Tuesday, Dell announced that they would be linking up their Streak with the company’s medical software, which would allow access to patient information and medical records while out and about. According to Jamie Coffin, vice president of Dell Healthcare and Life Sciences, “when we designed the device we thought about what a clinician might like, it’s perfect size to fit into a lab coat, and allows you to be able to communicate anywhere.” Dell has stated that the Streak will access information on patients and medical history through databases in the cloud, not on the device itself. The Streak would also utilize the devices cameras, allowing doctors to upload photos and save them to patient’s files.
This leap into the healthcare market is nothing new for Dell, though. Dell spent $3.9 billion on Perot Systems, a company that has a large base with healthcare providers and customers, as well as being involved with most hospital systems in the USA.


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The company, which makes brakes for automakers including Ferrari (NYSE:RACE) and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) as well as several Formula One teams, said earnings before interests, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose to 135.6 million euros ($164.89 million) in the January-March period, with profit margins increasing to 20.1%, up from 17.7% a year ago.
Revenues rose 17.2% to 675.1 million euros, reaching record levels for the first quarter and up 1.2% on the same period in 2019, before the outbreak of the coronavirus virus hit the automotive industry.
Brembo said its “order levels confirm that the year has begun on a positive note”, adding the impact of the chip shortage on its clients’ supply chain was difficult to estimate at present.
Shares rose more than 3% after the results and were up 1.4% by 1007 GMT, compared with a 0.3% rise in Milan’s All-Share index.
($1 = 0.8224 euros)


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A friend of mine posted a picture of a bitcoin mine, over on facebook earlier today. He went on to say that bitcoins were making more than his regular job at the moment, possibly thanks to the recent price hike, where they topped off at a record high a few days ago of $674.38. Bitcoins have trebled in value since October. It’s starting the be a serious player on the currency market.
If you can can be bothered to buy and power this many computer processors (that’s what these are, in abundance) then you may eventually make a few quid profit from mining bitcoins. Technically – for those of us old enough to remember Seti@Home, back in the day when it was quite a cool project, it’s a bit like that. For those of you who don’t know it, Seti was (is) where we left our screensavers on Seti mode to crunch data from the white noise of space to see if there were any patterns that migh suggest aliens. Instead of aliens, it’s crunching complex mathematical problems to processing transactions.
Bitcoins are virtual, yet some really exist. don’t really exist yet real stuff can be bought with them. There have been pressings of real work bitcoins. There’s one going on ebay at the moment for $75,000. (Don’t worry though, it’s free P&P). Here’s what it looks like..
The entry on Wikipedia that attempts to describe them goes like this;
Bitcoin (sign: ; code: BTC or XBT) is a distributed, peer-to-peer digital currency that functions without the intermediation of any central authority. The concept was introduced in a 2008 paper by a pseudonymous developer known as “Satoshi Nakamoto”.
Bitcoin has been called a cryptocurrency because it is decentralized and uses cryptography to control transactions and prevent double-spending, a problem for digital currencies. Once validated, every individual transaction is permanently recorded in a public ledger known as the blockchain. Payment processing is done by a network of private computers often specially tailored to this task. The operators of these computers, known as “miners”, are rewarded with transaction fees and newly minted Bitcoins. However, new bitcoins are created at an ever-decreasing rate.
They’ve taken a lot of stick recently – particularly from the authorities, as they’re often used to trade illegal commodities on line such as drugs. Uber geeks at one end, drug dealers at the other. The governments of the world are taking notice – especially after some recent who haa over the closing of Silkroad and the opening of Silkroad 2.0 (A site where commodities (often illegal) are sold in bitcoins). Weird huh?
“Virtual currencies, perhaps most notably Bitcoin, have captured the imagination of some, struck fear among others, and confused the heck out of the rest of us,” Thomas Carper US Senator
To paraphrase Thomas Carper – Scary and weird.
The safest way to store bitcoins is on secure paper wallets. Come on – that’s weird right?
Given the recent spike in it’s value, and the recent media interest, I’m wondering where it goes next. It could explode, it could implode, It could vanish over night. Weird.
Bitcoins are weird.


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Ford partners with State Farm and launches Tesla-like insurance program
Ford has officially partnered with State Farm Insurance Company to offer a new Drive safely and save a connected car program. The program is expected to launch in select states, though it’s only available for specific “connected” Ford and Lincoln cars.
Essentially, the new program will monitor a driver’s behavior, among other variables, such as a vehicle’s mileage, to determine car insurance rates. Although programs like this have been offered by some car insurance companies for a while, they have not necessarily been tied to a car manufacturer.
Tesla recently started offering its own insurance program, although it first implemented a beta “Safety Score” system to analyze driver behavior. The program is currently used to determine which Tesla owners drive safely enough to become Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta testers.
Ford’s program in partnership with State Farm is similar to Tesla’s Safety Score system, providing drivers with information on speeding, aggressive acceleration, hard braking, fast cornering and distracted driving.
Tesla’s Safety Score system has been considered “problematic” by some people in the industry, but Tesla insists it leads to safer driving. It’s basically like turning safe driving into a video game, with owners competing for the highest score. However, in some cases it could result in conduct in a way that could irritate others or even break the law.
Although Ford’s new insurance program isn’t tied to accessing a sought-after feature, it could potentially save people money. Of course, not all drivers will be willing to enroll in the program, let alone change their driving behavior in hopes of a better rate. However, only monitoring and feedback should help make drivers more aware of their habits, which should encourage safer driving.
According to TeslaratiChris Schell, senior vice president of State Farm share:
“Customers can better manage their car insurance premium because their rate will be more closely associated with their personal driving characteristics. Drive Safe & Save represents a significant automotive rebate opportunity, including an initial 10% equity rebate on major coverages. Discounts average between 10 and 15%, with even higher discounts possible depending on individual driving behavior.”
Ford rolls out Drive Safe & Save Connected Car in Alaska, Idaho, Montana and Oregon, at least initially. The new policies should start around February 27, 2022. Owners will need to agree to participate in the program and allow Ford to share driver information directly with State Farm. After registration, owners will receive a Bluetooth device that interacts with an associated app on their smartphone.
What do you think? Will other automakers also start to follow suit? It seems the way of the future, at least when it comes to electric vehicles and connected cars, is a major increase in internal programs and related partnerships that will benefit owners.
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