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ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Big cars and trucks are out. Smaller ones that offer more for your dollar are in. And many drivers will hang on longer to the new cars they buy.
We've seen some of this before - in the 1970s. But there's reason to believe this time American car-buying habits have changed forever.
Scarred by the worst financial crisis since the 1930s and still leery of high gas prices, people are walking into showrooms intent on spending less. The trend is strongest among baby boomers, who are 44 to 63 years old and make up a quarter of the population, dealers and industry analysts say.
A generation ago, boomers drove the economy out of the second-worst recession since World War II. After the downturn ended in 1982, they went on a buying spree throughout the '80s; for many, free-spending became a way of life that didn't end until last year. But their investments and home values have taken a hit. And with time running out until retirement, economizing on the second-biggest purchase most people make has become common.
"Up until now it's, 'I want bigger and more than I had last year,'" said Jerry Seiner, who owns several GM franchises in the Salt Lake City area. "This has been the biggest awakening of the U.S. population since the Great Depression."
Ford's top sales analyst, George Pipas, describes the shift as one from "conspicuous consumption" to "careful consumption."
To a degree, the shift has been forced on consumers. The Great Recession ended the days of easy credit, which propelled car and truck sales most of this decade. During the boom years, almost anyone qualified to buy a new vehicle. Zero percent financing on purchases and cut-rate deals on leases kept monthly payments low and encouraged people to trade every three or four years. Sales ballooned to record numbers of about 17 million vehicles a year in the first half of the decade.
Today, loans are harder to get and come with higher payments. About 60 percent of buyers finance a new car, and many no longer qualify for luxury models - or want big monthly payments.
So, many drivers will keep running up their odometers and scale back when they do buy, continuing to push down sales of large cars, sport utility vehicles and luxury brands. A poll taken in April by research firm AutoPacific found that 59 percent of recent buyers will keep their cars four years or more, up from 46 percent in 2008. It's easy to keep a vehicle longer because of improved quality.
The trends suggest annual vehicle sales will stay close to this year's 10 million level instead of rebounding to mid-decade levels. It was the collapse of the sales rate to as low as 9.57 million in January 2009 that pushed GM and Chrysler into bankruptcy reorganizations financed by the federal government, leaving Uncle Sam with a controlling stake in GM and as broker for Fiat's takeover of Chrysler. Even mighty Toyota, which has done relatively better than most, posted the biggest loss in its history in its last fiscal year.
"I think caution will be with us for a while," says Martin Zimmerman, a former Ford Motor Co. chief economist who now teaches at the University of Michigan. "That will color people's willingness to go out and buy houses or buy cars."
Small cars made up just 12.6 percent of the market in 1998, but that has grown to 21.1 percent, according to Ward's AutoInfoBank. The popularity of the federal government's Cash for Clunkers program this summer showed that Americans will embrace small if they're being budget-conscious or if they get a good deal. In August, the last month of the program, sales of the smallest domestic cars tripled from a year earlier.
Automakers are banking on the shift being permanent, unlike the last big swing to small cars, which followed the Arab oil embargo in 1973 and another oil shock at the end of the decade. People went back to larger cars as soon as oil supplies increased and gas prices went down. From the '80s until last year, gas stayed relatively cheap. Besides big passenger cars, the "light truck" market - minivans, SUVs and pickups - exploded and U.S. automakers made billions.
This time, though, higher gas prices are more likely to stick. Even though gas has dropped to about $2.50 a gallon, few expect it to stay there. The end of the global recession and burgeoning auto markets in China and India are expected to increase the demand for oil. Higher government fuel economy standards also will drive sales of small cars.
The shift will leave Detroit automakers no choice but to figure a way to make money on compact cars. In the past, these were money losers for U.S. carmakers and were subsidized by big cars and light trucks.
GM and Ford say contract concessions from the United Auto Workers make it possible to turn a profit on U.S.-built compacts. GM even says it can make money on subcompacts built in Michigan, but Ford and Chrysler will build them in lower-cost Mexico.
Those who buy smaller vehicles or nonluxury brands will still want the amenities they've become used to, such as voice-activated phones, navigation systems, heated leather seats and premium sound systems.
That's what Art Shand, 48, a building industry consultant from Palm Harbor, was looking for when he decided to lease a third car to keep from racking up miles on his family's other two vehicles, an Acura MDX luxury sport utility and a BMW 5-series sedan.
Although he could afford another premium brand, he shopped for value and leased a Hyundai Genesis, the Korean company's new entry in the luxury market.
It has all the amenities sought by Shand, yet costs nearly $20,000 less than a BMW 535i.


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(Photo by Stephen Babcock)
Pixelligent will be alongside manufacturing giants at an awards ceremony later this year in California.
The Baltimore company that makes high-index advanced materials using nanocrystals for lighting, device displays and optical components is among the winners of this year’s Frost & Sullivan Manufacturing Leadership Awards.
Pixelligent won in the “Engineering and Technology Production Leadership” category. The other names are mostly corporations like Cisco Systems, Lockheed Martin, Peterbilt Motors and Dow Chemical. Baltimore-based Under Armour is also receiving an award in the category.
The company manufactures tiny nanoparticles that can extract more light from products like LED lighting and OLED displays. In facilities near the border of Baltimore and Dundalk, they’ve been working to refine the process of manufacturing the materials.
The award is specifically for that process. There’s lots of tech innovation coming out in the nanotech world, but Pixelligent CEO Craig Bandes said the award is validation that Pixelligent has developed a manufacturing process that can make their materials more widely produced. The award also allows them to communicate that to the bigger companies, with whom they are in communication.
“It gives us a lot of credibility in the world we play in,” Bandes said.
The awards will be presented at the Manufacturing Leadership Summit, held in June in Huntington Beach, Calif.
Here are the winners of the 2019 Maryland Cybersecurity Awards
Meet the Baltimore entrepreneur who earned a finalist spot at the first Lyft Pitch
A 3D printing hub in Aberdeen looks to spread manufacturing advances
How SmartLogic accelerated these startups’ product growth trajectories
Win up to $360,000 for your startup at the WeWork Creator Awards
The tech and people shaping manufacturing’s future have the floor at Techtonic Shift
Paragon Bioservices gets state, county aid for expansion
This fast-growing SaaS company aims to be a force for change in the energy industry
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Gaming Intelligence has announced the winners of the first Gaming Intelligence Awards (GIAs), with bet365 and Playtech leading the charge winning two awards each.
The GIAs reward the excellence of the online gambling industry’s leading operators and suppliers, as well as presenting a special award for the industry’s most socially responsible company.
The Awards were presented at ICE Totally Gaming at London’s Excel Centre on February 3rd and 4th.
Gaming Intelligence editor-in-chief Bobby Mamudi commented: “I am thrilled to reveal these new awards that judge the online gaming industry’s best performers purely on merit.”
“We have built our reputation on the integrity of our editorial products and the Awards follow the same policy. The industry demanded an end to cronyism and we have delivered just that with the GIA’s. Congratulations to all our very deserving winners.”
The 2015 Gaming Intelligence Awards winners are:
● Poker operator of the year: POKERSTARS
● Sports betting operator of the year: BET365
● Casino operator of the year: 888
● Bingo operator of the year: GAMESYS
● Social operator of the year: CAESARS INTERACTIVE
● Lottery operator of the year: CAMELOT
● Sportsbook supplier of the year: KAMBI
● Poker supplier of the year: PLAYTECH
● Casino supplier of the year: NET ENTERTAINMENT
● Bingo supplier of the year: PLAYTECH
● Lottery supplier of the year: SCIENTIFIC GAMES
● Marketing service provider of the year: INCOME ACCESS
● One to watch award: LEANDER GAMES
● Socially responsible company of the year: BET365
The GIAs are accompanied by the publication of the Gaming Intelligence Hot 50, a celebration of the most innovative and inspiring individuals working in online gaming.
Now in its fourth year, the Hot 50 recognises the individual contributions of industry veterans, backstage heroes and outstanding entrepreneurs.
To find out who features in this year’s Hot 50 click here.


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Samsung continuing its streak of releasing the One UI 4 stable for its smartphone has released the software for two more smartphones – Galaxy S10 Lite and W22 5G.
The international variant of the Galaxy S10 Lite (model code SM-G770F) is receiving the firmware designated with version number G770FXS6FULA and comes with December 2021 Android security patch.
Furthermore, the company has also released the One UI 4 for the W22 5G, which is a custom Galaxy Z Fold3 for the Chinese market. The software for the W22 5G comes with version number W2022ZCU2BULF.
In case you haven’t received the One UI 4 on your smartphone yet, you can check for it manually by heading to Settings > Software update menu.
- Leaked info showcases the design and specs of the Realme 10 Pro series Global variant
- Tecno Pova 4 scheduled to debut in India on December 7
- Google Pixel Fold may have just visited Geekbench as Google Felix
- Global sales figures of the Redmi Note series exceed 300 million units
- First Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 powered phone, Vivo X90 Pro+, officially goes on sale


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LORCA, the cybersecurity programme Plexal’s delivering, has today launched a global open call for its fourth cohort of cyber scaleups. The latest cohort will receive bespoke support to help them scale in the UK and abroad, as well as access to commercial and engineering experts through delivery partners Deloitte and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen’s University Belfast. The deadline for applying is Monday 4 November 2019, with full details available at lorca.co.uk/apply
We’re inviting applications based on three innovation themes after consulting with industry leaders from various sectors about their most pressing cyber challenges and the types of solutions they need from the market in the future. The three cross-cutting themes (Connected Economy, Connected Everything and Connected Everyone) relate to the macro challenges faced by business and society as our world becomes more digitised and connected. We’re looking for a broad range of innovators who can solve real-world cyber challenges across a variety of business and societal contexts to apply.
Saj Huq, Programme Director, LORCA, said:
“As technology increasingly impacts all aspects of business and society, it’s clear that a cybersecurity paradigm shift is needed. Now more than ever, we need to support the development of cutting-edge innovations across the board to help us lead safer digital lives, keep our infrastructure secure and protect our digital economy from complex and evolving cyber threats. Given its increasing significance within a world that is more connected by the day, cybersecurity has to be everywhere – and serve everyone.”
LORCA’S innovation themes
1. Connected Economy
In a post-breach world where technology is disrupting business models and our economy is more connected than ever, cybersecurity isn’t just about protecting data: it’s key to enabling sustainable growth.
How can we enable organisations to stay resilient in the face of security threats across their supply chains and networks? And how can they futureproof themselves by building security into everything they do?
2. Connected everyone
Our homes, workspaces, cities and personal space have never been so connected, yet the movement to secure them is in its infancy.
How can we empower people to feel in control of their digital presence, build trust in technology – and make sure nobody is left out?
3. Connected Everything
From our transport infrastructure to the National Grid, our digital and physical worlds are converging as they become connected to the internet at lightning pace.
With so much to win and lose for society, how can we solve the multi-dimensional security challenges which are emerging through hyper connectivity? And how can we collaborate with a broader spectrum of fields to build cyber principles into every access point for the internet?
Paul Branley, Director of Strategy, Innovation & Testing at Lloyds Banking Group, said:
“Lloyds Banking Group partnered with the London Office for Rapid Cyber Security Advancement (LORCA) in June 2018 for three reasons. Firstly, in recognition that incremental change isn’t enough and we need a transformative approach to keep ahead of the threat. Secondly, we also wanted to gain early access to cutting edge ideas, technologies and innovative companies.
“Thirdly, as part of our business strategy to Help Britain Prosper, by ensuring the UK is a leader on the global stage with modern cybersecurity. We are looking to cohort 4 to achieve the above for some of the biggest cybersecurity challenges in the ever increasingly connected world.”
Louise Cushnahan, Head of Innovation, CSIT commented:
“The three themes this cohort will be drawn from are tightly aligned with CSIT’s internationally leading multidisciplinary research roadmap of secure connected intelligence. Our engineering and research teams are primed and ready to work side by side with this next crop of innovative cyber security companies. CSIT’s new Cyber Range came on stream earlier this year and it will be used to maximum impact as we help companies iterate their secure solutions.”


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As the new owners of the Forces of Valor brand move closer to announcing their initial product offerings, we have decided to make some changes to the way in which we present the brand to the public. Because the new owners will likely reintroduce some of the older items in updated packaging or with different accessories and features, we will be distinguishing old inventory from new with some minor SKU modifications to lessen confusion yet extend the brand.
Any of the products remaining in inventory that were offered by Unimax, the original makers of the line, will have a product code that begins with UNI. Any new items being offered by the new manufacturer, Waltersons (Walter & Sons), will sport a FOV product identifier. So, a Unimax-built 1:32 scale Tiger I tank will carry the code UNI80003, while a similar Waltersons release will be identified as FOV80003, unless, of course, the new owners decide to introduce a completely different set of product codes.
Speaking of new, Forces of Valor has released details concerning their first new static model. According to their Facebook page, the Company plans to reintroduce a 1:700 scale replica of the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), which is reportedly set for production some time in September. We’ve posted CAD images showing the new warship and some of its embarked aircraft atop the flight deck.
Note that the manufacturer has elected to go with a more elegant wooden base and machined metal supporting pillars over the previous plastic design, as well as an etched metal name plate. Nice improvements meant to make the diorama look even more attractive.
Forces of Valor has acknowledged that their second take on the USS Enterprise is about to make port in mid-September (#UNI86017). This particular version comes with a set of sailors that spell out “E=MC2 x 40”, which, in Einsteinian terms, signifies the 40th anniversary of the ship’s sailing under nuclear power.
Collectors can stow the sailors in a safe place if they prefer not to display the phrase on the deck of their prized carrier.
While we were horrified to learn that Unimax’ 1:700 scale replica of the USS Enterprise has already sold out, we were, nevertheless, thrilled to discover that a new version is already undergoing sea trials. Their second version, #86017, will include a set of diminutive sailors standing on board the deck of the carrier in dress whites spelling out “E=mc2 x 40”, which signifies the 40th anniversary of the ship’s sailing in 2002. For those of you who’d rather not commemorate the “Big E’s” historic voyage, you can dismiss the troops and have them hidden away below deck out-of-sight and out-of-mind. Look for the new carrier some time in July.
Unimax reports that their 1:700 sale replica of the aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise (#UNI86012) is now shipping out to their dealer network. Barring any unforeseen issues, we expect to receive our shipment just before Thanksgiving, making it available for the extended Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend. We anticipate strong sales for this item, which is likely the inaugural ship in Unimax modern era blue water navy.
According to a note found in a bottle that recently washed up on our shores, Unimax will be releasing their 1:700 scale replica of USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in late November (#UNI86012). The Enterprise is the latest capitol ship in their Combat Vessel series, and should make a wonderful gift this holiday season for collectors, veterans and historians alike.


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CMRC gets a remodel and new Fitness Equipment
The Clay Madsen Recreation Center was closed recently for updates to the hallway floors, gym floors, racquetball court floors, and logo refreshes. A new round of remodeling has begun this week as the cardio/weight room receives brand new flooring and state-of-the-art fitness equipment.
The old floor in the weight room was mostly carpet, which absorbed smells and liquids. The new flooring currently being installed is a recycled rubber fitness flooring that will be cleaner and easier to maintain. All of the old equipment that is currently in the weight room will be removed and replaced with uniform (same company, same brand) state-of-the-art equipment that will be easier for users to switch between during workout routines. The company will provide faster maintenance and will replace any irreparable machines with machines of the same model year or newer. The new fitness center is scheduled to open this Thursday, July 14.
Memberships to the Clay Madsen Recreation Center are a fraction of the cost of most chain or franchise fitness centers and include the unlimited use of the newly remolded fitness center, two full size gymnasiums, 6-lane 25 yard indoor lap pool, racquetball courts, game room, group exercise classes and more.
Residents may stay updated on this project and other construction projects around town, by visiting the Parks and Recreation blog that will be updated monthly on construction projects throughout the year.


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Shares of United Breweries rallied as much as 8.69 per cent intraday on Friday after reports showed that around 18.5 lakh shares of the company worth Rs 152 crore were traded in a block deal on BSE at Rs 822 per share. According to CNBC TV18, Heineken is the likely buyer of United Breweries shares in today’s trade. At 12.58 pm, shares of the company were trading 6.55 per cent up at Rs 874.90. The scrip opened the day at Rs 825 and has touched a high and low of Rs 892.50 and Rs 821.45, respectively, in trade so far. Later, the scrip closed 0.85 per cent up at Rs 828.05.
So far, around 20.34 lakh shares of United Breweries exchanged hands on BSE, up 113 times, against the 2-week average of 18,000 shares.
For the quarter ended June 30, 2016, the company reported a net profit of Rs 147.06 crore, up 20.40 per cent, against Rs 122.14 crore in the corresponding quarter a year ago. Net sales of the company jumped 8.60 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1485.67 crore for the quarter under review against Rs 1368.03 crore in the same quarter last year.
In the past one year, shares of the company have fallen 5.34 per cent to Rs 821.10 till September 15, whereas BSE Sensex advanced 10.53 per cent during the same period. Shares of United Breweries have hit their 52-week high of Rs 1014 on November 4, 2015 and 52-week of Rs 690 on May 24, 2016.


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McDonald's former boss joins Wagamama
By John Reynolds, marketingmagazine.co.uk, Thursday, 02 August 2012 10:17AM
Steve Easterbrook, the former European boss of McDonald's and chief executive of Pizza Express, has been named chief executive of Wagamama, the Japanese-inspired restaurant chain.
Easterbrook replaces Steve Hill who stepped down from the role in June.
Wagamama is owned by private equity firm Duke Street Capital. It has become increasingly popular in the UK in recent years.
Easterbook joined McDonald's in 1993 and worked at the fast-food giant for 18 years. In August 2011 he stepped down as president of McDonald's Europe to join Pizza Express as its chief executive, surprising many in the industry.
Wagamama says it has ambitious growth plans. Currently, it operates 84 restaurants globally, with plans to open 15 restaurants a year in the UK.
Wagamama is thought to have big plans to grow overseas, through running a franchise strategy. Easterbook has significant experience in running food franchise operations.Follow @johnreynolds10
This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk
- Senior Graphic Designer - Tech brands Network Career Consultants £35000 - £45000 per annum, City of London
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- Digital Creative Lead - Fashion Network Career Consultants £60000 - £70000 per annum, London
- Web Project Manager (12 month FTC) Brand Recruitment £40000 per annum, Milton Keynes
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Agency: McCann Erickson
- Watch: The Post Office's first Christmas TV campaign in five years
- Tesco Clubcard uses Twitter to pick out Christmas gift ideas
- Samsung launches first Christmas TV campaign in the UK
- BBH London promotes Caroline Pay to deputy ECD
- O2 launches 'walk' campaign with Ed Sheeran
- ASA bans 'strongly sexual' Giffgaff ad


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are looking for three suspects after an early-morning break-in at .
According to police reports, the break-in occurred around 4 a.m. Tuesday at the West Maple Road pharmacy, located near across the street from and the .
Officers responded to the store alarm, reports state, finding the rear door pried open. When employees arrived, they told police that several bottles of narcotic pills had been taken from the pharmacy area.
A review of the store's surveillance cameras show three men enter the business, go to the pharmacy and remove several items before fleeing the building about two minutes later.
Anyone with information about this incident can call the Birmingham Police Department at 248-530-1889.


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Viacom’s MTV Networks is planning to merge its IFILM property with Spike TV’s online presence, putting its guy-centric cable station to work in the service of MTVN’s online traffic building and digital video ad sales efforts.
The integrated IFILM/spiketv.com group will report to MTVN Entertainment Group’s SVP of Digital Media, Erik Flannigan. IFILM’s longtime top dog, Blair Harrison, will relinquish his leadership of the site and “is currently in conversation with MTV Networks to explore what he might do next inside or outside the company,” according to a Viacom statement.
A new, dually branded Web site will be launched at an unspecified date. It will carry clips from on-air programs but no full-length shows, according to a spokesperson.
The move, coming eighteen months after MTVN acquired IFILM for $49 million, will leverage Spike TV’s on-air promotion and program assets to build online traffic and will increase the amount of saleable inventory attached to the Spike TV brand.
“The combined traffic of IFILM and spiketv.com will also allow us to leapfrog the reach of other video-based sites that target men so we can more effectively compete for online advertising dollars,” said Doug Herzog, President, MTVN Entertainment Group, in a statement.
The online video activities of Viacom and its broadcasting peers are even more frenzied than usual this month. Viacom’s move to combine the sites comes ten days after it sued YouTube for over $1 billion, claiming six counts of copyright infringement. And late last week, NBC Universal and News Corp. announced a partnership to launch a video platform to compete with YouTube. Reportedly, AOL, MSN, MySpace, Yahoo and other unnamed networks and film studios will be involved.
MTVN Entertainment Group was formed in December to house the Viacom unit’s male-skewing brands; Web properties under its umbrella include ComedyCentral.com, AtomFilms, AddictingClips.com and Xfire.
Businesses near ‘PokeStops’ are enjoying a huge surge in footfall due to the popularity of Pokémon Go, according to our first major ... read more
A new organization, The Coalition for Better Ads, has been launched to “leverage consumer insights and cross-industry expertise to develop and implement ... read more


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It was a media launch that turned into a preview of the future. On November 16, Huawei introduced its new Mate 10 series through an exclusive event at the Huawei CISC facility in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. The company’s own tech experts presented the technology behind these flagship phones’ features, and our key takeaway from it all: THIS IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE SMARTPHONE.
Huawei now plays a whole different ball game with its new Kirin 970 chipset. This world-first AI processor delivers powerful computing performance for smooth and rapid response, and learning capabilities that optimizes overall user experience.
Imagine taking a photo of your dog. This phone is able detect that your subject is a dog and it automatically provides the best camera settings for your photo. It can detect 13 object categories, including dogs, cats, food, people, even stages to capture memorable highlights at a live concert.
It also has a built-in translation capability that can translate words from four different modes: text, image, voice, and conversational voice. With its Easy Projection feature, the Mate 10 can double as a desktop that you can project onto larger monitors for business presentations or movie nights with friends. Unlike other projection features, however, you can privately read messages or take calls on your Huawei Mate 10 without disrupting what’s on the screen.
Other features include a 4000mAh battery with SuperCharge technology, a 5.9-inch 16:9 display for the Mate 10 and 6-inch 18:9 OLED display for the Mate 10 Pro, barely-there bezel and HDR10 capability, 3D glass body, Leica dual cameras with Summilux-H lenses, and an IP67 rating for water- and dust-resistance.
The Huawei Mate 10 is already available in all Huawei Experience stores starting November 19 for P32,900 in Mocha Brown or Black colors.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Shares of Cornerstone OnDemand soared Thursday, making a strong public trading debut in a jittery market, which underscored the growing investor interest in software as a service.
The on-demand talent management company CSOD jumped 46.7% to close at $19.07 as its initial public offering got a lift from a market rebound following Wednesday’s decline triggered by the uncertainty in Japan.
But analysts said Cornerstone also attracted robust interest because it’s focused on a market known to have much growth potential. Cornerstone offers software-as-service that allows businesses to train employees and track their performance of their employees.
The company says it has more than 480 customers, including huge companies and organizations such as Barclays Bank PLC
The Santa Monica, Calif.-based company had offered to sell 10.5 million shares on the Nasdaq Global Market with an initial price of $13 a share.
Cornerstone had set an initial range of $9 to $11. The company’s underwriters include Goldman, Sachs & Co., Barclays Capital, William Blair & Co. and JMP Securities.
The company made its debut as the broader market was reeling from the impact of the massive earthquake that hit Japan.
But Scot Sweet, senior managing partner at IPO Boutique said, “There was demand for this deal as soon as it was filed because of the growth potential.”
The IPO enjoyed ”extremely strong interest through the week,” he added. “It never wavered.”
Matt Therian, an analyst with Renaissance Capital in Greenwich, Conn. also said the company’s “bookings growth is accelerating. It’s pretty compelling.”
For the year-ended Dec. 31, 2010, the company reported a net loss attributable to common shareholders of $56.6 million, on net revenue of $43.7 million, according to an SEC filing.
That compares with a net loss of $10.5 million, on revenue of $29.3 million, for the year-earlier period.
Sweet of IPO Boutique noted that Cornerstone’s “revenues are really ramping up, though they are not profitable now. But a lot of R&D is going into the product at the moment.”
The successful IPO also underscores the importance of the software-as-a-service space, in which customers pay only for the Web-based services they use.
“Software-as-a-service is compelling in this market,” Therian said. “You don’t have to invest in the hardware. The value proposition is strong.”


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Abdel-Ghani Al-Abasiri, Vice-President of the Chamber of Textile Industries of the Federation of Egyptian Industries, said that the Chamber decided to support the participation of its members in the “Industry of Our Country” exhibition by 100%, as the exhibition activities are scheduled to start during the period from 3 to 5 July, under the auspices of Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, President Council of Ministers.
Al-Abasiri added, in a statement to the Chamber today, Friday, that the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Textile Industries agreed to reserve an area of 400 square meters in the exhibition at the expense of the Chamber for the participation of its members free of charge, with the aim of supporting the member companies of the Chamber and highlighting the quality and efficiency of the textile and garment industry sector in Egypt. And it is able to compete locally and globally.
The Vice-President of the Chamber of Textile Industries added that the space reserved by the Chamber in the “Baladna Industry” exhibition will be distributed to 12 member companies, stressing the importance of the exhibition, which is organized under the auspices of the Prime Minister, to confirm the state’s support for the industrial sector at the present time, as it is a real development locomotive.
He added that the aim of the “Baladna Industry” exhibition is to display the development and achievements of the Egyptian industry during the era of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi during the past eight years, praising the support of the political leadership of the industrial sector during the recent period and the resulting measures and decisions that will soon reap the benefits of the industry.


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Furniture lead in High Point
Steve’s breakdown: Theodore Alexander is the company and they have hired their 1st CMO. That’s always good news “lead wise”.
HIGH POINT, NC: High end case goods and upholstery manufacturer Theodore Alexander has named Jackie Paulsen as chief marketing officer, a new position.
In this role, she will lead the company’s global marketing team as it aims to strengthen its brand presence and create a worldwide digital and customer engagement platform.
She reports to Harvey Dondero, CEO.
Paulsen has specialized in brand building and marketing strategy and has experience in the consumer and trade markets, the company said. She comes to Theodore Alexander from Currey & Company, where she was director of marketing for nearly two years. She also has been involved in the marketing of several brands in and outside the furniture industry including Henredon, Barbara Barry, Ralph Lauren Home, Harley Davidson, Kraft Foods, SC Johnson and Newell Rubbermaid.


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July 21 — Auto and telecommunications industries may have to fight over a band of wireless spectrum previously set aside for vehicle technology, but federal regulators should prioritize public safety when divvying it up, the top Democrat on the House transportation panel said.
The Department of Transportation and the Federal Communications Commission should synchronize their priorities for the use of a 5.9 gigahertz (GHz) wireless spectrum band that will power Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) in connected cars before establishing any rules, Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) said in a letter to the agencies.
DeFazio, the ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said he understood companies' commercial desires for more unlicensed Wi-Fi spectrum, but because DSRC-connected cars have the potential to save many lives using the spectrum, that should outweigh any other public interest need.
“[T]he desire for better Pokemon Go play cannot be compared to the 35,000 motor vehicle deaths every year,” DeFazio wrote.
Auto manufacturers such as General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Toyota Corp. are planning to use spectrum that the FCC reserved for the industry more than a decade ago for technologies like collision-avoidance systems and vehicle-to-vehicle communication. But, with the ensuing rise in wireless technology usage, the communications industry has pushed the FCC to allow it to share the carmakers' spectrum to expand high-speed Wi-Fi.
The two industries have issued a series of tit-for-tat letters to federal regulators, with Wi-Fi companies arguing that the automakers were using safety as a cover to use the spectrum for unrelated purposes and auto industry groups denying that claim.
The dispute took another turn last month when Wi-Fi industry advocates filed a petition with the FCC suggesting the auto manufacturers were ill-prepared to deal with cybersecurity and privacy vulnerabilities in the DSRC band. According to the petition, the agency should thoroughly examine the issue before the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) finalizes a rule that would require vehicle-to-vehicle communication technology in all new cars and light trucks.
“When automakers talk about how DSRC has privacy by design and all the cybersecurity stuff, they mean the NHTSA definition of DSRC, which is a relatively tiny sliver directly under NHTSA's jurisdiction,” Harold Feld, senior vice president of Public Knowledge said. “When you ask them explicitly about the commercial operations under the FCC's jurisdiction, the answer changes dramatically.”
Feld was one of the authors of the petition filed with the FCC.
DeFazio, who said he agreed with petitioners on the need for cybersecurity and privacy protections, also said that was no reason to delay the release of the NHTSA rule. The average age of vehicles is 11 years, which means it will take decades for DSRC to penetrate the fleet of vehicles nationwide—enough time for the auto industry to get cybersecurity and privacy protections in place before broad deployment, he said.
House Transportation committee staff told Bloomberg BNA that DeFazio talked with many interested parties before writing the letter, and that it made no judgment on the potential for unlicensed Wi-Fi spectrum usage to interfere with DSRC-connected cars.
“It simply reminds DOT and FCC of the relative public interest and safety merits,” a committee staffer said.
The agencies have been planning to conduct tests to determine whether it is possible to safely share the 5.9 GHz band, but it is unlikely they will reach a final conclusion before the Obama administration exits (See previous story, 07/11/16).
With assistance from Lydia Beyoud in Washington
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Copyright © 2016 The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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25 Mar 2021
Geely Auto Forms New Premium Electric Car Company - Zeekr
Geely Auto Group has announced the formation of a new company, Zeekr Company Limited, a new electric mobility technology and solutions company based in China that will serve growing global demand for premium electric vehicles.
20 Oct 2020
Essity Launches New Digital Incontinence Care Solution
Hygiene and health company Essity is launching TENA SmartCare, a new and reusable digital sensor for improved incontinence care. TENA SmartCare is available for both professional and family caregivers.
24 Jun 2020
Lotus is a significant historic British car manufacturer. Lotus has experienced a troubled financial past, but the purchase by Geely has looked to rejuvenate the brand with a focus on electrification.
1 May 2020
McLaren Automotive manufacture some of the best sportscars and supercars in the world. However, their approach to hybrid and fully electric cars has been slower than some competitors.
2 Apr 2020
Protean are specialists in the design, manufacture and application of in-wheel motors. Their technology allows for the entire drive and brake unit to be housed inside the wheel along with associated electronics. With the technology demonstrated, the challenge is to see a greater adoption across the electric vehicle market.
22 Jan 2020
Finalists Announced for 2019 R&D 100 Awards
Finalists for the venerable R&D 100 Awards have been announced by R&D World magazine and its new parent company, WTWH Media, LLC.
5 Dec 2019
Visit to Lightyear Solar Cars Netherlands 4.12.19
We attended the impressive launch of the Lightyear One solar family car in June.
12 Nov 2019
Electric Air Taxi Cabable of Carrying 250kg
Vertical Aerospace has revealed flight footage of an electric vertical take off and landing aircraft capable of carrying loads of up to 250kg - the first company in the world to do so.
9 Oct 2019
Volvo Cars and Geely intend to merge combustion engine operations
Volvo Cars and Geely intend to merge their existing combustion engine operations into a stand-alone business in order to establish a new global supplier that will seek to develop next generation combustion engines and hybrid powertrains.
18 Sep 2019
At Last a Smart Materials Event for Business Deals
The IDTechEx Show! in Santa Clara, California on November 20-21 has it all. There will be over 270 exhibitors engaging with 3,500 attendees; seven parallel conferences and even masterclasses on November 19 and 22, with matchmaking services and awards. Land the big order or at least come away "married" and famous!
11 Sep 2019
Geely invests 50 million euros in Volocopter
Volocopter announced that it signed the first closing of its Series C funding round, which is being led by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group
17 Jul 2019
Lotus Evija pure electric British hypercar
The world's first fully electric British hypercar, the all-new Lotus Evija, has been revealed. It is the first hypercar from Lotus, and the company's first model with an electrified powertrain. It is the first completely new car to be launched under the stewardship of Geely.
11 Jun 2019
Electric Car Gloom Yet Forecasts Increased
It is a bit surreal. There is far more negative press comment about pure electric cars than positive yet most analysts, including IDTechEx, have revised their forecasts upwards. In this article, you will find some of the forecasts of others expressed as the number in use.
21 Feb 2019
Automotive Interiors Project in Printed, In-Mold Electronics
Today, Geely Design, CEVT and TactoTek® jointly announced that they have initiated projects to develop smart surfaces for multiple automotive brands owned by CEVT's parent company, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. The current interiors project is the first of several anticipated by the framework agreement between the companies.


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by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
JOHANNESBURG – A CONSORTIUM co-founded by South African blockchain and cryptocurrency expert, Riccardo Spagni, has announced a new open source blockchain protocol specifically for digital assets.
Tari, as the protocol is called, has the backing some of Silicon Valley’s leading venture capital funds, and is set to redefine the digital asset experience for both businesses and consumers by making these assets easier to manage, transfer and use.
The project that also includes Naveen Jain, United States-based entrepreneur and angel investor, and Dan Teree, who built Ticketfly into one of the biggest players in the US ticketing industry before selling it to Pandora in 2015.
The founding team is uniquely equipped to provide solutions to these challenges due to their years of expertise across the blockchain, cryptocurrency, ticketing and entertainment industries.
Notable Tari backers include Redpoint (one of the early investors in Netflix), Trinity Ventures, Canaan Partners, Slow Ventures, Aspect Ventures, DRW Ventures, Blockchain Capital, Pantera and Multicoin Capital.
Tari is going to fundamentally change the way we interact with digital assets,” said co-founder Jain.
“Our current world of digital assets is incredibly inefficient and frustrating. We want to fix that,” Jain asserted.
Tari is building a Johannesburg-based team to steward what it calls “the most useful decentralised platform that empowers anyone to create digitally scarce things people love.”
It is anticipated the platform will allow one to manage and transfer digital assets with more flexibility, enable true digital scarcity, and break down the industry-specific silos in which businesses currently operate.
“It’s important to note that we believe that much of the talent needed to build Tari already exists in South Africa, and it’s for this reason we are setting up in Johannesburg – a first for South Africa and Africa,” Spagni said.
The South African citizen, who is lead maintainer of top ten global cryptocurrency, Monero, said the process of recruiting their team was underway.
“Our developers have the opportunity to build a decentralised assets protocol, on top of Monero, that will be used by millions of people in their everyday lives,” Spagni said.
The maverick Spagni, nicknamed Fluffypony, and co-founders, have lofty hopes for Tari.
“It is our hope that when Tari goes live, businesses of all sizes will see new economies and possibilities open up and consumers will regain power to participate in these economies,” concluded Spagni.
– CAJ News


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The business circles of Turkmenistan are invited to participate in the 9th India International MSME Expo & Summit 2023, which will be held in New Delhi from August 10 to 12, the official website of the UIET reports.
The program of the international forum includes business events on the development of cooperation between Indian and foreign businessmen.
Both aspiring young entrepreneurs, trade representatives to establish contacts and search for business opportunities, as well as industrial enterprises with a name - to create networks, exchange knowledge, search for new markets for export, can take part in the event.
Interested parties can contact the Embassy of the Republic of India in Ashgabat during business hours by calling: (+993 12) 45 61 52, (+993 12) 45 61 53.
The official website of the organizer is www.msmedevelopmentforum.com.


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The Israel-Palestine conflict rages on, and for many fintech workers in Tel Aviv, life has had to continue through the chaos.
For some time Fnality has focused on the development of a wholesale payments system built on blockchain. Today, they closed a funding round to help launch.
Zelle has started refunding imposter scam victims, after years of banks questioning their responsibility to do so.
Despite a stay, 1071 is expected to be implemented. Banks may need to rethink their approach to data processing.
Recommerce marketplaces have given consumers opportunities to save and make money. Payment orchestration has let them down. Until now.
Today, the company announced that they had added a programmable payments feature to their private permissioned blockchain-based JPM Coin.


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The Nintendo Switch Online is getting four new games that most users have probably never heard of. These include three new SNES games - including a former Japan exclusive - and one NES game.
I wanted the "Wow" factor for the Apple Vision Pro, but all I got was a "Why?"
apple vision pro
Windows 11 widget monitors CPU, GPU, RAM, and more, here's how to enable
windows 11 performance
Windows 11 Beta Channel adds WPA3 support to Phone Link hotspot
windows 11 insider preview
Windows 11 Release Preview adds more live caption languages
windows 11 insider preview promo
Windows 11 Insider Canary Build 25381.1200 is a small service update
windows 11 insider preview
Super nintendo RSS
While Super Nintendo World was lined up for its grand opening early next month, those plans have been placed on hold after a state of emergency was declared in Osaka prefecture to counter COVID-19.
Nintendo has once again randomly announced a new batch of retro games coming to its Nintendo Switch Online Service. Donkey Kong Country 3 is the highlight of this round of releases.
After a few months' hiatus, Nintendo is finally adding new games to the NES and SNES collections for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. There are four new SNES games and two NES titles.
Having already topped the Wii U, GameCube, and the Nintendo 64, the Switch has the Super Nintendo in its sights in terms of lifetime sales. The milestone could be achieved during the festive season.
After months of speculation and waiting, Nintendo has finally confirmed that SNES titles are coming to the library of games available through Nintendo Switch Online. The first batch arrives tomorrow.
Users who subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online may have some good news in the near future, as a dataminer has managed to uncover a list of 22 Super NES games which might be available soon.
Following in the stead of the NES Classic, in their latest earnings report, Nintendo has announced they have sold 4 million units of the SNES Classic across the world. N64 Classic next maybe?
During the summer, iam8bit released a limited edition SNES cartridge of Street Fighter II. While the product has long been sold out, you can now check out an unboxing of the product.
Nintendo has debuted an Amazon exclusive Super Nintendo themed New 3DS XL that is now available for pre-order and comes with Super Mario Kart. The console will be available on November 27.
After selling out in a day a couple weeks ago, it looks like Nintendo is making good on its promise by shipping more SNES Classic Edition consoles that will arrive in retail locations this week.
Just a week after being released, the latest addition to Nintendo's miniature console lineup has been hacked, enabling users to load games of their choice into the device's onboard memory.
Nintendo has announced the 'New 3DS XL Super Nintendo Entertainment System Edition' - a retro-styled version of its popular handheld console, which will be available in Europe from October.
It was a nice surprise when Nintendo announced that it would be releasing a new mini console, the Super NES Classic Edition. But, Star Fox 2 also came as a surprise to fans and also its developers.
While taking three attempts over the course of a year, one popular hacker has restored the Nintendo PlayStation prototype to full working condition after solving issues that had plagued its CD drive.
While 16-bit gaming eventually fell into the annals of history over a decade ago, the Super NESproved most popular. Now, Bitmap Books looks to create a visual tribute to the console with a new book.


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Foodies and restaurant goers should brace themselves for a spate of future high street closures, a national accountancy firm has warned.
Accountancy and business services firm KPMG fears that with a quarter of casual dining brands facing financial difficulties, more restaurant chains could face closure.
The firm, which has a major office in Plymouth, said the sector will endure a wave of closures in 2018.
It said more company voluntary arrangements (CVA) are likely to hit mid-market chains.
High street companies Byron burger, Jamie’s Italian and Prezzo have all embarked on CVAs since the start of 2018, allowing them to close loss-making stores and secure rent discounts.
The stark warning from KPMG comes as the owner of Tex-Mex themed restaurant chain Chiquito announced in March plans to sell off some of its prime sites while “exploring options” for other restaurants in its estate following poor trading.
The Restaurant Group, which also owns Garfunkel’s, Brunning and Price, Coast to Coast, Joe’s Kitchen and Frankie & Benny's, blamed the so-called “casual dining crunch” for its poor results.
The company told the Plymouth Herald times were so hard it was actually open to offers for its flagship two-floor Chiquito outlet in London’s tourist hotspot Leicester Square.
Higher staff costs, rising business rates and falling consumer confidence, as well as market saturation, have been blamed for the number of high street restaurant chains restructuring their portfolios.
The Restaurant Group has been struggling with poor trading across much of its portfolio of more than 500 restaurants and pubs, which includes the Chiquito restaurant at Threemilestone near Truro as well as the Frankie & Benny's American-style diners in Newquay and St Austell .
Staff costs and lower footfall have been blamed for the demise of restaurant chains along with a fall in the value of the pound, which has ramped up the cost of buying ingredients.
The struggling high street restaurant chains
Byron Burger – former star player is closing 12 branches, is £71.5million in debt and can’t confirm its plan to open in Plymouth’s Drake Circus Leisure multiplex.
Frankie & Benny’s/Chiquito – owner the Restaurant Group (which also owns Garfunkel’s, Brunning and Price, Coast to Coast and Joe’s Kitchen) is considering selling some prime sites and “exploring options” for other restaurants in its estate. Plymouth has Frankie & Benny’s and Chiquito at Barbican Leisure Park.
Prezzo – is closing 94 of its 300 restaurants, but Plymouth’s Royal William Yard branch will survive.
Jamie’s Italian – chain owned by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has entered a company voluntary agreement (CVA) and will shut 12 restaurants, after facing pre-tax losses of £9.9million in 2016.
All Bar One/Toby Carvery – owner Mitchells and Butlers blamed economic and political uncertainty for its decision to cancel its next dividend in late 2017. Industry experts say All Bar One has been slashing prices. There is a Toby Carvery at Roborough, Plymouth.
Franco Manca – owner Fulham Shore saw share price slump after facing challenging market conditions.
Carluccio’s – is working with KPMG to look into options to help the 102-strong, private equity backed chain.
Strada – the Italian chain shut a third of its restaurants.
Square Pie – the London-centric chain has gone into administration.
Polpo – Exeter and Bristol branches closed in 2018.
Bella Italia, Las Iguanas, Cafe Rouge, La Tasca - the Casual Dining Group made a £60million pre-tax loss in 2017 blaming rising costs, including rent and rates.
Nando’s – the chain with Plymouth branches at Old Town Street and Barbican Leisure Park reported an increase in revenue and gross profit in the year to February 2017.
Wagamama – the Asian food chain, with a large unit at Royal William Yard and confirmed plans to open at Bretonside’s Drake Circus Leisure multiplex, saw profit after tax, staff and restaurant numbers grow in the year to April 2017.
Zizzi – the chain, another confirmed for Drake Circus Leisure, recorded a 12.5 per cent increase in sales to £262.8million for the year to July 2107, though has been accused by some observers of fueling this by discounting prices and Deliveroo sales eating into restaurant turnover.
Soaring business rates, National Living Wage costs and the Apprenticeship Levy have also been said to have taken their toll.
The Restaurant Group has already closed more than 40 sites around the UK over the past two years. Its shares have plummeted almost 30% in the past year. Analysts have predicted full-year revenues will fall to £669 million from £710.7 million in 2016. It’s expected that pre-tax profits will take a £20 million dip to £57 million.
Figures from KPMG found that 25% of companies in the casual dining sector booked an operating loss at least once in the past six months.
Partner Will Wright said cash-squeezed consumers are overloaded with options of where to eat and are now tending to choose “alternative ‘experiential’ dining experiences” over “familiar fare”.
Mr Wright is the latest expert to predict a difficult future for the casual dining chains.
Many restaurants are struggling due to a combination of factors including rising costs and falling consumer spending.
Robert Scott-Moncrieff, equity analyst at leading wealth manager Brewin Dolphin, which has a base in Truro, said the overabundance of outlets is causing a major problem, with cities such as Cornwall's capital or popular seaside resorts like Newquay being swamped with restaurants.
He said the ones that are already in trouble could be just “the tip of the iceberg”.
Accountancy firm Deloitte said like-for-like sales growth in British restaurants fell in the 18 months from December 2015 and was slower than cost inflation.
He said: "We certainly anticipate this wave of restructuring to continue over the months ahead, as stakeholders take measures to ‘right size’ their estates to a more profitable core, with the ultimate aim of safeguarding their long-term futures."
The so-called 'casual dining crunch' has already hit chains such as Byron Burger, Prezzo, Frankie and Benny's , Chiquito, Jamie’s Italian and Carluccio’s.
KPMG analysed 125 casual dining companies with revenues of £15million or more and found 78% of industry players had seen their net debt swell in the past two quarters.
Of those that added to their debt pile, a fifth saw a decrease in their cash balance.
Margins were also coming under pressure, with 69 per cent of firms working with operating margins of under five per cent.
Mr Wright added: "With profit margins being squeezed and debt burdens increasing, and all economic indicators pointing to signs that things aren’t going to improve soon, restaurant businesses are looking for cost cutting measures through operational and financial restructuring, including negotiations with lessors and in some cases, considering the need for a CVA.
However he insisted it might work out in the long term adding: "I firmly believe the long-term future of casual dining remains bright, particularly for those operators who are able to stay relevant and who place the customer experience at the heart of their business."


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Indian cotton is trading in very narrow range, the market is mired in lot of uncertainties of price movement in the longer term. This year nobody seems in a hurry to start forward trading in the new crop. In normal times, from July onward traders become active and start to sell/buy new crop for forward deliveries. But this year no major forward business has been reported.
Good monsoons are good news for cotton crop
Monsoon played a vital role in timely sowing of cotton and its growth. Cotton crop is in vegetative phase and is reported excellent across India. In northern part of India (Rajasthan), new seed cotton arrival has been reported in limited quantity.
The weather is expected to remain favourable for cotton. Some cotton growing regions received heavy rainfall last week, some waterlogging was reported in Northern India, but no crop damage has been reported. Good monsoons are expected in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Standing crop is reported in excellent condition as of now.
As on 14th of August 2020, all India cotton sowing was reported at around 12.55 million hectares against 12.16 million hectares last year at the same time (up by 3.2%). Out of which, Maharashtra contributed 4.15 million hectare followed by Gujarat at 2.27 million hectares. Gujarat and Maharashtra are still lagging in sowing area compared to last year. Telangana’s area under cotton rose to 2.35 million hectare (36.10% up from last year) followed by Punjab at 0.5 million hectare (25% up from last year). All India final sowing can be +/-2% from last year. Better yield expectation can push crop numbers higher for 2020-21.
All India daily arrivals continue to slow down and recently reported at around 15,000 bales on daily basis. According to market sources, all India total arrival till 10th August already crossed 36 million bales.
Currently Indian cotton is cheapest in the world, traders have received good export inquiries from Bangladesh and China. Next season with higher MSP everybody is expecting higher price of cotton bales than in this season, and currently yarn movement is also reported good. June and July export numbers of yarn were good enough after the lockdown. Still, mills are running under capacity due to finance and labour issue.
CCI cotton sales
Cotton Corporation of India is selling its cotton aggressively, good buying is reported from merchants and traders. The bulk discount scheme ended on 15th August 2020. CCI can extend the same or can make it even more attractive for liquidating its stock before entering into the new season. In last 15-20 days, CCI and Mahafed sold over 3.7 million bales to traders, spinning mills, exporters and merchants. Due to bulk discounting, small mills are not in a position to grasp this benefit directly from CCI, so these mills are buying through traders.
There is very limited volume trading on MCX Cotton. August is the last contract of 2019-20 season trading range bound around Rs 16400 level. New cotton crop contracts(October- November – December-20) are also on exchange but trade participation is very low so there is almost no volume in new crop trade. Market looks very uncertain so most of the traders want to take a short term view rather than taking a call on long term/new crop easily.
Textile Ministry goes lean
The Union Textile Ministry has abolished five advisory boards. The Ministry wound up the All-India Handloom Board on July 27, the Cotton Advisory Board on August 3, the All-India Powerloom Board and the Jute Advisory Board on August 4. The notifications said boards were abolished in the interest of “leaner government machinery and the need for systematic rationalisation of government bodies”.
The Ministry also withdrew its officers from the textile research associations (TRAs), after converting them into “approved bodies for conducting testing, research and developmental activities” related to the sector, as opposed to affiliated bodies, according to an August 6 notification.
WASDE cotton report -August 2020: Higher supplies andproduction, lower consumption
WASDE report gave higher beginning stocks, higher production and higher ending stocks, and a lowered consumption. Production for the 2020 crop is raised 3% to 18.1 million bales, despite of weather concern in Texas where around 20% crop is reported poor.US yield is projected at a record 938 pounds/acre, 14% higher than in 2019.
Beginning stocks are raised 100,000 bales as lower than expected 2019/20 US mill use offsets an upward revision in exports. Expected 2020/21 mill use is reduced 100,000 bales, while ending stocks are 800,000 bales higher. The season-average price for upland cotton is forecast at 59 cents per pound, unchanged from the previous month. This month’s 2020/21 world cotton outlook includes higher production, and ending stocks, but lower beginning stocks, consumption and trade.
World production is 1.3 million bales higher as lower production in Mali and Greece is more than offset by increases for India, the United States, and Australia. Expected 2020/21 world consumption is 1.2 million bales lower this month, with declines in India, China, Pakistan, Brazil, and Indonesia offsetting gains for Bangladesh and Turkey. Imports are projected lower in Pakistan, Indonesia, and India, and higher in Bangladesh, Turkey, and Malaysia.
This month, 2020/21 world ending stocks are projected 2.1 million bales higher than the previous month and 4.4 million bales higher than in 2019/20.
US cotton export sales for week ending 8/6/2020
Net sales for 2020/2021, which began August 1, totaled 6,900 running bales. A total of 2,883,200 RB in sales were carried over from the 2019/2020 marketing year, which ended July 31. Exports for the period ending July 31 of 43,600 RB brought accumulated exports to 14,174,500 Running bales, up 8 percent from the prior years’ total of 13,158,900 RB. The destinations were primarily China (19,500 RB), Vietnam (13,800 RB) and Bangladesh (2,300 RB). Exports for August 1 – 6 totaled 278,600 RB, with China (157,100 RB), Vietnam (56,300 RB), Turkey (13,700 RB), Pakistan (11,700 RB), and Bangladesh (9,600 RB) being the primary destinations.
Exports for Own Account: For 2019/2020, decreases were reported for 2,300 RB China. For 2020/2021 exports for own account total of 17,300 RB were carried over from the 2019/2020 marketing year, which ended July 31. Exports for own account totaling 4,000 RB to Vietnam (2,600 RB) and Bangladesh (1,400 MT) were applied to new or outstanding sales. For 2020/2021, the outstanding balance of 32,700 RB including carryover is for China (24,300 RB), Indonesia (3,900 RB), Malaysia (2,600 RB), Bangladesh (1,000 RB), and Vietnam (900 RB).
(Vimal Verma is a cotton trader)


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Motorola is sending out invitations to a media event in Chicago that will be held on September 4th. The not so subtle invite displays a picture of a watch (Moto 360), a phone with an X (maybe a Moto X+1?), a phone with a G (we’re thinking Moto G2) and a headset that’s likely some type of new wireless accessory.
We’ve been hearing rumors about new devices from Motorola for several months now and the latest claim has been that the company is working on a new Nexus device for Google. While we have a good idea what we might see in a few short weeks in Chi-Town, we’ll do our best to keep an open mind.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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Will Dean's Ideas Factory: A trade show provides proof of 3D printing's pull
The rise of 3D printing has been one of the most prominent technology stories of the last three years.
The process – in which printers can use plastics and other materials to reproduces anything from bike chains to red blood cells and guns – could, in theory at least, transform industries as diverse as civil engineering, medical supplies, architecture, and doll-making.
As public awareness of the technology has grown, so has demand to see 3D print in action and for companies and consumers to consider what they can actually do with the stuff. In other words, how many years away am I from being able to "print" off a spare part for my fridge door?
Part of the wonder of 3D print is actually seeing products come to life through the click of a button. Of course, you can do this for free on YouTube, but if you fancy seeing a prosthetic leg being created in real-time, you could do worse than coughing up £20 for a ticket to the UK's first 3D print trade show this month.
Exhibitors at the 3D Printshow include Makerbot, the New York company which has become the most prominent earlier supplier of 3D printers to curious consumers (at around £1,600 a go) as well as the likes of Sculpteo, a French company who take order for customised 3D print products (ie, jewellery). There's also a fashion show featuring custom couture.
You can probably even print out your own credit card to pay for your own machine.
3D Printshow takes place at The Brewery, London EC1 from 19-21 October. 3dprintshow.com
Neil Young attacks the damage done by needly MP3s
If you haven't been into HMV for a while you'll be surprised to see that they look less like record shops and more like Comet, with headphones to the fore. But the irony in this is that while we're spending £300 on a pair of Beats by Dre, we're listening to low-definition streams or MP3 files whose sound quality is greatly reduced from their original form. But, on the whole, us modern music consumers are happy with our lot. One man who's spent years complaining about the sound quality of the MP3 is Neil Young, who is hoping to keep the free world rocking with a new player called Pono, which will play files with a much, much higher sound quality than an MP3 – 24-bits to the MP3's 256kbps. Considering the success of high-end headphones, it could be a hit.
Whether people will want to repurchase their files in this new format is another question. But, with CDs already compressed versions of studio masters and MP3s even further compressed, we're a long way away from hearing recorded music in its intended form. Unless artists begin to calibrate their sound for best performance on a iPhone speaker on the back of the W7 bus.
Life & Style blogs
The Last of Us: Ashley Johnson says she would play Ellie in a sequel
Schematics from Israel's Iron Dome missile shield 'hacked' by Chinese, says report
Meow Chat: New messaging app combines Tinder and WhatsApp - but is it safe?
Is Ebola coming to Britain? UK health officials issue warning to doctors as outbreak fears grow
Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and me: How Olivier Rousteing is revitalising the house of Balmain
The secret report that helps Israel hide facts
A day in the life of Vladimir Putin: The dictator in his labyrinth
Woman and two children killed by mob in riots over 'blasphemous' Facebook post in Pakistan
Putin is 'thuggish, dishonest and reckless', says British ambassador to US
Were 'Poor Doors' added to mixed developments so wealthy residents don't have to go in alongside social housing tenants?
A new Russian revolution: The cracks are starting to appear in Putin’s Kremlin power bloc
- 1 Woman and two children killed by mob in riots over 'blasphemous' Facebook post in Pakistan
- 2 The secret report that helps Israel hide facts
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AI-predictive models leverage machine learning algorithms to collect data from multiple online destinations in real-time.
Innovation in predictive analytics and AI has opened a lot more digital targeting options for advertisers. Moreover, with Google withdrawing support for third-party cookies, advertisers are now implementing machine learning algorithms to be less dependent on Google and other companies with online communities.
Equifax, for example, is now working with Quantcast to serve ads closer to where the original content is created and consumed. Quantcast CEO Konrad Feldman notes that serving ads closer to original content ads reduces advertisers dependency on walled online gardens.
Predictive analytics models further enable the original publishers to retain a more significant share of the advertising revenue. Walled gardens aid large-scale targeting cost-efficiently; Al and advanced analytics capabilities integrated with digital advertising can help marketers narrow their audience segments.
[3 minute read]


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Symphony in the Flint Hills is excited to roll-out a new way of purchasing general admission tickets to the annual Signature Event this year.
All tickets will be purchased through Eventbrite, an online ticketing system that offers a streamlined ticket-buying experience from the time of purchase to the time you check-in at the event on June 9.
When tickets go on sale to the public on March 3 at 10 a.m., tickets can be purchased online at the SFH Eventbrite page at https://2018symphonyintheflinthills.eventbrite.com. For those wanting assistance purchasing tickets, SFH representatives will be at the Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita and the Livestock Exchange Building in Kansas City starting at 10 a.m. on March 3 only. The SFH office will also take questions at 620-273-8955.
“This new online ticketing system will make buying SFH tickets an easier and more efficient experience for you and give us an opportunity to continue to provide exceptional customer service during the process. That’s something we can all get excited about!” said Christy Davis, executive director of SFH.


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Raiffeisen net rises 77% on Ukraine & Russia lending
Raiffeisen International Bank AG, the biggest non-Russian lender in the former Soviet Union, said Q2 profit rose 77%, driven by lending to consumers in Ukraine and Russia. Net income rose to € 165 million ($212.7 million) from € 93 million a year ago, the Vienna-based lender said in an e-mail. That beat the € 134 million median profit forecast of eight analysts polled by Bloomberg. The bank forecast „at least” € 500 million in full-year profit. Raiffeisen has more than doubled its number of branches in eastern Europe over the past year to 2,750. In the last 12 months, the bank has paid $1 billion for Bank Aval to become the No. 1 bank in Ukraine and $550 million for Russia's Impexbank, to become that country's biggest non-domestic lender. Eastern Europe has „the biggest pent-up demand for financial products,” particularly in retail banking, said Chief Executive Herbert Stepic in the statement. The Austrian lender boosted its eastern European customer base by 11% in the quarter to 11 million, according to the statement. It forecast profit to rise to „at least” 20% annually until 2008 as it gains new customers. (Bloomberg)
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Refreshed design brings 18,000 DPI to this seven-button rodent.
Corsair takes another of its rodents down the wireless path.
Lian Li adds the Razer effect to its popular ATX cube case, but is it worth the extra cash?
No OS X or Linux support, though.
Technical, pricing details to follow.
Looking for Gear VR experiences.
Google Cardboard, but plastic.
Looks to take on Oculus VR.
US only for now, though.
Vukićević's experiments bear fruit.
Oculus VR has announced a new prototype bringing the virtual reality device a little closer to the hands of consumers.
Very limited beta run, mind you.
Pre-order now, but without a launch date.
Bring your fingers into your VR world.
Windows and OS X only for now.
More Google Cardboard than Oculus Rift.
'Extreme reseller purchases' blamed.
First 5,000 to arrive by month's end.
First steps into web-based VR.
Now a subsidiary of Facebook too.
Zenimax is taking Oculus VR to court for allegedly using its proprietary technology to build the Oculus Rift.
Oculus VR has hired former Google Glass engineer Adrian Wong to help them 'build the Metaverse'.
Another id Software star makes the leap.
An ambitious MMO for the Oculus Rift is being planned by Oculus VR according to the company's chief executive.
Alleges misappropriation of VR IP.
Facebook has bought the company behind the Oculus Rift for $2bn.
April 24 2019 | 22:00
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The Xiaomi Mi 10 and Redmi K30 Pro will arrive with DDR5 RAM
5 (100%) 1 vote
Since the launch of Redmi K30 recently, the general manager of Redmi, Lu Weibing, He has been answering several of the fantastic questions about some of the features they expected to see aboard the new flagship device of the Xiaomi sub brand. One of those questions seems to be the lack of a RAM LPDDR5 in the Redmi K30 series. We can find it incorporated in the future Xiaomi Mi 10 and Redmi K30 Pro.
Future flagships of Xiaomi and Redmi will arrive with DDR5 RAM
In response to the above, Lu Weibing said that we will have to wait until the first quarter of 2020 to obtain devices with DDR5 RAM modules. In addition, I affirm that using the current generation of LPDDR4X memory in the 5G era will no longer be feasible, because it is no longer a component for flagship devices of the new era. This statement seems to suggest that the future Redmi K30 Pro 5G reach the market with an LPDDR5 RAM. According to recent leaks, this more advanced model will be launched in the first quarter of 2019.
The current Redmi K30 series It was announced with a dual-channel LPDDR4X memory of 1866MHz. The devices are offered in variants with 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM. It also includes internal storage in format UFS 2.1 64GB, 128GB or 256GB.
Samsung LPDDR5 RAM for smartphones
Samsung Electronics Announced the mass production of the first 12-Gb LPDDR5 mobile DRAM (Gigabit) in the industry targeting 5G flagships and with AI technology in July this year. The new 12GB LPDDR5 DRAMs feature a Increased data rate of 5,500 megabits per second (Mb / s). The above it's 1.3 times the data rate of 4266 Mb / s of the LPDDR4X RAM. This also means that a 12 GB package of RAM can transfer up to 44 GB of data in a second. Samsung adds that the new chip consumes up to 30% less energy than its predecessor, Thanks to the new circuit design.
The Galaxy Note 10 was expected to be the first model to introduce the new DRAM LPDDR5 memory. However, this in the end did not happen. The future flagship Samsung Galaxy S11 may be the one that takes the honors in this section. In the same way, since the Redmi K30 Pro can count With these new generation memory modules, it is also expected that the flagship Xiaomi Mi 10 (which will arrive even earlier according to the most recent reports) be the other lucky person to incorporate it.
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The government has published two white papers for life after Brexit,for the first time acknowledging "no deal" as a viable option.
The papers, which relate to customs and trade, build on the government's previous position papers but lay the foundation for legislation required after the UK leaves the EU.
"Government has repeatedly said that we are confident that a positive deal can be reached with the EU, it is only prudent we prepare for every possible outcome. Therefore, the paper covers provisions for the implementation of customs, VAT and excise regimes in the event that no deal is reached, and sets out the steps the Government would take to minimise disruption for businesses and travellers," the government said.
"It also enables the UK to prepare for a range of negotiated outcomes including an implementation period."
The Customs Bill white paper repeats the UK government’s commitment to avoid any physical border infrastructure on either side of the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland.
It also sets out how goods will be classified for duty, set and vary the rates of customs duty and any quotas; amend the VAT and excise regimes so that they can function effectively post-exit; set out the rules governing how HMRC will collect and enforce the taxes and duties owed; and implement tax-related elements of the UK’s future trade policy.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond said: "Investment and trade are crucial to the economic future of this country. This White Paper sets out our plan to keep trade with the EU as frictionless as possible, and reaffirms the government’s commitment to deliver a smooth transition."
The trade white paper meanwhile sets out plans to enable the UK to "maintain the benefits" of the World Trade Organisation’s Government Procurement Agreement; prepares to bring across into UK law existing trade agreements between EU and non-EU countries; and creates a new, UK trade remedies investigating authority.
International trade secretary Liam Fox said: “We want to build a future trade policy that delivers benefits for the UK’s economy and for businesses, workers and consumers alike. “This paper is the first exciting step and sets out the principles behind an approach which will help British businesses to make the most of trade opportunities, contribute to a growing economy and create prosperity for communities up and down the UK.”
The papers were published as Theresa May updated MPs on progress made since her Florence speech last month. She insisted the ball was in the EU's court, but that she was confident a deal could be struck that would prove "the doomsayers wrong".


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This past week I’ve spent ample time looking to revamp my home audio setup. I think my only qualification is that my next setup is as dumb as possible. In the past five years, my setup has gone from
It’s a new world, and voice tech is shaping it.
After launching a number of new developer tools for Alexa last week, Amazon today is introducing an updated version of its Alexa mobile app for consumers. The new app aims to offer a more personalized
It’s hard to believe that Alexa was only announced in November 2014. In fewer than six years, the smart assistant has gone from consumer electronics curiosity to a nearly ubiquitous tech phenomenon.
Amazon is upgrading its Fire TV’s live TV experience through new integrations with several live TV streaming services, including Sling TV, YouTube TV, and Hulu + Live TV. Live content from these
Amazon is making it easier for mobile users to access its Alexa virtual assistant while on the go. The company announced today it’s making it possible to use Alexa “hands free” from
This storm shall pass. However the choices we make now will change our lives forever.
Zynga’s popular game, Words with Friends, is coming to Alexa. The new voice-powered game will be known as Word Pop, and — sorry — you can’t actually play it with friends right
Sonos has been releasing new hardware at a remarkably consistent and frequent pace the past couple of years, and what’s even more impressive is that these new releases are consistently excellent
This week Alexia Bonatsos of Dream Machine and Niko Bonatsos of General Catalyst swung by Extra Crunch Live to discuss where they are investing today and what the future might look like. As expected,
It’s been a few years since August introduced any new hardware, but its August Wi-Fi Smart Lock, which it debuted at CES this year, is now available. This is the new flagship in the August lineu
Sonos has introduced a trio of new hardware today, adding three new smart speakers to its lineup, including the Sonos Arc soundbar that includes Dolby Atmos support, as well as Sonos Five, the next ve
Amazon is bringing a year’s worth of free, live and on-demand cooking classes to tens of millions of Amazon Fire TV and Fire tablet owners across the U.S., thanks to an expanded collaboration wi
The coronavirus pandemic has pushed entrepreneurs and investors into unknown territory. Google’s GV just led a $10 million investment in Universe, a low-friction website builder that’s ven
U.S. consumers aren’t adopting voice-based shopping as quickly as expected, according to a new report today from eMarketer. While consumers have been happy to bring smart speakers into their hom
In films, TV shows and books — and even in video games where characters are designed to respond to user behavior — we don’t perceive characters as beings with whom we can establish two-way relat
Most cookie consent pop-ups served to internet users in the European Union — ostensibly seeking permission to track people’s web activity — are likely to be flouting regional privacy
Weber is deepening its partnership with smart cooking startup June, with a new product debuting at CES 2020 today that can turn any grill into a smart grill — and providing expert guidance and g
Pumping gas is not that difficult, but Amazon thinks the process could be even easier by way of a voice command, spoken aloud when you arrive at the pump: “Alexa, pay for gas.” Today, Amaz
Amazon is no longer content trying to dominate the home. The ecommerce giant made several announcements Monday ahead of CES 2020 that target the car, including partnerships with Lamborghini and Rivian


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GM Design is celebrating its 85th anniversary this month and as part of that event, it will participate in the 25th annual Eyes On Design Automotive Design Exhibition on June 17. There are about 1,900 employees in all ten of GM’s global design centres. They are all looking forward to the future as they aim to attract consumers to vehicles and see them as art.
Ed Welburn, GM vice president of Global Design, said that its global team is passionate in designing vehicles that “make an emotional connection” with the customers. He said the role of the designer has not changed from 85 years ago. The goal is still to “create a beautifully executed exterior with great proportions to draw you in, and an interior environment that invites you into a relationship that develops and grows.”
Welburn is the sixth design head for GM but he is the first to take on worldwide design leadership responsibilities. Welburn will be the honorary chairman of another visionary group that will make the exhibit on June 17 possible.
The proceeds of the exhibition will support the efforts of Detroit Institute of Ophthalmology to find scientific breakthroughs to aid those whose vision loss is severe. Ed Welburn, the vice president of Global Design at General Motors, is largely credited for giving each of the eight global passenger car brands a form and vocabulary that could be easily distinguished from one another as well as when compared to the other brands in the market.
A design renaissance took place at Cadillac and Buick while Chevrolet has turned into a global brand with a globally recognized design language. The launch of new models has aided in GM’s revival as it competes with the Chevrolet Camaro sports car, Malibu midsize sedan and Cruze compact car; the Cadillac CTS Coupe, GMC Terrain, and the Buick Enclave and LaCrosse.
It took only three years for the much-awarded Chevrolet/Vauxhall Ampera Volt electric vehicle with extended range to go from concept to production. Volt was recognized as the North American Car of the Year while its European sibling, the Opel Ampera, also won as the European Car of the Year award.
The other highly commended global brands of GM are Holden in Australia and Wuling and Baojun in China. But Welburn states that the global design team has yet to do its best work. GM Design is leading a global product movement that will have about 70% of the car lineup replaced in the next three years.


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Gap Inc. is going to the bench to help climb out of its merchandising hole.
WWD has learned that Karyn Hillman, senior vice president of apparel merchandising for the Banana Republic division, has been promoted to senior vice president of merchandising for the Gap Adult unit of the flagship Gap Brand, which has been struggling. The position had been open for several seasons. Hillman held merchandise jobs at Gap Brand from 1991 until 2001, when she shifted to Banana Republic.
Succeeding her at Banana Republic is Jack Calhoun, who expands his role to become executive vice president of merchandising and marketing. He was executive vice president of marketing and supervised some non-apparel categories as well.
In addition, Nick Coe is being promoted to senior vice president of all merchandising for Banana Republic, reporting to Calhoun. Coe was Banana Republic's vice president of men's.
There has been a rush of executive changes at Gap Inc. over the last few seasons. To fill the executive vacancies, Paul Pressler, Gap Inc.'s president and chief executive officer, has generally tapped outsiders. Earlier this year, for example, he hired Liz Claiborne veteran Denise Johnston to be president of Gap Adult, overseeing all aspects of Gap women's and men's apparel and accessories. She reports to Cynthia Harriss, president of Gap Brand since April 2005 and former president of the Disneyland Resort division of the Walt Disney Co.
The latest change appears to reflect new thinking on team building and seeing the potential of certain insiders with knowledge of the brand's DNA, and possibly some succession planning down the road. Other key players at Gap Brand are Pamela Wallack, president of GapKids, babyGap and Gap Maternity, and Tom Wyatt, president of GapBody. Lisa Salamonie continues as a consultant to Johnston on the Gap Adult business.
At the highest rung, there has been speculation about the fate of Pressler, whose contract expires next fall. There is no clear candidate within Gap to succeed him if he leaves the company. At this point, Pressler's turnaround efforts have not been successful. The $16 billion Gap has been grappling with poor results, leading to executive departures and a resolve to improve product and step up recruitings.
Issa Rae stopped by WWD's NYC headquarters to talk about season two of "Insecure," which premieres this Sunday on HBO. Click link in bio for all the details. #wwdeye (📷: @jgreenery; Styled by @mayteallende)
A Stella McCartney sketch of a custom dress made from protein-based silk in partnership with biotech lab Bolt Threads. The dress will be displayed at The Museum of Modern Art's upcoming design exhibition, "Items: Is Fashion Modern?"


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Experts from the TV programme Antiques Road Trip will be appearing at an auction house in Swindon to sell items that have been discovered at junk shops and markets. It is believed that some of the items may actually be valuable. There will be around 10 items sold at Kidson-Trigg Auctioneers, where audiences will be joined by experts Helen Hall and James Braxton.
The TV show, which is aired on BBC2, features antiques experts buying items found at junk shops and flea markets before selling them at auction. The experts compete to see who will raise the most money from the sales. The show offers light hearted insights into the world of antiques.
Auctioneer and saleroom director Pippa Kidson-Trigg stated that they wanted greater interest from young people, admitting that the auction process may be intimidating to some. She said:
“Antiques are green and in this day and age of recycling, auctions are a great way of furnishing houses, picking up furniture at much cheaper prices than retail, and if you are a collector, everything is online now for accessible online searches.”
Although an auction is a simple way to find antique furniture, a buyer’s premium will be charged, which increases the price. Local antiques dealers will display a selection of furniture, including open bookcases. Lancashire dealers typically have a good selection of antique furniture at reasonable prices. Among the items to be sold at auction are a Victorian mantle clock, an Asprey of London matchbox holder produced in the 1960s and a Victorian writing box made from Mahogany.
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According to the Frenchies at Le Blog Auto, the Nissan GT-R Spec-V has allegedly been delayed and is now expected to debut as late as next year. But rumors are also swirling of a new GT-R variant to be launched in the meantime. Although it's not to be confused as a Mitsubishi, some are throwing around a name of "Evolution" for this NISMO-tuned GT-R. Although we like the sound of NISMO goodies, can we really believe that'll be the name? More importantly, what else can we expect?
Well, despite the name Evolution coming from the interwebosphere, this may be nothing more than an example of the name getting a little bit lost in translation as we're also hearing this mid-range GT-R may go by the more historically appropriate name of "S-Tune."
This middle-of-the-road model may even see an unveil as early as this August 20th to coincide with the launch of the new line of NISMO goodies available as upgrades for standard GT-R owners. Expect new wheels, exhaust system, stiffer suspension, some aero add-ons, and a reprogrammed ECU. Just reading that list probably makes us want to go play Gran Tursimo. Needless to say, this new GT-R S-Tune sounds like a pretty good substitute while we all wait for the full on Mecha-Godzilla GT-R Spec-V. [leblogauto, via TMR]


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A New Mysterious Mid-Range Huawei Smartphone gets certified with FCC. The phone appeared with a code name JKM-LX3. Some rumors suggest that it will be the successor of Huawei Y9 (2018). However, the actual name of the device is still unclear.
This Mysterious Mid-Range Huawei Smartphone May be Y9 (2018)
The listing has not revealed any specs detail of the phone. The listing only revealed its Wi-Fi and LTE bands and tells of a modest 5V/2A power adapter in the retail box. The only other valuable piece of information is the listed rated battery capacity of 3,900 mAh battery.
As per the rumors, the phone in question will come with a notched display. The back panel of the phone will be built of glass with the volume rocker and power button placed on the right side of the phone. The phone could be powered by the HiSilicon Kirin 710, an upgrade over its predecessor which comes with the Kirin 659.
No other information of the phone has revealed yet. But if the phone will be Y9 (2018) then surely it will be a mid-range Huawei smartphone. Let’s see what Huawei will offer in this smartphone and whether it will be Y9 (2018) or not.


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The mandatory display of the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHR) has driven up the level of food safety compliance in the UK, a scientific report into the subject has concluded.
The renowned ‘scores on the door’ scheme requires commercial foodservice operators to display the hygiene rating they have been awarded, which can vary from a figure of zero to five.
The Food Standards Agency’s chief scientific adviser, professor Guy Poppy, recently published a report exploring the impact that the scheme has had on food safety.
He commented: “The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme has been a significant development for food safety and one which has delivered tangible benefits for consumers across the country. The scheme has empowered people, helping them to choose to eat in places with higher ratings. This in turn has pushed restaurants and other food businesses to drive up hygiene standards to attract more customers. I’ve also been encouraged that our research has linked higher ratings to lower levels of microbes found in food businesses, ultimately lowering the risk to consumers from foodborne illness.”
Mandatory display of hygiene ratings has been successful in Wales and Northern Ireland, and the FSA remains “committed” to seeing the benefits realised in England.
Since the introduction of FHRS in 2010 there has been continued improvement in standards of food hygiene at places people choose to eat out or buy food. There are now more than 430,000 food hygiene ratings published at food.gov.uk/ratings.
Of those food businesses, 67% achieved the top rating of ‘5 – very good’ and 95% were rated ‘3 – generally satisfactory’ or better. In Wales and Northern Ireland, food businesses are legally required to display their food hygiene rating. This mandatory requirement has been in place in Wales since 2013 and in Northern Ireland since 2016. Evidence so far has shown that mandatory display has driven improved and sustained food safety compliance by the businesses.
Last week a Belfast restaurant became the first business in Northern Ireland to be prosecuted for failing to display a valid food hygiene rating sticker.
PGMB Ltd, the proprietor of Café Fish, was fined £250 and ordered to pay £120 legal costs, for the breach. At the time of the offence the premises was rated one, indicating “major improvement necessary” to comply with the food hygiene requirements.
The court heard that Belfast City Council officers visited Café Fish on a number of occasions and repeatedly advised the owner of the need to display the rating before instigating legal proceedings.
The premises currently has a hygiene rating of four indicating a “good” level of compliance with hygiene requirements and a valid food hygiene rating sticker is now being displayed.
The FSA is committed to introducing similar mandatory display of ratings at food outlets in England.
There is an increasing call for this, and latest research indicates that 84% of consumers think that businesses should have to display their food hygiene rating at their premises.
Looking to the future, the FSA is improving the way food businesses are regulated, with the aim of developing a sustainable system fit for the 21st century. This includes building on the success of FHRS by strengthening its robustness and resilience and introducing mandatory display.