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Self-driving cars, health tech, immigration: Google drops $5M lobbying, tying all-time record
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And then there were farther afield areas that hold promise to open new lines of business for the Web search and advertising giant, like self-driving cars. Google has been working on the technology for years, and it listed "autonomous vehicle technology" as an issue that it addressed last quarter with Congress, the Executive Office of the President, and the Department of Transportation. Government regulation of self-driving cars will become especially important as traditional automakers and Google both race to bring the technology to market.
Healthcare IT was another area that Google invested lobbying resources in from April through June. Of late, the company has floated products touching everything from contact lenses that measure diabetic insulin levels to a research project establishing genetic indicators of various health conditions.
Another niche that Google invested in last quarter was wind power — a field in which, along with solar energy, the company has already invested more than $1 billion.
Click here to read much more about Silicon Valley's increased D.C. politicking, or click here to read more about Google's political spending from OpenSecrets.org.
(Edited by: Lynch, Baumann)
Lauren Hepler is the economic development reporter at the Silicon Valley Business Journal.
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Last year around this time, we observed that artificial intelligence (AI), cloud architectures, and Big Data technology were converging to transform the way we work and play. That trend has only become more pronounced this year, as companies embrace data-driven strategies in the cloud and start to bake intelligence into their experiences.
From conversational AI such as virtual assistants to new predictive features woven into user experiences, cloud-based technology keeps getting smarter. In 2018, we'll see new architectures emerge as cloud infrastructure, data tech, and AI techniques like machine learning evolve. We asked execs and experts from IBM, Oracle, MapR, Salesforce, and more to predict the biggest innovations and trends to emerge in the coming year.
1. Building Safer AI
2. Predictive Intelligence
3. Chatbots and Conversational Interfaces
“We've seen the beginning of a fundamental shift as companies start implementing AI to streamline and improve our daily lives. Conversational interfaces or chatbots have quickly become a daily part of consumer life for many through products such as Amazon’s Alexa and and Apple’s Siri, [which] significantly reduce the friction and time spent on basic activities.
This trend will accelerate in 2018. Gartner estimates that by 2019, 40 percent of enterprises will use chatbots to facilitate business processes using natural language interactions. They further predict that chatbot built-in functionality will replace 30 percent of all human-to-human customer facing interactions by 2021.
“2018 will be the year that chatbots explode in the business software world to improve customer experiences, give users more time to focus on larger business goals, and ultimately improve the relationships customers have with businesses whose products they use. With Amazon just launching a business-focused Alexa platform and Microsoft launching B2B chatbot building blocks, 2018 will start a wave of new chat-based interfaces to replace lengthy marketing forms, help sales reps qualify leads faster, and dramatically simplify customer service processes.”—Anthony Smith, CEO of Insightly
4. The Promise of Natural Language Processing
5. A Multi-Cloud World
6. Cloud Wars Rage On
7. ML Goes From in Vogue to in Production
8. Data Innovations Reach a Tipping Point
9. Big Data Systems as the Center of Gravity
10. AI Will Cement Its Place in the Enterprise
“The central tenet of artificial intelligence—to replicate and exceed the way humans perceive and react to the world around us—is set to become the cornerstone of innovation. The proliferation of data across all industries and organizations is fueling the AI revolution, allowing technology providers to enrich their applications with adaptive learning and healing capabilities.
“AI is still something of a novelty for the enterprise. Business processes have always created vast floods of data, but only now can the enterprise use AI and machine learning to understand and contextualize both structured and unstructured data and extract its true value. For the enterprise, AI is essentially a digital soothsayer. It can effectively predict the future, analyzing patterns and trends to offer more effective microsecond buying recommendations, and augmenting next-step actions with invaluable insights. By 2020, we expect domain experts and data scientists to embed AI into existing products, expanding and differentiating their capabilities.”—Amit Zavery, Senior Vice President, Cloud Platform and Middleware at Oracle
11. GDPR Penalties Are Coming
“On May 25, 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will be put into effect. GDPR will provide a legal framework to strengthen and unify data protection and distribution for individuals within the European Union (EU). While the regulation will protect EU citizens, it will impact organizations worldwide—every company that serves a customer or employee in the EU—and businesses can be held responsible for the way they process, store, and protect personal data. The maximum penalty is a fine of 20 million Euros, or 4 percent of global annual revenue, whichever is greater. The EU may choose to make an example out of one of the first companies it penalizes, sending a message that GDPR is to be taken seriously.
“The first company most likely won’t be a household name, but it will be known to be out of compliance in areas other than GDPR. As these penalties receive global publicity, other companies will be compelled to move forward with GDPR compliance plans.”—Brendan O’Connor, CTO of ServiceNow
12. Data Will Rule All
13. More Predictions
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They’re tech savvy and well-read. When they like a product, they buy it consistently, tell their friends about their positive brand experiences and really believe that their favorite brands “get” their lifestyle. According to research released today by Motista
, a consumer intelligence technologies company, mobile moms are a rapidly growing new audience segment worth keeping tabs on. According to Motista’s CMO Alan Zorfas, mobile moms are a subset of social media moms, women who regularly use social media as a core communication tool to connect with friends, families and brands.
“Mobile moms are an emerging, tangible segment that marketers can both target and expand over time,” stated Zorfas. “We see that social media moms are far more likely to use their mobile devices to visit a brand’s website, view advertising and, of course, advocate. The mobile device becomes an extension of the mom herself, her lifestyle, values and behaviors.”
According to Motistia’s research, these mobile and social media moms feel a deeper connection to their favorite brands than non-social media moms. This leads them to share information about their favorite brands more frequently and even be more open to direct marketing from brands that they feel a connection to.
The study also found that twice as many social media moms are willing to pay a higher price for their mobile e-reader brand than non-social media moms. They’re also six times more likely to say that they have responded to a direct marketing promotion from mobile device brands than non-social or mobile moms, and 55 percent believe that their mobile device brand understands their lifestyle and needs versus 37 percent of non-social media or mobile moms.


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It would be a right partner for Hyundai, which strives to develop 44 eco-friendly models by 2025, as the firm's senior official notes.
The investment is split across Hyundai, who has invested Euro 64 million (over Rs 506 crore), and Kia, which will invest Euro 16 million (nearly Rs 127 crore). Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors and Rimac will work firmly together to build up an electric form of Hyundai Motor's N image sports vehicle and a superior energy unit electric vehicle.More news: Realme X, Realme X Lite announced: Price, specifications and more
The Croatian electric vehicle company, Rimac, has signed a deal with Hyundai and Kia which will see around 80 million Euros jointly invested into the company.
As for Mate Rimac, founder and CEO of Rimac Automobili, he said that he's impressed with Hyundai's vision for cleaner mobility while also incorporating performance on their future EVs. Furthermore, the company engineers and manufactures high-performance electric vehicle powertrain systems and battery systems. Rimac's expertise ranges from high-performance electric powertrains to various control technologies and battery systems. One will be an electric version of Hyunda's N brand midsized sports vehicle.
Croatian company positions itself as a major supplier of electrification technology and components. Its prowess has already attracted a 10% ownership stake from Porsche, which just happens to be part of the Volkswagen Group.More news: Another Pokemon Mobile Game Announced, Out Now In Some Regions
"Our goal is to popularize electric vehicles and to create social value through world-class technology and innovation in performance".
The latest move with Rimac suggests Hyundai is planning both petrol and electric variants of that auto, which has been spotted by spy photographers under test camouflage. The next challenge ahead is to grow from a low volume manufacturer of complex high-end electrification components, to an established Tier-1 supplier for the industry. The startup designs in-car digital interfaces also runs a subsidiary-focused on electrics, and develops impressive electric "hypercars".More news: Huawei P20 Lite 2019 leak reveals quad-camera setup, punch-hole display


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Check the price of the dollar in Peru today, Sunday, December 5 for the purchase and sale in the parallel market and in the main banks. The North American currency opened with a price of S / 4.0767, according to the Bloomberg portal. On Saturday, December 4, the greenback closed with a value of S / 4,060, according to the Central Reserve Bank of Peru (BCRP)
The purchase in the parallel market is located at S / 4,060 and the sale at S / 4,090. As for the price of the dollar in the main windows of the country, it stands at the purchase of S / 4,082 and the sale of S / 4,109, according to the Bloomberg portal.
This rise in foreign currency occurs after MMG Limited, a majority member of the consortium that owns Las Bambas, reported that copper production in the deposit could stop in mid-December due to the lack of inputs for the exploitation of the mineral, then that the neighboring communities of Chumbivilcas resume the road blockade. Already in September he had issued a similar warning.
On the other hand, after having been approved in the Congress of the republic The 2022 public budget after a work with the Executive, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Pedro Francke, hopes that Parliament will grant him this year the powers to legislate on tax matters and thus the collection will increase up to S / 12,000 million a year. If they are not approved before the end of the year, measures could not be applied from 2022.
Live: dollar price today, sunday, december 5
The dollar in Peru, according to Bloomberg
The price of the dollar stands at 4.0767 soles according to the Bloomberg portal.
What is the exchange rate?
We use the exchange rate, which is the price of one country’s currency (currency) in terms of another, to change a currency. It is also known as the exchange rate in other countries.
Why is the exchange rate important?
Knowing the exchange rate or exchange rate helps us to know how many units of national currency must be paid to obtain a foreign currency. For example, in Peru, to obtain one dollar, approximately three and ninety soles must be delivered.


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Property developer CapitaLand believes the China market presents the best prospects in the current challenging economic climate.
Speaking to shareholders at the company’s annual general meeting on Thursday, CEO Liew Mun Leong said real estate is all about economic growth. And CapitaLand is hopeful that Beijing’s US$585 billion stimulus package will help spur consumption there.
CapitaLand is also on track to open another 10 malls in China this year.
Despite the downturn, CapitaLand expects its shopping malls and serviced apartments to continue performing well in 2009, and for all its business sectors to remain above water.
In addition, CapitaLand said the group will also benefit from past investments as they come to fruition.
The developer added that its S$4.2 billion war chest will primarily be retained to maintain its solvency and credibility with lenders. But CapitaLand does not rule out spending some of this if good opportunities come along in the next few years.
Source : Channel NewsAsia – 23 Apr 2009


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California nail technicians recently receive a letter from a group of professional nail polish manufacturers describing what toluene, a solvent use in nail polish, is and what health effects it can have if user is overexposed.
More than 30,000 California salons have received warning signs for employees on toluene exposure under a directive from the state attorney general’s office.
Scientific studies have shown that workers can safely work around toluene if it is below certain exposure levels.
In a partial victory for professional polish manufacturers, the California State Attorney General’s office ruled in late February that professional polish manufacturers are not required by California’s Proposition 65 to warn retail consumers and salon customers that nail polish contains toluene.
The challenge was a lawsuit brought by the consumer action group As You Sow against companies that use the solvent toluene in their nail polish.
Whatever the season, whatever their mood, there is a polish that will help your clients express it.
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Klabin eyes share offering to incorporate Sogemar to its business
July 22, 2020
SAO PAULO (From news reports) - Brazilian pulpmaker Klabin SA said on Wednesday it is planning a 367 million-real ($70.98 million) share offering in favor of Sogemar - Sociedade Geral de Marcas Ltda - shareholders to incorporate the company to its business.
Klabin currently pays royalties for the right to explore six brands owned by Sogemar. The transaction still needs to be approved by the pulpmaker's shareholders in an assembly not yet scheduled.


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Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Patrick Njoroge has cautioned Kenyans on the presence of fake new currency in the economy.
Speaking during the start of a sensitization campaign of the new notes in Kwale county, the CBK governor urged Kenyans to memorize the unique features found on the new notes to avoid becoming victims of counterfeit.
Njoronge’s statement comes barely two months after the introduction of the new generation currency bank notes by the regulator.
Kenyans are expected to exchange the old 1000 notes for new ones by 1st October, a move meant to enhance the war on graft and money laundering.
At the same time, CBK has cautioned Kenyans against dealing with unlicensed and unregulated online forex dealers adding that the platforms put Kenyans at risk of losing their money.
In a statement, CBK advised Citizens to check the licensing status of forex dealers from the CBK websites to confirm authenticity.
According to the regulator, some of the characteristics of these dealers and platforms include, purporting to offer the best forex deals in the market, lack requisite licenses issued by CBK or CMA (Capital Markets Authority), inadequate anti-money laundering and consumer protection safeguards.
“The platforms are downloadable on Google Play and Apple App store, and aggressively market themselves through social media and mass emails,” CBK further stated.
The bank has encouraged any victims to report through the Banking Fraud Investigations Unit.


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Just when you thought you couldn’t get enough Hello Kitty, try jet-setting on a Hello Kitty airplane. Taiwanese airline, EVA airways is launching its Hello Kitty aircraft this October to commemorate its 20th anniversary. Everything from the boarding passes, meal trays, baggage tags and the flight attendants’ aprons will be Hello Kitty themed.
Additionally, the campaign has hopes of increasing travel between Taiwan and Japan after the massive earthquake and tsunami. Hello Kitty is more than just a cute character, it’s bringing the world together!
(Thanks, New Heights!)


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It’s not just about birth control
New contraceptive pills help women space their children, while addressing skin problems and hormonal imbalance, as well
More News from Anne A. Jambora
More News from Philippine Daily Inquirer
For the woman who not only has a life but also has a lifestyle, this must be the oral contraceptive pill.
Couleurs La Femme, a line of oral contraceptives manufactured by Pond’s Chemical in Bangkok, Thailand, is now locally distributed by Cynosure, an all-Filipino pharmaceutical company that focuses on women’s health and wellness.
Especially formulated to help women “achieve beauty, balance, vitality and freedom,” Couleurs La Femme recently celebrated the launch of the “new” Filipina with a fashion show, an air dance and an auction fundraiser at One Esplanade.
“Couleurs La Femme provides extra benefits. When you have a better status in life, you want something exclusive, and this is the brand that suits that particular need,” said Ludy Geraldes, Couleurs La Femme marketing representative.
For women anxious or having problems with acne outbreak when on the pill, Couleurs La Femme has one variant to manage acne and actually clear up the skin, said Geraldes.
Another type is fortified with iron, doubling as supplement that manages premenstrual syndrome. “Some women suffer from PMS, irregular bleeding. This is caused by hormonal imbalance, and the treatment is taking oral contraceptive pills because there is a need to regulate the menstrual cycle,” she said.
Geraldes said there’s also a pill proven safe and effective for breastfeeding mothers, one that doesn’t affect the quality and quantity of the breast milk.
She said many informed Filipino women today choose to properly space their children, and take oral contraceptive pills to do this.
Original state of health
“Medically it takes about three years before a woman can fully recover her original state of health before pregnancy. It’s a given that the Catholic church will always maintain its position as anti-RH Bill. But oral contraceptive pills are not anti-life. The pill inhibits ovulation, so there is no union between the sperm and the egg, no pregnancy to begin with. They are meant to prevent pregnancy,” said Geraldes.
If parents want to give quality life to their family, children need to be properly spaced, she said.
The bigger advantage, said Geraldes, is Couleurs La Femme’s very competitive price range. It costs around P500 for a one-month cycle, she said.
If some women need low-dose contraception, especially formulated for those suffering side effects associated with other pills, she said, there’s also a brand that addresses the problem.
Fifty percent of Filipinas on the pill use it for proper spacing of children, while the other 50 percent use it for the treatment of gynecological diseases, said Geraldes.
Over P100,000 was raised during the three-hour private auction that featured designer bags, perfumes and fashion jewelry. Proceeds of the auction will benefit the Family Planning Fair organized by Likhaan Center for Women’s Health.
Couleurs La Femme is available at Mercury Drugstore, Watson’s and other leading drugstores.
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- 2 updates
A new crab factory in Cromer begins processing today.
Jonas Seafoods officially opened on Friday following the closure of the Cromer Crab Company last year, bringing large scale crab production back to the town.
Twenty two people currently work for Jonas Seafoods but that number's expected to double by the end of September.
A year on from the closure of the Cromer Crab Company a new processing factory has officially opened in the town this evening. Twenty two people already work for Jonas Seafoods, but that could double by the end of September. Kate Prout reports


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Twitter’s initial public offering last week was everything that Facebook’s botched offering a year and a half ago was not: the stock was reasonably priced; management wooed investors; and the company neither promised the moon nor the stars, and was rewarded with a substantial amount of cash raised, a stock that went up more than 75 percent, and a valuation of $25 billion.
Though shares pulled back sharply — and predictably — the day after its IPO, Twitter has now joined the pantheon of leading social media companies. It has yet to make a profit, but unlike the 1990s Internet comets it is routinely compared to, it is making substantial revenue (on pace for just under $600 million this year). That is substantially less than Facebook was making when it went public ($3.7 billion), but more than LinkedIn was generating when it went public in 2011 (estimated at $220 million).
That said, at its IPO Twitter was valued higher than either Facebook or LinkedIn at the time of their public offerings. In that sense, Twitter’s reception does raise a vital question: are these companies doing more than making their founders and investors rich? Are they doing more than satisfying some nice need of their customers? Are they, in short, changing the world the way they claim? Or is that claim just a useful marketing device that makes otherwise pedestrian businesses appear to be something far grander, convincing investors to pay more than they would for equivalent businesses in more prosaic industries?
I’ve been wondering about this question for several years, and for now, it remains a question. The hype and draw of social media in its many and various forms is undeniable. Whether it is the Twitter IPO, or Yahoo’s $1 billion purchase of Tumblr, or the panoply of new companies that pop up in Silicon Valley and NYC’s Silicon Alley, these companies have buzz and they also garner income. Because so many of them serve as new media companies, occupying the same general space as journalists, they garner attention. Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer gets substantial press, far more than the chief executive officers of many companies many times larger. The same can be said for Twitter and before it Groupon, Zynga, and a host of others whose size was modest compared to many public companies, but whose profile was anything but.
Ask denizens of the Valley what they think, and they’ll say that companies like Twitter command premiums and generate buzz because they are transformative. They are transformative the way that Apple, Google, Microsoft and Oracle were transformative. They change the way consumers and businesses live and function, and they make it possible for people to connect ever more seamlessly to the products, services and people that they wish to and need to. Or so the argument goes.
Many people outside of the Valley view these claims with skepticism, hearing an echo of 1990s tech utopianism. And they are right — to a point. The problem with the tech utopianism of the 1990s wasn’t the utopian part; it was the speculative bubble. In that respect, the problem with tech in the 1990s wasn’t the technology. It was instead a toxic mix of pop culture and Wall Street that produced such overweening, Tulip mania-valuations.
And in fact, the actual innovations of technology over the past twenty years have made businesses more productive and unlocked the potential of individuals. Oracle has more than lived up to the grandiosity of its vision, and has become the digital highway for vast swaths of the world. Google is, of course, Google, and numerous smaller companies known only to the technorati are making possible everything from Big Data to the next wave of smart phones.


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She did not disclose the reason for her departure from the company. In a Facebook post, Sandberg said she plans to focus on her philanthropic work.
"The debate around social media has changed beyond recognition since those early days. To say it hasn't always been easy is an understatement. But it should be hard. The products we make have a huge impact, so we have the responsibility to build them in a way that protects the privacy and keeps people safe," Sandberg wrote.
Before his appointment as COO, Javier Olivan was the chief growth officer at Meta. He leads the central products and functions that span the company’s apps: Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and Whatsapp. This includes Meta’s growth efforts, integrity, ads and business platform, commerce and social impact efforts.
Beyond his product teams, he leads several other groups, including teams for data science, internationalization, UX research and content strategy. Prior to Meta, Javier was a product manager at Siemens Mobile where he led a cross-functional team charged with the development and market launch of handset devices.
Javier holds a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University and master’s degrees in both electrical and industrial engineering from the University of Navarra. He sits on the board of Endeavor, a nonprofit supporting the global entrepreneurial ecosystem. Javier grew up in a small town in the Pyrenees mountains of Spain and currently lives with his family in Palo Alto, California.


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For decades Indiana’s dairy farmers hosted an annual ice cream social on Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis. Like so many other organizations and businesses last year, they had to get creative with the National Ice Cream Month tradition. For American Dairy Association, Indiana Inc., that is not a problem.
“That little thing called a pandemic hit,” says Brooke Williams, Indiana Dairy director of communications. “So, we had to change things up and do a drive-thru style ice cream social. With a lot of the restrictions still in place when we were planning this year’s 32nd event, we decided to do a drive-thru again because we would rather do that than nothing at all, and it is National Ice Cream Month.”
The 32nd annual event is this Friday, July 9th from 11 AM-2 PM at the home of the Indianapolis Indians, Victory Field at 501 W Maryland Street, Indianapolis.
“Families can load up their cars with their kids, their grandparents, even the dogs,” she said. “This year we’re offering pup cups, little cups full of whipped cream, and so we really do have something for everyone to enjoy and you don’t have to get out of your car.”
Williams told HAT this event has always focused on connecting the community back to the dairy farm.
“I think it’s very important to our Indiana dairy farm families. They’ve always wanted to do some event that really supports the community. All the proceeds this year from the ice cream social go to the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis. Every year that we do this and people come down, not only are they able to eat some delicious dairy products, but all the money that we collect goes to an organization that is trying to do something better for the community.”
For that donation Friday, you will be able to select an ice cream novelty treat of your choice, courtesy of Prairie Farms, Kroger and Schwan’s. You can pre-order at winnersdrinkmilk.com and have your order ready in the pre-order line but ordering ahead of time is not required.
Will the tradition return to downtown next year? Brooke Williams thinks so.
“I think next year we’ll make our grand return back to Monument Circle,” she said. “It just became such and tradition, and that way we can bring our dairy cow down. Little kids love to see a cow out in the streets of the city. We’re definitely looking forward to doing that again.”
Pre-order pick-up is available between 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Friday. Additional prizes will be included in your pre-order package to help make your car ride even cooler.


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Jaguar Land Rover is working on a Defender-based hydrogen fuel cell vehicle
Hitachi Europe, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, and Arrival have teamed up to bring new bus and infrastructure solutions to the European bus industry. The non-exclusive partnership combines Hitachi’s digital and operational capabilities with Arrival’s products, which it claims are competitive in price with fossil fuel alternatives. Together, both companies say they will work with operators to provide integrated end-to-end solutions that span all aspects of owning and operating arrival vehicles; this includes, for example, charging infrastructure and digital tools. It is argued that deploying these solutions not only simplifies the transition to electric vehicles, but, combined with the lower total cost of ownership that Arrival’s vehicles and technologies provide, creates a “hugely compelling financing model” that enables businesses to transition to electric vehicles around the world will accelerate the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia and the EMEA region ”.
Russia In May, new car and light commercial vehicle sales increased 134%, or 84,345 units, compared to the same month last year, and totaled 147,378 cars according to AEB Automobile Manufacturers Committee (AEB AMC). “The growth in new vehicle sales in May 2021 is at the very high level expected compared to the same month last year, especially for the volume leaders,” said AEB AMC Chairman Thomas Staertzel. “That month, 147,378 new cars and light trucks were sold, that is [a] 133.8% increase compared to [the] Comparative period last year and also 6.7% compared to [the] Increase in May 2019 (approx. 10,000 more cars). YTD, May 2021 is 38.7% higher than [the] Period of the previous year, including the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown effect in 2020. “We will observe the same situation in June, but from July we will see a more realistic month-on-year comparison. In the summer months, we will also see the effects of the limited supply due to the global shortage of electronic components.
Honda has expanded its ignition ideas incubator program to cover most workers in Japan and brought in a venture capital firm to help evaluate innovation. Ignition is a program that gives shape to the original technology, ideas and design of Honda employees, helping to solve social problems and create new value. The program was launched in 2017 by Honda R&D, the research and development subsidiary. Since its inception, Ignition has received many applications with new business ideas, and several proposals that have a high degree of compatibility with the Honda business are already being pursued with a commercialization in mind. There have also been suggestions that could deliver faster value if followed through a startup company and take advantage of the unique characteristics of startup companies; So in 2020 Ignition added an option for commercializing new business ideas through business ventures in addition to commercialization within Honda.
Continental will close its induction plant factory in Nadab in the Romanian district of Arad and transfer the work to its unit for heating / cooling rubber hoses in Carei in Satu-Mare, according to local reports. The operational transition from Nadab to Carei is to take place gradually by mid-2022, according to a message from the supplier. Over 300 workers at Nadab will be affected by the transfer and will be relocated to Carei, while a small number will be relocated to Timisoara, Continental said. It would offer employees who did not want to switch a compensation package in accordance with local laws.
Former United Auto Workers (UAW) President Gary Jones was sentenced to 28 months in a US federal prison after pleading guilty to stealing around $ 1 million in union money. A court heard reports of upholstery bills for lavish golf resort vacations, fine whiskey and cigars. Jones also pleaded guilty to hiding income to avoid taxes. “I let my family down and I let my union down,” Jones said, according to Automotive News, and suffocated in court. “I pray every day that the UAW will not be harmed and that it will be stronger and more organized.” Jones’ predecessor Dennis Williams was sentenced to 21 months in prison last month. Jones’ evidence helped convict him and reduced his own sentence. He also has to repay stolen money. The hearings for both men have been postponed because of the pandemic. The UAW said in a statement that Jones’ conviction “closes a very dark chapter in the history of the UAW.”
Artists and art collectors can now purchase a Polestar 1 with art on it. Polestar, which is owned by Geely, says production of the low-volume hybrid Polestar 1 will cease later in 2021. Prospective buyers are given the opportunity to pay for the 155,000 euro vehicle by trading in art they already own. Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar, says: “I love the idea of having artists and collectors buy a Polestar 1 with art – it’s such a special car and we wanted to celebrate it in a unique way before production ends. It’s handmade, precious, and tangible, like a work of art. ”Polestar’s initiative takes place amid a recent art boom that is creating new avenues of art trading, from non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to a pair of Kanye West-designed shoes that recently were sold at auction for $ 1.8 million – as well as auction prices for classical and contemporary art has skyrocketed lately.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), owned by Tata, is developing a prototype hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) based on the new Land Rover Defender, with tests scheduled to begin later this year. The FCEV concept is part of Jaguar Land Rover’s goal of zero tailpipe emissions by 2036 and net zero carbon emissions by 2039 across its supply chain, products and operations, in line with Reimagine’s strategy announced last month.
Toyota Motor is striving to make all of its global activities climate neutral by 2035 – bringing forward the previously announced date from 2050, according to a senior executive at the company. Masamichi Okada, chief production officer, said to achieve these goals the company will introduce new technologies into its most polluting processes like painting, coating and casting. He added, “These processes generate high levels of CO2 emissions, so we will initially focus on improving as much as possible in these areas and even eliminating CO2 emissions completely.” Okada also confirmed that the automaker is also considering would use both on-site and off-site power sources to increase the use of renewable energy.
After a stony 12-18 months, Nissan tries to find a way to Ghosn. The good news is its strength in China, and to a lesser extent in the US and Japan. In Europe, South America, India, Africa and the Pacific, things remain tougher. If the RNM Alliance can be strengthened, the future of the Nissan brand may look a lot brighter. And when it comes to next-generation vehicles, there are many potential sources of success.
With a contribution of US $ 620 million (EUR 500 million), Volkswagen is participating in a financing round of its Swedish battery partner Northvolt AB with a total volume of US $ 2.75 billion. VW said its latest investment will keep its stake in the company constant at around 20 percent. The funds are to be used to expand capacity in the areas of production, recycling and research and development. Among other things, Northvolt plans to expand the capacity of its Gigafactory Northvolt Ett in Skellefteå, northern Sweden, from 40 GWh to 60 GWh per year to meet the increased demand from automotive OEM customers.
Throughout the 2010s, Venucia, a joint venture division created by Nissan and Dongfeng Motor, was doing exceptionally well. In December 2020 it was incorporated as a new separate division in Dongfeng Nissan Motor Limited (DFL). The partners said they would continue to develop the brand with a stronger focus on electric vehicles. Sales skyrocketed right after the launch in 2012 and then continued to grow from year to year. The cars were very attractive due to the low prices, many of them thanks to the use of old Nissan platforms and powertrains, as well as low wage rates in the PRC. The current range of products is small, construction costs have increased and consumers will no longer accept classic cars unless they are spectacularly cheap. So what should Nissan do, especially if it has to be careful not to upset Dongfeng?
I wish you a nice weekend.
Graeme Roberts, assistant editor, GlobalData Just Auto


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Business leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs are invited to a panel discussion at the IoD’s 116 Pall Mall headquarters to discuss young directors and the challenges the next generation of chief executives will face
What does the future hold for our next generation of business leaders? The IoD’s Central London branch has assembled an experienced panel, chaired by City A.M. editor Christian May to discuss the issues facing the leaders of tomorrow on 16 November.
Forming part of 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Week, there will be a Q&A session with the opportunity to pose questions to culture minister Ed Vaizey, Jackie Fast, co-founder of Slingshot Sponsorship, Enternships CEO Rajeeb Dey and Joanne Smith of The Consulting Consortium. Also on the panel will be Archie Ravishankar, co-founder of Bizbaze, and Troy Collins, founder and chief executive of Endsource.com.
Tickets cost £25 (plus VAT) for IoD members and £31 (plus VAT) for non-members.


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Three Reddford House Blue Hills learners in the Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (Stem) space scooped this year’s global-Inspired Builds Global Robotics competition in…
Creative people are generally not well known for being legally switched on. But the challenges of protecting original work in the digital age means bloggers, freelance writers, photographers and web designers should all be prepared to interact with the law to protect their intellectual efforts — and their businesses.
Luckily, the concept of copyright is pretty straightforward: as soon as a work is created in a tangible form – be it on paper, film, online or in sound – it is eligible for copyright. It is automatic and, unlike patents or trademarks, official registration is not required.
If, however, there is a dispute over a work, one of the best arguments is being able to prove that you created it first so it is important that the date of origin is recorded. And this is where the founders of Myows, an online copyright management and protection service, have seen a gap.
Chris Human says Myows (which stands for “My Original Works”) is the first real attempt at a “single-minded platform to govern ownership, transfer, policing and contracting of intellectual property online”.
The core functionality of Myows is that it allows the user to store creative work and generate “verifiable evidence” of intellectual property rights, thus making it possible to enforce copyright when someone steals your work. Human says it comes down to “simplifying the management of intellectual property”.
“By making it easier to own, sell and control your rights, we hope that Myows will make creative professions and passions more appealing and fairer as well as stimulate creativity in general,” he says.
The company was established almost a year-and-a-half ago and has been in beta testing since. Human says this will end in the next couple of months, once Myows has launched other critical functionality.
Until recently, Myows was self-funded but now Permjot Valia has offered to come on board as both an investor and business coach, as Memeburn recently learnt.
“He’s helping us realise the full potential of the concept and tap into a wealth of expertise, passion and experience both here and abroad,” says Human. He says they are looking for another angel investor to “assist us in growing to the point at which venture capital makes a little more sense”.
Valia joins founders Human and Max Guedy, who were on board as shareholders, as was Dave O’Reilly, who is in charge of development and security. The team is completed by Steve Ferguson, the Mywos resident lawyer and intellectual property expert.
Two other copyright-evidence-creating sites — Numly.Com and safecreative.org — appear as competitors at present. While Human acknowledges that “competing services do exist”, he notes they are generally aimed either at niche-market segments or offer limited functionality. “Myows is different in that it is universal in applicability and comprehensive in scope,” he says, claiming that his company provides “the only true copyright management tool”.
As part of the package, the service incorporates deterrent measures (warnings and graphics), and help in getting unauthorised copies removed (“great template letters” are available).
The company also has a contract generator in development, which will allow users to digitally sign and retain contracts pertaining to their saved works on the system.
Although all the founders are South African, they have opted to move to fellow emerging market, Singapore, due to the “relative ease” of starting a new business.
Given the global online nature of the enterprise, the company firmly holds that location means little. In fact, Human says the company has experienced a “major uptake” overseas, with the vast majority of users based outside of South Africa, across 52 countries.
Making things simpler for the company, the way copyright works across countries is more or less the same, with more than 164 countries being signatories to the Berne Convention.
So where will Myows be five years from now? “I think in five years is a pretty broad horizon in this game,” responds Human, though he believes company “definitely” aims to serve as the global authority on all things copyright amongst the internet generation “and, particularly, among those creative individuals and collectives that enrich the rest of us with their work”.


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Pastor Jordan Brown, founder of the Church of Open Doors in Austin, said in a statement that the grocery chain "did nothing wrong. I was wrong to pursue this matter and use the media to perpetuate this story.”
"We've heard your concerns about last week's video. We made a mistake, and want to get better at earning the trust of our black audience,” posted the media company.
An openly gay preacher in Austin, Tex. ordered a cake from Whole Foods, but upon returning to his car, was shocked to see what was written on the dessert.
Whole Foods has recalled about 74,000 pounds of store-brand frozen pizza pies. The reason according to the USDA is because for the whole past year the pies were mislabeled and read “uncured beef pepperoni” when they were actually pork. Whole Foods agency’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says the discovery came during a routine label […]
A Black man attempting to buy groceries was brutally beat by a security guard at a California Whole Foods Market.


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Primetec celebrates its first 10 years and previews numerous unprecedented solutions for printing labels in reels and die-cutting, starting with pigmented inks for digital printers and machines which three major companies will soon be launching on the market.
Last 20-21 March, Primetec Srl celebrated its first 10 years in business and unveiled its new location in Rome with an ample showroom and an area dedicated to the digital production of neutral labels in reels, in which demos of all digital die-cutting and printing solutions were given.
The open house unveiling event thus offered a chance for numerous graphics concerns and industrial manufacturers to witness firsthand and test for themselves the new machines of the concerns represented, soon to be released on the market, and the best established digital die-cutting and printing solutions: the VP700, a Memjet printer, VipColor Europe’s 2014 best seller, the popular and reliable Primera laser printers CX1000e and CX1200e and the latest release of the ScorpioPlus digital die-cutter, complete with plasticizer.
Emerging inkjet technology
Much excitement was generated by the three new digital pigmented inkjet printers, which their respective manufacturers announced will be put on the market during the next few months.
«We can consider 2015 the watershed moment for printing technologies destined for the color labels in reels market» stated Alberto Tittozzi on the topic. «The major inkjet technology manufacturers, such as Epson, Canon and HP, are finally coming out with new water-based pigmented ink engines, in order to better meet the growing demand for resistance to UV rays, water and abrasion, and we are committed to being, as always, the first to present them».
Indeed, in March, Primera Technology launched its new pigmented ink color cartridges for the LX900e, thus making it the world’s only printer able to manage both dye-based and pigmented inks, simply by changing the printing head.
• The availability of these inks thus anticipates a most anxiously awaited novelty, to be on the market in the coming months: the new Primera LX2000e printer. The president of Primera Technology Europe, Frank Droste, had the honor of presenting its first preview in Italy. This new machine is capable of printing labels with a resolution of 4800×1200 dpi, up to 210 mm in width and at a maximum speed of 152mm per second, in order to create professional labels that comply with CLP-GHS regulations for the chemical industry.
• The second novelty, presented by representatives of Epson, is the high speed Epson C7500 with DuraBright inks, these too in compliance with CLP-GHS guidelines. And with the impressive speed of 300 mm per second, it enables printing ultra-high resistance labels (maximum width up to 108mm and print resolution of 600×1200 dpi), suitable for chemical and food products, as well as packaging.
• The third new pigmented inks printer is the flagship SCL8000P, presented by the sales director for Europe of SwiftColor. Conceived in order to sustain high workloads, with a print web up to 210mm, a resolution of 1200×1200 dpi and a maximum speed of 152 mm per second, it is destined for the chemical industries market, in full compliance with CLP-GHS specifications. It is suitable for creating large format professional labels, for all applications requiring labels that are resistant to UV rays, water and abrasion.
A digital plotter
Particular interest was aroused, especially among printers, by I-Mark: a new digital plotter with automatic loader, for completely autonomous die-cutting of up to 80 35x50cm sheets with no operator, thanks to the automatic loader.
I-Mark is designed to execute both the half cut for producing labels in sheets, and the through cut for creating business cards, tags, greeting cards and postcards, and it supports papers with thicknesses up to 400 g. To be available on the market in just a few months, this solution has already received high praise thanks to the ease of use of its software (included), its practicality and its economical price.
Primetec Srl came into being in 2005, forged from the many years of experience in digital printing technologies of Alberto Tittozzi (the company’s director), with the goal of offering specialized digital color printing solutions for labels in reels, for print-on-demand applications. The entrepreneur thus anticipated by a wide margin the needs of users, establishing the company as a precursor and market leader in the sector. Indeed, thanks to this intuitive insight, Primetec is now the only concern in the Italian market specialized in supplying digital color printing solutions for labels in reels, for small runs, and this enables it to stand apart from all the players that are now beginning to breach this market.
Proving Primetec’s competencies and achievements, at the celebration of the company’s ten year anniversary at its new location in Rome, the vice director of VipColor Europe, Joan Satorra presented Alberto Tittozzi with an award for the “best sales and customer support concern in Europe 2014”.


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U.K.-based 65twenty, publisher of The Lad Bible, is a clear hit among millennial males, having cornered the pop culture market in the U.K. with millions of followers on Facebook. Its native advertising policy, however, is a bit of a murkier affair.
The Lad Bible has been diversifying the content it offers on the back of its success. Having initially focused on viral videos and user submissions, it now writes its own content on everything from national politics to upcoming film releases. Headlines like “There’s A New Football Hooligan Film Coming Out And It’s Absolutely Hilarious” covered the upcoming release of The Hooligan Factory. The filmmakers couldn’t have dreamed of a better advert for their film. Perhaps because that’s what it was.
A tweet from the 65twenty Twitter account identified the article as a piece of sponsored editorial. But the Lad Bible itself neglected to disclose or label the content as an ad to its sizeable audience of Facebook followers and website users.
— 65twenty (@65twenty) September 11, 2014
Advertisers like Unilever and Campo Retro are also running ad campaigns on Lad Bible that look like editorial. There’s “7 Different Types Of Football Fan”, sponsored by fashion brand Campo Retro and “So England Are Home From Brazil… What Next?”, were paid for by Unilever to promote its Pot Noodle. These ads went undisclosed.
Not all sponsor articles lacked disclosure. For “5 Reasons Why Pot Noodle Is A Better Wingman Than Your Mate”, Lad Bible included “article sponsored by BBQ Brazilian Pot Noodle” at the foot of the article.
The U.K. Advertising Standards Authority has begun acting against publishers with lazy disclosure standards. Last November, it banned YouTube videos from “Dan and Phil” for failing to disclose they had been sponsored by Oreo.
The Committees of Advertising Practice (CAP) write and maintain the UK Advertising Codes, which are administered by the ASA. “It’s recommended that paid for articles should state ‘ad feature’ or similar at the top (even if a tweet makes it clear, as people aren’t only going to reach an article via a tweet),” said Matt Wilson, communications and marketing manager at the Advertising Standards Authority.
The Lad Bible responded with the following statement: “No piece of content is published by us unless it is worthy of being on the site. We have a lot of content on our site that may recommend a product or service but is not sponsored. Part of our job as a community site is to show our users new things that we think they will be interested in. The issue of sponsored content is an evolving area and, of course, one which we are looking closely at.”
The Lad Bible holds considerable influence over its target demographic on social media. Its main Facebook page has nearly 8 million likes and its Sport Bible site has 5.5 million likes. It’s also beginning to translate this reach into cash. BuzzFeed estimates it earns £100,000 ($150,000) in a typical month through advertising.
The company appears to have done particularly well out of Facebook’s policy to promote more video. Its regular posts often exceed thousands of shares and likes, but its video posts are frequently hitting many millions — and they’re not just cat videos. This Facebook video post about a Charlie Hebdo rally in Paris received 4.5 million views so far:
For a media brand that has begun covering broader social and political issues, its native advertising policy deserves scrutiny. Ads for films and Pot Noodles going undisclosed is one thing, but political advertising is another, argues Tom Pepper, UK managing director of Vibrant Media in 12ahead.com.
“Without clear transparency policies, there’s little to stop a UK political party placing native advertising within a digital publication that consumers trust without making absolutely clear that the messages the party wants to convey are not editorial content,” he said. “Any problems the U.K. might experience with political native advertising will be dwarfed by those experienced in the U.S. for the 2016 presidential election. The U.S. is far less regulated and political parties’ budgets for advertising are astronomical.”
Some might argue that this distinction between ads and editorial matters less to the Lad Bible’s target audience. If the content is good, the argument goes, it doesn’t matter where it came from.
At least one agency leader says this argument doesn’t stick. Doug Kessler, co-founder and creative director at B2B content marketing agency Velocity Partners, has been vocal about the problem of undisclosed native ads. “I wondered if my concern about native advertising was just me being old fashioned, so I asked my daughters, aged 20 and 16, what they thought. They had similar reactions to me,” he said. “They said they’d feel betrayed if what appeared to be a genuine article was a marketing set-up.”
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More than 4,000 motorists in Cyprus jumped at the opportunity for a state grant to go full electric, as the first phase of a ‘generous’ incentive scheme went live a week ago, with authorities saying that grants are still available for used electric vehicles for taxi drivers, people with disabilities, mopeds and bicycles.
The first stage of a €30 mln incentive scheme to convince motorists to go electric was launched a week ago Monday, with The Transport Ministry reporting that demand is currently ten-fold the ‘supply’, as only a few hundred applications will be approved.
Initially, the ministry’s incentive scheme will be dishing out some €8 mln, covering just 360 applications for brand new electric cars and 320 used ones for private use, and a limited number for other categories, such as taxis and for people with disabilities.
Applicants have until Monday, January 3 to apply, although due to greater demand than grants available, the ministry said it would only be accepting applications for specific categories.
Grants are still available for used electric taxi cabs, used electric vehicles for people with disabilities and electric motorcycles and bicycles.
As of Monday, a total of 4,269 applications have been submitted.
Specifically, some 3,175 applications were submitted by people interested to buy a brand-new electric vehicle for private use, and 366 for a used one.
Some 72 (24 grants) taxi drivers applied to purchase a new cab, while the ministry received 21 (13 grants) applications for electric vehicles for people with disabilities.
Motorists can benefit up to €10,000 from an ‘attractive’ state incentive package set up to encourage motorists to scrap their old petrol cars for a new, environmentally-friendly electric one.
A grant of €9,000 will be provided to buy a new electric vehicle and €4,000 for the purchase of a used car. Another €1,000 can be offered through a separate scrappage scheme.
The promotion of electric car use in Cyprus includes 14 categories from €1,000 to €100,000 and in the first phase is expected to satisfy 1,375 applications.
Those buying a brand-new electric car will be eligible for an additional €1,000 grant if they scrap a car which is over 12 years. It means they could benefit from a total grant of €10,000.
Grants for purchasing an electric vehicle with the right of withdrawal will be given for other categories of vehicles.
Taxi drivers who wish to replace their cab with an electric vehicle will be given €19,000 for a new one and €12,000 for a used one.
The budget foresees 24 applications for a new electric taxi and 25 for used ones.
In addition, 13 grants of €11,000 each will be given for a new electric car designed for people with mobility problems or a large family car.
Some 25 grants of €7,000 each will be available for the purchase of used taxis.
People interested can apply online at www.ev.gov.cy . The ministry will be following a first come, first served principle.
Both individuals and professionals, as well as legal entities are potential beneficiaries of the scheme.
The plan also provides: €100,000 for the purchase of a new electric minibus, €40,000 for a smaller new electric minibus, €20,000 for a new electric commercial vehicle, as well as €1,500 for a new electric bicycle or four-wheeled micro-car, or moped, or tricycle, or motorcycle or light four-wheeled vehicle.
Following their application, beneficiaries will have two months to present proof of either purchasing an electric vehicle or ordering one from a dealership, and 12 months to carry out the purchase. Grants are awarded with the vehicle’s registration.


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The Subaru Crosstrek is a great small crossover, but there’s one thing we’ve been wishing it would get – a more powerful engine. Well it looks like Subaru is about to fix that, since a new report claims that the 2021 Crosstrek is getting a more powerful 2.5-liter engine.
Speaking to Automotive News, Subaru CEO Tom Doll revealed that the 2021 Subaru Crosstrek is going to get a 2.5-liter four-cylinder boxer engine that will be offered in a new Sport trim level and the top spec Limited version. The engine generates 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque in the Outback and Forester, which is a nice increase of 30 horsepower and 31 pound-feet of torque over the Crosstrek’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder.
The more powerful engine will likely only be available with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).


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As world leaders gather at COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference taking place in Glasgow, fashion brands big and small have been ramping up their sustainability efforts.
Last month, for instance, ASOS announced a new goal to achieve a net-zero impact on the environment by 2030, while Penneys revealed its clothes will be made using recycled or “more sustainably sourced materials” by the same year.
According to a report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the Circular Fibers Initiative in 2017, “total greenhouse gas emissions from textiles production, at 1.2 billion tonnes annually, are more than those of all international flights and maritime shipping combined” – so change is important.
But while sustainability initiatives by so many companies sound impressive, how can you tell which ones will really make a difference – or if some of them are guilty of ‘greenwashing’?
What is greenwashing?
“Greenwashing is deployed by brands to appear more sustainable than they actually are, typically relying on inaccurate, unsubstantiated, and misleading claims that deepen consumer confusion and derail the genuine sustainability efforts made by industry players,” says Philly Grogan, fashion and textile specialist at Eco-Age.
Producing one ‘eco-friendly’ capsule collection a year isn’t going to offset the environmental effects of churning out millions of garments and shipping them thousands of miles across the globe, for instance.
“Despite what clever marketing strategies may tell us, fast fashion can never be sustainable and the proliferation of greenwashing is a growing threat to true sustainability,” Grogan argues.
What do retailers have to say?
Fast fashion brands, on the other hand, believe that they can be sustainable while following the cyclical fashion calendar of seasonal collections and producing huge quantities of clothing. But they’re realistic about the challenges they face.
Commenting on Primark’s new sustainability strategy, a spokesperson said: “This strategy has been developed over the last 18 months and builds on the work we have done over the last 10 years to become a more sustainable business. We have set out deliberately stretching ambitions that will have the biggest positive impact on the planet and the lives of those who make our products – especially given the size and scale of our business.
“However, because these reaching commitments will fundamentally transform our business and the way we make our products, driving through these changes will take time and collaboration with our suppliers, industry partners, NGOs, governments and many others – we know this will take time, especially to do this right.”
Simon Platts, responsible sourcing director at ASOS, says the retailer is committed to sharing its progress and has made ‘be transparent’ one of their four key ‘fashion with integrity goals’.
“We already declare the manufacturing level of our supply chain and have been praised for transparency in our modern slavery statements, for example, but we know there’s so much more for us to do to engage and empower our customers with the information they need to make informed decisions for people and planet,” he says.
How can you identify greenwashing?
Only time will tell whether retailers meet their long-term targets, but in the meantime, if you want to shop more sustainably there are certain clues to look out for.
Here’s Eco-Age’s Philly Grogan offers her advice for avoiding greenwashing:
-Watch out for vague wording
“Many fast fashion brands’ marketing strategies rely on vague buzzwords such as ‘eco-friendly’, ‘natural’, and ‘green’, but what do these words actually mean, and how can such ambiguous terms be quantified and verified? Don’t believe the hype. The most reliable sustainability communications will focus on specific details instead of relying on vague wording.”
-Check the facts
“Sustainability claims can only really be trusted if they are based on science-based evidence, preferably verified by a third-party. At Eco-Age, we work with our clients to ensure sustainability claims can be verified through evidence and fact. Third-party certification is a good place to start, but it is not always the be all and end all.”
-Cut the capsule collections
“Is the brand addressing sustainability across the board in its operations, or through a capsule collection? While capsule collections have been a way for brands to dip their toe in sustainability, the fast fashion giants and their ample budgets are too big to simply pay lip service to sustainability through capsule collections that represent a small proportion of sales.”
-Don’t buy into selective sustainability claims
“How many times have you seen fossil-fuel fibres flaunted as ‘sustainable’ just because it’s vegan? Or a brand claiming it is sustainable because it uses recyclable packaging or donates a percentage of profits to charity? Consumers should consider what they are being told about all aspects of the supply chain. The most robust sustainability claims are made against a backdrop of regular sustainability reporting with time-bound science-based targets in place to demonstrate measurable and continuous progress.”


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Apple Kills Think Secret, Beloved Apple News Leak Site
December 20, 2007 11:34 AM
comment(s) - last by
Apple shuts down one of its greatest supporters in the online news industry for saying too much
iPod rumor mill buzz
, to the
ever-expanding plethora of Apple wares
, since its founding in 1998,
has always been a top source of breaking news from Apple Inc. While the site dealt chiefly in unreleased and uncertain realms, it scored many scoops that validated its claims of "inside sources" at Apple Inc.
Now in another draconian move, Apple has managed to
slay this beloved site
, which its executives including Steve Jobs, always saw as an annoyance. Ironically, the site was chiefly frequented by Apple fans, but Apple has always maintain a closed box policy to some extent which seems to hurt the ones who love it.
Apple had sued
for trade secret violations in 2005 after it revealed an unannounced "headless" Mac for $500 and the new iWork office suite. Apple planned to announce these products at the Mac World that year and virtually confirmed the leak with its lawsuit.
The suit centered on putting the squeeze on
-- likely so Apple could wish them luck in finding a new job.
remained loyal to Apple, its fans, and most significantly its sources to the end. Site publisher Nick Ciarelli (aka Nick DePlume) settled with Apple, but went down fighting. Ciarelli refused to betray his sources and instead paid the ultimate price -- losing his beloved website.
Ciarelli was happy he could at least save his friends from harm. He sent an email to
stating, "I'll just say that I'm very satisfied with the settlement, and that I'd like to thank the Electronic Frontier Foundation and my attorney, Terry Gross of Gross & Belsky, for their support."
In the end, Apple's latest move does not sound unfamiliar. After all, this is the company that
bricked thousands of users phones
for switching networks and for years sued Mac clones out of existence, despite destroying its own market dominance in doing so.
However, many will see this latest move as a new low for Apple and Steve Jobs to sink to. After all,
was one of the stalwarts of the online tech news industry and a loyal supporter of Apple.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: Apple on it's way down?
12/20/2007 1:12:55 PM
iPod = Nice but overpriced
iPhone = Nice but overpriced
MacBook = Nice but overpriced
Airport network equipment that look like a clamp shell = Cute but overpriced
MacMini = Nice but overpriced
AppleTv = crap but still less overpriced.
RE: Apple on it's way down?
12/20/2007 7:47:23 PM
Eh... Apple products aren't even that nice, just... shiny and different. I've never really even wanted an iPod, since I'm a proud Apple hater, and having one only makes it worse. The headphones they ship with suck (and official replacements are $40 - thanks, but I think I'll get cheapo Sennheisers for infinitely better sound), you HAVE to encode videos to mp4, and the screen is so bleeding tiny you can't watch ANYTHING on it. Good thing I got it as a gift.
You buy Apple to differ from the norm, that's about it. The rebels of the 80s still trying to be rebellious in their 30s and 40s.
RE: Apple on it's way down?
12/21/2007 4:13:18 AM
I agree. I have a G4 iPod which is connected to the Pioneer stereo in my car. It plays music and that's really all it needs to do. I just don't see the point of watching videos on a small screen. Yes the headphones do suck. I bought some cheapo Sony earphones and they gave far better sound. But you can't fault the clickwheel as an interface. But a good interface doesn't make the company great.
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America's Worst Customer Service Providers Named and Shamed
Comcast gets the dubious honour of ranking first in a list of US companies that provide a poor customer service.
To coincide with their "Customer Service Hall of Fame", 24/7 Wall St. has this week also released their "Customer Service Hall of Shame", which names the US companies that are rated the worst for customer service according to their annual collaborative study with research group Zogby Analytics.
Over 1,500 US adults where polled for the study and they were asked if the service at 151 of the country's best-known companies, across 15 industries, was "excellent", "good", "fair" or "poor".
108 companies had at least 500 valid responses and the companies with fewer valid responses were not considered for either the Customer Service Hall of Fame or the Customer Service Hall of Shame.
Broadcasting and cable company Comcast topped the "poor" list for the second year running - a dubious honour.
SEE ALSO: Comcast Goes Into Battle Against Torrent of Abominable Customer Experiences
Comcast wasn"t the only cable, satellite or wireless provider in the list, as the top 10 of worst companies for customer service this year also included DirectTV (2nd), Dish Network (5th), AT&T (6th), AT&T U-verse (7th) and Verizon (9th).
Customer service and experience expert Shep Hyken told 24/7 Wall St. that cable companies in particular may suffer from a lack of urgency to improve the quality of their customer interactions. Because of this, these companies have earned a reputation for terrible customer experiences unique to the industry.
He explained: "When you want to have cable installed, you have to take a half a day off of work, and you have to hope the cable guy shows up."
He also noted that if Apple, or one of the companies that make up this year's Customer Service Hall of Fame were in the cable business, customer service would improve.
The remaining companies rounding out the top 10 for 2015 were Bank of America - Bank (3rd), Bank of America - Credit Card Company (4th), AOL (8th) and T-Mobile (10th).
Many of the companies have appeared in the list before and both Comcast and Bank of America have been bottom-ranked for customer service for seven years in a row.


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400 Million Unsecured Phone Numbers on FacebookWorld | September 5, 2019, Thursday // 19:43| views
The server of the company is left without a password.
Phone numbers linked to more than 400 million Facebook accounts remained unsecured online in the latest privacy leak for the social media giant, BGNES reported.
The exposed server stores 419 million user data in several databases - 133 million accounts in the US, more than 50 million in Vietnam and 18 million in the UK, according to tech news site TechCruch. The databases contained social network user IDs unique numbers attached to each account. The accounts contained telephone numbers of the accounts, as well as the gender indicated by some accounts and their geographical location, the technology website reported.
The server was left un-passworded, meaning that anyone was able to access the databases, and remained so until late Wednesday when TechCrunch connected to the site host.
The company confirmed parts of the report, but downplayed the expiration rate, saying that so far the confirmed accounts are about half of the reported 419 million. The company also added that many of the accounts are duplicates and the data is old. "The data set has been downloaded and we have no evidence that Facebook accounts have been compromised," a corporation spokesman told AFP.
Following the Cambridge Analytics scandal in 2018, when millions of users' personal information leaked, the company has deactivated a feature that allows users to search the platform by phone numbers.
Publishing a user's phone number makes it vulnerable to spam calls, a SIM change - as recently happened to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey - by hackers who can reset passwords on compromised accounts.
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TOP 10 RIGHT NOW
Activists: Boycott Meat to Protect Plant Workers From Coronavirus
A coalition of Iowa groups is calling for a consumer boycott of meat this month to demand better working conditions for employees in crowded factories that have become incubators for the coronavirus. Thousands of meat-packing workers and their families have been sickened by outbreaks—and advocates say the companies have not done enough to protect those who remain on the job. Earlier this week, President Trump signed an executive order to force meat plants to stay open. On Friday afternoon, the League of United Latin American Citizens will announce details of its Meatless May campaign in Iowa—where 90 percent of the COVID-19 infections in one county are linked to a Tyson plant.


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Google Translate native app available for iPhone, features speech-to-text and synthesized voices
Last month Google came out with some new synthesized voices for Google Translate, and now the Google Mobile Blog has announced the availability of an iOS version of Google Translate, complete with voice-to-text data entry and synthesized speech. There's support for 15 languages via voice entry, but you can listen to the translation of 23 languages via those synthesized voices. Tapping a zoom icon makes the translated text bigger, handy when you want to just point and ask "where is the bathroom?" in Greek (or dozens of other languages).
Of course, the web app has been around for a while, but you couldn't do the voice or speech actions. The dedicated app is free, and I've found Translate to be quite good at what it does.
Last month Google came out with some new synthesized voices for Google Translate, and now the Google Mobile Blog has announced the...
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Purchaser Service Startup Service Raises $three.1M Led By Founders Fund
Khosla Ventures famously backed Gripe.io, a startup which allowed dissatisfied shoppers to complain loudly on social media about service suppliers that had failed them (consuming locations, lodges, airways and so forth). After this barrage of criticism, the mannequin proprietor was supposed give in to this assault and settle with compensation. Unsurprisingly it didn’t work and Gripe closed. Quite a lot of totally different startups have tried comparable types of fashions. Nevertheless it’s very exhausting to make such a issue scale, and mannequin homeowners instinctively hate the social media blackmail, for obvious causes. What’s required is a model new model.
Schneider was an early ‘new wave’ entrepreneur who created Mobile Roadie, the ‘mobile apps for the leisure enterprise’ startup.
Based mostly in June 2015, Service is “On demand buyer help”. If a client feels let down by a enterprise, they inform Service, add any supporting paperwork (like affirmation emails or receipts), and state a desired finish end result. A Service disadvantage solver contacts the company, and retains you educated by means of e mail. The shopper doesn’t ought to do one thing.
The thought is to supplier a superb choice between the customer and the enterprise. They characterize the rebirth of the middle males we have got beforehand written about.
In June Service garnered a pre-Seed spherical of $540k raised from Space Ventures and strategic individuals.
Schneider now reveals that in September he and his employees raised a Seed spherical of $three.1M led by Founders Fund, with participation from Menlo Ventures, Maveron Ventures, Eight Ventures and a handful of strategic specific individual consumers.
He says the startup has now been utilized by over 1,000 clients and over $100,000 has been recovered or saved for consumers (with half of that inside the last 30 days alone).
“We don’t drag the company by means of the mud. We’re private and discrete. There is no blackmail involved . We have to grow to be a verb. It’s of big profit to firms to stop the trashing on social media. Correct now we’re free to every firms and shoppers as we work out a model,” he suggested me. “We’re developing software program program to scale. Three months up to now it took us half-hour treatment a grievance. Now it takes us quarter-hour. There’s an entire lot of automation occurring beneath the hood.”
The group is eight people, half engineering/product, half choice specialists (people fixing situations). It’s now keep inside the US, UK, Canada and Australia, nevertheless has solved points in several nations.


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Boosting industry commitment to sustainable palm oil, the impact of upcoming EU regulation and improving certification credibility are among the topics on the agenda at the first European Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) summit.
A Western certification company is preparing to move into Pakistan, where it says the adoption of BRC standards is of huge benefit in a country looking to find its feet after the political turmoil of recent years.
“The most common mistake by western fast moving consumer good (FMCG) companies who launch new food and beverage brands in emerging markets is that they jump straight in to a Pleasure position with their brands.”
By Darrel Webber, secretary general of Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil
Increasing global consumption of palm oil poses serious sustainability challenges and raises questions about leading consumer nations’ responsibility in managing the footprint of its global supply chain.
Pakistani, Caribbean and Halal cuisines experienced the greatest growth in order volumes in US restaurants over the past year, although Italian, Chinese and Japanese remain the top three most popular ethnic cuisines in America, according to digital food...
FoodNavigator-Asia.com, the news service for Asia-Pacific's food, beverage, nutrition and ingredients industry, and part of the global FoodNavigator.com network, will publish four days a week starting from Tuesday, July 9.
It is no secret Malaysia has a strict halal verification process and its certification is accepted across all Muslim countries, including the Middle East. But why did the country embark on a policy to tame the standards beast.
When you are catering to 1.8bn Muslim shoppers in a market that, according to The Economist, is likely to grow by 35% by 2030, there is bound to be a degree of fragmentation, but when it comes to halal, it is often more a case of disorganisation.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reiterated calls for more to be done to improve nutrition in the first 1000 days of life to reduce growth stunting that blights the lives of about 165m children worldwide.
China’s rice production is proving to be a conundrum for analysts and food organisations the world over. The simple fact is, nobody knows with any degree of certainty what’s happening there, and what little that can be divined is nothing short of puzzling.
A book released this week by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s forestry department attempts to persuade Westerners that they should see insects as a potential key food source for the future. This will no doubt please Australian “science communicator”...
In the wake of the European Commission’s announcement that it will adopt a proposal to restrict the use of three pesticides belonging to the neonicotinoid family, rice research guru Bas Bouman has called for Asia to take different approaches, including...
The recent rise of India as a rice exporter and of China—somewhat unexpectedly—as an importer is paving the way for increased uncertainty to the global market for the crop, according to one expert at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
Consumers in emerging markets are more receptive to new chocolate products than counterparts in established markets because they don’t have a point of reference, according to ADM Cocoa’s innovation chief.
By Beverly Postma, executive director of Food Industry Asia
As the deadline for the creation of single common market across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) fast approaches, the food industry has stepped up to demonstrate that the private sector can play a meaningful role in accelerating the...
Connell Brothers has signed an exclusive agreement with Ganeden Biotech to market the American company’s GanedenBC30 priobiotic across the Asia-Pacific region. Connell plans to begin distribution immediately, beginning with Southeast and North Asia.
New Zealand’s Minister for Economic Development, Steven Joyce, has released a report showing growth in the country’s food and beverage sector is being driven in particular by emerging economies in the Asia-Pacific region.
Health claims in food and beverage products is perhaps the most talked about topic in the entire food production chain outside of GM. In mature markets like the US—and now Australasia—at least there has been frameworks implemented to rationalise the claim-making...
New Zealand’s Taura Natural Ingredients plans to launch a new range of concentrated fruit pieces for bakery and foodservice operators in Asia. The products will fit in the premium category and will be specific to the niche.
Oxfam will step up its campaign to improve the treatment of people and resources that form part of the supply chain of the world’s biggest food conglomerates, after it cast industry responses to its damning Behind the Brands report as ‘bland’ and ‘complacent’.
Unilever and Nestlé say Oxfam missed an opportunity for a wider and more comprehensive debate about food ethics after the NGO published a damning report on the supply chains of the world’s biggest food firms this week.
Associated British Foods – worst-in-class in an Oxfam report critical of 10 food giants for essentially operating under a corporate social responsibility (CSR) “veil of secrecy” – has hit back, slamming the report ‘s findings as “ridiculous”.


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A lot has changed for Seattle’s tech industry since WTIA first created the Tech Universe Map in 2007. More than 2,100 new tech companies have been created and more than 58.4 billion has been invested in companies in Washington. The diversity of the kinds of technologies created here has increased; in particular, we have more cloud computing, data analytics, online retail, and mobile application companies. WTIA and Madrona Venture Group presents the 2015 Seattle Tech Universe Map, which features more than 600 companies. Other supporting sponsors include University of Washington, Davis Wright Tremaine, Cooley, Perkins Coie and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. Read the story behind updating the map. For comments or questions or corrections, please email techuniverse@
The criteria for being on the printed map is:
Company is based in WA or is a significant company whose founders came from a WA company
Companies that started outside of Washington but have since moved their headquarters to Washington state
Company is still in existence and is thriving and/or it has received a base level of funding recently which points to growth
Companies that have raised outside seed-stage funding (beyond friends & family).
Companies that have been acquired by companies that are still existing or that was an important company in the founding of other extant companies
Company is in the software or mobile industries. Retail and other non-tech companies that have spawned other companies are also included.
- Large national/international companies with major engineering centers in Washington are included. Examples include Facebook, Google, and Sears.


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The cryptocurrency market is continuing its descent with the market hitting a new ten-month low after the price of Ether declined and regulators in the U.S. halted trading in two securities that are tied to cryptocurrency.
According to a report in Bloomberg Ether, which is the second biggest cryptocurrency behind Bitcoin, fell 8.9 percent at 5:00 p.m. New York Time Friday (Sept. 7) while Bitcoin dropped 2.1 percent. Meanwhile, the market capitalization of digital assets that are tracked by CoinMarketCap.com declined to $197 billion from $640 billion at its peak in January. Bloomberg noted that digital tokens have declined in five of the last six weeks amid concerns that it will take longer than hoped for cryptocurrencies to go mainstream. Over the weekend the Securities and Exchange Commission didn’t help that plight by temporarily suspending trading in two exchange-traded notes that were linked to cryptocurrencies. At the same time Vitalik Buterin, the co-founder of Ethereum told Bloomberg the days of huge growth in the blockchain market are over.
In trading Monday (September 10) Bloomberg reported the digital tokens are still under pressure, even though Citigroup has reportedly come up with a way to invest in crypto. The bank, reported Bloomberg, will act as an agent issuing digital asset receipts or DARS that allow for trading by proxy without having to own the coins, a person with knowledge of the plans told Bloomberg. According to the report, the Bloomberg Galaxy Crypto Index of major virtual currencies declined 4.1 percent to 392.68 at 8:28 a.m. in London, while Ether declined to $199.05 and bitcoin fell to $6.313.51. Ether has seen a bigger drop than bitcoin in the past few months amid concerns that blockchain startups are cashing out of the digital tokens. Lots of startups raised Ether via initial coin offerings and are now cashing in to cover expenses and pay the salaries of the employees of these startups.