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At Tesla’s 2023 Investor Day on March 1, the company revealed that its next-generation permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) traction motors would not use rare earth permanent magnets.
“As the world transitions to clean energy, demand for rare earths is really increasing dramatically and not only is it going to be a little hard to meet that demand but mining that rare earth, it has environmental and health risks,” Tesla powertrain engineering VP Colin Campbell said.
In response to Tesla’s remarks, independent research and advisory firm Adamas Intelligence said on March 2 that it expects the most likely candidate to replace neodymium/iron/boron (NdFeB) magnets – also called neodymium magnets – in Tesla’s next-generation motor design to be ferrite, as it is a proven concept.
Car manufacturer General Motors’ second-generation Voltec powertrain, used in the 2016 Chevy Volt, had a ferrite-driven PMSM alongside an NdFeB-powered PMSM.
More recently, metals manufacturer Proterial – formerly Hitachi Metals – unveiled its own electric vehicle (EV) motor designs using ferrite magnets.
While it has been demonstrated that a ferrite-powered PMSM can match or exceed the performance of an NdFeB-powered alternative across one or more parameters, this performance comes with a significant weight or efficiency penalty that has historically made the switch unattractive, Adamas said.
For example, in one of Proterial’s new motor designs, it simulated an EV traction motor with ferrite magnets that matched the output and maximum rotation speed of a comparable PMSM containing NdFeB magnets but was 30% heavier, which was considered a “massive” weight penalty.
In Proterial’s second design, it simulated an EV traction motor with ferrite magnets that matched the output and motor weight of a comparable PMSM containing NdFeB magnets but operated at a 50% higher rotation speed, translating to a material reduction in torque.
In Tesla’s case, the articulated focus when it comes to motors has long been on maximising the cost-performance balance, which is where NdFeB-powered PMSMs shine, Adamas explained, adding that it was “eye-opening” to see the new motor concept being justified on the back of anticipated supply scarcity and environmental and health risks.
Owing to the Bayan Obo rare earth mine in China, along with the nation’s ionic clay mines and those of neighbouring Myanmar, the rare earth industry has often been referenced as the paradoxical poster child of electromobility and clean energy, Adamas said.
Today, there are more supply options than just China and Myanmar, with others on the cusp of starting production. These options are more transparent, closer to Tesla’s production facilities, and likely to have a substantially less harmful impact on the environment than Chinese production, Adamas said.
“Up-to-date life cycle impact assessments and comparisons of rare earth production from different sources are sparse. However, what is available suggests that the environmental and health impacts of non-China rare earth production is, or has potential to be, just a fraction of that in China,” Adamas said.
Additionally, there are now more emerging rare earth magnet recyclers, with several starting to produce at scale and with significant commercial traction. These producers have potential to supply some of the most environment-friendly rare earths in the world.
Adamas noted, however, that if Tesla’s new motor concept is based on ferrite, the environmental upsides could be marginal to non-existent.
Last year, Adamas’ data indicated that passenger EV traction motors were responsible for 12% of global NdFeB magnet consumption. Of this, Tesla was responsible for 15% to 20%, making its overall contribution to global NdFeB magnet demand – excluding micromotors, sensors and speakers – just 2% to 3%.
As such, should Tesla’s concept reach creation and commercialisation in short order, and should those motors be used across its full vehicle line-up, the global NdFeB market stands to lose a mere 2% to 3% of demand in the near term, and maximum 3% to 4% over the long term, assuming Tesla maintains its EV market leadership, Adamas said.
“The media and market’s reaction to the news has been largely overblown, speaking to a broad misunderstanding of the NdFeB market’s supply and demand fundamentals,” Adamas said.
Looking forward to 2035, Adamas forecasts that global demand for NdFeB magnets will triple, while global production will double, constrained by long lead times to bring online new rare earth oxide production.
In relation to the magnitude of the expected supply gap, a 3% to 4% drop in demand by 2035 would go virtually unnoticed, Adamas said.


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The Federal Trade Commission is suing three companies that have been making automated recorded phone calls to sell “worthless” credit card interest reduction programs, charging customers an up front fee as high as $1,495 and delivering zilcho.
Here’s a snippet from the official government press release:
“According to the three FTC complaints, Economic Relief Technologies, LLC, Dynamic Financial Group (U.S.A.) Inc., and JPM Accelerated Services (JPM), and related defendants made illegal pre-recorded robocalls to consumers, using names like “card services,” “credit card services” or “account services.” The robocalls allegedly claimed the defendants’ services could lower the interest rate on consumers’ credit cards. In each case, consumers who pressed 1 after hearing the automated call were transferred to live telemarketers who allegedly misrepresented that consumers could dramatically lower the rates on their credit card.
The telemarketers also said consumers would save thousands of dollars in a short period of time by lowering their interest rates and would be able to pay off their debts faster – for an up-front fee ranging from $495 to $1,495. The defendants then falsely stated that if consumers did not save a “guaranteed” amount – typically $2,500 or more – they could get a full refund of the up-front fee. However, after securing the fee, the defendants allegedly did not negotiate lower rates on behalf of consumers and provided few refunds to those who were dissatisfied with the service.”
Here’s the deal. Every time consumers get ripped off by sleazeballs using telemarketing technology, it makes all of our jobs harder. Getting robbed on the phone is certainly preferable to getting mugged on the street, but that is little consolation to these scam victims.
What’s more astounding is that companies are still choosing to use pre-recorded sales calls at all. Since Sept. 1, 2009, recorded sales pitches have been illegal with the exception of a few rare instances — such as the customer previously requesting such calls in advance (like that’s gonna happen!)
The reality is that sales calls are about building personal relationships and talking to machines is a total turnoff.
The reality is that targeted leads often welcome telemarketing calls, such as is the experience of stellar Arizona real estate agent Curt Stinson.
With the Mojo Dialer lead management software and the Mojo Dialer power dialer technology, you project the friendly human interaction as your first impression — even on the first hello. No robotic recordings.
The Mojo Dialer wiith lead management will make 250-300 calls an hour, constantly feeding you the live customers as they pick up!
Moreover, with no robot interaction, your sales staff will encounter far fewer hostile responses — making their work shifts less stressful and more productive.
Now if we could just invent a device to weed out the unscrupulous scam artists!
Deserved or not — and we think NOT — the telemarketing professional is burdened with many negative stereotypes. Particularly the image of the telemarketer as a short-term, unfocused employee who is just biding time for another “better” job to come along.
The reality is that telemarketing is simply a sales tool — a way to more efficiently sell your products and expand your market base. If your product is exciting, if it solves a problem or even entertains your prospective client, the scripted call can easily transform into a fun conversation.
But back to the stereotype that phone sales is the kind of job that nobody wants, like say cleaning out a chicken coop (no offense to chicken coop cleaners). Turns out that now more than ever, telemarketing careers are becoming appealing to more college graduates and professionals in other industries.
This year, Time Warner Cable in Milwaukee built a huge call center dedicated to retaining the company’s TV, phone and Internet customers — and to convincing them to go for service upgrades. Here’s how the Business Journal of Milwaukee explains the decision to create a new state-of-the-art telemarketing center:
“Cable companies have been losing video service subscribers in recent years, but are capturing more revenue by selling profitable broadband and phone services, said Chris Marangi, an analyst with Gabelli & Associates, New York City. With satellite television and services like AT&T’s U-Verse taking cable customers, the cable firms have had to become creative in pursuing subscribers via telemarketing and other strategies, he said.
“They’re being aggressive about courting subscribers,” Marangi said.
While telemarketing jobs have a reputation of being low paid and their work force transient, Time Warner officials are proud of its benefits and workplace environment. The Time Warner positions require a high school diploma, but many of the new hires have college degrees and post-high school training, (TW vice president Bev) Greenberg said.”
When your company needs to be aggressive about courting new customers — and keeping the ones you have — it makes sense to give your phone sales team the sales tools they need to be most productive.
For starters, Mojo lead management software and power dialers ensure that your telemarketers are never wasting their time with busy signals, answering machines or hang-ups. Our power dialer technology ensures that your sales reps spend 100 percent of their time talking to live people. And after all, it is live people, and not answering machines, who make purchasing decisions!
And our Triple Line Power Dialer is so fast, it lets you hear the first “hello,” not the third or fourth, so your prospective customer isn’t turned off by those awkward delays that telegraph that a sales pitch is on the way.
Give your phone sales team a little Mojo! Click here for a free Mojo software demo.

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It's more than just the food — it's a celebration of culture and pride for the Latino community as the new Ojos Locos Cantina and Casino opens its doors.
Ojos Locos was inspired by their popular Texas locations but this is the only one with a casino, and it's located in North Las Vegas at Cheyenne and Civic Center.
It is replacing the former Lucky Club Hotel and Casino. The CEO of 5th Street Gaming, Seth Schorr, says this has been a longtime coming for the Latino community.
He told KTNV, "It's way overdue. The Latino population has been very important, but sadly underserved and an ignored demographic in our community, and I think I recognized that a long time ago."
Schorr says bringing a business like Ojos to Southern Nevada was 15 years in the making. Now that it's here, Ojos is ready to put on a show for locals.
From sports to dining to gaming, and even a newly rebranded hotel, Schorr says Ojos was meant to be a home away from home for both locals and visitors.
Laura Caudillo, the Vice President of Marketing at Ojos, told KTNV, "This is really built for the blue-collar. They can come in and feel like this is their house. We built this specifically to make them feel at home."
Caudillo says even the food brings a sense of home for Latinos, with classic dishes made with pride and from scratch, such as fajitas and Mexico City tacos.
Beyond the food, Caudillo also says Ojos Locos brings even more to our community.
"We want to give opportunities for jobs," she says. "We want to make sure that in this area that there is something brand new. In hopes that the rest of the area will liven up as well."
So far, this is the only Ojos Locos in Nevada, but Schorr and Caudillo say they hope more will find their way to the valley soon.
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Walmart will hire approximately 225 associates to work at the new superstore slated to open next year in Gardnerville.
The retailer has opened a temporary hiring center at 1674 Highway 395, Suite 205, in Minden. Interested applicants can stop by during the center's hours of operation, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Applicants can also apply online at careers.walmart.com.
"We are hiring both full- and part-time associates," said store manager Erik Schumann. "Walmart provides good jobs with opportunities for career growth, and we look forward to talking with candidates who are interested in joining our store's team."
Schumann began his …


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Co-CEO and Co-founder of Whole Foods John Mackey and the company he built has made an enormous impact on the American diet, the organic food industry.
Mackey is considered one of the most influential advocates in the organic food movement. If you don't shop there, it's likely where you shop has somehow been influenced by his push for transparency in the products we buy and better ingredients in the food we eat.
"Whole Foods has always stood for transparency. People have the right to know what they are eating and what they are buying," Mackey said.
His latest move is setting a 2018 date to require all suppliers to list whether their products contain GMO's or genetically modified organisms. Whole Foods will be the first national grocery chain to do so.
But who Mackey is now and what he stands for is a far cry from his childhood.
"I did not grow up eating a healthy diet. I grew up eating a standard American diet, processed foods, lot of hamburgers and French fries. I was a picky eater. I didn't eat vegetables when I was a kid," he said.
Everything began to change for Mackey when he moved into a vegetarian co-op.
"I wasn't a vegetarian at the time but that really was the beginning of my awakening of my food consciousness. I learned how to cook. I learned about natural and organic food," he said.
But he grew frustrated with co-ops claiming they seemed more interested in who to boycott.
"So I hatched an idea one day that maybe I could do my own store," Mackey said.
In 1980, Mackey and his then girlfriend Renee had $45,000 of the $50,000 needed to open a store. They called it Safer Way. It's now Cabelli's School in Austin. It lasted two years. They slept upstairs and ran business downstairs. That's when his politics shifted.
"I was now one of the bad guys. I was a greedy business man yet we were losing money and we weren't paying ourselves anything. Customers wanted lower prices. Team members thought wages were way too low," Mackey said.
But Mackey intended to open a different kind of business one more caring about its employees.
After re-locating and changing the name to Whole Foods, he experienced another setback, the flood of 1981.
"The flood taught me about stake holders," he said. "Customers helped clean up the store. Employees worked around the clock for free."
It was that moment, this CEO learned business is about relationships and taking care of employees.
It was the beginning of his road to being a "conscious capitalist". It's the title of his new book where Mackey encourages businesses to look beyond profits.
"Every business has a potential to have a higher purpose besides making money," Mackey said.
Mackey calls it a no brainer.
"Happy team members result in happy customers…results in happy investors –viola, your business flourishes and is successful," he said.
Capitalism with compassion that allows innovation and creativity.
"It allows the failed experiment to be thrown out and the successful ones to be replicated --what kind of experimentations are we doing in healthcare or education for that matter? Virtually none," he said.
For the critics who say that's an easy statement to make while running a $12 billion a year business, Mackey has this to say, "There will always be those cynical people who say it's all about money.
Perhaps for them it is all about money. It isn't all about money for me. It isn't all about money for Whole Foods. It isn't all about money for most entrepreneurs who create businesses."
Mackey isn't afraid to speak his mind. He has his opinions and stands by them.
"I'm who I am. I believe what I believe," he said.
That goes for his 2009 op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal.
"President Obama, he asked for suggestions on how to improve our healthcare and I took the President at his word --wrote an op-ed piece…here's what I think we otta do," Mackey said.
His statements about healthcare made pre-Obamacare calling for fewer government regulations and more competition were polarizing.
"I think everything I said is true and in the long term will be proven correct. I don't think what we are going to do is going to work. Healthcare is not going to go down. It's rocketing up the costs," he said.
In fact, Mackey says 80% of healthcare dollars spent today are on avoidable diseases.
"Heart disease, diabetes, auto immune diseases, stroke, even cancer are extremely correlated to diet and cancer there's not going to be a vaccine for cancer. There's not going to be a pill you can take that reverses heart disease. These are things we do to ourselves through our diet through our lifestyle," he said.
And before you say I can't afford that, he says think again.
"Bags of potatoes chips which are expensive but potatoes are not expensive," he said.
He says the healthiest foods in the world are not expensive.
"I always want to tell people you can eat the healthiest diet possible and not spend more than $3 a day per person," he said.
"Poor people can afford to eat healthy foods. That's the truth. They just don't know how to do it," he said.
Mackey remains on a mission to teach and reach others to show them how.
Whole Foods is self-insured and employees get discounts based on their health.


text: There were many exclusive announcements from Blizzard during the first day of Blizzcon. The new expansion for World of Warcraft, called Shadowlands, Overwatch 2 is coming out, and even Diablo 4. \n \nOne game update that has fallen off most people’s radar is Diablo Immortal. The mobile game was announced at last year’s Blizzcon and was mostly met with disappointment as fans were hoping for Diablo 4 news. \n \nSince Blizzcon 2018, Immortal had seemingly been put on the back burner; however, new information has been released today about the gameplay and story. \n \nHere is the Diablo Immortal development update video posted for Blizzcon. \n \nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?time_continue=135&v=jPdHe1tKlsY \n \nWhat were the big announcements? \n \nGameplay: \nThe gameplay of Diablo Immortal will have an MMO structure to it, including shared zones, four-player instanced dungeons, and the formation of player Guilds. Gamers can also play in solo mode. \n \nNew Game Mechanic: Ultimate Abilities \nAs players use their regular attacks, their Ultimate Ability gauge will charge. Once the indicator has filled all the way, players can then amplify their regular attack, ripping through their enemies with blade or magic. \n \nZones: \nNew Zones were announced including, Wortham, Dark Wood, Tamaoe Mountain, and Ashwold Cemetary. \n \nWorld Event: \nA new world event was announced called the Haunted Carriage \n \nClass Introduction: \nPlayers can try out a Demon Hunter during this year’s Blizzcon. \n \nLegendary Items: \nLegendary items were a big focus of the developmental update trailer Blizzard released. The items included Flamespite, Winters Remorse, \nInna’s Palm, and Storm Bringer. \n \nWhat is the premise of the mobile game? \nDiablo Immortal’s plot timeline will take place between Diablo 2 and Diablo 3. The Sanctuary is still recovering from Baal’s invasion and the obliteration of Mount Arreat. However, evil forces swoop in, wanting to seize the remains of the Worldstone. \nPlayers will align themselves with the remaining mages of the Horadrim as they work together to defend the Sanctuary and Worldstone from sinister enemies. \n \nWhat are the playable classes? \nSix classes have been announced, including Barbarian, Crusader, Demon Hunter, Wizard, Necromancer, and Monk. \n \nDiablo Immortal has taken a back seat during this year’s Blizzcon. Let’s face it; there were more significant announcements that Blizzard wanted to focus on. And after last year’s abysmal reaction to Diablo Immortal at Blizzcon 2018, they weren’t chomping at the bit to get Immortal into the limelight during the convention. \n \nThere isn’t a release date yet for Diablo Immortal. Players can keep up to date and get more information about Diablo Immortal from the official website, diabloimmortal.com.


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Microsoft has reduced the UK price of its Office Suite for Home and Business, as well as introducing a free Starter version with new PCs
Microsoft has released British pricing information for its forthcoming Office 2010 suite, which is due to begin distribution in June. There will be three versions of the suite available in the UK – Office Home and Student, Office Home and Business and Office Professional.
Office Home and Student, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Office Web Apps, will be sold for £109.99. This is designed for family or student use and is strictly for non-commercial use, according to Microsoft.
Office Home and Business has the same set of applications, with the addition of Outlook, and costs £239.99. The package is intended for small businesses and home workers, and will replace Office 2007 Standard edition, which is currently more expensive at £349.99.
Office Professional includes everything in the previous versions, as well as Microsoft Publisher, the Access database and “premium technical support”. The package costs £399.99 and is being touted as the top-of-the-range version for advanced users.
Microsoft has also said it will offer discounts for users who activate premium software using what Microsoft calls product key card versions. The cards will cost £89.99, £189.99 and £299.99 respectively, representing a saving of up to £100.
There will also be a stripped-down free version of Office 2010 called Starter Edition that will be offered free with new PCs, replacing Microsoft’s current basic package, Microsoft Works.
Microsoft announced US pricing for Office 2010, along with the release date, back in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Office Home and Student will retail in the US for $149 (£95) as a boxed product, and for $119 (£75) with a product key card; Office Home and Business will retail for $279 (£177) as a boxed product, and $199 (£126) with a product key card; Office Professional will retail for $499 (£317) as a boxed product, and $349 (£221) with a product key card.
There is also an additional version of Office 2010 available in the US called Office Professional Academic, which will retail for $99 (£63) as a boxed product. This version will not be available for unlocking on a pre-loaded machine.
At Microsoft’s Professional Developers Conference in November 2009, the company arranged a beta debut for Office 2010. eWEEK product reviewer Jason Brooks found that the beta release performed with striking stability and polish. The inclusion of extended web and mobile reach and a number of useful app enhancements might be enough to drive uptake, but Microsoft could struggle under the growing threat of cloud-based applications such as Google Apps.
Earlier this month Microsoft began offering the Release Candidate of Office 2010 to a select group of US testers enrolled in its Technology Adoption Program. A Microsoft spokesperson described the move as “one of Microsoft’s planned milestones in the engineering process”. However, the spokesman said the company had no plans to make the new code set widely available.


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Inspired by appearing Fred Sirieix’s latest TV show on Channel 4 Snackmasters, Claude Bosi has introduced ‘The Bosi Burger’ to the menu at The Bibendum Oyster Bar.
Bosi appeared in episode three of Snackmasters last night, where Fred Sirieix sets extraordinary challenges for some of the most respected chefs in the UK. The challenges ask chefs to try to work out the secret techniques and recipes behind some of Britain’s best-loved snacks, before creating their own replica.
Aired last night Fred Sirieix challenges Lisa Goodwin-Allen and Claude Bosi to replicate the 1,000 calorie Whopper burger served in Burger King restaurants across the UK.
The challenge from Fred set them the task of using their Michelin-starred professional skills to not just create the flame-grilled burger but also the bun, the dressings and the fries to accompany the burger. Once their take on the Whopper was established, they then go head to head in a Burger King restaurant to see who can deliver their burgers in the fastest possible time. The winner was then decided not by a panel of Michelin judges, but by the fast-food restaurant chain’s own front line burger team.
If you haven’t seen the show, it’s well worth a watch and can be viewed here on Channel 4.
Previous episodes have seen Matt Worswick and Tristan Welch given the challenge to make a bag of Pickled Onion flavour Monster Munch crisps and, Daniel Clifford and his Vivek Sing a KitKat.
The show has now led Bosi to introduce his Whopper, ‘The Bosi Burger’ to The Bibendum Oyster Bar’s menu.
‘The Bosi Burger’ will feature an eight-ounce beef patty, topped with Swiss cheese and Guinness-fried onions before being adorned with pieces of crispy Alsatian smoked bacon, flaked sea salt and freshly ground pepper. The contents of the Bosi Burger will be nestled between a toasted sesame bun, laced with the Bosi Burger Sauce: mayonnaise, tomato ketchup and lemon juice, complementing gherkins and gem lettuce to finish.
Priced somewhat higher than a Whopper at £16.50, ‘The Bosi Burger’ joins classic French flavours and indulgent dishes such as Moules Frites, Seafood Platters, Sirloin Steak with Béarnaise Sauce and Whole Grilled Native Lobster served with Tarragon Butter.
Burger King restaurants across the UK widely use Nieco’s automated conveyor broiler technology from Equipline and have done for the past 25 years.
The automated conveyor broiler technology from Equipline revolutionised burger cooking since its development in the early 1970’s offering Burger King and other operators consistency of finish, temperature control, and labour savings unachievable by many other cooking methods.


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It’s been nearly a week since the PlayStation 5 was released in specific countries, and unfortunately, it appears that online scammers are already selling fakes to gullible shoppers.
We completely understand that most people are dying to get their hands on this brand-new PlayStation console, but we just want to quickly remind everyone that scammers thrive in situations like this, especially when demand is high and supplies are low.
While there are trustworthy and legitimate storefronts that restock and sell the console periodically, there are some individuals out there who may not have the patience to wait. Therefore, they end up looking for a PS5 online and purchase from sketchy sellers.
At the same time, we can’t blame people for their excitement, especially since it’s quite difficult to buy a PlayStation 5 right now given the fact that so many people want one, too. In addition, it’s possible that there’s not enough of the console in stock, as the sheer amount of people pre-ordering the PS5 is overwhelming.
Along with the fact that the console is undeniably too expensive, we can see why some people would turn to other options such as looking for and buying a PS5 from websites such as eBay and Craigslist. While the featured pictures may seem genuine, there’s no guarantee that you’re buying from a trustworthy seller.
In this case, the best example would be ERN, who posted on Instagram warning people about scammers and reminding them to be wary if or when purchasing a PS5 online. You see, the user found an online seller that had the new console on offer.
When ERN met up with the seller, however, things didn’t go the way he wanted. The seller gave him a PS5 box that looked legit, but the console inside the box was a fake, much to his dismay.
ERN proceeded to kick the fake PS5 console out of frustration, and honestly, he has every right to be angry. What makes things even worse was that the scammer sold the phony console for $1,000, which is more than the original price of a genuine PlayStation 5.
You really can’t be too complacent these days, especially since the PS5 is in high demand and scammers are rampant. If you do decide to buy a PS5 outside of official or trustworthy stores, then you need to make sure that what you’re getting is real by checking the product first before sealing the deal.
Even though Sony’s next-gen console can be purchased in several online stores, it may be for the best if you remain patient and wait for when legit stores restock the product, perhaps during Black Friday.
Besides, there have been a few predictions made claiming that storefronts might start selling PS5s for less six months after its release. So, it’s probably best if you buy one if or when that happens.
We understand if you don’t want to wait that long, but at the same time, you shouldn’t pass up the chance to purchase a discounted PS5 in the safest way possible. While we understand the desire to experience the console as soon as possible, having to wait a few months is much, much better than getting scammed.


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This is a very exciting development...
EVERYBODY. STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING. A new eyewitness report has detailed Kristen Stewart being spotted trying on diamond rings in LA.
HOLY FRICKING FRICKBALLS.
"She was trying on gold rings with various colored diamonds," a gobby spy told In Touch magazine, after they reportedly saw Kristen at Neil Lane jewellers in Los Angeles.
This follows reports by various American tabloids that Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are set to marry later on this year, and eyewitness reports of Sugarscape staff getting sick on their desks with excitement.
While they're both more than able to have a bath in liquid gold and wash their faces with money, Robsten have always been pretty low-key, so we imagine their wedding will be a small, subdued affair. K-Stew's hardly going to pull a Jordan and turn up in a meringue on a horse-drawn carriage.


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SEARCHED FOR:IMPORT DUTIES
Dispute up a notch: WTO sets up 2 more dispute panels against India’s import duties
However, New Delhi said it would not agree to the establishment of a single panel to review the complaints of Japan, Taiwan and the EU since there were vast differences in the three complaints.
India begins anti-dumping probe on certain aluminium imports from China
India has begun an anti-dumping probe in the imports of certain flat ...
India extends anti-dumping duty on import of a certain variety of fibre board exported from China
The Directorate General of Trade Remedies h...
Govt may defer levying import duty on display assembly for a year
Official sources say the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) is believed to have proposed the deferral and the matter is now with the department of revenue (DoR) in the finance ministry.
Jindal Stainless and Jindal Stainless Hisar to benefit from duty on stainless-steel imports
Stainless Steel from Indonesia has grown multifold over the past three years and has been impacting the overall industry. For instance, in FY20, stainless steel imports from Indonesia rose to 2,60,881 tons from 75,187 tons in FY19. It was less than 10,000 tons in FY18. It now contributes nearly half of the entire imports in India.
Proposed duty on Chinese solar imports worries firms in SEZs
According to the current proposal by the ministry of new and renewable energy, the value addition done by units in SEZs will be charged BCD. Units not in SEZs will not face such a charge. Industry executives said 63% of solar cell and 43% of solar module manufacturing capacity are located in SEZs.
India begins anti-dumping probe into Vitamin C imports from China
Vitamin-C is primarily used by the pharmaceutical’s companies for production of various medicines. The product has uses also in the non- pharmaceutical industry. It is an essential nutrient involved in the repair of tissue and the enzymatic production of certain neurotransmitters found in various foods.
Self-reliance in select sectors can lead to import substitution of USD 186 bn: Study
The study has also included sectors such as auto components, and iron and steel where, though there is overall trade surplus for the country, but in some sub-categories, there is trade deficit, particularly with China. It has included rare earth elements in the scope, as securing these strategic minerals is important for the country to enter high-tech manufacturing.
CBIC announces deferred duty payment scheme to ensure easy compliance
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) announced the deferred duty payment scheme on Tuesday, adding that it had centralized intimation of entitlement to the scheme to all customs ports, thereby removing another hurdle for compliance.
Dispute panel against India’s import duties on ICT goods likely on Japan, Taiwan’s request
“The requests of Japan and Taiwan are scheduled for later this month at the Dispute Settlement Body. We can’t block their requests anymore,” said an official. India has blocked their first request last month but can’t do that again, according to the multilateral trade rules.
Reducing dependence on China: India Inc advise on import substitution
Global supply chains were disrupted after the Covid-19 outbreak, hurting India’s manufacturers and exporters, and that was followed by border tensions with China that erupted last month.
India reviews continuing anti-dumping duty on 2-Ethyl Hexanol from the EU, US, 4 others
DGTR, the investigation arm of the commerce and industry ministry, recommends such duties but the power to impose them lies with the finance ministry.
India imposes anti-dumping duty on imports of Ciprofloxacin Hydrochloride from China
The department of revenue issued a notification to the effect on September 2, imposing a duty ranging between $0.94 and $3.29 per kg coming from China.
Gilt trip: High taxation on gold is meant to curb imports, but all it does is boost smuggling
While the yellow metal is smuggled into the country fairly regularly, the use of diplomatic baggage set off alarm bells in various agencies, including at the National Investigative Agency (NIA), the country’s top counterterrorism organisation.
Govt to impose 5% customs duty on open cell television panel imports from October 1
"While this could entail increased costs for some TV manufacturers, a duty leverage could incline TV manufactures for procuring or manufacturing domestically produced open cells and thus, advance the make in India initiative of the government," said Abhishek Jain, partner indirect tax at EY.


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Future AirPods may check your posture and temperature, according to a new study
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Apple may be considering adding health features to its AirPods.
Citing people familiar with the plans, the Journal reported that Apple is studying ways to enhance hearing, take body temperature, and monitor posture.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bringing these capabilities to AirPods would be Apple's latest push into health care. Apple might include a thermometer and blood pressure monitor to upcoming Apple Watches, according to The Journal, and is also considering how to use the iPhone to detect depression and cognitive decline.
Apple is set to host another product launch on Oct. 18th.


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Earlier this year, the Sustainable Restaurant Association launched ‘The tastiest Challenge on the Planet’ report, which identified three key issues requiring urgent action for the hospitality industry: Meat on the menu, Food in the bin, Single-use plastic and packaging
The foodservice sector is finally waking up to the realisation that what we grow, rear, cook and eat has a massive impact on the planet, and operators are being urged to consider their carbon footprint – and implement ways of reducing it.
Here are some suggestions:
For restaurants, the cost of avoidable food waste on every plate averages about 14p. Consider working with organisations like FareShare and City Harvest to take surplus food to feed people in need. For every £1 invested in food waste reduction initiatives, hospitality businesses see a £7 return over three years, say the World Resources Institute. WRAP has various online resources to help caterers monitor and reduce food waste. Visit https://partners.wrap.org.uk/campaigns/your-business-is-food/hafs/.
A 2018 study found that meat and dairy products are responsible for 75% of greenhouse emissions from the EU diet. The study also highlighted that the average EU citizen has a food footprint of 1070kg of CO2 per year, roughly equivalent to driving 6,000km. With more and more diners choosing vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian diets, put vegetables centre stage in your dishes.


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Tinder parent Match’s quarterly revenue beat estimates as more users made paid subscriptions on the dating app Tinder, sending its shares up 16% on Tuesday. The results are good news for the company, which has been rocked this year by executive changes and analyst concerns about the poor execution of new features in its dating app. Soaring inflation has also weighed on spending on its apps. Despite the difficulties, the company posted revenue of $810 million (about 67 billion rupees) in the three months ended September 30, beating analysts’ average estimate of $793 million (about 656 million rupees), according to Refinitiv data. billion rupees).
Tinder’s revenue rose 6% and its paying users grew 7%, helped by the return of a feature that lets users swipe left and right on the desktop. However, the company expects Tinder’s fourth-quarter revenue to show flat growth.
“Product execution is already improving,” CEO Bernard King and Treasurer Gareth Widler said in a letter to shareholders.
But they warned that a weakening global economy was hitting Match, a brand that serves lower-income consumers, while also impacting discretionary spending on its app.
Match plans to combat the economic slowdown by reducing headcount-related expenses and marketing spending, and expects flat margins in 2023.
Shares of the company were trading at $51.21 (about Rs 4,240) in extended trading. They have fallen 66.1% so far this year.
Match forecast fourth-quarter revenue of between $780 million (approximately Rs 6,450 crore) and $790 million (approximately Rs 6,540 crore), missing consensus estimates of $809.2 million (approximately Rs 6,700 crore) as it expected an additional 1,400 crore US$10,000 (roughly Rs 1.15 crore) was hit by a stronger dollar, higher than previously expected.
The company added that it was looking for a Tinder CEO, which has been vacant since Renate Nyborg’s abrupt departure in August.
© Thomson Reuters 2022


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Coast Packing Company, a leading supplier of farm-fat-based shortenings, has announced the fifth annual #LardLovers Recipe Contest, a tribute to the staying power of comfort food. The company is calling for any unique, unpublished recipe that uses lard, in sweet or savory categories, with entries being accepted now until midnight on Sunday, November 21.
To enter, contestants can use the online form or submit through Facebook. The contest is open to those 21 and over, and no purchase is necessary to enter. This year, Coast is asking contestants to share their thoughts on what they love about cooking with lard.
All submissions will be posted on the Coast Packing website, preferably accompanied by images of the resulting dishes. For the third year, Coast’s judging panel will enlist Melissa’s/World Variety Produce, Inc. of Vernon, the largest distributor of specialty produce in the United States, to prepare and assess the top recipes in the Sweet category. Judging recipes in the Savory category will be Chef Jacob Matthew, who works at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Manhattan. Winners will be chosen based on flavor, creativity/originality and visual appeal. Judging will begin on November 22 and conclude on December 5.
Winners will be announced on December 8, National Lard Day, a celebration of the traditional, flavorful animal fat.
“Timed with National Lard Day, we at Coast are delighted to sponsor the Fifth Annual #LardLovers Contest,” says Eric R. Gustafson, Coast Packing chief executive officer. “The color, texture and flavor that lard imparts make it a vastly superior alternative to heavily processed, industrially-produced cooking oils. Lard is the once and future king of the kitchen, the one ingredient that never fails to speak ‘flavor,’ even as it brings out the best in everything it touches.”
This year’s lineup of prizes:
1st Prize: KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, 5-Qt. $430
2nd Prize: Fall Pie Baking Dream Set $110
- Stoneware Pie Dish, Set of 3 $70
- Fall Rolling Impression Pie Crust Cutter $20
- Williams Sonoma Fall Pie Punches & Impression Cookie Cutters, Set of 6 $20
1st Prize: Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast Iron Oval Dutch Oven $300
2nd Prize: Ruffoni 6-Piece Olivewood Tool Set $140
“There’s a reason certain ingredients are traditional — they provide better taste than the non-traditional alternatives,” Gustafson says. “On National Lard Day, taste the difference yourself! It’s even better if you can do so from the comfort of your own kitchen, so break out that secret family recipe and join the #LardLovers Contest. To all who participate – and with a special shout-out to Melissa’s, our neighbor in Vernon — thanks for joining us in praising the lard.”


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The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the central bank of Singapore, issued a payments licence to the cryptocurrency exchange Blockchain.com.
Blockchain.com declared on 7 August that it has secured its major payment institution (MPI) licence from MAS on 1 August, enabling the platform to offer what the regulator refers to as digital payment token services to authorised investors and institutions.
After having its licence authorised, Blockchain.com joins the country’s other eleven digital payment token firms, namely Circle, Independent Reserve, Paxos, Revolut and DBS Vickers.
It comes after other recent MAS approvals, such as the June in-principle granting of an MPI licence for blockchain-based payments company Ripple to offer cryptocurrency services.
Seven months after receiving its in-principle permission, the local subsidiary of USD Coin issuer Circle also acquired its MPI licence in June.
Singapore hopes to solidify its position as a hub for the cryptocurrency business, with financing promises and new industry laws regarding customer protections.
On August 7, MAS said that it would devote $112 million, or over $150 million in Singapore dollars, in assisting the financial technology industry, particularly Web3 companies.
The regulator also unveiled new guidelines in July, mandating that cryptocurrency service providers retain client funds in statutory trusts by the end of the year.
Additional recommendations are being developed to prevent cryptocurrency providers from supporting the lending or staking of retail client assets.
According to Galaxy Digital July analysis, in terms of crypto startup funding and investment, Singapore-based crypto firms were third in line, behind the United Kingdom and United States.


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Titan Attacks. Ultratron will reach PS4, Xbox One, PS3, Wii U and Vita early next year, and features twin-stick "arena shooter action." As for the Space Invaders-like Titan Attacks, Curve will distribute the game on 3DS in early 2015 as well. Titan Attacks launched on PlayStation systems earlier this year.
Ultratron arrived on Steam in March 2013 and is considered a "throwback" to Vid Kidz' 1982 arcade shooter, Robotron. The game features a "full upgrade system" and adaptive difficulty settings. Ultratron will be Cross-Buy-enabled on PlayStation systems, and is expected to launch in the same week on Wii U and Xbox One. Head past the break to check out a trailer of the game's PC version.
[Image: Puppy Games]


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Research by Professor Peter Hajek at the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies (UKCTCS) was a key part of a US consultation on Nicotine Replacement Therapy. Professor Marcus Munafo' s findings were used in support for tobacco packaging legislation in Australia.
Smoking is estimated to cause more than a quarter of cancer deaths in the UK, making it vital to prevent uptake and support quitting. Research by Professor Peter Hajek at the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies (UKCTCS) was a key part of a US consultation on the allowed duration of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). His studies show that long-term support from NRT can be helpful to quit smoking, and that people were unlikely to become addicted to NRT instead. NRT will also be considered as part of UK consultations on tobacco use and harm.
Professor Marcus Munafo, also of UKCTCS, examined the effect of tobacco packaging, resulting in a consultation on plain packaging as part of the Department of Health's Tobacco Control Strategy. His findings were also used in support for packaging legislation in Australia. Using eye-tracking technology, the research found that plain packaging increases visual attention towards health warnings for non-smokers and light (weekly) smokers - but not for daily smokers. Plain packaging may therefore be particularly effective in discouraging uptake of smoking.


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04/17/2014 - YORK, Pa. and TEMPLE, Texas -- Scott Hartman, president and CEO of Rutterâ€™s Holdings Inc., and Steve Brady, vice president of business development at McLane Co.
, meanwhile, has experience and expertise spanning 27 years in the grocery distribution business.
has been responsible for managing McLane Grocery Distributionâ€™s overall New Business Development process through his
team of sales professionals supporting more than $30 billion in annual sales from 20 of the McLane Distribution facilities covering the entire U.S., in addition to the development of third-party logistical relationships.
Retailer inductees have included John MacDougall of Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes Inc., Dick Wood of Wawa Inc., Carl Bolch Jr. of RaceTrac Petroleum Inc., Dean Durling of QuickChek Corp., Sonja Hubbard of E-Z Mart Stores Inc., and Steve and Stan Sheetz of Sheetz Inc.
Like Hartman, Brady
has made meaningful contributions to the convenience store industry as well.
He serves on the NACS Supplier Board and chairs the NACS Manpower Committee.
He is also a member of the NATSO Chairmanâ€™s Circle and a long-standing strategic partner of SIGMA.
Bradyâ€™s career has been marked by progressively more responsible positions, including various sales and marketing roles with regional wholesalers for nine years.
At McLane, he's served as corporate national account manager; division vice president of sales in several geographically dispersed McLane divisions; director of business development for McLane Grocery Distribution; vice president of sales, Convenience & Military; and his current position as vice president of business development.


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John Maguire, managing director of Tipton-based Narrow Aisle Ltd – manufacturer of the Flexi range of articulated forklift truck-based materials handling solutions , has praised the dedication and commitment of the company’s employees who have continued working throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.
He said: “Manufacturing is a critical part of the economy and while there is no restriction on manufacturing it would be quite understandable if staff were anxious about continuing to work. But our team has ignored any such fears they may have had and our factory has worked at full capacity throughout the lockdown period. During this time, we have fulfilled a number of important orders – including to a major supplier of healthcare PPE products to the NHS, and many food and grocery retail customers.”
John Maguire added: “Based on the essential nature of our company’s position in the supply chain and the fact that Flexi trucks are used by many companies that play a vital role in sustaining essential medical, food and beverage logistics, it is important that we keep going during the pandemic and meet our obligations to fulfil orders and provide rental equipment and deliver service engineering to our customers.
“Narrow Aisle provides a fleet of 350 rental Flexi units to customers across the logistics, retail and food sectors. All the customers have a need for ongoing service engineering, maintenance and testing of their Flexi which our mobile engineering staff have continued to provide across the UK.
“We have, of course, ensured that our employees take extreme care to obey all the strict safe working practises and advice issued by the government.”
Narrow Aisle has taken steps to make being at work as safe as possible. For example, hand sanitisers and protection have been provided and the company’s offices and factory have been reconfigured to ensure administrative and production staff remain at a safe two metres apart.
The Flexi truck’s iconic articulated design allows the trucks to operate efficiently and safely within the narrowest racking aisles allowing more of a warehouse or distribution center’s space to be used for valuable storage locations. Last year Narrow Aisle Ltd celebrated the production of the 10,000th Flexi warehouse truck.


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The Swiss watchmaker's second collaboration with the Godfather of Streetwear, Hiroshi Fujiwara, has produced a one-of-a-kind chrono, equipped with the Heuer 02 manufacture movement.
The two partners embarked on a very personal journey to create a unique masterpiece: a Rolls-Royce Wraith Black Badge inspired by Franck Muller’s famous Crazy Hours.
This elegant tourbillon features a double time zone with a sporty look and a timeless, urban design. A mysterious timepiece, executed in dark shades reminiscent of a stormy night: this is the H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Tourbillon. With a DLC-treated polished titanium case and its signature fumé dial, this timepiece has a clear identity, and offers a real alternative to traditionalist pieces.
Behind the big names and the great watches are a host of small businesses proposing new tools, new materials and new manufacturing processes. Most of the time they work in the shadows, coming out only at trade fairs such as the recent Professional Watchmaking and Jewellery Environment (EPHJ-EPMT-SMT) in Geneva, a showcase for the inventions and innovations that will transform tomorrow's watchmaking.
With the In The Pocket watch, Hermès is reviving a fundamental piece that was to forge its watchmaking destiny already spanning more than a century of history. A family history mingling a love of horses, exceptional leather-making expertise, as well as a perpetually effervescent inventiveness in creating beautiful objects meeting practical needs.
Computer-aided design is now an integral part of the creative process. Time savings, quicker decision-making and improved coordination with production, these advantages are nonetheless no substitute for imagination.
In February 2015, Luc Perramond was appointed CEO of Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Co. Previously, he was CEO of La Montre Hermès for five years, and before that with TAG Heuer for 11 years, where he was president and later vice-president of LVMH Watch & Jewelry.
The 14th trade fair for the watch, jewellery, microtechnology and medtech industries (EPHJ-EPMT-SMT) took place in Geneva earlier this month. None of the 867 exhibitors, the same number as last year, were put off attending by the strong Swiss franc. Some of the participants share their view.


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Plant closure plan.
Around 170 workers were yesterday told they were likely to lose their jobs with plans to shut a North-East factory and move the work to China.
Korean giant LG Electronics said it expects to close its Washington microwave oven plant in August after 15 years. The company had already shed more than 200 jobs at the site in the last four years.
Managers said that despite the plant being the most productive of its kind in the world it could not compete with far cheaper labour costs in China.
And they criticised the Government's lack of support for manufacturing, and its encouragement of investment in China ( the Washington plant's competition. Geoff Hood, the plant's head of human resources, said: "There has been a lot of emotion and a lot of tears. They are very, very good people here.
"I think the Government could have done more to help. We have lost the ability to think in the long term. Where are the jobs going to come from in the future? And our Government is encouraging people to go into China, encouraging them to invest.
"Ten years ago in the North-East, we had 80pc of the working population in manufacturing, in shipyards, coal mining. Now it's 13pc."
The company said it had begun a 90- day consultation with unions about "potential closure." But Carol McFarlane, from the Amicus union, said that closure was inevitable.
Managers said that the plant's workers were paid around pounds 250 a week compared with pounds 20 in China.
Earlier this month, electronics giant Cookson Fukuda announced it was to close its North Tyneside factory with the loss of 74 jobs. It also blamed competition from China and a global electronics market slump.
And in March, electronics company Circatex announced 350 redundancies at its South Shields plant for the same reason.
John Monks, general secretary of the European Trades Union Congress, was touring the LG Philips plant in Durham yesterday ( which is operated independently of LG Electronics.
"The future of manufacturing will be based on high value, expensive items, not mass production which countries with cheap labour can do," he said. "A big company like LG has a corporate plan, and there should be other options explored. The Government is too fatalistic about the future of manufacturing ( there should be pressure on companies to look up the value chain, so we don't just lose this highly skilled workforce."
Margaret Fay, chairwoman of One NorthEast, said: "We are in discussions with LG management. Clearly it's an incredibly worrying time for the employees ( that's what we need to concentrate on.
"The North-East, like the rest of the UK, is susceptible to global pressures. We need to move up the value chain in the products we supply."
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The majority of second-quarter earnings season is over, with a handful of major technology and retail names left to report this week. Economists will be focused on any news from an annual gathering of monetary policy thinkers and practitioners in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
will report on Tuesday, followed by a busy Wednesday:
Bath & Body Works
are all on the schedule. On Thursday,
will be the highlights.
The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City will host its 2023 Economic Policy Symposium from Thursday through Saturday. This year’s topic will be “Structural Shifts in the Global Economy.” Fed chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to address the conference on Friday.
Economic data out this week will include Markit’s manufacturing and services purchasing managers’ indexes for August on Wednesday. Both are expected to tick down from their July levels.
Other releases will include the National Association of Realtors’ existing-home sales for July on Tuesday, new-home sales data for July on Wednesday, the Census Bureau’s durable goods report for July on Thursday, and the University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment index for August on Friday.
is expected to release quarterly earnings.
announce quarterly results, according to FactSet.
The National Association of Realtors reports existing-home sales for July.
Nvidia announces the results of its fiscal second quarter after the market closes on Wednesday. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expect the chip company to report earnings per share of $2.08 compared to earnings per share of 51 cents from the year-ago quarter. Shares of Nvidia have tripled this year.
Advance Auto Parts
Bath & Body Works, and
are expected to announce earnings.
The Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development release new-home sales for July.
Dozens of central bankers, policymakers, academics, and economists descend on Jackson Hole, Wyo., this week for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s annual economic policy symposium. The event will kick off on Thursday and Fed Chairman Jerome Powell will speak on Friday.
Intuit, Dollar Tree,
and Workday are expected to release earnings.
The Census Bureau releases its durable goods report for July.
The University of Michigan releases the final results for its August survey of consumers on Friday. Economists surveyed by FactSet expect the consumer sentiment index to remain at 71.2, essentially unchanged from July. Over the past three months, consumers have become much more optimistic about the economy.
Write to Nicholas Jasinski at [email protected]


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LG apparently doesn’t want to leave any of its Mobile World Congress announcements to the imagination as it has outed yet another device today in the form of the LG Optimus 3D Max. The announcement comes shortly after the company officially announced its 5-inch Optimus Vu smartphone and three upcoming Optimus smartphones that will launch under the L-Series brand.
The LG Optimus 3D Max is the company’s follow-up to its original 3D smartphone, the Optimus 3D which launched last year.
And while the Optimus 3D Max is certainly a refresh, there are some things on board that might tempt those of you who want to pair the third dimension with Google’s Android operating system.
Starting with the design itself, LG has slimmed down the original design and made it more lightweight. We don’t think anyone is going to complain about that. It will feature a design that is a mere 9.6mm thin with the weight checking in at 148 grams.
It will also feature a 4.3-inch WVGA 3D IPS display, dual 5MP rear cameras for 3D purposes, a 1.2GHz TI OMAP 4430 processor, 8GB of internal storage, and it will feature support for HSPA+ 21.
Sorry, no 4G LTE speeds here.
In addition, the Optimus 3D Max will come with Android 2.3 as its on-board operating system. LG has confirmed that Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich will arrive shortly after launch.
It’s going to be arriving Korea first, in March, and it will be rolling out elsewhere afterwards. Unclear is whether or not it will be arriving in the United States although AT&T did carry the original Optimus 3D which launched as the LG Thrill 4G.
So, it’s possible.
It’s unclear whether or not there will be a market for it though.
The first 3D smartphone that launched in the United States, the HTC EVO 3D, was met with solid reviews but the 3D on board was widely panned as a gimmick. That did not bode well for the LG Thrill 4G which quickly found itself in the bargain bin, available for a penny.
Don’t be surprised when the Optimus 3D Max ends up there as well.
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30 Per Cent off Mary's
If you’re one of the millions of Aussies who have lost their job, been stood down, or had their hours and salaries cut, Mary’s is here to help. Sydney’s reigning burger kings are offering 30 per cent off food across all their venues from June 4 until June 10. That means 30 per cent off Mary’s burgers, mash and gravy, fried chicken and all their vegan alternatives.
Not only is the offer available at Mary’s Newtown, Pitt Street, CBD and Circular Quay, it also applies at brand-new Chippendale venue Mary’s on Top, which opens on June 4. Plus, if you’re still self-isolating or just don’t fancy leaving the house, it’s docking Deliveroo and takeaway orders, too.


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Diablo Dish—September 2010
Orinda gets an everyday-delight eatery, pizza still rules and your next lamprais is right around the corner, all in the Dish!
It looks like the Theatre Square in Orinda will get a shot in the arm with the upcoming Table 24, a new eatery featuring neighborhood comfort food. Proprietors Michael Karp and Victor Ivry (whose wife, Laurie, runs children’s clothing store Red Wagon in Lafayette) will offer pizza, burgers, and salads, in addition to such items as an artisan cage-free egg sandwich and a lollipop lamb chop. The buzz words here are comfortable and family-friendly: Table 24 will stay open all day, keep its prices affordable, and even offer a special menu for tweens. “We think this concept is exactly what Orinda needs,” says Ivry, “a comfortable neighborhood gathering place, where people can eat every day.” Table 24 should be open by late September—just in time for the annual Orinda Restaurant Tour on September 28. Go to orindachamber.org for info and tickets.
You can prime your palate for the Orinda tour with two other Lamorinda foodie events: the Lafayette Art & Wine Festival on September 18 and 19 (lafayettechamber.org) and the Moraga Pear Festival on September 25 (moragaparks.org). Over the Oakland hills, Metro Lafayette owners Jack Moore and Erika Pringsheim-Moore have opened Metro Montclair, serving small plates, panini, and salads in a casual café setting. It’s a similar fresh-salads-and-sandwiches concept at La Boulange, which opened last month next door to Yankee Pier. The San Francisco–based bakery-café chain also unveiled its new Danville location in Iron Horse Plaza.
Newly opened in Danville is Wild Vine Hideaway, a bistro serving lunch and dinner on East Prospect Avenue. On the same street, dueling piano bar That Bar was set to open last month, after nabbing its liquor license. On San Ramon Valley Boulevard, Masala Indian Fusion was replaced by Akira Sushi, which owners Wen Tung and Victor Liao say is influenced by Oakland’s Ozumo and Berkeley’s Kirala. The menu features a big robata (grilled meats) menu in addition to sushi. In Dublin’s Ulferts Center, House of Sake is now the Sushi House of Sake, offering all-you-can-eat sushi. And you can now get your lamprais (baked banana leaf filled with rice, curry, and meat or fish) fix at Kadupul, a new Sri Lankan restaurant on San Ramon Road.
In Concord, the Crowne Plaza Hotel has upgraded its dining, replacing the Atrium Cafe with the Vineyards Chop House & Bar. The new steak and wine restaurant offers cuts from Harris Ranch and California wines, focusing on the Central Coast. El Charro, meanwhile, is opening a second Mexican restaurant in Livermore, replacing the shuttered Mario’s steakhouse, while the owners of First Street Alehouse opened The Breakfast Stop next door to their new restaurant on—naturally—First Street.
It’s thin-crust mania in the 510 with the openings of Locanda da Eva and Addie’s Pizza Pie in Berkeley, Little Star (it serves thick crust, too) in Albany, and now Paison from the K2 Restaurant Group, which also runs the new pizzeria’s next-door neighbor, Sea Salt. Replacing Eccolo on Fourth Street, Zut! on Fourth brings in executive chef Jim Wimborough, formerly of San Francisco’s acclaimed Kokari, to cook up regional Mediterranean cuisine. Finally, tiki enthusiasts can bust out their Hawaiian shirts for this month’s planned reopening of Trader Vic’s in Emeryville, after an eight-month remodel. Customers can expect a redesigned interior, with new furniture, floors, and, of course, a few new multicolored drinks on the cocktail menu.
Got Dish? E-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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India seeks easier visas for service professionals
May, 28th 2008
Even as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) released the proposed guidelines to open up the services markets, India has sought easier visas for its professionals providing services in developed countries.
Fernando de Mateo, the chairman of the WTO Council for Trade in Services, released the report on services on Monday. The report asks member countries to commit to providing market access in sectors where many trade barriers exist. Draft texts on agriculture and non-agriculture market access have already been released.
Commerce Secretary Gopal K Pillai today said the report put a number of topics of India's interest in square brackets, which means there is no agreement on them. "Mode 1 and Mode 4 services market access have been put in square brackets. Moreover, the report does not say much about issues like domestic regulation which are extremely important for liberalisation of the service sector trade to succeed," Pillai said at a Ficci seminar.
Mode 1 trade in services is related to cross-border supply of services like international phone calls, while Mode 4 deals with professionals traveling abroad to supply services. India has a lot of interest in these two modes as they pertain to the infotech sector, among others.
Outlining the importance of Mode 4, Pillai said: "We do not want immigration. Indian firms winning contracts abroad need to send their professionals to execute them. We want to ensure that visas to such professionals are not denied".
Pillai said many developed countries which claimed to be open to business houses from abroad had stringent domestic regulations. "As a result, it becomes extremely difficult for overseas firms to set up bases in such countries".
BOX ITEM: The ongoing WTO talks will not lead to India opening up the legal services sector to foreign firms, Commerce Secretary Gopal K Pillai has said. However, he said permitting foreign legal firms into India to deal with arbitration cases as well as mergers and acquisitions would be beneficial. "The Indian legal services sector needs reforms, which involve issues related to limited liability, the number of partners and advertising restrictions," he said.


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Franz Spielvogel spends a lot of time on the road, chatting up vendors at the local farmers markets, grilling members of the local food co-op, and watching customers in the prepared foods section of the Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s or other natural grocers.
“If there’s a crowd, that tells us there’s a demand. That there is already an audience for our product,” said Spielvogel, CEO and managing director of Portland’s popular Laughing Planet Cafe.
It’s been nearly a year since Spielvogel, aided by The Meriwether Group, led an employee buyout of Laughing Planet. And he’s celebrating with big expansion plans that are taking Laughing Planet to new markets and new businesses, including catering and real estate investing.
This week, Spielvogel announced the 11-unit chain will open up to six new locations, taking Laughing Planet well beyond its Willamette Valley base.
If the ambitious expansion rings a bell, it’s because it sounds remarkably like the plan Spielvogel described when he bought the business from founder Richard Satnick.
“It has been spot on to plan,” said Bill Nootenboom, managing director of The Meriwether Group and a Laughing Planet board member. “Franz and his team, they know what they’re doing.”
Laughing Planet will open a satellite restaurant in downtown Portland in December and a full-service location in Lake Oswego in May. In 2014, it will also open in new markets in Reno, Salt Lake City, Boise and Bend.
And as the company and its real estate requirements grow, Spielvogel is forming a separate company to acquire properties to lease back to the company. Its first move is to buy property in Salt Lake City. Negotiations are underway.
Spielvogel identified Salt Lake City, Reno, Boise and even Bend as potential markets by conducting informal reconnaissance missions that took him to businesses catering to the Laughing Planet audience with fresh, local foods.
It’s not sexy, he said, but Laughing Planet’s model is built on replacing made-at-home meals with convenient, reasonably priced ones.
“It’s when people don’t want to cook. When they want something healthy and they want to be in an environment that’s healthy and attractive,” said Spielvogel.
Reno and Salt Lake City mirror Portland in many ways. They’re popular with young, active professional families that lack the time to cook at home. They are also pillars of their region with strong supply chains.
“I think Laughing Planet does well with integrating in strong communities,” said Meriwether’s Nootenboom.
To make it work, Laughing Planet is replicating the hub-and-spoke model it uses in Portland, where it maintains a central kitchen to support its restaurants. A central kitchen — or hub — will be established in each market that will eventually be supported by local vendors. Once it establishes a local presence and supply chain, it will add more units served from the original central kitchen.
Spielvogel expects to operate three to four units in Reno, and five or more in Salt Lake City.
Bend will be home to a single standalone restaurant. Spielvogel said the restaurant will test if Bend can support more units in the future. It is still studying potential locations in Boise and doesn’t expect to open there until late 2014 at the earliest.
At home, Laughing Planet operates eight Portland restaurants, including its commissary, 2120 N.E. Oregon, two Eugene outlets and one in Corvallis.
Spielvogel thinks the Portland market can support 14 to 15 Laughing Planets, and he’s actively scouting sites in Beaverton and the Cedar Mill area as well as Washington Square.
One Pacific Coast Bank, which helped finance the 2012 acquisition, is providing financing for equipment associated with the expansion, about 30 percent of the total cost. Laughing Planet is self-financing the balance.
Company: Laughing Planet Cafe
Owner: Franz Spielvogel, CEO
Number of locations: 11
Revenue: Undisclosed, but more than $10 million
Business: Fast, healthy cuisine, locally sourced.
History: Richard Satnick formed Laughing Planet Cafe in Bloomington, Ind., in 1995 and sold the business when he moved to Portland, where he recreated Laughing Planet in 1999. The two companies operate under a license agreement. Franz Spielvogel purchased the Portland company in a deal that closed Dec. 28, 2012.


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Today's top 4 business stories: Kraft Heinz slashing 2,500 jobs
This morning's business news: What you need to know
Kraft Heinz slashing 2,500 jobs in US, Canada after merger
Kraft Heinz says it is cutting about 2,500 jobs as part of its plan to slash costs after the food companies combined.
The company says it has a total of around 46,600 employees. Spokesman Michael Mullen says affected workers are in the U.S. and Canada and were to be notified in person. About 700 of the cuts were coming at Kraft's Northfield, Illinois, headquarters.
The job cuts are not surprising, given the reputation of the company's management on Wall Street.
The combination of Heinz and Kraft earlier this year was engineered by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital, which has become known for its tight cost controls.
Bernardo Hees — a 3G partner — is CEO of the merged Kraft Heinz.
Affected employees, who worked in jobs such as sales, marketing and finance, will be given severance benefits of at least six months, spokesman Michael Mullen said.
Global market sell-off intensifies as China currency drops
Global stocks sank Wednesday as China let its currency fall for a second day following a surprise devaluation that rattled global financial markets.
China's government said the devaluation of the yuan was part of reforms meant to make its exchange rate more market-oriented. But the decision has added to worries over slowing growth in the world's second-largest economy and that Western companies might find it harder to sell their goods there.
The Chinese yuan's market rate fell 1.8 percent after Tuesday's nearly 2 percent decline, which was the biggest drop in a decade. Germany's DAX dropped 2.4 percent to 11,025.72 and Britain's FTSE 100 lost 1.2 percent to 6,588.08. France's CAC 40 shed 2.2 percent to 4,985.63. Wall Street looked poised for further losses, with both Dow and S&P futures down 0.9 percent.
"Markets were not expecting any major moves on the currency from the Chinese government, despite its benefits, as the risks were perceived as too high. Now that this Rubicon has been crossed, keen attention should be paid to any other significant moves to prop up the Chinese economy," Angus Nicholson, a market analyst at IG, said in a commentary.
Alibaba's 1Q sales short of expectations, shares fall
Alibaba's first-quarter net income more than doubled on strong growth across its online and mobile platforms.
But the Chinese e-commerce powerhouse's sales still fell short of Wall Street expectations. Its shares fell 5 percent in premarket trading.
Alibaba went public in the U.S. in September to much fanfare as investors sought to tap into the rapidly growing Chinese middle-class consumer class. Its e-commerce platforms, including Taobao and Tmall, make up 80 percent of Chinese e-commerce.
But the quarterly results come as the Chinese economy is facing uncertainty. The Chinese government devalued the yuan this week in an effort to make its exchange rate more market-oriented.
The company said net income rose to 12.34 million Chinese yuan, or 11.92 yuan (US$1.92) per share. Excluding one-time items, net income was 59 cents per share. That beat analyst expectations of 56 cents per share according to FactSet.
Annual active buyers rose 32 percent to 367 million.
Revenue rose 28 percent to 20.25 million Chinese yuan ($3.27 billion), from 15.77 billion Chinese yuan a year ago. That missed analyst expectations of $3.32 billion.
Sales on mobile devices made up more than half of Alibaba's retail total for the first time.
Revenue from cloud computing more than doubled to 485 million Chinese yuan ($78 million).
Alibaba, based in Hangzhou, China, also announced a $4 billion share repurchase program over the next two years.
Macy's misses Street 2Q forecasts
Macy's Inc. (M) on Wednesday reported fiscal second-quarter profit of $217 million.
On a per-share basis, the Cincinnati-based company said it had profit of 64 cents.
The results missed Wall Street expectations. The average estimate of nine analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research was for earnings of 75 cents per share.
The department store operator posted revenue of $6.1 billion in the period, which also fell short of Street forecasts. Five analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $6.24 billion.
Macy's expects full-year earnings to be $4.70 to $4.80 per share.
Macy's shares have increased nearly 3 percent since the beginning of the year, while the Standard & Poor's 500 index has risen 1 percent. The stock has risen 12 percent in the last 12 months.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
COLUMBIA, Tenn. – Facebook can serve as a valuable marketing tool, but some farmers directly marketing products to consumers have not yet tapped its potential.
In November and December a workshop taught by experts from University of Tennessee Extension can help change that. “These hands-on workshops will introduce value-added agriculture entrepreneurs, agritourism operators and direct farm marketers to marketing using Facebook,” says Megan Bruch Leffew, marketing specialist with UT Extension’s Center for Profitable Agriculture. “Participants will set up a business page, if they do not already have one, and learn basic fundamentals to effective marketing using this social media platform.”
Taught by Leffew and area information technology specialist, David Yates, the workshops will be held in locations in each of the state’s regions:
· November 14 in Kingsport
· November 15 in Knoxville
· November 28 in Jackson
· November 29 in Nashville
· December 5 in McMinnville
Each workshop will present the same material, so there is no need to register to attend multiple locations.
Participants can bring their own laptop or tablet or use a tablet provided by the instructors. Because of the hands-on nature of the workshop, space is limited.
Check-in and networking will begin at 9 a.m. local time. Sessions will begin at 9:30 and end by 4 p.m. The location of each workshop will be emailed to registered participants.
Pre-registration and pre-payment are required five business days prior to each workshop. There is a registration fee of $20, and lunch will be provided. Interested producers can register online now at http://tiny.utk.edu/FB101.
The workshops are made possible, in part, through a grant from the Southern Risk Management
Education Center. This material is based upon work supported by USDA/NIFA under Award Number 2015-49200-24228.
This workshop fulfills a Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program requirement in the Agritourism, Fruit and Vegetable, and Value-Added Producer Diversification sectors.
Contact Megan Bruch Leffew with questions about the workshops by email at email@example.com or telephone her at 931-486-2777.
Learn more about the Center for Profitable Agriculture at ag.tennessee.edu/cpa.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture celebrates 50 years of excellence in providing Real. Life. Solutions. through teaching, discovery and service. ag.tennessee.edu.
Megan Bruch Leffew, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture, 931-486-2777, firstname.lastname@example.org
Text and high-resolution photo available online at UTIA News.


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Percent this holiday season, compared with the “speedy” retail inflation of 6.1 percent seen in 2022. Even with inflation declining, Stephanie vice president of research for the International Council of Shopping Centers industry group, pointed to a rise in younger shoppers, especially those choosing more flexible buy now. Pay later payment options. Buy now, pay later online usage is up percent compared to last year, according to Adobe, which called a “watershed year” for these types of short-term financing offers. Retailers are also said Lauren a marketing professor at College. “As a consumer, it’s important to do your due diligence this year,” she said. More price-sensitive sentiment was evident among midtown Manhattan shoppers this week.
Position meant it marked fewer sales
Everything is so expensive that it’s hard to have extra money to spend on anything,” said Jack O’Keefe, a 29-year-old banker from New York, as he Australia Phone Number Database surveyed the Bryant Park vacation market in Manhattan. However, he added: “I’ll definitely do Black Friday, for sure. I’m still trying to get everyone the best gift I can, you know? “Prices have become so unrealistic,” echoed Jessica Prenda. Technology consultant from Brooklyn who was shopping at Macy’s flagship store. “But I feel it more with day-to-day expenses, like shopping.” She said. Prenda, who recently lost her job, reduced her holiday gift budget from for her family of four. “It’s a big difference from last year,” she said. Margaret Ennis, 54, an office assistant from Brooklyn.
The hit to profits was largely due
planned to cut her Christmas shopping in half compared to last year because of rising food costs. “I’m changing what I buy: what I need versus what I want. Kids always need clothes,” she said while shopping for her China Phone Number List grandchildren at Macy’s. It would take a 75 percent discount to turn your eyes, he added: “Because you can find it, you know? You just have to look. Look, I’m a shopper and also a coupon giver.”enters and naturally warms the room and close them at night to prevent heat loss.Virgin Money missed profit expectations as it made a larger-than-expected provision for bad loans to offset rising credit card arrears due to the cost of living crisis. The challenger bank posted a statutory pre-tax profit of £345m in the year to Septemberp fromm in 2022 and below analyst forecasts of.


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Virgin Trains is set to launch the UK’s first ever on board ‘high speed’ book signings on its West Coast route in autumn this year.
For the ‘High Speed Book Signings’, a host of celebrated authors have confirmed participation, including Scandi-crime writer, Jo Nesbo, the British writer, Joanna Trollope, who is launching The Austen Project with a reworking of Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility, and comedian and author, Ruby Wax.
All of the participating authors have either recently launched or will soon be launching their new books and will offer Virgin Trains’ passengers an exclusive opportunity to own a signed copy. The book signings will take place in Coach G, the First Class carriage closest to Standard Class. Travellers will be informed over the on-board announcement system and invited to buy a book before meeting the author for a personalised copy.
Commenting on the launch of the Book Singings programme, Jim Rowe, senior communications manager for Virgin Trains said, ‘Authors routinely travel the country to book signing sessions so we thought why not use the time travelling to sign some more. It is a fact: nowhere else will our authors sign books faster than on our Virgin high speed trains.’
Virgin Trains runs at a speed of up to 125mph between 45 West Coast stations from London Euston to Glasgow including Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. The authors will be travelling on various routes over the autumn months.
Effective from September 1, Virgin Trains Facebook page will provide passengers with details of when their favourite authors will be on board.
Virgin Trains is part of the Virgin Rail Group, which is owned jointly by Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Management and Stagecoach Group plc, an international public transport group with operations in the UK, USA and Canada. The partnership claims to have transformed a struggling rail artery into the UK’s most used long-distance route. Running from London to major cities in England and through to Scotland, Virgin Trains now claims to provide a genuine alternative to the plane and the car.