text:
(Bloomberg) — As evidence of peak inflation emerges, many on Wall Street are getting bullish. Not Bank of America’s Savita Subramanian.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Equity bulls, it seems, are simply trying to justify the rally from June’s nadir, Subramanian, the bank’s head of US equity and quantitative strategy, said on Bloomberg Television Thursday.
“What we are all looking for are reasons to get more bullish, but the reasons are pretty thin if you ask me,” Subramanian said. The two most common arguments she hears are inflation having reached its peak and the better-than-feared second-quarter corporate earnings.
While inflation may have peaked, consumer prices rose to 8.5% in July, decelerating by more than expected, it is still way above the Federal Reserve’s target, she said. Further, the stronger-than-expected jobs report, which was widely interpreted as a positive for a soft landing and for consumer health, is not that positive, she added.
“I see that as overwhelmingly negative because what that means is pricing power for the average corporation is starting to wane,” Subramanian said. “Demand is starting to wane. But wages, which are the biggest depressant on corporate margins for the S&P 500 are sticky and high. Why are we celebrating about this? I just don’t get it.”
In fact, Subramanian said she is confounded by the attention inflation receives. What matters more is the long end of the yield curve. The 10-year Treasury yield remained near 3% on Thursday.
“What’s bizarre to me is this laser focus on inflation prints on a monthly basis and real-time reads on inflation and what’s the Fed going to do,” she said. “All of that is second to what happens to the long end of the curve. I like that phrase ‘complexity of the moment’ because I think this is a very complex moment for equities.”
The market remains vulnerable to even a slight increase to companies’ cost of capital.
“The duration of S&P 500 is still above 30 years. We are looking at 30-year, zero coupon bond,” she said. “What that means is that a mere 50 basis point change in the cost of equity capital, which is more influenced by the long-end, could drive the market either really high or really low from here.”
Read more: Treasuries Gain, Halting Rout That Sent Yields Toward 2022 Highs
While companies fared better than expected in the second quarter — with the S&P 500 growing sales by 15% — most of that was driven by one sector.
“Energy grew sales by 80%, everything else was fairly lackluster,” she said. “More companies in the S&P 500 undershot inflation in sales.”
Data from the bank published on June 15 show that just 53% of S&P 500 companies “had sales growth that cleared inflation.”
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.


text:
- THE MAGAZINE
- CATEGORY FOCUS
- BEVERAGE R&D
Carbonated Soft Drinks
PepsiCo Inc., Purchase, N.Y., reported organic revenue growth of 3.6 percent and reported net revenue growth of 0.5 percent in the second quarter of 2014, compared with the prior-year period. Global beverages experienced 2 percent organic revenue growth and a 1 percent reported net revenue decline because of unfavorable foreign exchange translation and the company’s refranchising of its bottling operations in Vietnam, it says.
The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, reported its second-quarter and year-to-date 2014 operating results. In its quarterly financial statement, the company reported worldwide volume growth of 3 percent for the second quarter and 2 percent year to date, with gained value share in non-alcohol ready-to-drink (NARTD) beverages.
Among the iconic, long-standing TV programs that Americans tune in to, one factor can be vital to their longevity: evolution. In “The Simpsons,” Lisa goes from always wanting a pony as a pet to being a vegetarian and a mini-activist, whereas Walter White went from being a desperate chemistry teacher to a drug lord in “Breaking Bad.”
The current economic climate coupled with governmental and consumer concerns about health and wellness created a tough environment for the carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) market this year, according to analysts.
SodaStream USA, Mount Laurel, N.J., is continuing its ongoing mission to empower consumers by launching the Ultimate Mixologist Contest.
Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo's Pepsi brand released its complete 11-track “Beats of the Beautiful Game” album, an exclusive collection of anthemic songs by chart-topping musicians inspired by the energy and spirit of football, which is known as soccer in the United States.
CBC Sales Inc. added Cicero Beverage Co. Salted Caramel Root Beer to its line of Chicago-style soft drinks.
7-Eleven Inc., Dallas, added the new Sprite 6 Mix by LeBron James Slurpee to its lineup of frozen beverages lineup. Inspired by the limited-edition Sprite flavor developed between The Coca-Cola Co. and the NBA superstar, the new Slurpee also features the taste of traditional Sprite mixed with cherry and orange flavors, the company says.
Seattle-based Jones Soda Co. announced that distribution for its natural soda line expanded into the Pacific Northwest, Texas and Canada.
Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo Inc. and its philanthropic arm, the PepsiCo Foundation, are donating $300,000 to support international relief efforts in Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina following massive flooding that has caused widespread devastation and destruction. In addition to this financial commitment, the company is donating 1.5 tons of its products to help the more than 1 million people in need.

domain: news


text:
Lamborghini comes with the Gallardo Superleggera
As we mentioned earlier, Lamborghini announced that they will come with a special sportscar. Hereby the exclusive preview of the all new Gallardo Superleggera. The Superleggera is faster, more aerodynamic, less heavy and is going to be the competitor of the Ferrari F430 Challegene Stradale. The Superleggera is not going to be limited and it is not seen as tuning, like the Gallardo Hamann or Miura Corse but more as a brand new model.
Thanks to a lot of carbon fibre Lamborghini managed to reduce the weight with 100 kilos. The engine is upgraded to a stunning 530 bhp which accelerates the car to 100 kilometers per hour in 3.8 seconds! The 5.2L V10 is 0,15 second fast than a general Gallardo but speed matters these days. The top speed remains 315 kilometers per hour. The Gallardo Superleggera got a huge spoiler on the back of the car.
Looking at the interior Lamborghini placed some Sparco sport seats and the dashboard and center console are made out of carbon fibre. The Gallardo Superleggera is going to be the opponent of the Ferrari F430 Challenge Stradale which will be presented in december this year.
For more information on the Geneva Motorshow, click here.


text:
Efforts by corporations to tie their products and services to charities and causes can boost sales in some instances, new research says.
Exposure to cause-related marketing had a positive effect on some product sales in two studies conducted by Cone and Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
In an initial study, 182 people viewed either cause-related or traditional advertising and then shopped in a mock convenience store.
Almost two-thirds more people who had viewed the cause-related advertising for shampoo purchased the product than did those who had seen traditional advertising.
A similar, though lesser, effect was seen for toothpaste, with a 24 percent increase in actual purchase by those who had viewed cause-related ads.
For products including chips and light bulbs, however, cause-related ads were associated with only slight increases in actual purchase.
In a follow-up study with 1,000 participants, cause-related marketing was shown to have a positive effect, but not as strong as seen in the initial study.
Actual sales of shampoo and toothpaste jumped 19 percent and 5 percent respectively for people exposed to cause-related advertising.
“One thing we know for sure – consumers are paying more attention to cause messages, and as a result, are more likely to purchase,” says Gavan Fitzsimons, a marketing professor at Duke and lead researcher for the study. “This is clearly great news for brand managers, as every percentage increase can translate to millions of dollars in revenue.”


text:
More images of the collaboration between Gnarhunters and Nike’s SB Dunk Low have been released with an on-foot look at the upcoming anticipated pair thanks to YankeeKicks. As the duo recently announced their second joint effort just a few days ago, the new take recollects that of the first installment from back in 2019. Professional skateboarder Elissa Steamer’s brand last debuted an SB Zoom Blazer Mid sporting black uppers and monochrome embellishments.
The upcoming pair comes with similar-looking all-black makeup elevating a new quirky feature of removable charcoal-hued lateral Swooshes. The uppers are equipped with a terry cloth base and wrapped in padded nylon overlays with further elements done in leather and canvas materials. Moreover, Bungee cord laces loop around the tongue fashioned with both brands’ logos while the heel tab reads “GNAR” in white to further highlight the collaboration. The interiors include insoles made up of black and yellow with graphics of Gnarhunters’ “Fun Screen” and snorkel gear. A black midsole sits over a white rubber outsole to complete the look.
The forthcoming Gnarhunters x Nike SB Dunk Low is to release soon at select retailers and via Gnarhunters and Nike.
For Further Updates
At a time when the sneaker game is rapidly gaining popularity, and more and more resellers and collectors are becoming a part of this ecosystem, The lack of a proper Authentication system and resale forums have caused inconvenience to a lot of enthusiasts; but not…
As we step into 2022, the past year hasn’t exactly been a cakewalk. The virus continues its presence with habitual lockdowns and strict norms all over the country. Despite this, the sneaker culture slowly but surely experienced a good number of new collaborations, album releases,…


text:
Rihanna Becomes First Female Artist To Cross 2 Billion Streams On Apple Music
Rihanna‘s discography has surpassed efforts made by each and every one of her peers on Apple Music this year.
Here’s the fantastic news…
Apple was elated to reveal that the singer/songwriter is now the first female artist to surpass the 2 billion streams point on its platform and marked the good news by announcing it on International Women’s Day.
Her unmatched gains are pumped up and powered by a party of smash hits penned by the likes of Ne-Yo, Curtis Richardson, Sia, The Dream, Elijah Blake, PARTYNEXTDOOR and Justin Timberlake to name a few and are to be elevated by the release of her next studio album!
Not bad for an artist many thought would be a one-hit wonder, eh?


text:
SYDNEY: Maggie Beer Holdings (MBH) announced the appointment of Ms Kinda Grange as Chief Executive Officer to lead the company through the next phase of its growth strategy.
A food & beverage industry leader, Ms Kinda Grange has an outstanding track record of building brands with a focus on marketing, innovation, insights, and data – experience that aligns with MBH’s ambitious brand and e-commerce growth strategy.
Ms Grange most recently held the position of Joint Managing Director Australia at Goodman Fielder, one of Australasia’s largest FMCG organisations and where she spent 18 years in several senior leadership roles including Chief Growth Officer, Group Head of Marketing & R&D ANZ, General Manager Grocery and Marketing Director Grocery ANZ.
While at Goodman Fielder, Ms Grange had responsibility for e-commerce, digital marketing and product categories that include, plant-based foods, spreads & oils, bakery, in home baking & dairy.
Ms Grange will join the Company as CEO on 1 March 2023. Her appointment comes as Maggie Beer Holdings completes its transformation and strategic repositioning and is primed to leverage its position as Australia’s leading purveyor of premium food, beverage, and gifting products.
Reg Weine, MBH’s Chairman, said “Kinda’s impressive track record of delivering strategic and operational business outcomes, combined with her entrepreneurial and innovation mindset will accelerate MBH’s vision & strategy. Having most recently led a business with $1.5b in revenue across Australia, with twelve manufacturing sites, and 1600 employees, Kinda clearly has the strategic, commercial and leadership experience to be able to leverage our leading e-commerce platform and Maggie Beer branded portfolio.
Ms Kinda Grange said “It is a privilege to be joining the Maggie Beer Holdings group and to have the opportunity to take the business to the next level. I am passionate about food and am excited by the opportunity to build on the amazing foundation already created.”


text:
While advances have certainly been made, the country did not have enough time to build up those supply stores before new surges in the South and West. The result has been renewed worries that not enough PPE is available to keep healthcare workers safe.
Chaun Powell, group vice president of strategic supplier engagement at group purchasing organization Premier, said "conservation practices continue to be the key to this" as COVID-19 surges roll through the country. The longer those dire situations continue, the more stress is put on the supply chain before it has a chance to recover.
Premier's most recent hospital survey found that more than half of respondents said N95s were heavily backordered. Almost half reported the same for isolation gowns and shoe covers.


text:
HESPERIA • Holly Burrows didn't anticipate any trouble when she headed to her local market to do some shopping in April. However, after she slipped on some liquid while walking through Cardenas Market, Burrows said she fell hard on her knee.
Burrows badly bruised her knee from the fall. While the director of the store gave her a bag of ice and took her information, she said no further action was taken.
Because her knee was still hurting, the Hesperia resident called the store to ask if she should be seen at a particular doctor's office. Burrows said she was put on hold and talked to multiple people, asking for the director. But after 30 minutes, she said she heard a click and was disconnected.
"I was so mad," Burrows said in a letter of complaint. "I knew right then that they were hoping I would just go away."
Burrows called several more times but said she was never transferred to the director. Her husband called the company's corporate office and was told they would open a claim but that if his wife wanted to be checked out, "it would be on her own dime."
Burrows had her knee checked. It wasn't broken, but the medical expenses added up to $1,023.80. So she contacted Daily Press consumer advocate Mike "Bogey" Boguslawski for help.
Bogey contacted the president and CEO of the company in a letter saying that he was amazed at the lack of attention shown to Burrows, who was requesting that they cover her medical expenses due to their negligence.
"For you to act in such an unprofessional, negligent manner is reprehensible," Bogey said.
Travelers Indemnity Company of Connecticut, a partnering business with Cardenas Markets, Inc., contacted Burrows and agreed that while they are not legally liable for her accident, they would settle the claim and send her a check for $500.
Bogey has been a consumer advocate for Daily Press readers for years. He has also been a reporter for ABC, CBS and NBC and hosted a national radio talk show called "Bogey and Company." He is currently associated with Freedom Communication newspapers and still works to resolve issues between companies and consumers.


text:
WWE stars are to feature in a new marketing campaign from C4 Energy as part of Quitter’s Day on January 17.
C4 Energy and WWE first inked their endorsement deal in 2021 and the new campaign will focus on the national day when people quit their New Year’s resolutions
The “Be You. But Better” campaign will see a shift away from the “new year, new you” mentality, focusing on improving who you are already.
Bianca Belair and Montez Ford will feature in the campaign, with The Usos will also feature through video content on social media.
In the press release, C4 Energy stated:
“On January 17th, also known as Quitter’s Day, C4 Energy, leader in the fitness and wellness space, will be flipping the script of the outdated “New Year, New You” artifact with its Be You. But Better. Campaign launch, leaning away from the past eras of ‘inspiring’ and ‘hyping’ people up with nothing to back it.
“Be You. But Better. is the brand’s bold new manifesto that rebels against having to become an entirely new person each year, helping consumers find the discipline already inside them, instead of following flashy (and often unattainable, inauthentic) gimmicks.
“To kick off the campaign, C4 Energy is employing their roster of WWE Superstar partners to help drive this manifesto home, including Bianca Belair, Montez Ford and The Usos, encouraging consumers to be a stronger, smarter, more dedicated version of yourself this year. Belair, Ford and The Usos will be seen throughout the campaign in various social video content that will highlight the brand’s mission to prioritize discipline over motivation in 2023.
“With this campaign, C4 Energy, alongside Belair, Ford and a roster of all-star talent, is challenging consumers to go beyond cheap motivation and flashy declarations and instead encouraging real action, helping them to take the steps necessary to build a disciplined (and motivated) mindset towards a better version of themselves.”
Nutrabolt has described C4 Energy as being “made with no artificial colors or dyes, and contains zero calories, sugar, or carbs. In addition, C4® Energy contains a combination of clinically studied functional ingredients including CarnoSyn® Beta-Alanine, an amino acid to support muscular endurance; BetaPower® derived from Beets, a superfood, for natural hydration; Caffeine Anhydrous, for energy; and L-Citrulline for performance.”
You can follow C4 Energy on Twitter here.
Think you’re a wrestling mastermind? Well you can prove it by taking quizzes in our brand new quiz section! Don’t forget to tweet us your results!
- AEW Star Announces Their ‘Retirement’ Before Dynamite Loss, Stablemate Vows Vengeance
- Video: WrestleMania 39 Stage Being Constructed At SoFi Stadium
- Major Update On Roxanne Perez’s WWE Status
- WWE Talents Sign Controversial New Deal
- WWE Star Revealed As Contestant On ‘The Masked Singer’
- Major WWE Star Considered Retirement At WrestleMania 39
- CM Punk Drops Latest Tease For AEW Return?
- WWE NXT Spoilers For Tuesday March 28
- Kenny Omega Reacts To Match Against Vikingo On AEW Dynamite, AAA Responds
- Goldberg’s Next Move Revealed?


text:
ROCHESTER, NY (CNN/WROC) - Some teens spend hundreds of dollars for their prom dresses, but one New York teen decided she'd skip the stores and make her own.
Hy-Deia Walker's love for fashion started in second grade. "I would just cut up everything in my house and I would make doll clothes and I started making wallets for Mother's Day and then I got into pillows and I finally made my first shirt in fifth grade."
Now in her senior year at Northwestern College Prep, she's getting ready for a career in fashion. And this year, she's made her own prom dress.


text:
YouTube wants to help you broaden your reach with new ad format
When it comes to enhancing brand awareness, shorter and snappier is often better. On Monday, YouTube announced that they will be introducing a new advertising format called TrueView for Reach, which they say will help advertisers maximize reach from their shorter ads.
The new format will allow advertisers to build advertisements as short as six seconds, with the option for viewers to skip after the five-second mark. According to TrueView requirements for in-stream ads which air before or during the video, these ads can be longer but must not exceed 30 seconds.
Advertisers are only required to pay YouTube if the ads are viewed in full or if viewers take action by clicking on a card that pop up on the video. According to the Google-owned video-streaming platform, the new ads will help raise awareness and offer 95 percent viewability rates.
The new ad format comes after YouTube announced the introduction of its unskippable six-second bumper ads in 2016, which proved popular among advertisers. With online videos becoming increasingly shorter, it only makes sense that ads should follow suit.
YouTube introduced the bumper ads as a complement rather than a replacement to its existing ad formats. The idea behind it is that an advertiser can run a YouTube campaign using a longer video, but compliment it with shorter bumper ads to reinforce the message or reach more viewers. YouTube sold the ads through AdWords auction on a CPM basis.
“In early tests, Bumpers drove strong lift in upper-funnel metrics like recall, awareness and consideration. We also see that Bumpers work well to drive incremental reach and frequency when paired with a TrueView campaign,” YouTube wrote in a blog post.
After the beta testing of the new ad format, 84 campaigns were launched which experienced a 20 percent increase in engagement. Furthermore, nine out of 10 of these campaigns experienced a significant lift in add recall.
According to a YouTube blog post, using the new format, Samsung Electronics America was able to reach over 50 percent more users at half the cost. Pepsi France also explained that the format helped them to achieve a high reach and completion rates for its 10-second video.
6 March 2024


text:
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
I wrote – Sherine Salah:
The General Division for Gold and Gold Artifacts of the General Federation of Chambers of Commerce said, in a statement today, Tuesday, that it had detected some attempts to sell unstamped “baladi ingots” on social media, in violation of the law and constitutes a wide field for commercial fraud and manipulation of consumer rights.
Hani Milad Gayed, head of the General Division for Gold and Goldsmiths, said that the ingots that are sold to the consumer must meet a set of conditions, the most important of which is that they are: stamped by the Stamp and Scales Authority to ensure the caliber and weight of the ingot, in addition to the seal of the factory producing the ingot, and it is also appropriately packaged. To maintain it, and the customer must receive an invoice for the purchased ingot.--
Milad added that the non-stamped ingots that are circulated do not conform to the specifications, and selling them to the consumer is considered illegal, while they are traded as raw materials between factories and workshops only, provided that they are stamped and calibrated after being produced in the form of an official ingot or gold artifacts.-
He pointed out that these ingots are not accurately defined in caliber or weight, and the numbers written on these ingots were stamped by the workshop that produces them and are not calibrated or officially guaranteed, which opens a wide scope for deceiving consumers by trading them in an unreal caliber or weight, and no tax or stamp duty was paid for their production. Calibration and those alloys are considered unsuitable for end consumer use.
Milad advised consumers not to succumb to this propaganda and to buy products that are not guaranteed or legal.
He stressed that there are currently many companies producing alloys in the Egyptian market, and all of them enjoy the necessary quality specifications for stamping with the Egyptian stamp, high quality and monitoring by the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade represented by the Department of Stamps and Weights.


text:
On May 4, 2020, Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVAC US (METUS) introduced a line of P-series PUY-7 outdoor units for single-zone cooling. Developed for the residential and light commercial market, the highly- efficient PUY-7 outdoor units provide 100% rated cooling capacity while at 115°F (46°C) down to 23°F (–5°C) outdoor air temperature.
Wieland ecoline is our answer to enable your future business: the lead-free product line fulfills your individual needs for an efficient production and future oriented product development. And is, of course, compliant with the latest requirements of legislative directives on lead-free materials.
EHPA is pleased to invite you to its new online EHPA Summer Talks series. Bringing together the knowledge gained from our projects and linking it with likeminded initiatives from outside our organization.
Munters has decided to tie sustainability goals to its long-term incentive program (LTIP), which is a remuneration program for executive managers and other key employees. Previously, the program focused solely on performance in terms of EBITA and net sales.
The shrinking global economy means companies now need to make changes. Amid speculations that foreign companies are being advised to pull out and relocate their business out of China, Johnson Controls, a leading U.S. company in building technology solutions, says they are rather committed to the Chinese market. "Under the current situation, what we're thinking is how to further intensify our investment in China rather than considering to move out," says Michael Zhu, general manager of Johnson Controls China, during an interview with CGTN.
Officine Mario Dorin, one of the largest compressor manufacturer in the world, over the centuries, has been able to differentiate itself for the very high quality of its products, constantly investing an exceptional commitment in the R&D department.
The family of refrigerated cabinets for fresh and super fresh areas Mozaïk of Bonnet Névé welcomes the new Profile rear cabinet today. From traditional shops to hypermarkets, its essential and square design, combined with versatility and improved performance, make it suitable in every type of store.
2020 has got off to a challenging start with the emergence of the COVID-19. In China, to better manage the spread of the virus, the construction of emergency specialty field hospitals, Leishenshan Hospital and Huoshenshan Hospital, was ordered. Also, the construction of a number of makeshift shelter hospitals (Fangcang Hospitals) was ordered in multiple cities across China within a month to combat COVID-19.


text:
Longtail McLaren 675LT Coming to 2015 Geneva
McLaren will unveil the most hardcore track-focused -- yet street legal -- version of the 650S at the 2015 Geneva motor show in March. Although the new model has been teased before, the automaker has now confirmed the name of the new model, which will be dubbed the McLaren 675LT.
Like the 650S, the number 675 refers to the new model's 675 PS or 666 hp, while LT harkens back to the Longtail versions of the McLaren F1 GTR Longtail that raced at Le Mans in the late '90s. Though McLaren took home the overall win at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans, the automaker chose to improve the car for the 1997 racing season with the famed F1 GTR Longtail.
While the automaker previously announced the new McLaren Sports Series, which will slot below the 650S, the new McLaren 675LT is the first model in the new McLaren Super Series range of cars. With a focus on increased aerodynamics, downforce, power, weight reduction, and driver engagement, the 675LT is said to be the lightest, quickest, and purest variant of the model range.
More details of the upcoming McLaren 675LT will be revealed between now and the Geneva motor show -- including the manufacturer's performance figures. The production version of the McLaren P1 GTR will also be shown at Geneva.
TikTok Fad Leads State Farm and Progressive to Declare Certain Kias and Hyundais Uninsurable
2023 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170 First Look: A Wicked Quick, 1,025-HP Hell Yeah!
What Is the Optimum Engine Oil Temperature?
Next-Gen 2025 Toyota 4Runner Will Have Hybrid Powertrain
The Chevy Camaro Isn't Dead, It's Just Resting


text:
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
CHARLOTTE, NC (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The future of a $28 billion industry is unclear. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is one of 19 AGs who signed a letter to Congress asking lawmakers to take a closer look at a law that allows retailers to sell cannabis products.
There are smoke shops and other stores all across North and South Carolina that sell cannabis products like delta-8, 9 and 10. The sale of the products is legal under the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 also known as the 2018 Farm Bill.
The Farm Bill created a budding industry of hemp cultivation and sales with a total estimated value of $28 billion.
Inside his West Charlotte warehouse, Crowntown Cannabis, owner Mike Sims has flowers, tinctures and edibles. As lawmakers consider reauthorizing the 2018 Farm Bill, he’s concerned the industry could go up in smoke.
Queen City News
“Regulate it to keep people safe; don’t regulate it to put us out of business,” Sims said. “All that’s going to make happen is [that] the black market will thrive and that makes the customer more unsafe.”
Nineteen Attorney Generals from across the US signed a letter to the federal government claiming the bill’s “glaring vagueness” has caused a “health and safety crisis.”
North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is part of the group calling on Congress to color in the gray area that has created the industry of green.
“There’s no legal restrictions on the age. There’s no restriction on the marketing. There’s no restriction on the packaging,” AG Stein said.
The 2018 Farm Bill defines hemp as cannabis with less than 0.3% THC. Stein says that’s not specific enough.
“To get to 3/10 of quantity, it means it can get to be very intoxicating—intoxicating, as much as what you can do and buy on the street,” AG Stein said. “I don’t think that was the intent of Congress and we are all seeing unregulated sale of cannabis products here in North Carolina.”
The farm bill is set to expire in the fall of 2024.
Sims says retailers and distributors agree regulations are necessary without blowing out the industry.
“We don’t need another oppressing law to kill our industry,” Sims said. “We just need a law that calls for regulation and testing and licensing and we’ll all get on board.”
Queen City News reached out to all federal congressional representatives in North and South Carolina, but none agreed to share their thoughts on re-evaluating the farm bill or the hemp industry. The farm bill is set to expire on September 30, 2024.


text:
Xiaomi has today announced the launch of Mi Express Kiosks in India. The Mi Express Kiosks are essentially vending machines that can be used by consumers to buy Xiaomi smartphones and accessories without having to visit a retail store or a Xiaomi outlet. To make it even more convenient and hassle-free for users, the vending machines will use different payment methods like credit cards, debit cards, UPI, and cash to accept payments for the purchase.
Coming up with such a step now makes more sense than ever before. As, with the growing popularity of the brand and its loyal customers, it is not an easy task to serve such a huge demand for smartphones. With an Express Kiosk, however, it would become much simpler for customers to buy smartphones and accessories, without requiring any sort of active assistance of staff, which in a way, also helps the company reduce on the operational cost of setting up stores and other related expenses.
With the introducing of Mi Express Kiosks, Xiaomi India becomes the first brand in the Indian tech industry to come up with an innovative e-commerce business model that is both cost-effective and scalable. In addition, despite just being a profitable e-commerce model for the company, the Express Kiosk also manages to serve the growing Xiaomi customers in the country by providing them with a much easier and hassle-free way to buy products offline.
The company is looking forward to setting up several Kiosks in the coming months across the country. It says that the Mi Express Kiosks can be found across metro cities in public areas with greater footfall such as tech parks, metro stations, airports, and shopping malls. Currently, the Mi Express Kiosk is available in Manyata Tech Park and Xiaomi’s office in Embassy Tech Village (ETV) in Bengaluru. So if you happen to live around, you can visit the Express Kiosk and try the experience for yourself.


text:
CANADA - Representatives of Manitoba Pork and Iowa's senators met last week at the World Pork Expo to discuss the Canada's retaliation measures against the US over country-of-origin labelling (COOL), writes Bruce Cochrane.
The chair of Manitoba Pork warned them that trade retaliation is imminent if the US fails to address Canadian and Mexican concerns over Mandatory US Country of Origin Labelling.
Members of a delegation representing Manitoba Pork met with representatives of Iowa senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, to discuss pork industry concerns over the imminent prospects of retaliatory tariffs on US products imported into Canada if the issue of US Mandatory Country of Origin Labelling isn't resolved, following the final World Trade Organization ruling that the law violates American trade obligations.
Canada and Mexico have asked for a special WTO Dispute Settlement Body meeting on 17 June at which time Canada will request authorisation to impose over $3 billion in retaliatory measures against the US, while Mexico will seek authorisation for over $653 million.
George Matheson, the chair of Manitoba Pork, says it appears US legislators are beginning to recognize the significance of the this issue.
George Matheson-Manitoba Pork:
I think maybe for a lot of them for the first time, they are really seeing it as a very important issue, that Canada is taking very seriously, that they are prepared to apply these tariffs so it is definitely raised in terms of issues of importance.
This is a very significant issue and the repercussions will not be pretty if COOL continues to exist and the best way, our feeling is, to deal with this is to repeal the law, go back to the days when free trade was existent and not even go close to this tariff situation that we would be entitled to have on US imports.
Mr Matheson says retaliation is not a road pork producers want to go down, but Canada will use all available options to get its point across.
ThePigSite News Desk


text:
Stuffed investors refuse IBM's chipper Q4
A thunderous performance from IBM's software group could not save the company's fourth quarter - at least in the eyes of demanding investors.
For Sale: p2pnet.net
Time and money has run out for Jon Newton, the owner of p2pnet.net, who has put the site up for sale.
California pitches plea at accused HP probers
After publicly flogging former HP executives and investigators, California looks set to let off those charged in the company's spy scandal with nothing more than misdemeanors.
Virgin Lobster fails to spawn
Virgin mobile has sold "considerably less" than 10,000 of their mobile-TV-enabled Lobster handsets, despite Pamela Anderson’s advertising and cutting the price to below a hundred quid, according to The Guardian.
Five-day strike to hit Fujitsu
Members of the Amicus union have balloted for a five-day strike Fujitsu's Manchester office, which supports its government customers.
Signs that Sky will go mobile?
Why would Sky suddenly get aggressive about letting UK cable viewers take Sky TV programs? Could it be something to do with a plan to go quad-play?
Minister warns against IT defeatism
Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said there is still a strong case for government investment in IT.
ID theft nets £85,000 a head: study
Identity fraud can net criminals £85,000 for each identity stolen, research has found. That is the average amount criminals can expect to gain from impersonating someone in the UK, according to anti-ID theft company Garlik.
Phoenix IT confirms talks to buy ICM Computer
Managed services group Phoenix IT has confirmed it is in talks with the board of ICM Computer about acquiring the firm.
China rattles America's cage with satellite shot
China is reported to have shot down one of its own satellites, sparking international criticism and concern over the strength and sophistication of the nation's military.
Spam on IP telephony
Spam filters can easily be trained to give better than 90 per cent effectiveness with zero false positives, and for those who still suffer from a lot of spam in their inboxes, they are either not updating their spam databases often enough, or they just do not see the value of getting 90 per cent fewer email messages.
Net wags pile into Jade Goody
NSFWWith a certain terrible inevitability, internet wags have wasted no time making plain their opinion of Celebrity Big Brother contestant Jade Goody - currently making press worldwide for her alleged racist treatment of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty.
Apple confirms $2 fee for 802.11n upgrade
Apple has decided it's not going to charge $5 to enable owners of Macs with 802.11n-capable Wi-Fi adaptors to use the new wireless technology, it's going ask they cough up $2 instead, the company has confirmed.
Apple iPhone costs $246-$281 to make, analyst claims
Apple's margins on the iPhone will be almost 50 per cent, market watcher iSuppli has forecast after being given a glance an an early list of components the Mac OS X-based smart phone will contain.
Slow road to online film service at an end for Netflix
CommentIt was in 2004 that Netflix CEO Reed Hastings first talked about its film download service, and back in July 2005 when beta trials were first leaked and the system was taken a look at, but it is only now that a truncated, half hearted movie on demand system is finally emerging from the US online DVD rental leader.
AMD begins to ship ATI Radeon Uber Edition bundle
AMD's ATI Radeon X1950 Uber Edition - a pair of overclocked graphics cards shipped in a lockable James Bond-style attaché case - have started to appear in appear in the wild.
Spice Girls movie voted worst ever
Spice World The Movie has been voted the worst movie ever in a poll of 12,000 discerning Brit moviegoers.
1and1: readers stick the boot in
LettersA quick recap: This week unfortunate souls in the UK have suffered at the hands of an email snafu at hosting provider 1and1.
Clarins unveils anti-aging satellite defender
Worried about the ageing effects of electromagnetic radiation? Fear no longer. Youthful looking skin is just a spray away...apparently.
Palm patches Treo 680 camera power bug
Palm has uncovered a battery-depleting glitch in the camera code installed on its latest Palm OS-based smart phone, the Treo 680, the company confirmed today. The camera may continue to draw power even when the handset's in stand-by mode.
AMD rolls out low-end Vista-friendly GPUs
AMD has quietly rolled out the ATI Radeon X1050, an entry-level graphics chip intended for board makers to offer as a minimum-specification Windows Vista Aero Glass-friendly upgrade.
California blaze probe clears mobile phone
The mobile phone which appeared to have caused a fire in which a California man suffered serious burns has been cleared of blame for the blaze.
Intel next target as Opti sues Apple over CPUs?
Apple has become the latest target of technology holding company Opti, two months after AMD also found itself on the recieving end of an Opti lawsuit alleging infringement.
Mobile phone bacteria threat uncovered
Most Brits carry vile harbours of pestilence with them everywhere they go according to a shocking investigation by a portable telephone seller.
10GBase-T server NICs go on sale
The first 10Gig PCI-Express cards for the new 10GBase-T Ethernet standard are out, even though there's not yet any commercially-available switches to connect them to.
Inboxes battered by Trojan spam deluge
Virus writers are taking advantage of the winter storms ravaging Northern Europe to launch a malware blitz of their own.
Phishers haul in money from Nordic bank
Phishing gangs have managed to steal about €900,000 from accounts at Swedish bank Nordea since last autumn using a Trojan horse, according to Computer Sweden.
Tesco USA to deploy 'world's biggest' solar roof
Los Angeles-based Solar Integrated Technologies today announced it had signed a deal with British supermarket chain Tesco to install the "world's biggest" roof-top solar panel set-up.
Amsterdam claims net data record
The Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX) is claiming to be the world's largest public Internet exchange, after setting a new traffic record earlier this month of 233Gbit/s. It says it now shifts more than 1.5 Petabytes a day, on behalf of over 250 ISPs and carriers.
NY antique shop sues bums for $1m
The owner of an upmarket New York antiques shop has filed a lawsuit aimed at keeping four down-and-outs at least 100 yards from his emporium, the Daily Telegraph reports. The lawsuit is also claiming $1m a pop from the booze-swilling bums, although this has been included purely for "technical reasons".
Salesforce polishes developer shop window
Salesforce.com wants application developers. But instead of recruiting them in the traditional way it is making its on-demand platform available as a free service to aspiring Software as a Service (SaaS) developers. It even sees this as a developer "shop window" aimed at venture capitalists.
HP snooping team offered plea bargain
California state prosecutors have offered to drop felony charges against former chairwoman Patricia Dunn and four others accused in the HP spying scandal if they plead guilty to lesser misdemeanour charges.
Camelot investigated over 'underhand' emails
Regulators have tough questions for Camelot, operator of the UK's National Lottery, over allegations of underhand conduct just weeks before bidding for the next lottery franchise closes.
Pluto probe closing in on Jupiter
The New Horizons space probe, hurtling through our solar system towards Pluto, is about to slingshot around Jupiter.
Hacked to the TK Maxx
TJX, the multi-national which operates the popular clothing store TK Maxx in the UK, is warning its customers that computer systems involved in processing credit card transactions have been broken into by hackers.
Network analyser gets trigger happy
Fluke Networks says it has added security features to the latest version of its OptiView handheld network analyser, including the ability to use string matching to trigger the capturing of network traffic.
Goodbye YourWAP, I'm glad I knew you
CommentI recently got an email telling me that YourWAP is closing at the end of this month, and that if I've got anything important stored there I need to retrieve it before it goes.
US court withdraws 'legal child porn' opinion
A US court has withdrawn its controversial recent opinion that viewing child pornography is legal as long as it is not intentionally saved. The judge had said there was ambiguity in the law over what constitutes "knowing possession" of material.
Would you rather watch Titanic or Celebrity Big Brother?
LettersThe biggest fuss (we would say story, but it'd be hard to keep a straight face) of the week has undoubtedly been the mess that is Big Brother. It could be argued that when a reality TV show manages to take up time in the Houses of Parliament, you know something is slightly out of kilter in your country. Nevertheless, rubbish bullying and allegations of racism prompted Carphone Warehouse to pull its sponsorship of the whole sorry mess:
Moto's profits plummet in Q4
Motorola, the world's second largest mobile phone maker, is cutting 3,500 jobs, following a drastic fall in profits for the fourth quarter.
NY GPS thieves tracked and cuffed
Three master criminals who stole 14 GPS units from cars in a New York garage hadn't considered the possibility of a satellite-guided police bust, Tom's Guide reports.
SCO faces new setback in IBM case
Things have not been going well for SCO of late, and yesterday the provider of Unix products and services faced another body blow when a magistrate judge hearing its copyright case against IBM again ruled in favor of Big Blue, rejecting claims it had destroyed damning evidence.


text:
Heart and sole
By Dawn Fuller
Photos by Marc Laurent
An upscale and compassionate designer sneaker company – conceived by two University of Cincinnati alums when they were students – is impressing shoe shoppers worldwide as well as top fashion publications.
Named Piola Shoes, their company is dedicated to being fair to workers and environmentally sustainable while churning out shoes made of leather or canvas from organic cotton and fair trade rubber – the wild rubber coming from the Amazon rainforest.
The idea for the venture was hatched by Antoine Burnier-Dechon, a study abroad student from the Audencia Nantes School of Management, a Carl H. Lindner College of Business International Programs partner. He completed his master’s degree at UC and launched a business partnership with Josh Rudd, a Princeton High School graduate who earned his BBA from the college in 2012.
One of the most compelling aspects of their business is that it supports the Peruvian farmers who provide the materials for the shoes, as well as the factory workers who produce the shoes in Portugal. Piola’s commitment to environmental sustainability also fits in with fashion industry trends toward more eco-friendly and fair-trade products.
The word, piola, is Peruvian Spanish for “elegant” or “cool” (or, as Men’s Journal states, “kick-ass”), and the product has been featured in such high-profile publications as Gentlemen’s Quarterly (France), Harper’s Bazaar, Men’s Journal and Sneaker Freaker Magazine.
While they were still college students at UC, Burnier-Dechon and Rudd started the Piola partnership through the UC Center for Entrepreneurship Education and Research. Rudd received the center’s 2012 award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Entrepreneurship.
The company’s two other business partners are Augustin Gautier, a graduate of ESCP Europe, an executive business school in Paris, and Quentin Richard, a graduate of University of Wollongong, Sydney, Australia.
Launched in 2011, Piola Shoes started out selling in boutiques in France. Rudd says Piola now has 105 points of sale across Europe, Asia, Australia and North America but is sold only through an online clothing and lifestyle store in the U.S., the Virginia-based needsupply.com. However, Rudd says the shoe line is coming to Nordstrom, an upscale fashion retailer, in early 2015.
The company is filling a new niche for casual designer footwear that’s growing in popularity. “It’s not the ’50s anymore, and when we started out, we knew that men didn’t have to wear only loafers to work anymore,” Rudd says. “The work place is more casual, and we wanted shoes to go with the office and with jeans – you can wear them dressing up or going more causal, day or night. I’ve heard it called the hybrid sneaker.
“We also wanted designs that represented our philosophy, so the shoes come in lots of colors and patterns,” Rudd says.
Shoe prices range between $150-425. Although the company’s first demographic target primarily focused on younger, professional men, Rudd says the company has just introduced a women’s line of shoes.
Not quite an overnight success
With every success story comes its obstacles, and Rudd says Piola Shoes started out with its share, among them navigating the language and cultural barriers in working with other countries to manufacture the product. Their suppliers communicated in Spanish. Burnier-Dechon’s native language is French and Rudd’s is English. Furthermore, the remote areas of Peru where the company operated were not wired.
“One of the first lessons we learned is that we needed to sell before we produced,” adds Rudd. “We started out by producing about 4,500 shoes, because the manufacturer required us to do that. But because we had sold zero shoes before we produced, we almost went bankrupt.”
Burnier-Dechon moved to Paris to supervise sales in Europe, and after his UC graduation, Rudd initially moved to New York to work on getting Piola Shoes into the U.S. market. But moving and shaking in those big cities wasn’t half as glamorous as what might be imagined.
For that matter, real-life as a budding entrepreneur in the Big Apple was hardly the lifestyle portrayed on TV.
Rudd moved to New York with two UC interns from the Lindner College of Business: Kyle Neyer and Alex Schneider, along with another Lindner College of Business graduate, Robel Kidane, who got a job at Jeffries, a global investment banking firm.
“We were living in a one-bedroom apartment, so all four of us were sleeping in the living room on blow-up mattresses,” says Rudd. “Antoine’s first apartment in Paris was an efficiency. He didn’t have a stove, and the shower was about a foot away from his bed.
“A lot of us were also working second jobs in addition to Piola Shoes, and we had no vacations,” says Rudd. “There really wasn’t much time for ourselves.” Rudd has now moved back to Cincinnati to work on U.S. business operations while Burnier-Dechon remains in Paris.
Piola launched a successful Kickstarter campaign in March 2013 to raise $85,000 to create the company’s first workshop for their rubber producers. Project Piola, as it was called, resulted in the company’s first development project to create an “elegant, sustainable product in 33 days for 33 rubber producers.” The project was a partnership between Piola and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a United Nations Organization, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
“Sales from Piola Shoes still support the farmers. We built three workshops just this past year for the farmers in Peru,” says Rudd.
Where it all began
Rudd says the challenges and the excitement around Piola Shoes never would have existed without the Lindner College of Business’ partnership with the Audencia Nantes School of Management, which resulted in the partnership between Rudd and Burnier-Dechon. That partnership was also guided through the college’s Center for Entrepreneurship. Established in 1997, the center is dedicated to entrepreneurship education, research and service.
“Our main mission is to remove barriers and create gateways for entrepreneurs like Josh and Antoine,” says center founder Charles Matthews, a distinguished teaching professor of entrepreneurship and strategy. “They’ve been focused on creating a business model that adds value to the customer and the planet. From the beginning, they have been sensitive to labor and environmental issues associated with manufacturing and production. By adhering to environmentally-friendly plant practices and by making sure that the rubber they’re sourcing is not being depleted, the eco-friendliness of the product goes hand-in-hand with its design and functionality.
“I view this shoe company as a highly scalable potential venture,” Matthews says.”They seek to redefine markets and have optimal growth – similar to companies such as Nike and Apple that started as small businesses and grew into responsible global companies.”
Rudd adds that as for his experience at UC, Matthews was “the best professor I never had. I worked with him as an advisor, but never had him for a class.”
Look for future developments on Piola Shoes as the product enters Nordstrom stores in the U.S. in February. You can get updates through Facebook and Twitter.


text:
Tesla employees racially harassed black contract workers, lawsuit alleges
Three former Tesla Inc. contract workers faced racial harassment and discrimination while working at the electric carmaker’s Fremont, Calif., factory, according to a lawsuit filed this week.
Plaintiffs Demetric Di-az, his father, Owen Diaz, and Lamar Patterson alleged that they were the targets of “racially motivated abuse, including the frequent use of racial slurs” when they worked at Tesla’s factory.
All three men are black and said in the lawsuit that supervisors and co-workers used racial epithets or said things like, “Go back to Africa. We don’t want you here.” The lawsuit also alleges that Tesla employees and supervisors left racist caricatures and images around the factory for black workers to see.
The three plaintiffs said in the lawsuit that although they complained to Tesla supervisors and to their respective staffing agencies, no one took action. Di-az served as a production associate at the Fremont factory and helped work on the battery manufacturing system for the Model S electric sedan, according to the lawsuit. Diaz and Patterson worked as elevator operators.
A Tesla spokesperson said in a statement that the Palo Alto, Calif., company takes “any and every form of discrimination or harassment extremely seriously” and that the company became aware of the allegations when contacted by media outlets.
“In situations where Tesla is at fault, we will never seek to avoid responsibility,” the spokesperson said. “But in this instance, from what we know so far, this does not seem to be such a case.”
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Alameda County Superior Court, names Tesla as a defendant, along with West Valley Staffing Group, Chartwell Staffing Services Inc. and Citistaff Solutions Inc. The plaintiffs got their contract positions at Tesla through the staffing agencies.
Di-az brought up the alleged abuse to his supervisor in 2015 and, within days, was issued a written warning for using his phone on the production line, the lawsuit says. Within a week, Di-az was terminated for “breaking the rules,” though other employees with similar warnings were not fired, according to the lawsuit.
Di-az’s father, Diaz, sent an email to a supervisor about a confrontation with another supervisor, whom Diaz had previously approached about his role in the alleged harassment, the lawsuit says. It says Diaz was told that there would be a follow-up, but was never contacted again about the incident.
The suit says Diaz and Patterson quit their jobs at Tesla in 2016 because they were no longer able to bear the “abusive and racially harassing treatment.”
Citistaff, which had employed Diaz, and Chartwell, which had employed Patterson, each declined to comment on the allegations Wednesday, saying they had not been served with a copy of the lawsuit yet. West Valley did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
In July, Patterson filed a complaint with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing about his experience at Tesla. The agency closed the complaint because Patterson had later requested an authorization to file a lawsuit.
Tesla said that the plaintiffs worked at the company for a short time. The only “somewhat relevant” evidence was an email from Diaz to his supervisor in which Diaz said a coworker was making aggressive comments but made “no mention of the use of any racist language,” Tesla said.
The company said it recently launched an online anti-discrimination and harassment training program and set up an employee relations team to investigate workplace concerns.
“We will never be able to stop every single person in the factory from engaging in inappropriate conduct, but we will continue to do everything that we can to encourage the right behavior and to take action whenever something bad happens,” Tesla said.


text:
“Apart from looking cool, how would Apple’s watch really be different than a Timex? What new functions might it perform that create value for consumers? I’ve seen much less investigation of these sorts of questions. However, one doesn’t need to be Dick Tracy — the comic strip detective with a penchant for futuristic wrist-watch gadgets — to note clues to the answer,” H. James Wilson writes for Harvard Business Review. “Using evidence and a bit of logic, I bet the iWatch will be much less a time piece and much more platform for auto-analytics and managing yourself.”
“Complexity is one of the key challenges facing users of those devices on the wall. Today there are more than 500 commercially available tools available to the auto-analytically inclined, in three varieties: wearable technologies; mobile phone apps; [and] computer software,” Wilson writes. “Building on Apple’s insight and capabilities across all three areas, an iWatch could seamlessly weave them together. For instance, with an iWatch you could simultaneously track your mood, monitor physical activity levels, and then wirelessly transmit your data to your MacBook or iPad.”
Wilson writes, “The ancient Greeks often made a distinction between two notions of time, Chronos and Kairos. Chronos is chronological time which flows ineluctably along by seconds, hours and years, unaffected by human interests. Kairos, etymological root of ‘care,’ is time laden with human meaning and activity. ‘Lunchtime,’ ‘a good night’s sleep,’ and a ‘long and rejuvenating walk,’ all convey this sense of Kairos. A Timex is mainly chronological. What Apple could be doing is making a ‘kairological’ tool that tracks and monitors the data around the experiences you care about.”
Piggybacking on Bloomberg’s latest report about Apple’s “iWatch” plans, The Verge has weighed in with its own claims about the project. Most notably, the report’s sources claim that Apple is planning for the watch to run a “full” version of iOS rather a simpler operating system such as that seen on the iPod nano. Interestingly, we’re also told that Apple’s chosen to rework the full iOS to run on the watch instead of building up the iPod nano’s proprietary touch operating system — although the previous nano was already watch-sized and seemed like a great starting point for a watch, Apple’s betting on iOS across product lines.
Given the constraints of a watch-sized display, it seems clear that this full version of iOS would still have some limitations in terms of feature support. But a watch-specific version of iOS could make app support more straightforward for both Apple and third-party app developers.
Apple’s desire for the watch to run iOS is causing the company some difficulties, however, as The Verge reports that prototypes are currently seeing subpar battery life.
The goal is to last at least 4-5 days between charges, but the current watch prototypes are apparently only going for a couple days max. We’re also told Apple has some work to do with iOS on the iPhone, which currently has several hooks for supporting a watch-like device but lacks the appropriate interface or settings to make it work properly.
Rumors of an Apple smart watch have been rapidly gaining steam in recent weeks, suggesting that the company may indeed be moving the project to near the top of its priority list. An Apple television set had been the front-running rumor for Apple’s next major product, but its development has reportedly been slowed by content negotiations.
While The New York Times reported earlier this month that Apple is working on a curved glass smart watch that could potentially make use of Corning’s recently-announced bendable Willow Glass, Bloomberg now reports that Corning sees a wait of at least three years before devices using Willow Glass displays will be able to hit the market.
“People are not accustomed to glass you roll up,” [Corning Glass president James] Clappin said after an event marking the opening an $800 million factory for liquid-crystal-display glass. “The ability of people to take it and use it to make a product is limited.”
The Corning, New York-based company is producing the glass and making “a lot of effort” to teach “very big name” customers how to handle the spools, Clappin said, declining to elaborate. The introduction of the glass comes as companies including Google Inc. consider making wearable computing devices.
Clappin noted that Willow Glass may find its way into some simple products as soon as later this year, but that more complex applications such as flexible displays will require substantially more work before they can be brought to market. He also declined to comment on whether Corning had been in discussions with Apple about its rumored smart watch project.
Apple is already a customer of Corning, using the glassmaker’s durable Gorilla Glass in its mobile devices. Corning announced its latest Gorilla Glass 3 product last month, offering three times greater scratch resistance and improved strength, and Apple is assumed to be incorporating the new glass into upcoming products.
The latest published patent from Apple heightened speculations for the wearable technology currently known as the “iWatch”. The patent shows or pinpoints to flexible glass technology with a strap that can easily fit any wrist. “The wearable accessory device includes a flexible display coupled to a bi-stable spring. Coupling the display to the bi-stable spring allows the accessory device to be easily worn in a number of convenient locations.” filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in August 2011.
The device will be capable to be worn using a strap that overlaps hence giving a tight fit on the user. Several iPhone/iPad features will be included on the device such as inertial orientation sensors like gyroscopes will be use to reorient the interface towards he user. Touch screen capabilities are also added to activate/deactivated the flexible display. Power source of the device need to be recharge as per previous Apple devices but will also contain solar and kinetic recharging capabilities. The device will have Bluetooth capabilities to accept commands and data input via other Apple devices. This indicates that the device can be use as an appendix of certain Apple devices for instances like message or call notifications.
Some are still skeptical regarding the said “iWatch” but two people familiar with the plan stated that it has passed the experimental stage. Also, Apple has hired wearable technology expert, Richard DevVaul. He is an expert in integrating technology in portable applications. Bloomberg also indicated that Apple’s James Foster and Achim Pantfoerder are parts of the efforts in developing this technology. With these amounting evidences, the “iWatch” would be within reach in the next couple of years.
The skilled ADR studio from Italy reimagined time and designed the Apple watch concept called — obviously — iWatch. The iWatch is not ADR’s first attempt to design Apple concepts; the studio shared its vision also about how iPhone 5 will look like and created an iPhone SJ model. The first iWatch concept awoke the curiosity of the most important web magazines and warmth controversies among Apple gadgets lovers. Fruity aftermath, but not fruity enough for ADR who came after two years with new ideas for a device not even released on the market and designed iWatch2, a new version of this concept.
The iWatch2 keeps the same technical features as the previous model: it can connect with Bluetooth or WiFi to iPhone or iPad, it integrates an RSS reader and weather forecast system, has 32GB internal memory and an LCD projector with a frontal camera. But this time the design turns the iWatch2 into a genuine Apple looking device. It’s slimmer, sleeker and more appealing than the first iWatch, it has a black aluminum chassis and five different colors bracelet. It keeps also the iPhone classic slide-to-open feature of the screen.
Watches are not just means of expressing time; they also represent one’s personality or one’s wealth why not. We can almost posit that one can be described by the owned gadgets. The impressive number of Apple consumers it someway gives me a clear-eyed idea about how many people would choose an iWatch to represent their selves.
Source: ADR studio


text:
Industry executives and ministers are meeting in Berlin to find solutions to the scandal-hit sector, under pressure from regulators, green campaigners and the courts.
German carmakers are meeting the government on Wednesday seeking solutions for the diesel sector damaged by scandals over emissions test cheating.
The aim is to find ways to cut emissions and head off moves by some large cities to ban diesel vehicles.
The government has been accused of not doing enough to crack down on pollution, and of being too close to the car industry.
Executives from all the main German carmakers – Volkswagen, BMW, Daimler, Audi and Porsche as well as the American manufacturer Ford – are taking part in the “national forum” in Berlin, almost two years after the scandal broke over Volkswagen’s diesel emissions.
Car sales dipped after revelations that VW – which also sells Audi and Porsche cars – had equipped 11 million vehicles with software designed to cheat in tests.
Ministers are wary of damaging an industry that provides a fifth of the country’s exports and provides around 800,000 jobs.
Both government and industry sources have said carmakers will probably be spared making costly hardware changes to engines and instead may be asked to carry out software updates to around two million vehicles.
In recent years, carmakers have invested heavily in diesel technology, counting on it to help meet rules on lowering carbon dioxide emissions.
But the emissions crisis led to revelations that most manufacturers release far more toxic nitrogen oxides (NOx) on the road than in laboratory tests.
An estimated 15 million diesel cars on Germany’s roads contribute around 40 percent to NOx pollution in major cities – according to research by one environmental lobby group, the DUH.
It achieved victory last week when a court in Stuttgart said driving restrictions were justified to safeguard health, paving the way for the city described as the cradle of Germany’s car industry to ban diesel cars from its streets.
The stakes have been raised in recent weeks, with France and the UK announcing plans eventually to ban all diesel and petrol vehicles. Meanwhile European regulators are investigating top carmakers BMW, Daimler, Audi, Porsche and VW for alleged anti-competitive collusion.
— Bloomberg (@business) August 2, 2017
— dwnews (@dwnews) August 1, 2017


text:
Today sees exciting news from Cunard!
This year is the 50th anniversary of the launch if the legendary QE2. What better time to proudly announce that a brand new ship will be arriving in 2022, bringing the total ships in the fleet to 4.
This will be the first time since 1998 that the luxury line will have 4 ships in service at the same time.
The name of the new ship is yet to be announced but exciting new itineraries and special event voyages are expected to feature for the new luxury liner. Cunard are committed to evolving the customer experience on board, having invested over £120 million refurbishing Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2, so we can expect this to continue for their new ship.
Cunard will be revealing details about their new ship during 2018, and up until the ships launch, but for the time being here is what we know with some interesting Cunard statistics:
The ship will be 113,00 GRT ( Gross Registered Tonnage ) and carry 3000 passengers
The ship will be the 249th to fly the Cunard flag
This will be Cunard’s first new ship in 12 years. The last being Queen Elizabeth in 2010.
In a statement from Simon Palenthorpe, Senior Vice President at Cunard;
“We have only recently marked the 50th anniversary of one of Cunard’s much loved ocean liners, the legendary QE2. What better way to celebrate her important role in Cunard’s past than by announcing our commitment to Cunard’s future with the commissioning of a new ship. Cunard offers unrivalled luxury ocean experiences and the new ship firmly underpins our plans to continue our growth across international markets.”
Personally I am really looking forward to hearing all about what the new ship will have to offer and I am intrigued as to the name of the ship! There has to be a royal influence in the name but I guess I will have to wait and see!
Follow us on our social media channels for Exclusive Offers – Cruise News – Blogs – Competitions & much more:
Did you know here at Cruise Club UK we have a Loyalty Bonus Scheme. Book your chosen cabin type and you can receive up to 50 Bonus Points (1 Point = £1) That’s a saving of up to £50 off your next cruise booked with us.
Email or call me to discuss your dream cruise: email@example.com 0161 798 2506


text:
Sandbox takes over the metaverse as demand for virtual real estate explodes
- Data from Nonfungible.com suggests that users have spent over $100 million for digital real estate on Sandbox.
- The Sandbox is the single largest metaverse collection in terms of the sale of assets over the past week.
- The Sandbox has unveiled its Alpha NFT collection "Gears and Ducks," two more will be dropped on December 13 and 20.
- Analysts predict that Sandbox's price could recover from the crash, rallying towards its all-time high.
Sandbox, a metaverse token, has gained popularity as one of the top-performing cryptocurrencies of 2021, offering 12,500% gains since the beginning of 2021. The cryptocurrency has recovered from the flash crash over the weekend.
Sandbox dominates the metaverse, offering high gains to holders
As metaverse gains popularity, investors spent over $100 million to acquire virtual real estate on the Sandbox platform. US rap legend Snoop Dogg recently sold his digital estate on Sandbox, attracting users to the platform.
Getcha SNOOPVERSE pass n join my hood in tha @TheSandboxGame . We breakin Metaverse barriers !! Even a snoop avatar whitelist!!— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) December 2, 2021
Hop in… nowhttps://t.co/ckEOApHVTy pic.twitter.com/hFXIDt90Vn
Sales of the top 5 NFT metaverse collections were for virtual land in the Sandbox metaverse.
The platform has become the single largest metaverse collection based on data from Nonfungible.com. The platform unveiled an NFT collection associated with its Alpha event, "Gears and Ducks," on December 6.
Two more collections, "Creator Fund Collection" and "Factions," are scheduled for launch on December 13 and December 20, respectively.
⚙ Gears Collection - Crafted to endure the dangers of the #Metaverse, these gears will be your best ally in the wild!— The Sandbox (@TheSandboxGame) December 6, 2021
Trades on Sandbox's collections totalled $70.5 million for over 4,433 assets, making it the single metaverse collection to rake in the highest dollar amount.
Analysts are bullish on Sandbox price. @TraderScarpa, a cryptocurrency analyst, has evaluated the Sandbox price trend and predicted a bullish scenario. The analyst considers $4.5 as strong support.
The first test of the $4.5 level was bought up fast, which is considered a good sign. @TraderScarpa expects the price to consolidate between $4.5 and $7.7 before moving higher.
Back to the list


text:
FELDY: Didn't the Minnesota Wild just get rid of their green jerseys? Well, if you missed having a dark green sweater in the rotation, your brief wait is over. The Wild will unveil their new third jersey on Sunday at the Minnesota State Fair.
Actually, the Web site icethetics.info has already uncovered the new green jersey. You can find Wild D Brent Burns modeling it here. It's actually kind of a sharp jersey. Has a high-school jersey look to it, which should be popular in this state. It's a great complement to the Wild's white and red sweaters.
The Wild will officially unveil the jersey at 12:30 p.m. Sunday at the Fan Central building at the State Fair. Fans can pre-order the new sweater at the State Fair or at the Hockey Lodge stores at the Mall of America or the Xcel Energy Center. The new sweaters will not be available for pick-up until Oct. 21, the night the Wild will wear them in a game for the first time (against Colorado). The new green sweaters will be available only at the Hockey Lodge stores from Oct. 21-26, then elsewhere starting Oct. 27.
By the way, Wild preseason tickets are on sale now. Rochester native Bryce Lampman and the St. Louis Blues come to The X on Sept. 24 at 7 p.m., while cabby-beating Patrick Kane and the Chicago Blackhawks visit on Sept. 20 at 5 p.m.


text:
Published in Lab Law Weekly, August 19th, 2005
Present day estimates indicate that generic prescriptions have risen to or exceeded the number of branded prescriptions written. To support these estimates a new study produced by researchers at Cutting Edge Information shows that between 1984 and 2002, generics' prescription share has risen steadily from 19% to 47%.
"Branded drugs that produced more than 15 billion dollars in U.S. sales alone will or already have lost their marketing exclusivity by 2005," said Elio Evangelista, senior analyst at Cutting Edge Information. It is crucial, he...
Want to see the full article?
Welcome to NewsRx!
Learn more about a six-week, no-risk free trial of Lab Law Weekly
NewsRx also is available at LexisNexis, Gale, ProQuest, Factiva, Dialog, Thomson Reuters, NewsEdge, and Dow Jones.


text:
TRYNESS TEMBO, Lusaka
SEBA Foods Zambia Limited has set aside about US$4 million for the expansion of the business and the introduction of new products this year.
The company was registered in Zambia 20 years ago and a renowned producer of maize and soya-based consumer food products such as Golden Goodness and Seba’s Instant Thobwa.
Seba Foods Zambia Limited managing director Ram Ray Vijayvargiya said the company intends to introduce two new products made from soyabeans on the market this year. The company currently employs over 90 locals.
Mr Vijayvargiya said in an interview on Tuesday that the company is also providing capacity building trainings, input and financial support to some small-scale farmers to increase their knowledge on soya beans production.
Mr Vijayvargiya also said the company has invested US$2 million in the construction of a 16,000 tonnes storage facility which will be completed by next harvesting season which will be used by farmers.
Under the out grower scheme, he said the company supported 2,500 smallholder farmers in the 2016/17 farming season under the Zambia National Farmer Union Lima Scheme and targets to increase it to 12,000 farmers next season.


text:
Warehousing, which was once sidelined in the larger scheme of things, is now rapidly gaining prominence across the Indian realty sector. There are many factors at the micro and macro-economic level that are coming to play, making warehousing anattractive proposition for investors looking to leverage the significant tailwinds witnessed around it.In fact, the growth prospects for warehousing are so favourable that as per recent reports, we could seesignificant investments being madein the region of $8-9 billionfor creation of warehousing facilities across the country over the next two years. This in turn would result in creation of over 20,000 jobs at different levels of specification and specialisation.
To gain understanding of the paradigm shift that we are witnessing in warehousing, it’s imperative to know what it essentially entails. At the core of it,warehousing plays a multi-faceted role and is an integral part of any logistics system. Warehouses are basically intermediate storage points in the logistics system where raw material, work-in-process, finished goods, and goods in transit are held for varying durations for a variety of purposes.
With that as a background, it’s important to get a perspective on how warehousing stacks up in the larger context. The very first headway made was around the government’s decision to give logistics and warehousing sectors infrastructure status last year. This greatly gives a much needed fillip to this marginalised sector, thereby spawning interest from some of the biggest players who are keenly looking to invest in it.Many of them are looking to invest over $2 billion for creating mega warehousing spaces in India, as the sector gears up for transitioning through a revolutionary phase. Also, the implementation of GST will help bring about remarkable structural changes and more systematic modes of operation, with increased emphasis on supply chain efficiencies.
From the developers’ point of view the sector seems promising, as very little adjustments to the physical structure are needed to transform a warehouse to a manufacturing space. Hence we are increasingly witnessing developers move ahead with speculative spaces to cater for either need. Also, an interesting trend that we are witnessing in this space is that ecosystems are being built around warehouses and the likes, i.e. residential, hotels, exhibition centres, etc.
According to the India Warehousing Market Report 2018, leasing transactions in the warehousing sector across key Indian markets burgeoned to 25.7 million sft in 2017, recording an 85% spike YoY. The NCR region attracted the highest footprint followed by Mumbai. Other cities such as Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad witnessed a flourishing double-digit growth. Greenfield projects or new developments attracted more than two-third of these investments followed by 27% for acquisition of completed projects.
Private equity and venture capital firms’ interest in warehousing space is also brisk as indicated by a five-fold jump in investments in the segment. Warehousing is attracting foreign players and there have been multiple initiatives associated with large investments within this segment, clearly underscoring the upcoming trend.With many players investing, there could be higher supply and the rent escalation will be critical.
Strong influences, such as an overall growth in e-commerce and a shortening turnaround time for delivery, has necessitated a sharp growth in warehousing in the country. Apart from e-commerce, the next big sector of spaces will be electronics and white goods that command significant warehousing spaces in urban and semi-urban locations.
Hence, this increase in demand from sectors such as e-commerce, 3PLs (third party logistics), consumer durables, FMCG and manufacturing to name a few, coupled with a requirement for larger sized warehouses, has opened up the field for more and more organised players.
Other Growth Drivers
Technology –Technology is playing an important role in making the real estate industry more organised and there will be a paradigm shift in warehouses that players will ask for going forward. Today’s warehouses need fewer operatives and hence, fewer line managers, because certain labour-reducing technologies have either made labour more efficient or eliminated it altogether. Warehouse management systems (WMS), scanning technologies, voice technologies and warehouse automation are gaining in prominence.
The old-concept godownsno longer support the present warehousing technology, which requires spaces built to higher specifications for achieving stringent physical as well as environment tolerances. The present technology and system allows the products to be stored in various locations around the globe where they are locally manufactured. And later as required, they can be brought to one centralised location for assembly.
Tier-II Cities – Industrial growth is going out of cities and peripheral locations of tier-I and tier-II cities are expected to be the prime beneficiaries of the next wave of growth in warehousing. Reports estimate that tier-II cities such as Surat, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ranchi, Madurai, Coimbatore, Ludhaina, Ambala, Tiruchirapalli, Nasik, Madurai and Jaipur have shown strong growth characteristics that will allow them to emerge as warehousing hubs. These cities are strategically located in proximity of other major markets, and allow transportation to happen to their feeder. Further, these cities provide favourable policies for setting up of businesses and have high manufacturing potential.
Key industries – The sectors of auto and auto-ancillaries, chemicals and pharmaceuticalsare the largest demand drivers of warehousing space. Expansion will also be seen in inland container depots, which offer services for handling and temporary storage of laden and empty containers being carried through custom control. Agriculture will also open up opportunities for large warehousing and logistics infrastructure. The need for a wide range of warehousing infrastructure including private and common warehousing, specialised warehouses, cold storages, free trade warehousing zones, and logistics parks is also set to crystalisein the coming years.
The author is COO at Synergy Property Development Services.


text:
Biopolymer company Meredian Holdings Group has started up its first commercial scale fermenter, making it the world’s largest producer of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) bioplastic, says MHG CEO Paul A. Pereira.
The bioplastic plant, in Bainbridge, Georgia, will help MHG meet the product delivery needs of manufacturing customers worldwide, the company says. The expansion included the ordering and installation of custom equipment that will allow MHG to produce even greater quantities of PHA in the near future.
MHG previously partnered with Tate & Lyle, global provider of specialty ingredients, to test the scalability of Nodax PHA. The production rates and titers achieved exceeded the metrics needed for commercial production viability. This confirmed that MHG’s PHA can be scaled for commercialization.
MHG says its PHA possesses properties that perform equal to, if not better than, most petrochemical plastics. Due to its molecular structure, MHG’s PHA can be custom formulated to create different types of polymers. The PHA can be used to manufacture many items commonly made of petroleum plastics including toys, cups, straws, utensils, single use plastic bags and many other disposable items that are entering the waste streams worldwide.
Because products manufactured from Nodax PHA biodegrade in three months to one year, they provide a solution to plastic pollution and accumulation when used instead of conventional plastic.
MHG’s PHA has been certified to degrade in soil, fresh water, marine water, industrial compost and home compost by Vinçotte International. The PHA is also approved for food substance contact by the FDA.
Biopolymers can displace incumbent petroleum-based plastics in a market exceeding $100 billion, according to an April report from Lux Research.
They face challenges, like inferior mechanical properties and processability, that limit their potential in some high-volume markets like automotive, but their biodegradability can make them a valuable choice in markets such as biomedical and agriculture, according to Comparing the Performance and Addressable Markets for Bio-based Polymers.


text:
Profit margin of retailers slumped dramatically in the first seven months of the year, while sales moved up on rising consumer price.
|Retailers suffer heavy losses in the first seven months of the year (Photo: Minh Tri)|
The Hanoi Supermarket in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 earned an average profit margin of 3 percent measly in the last three months, says Nguyen Thi Hai, director of a supermarket in Hanoi.
“The margin can cling at that percentage thanks to the support by many suppliers, who agree to defer the due date,” Hai told Dau Tu Tai Chinh Newspaper.
The store’s sales looks set to drop 20 percent from early this year, while the monthly electricity cost soared to VND130 million (US$6,500) from VND70 million, she says.
Nguyen Thanh Nhan, deputy general director of Vietnam’s leading retailer Saigon Co.op, aligns with his counterpart, adding the falling profit margin of local retailers this year is also compounded by the increasing number of promotional packs, which are released to boost the slumping sales.
“Cost of those packs increased sharply by 60 percent year-on-year,” Nhan says.
A chief accountant of a local retailer, who asks to be unnamed, discloses that retail sales moved up in the first half on the soaring inflation.
Figures from the General Statistics Office (GSO) indicate the country’s consumer price index advanced nearly 14 percent in the first six months of the year.
Retailers are now nervous about the dropping sales last month.
“Nearly 4,000 shoppers visited my store daily in April and May, but the amount plummeted to 2,500 early last month,” says a deputy director of a supermarket in downtown.
While sales of basic necessities still increased by more than 10 percent, sales of other products, such as cloths and cookware, dived 20-40 percent, says Nguyen Phuong Thao, director of retailer Maximark.
Statistics from the GSO show that, without adding the inflation, the revenue of the retail sector increased 5 percent year-on-year to VND1.1 trillion ($55 million).
The increase is dramatically low compared to the sector’s average growth rate of around 15-20 percent in previous years, according to Dinh Thi My Loan, general secretary of the Vietnam Retailers Association.
Electrical appliance and hi-tech gadget big losers
Sales of hi-tech gadgets and electrical appliance are plunging by 20-50 percent in the second quarter of the year, of which air conditioner suppliers are biggest losers, according to local retailers in HCMC.
“Revenue was still fine in May thanks to a fierce heat. However, in June, we almost sold only several products daily,” says a purchasing director of a HCMC-based electrical appliance store.
An owner of a hi-tech gear and gadget shop, who wants to be anonymous, says the shop has incurred a monthly loss of VND1 billion at least so far this year. Other shops say they are at risk of bankruptcy since they did not make profit in the last four months.


text:
Careem Pay, the financial services arm of Middle Eastern ride-sharing app Careem, launched a digital wallet that can store real money and enable customers to make transfers to others in the United Arab Emirates, the company said in a statement on Thursday.
The new peer-to-peer (P2P) transfer product allows customers to send, request and receive money through the app by just using a phone number, personal QR code, or personal payment link, and money from the digital wallet can also be withdrawn to any UAE bank account, similar to US application Venmo.
“We have been delivering secure payments for customers, captains, and merchants for years, but there is still a huge opportunity to improve the experience that people face when using financial services online,” said Careem CEO and co-founder Mudassir Sheikha.
Launched in a partnership with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and its payment solution partner Magnati, the new system has been authorized by the country’s Central Bank.
“Through our new digital wallet and P2P transfer product, we are helping people overcome many of the hassles they face with everyday payments. Our customers in the UAE can also use our super-simple bill payments service and pay with Careem Pay at selected online merchants. These products are the first step towards realizing our vision of simplifying financial services across the region as we expand Careem Pay into more markets,” said Careem Pay’s Vice President Madiha Sattar.
The payment system is only available in the UAE for now, but the company said that it will be introduced in other countries soon.
The multi-service app enables users to order a taxi, make deliveries, buy groceries, order food, and much more.
Uber’s Middle East business Careem looking to fill more than 200 jobsUber’s Middle East business Careem announced on Monday it was looking to fill more than 200 roles in the company, according to a LinkedIn post by the ... Economy
Private school operator Taaleem picks banks for Dubai IPOPrivate school operator Taaleem has picked EFG-Hermes and Emirates NBD Bank to lead a planned Dubai initial public offering, according to people with ... Gulf
Dubai to host world’s first NFT pay-per-view sports event for Mayweather fight in MayThe world’s first-ever non-fungible token (NFT) sports event will be hosted in Dubai at the Burj al-Arab’s helipad where a boxing event will be held, ... Gulf


text:
JCB has unveiled its innovative fuel cell powered excavator, the world’s first. The machine features a fuel cell stack and is fuelled by hydrogen, ensuring it has low tailpipe emissions. Fuel cells only emit water vapour, with none of the NOx or particulates generated by internal combustion engines.
The machine utilises technology from Ryse Hydrogen, which is also part of the JCB Group. The fuel cell stack generates electric power, with the machine featuring electric motors to drive its hydraulics.
The excavator has been developed over two years and has undergone 12 months of working trials at JCB’s quarry proving grounds to ensure its performance delivers as expected.
The 20tonne 220X machine set a benchmark for the construction industry as this is the first working prototype of an excavator powered by hydrogen. Other firms have also made other types of construction machines featuring fuel cells however, such as the rigid dump truck developed by Chinese firms Weichai and CRRC.
JCB chairman Lord Bamford said: “The development of the first hydrogen-fuelled excavator is very exciting as we strive towards a zero carbon world.
“In the coming months JCB will continue to develop and refine this technology with advanced testing of our prototype machine and we will continue to be at the forefront of technologies designed to build a zero carbon future.”
Jo Bamford said it was a game-changing addition to JCB’s fleet and a strong message for Britain’s green economy. “I grew up on the shop floor at JCB and have spent many years working on a prototype to help take our companies into the future,” he explained.
The development comes after JCB made manufacturing history last year by going into full production with a fully electric mini excavator, the 19C-1E. JCB has also extended electric technology to its innovative Teletruk telescopic forklift range with the launch of an electric model, the JCB 30-19E.


text:
(Adds details, quotes) MUMBAI, Nov 25 (Reuters) - MRF Ltd , India's top tyre maker, reported a 43 percent jump in profit for the year ended Sept, but warned that soaring rubber prices could crimp margins and profit in quarters to come. Chennai-based MRF said consolidated net profit for the full year rose to 3.58 billion rupees from 2.51 billion rupees as sales increased to 74.6 billion rupees from 56.7 billion. "Rubber price increase is continuously a matter of concern. That is not ...
Premium Content (PAID Subscription Required)
"UPDATE 1-MRF full year net surges; sees tougher days ahead" is part of the paid WardsAuto Premium content. You must log in with Premium credentials in order to access this article. Premium paid subscribers also gain access to:
All of WardsAuto's reliable, in-depth industry reporting and analysis
Hundreds of downloadable data tables including:
• Global sales and production data by country
• U.S. model-line inventory data
• Engine and equipment installation rates
• WardsAuto's North America Plant by Platform forecast
• Product Cycle chart
• Interrelationships among major OEMs
• Medium- and heavy-duty truck volumes
• Historical data and much more!
Current subscribers, please login or CLICK for support information.


text:
It is a familiar feeling isn’t it? Investors rushing in to get stakes into the next Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) or the next Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT). It seems like these companies can only go up! Are they profitable? Absolutely and that is already more than what could be said for many of the dot com companies from the 2000 dot com bubble. Companies like Pets.com or Boo.com had attracted huge valuations despite a poor (at best) plan to profitability. It didn’t matter after all because if you didn’t buy today, someone else would and tomorrow’s price would be much more expensive.
In some ways, that is how it feels today. Google was deemed to be crazy by many to have offered $6 billion for Groupon just a few weeks ago. Never mind the fact that the company ended up refusing the offer and is now preparing an IPO at a rumored $15 billion valuation. Did that company just double its profit estimates in a matter of weeks? And how about LinkedIn, which also doubled its valuation in just few weeks. Better buy now because getting in the game at the end of February will probably be much more expensive. Right?
Different type of crash?
Wall Street can sometimes be a bit on the dumb side but usually does not make the exact same mistakes and this one is no exception, as there are significant differences between what is going on and the 2000 dot com bubble.
Not public: While most of the companies that ended up crashing in 2000 were public ones, the current ones are usually not traded on stock exchanges but rather through private and exclusive brokers such as SecondMarket, which let high net worth individuals and companies only get involved as the traded companies have not yet reached the level at which they would be publicly traded, would publish earnings and other documents to the S.E.C.
Most of these companies are profitable: Companies like Facebook, LinkedIn and Groupon are making revenues and even earnings unlike most of the dot com failures
Less transparency: Since these transactions are taking place off markets, a lot of deals are taking place behind curtains and it’s not quite clear who is buying & selling, and what prices
Buyers rushing in
When Goldman Sachs initially announced it would be able to offer its clients a stake in Facebook at a $50 billion valuation, it was flooded with orders from both wealthy individuals and investment companies. Companies like Digital Sky Technologies are being admired not for getting in at cheap valuations but simply because they have been able to get stakes in some of the more valuable dot come companies such as Facebook and Twitter and right now, getting stakes seems like the only important aspect. Who cares about the price being paid? It’s about getting a stake, no more, no less. There is limited supply as the float of these companies is very limited. Most of the shares being sold are owned by early employees who want to get cash instead of stakes in a company that can seemingly only go higher… does that remind you of a familiar story? Mark Cuban.
No sense of valuation
Compared with companies that made headlines in the first dot com bubble, these companies are gold. Not only do they have solid business plans but they are actually already making profits, which is already much more than the ones from the early 2000s. That being said, there has to be someone who looks at valuations. This blog has been more than happy to call Facebook the best investment opportunity out there but if the valuation keeps going up by 20% every few months, that opportunity will no longer exist. Was Groupon a good buy for Google at $6 billion? Absolutely. But investing at a $15 billion valuation a few weeks later seems exaggerated. Since these companies are mostly private, few public numbers exist, which has been making investors buy the name rather than a good deal. Are some of them good deals? Absolutely. But why is everyone throwing money at these companies without even checking twice?
What to do?
It’s difficult to determine if there is truly a bubble and even more of a challenge to time the possible collapse (talk to any Open Table investor). But I would advise against blindly buying all of these big names.
Disclosure: No positions on any of these names


text:
The likelihood of a plum purchase dropped eight percentage points from Fresh Trends 2012, although the purple fruit still remains in the top 20 favorite fruits.
With more acres, warehouse space and new equipment in place, E.W. Brandt & Sons is making a new marketing push for its RemBrandt Masterpiece Fruit brand.
Chilean stone fruit shipments to the U.S. will likely be significantly lower this season, though promotions are still possible later in the deal.
Police special forces entered a Chilean port where workers are striking Jan. 13.
A strike at a major Chilean port could affect fruit exports to the U.S.
Fruit losses from freezes in Chile in September could be less than first thought.More Packer Stories for Plums/Prunes
Market Scope - Plums — F.o.b.s as of Feb. 24
CHILE — Imports (16-33-37) — Imports by boat. Movement expected to remain about the same. Port of entry: Philadelphia. Trading moderate. Prices lower. Carton two-layer tray pack angeleno 50s $24-26; blackamber 40s $22-26, 50s $20-24, 60s $16-18; fortune 50s $20-22, 60s $18-20; friar 40s mostly $26, 50s $24-26, 60s $20-22; larry anne 40s mostly $26, 50s $24-26, 60s $20-22. 9-kilogram containers loose angeleno 60s $22-24, 70s $20-22. Carton two-layer tray pack interspecific-type blue gusto 60s $20, 80s $16-18, 90s $16-18. Quality good.


text:
“In an email disclosing the “technical issue,” Google said that some private videos saved in the Photos service may have been sent to other users”
Google is sending an email to users of its Google Photos service, stating that it may have inadvertently sent some private videos in the archive of users of the Google Photos service to wrong users. The apparent breach of privacy occurred due to a “technical issue,” according to Google, and affected those who used Google’s ‘Download your data’ service from the Photos service. As a result of this, some of the videos – but not photos (as Google explicitly states) – that may have been issued the ‘private’ tag could have ended up with unintended recipients who also requested to download their own data.
The issue happened for users who requested to download their data between November 21st and November 25th, 2019. As stated by Google in the email disclosure, “Some videos in Google Photos were incorrectly exported to unrelated users’ archives. One or more videos in your Google Photos account was affected by this issue.” Google further goes on to say, “If you downloaded your data, it may be incomplete, and it may contain videos that are not yours.“
Google further goes on to say that the issue at hand has since been rectified, so you can be hopeful that more of your private videos will not end up in the hands of completely unknown individuals. However, Google’s suggestion of a solution for those affected by the flaw is rather nonchalant, as it states, “We recommend you perform another export of your content and delete your prior export at this time.“
It’s not clear if there is a way for users to know whether their own private videos may have ended up with someone else. The only thing that can be ascertained as of now is that affected users may have had incomplete file libraries being downloaded, as a result of the flaw. 9to5Google states that only 0.01 percent of all Google Photos users may have been affected by this, but since the service has over 1 billion users, this still accounts for private videos of over 10 million users ending up in unintended hands.