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Apple to roll out AI-powered Siri with iOS 18 at WWDC 2024, say analysts; exciting fare on cards
It is being suggested that Apple will likely make an AI push at this year’s WWDC 2024 with iOS 18 featuring next-generation Siri that will be powered by an AI chatbot.
Could a ChatGPT-style artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot be on the cards for Apple? A new report suggests so! The Cupertino-based tech giant has long been reported to be working on AI tech that it could incorporate into its suite of products such as the iPhone. A report last year even stated that Apple was developing its Large Language Model (LLM), dubbed as AppleGPT. Now, it is being suggested the tech giant will likely make an AI push this year with iOS 18 featuring the next-generation Siri and it will be powered by an AI chatbot. Know what's coming.
AI chatbot-powered Siri
According to a Financial Times report, this year's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) will witness the launch of Apple's next OS for iPhone, dubbed as iOS 18. However, one thing will be different. Morgan Stanley analysts believe that this update will have generative AI in focus, and it could bring a new Siri that is powered by LLMs.
So far, Apple has hung back when it comes to generative AI, while its peers including Google and Samsung have launched smartphones with AI heavily involved. However, Apple has likely been playing its traditional waiting game perfecting its AI tech before unveiling it to the world.
mobile to buy?
Igor Jablokov, chief executive of AI Pryon and founder of Yap told FT, “They tend to hang back and wait until there is a confluence of technology, and they can offer one of the finest representations of that technology”.
Previous hints at AI
According to Jeff Pu, an analyst at a Hong Kong investment firm, Apple will start implementing generative AI on iPhone and iPad in late 2024. In efforts to do so, the company is reportedly building about 100 AI servers this year, and more could be built in 2024, as it has plans to offer cloud-based AI. Moreover, Apple is also reportedly working on an on-device AI technology called ‘edge AI'.
As per the reports, Apple is looking to incorporate AI into as many apps as possible. Apple Music could get auto-generated playlists, while apps like Keynote or Pages could get a feature that automatically generates slide decks. It is also looking to bolster AppleCare with generative AI.
Also read other top stories today:
AI Under Big Tech Control! Major technology companies pouring money into artificial intelligence could come to dominate the emerging technology, Aleph Alpha GmbH CEO Jonas Andrulis said. Dive in to know how that will pan out here.
Top Tech Companies Bleeding Staff! A bunch of companies in the technology sector have been laying off some of their employees recently after quickly ramping up hiring during the COVID-19 pandemic while people spent more time and money online. Now, the firing has started. Know all about it here.
AI and its dangers! As in the rest of the world, both the wonders and absurdities of AI are increasingly visible in Latin America. The difference is that the region is among the world's most unequal when it comes to not only income but also technology. The question for both corporations and regulators is how to use the rise of AI to narrow that divide. Check out what is happening here.
One more thing! We are now on WhatsApp Channels! Follow us there so you never miss any updates from the world of technology. To follow the HT Tech channel on WhatsApp, click here to join now!


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Stocks are trading on fear, so by definition much of this action is irrational; bonds now look extremely expensive and stocks look cheap on a relative basis.
The downgrade will have a far more serious affect on China than just eroding the value of its reserves, but there are no easy solutions. The most serious problem in the short term is inflation, which will get worse as investors shift away from U.S. dollars and into commodities.
China has become known as the epicenter for a wide variety of counterfeit consumer products, but a trend has emerged over the past few years of faking full retail operations.
This has been a horrendous period to own stocks thanks to the drama surrounding the debt deal, Cramer said, but he sees opportunity once the deal is done.
The week's top business news and investment advice, including debt bets and commodities plays.
After the worst week for stocks in a year, should you hold your nose and buy? Will you kick yourself later if you don't pull the trigger, now?
Here's our Fast Money Final Trade. Our gang gives you tomorrow's best trades, right now!
”I wouldn’t go piling into Starbucks at $41,” says trader Guy Adami. That’s his gut reaction after the stock popped in extended trade on better than expected earnings.
Stocks reversed course in the final hour of trading to end lower Thursday amid thin volume as investors nervously awaited a key vote on a bill to cut the U.S. deficit in Congress this evening.
Stocks declined in the final hour of trading Thursday amid thin volume as investors nervously awaited a key vote on a bill to cut the U.S. deficit in Congress this evening.
With Brazil's stock market trading in bear territory, is the global growth engine - otherwise known as the BRIC nations - starting to sputter out?
The Fast Money traders weigh in on coffee trades, and plays on stocks set to pop or drop.
It's not so much the company...it's the sector and a desperate grab for alpha (outperformance). I've been asked why a tea company, which yesterday was pricing 7.14 million shares at $13-$15, priced at $17, and opened at $28.95 (!). Here's the answer...
Stocks added to gains Thursday, led by techs, after a handful of positive economic news and ahead of a key vote on a bill to cut the U.S. deficit in Congress.
Americans' craving for coffee is growing and that should mean a boost for Starbucks, UBS senior analyst David Palmer told CNBC Thursday. "One thing about coffee in this country is, behavior is shifting," he said. People are "moving toward the good stuff."
The coffee battle just got a bit more competitive as Dunkin Brands debuted on the Nasdaq. Insight on what the Street is expecting, with David Palmer, UBS senior restaurant/packaged food analyst.
Another product scandal has hit China. But instead of exporting tainted products to America such as when unscrupulous executives sent foul-smelling drywall destined for homes in Florida or produced lead coated toys for Mattel, this time Chinese executives allegedly have been bilking their own countrymen.
See what's happening, who's talking and what will be making headlines on Thursday's Squawk on the Street.
CEO Travis on Dunkin' Donuts IPO, franchise model, profitability and competition.
Shares of Dunkin' Brands soared more than 33 percent in their debut Wednesday, and are now up over 40 percent amid strong investor demand.

domain: news


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US wants APEC-wide free trade pact
Tokyo, November 5:
The United States has sounded out its Asian and Pacific partners on the possibility of creating a regional free trade agreement as a ‘middle- and long-term’ objective, a press report stated today. The US administration would seek an agreement on its regional FTA proposal during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Hanoi on November 18-19, the newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported. The 21-nation APEC was launched in 1989 under the initiative of Japan, Australia and other countries, with the US one of its key members.
The US State Department had approached the Japanese foreign and trade ministries in October and said Washington wanted to discuss the possibility of an APEC-wide FTA, the daily quoted Japanese government sources as saying. The State Department said a multi-lateral FTA in the As-ia-Pacific region “may not be easy, but is important as a middle-and long-term objective”, the daily reported.


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Xi3 Piston isn't a Steam Machine so it can play non-Steam games
9 years ago
Stardock's Star Control to be a prequel, release date to be decided next year
Steambox gets unboxing, teardown videos
Piston controller to be co-developed by Scuf
Sony "can't afford to ignore SteamOS", says Gara
Xi3 teases more information for Piston console
Valve hardware news "rolling out" next week, Newell promises Linuxcon
Piston: Xi3 "asked to build a product specifically for Valve"
10 years ago
Steambox testing to kick off in three to four months
Gabe Newell's DICE 2013 talk covers cloud gaming, next-gen, and Steambox
Newell: Steambox racing against Apple, not consoles
This changes everything: Valve enters console race
SteamBox - Gabe Newell confirms Valve-made hardware
2013 – the year PC gaming disrupts the console business
Valve to reveal Linux-based Steambox in 2013 - report
Valve hardware division hoping to launch public beta next year
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Digicel has announced the launch a wireless broadband service for residential customers over its WiMAX 802.16e network. Offered under the Personal Broadband brand, the service follows the launch of a corporate offering in December 2005. The new service allows Digicel customers to access the internet at speeds ranging from 512kbps to 4Mbps. ‘Digicel is one of just a few mobile operators in the world to commercially launch an 802.16e ready network for personal broadband service. By choosing a standard-based technology, Digicel is driving innovation. As devices continue to evolve, we will strive to ensure our customers have access to the best services using cutting-edge technology,’ said Digicel Group CTO Mario Assaad.
Digicel will roll out Personal Broadband services to other markets deemed viable in the near future, in addition to building on its current fixed wireless broadband voice, data and internet service offerings to corporate customers in the Cayman and Jamaican markets.


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But despite the recent weakness, I’ll be sticking with my Molson shares, as I continue to have a good deal of confidence that the stock remains considerably undervalued.
In my opinion, Molson has been unfairly punished by the market following its acquisition of the rights to SAB Miller’s U.S. Miller Coors portfolio for US$12 billion in 2015.
Granted, so far that deal has looked like a bit of a “bust”; since it was closed, North American beer markets have struggled to stay afloat.
Traditional beer brands like Coors Light, Budweiser, Millers, and Canadian have been awash with competition from upstart craft brewers that have been successful in tapping into their market shares, so to speak, stealing brew bucks out of the wallets of beer drinkers.
And that couldn’t really come at a worse time for Molson, which is now busy trying to pay down the debt it took on to finance the Miller Coors purchase and has as a result had to suspend any forthcoming dividend increases.
But TAP stock still yields 2.57%, and while that’s still more than the current yield on 10-year Government of Canada bonds, some are wary that the company has overextended itself with the Miller purchase and, as a result, no longer has the financial flexibility it once did to make such types of transformative acquisitions.
However, the reality is that following a string of merger and acquisition activity that swelled over the brewing industry in recent years, the result today is a market that is heavily concentrated in less than a handful of names, including Molson, Anheuser Busch Inbev, Heinekin N.V., and you could even add Boston Beer Company to that list as well.
Barring some unforeseen event, there probably isn’t a lot of jockeying left to do among the major beer brewers, and Molson is more than likely just fine where it sits today as one of North America’s largest beer brewers.
Sure, it’s true that craft beers have been gaining popularity in recent years, and maybe this is a trend that many pundits didn’t see coming. But this trend is, by now, nothing new. One has to expect is that at least some of this is at least being “priced in” to current expectations and some (including me) might argue that the trend might actually be over-hyped compared to the underlying reality.
Well, for one, as a beer drinker myself, I can’t help but notice that now we are a few years into the emergence of craft breweries, those breweries appear to be foraying into distant niches of the market with their innovative experiments for new flavours of the foamy suds.
Cider beers gained popularity several years ago to be followed in kind by “radler,” or grapefruit beers, but when brewers start coming out with flavours like “maple bacon coffee beer” and “peanut butter banana,” one has to wonder if perhaps they’ve run out of options, maybe they’ve been getting high on their own supply, or maybe it’s a little of both.
Regardless of whether the craft brew market has already reached a saturation point or not, the fact remains that smaller upstart operators still don’t have the budget necessary to compete on advertising the same way that multi-billion-dollar corporations like Molson, AB Inbev, and others do.
Meanwhile, if you’re one of those that wonders if maybe the emergent trend towards liberalizing cannabis laws globally could threaten the beer industry, you may want to consider the headlines that were made a day after Tesla CEO Elon Musk smoked a blunt live on a YouTube podcast.
While pot may in fact become legal in several international markets over the next several years — at least as far as medicinal applications go for now — old habits die hard, and it’s tough to envision a scenario where Molson Coors, which currently trades at a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of under 11 times, is not a significantly bigger company in three, five, and 10 years from now.
Stay smart. Stay hungry. Stay Foolish.


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Last week, Apple launched the iPhone 7 and the Apple Watch series 2 (two of its most anticipated gadgets) at a special event in San Francisco that was live-streamed worldwide. But what few people know is that the whole presentation was actually a sham concocted to divert attention from Apple’s most ambitious plan ever: the ‘Analogue Internet’.
The project, which has been kept confidential until now, is likely to become one of the technological revolutions of the decade. It will be easy to use, environmentally-friendly and, crucially, wireless. And if Apple is right, it will completely change the rules of the game.
People don’t know what they want until we show it to them
But what exactly is the Analogue Internet?
The idea is simple: to replace all digital apps with analogue alternatives. And the results are simply amazing.
Apple executive Dan Riccio gives more details:
Facebook will be replaced by ‘an album of photos of your friends looking great and having fun’. Instead of Twitter, the Analogue Internet will have ‘Oscar Wilde quotes and some smart ass comments’. In the same line, Tinder, Grindr and other dating apps will be easily replaced by booze. For those fond of video games, the Analogue Internet will also have its own version of Pokémon Go, the ‘augmented reality’ game. It will have exactly the same features as the digital version – except for the Pokémon.
As is usually the case with Apple, it all started with an epiphany from its CEO. As Tim Cook recalls:
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We were getting wasted at Silicon Bar (a pub near the office), brainstorming over some Margaritas, when it suddenly hit me: Yin, Yang, Taoism, close your eyes and hit the mark. Then I knew I could sell something even more useless for more money.
The prototype testing results indicate that most users won’t tell the difference between the digital and the analogue versions. The benefits are obvious. As Cook points out:
Forget about battery. Forget about interfaces. Forget about being online. Those are things of the past.
And this is likely to be just the beginning. With the Analogue Internet, Apple opens up a whole world of new possibilities. As Cook says:
Imagine e-books made of paper, or wind-up watches. We could even create our own paper money and kiss PayPal goodbye. This changes everything. It changes the way we see technology, the way we relate to each other.
The Analogue Internet will be released next Christmas, but Apple is already accepting pre-orders for a mere £2,000. The company is strongly encouraging people to run and buy it as soon as possible, as it will be rendered obsolete by a new version to be released the following year.
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The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.
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CHESAPEAKE, Va. - Saturday mornings are busy for Metro Diner as visitors enjoyed their breakfast and the staff moved around, filling orders, cooking, and bringing those orders to the guests.
Metro Diner is once again a featured restaurant during this year’s “Restaurant Week” in Chesapeake. It is the first one the city is promoting during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"You know, I'm curious to see what it does to Restaurant Week,” Willoughby Nute, the diner’s managing partner told News 3 in the middle of the rush.
Nute helped the staff in the kitchen. At one point he asked a cook, “Can you plate me a beautiful chicken-and-waffles?” one of the diner’s signature dishes, according to Nute.
Just a short drive, the staff at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue was getting their restaurant ready for the day. They too have seen an impact from the pandemic.
"We just had to adapt to a slow pace since when we opened and we were at a high volume,” Demetrye Wells, the restaurant’s general manager, said.
L&L Hawaiian Barbecue is participating in its first Restaurant Week. The restaurant opened last November.
Either way, the two said are hopeful and ready.
"A much larger portion of our business is to-go and delivery, now operating with 50 percent capacity,” Nute explained. “We've been able to survive on that to-go and delivery-food."
"Also, making sure we follow all COVID regulations,” Wells said, “that way when our guests come in they know we're practicing all the safe practices."
Both restaurants are requiring guests to wear a face mask before entering and to social distance.
"We're doing what we can during the pandemic,” Nute said. “Hopefully, like I said, new people will choose to get us for delivery."
Depending on what your tastes buds are going for, you could go for L&L Hawaiian's Restaurant Week Special. Like mentioned, there is also the chicken-and-waffles from Metro Diner.
The two restaurants have a greater selection of foods to choose from.
"We get food in mouths and people fall in love with us,” Nute said, when asked what he is looking forward to this year’s Restaurant Week.
As for Wells, he said he hopes people, “enjoy our food, that's pretty much it."
Restaurant Week started on Friday and goes through Friday, Oct. 23. The purpose of the week is to “celebrate Chesapeake's flourishing culinary scene,” according to its website.
Menu items range in price from between $10-$50. For a full list of participants, click here.


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Sales of new passenger vehicles in China continued to rebound strongly in August 2022, by 29% year on year to 1.87m units from weak year earlier levels, according to retail data released by the report by the China Passenger Car Association.
The market last month benefited from the significant pent up demand which resulted from the widespread Covid lockdowns in the first half of the year and are still ongoing, and rising, in some cities.
In addition, the government in June halved vehicle purchase tax to 5% from 10%, until the end of 2022, on fuel efficient passenger vehicles costing up to CNY300,000 (US$45,000) to help the auto industry recover.
CPCA said deliveries of passenger vehicles to dealers, aka wholesales, surged 38% to 2.1 million units last month from the weak year earlier level when shipments were severely affected by supply chain shortages. Dealer stock recovered in the last two months which the association said would help stabilise the retail market.
Nio sales jumped 82% year over year to 10,677 units in August, and were 28% higher at 71,556 units in the first eight months of the year, while Xpeng deliveries rose 33% to 9,578 units last month and 96% to 90,085 year to date.
BYD said its global sales rose 188% to 173,977 units in August with cumulative eight-month sales reaching 977,857.
In contrast, Li Auto sales plunged 52% to 4,571 vehicles last month.


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Flit smashes Kickstarter target in five minutes
The Flit-16, a brand new generation of folding electric bike developed in Cambridge by an ex-Jaguar Land Rover engineer, passed its Kickstarter funding goal goal of £25,000 within five minutes on Tuesday morning (July 30).
By Friday the new campaign was 300 per cent funded with more than 60 backers and £85,000 committed. Designed over three years by Dave Henderson, formerly a Jaguar Land Rover engineer and Alex Murray, whose experience is in public policy and business, the Flit boasts a aluminium-enclosed battery built into the top tube. It weighs 14kg and has a range of 30 miles on a single charge thanks to a 250Wh battery using the latest generation of LG cells.
Business was brisk on Tuesday.
"Super early bird bikes sold out in two minutes, early bird bikes were all gone after 24 hours," Alex told the Cambridge Independent. "We still have bikes for the first batch available at £1,500 plus shipping, but these are now starting to go as well."
The success of the crowdfunding campaign delighted Alex, leaving the firm with the pleasant task of deciding where the investment goes next.
"The additional sales through Kickstarter are all treated like normal sales," Alex explained. "Most of the money raised goes towards making and shipping the ebikes, and running the company. Anything left over will be reinvested in R&D as we have a few more projects that we now want to develop.
"For us, the importance of the target was to get above the minimum order quantity thresholds of our suppliers. Reaching these thresholds now means that we can get started on the manufacturing process, which will take about six months, and prepare shipping, which takes about two months.
"We have taken this as a solid vote of confidence in what we are doing, so will be looking to grow in the future. Right now though we are 100 per cent focused on finishing this launch campaign well and delivering ebikes to the people who have shown faith in what we are doing."
The first Flits, which offer a robust - and significantly cheaper - alternative to the iconic Brompton brand, are due to be shipped in March.
"We're really looking forward to delivering that first ebike to a customer next spring," concluded Alex. "It's going to be a special moment!"
More by this authorMike Scialom
This website and its associated newspaper are members of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO)


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A Great Data Debate: Keep it Fluid and Future-focused
by co-[wire] stone thinkers Zach Melchiori, Neil Michel, Kevin Gamache. And a little help from me.
The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce took a hard stance in the online privacy debate last week, stating that self-regulating marketers are not doing enough to keep consumer information safe. The FTC released a 79-page report that advocates the creation of a “Do Not Track” system that would require online marketers to disclose what information they gather from users, how they use the information, how long they store it, and ultimately, provide a way for users to opt out of any tracking mechanisms.
Regulators have increased their attention towards online privacy after recent highly publicized security gaffes like Google’s WiFi data collection and what seem like weekly privacy concerns over Facebook’s ever expanding collection of personal data. The FTC notes that their main concern is the use of a user’s web history and personally identifiable information to customize a user’s experience.
The idea behind “Do Not Track” has been compared to the popular National “Do Not Call” registry. However, a similar approach to online tracking is unlikely to gain momentum since users now access the web thorough multiple computers and a variety of devices. What is more likely to occur is an expanded emphasis on the “privacy mode” capabilities of modern web browsers.
What the FTC and the Department of Commerce either fail to realize or have chosen not to publicly acknowledge is that behavior tracking in general is a benevolent movement toward the creation of higher-value, more personal and therefore relevant experiences on the web. Tracking helps users find the signal in the noise. To [wire] stone, if an 'ad' or personalized content offering actually helped you solve your problem or relieve your pain, then technology actually acted in your interest.
Two sides in the debated have emerged from the fog: 1. those who come from a cold-war "privacy and paranoia" paradigm that distrusts systems perceived to be out of our "control" (Leslie Stahl described this user as a “fuddy-duddy” when referring to privacy concerns at Facebook on Sunday’s 60 Minutes), versus 2. younger internet denizens who accept the notion that technology can enhance our lives despite the fact that we do not control it and often do not understand how it works.
The debate over online privacy is likely to continue unabated for a while as parties on both sides tout the benefits and drawbacks of online tracking. The real debate, though, should be about whether or not the value that marketers, search providers, social networks, and other intermediaries assign to tracking is outweighed by the fear of losing control of personal data. Our hope is that all parties understand the “best and highest use” of our digitized world and exploit the personalized relevancy new tracking tools and techniques are creating every day – that we not fold in response to those who prefer “shotgun” marketing approaches that we know under-serve both marketer and consumer.
Reach us directly:
Zach Melchiori -- email@example.com
Neil Michel -- neil firstname.lastname@example.org
Kevin Gamache -- email@example.com


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Exports dip by 2.7%-A A +A
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
LOWER sales of semiconductors, among others, led the country’s total export performance to decline by 2.7 percent in January, the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) reported.
However, agricultural exports grew by 33.3 percent to US$388.9 million, compared to the same month last year.
Manufactured exports, overall, declined in January. Among the hardest hit were semiconductors (-23.2 percent), electronic data processing (-72.7 percent), copper metal (-78.9 percent), communication radars (-63.7 percent), consumer electronics (-53.4 percent), and machinery and transport equipment (-3.4 percent).
Neda tried to soften the blow, saying it expects improvements later this year.
“The annual gain of worldwide chip sales recorded suggests an improvement for the industry for the year,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan.
Based on a report of the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), worldwide chip sales recorded an annual gain of 3.8 percent.
“Moreover, more orders for semiconductor equipment may be expected as indicated by the upward trend of book-to-bill ratios in major electronics production hubs like the United States and Japan,” the Neda director-general said in a press statement.
Balisacan also said the decline in semiconductors may be attributed to the lower value of shipments to Singapore, the People’ Republic of China, the US and Japan, which accounted for more than half (51.6 percent) of the country’s semiconductor revenues.
Other manufactured exports that also declined year-on-year during the period were garments (-41.7 percent), miscellaneous manufactures (-13.9 percent), textile yarns/fabrics (-9.2 percent), iron and steel (-6.1 percent) and baby carriages and toys (-6.1 percent).
However, total agro-based exports were up by 33.3 percent from US$291.7 million and a 12.4 percent contraction in January last year.
The Neda statement attributed this growth to higher exports of bananas (151.7 percent), coconut oil (27.3 percent), copra meal/cake (380.8 percent), centrifugal and refined sugar (28.9 percent), natural rubber (222.3 percent), molasses (83.1 percent), pineapple concentrates (181.8 percent), pineapple juice (26.2 percent), fish products (1.9 percent) and ramie fibers (100.0 percent).
“It should be noted that despite the damage caused by Typhoon Pablo in major banana plantations during the latter part of 2012, exports of bananas sustained robust growth in January 2013,” Balisacan said.
Petroleum exports also grew by 53.9 percent in January 2013 to US$72.8 million.
Japan was the top market, accounting for 19.2 percent of total exports from the Philippines. Following Japan were the Republic of Korea with a 14.1 percent share, the US (13.0 percent), China (10.5 percent), and Hong Kong (8.2 percent).
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on March 13, 2013.


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‘It is a unique business that has done brilliantly over the last couple of years,' he said.
'It has been around for quite a long time, but they had some issues with over-expansion in terms of stores around the UK probably about four or five years ago.’
Since then, Wotton explains there has been a change of management.
‘The current management team has really honed the business by focusing on their demographic, which is a combination of teenage and early twenties men, who are sort of discovering it for the first time, and late 40s to late 50s men, who probably discovered it 20 to 30 years ago.’
Investors have responded positively to the measures put in place by the new management team, with Games Workshop's share price up 102% over the past 12 months.
Wotton and AAA-rated co-manager Brendan Gulston feel particularly positive about Games Workshop’s low capital expenditure. For example, its stores are typically not on the high street and tend to be 'destination stores', resulting in lower overheads.
While some investors have concerns about Games Workshop's store-based model, Wotton (pictured) takes a different view.
'Long-term, does this sort of thing get superseded by online? Actually it has not happened. There have been a number of years where that could have happened and it hasn't.’
In fact, looking ahead the fund manager believes Games Workshop's online presence can drive the business forward.
‘They have online community groups and they get a lot of feedback through the online channels about what is working and what is not,’ he explains.
The fund manager puts the company's strong performance down to its store rollout, particularly in the US.
Wotton adds that Games Workshop has used data from its online proposition to better understand their customers before they launch a store.
‘If they want to go into Germany, for example, they already know where there are people who are enthusiastic about this product because they are already engaging with it online.’
This is why Wotton believes there is huge growth potential for store rollouts across different countries.
‘It is not just a UK thing, it is an international community of people who are enthusiasts for the Warhammer game and therefore are prepared to pay what, to a average person, would be quite a large amount of money to buy these models,' he explained.
He adds that customers are willing to spend hundreds of pounds on buying a model to paint and to use in these games.
‘What they [Games Workshop] have tapped into is this international community of people who are hugely enthusiastic about the game and product,’ Wotton said.
No direct competitor
The fund manager notes that there is no direct competitor anywhere near the scale of the success of the Warhammer game.
‘It has been good earnings growth story. Their policy is to pay out any excess cash they generate as a dividend,’ he noted.
Since launch in June 2017, LF Livingbridge UK Multi Cap Income has performed strongly. Over the 12 months to the end of July, the managers have returned 16.8% versus 5.3% by the average fund in the UK equity income sector.


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Here's a wonderful article in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:
One small error. The article mentions that Tomie autographed at the Brooklyn Book Festival. But instead, Tomie was scheduled to autograph for Boulevard Books in Brooklyn. The store moved the autographing to an auditorium in a Catholic school in an Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn, and he signed for four hours.


text: Imperva says it has designed its Web application firewall to fit into networks in four different modes to let customers pick the one that best fits their needs.The SecureSphere Web Application Firewall devices can be installed inline as a bridge, off a span port in monitoring mode, as a reverse proxy to terminate traffic before passing it along, and as a router performing network address translation. The routing option is a new feature.Earlier versions of Web application firewalls typically had just one or two deployment modes, says Andrew Jacquith, a senior security analyst with the Yankee Group.SecureSphere sits inline to protect the Web reservation system that books half the rooms for Accor North America, which owns more than 1,200 hotels, including Motel 6 and Red Roof Inn, says Harvey Ewing, senior director of IT security for the firm.But when he first installed it last year, he did so in monitoring mode while the device and his staff learned what normal traffic looked like. After a week, the company placed it inline and had it block attacks, particularly cross-site scripting and SQL injection attacks. "It will notice if a SQL-injection attack occurs - it's not a quick attack; it takes several steps - and it stops it," says Ewing.The device will flag new URLs that users call on so administrators can check whether they are legitimate new ones or part of an attack. SecureSphere also detects new, legitimate application code that is not written according to policy and may be accessing backend databases improperly, Ewing says. In such cases, the applications can be referred to development teams for rewriting.Because the device can intercept and decrypt SSL sessions independently, it gives Ewing more visibility into what is in SSL traffic hitting servers. "Before it was difficult to detect what was in an SSL session," he says.Most customers deploy the devices in monitoring mode first to determine what its capabilities are and to get a handle on what their traffic patterns are like, says, Shlomo Kramer Imperva's founder, president and CEO. He says more than 90% of customers install the devices in bridge mode, which adds no new IP address to the network. "It's just a bump in the wire," he says, performing inspection without affecting performance.Imperva is also announcing a new, high-end model of SecureSphere, called the G16 that supports up to 2Gbps throughput. Pricing for the new box starts at $30,000. In addition, the existing smaller G8 and G4 models are now available in fault-tolerant models that have extra fans and power supplies. The devices can now be installed in redundant pairs as well so if one device fails, its pair can take over.In addition, the company is announcing that Imperva SecureSphere software is available for Crossbeam multi-server platforms.


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The weekend auction market has started 2016 with encouraging results, indicating a continuation of the solid sellers’ market evident over the latter part of last year.
Although auction numbers are relatively small at this time of the year, Saturday’s results are nonetheless positive for both sellers and buyers in Melbourne.
Saturday’s clearance rate of 74.1 per cent was marginally higher than the 68.9 per cent recorded on December 19, which concluded the 2015 market, and also above the 72.7 per cent recorded during the same weekend in 2015. This weekend’s result was also the highest January Saturday clearance rate recorded in Melbourne since the strong market conditions of 2010 – five years ago.
At the weekend, 98 auctions were listed, which was well above the 57 auctions recorded during the same weekend in 2015. This continues the trend evident over December, with sharply higher auction numbers reflecting continued seller confidence in the local market. In total, 3558 weekend auctions were listed in December compared with 3253 in December 2014.
Notable sales reported at the weekend included a four-bedroom home at 4 Pine Hill Drive, Doncaster East, sold for $1.07 million by Barry Plant; a four-bedroom home at 2 Cotswold Close, Vermont, sold for $960,000, also by Barry Plant; a three- bedroom home at 18 Avon Road, Avonsleigh, sold for $880,000 by Stockdale and Leggo; a two-bedroom unit at 92/189 Beaconsfield Parade, Middle Park, sold by Cayzer Real Estate for $875,000; and a three-bedroom home at 173 Stockmans Way, Kensington, sold for $851,000 by masonmeredith.
The most expensive property reported sold at auction at the weekend was a three-bedroom home at 8 Phillipdale Court, Ferntree Gully, sold for $1,255,000 by Ray White Bayswater. The most affordable property reported sold at the weekend was a three-bedroom home at 2/23 Leveque Loop, Craigieburn, sold for $280,000 by Ray White Craigieburn.
Although early in the 2016 auction season, Saturday’s results are a clear indication that robust results can be expected in the Melbourne market, similar to those recorded over the latter part of 2015.
The Melbourne weekend auction market tracked backwards over 2015, following a surge in activity over autumn. The clearance rate peaked at nearly 85 per cent in May, but finished the year steady at just under 70 per cent. The market, however, remained clearly in favour of sellers, with all regions and price ranges continuing to find buyers.
Unsurprisingly, lower clearance rates translated into a decrease in the level of house price growth. Melbourne prices retreated from the boom-time 6 per cent increase recorded over the June quarter to a more sustainable 1.8 per cent rise recorded over the December quarter.
The Melbourne market is set to begin 2016 confidently, with clearance rates and prices growth likely to match those reported at the end of 2015. An improving local economy has been a significant factor in prices growth over the past year and will continue to underpin solid local market confidence.
Results from the weekend’s relatively low auction numbers provide an early insight into market dynamics. However, as auction activity rises over coming weekends, a clearer view of the market will be revealed.
Next weekend just over 200 auctions will be conducted in Melbourne, providing a broader representation of regions and price ranges than this weekend’s offerings.
But clearly, Saturday was a good start to the year for a still-solid Melbourne weekend home auction market.
Dr Andrew Wilson is Domain Group’s chief economist.


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The craft beer craze has taken hold of the nation and the world, and Orlando is certainly no exception.
Our City Beautiful and the surrounding area is home to more than three dozen breweries, and that number is climbing every month. If you count breweries along Florida’s Space Coast and in Lakeland, the total number of breweries grows to more than 50.
Chris Rock, co-owner of Rockpit Brewing in Orlando’s SoDo District, said many beer drinkers have been waking up to beverages that aren’t your average, mass-produced American pilsner or lager.
“They go to a brewery, they enjoy themselves and find out that there’s something beyond Bud Light and Naturday and Coors Light,” Rock said. “Even drinking something as innocuous as a light beer or a blonde, that’s the starting point for most people.”
Good beer, Rock said, is something that many people desire, even if they didn’t know it was out there.
“The biggest thing is there’s so much more availability now, and people have tastebuds,” Rock said. “I’m not disparaging, but it’s like going to a fast food restaurant versus a Burger-Fi or something like that.”
Plus, Rock said breweries have a more inclusive atmosphere than your average liquor bar.
“People go to breweries to enjoy themselves with their friends and family,” Rock said. “Most breweries allow you to bring in your dog or your kids.”
Orlando brewery news
Since late last year, Orlando has seen the introduction of five new breweries in the area: Rockpit Brewing, Castle Church Brewing Community, Oviedo Brewing Co., Sideward Brewing Co. and Tactical Brewing Co.
These new watering holes are spread out geographically and each have their own unique offerings. Sideward likes to experiment with IPAs and the occasional cider. Castle Church brings a flavorful Einbecker Ale and a doppelbock while also giving community members a place for worship and bible study. Tactical Brewing is owned and operated by veterans.
In addition to Orlando’s newcomers, the well-established Hourglass Brewing, which is based in Longwood, recently opened a second location in Orlando’s Hourglass District on Curry Ford Road. Bowigens Beer Company in Casselberry is building a new production facility. The Ravenous Pig also just announced an expansion.
Formerly known as Cask & Larder, the Winter Park-based brewers are adding 3,000 square feet of space to their existing operation in what formerly housed an Enterprise Rent-A-Car next to their current location. The new addition will give the company more brewing space and an outdoor beer garden featuring games such as cornhole and shuffleboard.
Yet another brewery, Genetic Brewing, is taking shape in Lake Mary. The small-batch company plans to open in September and will focus on local, seasonal and farmhouse ales.
Trends in beer
Like any industry, craft breweries latch onto plenty of passing fads with some lasting longer than others. One recent trend brewing up in the industry is the “milkshake IPA,” which is brewed with lactose, pectin or oats for thicker, smoothie-like body. Fruit, vanilla and other sugars also tend to be key ingredients.
“Milkshakes are a trend and they’re going to have their peaks and flows. But down here, I don’t think we’ve reached critical mass on those type of styles, like the New England style,” Rock said.
He said sour beers have also taken hold, especially in warm weather.
“Sours are a big trend, and I think it’s going to continue, especially in the hotter climates,” Rock said, “We typically have two or three, Sideward has a couple and Ocean Sun actually has one now.”
One recent brewing trend is even appealing to non-beer drinkers, especially as hard seltzers like White Claw and Truly have taken off.
“When a person that doesn’t like beer goes to a brewery and they see something like a White Claw, they’re going to have that," Rock said “We said, ‘Let’s make our own and see what happens.’ ”
Bottle shops and more
Although there’s no shortage of breweries in the Orlando area, they aren’t the only options for craft beer lovers looking to whet their palate. The City Beautiful also has a number of bottle shops and restaurants that specialize in craft beer distribution.
GB’s Bottle Shop & Tasting Bar on Virginia Drive features rows upon rows of single cans and cases available for carry out, plus a vast selection of draught beers. Their affiliate, The Gnarly Barley in South Orlando, also features an extensive bottle and can list that’s always rotating.
Tuffy’s Bottle Shop in Sanford is also a regular purveyor of local craft brews, as is the recently-opened Whippoorwill Beer House & Package Store on South Street in Orlando. Tin and Taco frequently carries local brews, too.
Rock said that his brewery, Rockpit, has been approached by Orlando bottle shops and Tin and Taco, and that he’s thankful they can help spread good, local beer.
“The cool thing is that every one of those places go to local breweries and say, ‘Do you have beer that I can put in my shop?’” Rock said. “All they want to do is fill their cases with local beer and Florida beer.”
Is there room for one more brewery?
Despite its popularity, Orlando’s ever-expanding beer scene has come with some growing pains.
Things to Do
Red Cypress in Winter Springs recently closed its doors permanently. Orange County Brewers, in a somewhat ironic twist, is shuttering their downtown location and moving to Lake Mary, which is in Seminole County.
These kinds of stories don’t discourage passionate brewers like Rock.
“Every time something goes wrong, people think there’s a bubble. I don’t think so,” Rock said. “There’s enough people in Orlando that you can, in my opinion, facilitate the growth. We’re popular because there wasn’t an easily-accessible brewery in the SoDo District.”
He said it just takes the right strategy and dedication to keep the lights on and people coming in the door.
“Now, you can’t just open up a brewery and expect people to come. For the most part, what it comes down to is word of mouth,” Rock said. “You have to do things to stand out and attract people to the business.”
If you celebrate: Some area breweries will offer International Beer Day specials on Aug. 2. Be sure to check each brewery’s website or social media for the latest updates and deals. Never drink and drive.
Want to get in touch? You can find me on Twitter (@PConnPie), Instagram (@pconnpie) or send me an email: email@example.com.


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The Children’s Lunchbox receives keys to new 2012 Ford Transit
ANCHORAGE – The Children’s Lunchbox, a program of Bean’s Café announces that they will receive the keys to a new 2012 Ford Transit vehicle at the Cal Worthington Ford dealership located at 431 Unga St at 9:00 am on Tuesday October 9, 2012. Upon the recommendation of the local Ford dealership, Ford Motor Company Fund grants new Ford Transits to deserving nonprofits that will use the vehicles for food distribution to the hungry.
The Children’s Lunchbox a local nonprofit feeds children in Anchorage and in the Palmer-Wasilla area. Founded in 1998 it will provide over to 200,000 meals to children in 2012. For more information on The Children’s Lunchbox please contact Lynette Ortolano program director at email@example.com.


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Apple, Inc. AAPL is working on simplifying the method of invoking its voice assistant – Siri, on its hardware products such as iPhones, iPad and Macs.
What Happened: If the efforts come to fruition, a user can just say “Siri” followed by a command instead of “Hey Siri” currently, Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman said in his weekly “Power On” newsletter. The transition is a technical challenge and would require a significant amount of “AI training and underlying engineering work,” he added.
Cupertino has reportedly been working on the switch for several months and is currently testing it out with employees to collect necessary training data, Gurman said. The change will likely be rolled out either in 2023 or 2024, he said.
The challenge is to make Siri understand the single phrase “Siri” in multiple accents and dialects, the Apple specialist said, adding that having two words increases the likelihood of the system properly picking up the signal.
Why It’s Important: While acknowledging that Siri has improved over the years, Gurman said the system even now can often misunderstand users or take the wrong course of action on a request.
“The pace of improvements also hasn’t always kept up with the competition,” he said.
If the shift is made, Apple would be following in the footsteps of Amazon, Inc. AMZN, whose personal assistant can be invoked by simply saying “Alexa” rather than “Hey Alexa,” the Apple writer said. Incidentally, Alphabet, Inc’s GOOGL GOOG Google requires the prompt “OK Google” or “Hey Google.” The company, however, has been working to let users make follow-up requests without repeating the wake word, he added.
The removal of “Hey” in “Hey Siri,” can also speed up back-to-back requests, Gurman said.
“For me, an even better change would be Apple allowing users—by voice—to specify which device they want to trigger,” he said.
Apple closed Friday’s session 0.19% lower at $138.38, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Read Next: How to Buy Apple (AAPL) Stock
© 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.


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Bridgestone launches B290 range tyres in India
Bridgestone, the world's largest tyre manufacturer has launched a new passenger car tyre called the B290 that was developed specifically for the Indian market. The B290 will be available in 25 sizes with varying widths and sidewalls between 12-16 inch rim wheels. This means the B290 could be fitted from entry-level cars like the Tata Nano to premium cars like the VW Jetta.
The company hasn't revealed prices yet but we expect it to be priced around Rs 4,500 a piece when it reaches showrooms by mid October. The B290 has about 50 per cent localized content at present. Vaibhav Saraf, GM sales and marketing, Bridgestone India says that, "with the appreciating Dollar, it is affecting us because of nearly 50 per cent imported raw materials. In order to compete strongly with Indian manufacturers, we will have to increase localized content."
Tomio Fukuzumi, MD, Bridgestone India Pvt Ltd at the unveling of the B290
The B290 has a square tyre profile to the traditional rounded outer sidewall. The company says that this provides a better contact area where the tread touches the road. Other benefits of this profile are minimized shoulder wear and fewer tyre deformations.
The company promises increased tyre life of 10 per cent over its predecessor and also better handling and braking in dry and wet conditions than its existing B250 range that this product is eventually going to replace. The B290 will soon replace the B250 in the replacement tyre market although the company will not pull out the latter completely. OEM commitments for the B250 will continue for over a year more following which the B250 will be phased out.
Speaking on the occasion, Tomio Fukuzumi, Managing Director, Bridgestone India Pvt. Ltd said "We are pleased to offer B290 to the Indian Consumers as the product has great features that allow better tyre life and fuel efficiency."
Bridgestone has 2700 exclusive stores at present in India at present with plans to expand it to 3800 outlets by 2018. The company has two plants in the country, one at Kheda in MP and the other at Chakan, that was inaugurated in February 2013. Cumulatively, the company makes 20,000 passenger car tyres per day and around 1500 truck and bus tyres per day.
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- 2021 Toyota Innova Crysta Limited Edition launched with added tech features, prices unchanged
- 2021 Force Gurkha deliveries begin across India
- Top 10 best selling cars in India 2021 - Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai dominate


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Plastic-Free July is a worldwide annual initiative aimed at reducing the use of single-use plastics and encouraging businesses and consumers to find more responsible alternatives.
Waste360 spoke with Christy Leavitt, Oceana’s plastics campaign director, to learn more about the companies that are doing this well now and what else can be done. Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. We talk reuse, policy and the momentum that is building around the plastics crisis.
Waste360: As part of the plastics-crisis campaign, you use the powerful statistic that, "A garbage truck's worth of plastic ends up in the ocean every minute." Over the past few years, are you seeing real momentum among companies that understand the magnitude of the problem and their role in being part of the solution?
Awareness around the plastic pollution problem, and the desire to address it, has spread greatly over the last few years among both consumers and decision-makers — but we need that acknowledgment to translate into meaningful corporate and political action.
While many smaller companies are innovating their products in ways that don’t require plastic packaging, the multinational companies that supply Americans with most of their everyday items have been stubbornly clinging to recycling commitments and waste-management solutions that have proven unsuccessful for decades.
When pressed on the issue, executives of these large corporations will freely express their concern around plastic pollution, but they refuse to pivot from plastic to sustainable — preferably refillable and reusable — alternatives. We need companies to do more than acknowledge the issue; we need them to commit to real reductions in their use of plastic. And we need policymakers to pass legislation on the local, state and federal level to ensure they do so.
Waste360: What are the main hurdles you’ve seen for companies that wish to incorporate refillable or reusable programs but do not know where to start?
For a company to pivot from plastic packaging to refillable or reusable alternatives, they often need to re-envision how a product is delivered to — and sometimes collected from — the consumer. We’re already seeing this kind of innovation across multiple economic sectors, with companies establishing new business models to change how we consume.
- The Wally Shop in Brooklyn, New York, has implemented a reusable delivery system to deliver groceries to customers in reusable packaging like organic cotton mesh bags, resealable glass jars and totes. The company charges a fee per piece of reusable packaging provided, and the price of this deposit is deducted from the customer’s next delivery, at which point old packaging is taken back to be cleaned and reused.
- Loop is experimenting with a new business model that uses reusable product containers. The company delivers packaged consumer goods, including food, in reusable containers to customers for a deposit. It offers products from dozens of brands — detergent, shampoo, mouthwash and even groceries — in steel, glass and durable plastic reusable containers. The products arrive in a Loop Tote, and used containers are placed back in the tote and left on the doorstep for pickup. Loop’s product containers are then cleaned, refilled and shipped out again.
- In Switzerland, consumers can pay for reusable to-go cups and containers when they order takeout at any of 1,000-plus restaurants that have partnered with the company reCIRCLE. Through reCIRCLE, these items can be returned to any other partner restaurant for a full refund, at which point they’ll be washed and provided to the next customer. Customers can also choose to keep the containers or take them home and reuse them before returning.
- Refill stations have also started popping up for consumer goods. For example, Ecopod refill stations in Florida supply eco-friendly laundry detergent, fabric softener, liquid dish soap, dishwasher gel and all-purpose cleaner. Customers bring their empty Ecopod containers to the refill kiosks and select what they would like dispensed.
Companies like these have provided a jumping-off point for the world’s necessary switch to a zero-waste economy, creating innovative business models that prove we can move away from throwaway living. A “refill and reuse” economy is in our sights. As more corporations follow the lead of plastic-free pioneers by transitioning to new ways of packaging products, we’ll finally be on the path to safeguarding this planet for future generations.
Waste360: And what are the main hurdles in getting customers to adapt refillable, reusable, or plastic-free packaging and products? (For instance, is there still a need for significant investment in customer education to get people to understand why it is important to look for these kinds of solutions, or is it more important to show them how/how easy it is to make these sorts of changes?)
The biggest obstacle in shifting from a throwaway society to a refillable, reusable, zero-waste one is getting companies to break free from plastic and innovate. Consumers have long expressed dissatisfaction with companies’ excessive use of single-use plastic, yet the world’s largest corporations have resisted evolution and instead relied on plastic recycling and other inadequate solutions. Public support for plastic-free products has been clear, with 55% of Americans believing companies are not doing enough to reduce plastic waste, and two-thirds of Americans expressing a willingness to pay more for everyday items made out of environmentally sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic.
Oceana has also conducted polls outside of the U.S. showing consumer support for corporate and political action to reduce single-use plastic. A poll released last month by Oceana Canada revealed that 86% of Canadians support a national ban on single-use plastics by 2021 — up from a reported 81% last year. Our Oceana Europe colleagues last year polled U.K. residents, 83% of whom believed businesses were not doing enough to reduce plastic waste, and 74% of whom thought the government is doing too little to curb plastic in the oceans.
Waste360: Can you tell us more about Oceana's vision for reusable packaging and delivery systems – and how to make these viable on a mass scale?
It's absolutely possible for companies to make reusable packaging and delivery systems viable on a mass scale. Don't forget: We once lived without plastic. Beverage companies, for example, once relied entirely on refillable bottle systems — there's no reason we can't do that today while applying new technologies to increase sustainability and convenience for consumers.
Many companies have already provided a jumping-off point for the world's necessary switch to a zero-waste economy, creating innovative business models that prove we can move away from throwaway living.
It’s critical that companies sufficiently invest in programs testing new reusable/refillable business models so that consumers are offered enough of the products they want, with the convenience they expect, to make the program viable. Take Loop for example. A consumer is unlikely to pay the deposit for a Loop Tote delivery if the online store doesn’t offer enough relevant products to fill the tote and make it worth it. Reusable/refillable business models will succeed if consumers are given the options they need, and that requires companies currently relying on single-use plastic to invest in the future.
Some companies like Ecopod, Lush, and Blueland are having success with product-refill models and/or removing excess water and eliminating the need for plastic packaging. Are you seeing any similar developments/R&D from any of the larger players in the cleaning- or personal-care products arena? What would you say to a big company that says, "Our customers want to buy our product in the same container they have always bought it in?"
While the switch from plastic-packaged shampoo, conditioner and body wash to plastic-free bars started with smaller companies like Lush, we’re slowly seeing larger players get on board. For example, L’Oreal announced last month that it plans to introduce more sustainable products like solid shampoo bars under its flagship Garnier brand. While L’Oreal’s plan to transition to zero-waste packaging for some of its products is admirable, we need to see a broader commitment to ditching single-use plastic packaging — whether it’s recyclable or not — among leading consumer goods providers.
Waste360: Do you have any examples of companies that have seen costs go down and/or profits go up when they have moved away from single-use plastics?
Lush discovered that by nixing plastic packaging, they actually saved money — which they could then invest into extra staff and training. More from their website: “Some time ago a TV company asked us to cost a typical shower gel for a consumer program. In doing this it became obvious that the packaging was a larger part of the manufacturing cost than the contents, and that the bottle label and lid cost more than twice the shower gel itself.”
This 2019 “Reuse” report from the Ellen Macarthur Foundation also lays out business benefits of reusable delivery systems, including “Superior user experiences, user insights, brand loyalty and cost savings.” It lists those benefits specific to each company example it provides.
Waste360: What would you say to companies who are focusing their "sustainability" efforts on using ocean plastic in their products and packaging?
Ocean plastic is going to last for many years, so it doesn’t hurt for companies to make something useful out of it, but recycling, upcycling and cleaning up plastic in the ocean and on beaches will never solve the plastic pollution problem. With plastic production rates projected to quadruple between 2014 and 2050, we can expect increasingly more plastic to flood our oceans, choke marine life and end up in our water, soil, food and air. Only 9% of the plastic waste ever generated has been recycled, and much of the plastic produced every year isn’t recyclable anyway. To stop the massive amount of plastic flooding our oceans, we need companies to prioritize the one real solution to this crisis: reducing the amount of single-use plastic they produce and use.
Waste360: As part of its plastics-crisis campaign, Oceana recently helped in the passing of New York state's ban on styrofoam food and beverage containers and the use of plastic foam packaging peanuts. What is next as far as a particular project or regional effort your team is focused on?
Part of our local- and state-level policy work includes fighting preemption in Florida, where the state legislature has increasingly restricted the ability of cities and counties to govern by passing preemption laws around policies it dislikes, including those that regulate single-use plastics. Local governments have a right to make their own decisions about the regulation of single-use plastic. Their communities are directly affected when plastic contaminates their coastlines and waterways, and these cities and towns are also bearing the costs of managing plastic waste, so they should have the authority to regulate it.
We're urging the state legislature and Gov. DeSantis to put an end to this disturbing trend and place the authority to ban plastic with local governments.
In California, we’re working to pass the California Circular Economy and Pollution Reduction Act, which would be the first state-level bill to mandate source reduction of single-use packaging and disposable foodware, including plates, bowls, cups, stirrers and straws. The bill would require producers to reduce waste from single-use packaging and foodware by 75% by 2030 through source reduction, recycling and composting.
In addition to continuing to push for single-use plastic policies on the local and state level, Oceana is actively working to grow awareness and support around the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, the first-ever comprehensive federal legislation that reduces the production and use of single-use plastic and holds companies responsible for the plastic waste they create.
There isn't a place on Earth untouched by plastic. One way individuals can make a difference during Plastic-Free July is by showing their support for the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act, the first-ever federal legislation that stops plastic pollution at the source by reducing the use of single-use plastic and holding companies accountable for their waste. There is a petition in support of this federal legislation here.


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Mobile represents a highly profitable channel for businesses, one that is critical in attracting new customers as well as retaining existing ones. A Cisco report on mobile growth projected that there will be 5.5 billion global users by 2020, up from 4.8 billion in 2015. Meanwhile, a Forrester Research blog stated that average users interact with their devices up to 200 times per day — amounting to a total of nearly 30 billion mobile moments per day.
Frozen in the Headlights of Mobile-Related Fraud
The benefits of the mobile channel are obvious, including easy, intuitive, on-the-go access to a number of services, such as communication, shopping, online gaming, health care and banking. However, these benefits also open the door to potential fraud — leaving both end users and organizations frozen like a deer in headlights.
During a recent American Banker-sponsored IBM webinar, participants were asked to provide some insight on the level of mobile-related fraud their organizations experience. The results were staggering:
- One-quarter stated that they “have no mobile-related fraud.”
- Seventeen percent stated that they “are not actively monitoring mobile threats.”
Over 40 percent said that mobile-related fraud is not their top concern, which could be due to the following reasons:
- Their end users are not being targeted by mobile malware and therefore are not experiencing mobile fraud.
- They have limited insight into the mobile channel, meaning that they may currently have a problem of which they are completely unaware.
Acknowledging the Problem
Additionally, over 40 percent of respondents acknowledge that they experience mobile-related fraud and are therefore taking the necessary precautions. This should come as no surprise, since 64 percent of organizations that participated in a recent IDG survey reported that mobile is a high priority.
More than half of respondents said that security is “a critical/high-priority concern,” specifically as it relates to mobile. However, 13 percent stated that they do not have mobile-specific visibility. Organizations are not yet individually tracking the various access channels and are assessing the digital channel (both web and mobile) as a whole.
Mobile Security Questions to Consider
Organizations looking to embrace the continuous rise in mobile engagement are faced with security-related questions that may have a direct impact on their capabilities to better detect compromised or vulnerable mobile devices and reduce fraud.
Can We Rely on Built-In Security Controls?
Organizations rely on existing, built-in systems and controls to address the challenges of mobile or cross-channel fraud involving mobile devices. They may be aware of the growing fraud, but because they can’t see the impact within their organizations, they put their faith in existing solutions and delay taking additional steps.
Is Mobile Malware Still in Its Infancy?
Many organizations still consider mobile fraud to be in its infancy and as a result hold off making short- and long-term strategic decisions. This situation, however, cannot remain stagnant and needs to be regularly re-evaluated — sometimes in the face of new security guidelines — as the threat landscape changes.
Is Mobile Security a Top Priority?
For many years, businesses tended to view mobile fraud loss as acceptable and prioritized customer experience, service availability and ease of use over security. This position may have stemmed from the perception that mobile security and a seamless customer experience were mutually exclusive. Businesses that fail to monitor, track and proactively push for customer awareness on the potential risks of the mobile channel may be missing the bigger picture.
Stop Fraud in Its Tracks
The solution you choose to implement to address the challenges listed above should not only cover advanced mobile fraud capabilities, but also correlate a wide range of critical fraud indicators, including malware infections, phishing attacks, compromised credentials and advanced evasion methods. That includes real-time mobile channel risk assessment that helps stop fraud in its tracks while mitigating the risk on the endpoint.
Worried about Mobile Security? Read this white paper


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MILWAUKEE -- Miller Brewing Co. and Coors Brewing Co., the nation's second- and third-largest brewers, are combining their operations, creating a bigger challenger to Anheuser-Busch Cos. -- but also raising the possibility of future job cuts.
For now, longtime Coors executive Leo Kiely will run the newly merged operations of Miller Brewing and Coors Brewing. But Miller President Tom Long is Kiely's heir apparent, and Miller owner SABMiller Plc will be picking MillerCoors' chief when Kiely, 61, retires -- perhaps within a few years.
Those facts emerged from Tuesday morning's Webcast presentation to analysts about the agreement to combine Miller and Coors.
A decision hasn't been made yet on where the MillerCoors headquarters will be located once the merger is completed in 2008.
None of Miller's six breweries, or the two breweries operated by Coors, will be closed as the result of the merger, said Pete Marino, Miller spokesman. But administrative jobs in Milwaukee and at the Coors offices in Golden, Colo., will be analyzed as the merged company looks to reduce costs, he said.
"It's safe to assume there will be some reductions," Marino said, adding that it's too early to estimate the extent of those job cuts and where they will occur. MillerCoors will maintain a presence in both Milwaukee and Golden, Marino said.
Miller has 1,700 employees in Milwaukee, with 800 employees in the corporate offices and 900 brewery workers.
Kiely, president and chief executive officer of Molson Coors Brewing Co., which owns Coors Brewing, will be the chief executive officer of MillerCoors. Long, president and chief executive of Miller, will be president and chief commercial officer of the merged company.
MillerCoors will have annual beer sales of 69 million barrels, roughly 29 percent of the U.S. market, and revenue of $6.6 billion. Anheuser-Busch has a market share of about 48 percent, according to trade publication Beer Marketer's Insights.
SABMiller and Molson Coors expect the merger to generate $500 million in annual cost savings by the third full year of combined operations. The merger is subject to reaching a final agreement and obtaining clearance from antitrust regulators.
The merger will help Miller and Coors compete more effectively with Anheuser-Busch, as well as with other beverage companies, including wine and spirits makers, Kiely said. Anheuser-Busch also owns theme parks, including SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.


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COLUMBIA, SC – September 9, 2008 – Emotional and financial chaos could be just one piece of paper away. That’s because criminals who specialize in the growing trade of identify theft need very little information to steal your good name. An old bank statement, medical bill, cancelled check or credit card statement is all it takes to become one of the nine million Americans who fall victim to identify theft each year.
One of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent identify theft is to properly destroy unnecessary records. That’s why the Better Business Bureau of Central South Carolina and Charleston and local partners Shred360 is offering free document shredding and disposal consultations for individual consumers on Saturday, September 20 from 10 a.m.—1 p.m. at Staples Office Supply located at 4464 Devine Street in Columbia.
As partners nationally with Equifax and ProQuo, the BBB is spreading the message that the first step in identity protection is simple: If you don’t need it, dispose of it…responsibly. The event will mark the second time this year BBB has participated with Equifax in the nationwide public awareness event.
Shred360 is a Columbia-based member of the National Association of Information Destruction (NAID), the industry’s trade organization, and will provide free and secure shredding services on the day of the event. Consumers are invited to bring up to four boxes or bags of documents to be shredded. Documents to be shredded should be removed from binders. Experts also will be on hand to provide advice and resources for protecting personal information from identity thieves.
Identity thieves use many tactics, but one of the most common includes rummaging through trash in search of valuable documents, according to the Federal Trade Commission. They use this information to get credit cards issued in another person’s name, open new phone and utility accounts and even take out large loans. The effects of identity theft can last for years and can lead to damaged credit scores and calls from collection agencies. The national Identify Theft Resource Center estimates that it takes 40 hours on average for victims to resolve the crime.
Identity theft is not a rare, exotic crime, said Jim Camp, CEO of the local BBB. It can, and does, happen every day to people of all walks of life. Shredding documents is a simple way to greatly decrease the chances it will happen to you. The BBB sees the national effort to raise awareness of this issue as fundamental to its core mission of serving consumers and small businesses alike.
BBB Secure Your ID Day Details
Who: Better Business Bureau Serving Central SC and Charleston with national partners Equifax and Columbia-based Shred360 and Staples Office Supply on Devine Street.
What: Free on-the-spot document shredding and prescriptive advice for protecting your identity from thieves
When: September 20, 2008 …. 10:00 am until 1:00 pm
Where: Staples Office Supply
4464 Devine Street at Jackson Blvd.
BBB is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization’s high standards of ethical business behavior. BBB provides objective advice, free business BBB Reliability ReportsTM and charity BBB Wise Giving ReportsTM, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. To further promote trust, BBB also offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses when there is difference in viewpoints. The first BBB was founded in 1912. Today, 127 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring more than 3 million local and national businesses and charities. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information about BBB.
The National Association for Information Destruction (NAID) is the nonprofit trade organization of the secure destruction industry. With over 1,200 member locations, NAID members provide secure destruction services to business and government across North America.
A global leader in information solutions, Equifax leverages one of the largest sources of consumer and commercial data, along with advanced analytics and proprietary technology, to create customized insights that enrich both the performance of businesses and the lives of consumers. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Equifax Inc. employs approximately 7,000 people in 14 countries through North America, Latin America and Europe. Equifax is a member of Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500® Index.
ProQuo was founded to put consumers in control of their personal information, letting them decide if and how businesses use it. ProQuo helps consumers stop the junk mail they don’t want and get the offers they really do want. The company is led by pioneers in the online security and privacy arena and has served hundreds of thousands of consumers since launching in October 2007.


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4 Reasons ESG Reporting Can Be Vital For Your Business
ESG is the acronym on everyone’s lips, and business is booming. Hampleton’s new report into the ESG M&A market (which you can read here) has revealed that, amid all the economic turbulence of 2022, this sector has remained in rude health. In fact, the first half of this year saw M&A deals involving ESG firms rise by 173% compared to the equivalent period in 2019.
Investor and acquirer interest in such firms reflects an ever-increasing focus on the importance of ESG reporting. That is to say, a company’s disclosure of data relating to the environmental, social, and corporate governance aspects of its operations.
Environmental information can include a company’s policies with regards to energy use, emissions, conservation and sustainability. It may lay out how the company adheres to its environmental responsibilities, from minimising the carbon footprint of its supply chain to ensuring any industrial waste is managed in a way that complies with necessary relegations.
The ‘S’ in ESG reporting might cover the company’s policies with regards to employee health and safety, diversity and LGTBQ+ concerns, and relations between the company and its suppliers. It may also divulge the company’s relations with the local community, its charity work and other socially beneficial initiatives.
Governance, meanwhile, may cover the company’s approach to policymaking, the distribution of responsibilities among its managers and shareholders, the rights of shareholders, and what procedures are in place to manage environmental and social concerns.
ESG reporting can undoubtedly be a challenge, especially for larger companies that have to pull data from many siloed departments. This is why ESG tech companies, which streamline the whole process, have been in huge demand. See, for example, the $1.2 billion acquisition of Massachusetts-based software vendor ETQ – whose platform allows users to optimise the collection of quality control data and customer feedback.
But why should companies take ESG reporting seriously? Here are four key reasons that founders, executives and stakeholders need to keep in mind.
1. Legal compliance is increasingly important
More and more, transparency regarding environmental, social and corporate ethics is becoming legally ordained around the world. Earlier this year, for example, EU governments agreed a deal on compulsory reporting on environment, social affairs and governance. From 2024, large companies – defined as those with over 250 employees a turnover in excess of 40 million EUR – must report on everything from environmental impact to work ethics. Many non-EU companies which trade in the UE will also be subject to these regulations.
Over in the US, the Securities and Exchange Commission recently proposed regulatory amendments that would require US public companies to make climate-related disclosures, such as data relating to greenhouse gas emissions.
The upshot is that times are changing, and thorough ESG reporting is fast becoming essential to adhering to regulations in many territories around the world.
2. ESG reporting is hugely important to investors
Speaking about the US SEC proposal mentioned above, Laura Corb of McKinsey said: ‘Investor scrutiny of climate risk is rising, and consumers and employees are increasingly factoring sustainability into their decisions. This is akin to the early days of digital. Like then, we are seeing massive shifts in value pools that will create new sector winners and losers and the basis of competition will shift in most industries.’
But it's not just the ‘E’ of ESG that matters to investors. Assessing all the aspects of the acronym is now part of the screening process for investors. After all, as noted in Hampleton’s new ESG report, ‘ESG is now linked to longer-term performance, and some also argue that it provides opportunities for cost savings, revenue generation and risk mitigation.’
According to a recent survey by PwC, ESG factors play an important part in the decision-making of nearly 80% of investors. Moreover, around half of those surveyed said they’d be willing to divest from companies that weren’t sufficiently proactive on matters pertaining to ESG. It’s therefore easy to see how the provision of comprehensive ESG reports can help make any company a more attractive investment or M&A target.
3. Consumers care about ESG
It’s a lesser-reported fact that consumers also pay close attention to ESG factors – even if the acronym itself isn’t necessarily on laypeople’s lips. Consumers increasingly care about the environmental credentials of companies they purchase goods and services from. More and more people, especially in the Millennial and Gen Z cohorts, want to know that companies take their social responsibilities seriously, and demonstrate good corporate citizenship.
In other words, ESG reporting can burnish brand image. More than 76% of people polled in a PwC Consumer Intelligence Series survey said they would not give money to companies which didn’t treat employees, communities and the environment in an ethical and diligent way. PwC’s research has also shown that a huge proportion of Millennial and Gen Z consumers will actively look to social media for ESG information on brands. Meaning that it may be prudent for companies to actively publicise their ESG reports.
4. ESG reporting can help you find and retain top-tier employees
Competition for talent is fierce, particularly in an age marked by what’s been variously termed the Great Resignation and the Great Reshuffle. Young, talented workers are increasingly discriminating about the kinds of companies they will join – a fact highlighted by reports that the number of UK graduates going into the oil industry has dipped dramatically, in part due to doubts about the longevity and ethical ramifications of fossil fuels.
ESG reporting can serve as a viable way to attract and retain talent. A report by Marsh & McLennan showed that employers which boast the highest staff satisfaction also tend to score higher on ESG metrics than the global average. The report also found that employers regarded as most attractive to young talent tend to have lower carbon emissions, more workplace diversity, and make a greater effort to understand employee feelings.
The report sums it up neatly: ‘As a workforce strategy, ESG performance has become a competitive advantage – both in engaging today’s employees and attracting tomorrow’s talent.’


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Last fall, Yum announced plans to turn the huge China Division into a standalone company, a mammoth undertaking the Louisville fast-food giant plans to complete by Oct. 31 — despite recent reports of stalled talks with two big investors.
Expenses for investment banking, legal, and other spin-related services are enormous, according to Securities and Exchange Commission documents. Yum disclosed initial expenses of $9 million in the annual report last February. They’ve mushroomed ever since, according to the most recent quarterly report:
spent in the second quarter alone
since the spinoff was announced in October
projected total cost by Oct. 31
What’s at stake?
Much of Yum’s future. Based in Shanghai, the China Division has 7,200 restaurants, mostly company-owned KFCs and Pizza Huts. Last year, they accounted for 61% of Yum’s $11.1 billion in revenue and 39% of $1.9 billion in profits. Overall, Yum has 43,000 restaurants. (About Yum.)
More than two weeks before Taco Bell even starts testing a new Cheetos-stuffed burrito in Cincinnati, social media is having a field day — and handing the Yum division a public relations bonanza. Attorney Marcy Wagman Rauer told Huffington Post the $1 sandwich looks like “Donald Trump exploded.” And everyone was retweeting San Diego musician Danny Ellis’ marijuana-inspired conclusion that it looks “like a stoner’s dream date with death.” The chain had tested the “Cheetos Crunchwrap Slider” earlier this year in Canada, but this is the first time the snack’s being used on its menu in the U.S. (Huffington Post).
In the Ohio test market, the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Ben Goldschmidt says to forget the November elections. “Sure,” he wrote yesterday, “we’re in a swing county in a swing state in a bonkers election year, but . . . we will decide for the nation if the cheesy powder of Cheetos successfully meshed with molten queso, or if it’s just an uninspiring, soggy lump in a burrito.” Much more news coverage.
To be sure, it wasn’t all good news yesterday for the Yum division. In California, Taco Bell is investigating reports employees taunted a Bakersfield police officer Thursday night by making “oink, oink” sounds and laughing at the cop in the drive-thru. “Taco Bell does not tolerate discrimination in any way,” the company told 23 ABC. “We are deeply appreciative of the men and women who have taken the oath to serve and protect our communities” (23 ABC).
The chain is still smarting from an incident two weeks ago in Alabama, where a cashier refused to serve two sheriff’s deputies; the chain apologized and fired the employee, but not before it was slammed across the Internet.


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RCMP warn seize counterfeit Lululemon products
RCMP have issued a warning against buying counterfeit products after fake Lululemon items were seized at a house party in Point Edward, Ont.
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SARNIA, ONT. — RCMP have issued a warning against buying counterfeit products after fake Lululemon items were seized at a house party in Point Edward, Ont.
Police say about 100 fake items supposedly from fitness wear retailer Lululemon Athletica Inc. were seized in the community just west of Sarnia on Sept. 1.
No charges have been laid and police say the investigation continues.
They say counterfeit items are often cheaply made and do not meet Canadian standards.
Not only do fake items defraud consumers, RCMP say, but they can also be unsafe.
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Kaspersky Lab has announced a new MSP partner programme in an effort to drive growth for its MSP channel. The vendor this week announced that partners who sign up for the programme will be offered "special...
Start-up which takes 'device personality' approach to IoT security looking to expand reach
Vishal Sikka resigns from Indian outsourcing giant following increased criticism from the firm's founder
Chinese tech giant claims industry-leading profitability in its PC business, so why have the firm's profits gone into the red?
Channel must adapt sales model to better pitch to non-IT departments


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TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Doctors warn the flu vaccine is the best defense against getting the flu, but also say building up your immune system is also extremely helpful. That starts with sidelining the junk food and eating lots of fruits and vegetables.
“Those are just packed with vitamins and minerals and help our entire bodies function better – which helps our immune system function better and right now we need that so badly,” said registered dietitian Abigail Dougherty.
Since so many grocery stores offer pre-cut packaged fresh fruits and veggies they are easy to prepare.
“It doesn’t have to be in the oven, it can be in the microwave, anyway that you and our family will eat those vegetables and those fresher and healthier foods that’s the best way to do it,” said Dougherty.
Other ways to keep your immune system strong and healthy naturally.:
- Don’t smoke.
- Exercise regularly.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
- Get adequate sleep.
- If you don’t think you are getting your nutrients from eating foods, a daily multi-vitamin could help.


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Local retailers say business good in post-Christmas rush
Published: Saturday, December 27, 2008 at 1:09 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, December 27, 2008 at 11:47 a.m.
Despite the dismal business forecast for Christmas this year, local managers say they experienced brisk business the day after Christmas, historically one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
Pete Gebhardt, operations manager for Sears at Eagle Ridge Mall in Lake Wales, said the center's parking lot remained full most of Friday and that customers began arriving early in the morning.
"It's been steady all day long," Gebhardt said, adding that this was true most of the week as the store met its budget each day between Sunday and Christmas. "They're coming to buy and are using their gift cards and money they've gotten for gifts.
"It looks like it is a turnaround," he said, referring to the rebound of retail sales.
The store has been running specials on Christmas items, but Gebhardt said shoppers were spending storewide.
"It's been a good day for the consumer," he said.
Shannon Lewis, store manager for Dillard's, said "tons of people" were waiting outside the doors when they opened Friday morning.
"I was thrilled," she said, adding that this holiday season in general had been better than last year.
Folks were buying Christmas trim - $10,000 worth was sold by early afternoon - at 50 percent off, a tradition that Lewis said the store and its customers have followed for years. But there were plenty of purchases in other areas.
Lewis said that most people were buying items rather than redeeming gift cards or returning merchandise.
"It was wonderful," she added.
Business was brisk at Lowe's in Winter Haven, which had Christmas merchandise marked down 70 percent and specials on selected appliances and storage containers for Christmas decorations.
"We're doing well today. It's pretty strong," said store manager Steve McPherson. He said it was too soon in the day to determine how this year's post-Christmas shopping compares to last year.
Posner Commons, a newly-opened shopping area of Posner Park north of Davenport, was busy Friday, too.
"Traffic is very high," General Manager Ray Carpenter said. "It's just as high as the week leading up to Christmas."
While returns and exchanges were a little less than normal, many shoppers were there to redeem gift cards, which Carpenter said brings additional sales to the store.
"People typically spend 130 percent of a gift card," he said, Gift cards are typically in amounts of $50, $75, and $100.
The store is currently offering discounts on video games, movies, CDs and DVDs.
Stacey Frances, general manager of Books-a-Million, said she was also pleased with the day's business.
"It's been steady," she said.
While the store had advertised specials on Christmas items, Frances said customers were making purchases from all sections of the store.
"It's not really anything in particular. It's everything," Frances added.
Locally-owned businesses also fared better than they had expected this year, including Friday's sales.
Allen Wyatt, one of the owners of The Andy Thornal Company at 336 Magnolia Ave. in Winter Haven, said that business was "brisk" Friday.
"The week after Christmas is always busy because people are using their gift certificates and making exchanges," said Wyatt, adding that customers often make purchases that exceed the value of the certificates.
"It's always a fun time. People are always picking up those things they thought Santa Claus would bring but he didn't," Wyatt added.
"The Store," as Andy Thornal Company has been known for decades, has post-Christmas sale items in the hunting and skiing areas.
Those at Long's Gift Store, 700 First St. S., Winter Haven, take heart in knowing that business during this Christmas season wasn't quite as bad as predicted.
"It's sporadic," said Nancy Smith, who has been working at Longs Gift Shop since 1995. "It will be real busy and then there's no one here."
But customers were waiting outside the store when it opened this morning, many looking for bargains on boxed cards and Christmas items, particularly those who collect the Hallmark Series Ornaments.
"A lot of people will wait until they go on sale to buy them," she said, adding that they risk the possibility of the item being sold out in order for a chance to purchase it on sale.
Smith said the store's Christmas business was not as good as previous years but was about what was expected.
"The Christmas season was slower but not tragic," Smith said.
This story appeared in print on page A1
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Indonesia’s Palm Oil Producers Only Reached 43.56% of the Domestic Obligation Market (DMO) Target
Kasan, the acting director general of domestic trade for the Indonesian Trade Ministry, stated that just half of the oil palm domestic obligation market (DMO) realization objective had been met. To create cooking oil that will be distributed in large quantities, the government has increased the palm oil DMO to 450K MT. Cooking oil DMO from producers reached 196,032MT or 43.56% of the overall DMO allocation of 450K MT as of February 20 at 18:00 (Indonesia Western Time).
Indonesia Suspends Two-Thirds of Palm Oil Exports Ahead of Ramadan and Eid
According to a report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Indonesian government has stopped two-thirds of palm oil exports in an effort to guarantee domestic cooking oil supplies ahead of Ramadan and Eid. As a result of the government's goal to increase domestic cooking oil supply by 50% to 450K MT in the months leading up to Ramadan and Eid celebrations, a projected 400–800K MT of the country's palm oil exports had to be halted from 6 February to 1 May.
USDA Forecasts Palm Oil Consumption in Indonesia to Increase in the Season 2022/23 to 19.4MMT
According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Indonesia's consumption of palm oil is anticipated to rise to 19.4MMT in the 2022/23 crop due to rising demand from the biodiesel industry. The required mixing ratio was raised by the government. Although cooking oil demand is anticipated to rise during Ramadan, the USDA boosted its predicted palm oil consumption for 2022/23 by 100K MT to 6.8 M MT.
Malaysian Palm Oil Gains for Second Day on US Soybean Oil and Crude Strength
The price of U.S. soy oil and crude oil increased on Thursday, helping Malaysian palm oil futures to a seven-week high and settle higher. By the end of trading on Thursday, February 23, the benchmark FCPOc3 palm oil contract for May delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange had increased by 89 ringgit, or 2.15%, to USD 955.77/MT.
Malaysia Keeps March Crude Palm Oil Export Duty at 8%
Malaysia has decreased the reference price while keeping the March export tax for crude palm oil at 8%. The second-largest exporter of palm oil in the world came up with a reference price of USD 828.57/MT for March. The reference price for February was USD 869.42/MT. For crude palm oil with a price range of USD 502.46-535.95/MT, the export tax structure starts at 3%. When prices are greater than USD 770.43/MT, the maximum tax rate is set at 8%.
Malaysian Palm Oil Rises for Third Day on Dalian Gains With Stronger Crude Oil
On Monday, Malaysian palm oil futures increased for a third straight session to reach their highest closing in over seven weeks, following the rise in rival Chinese edible oils and crude oil prices. Gaining 32 ringgits, or 0.77%, the benchmark palm oil contract FCPO1! for May delivery reached USD 940.15/MT, after gaining 5.11% in the last two sessions.
Malaysian Palm Oil Prices Hit a 6-Week High in W7
On the Malaysian stock exchange, palm oil futures increased by 5% on Thursday and Friday (16 and 17 December) and by 7.2% over the course of the previous two weeks, reaching a six-week high amid expectations of a pick-up in exports from Malaysia amid reduced supplies from Indonesia and as a result of a 2.3% weekly decline in the value of the Malaysian ringgit. As a result, April palm oil futures on Bursa Malaysia increased 1.5% on Friday to 4,131 ringgit/t or USD 933/MT, trading at 4,170 ringgit/MT, the highest level since January 4, 2023.
Egypt Will Cooperate With Malaysia in the Field of Palm Oil Production
Egypt hopes to benefit from Malaysia's expertise in the production of palm oil. Egypt is prepared to carefully examine the manufacturing of palm oil and learn from Malaysian market players. Therefore, an African country can become a regional center for the production of "palms" and their further export to neighboring markets.
China’s Quanzhou to Procure Malaysian Palm Oil
Recently, a group from Quanzhou, China, met with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) to purchase palm oil in order to meet China's demand during the Q3 of 2023, which is when food production is at its greatest. The participants at the meeting decided to intensify their cooperation, particularly in promoting supply chain growth for the Malaysian oil palm industry and the Fujian food industry, as well as palm oil purchases. With palm oil serving as the key component in China's snack food sector, Quanzhou is one of the main production hubs for bakeries, confectioneries, and snack foods.


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Fort Drum Exchange Opens New Express, Barbershop, Arby’s
Life for Soldiers and families at Fort Drum got more convenient with the Army & Air Force Exchange Service’s grand opening of a new Express store on July 8.
The Ontario Express also houses a four-chair barbershop and an Arby’s with a drive-thru.
Shoppers at the Express can grab healthy, better-for-you snacks like sushi, fresh fruit, salads, protein bars, bottled water and more. Drivers can also refuel at one of the eight gas pumps. It replaces the old, undersized Nash Express that was built in 1960 with a larger, more centrally located store.
“The Exchange’s mission is to make life better for our Soldiers and their families,” said General Manager Pat Hastings. “The Ontario Express adds convenience to the Fort Drum community – a new place for shoppers to fuel up their vehicles, grab a meal or a healthy snack and even get a haircut.”
The construction of the 12,000-square-foot facility took about 18 months to complete and cost $7.23 million. The project was funded entirely by the Exchange, which reinvests 100% of its earnings in the military community through support for on-installation Quality-of-Life programs, as well as capital improvements like the Ontario Express.
Last year, shopping Fort Drum Exchange facilities generated more than $1.4 million for Quality-of-Life programs at the post, such as the Child Development Centers and fitness centers.