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tech2 News StaffMay 23, 2019 10:37:20 IST
Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey who allegedly left the company he sold to Facebook in 2014 says he believes the social media giant fired him due to his political views.
In an interview with CNBC at the Collision tech conference in Toronto, the entrepreneur addressed his departure from Facebook in March 2017.
At the time, no explanation was given by either party, with Luckey merely saying it “wasn’t his choice to leave” last year.
However, Luckey is now going on record to reveal why he was actually fired from the company. While he says Facebook had “no reason at all” to fire him, he speculates that it had to do with libertarian ideologies.
“I gave $10,000 to a pro-Trump group, and I think that has something to do with it,” he told CNBC.
The Oculus founder was referring to a donation he made to an internet group named 'Nimble America' which campaigned in 2016 against Hillary Clinton in favour of Presidential candidate Donald Trump.
According to a report published by the Wall Street Journal late last year, Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg pressured Luckey to publicly shift support to a libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and fired the Oculus co-founder when he didn’t comply.
Voicing his views on the idea of Facebook being broken up, Luckey said Facebook’s problems would not necessarily go away by breaking up the tech giant. He also said that the stepping down of CEO Mark Zuckerberg wouldn't really affect Facebook.
“These companies are so huge, it’s easy to pin it all on one person,” Luckey said. "When you’re on the inside, you realize that replacing one person isn’t going to change the way things work."
Find latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on Tech2 Gadgets. Get technology news, gadgets reviews & ratings. Popular gadgets including laptop, tablet and mobile specifications, features, prices, comparison.


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FTC Gives More Guidance on Expired Debts
Posted on February 14, 2012
Debt collectors routinely try to collect on debts that they know would not be enforceable in court. They may even try to get you to restart the debt by making a partial payment or by transferring the old debt to a new credit card. But, in a lawsuit settlement with one of the biggest debt collectors, the FTC lets the debt collection industry know that collecting on expired, or time-barred debts, is not ok.
The FTC sued Asset Acceptance, a company who might be listed on your credit report, following allegations that the company violated several rules including: telling consumers they owed debt that the collector may not have been able to prove, failing to tell consumers that their debts were past the statute of limitations, and failing to tell consumers that a partial payment would extend the statute of limitations.
In addition to a civil penalty of $2.5 million, Asset Acceptance has agreed to inform consumers when their debts are too old to be legally enforceable and to let consumers know that a partial payment would essentially restart the statute of limitations on that account. Asset Acceptance also has to inform consumers when they’ve placed a negative account on the consumer’s credit report.
While a judge hasn’t signed off the terms of the settlement, they set a precedent for what the FTC expects of the collection industry. The agency has also released a new publication, “Time-Barred Debts: Understanding Your Rights When It Comes to Old Debts,” to help consumers better understand what to do about old debts.
You may know that the statute of limitations varies by states. It’s generally between three and six years, but is as high as 10 or 15 years in a handful of states. You can confirm the statute of limitations in your state with an attorney or your Attorney General.
Remember that debt collectors can contact you about time-barred debts, that is those debts that have passed the statute of limitations. However, they can’t sue you for those debts. You’re allowed to ask a debt collector if that debt is in fact time-barred. The collector isn’t required to answer, but if they do answer, they must tell the truth. The FTC also recommends asking the collector for the date of your last payment on the account. You can use that information to figure out if the statute of limitations has expired.
Remember that there’s a difference between the statute of limitations and the reporting time limit. The reporting time limit is how long debts can be listed on your credit report. It’s possible for time-barred debts to still be listed on your credit report if the statute of limitations for that debt is less than seven years. And because some debts have statute of limitations that are longer than seven years, it’s possible to be sued for a debt that’s not on your report.
If a debt is passed the statute of limitations, you might choose to ignore it until it falls off your credit report. Or, you can try to negotiate a pay for delete where the collector removes the account in exchange for payment. Make sure you get any agreement in writing before making a payment.
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- US Credit Downgrade Reinforces Need for Personal Credit Repair
- Financial Experts Advise Caution with Zero-Percent Balance Transfer Credit Cards

domain: news


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More small firms need to engage customers online, says FSB report
New research from FSB has found that there are many small firms that risk being uncompetitive by not having their own website.
The latest report from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) revealed that one in four UK small firms run their business without a professional website and only a third use their websites for sales.
According to the FSB, by not using the internet as a marketing tool, jobs and growth on local high streets could be under threat. The non-profit organisation, which promotes and protects the interests of both the self-employed and owners of small firms, is now re-launching it’s ‘Keep Trade Local’ campaign in order to highlight the need to save the UK’s small and local stores.
Mike Cherry, National Policy Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses, said, “Once the high street starts to go into decline it can be difficult to revive. But with the right measures from councils and local authorities the tide can be turned. We are supporting Local Business Week and its pledge for shoppers to buy three things on their local high street.
“However, we also want to see small firms maximise the opportunities that technology presents, so they can be competitive and grow their business and have a positive impact on the communities they rely on for business.”
Please visit our Contractor News hub for all other news.


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Russian users of Bitcoin and other virtual currencies could be prosecuted for money laundering and financial terrorism, the Russian central bank said 27 January, Bloomberg reports.
The warning came days after Sberbank chief and former Economy Minister German Gref urged that restrictions on the use of virtual currencies be lifted. Government-owned Sberbank, Russia’s biggest lender, was considering entering the virtual currency market itself, Gref said in December.
Photo by antanacoins/Flickr
The central bank’s warning came two weeks after lawmakers began considering measures to limit online money transfers to some $450 per person per month and ban anonymous online money transfers completely.
Elsewhere, Bitcoin is gaining ground. The operator of a Bitcoin ATM in Bratislava, Slovakia, claims his is the first such machine in Europe, and a Romanian entrepreneur recently launched a platform to trade between Bitcoins and Romanian currency, Romania Insider reports.


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"The economy has not progressed as we anticipated at the beginning of the year," CFO Robyn Denholm said on Tuesday's earnings call.
Juniper said its revenues for the third quarter, ending in September, will be $1.07 billion to $1.12 billion, short of the $1.22 billion analysts were expecting, according to Thomson Reuters .
Non-GAAP earnings per share will be 26 cents to 30 cents in the third quarter, Juniper officials said -- well down from the 38 cents analysts predicted.
For all of 2011, Juniper now expects revenues to be $4.58 billion to $4.67 billion. That's 12 to 14 percent higher than last year but well off the $4.84 billion analyst consensus.
It's all part of the big disappointment Juniper delivered with its second-quarter earnings Tuesday. Juniper CEO Kevin Johnson had said in June that the quarter was looking "back-end-loaded," implying that sales had been slow. It now appears the pace of business didn't pick up.
On Tuesday's call, Johnson gave a couple of reasons why the rest of the year won't be so hot, either. Partly, it's due to the tough economy, which could particularly affect enterprise and government spending, Johnson said. His comments mirror those of Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO), which still sees slow spending out of the public sector.
But Johnson also said service providers spent more quickly than usual in the first half of the year. That is, the big operators spent about half of their expected capital budgets during the first half of the year. Normally, they spend 43 to 45 percent, Johnson said.
Japan, which typically represents 5 percent to 8 percent of Juniper's sales, could be another factor, as the effects of the March disasters have caught up with tech spending. Juniper's second-quarter sales to Japan were down 24 percent from a year ago.
Juniper has a lot of new products coming out, but their real impact is expected to begin in 2012. Johnson updated investors on those:
Table 1: Juniper's Rookie Crop
|QFabric||By Sept. 30||On-premises beta testing with five customers. One design win.|
|T4000||Later this year||Four design wins|
|PTX/Coverged Supercore||1Q 2012||Six beta customers, one design win|
|Source: Juniper Networks Inc.|
— Craig Matsumoto, West Coast Editor, Light Reading


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Lynk & Co, the Geely brand that shares platforms and powertrains from Volvo for its Chinese market vehicles with dreams of eventually setting up shop in Europe and America, has revealed the production version of its funky sedan called the Lynk & Co 03. It looks like an alien impersonating a Chrysler 300.
The 03 sedan is based on the same platform as the Volvo XC40 and upcoming S40 and V40 models, also borrowing Volvo’s 1.5-liter three-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain and a variation of the 2.0-liter four-cylinder found in the XC60 T8. Lynk & Co claims the plug-in hybrid has the potential for an electric-only range of up to 40 miles.
The car will initially go on sale in the Chinese market as the company works to figure out the leap to Europe and the U.S., with plans for a unique distribution model involving limited car customization, online-only sales, and possibly shared ownership and subscription service models.
While the interior of the 03 has still yet to be revealed, the concept car from a few months back boasted a digital display screen and adequately modern layout. The company is also big on pushing in-car internet connectivity in its other models with free data and offering “lifetime” warranties for its cars.
As has been clear in the past, the company still has a lot of the specifics to its bold plans to work out, and there’s no clear timeframe for when it will expand beyond China.
Still, Lynk & Co’s design language is a far cry from the smooth, understated look that Volvo’s latest vehicles are going for, instead offering bold, boxy bodies with interestingly-shaped features, like trapezoidal taillights with a lot of vertical elements and hood-level LEDs.
The new 03 isn’t classically beautiful, but it also doesn’t strike me as distasteful. It’s interesting, in a good way, and it’s doing weird in an approach that other automakers, like Saturn or Scion, have failed to accomplish in the past. It doesn’t hurt that it’s basically a Volvo underneath the skin, either.


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Late last week, the nation’s peak industry body for winemakers, the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia (WFA), released a series of points it had designed to promote growth both at home and abroad.
These 43 specific “actions” centre on key issue like international growth opportunities, health, and working with wine retailers to grow consumption locally.
However, the hardest hitting points in the report were reserved for the country’s dominant supermarkets.
My enemy, my friend
The report pointed out that Coles and Woolworths together distribute and sell up to 77% of all wine sold off-premises¾a figure that is up from around 60% in 2007. The private, exclusive and controlled labels of both major retailers are estimated to account for at least 16% of domestic sales.
The report used financial data for nine wine companies to show that in the four years between 2005 and 2008, their combined profitability and margins grew—peaking at A$162m and 10.2% at the end of the period.
“But the aggregate profit of the nine companies fell by 82% [the following year] and into loss last year,” the report said. “Eight of the 10 companies have experienced sustained reductions in margins and profit. In 2007 the average profit margin across these companies was 9.6%, in FY09 it averaged 2.4%; and in FY12, it was 5.9%.”
A number of the winemakers interviewed noted that the retailers’ are both their biggest customer and competitor and this is a major issue affecting profitability.
“The Australian wine industry is highly fragmented with 2,400 producers and 30,000 retail SKUs. The 38 largest producers account for 88% of total production… already a large number of alternate suppliers for retailers to leverage,” the report said.
It added that the “retailers have numerous sourcing options to leverage due to: this fragmentation, the excess supply of grapes and wine, and the ability to sell imported wine at attractive margins.”
Winemakers are affected directly and indirectly by the ability of retailers to significantly influence a wine company’s sales and brand strength by controlling access to shelf space, promotional activity, pricing volume for exclusivity, and de-listing, the report said.
“The risk of these behaviours to winemakers is extensive as they make production decisions far in advance of sale, have expensive inventories, and have extremely limited alternate distribution options,” it said.
Many wine producers also reported a significant increase in discounts and rebates. “Average discount levels being achieved by the major retailers are estimated to be about 30% and as high as 40%—up from 10-15% five years ago.”
The report added that between 2007 and 2012, retailers captured a significant portion of these winemakers’ profit margins, but the majority of the margin was not transferred to consumers.
“The change in consumer price varied across different product lines—with certain lines decreasing in price and some increasing. However, when adjusted for volume, the total amount paid by consumers on these products increased compared to what they would have paid in 2007,” it said.


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Price and service battles are playing out much like trench warfare in markets across the country, according to SN data that stems from a new partnership. The results show not only which retailers are winning, but also why.
For the past three months we’ve showcased this data in print and online, based on a collaboration with Brand View, a company that markets a leading price and promotions intelligence analytics tool. The findings result from mystery shops conducted by RetailData in five markets: Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta and Washington, D.C.
Shoppers collect prices of 20 products in a typical weekly basket, and assess store service levels as well. The results are analyzed by Brand View and reported every two weeks by SN.
The findings illuminate how retailers go to market in these regions, and which strategies are successful. Here are some general conclusions based on the reports to date:
1. Although we’re seeing a wide range of pricing from retailers, in most markets there’s an 18% to 20% difference between the highest and lowest baskets in a market. Moreover, having the lowest basket pricing by no means guarantees an operator will have the largest number of lowest-priced items as well.
2. Winning may be everything, but it often comes down to a squeaker. Take the case of Walmart battling Target. Walmart can often claim the largest number of cheapest items because of its pricing strategy. While Target tends to price items in amounts ending in 49 cents or 99 cents, for example, Walmart often prices at 48 cents or 98 cents, according to Matthew Ferguson, SVP, Client Services, Brand View.
In fact, of the 160 SKU comparisons Brand View provided so far between Target and Walmart, on a third of these Walmart edged out Target by just a cent, Ferguson added.
3. A strong regional operator can score big not only on service, but also price. H-E-B was a standout in our Houston three-week survey against Walmart, winning each week for most lowest-priced items, and two of three weeks for least expensive basket, which is quite a feat against the Bentonville giant. Moreover, H-E-B was a leader in the store appearance and ease of shopping categories as well, showing its strong reputation among Texas shoppers.
4. Sometimes a market can completely split between two operators on price and service. A case in point is Washington, D.C., where Walmart took the top honors in each of three weeks for least expensive basket and most lowest priced items. Meanwhile, Safeway, known for its lifestyle format, scored highest each week for both store appearance and ease of shopping.
5. In some highly competitive markets, like Chicago, retailers appear to be exchanging positions as pricing leaders each week. During three weeks of mystery shopping in the Windy City, Meijer, Target and Walmart rotated on producing the least expensive basket.
Meanwhile, you can see an in-depth feature from Jon Springer starting on SN’s main feature this week, which outlines the latest industry pricing trends. I encourage you to follow our ongoing pricing and service coverage in partnership with Brand View as we revisit these markets on a rotating basis. It will be interesting to see if the trends outlined here hold up through the year and beyond.
|More from Supermarketnews


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Next year is when Microsoft is hoping it will be able to meet the high demand for its next-gen console, the Xbox Series X. Speaking at the Jefferies Interactive Entertainment Virtual Conference, Xbox chief financial officer Tim Stuart broke the bad news stating:
“I think we’ll continue to see supply shortages as we head into the post-holiday quarter, so Microsoft’s Q3, calendar Q1.”
The unfortunate news, while very disheartening for those hoping to cop an Xbox Series X for Christmas, should come as a surprise, being that Xbox chief Phil Spencer hinted at a shortage back in October. Speaking on the Dropped Frames podcast, he said, “We’re gonna have more demand than we do supply, and I’ll apologize in advance to people for that,” he further added, “I think we’re gonna live in that world for a few months that we’re going to have a lot more demand than we do supply.”
Spencer apologized again for the very limited number of Xbox Series S|X consoles during Twitch’s Gltichcon event that went virtual this year becuase of COVID-19, of course.
“We’ve been building them for almost two months and trying to get as many into the stores as we can, but the demand is just so high.”
But, there is some hope to look forward to. Stuart stated that he expects Microsoft to have more consoles in its fiscal Q4, which takes place between April through June.
“When we get to Q4, all of our supply chain [is] continuing to go full speed heading into kind of the pre-summer months. And that’s where I start to — I expect to see a little bit of the demand — the supply profile, meeting the demand profile.”
Patience will definitely have to become one of your virtues if it isn’t already. Besides, no one wants to pay over retail for an Xbox Series X or PS5 console, which is also in short supply following its launch. Both are going for $800 and above on StockX right now.
We will keep our fingers cross for another drop.
Photo: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz


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Rebel Racing is a stunning new free to play mobile racing game created by Hutch Games for iOS and Android platforms. The game features console-quality graphics and a wide variety of vehicles that players can collect and customize as they see fit. It boasts of high-octane races across a stunningly executed US West Coast environment.
Rebel Racing features over 40 fully licensed on- and off-road vehicles, including the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, Bugatti Chiron, and even the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Players will be able to make adjustments to their vehicles in order to create a vehicle that is tailor-made according to their play style. The races themselves provide a breath-taking experience filled with risky overtaking opportunities.
Hutch Games is no stranger to the racing genre. In fact, they already have several top-rated games in the market, including F1 Manager, Race Kings, and MMX Hill Dash 2. These are all adrenaline-pumping racing games, which have gathered millions of fans. Despite their previous successes, CEO and founder of Hutch Games Shaun Rutland said he believed there’s still room for a refreshing take on the genre. The fruit of that belief is Rebel Racing, and the developers plan to build a community around this new game.


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Google will tap Samsung to supply the 5G modem for its next flagship Pixel smart phone, sources familiar with the matter told journalists, signalling the first win for the Korean firm in a US market dominated by Qualcomm Inc.
Earlier this month, Google disclosed that it has designed its own processor chip to power its new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro high-end phones, ending its complete reliance on Qualcomm, which will still supply chips for the lower-priced Pixel 5A.
Nikkei Asia earlier reported Samsung will manufacture the processor for Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc. Two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters Samsung will also supply the 5G modem technology.
Samsung’s move to provide the Pixel’s modem technology is important because the Korean firm is one of only three companies in the world capable of making 5G modems that connect devices to wireless data networks. The others are Qualcomm, the market leader by a wide margin, and Taiwan’s MediaTek Inc.
Samsung widely uses its Exynos modem technology in its own flagship smart phones in Asia and Europe. But it has long relied on Qualcomm to provide modems for US versions.
That is in part because Qualcomm has a technology lead in a variant of 5G networking called millimeter wave, which provides the fastest speeds available with the new networks. To date, all smart phones released in the US, including Apple Inc’s iPhone – have used Qualcomm chips to tap millimeter wave networks.
Samsung told journalists at our partner news agency Reuters its new modem technology was capable of millimeter wave networking, and Google said its new phones will support millimeter wave networks as previous versions did, though neither company would comment directly on whether they are working together on the new Pixel.
Winning Google’s Pixel business gives Samsung its first big chance to show off its chipmaking skills to the wider phone industry, which has long been wary of buying a key component from a fierce rival, said Kevin Krewell, principal analyst at TIRIAS Research. The Korean firm has never before sold its 5G modem chip technology to an outside company.
Qualcomm in a statement said it retained its technology lead because its millimeter wave technology relied on other chips in addition to the modem. “A modem is not enough to support millimeter wave in phones,” Qualcomm said.
The team at Platform Executive hope you have enjoyed the ‘Google brings Samsung 5G modem tech to US market with new Pixel phone‘ article. Automatic translation from English to a growing list of languages via Google AI Cloud Translation. Initial reporting via our official content partners at Thomson Reuters. Reporting by Stephen Nellis and Paresh Dave. Additional reporting by Joyce Lee and Heekyong Yang. Editing by Peter Henderson and Howard Goller.
You can stay on top of all the latest developments across the platform economy, find solutions to your key challenges and gain access to our problem-solving toolkit and proprietary databases by becoming a member of our growing community. For a limited time, our subscription plans start from just $16 per month.


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Singapore – With the much-awaited BTS meal launching in Singapore on June 21, food delivery platform GrabFood is preparing for high demand by offering its riders incentives.
Singapore – With the much-awaited BTS meal launching in Singapore on June 21, food delivery platform GrabFood is preparing for high demand by offering its rid
is preparing for high demand by offering its riders incentives. McDonald’s Singapore officially confirmed the date when the BTS Meal would be available on its menu. A simple announcement of “Dropping 21 Jun, 2021” could be found on its website with “more news coming soon”. Photo: Taken from McDonald’s website - Advertisement - It appears that the BTS Meal will be made available for a limited time only at participating McDonald’s outlets. McDonald’s announced that the meal would be available through delivery only.
The BTS Meal, consisting of 9-piece Chicken McNuggets, large fries, large Coca-Cola, and Sweet Chili and Cajun dipping sauces, was initially scheduled to be, was initially scheduled to be launched on May 27. But the launch was postponed due to an increasing number of Covid-19 cases within the community. Malaysia was the first country in Asia to launch the BTS Meal on May 26. - Advertisement - Meanwhile, the launch in Indonesia on Jun 9 saw a frenzy in orders leading to closures of at least 13 McDonald’s outlets. The delay in its Singapore launch has only increased the excitement of BTS fans, who call themselves . GrabFood delivery riders are being offered incentives to meet the expected high demand. GrabFood announced on June 18 that it would be giving out an extra S$3 for every two BTS Meals delivered on June 21 and 22. - Advertisement - The amount will be added to the S$5 to S$7 that a rider usually earns for a trip delivering food. According to a screenshot of the announcement posted on a Facebook page, the incentive will be on a first come, first served basis with limited slots only. Photo: FB screengrab GrabFood also revealed that the BTS Meal would be available for order on Monday (June 21) at 11 am./TISG Read related:Read more: The Independent »
2021 Tokyo Olympic Games | Yahoo Singapore
China to launch first crew to new space station on June 17JIUQUAN (China) — Astronauts blasting off on Thursday (June 17) for China's first crewed mission to its new space station will have a choice of 120 different types of food and
Oil steadies after hitting 2-yr high as demand hopes face supply growthNEW YORK: Oil prices ended mostly unchanged on Monday, after hitting their highest levels in more than two years, as growing U.S. crude ...
Plans to ease Covid-19 rules on June 21 being relooked due to ‘major new cluster’ in Bukit Merah: Lawrence WongSINGAPORE — The multi-ministry task force handling Singapore’s response to Covid-19 is evaluating the Duh..! Open concept and people cannot dine in, still kena virus. All because of Indian PM Modi who started this variant so did he apologise to via TV Radio and Social Media if not he should do so and step down from the post immediately DO NOT FUCK WITH 21 June!
Malaysian court overturns 'misadventure' inquest ruling in French-Irish teen's deathKUALA LUMPUR — A Malaysian court on Wednesday (June 16) overturned an inquest verdict of
Twitter adds 'Arabic (feminine)' language option in diversity driveDUBAI —Twitter on Tuesday (June 15) introduced an


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BENGALURU: US-based startup accelerator Techstars
, which counts remote computing platform DigitalOcean
and other startup successes among graduates, has launched operations in India.
Techstars operates in several cities globally, including in New York City, London and Paris. Since launching in 2006, it has accepted more than 1,000 startups into its programmes. Collectively , these companies have raised more than $3.8 billion with combined market capitalisation of about $9.9 billion.
For its India operations, Techstars has entered into a joint venture with Bengaluru-headquartered ANSR
, which helps enterprises build and manage in-house or external accelerators and other such startups-focused infrastructure. ANSR also has an innovation arm called Kyron
. Techstars, which holds an undisclosed majority share in the joint venture, aims to open centres across multiple locations in India in a few years. The first centre will be launched in Bengaluru next year. Typically, startups selected to Techstars' three-month accelerator programme are offered $20,000 in exchange for 6% common stock, and a $100,000 convertible note upon acceptance.
"Expect to see us with several different types of products in several different locations (in India) over the years," Techstars co-CEO David Cohen, among the earliest investors in Uber
Techstars operates four divisions -a startup programme, an accelerator, corporate innovation partnerships, and a venture capital fund. "The launch of Techstars India will provide an impetus to the rapidly growing startup ecosystem and the emergence of India as a dominant entrepreneurial network," said Lalit Ahuja, CEO, ANSR.


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After a spectacular sales boom that saw it become the best-selling sports car worldwide last year, that Mustang has been experiencing a dip in sales in 2017. This might be due to the softening of industry sales as well as the fact that more and more consumers now prefer SUVs. However, there is no doubt that the world is still largely fascinated by this classic car, which is good for the auto shipping industry.
Volkswagen, which prides itself with the Lamborghini and Audi nameplates in its fold, took the top spot among the top-selling automakers for the first time in 2016. It is normal practice for all the reputable auto manufacturers to have the different car makes under their groups in order to take care of the different world markets. This helps to make up with sales in one region whenever they drop elsewhere.
General Motors Co, the U.S. rivals which came at the top of the world industry sales for over seven decades, comes in fourth with sales of about 4.7 million vehicles within the first half of the year. Volkswagen’s standing in the market might have taken quite a beating in the recent past, due to the big scandal about deception on emission tests; the damage has been offset by impressive sales in China and many other world markets worldwide, which is a clear indication that a good number of clients decided to shrug off the scandal.


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What you need to know
- Apple has ordered second seasons of four of its original series for Apple TV+.
- "The Morning Show", "SEE", "Dickinson", and "For All Mankind" are all renewed.
- The fourth episode of three of the shows premieres tomorrow.
After the first week of Apple TV+ being available to audiences, Apple has already ordered second seasons for four of its original shows on the service. Reported by Variety, Apple has officially renewed "The Morning Show", "SEE", "Dickinson", and "For All Mankind" for another season. The renewal of "The Morning Show" was already known, as the series is already in the middle of shooting its order of ten episodes for the second season, but the rest of them have not been confirmed until now.
Apple has not released any specific data about how Apple TV+ is performing out of the gate, but sources close to the company are happy with the reception the service is having with audiences. Variety explains:
"Sources close to Apple say the service to date has drawn millions of users who are spending on average more than an hour on the Apple TV Plus platform...the early numbers indicate that most viewers who watched one episode of the core four series went on to watch at least one more, if not two."
Three of the four shows being renewed are only able to be viewed up to the third episode, as Apple is testing a weekly release schedule for most of its content. "Dickinson", on the other hand, is the only core series that went the "Netflix route" and release all ten episodes when Apple TV+ launched on November 1st. Tomorrow will be another milestone for the service, as the fourth episode of "SEE", "For All Mankind", and "The Morning Show" will release to the public.
Apple TV+ is available now for $4.99 per month for up to six family members (with Family Sharing). Apple is also still running its promotion that gives a free year of the service to anyone who purchases a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV.


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According to reports, India is preparing to ban all other cryptocurrencies except a few private cryptocurrencies. What does it mean and what might happen in the future?
Throughout the history of cryptocurrency, many countries have tried to prohibit and restrict access to coins and digital wallets. Some people have achieved success in a short period of time, but with the emergence of new coins and the addition of other countries, it was completely opened. According to reports, India has joined the all-out list because they are expected to ban all but after the government announced the introduction of a new financial regulation bill on Tuesday, some private cryptocurrencies appeared. The exchanges with India and cryptocurrencies continue.
A bill was recently proposed and is ready to shake up many of India’s big-name coins. The “Cryptocurrency and Official Digital Currency Regulation” bill will create a convenient framework for the official digital currency issued by the Reserve Bank of India, which will ban all private cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin and Ethereum.
Let the rain fall…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated earlier this month that “all democracies must work together to ensure that cryptocurrency does not fall into the wrong hands, which will ruin our young people.” This is his first direct Make public comments on this issue. According to the parliamentary announcement, the law will be submitted to the parliament at the next session and exceptions will be allowed to promote the underlying blockchain technology. The statement did not provide more details, leaving many people with more questions than answers. Pre-validation methods can create barriers for thousands of P2P currencies that flourish outside the scope of regulatory review. According to reports in recent weeks, Modi recently hosted a meeting to discuss the future of cryptocurrencies, worrying that the unregulated crypto market may become a channel for money laundering and terrorist financing.
An industry source said that the new rules may also prevent the marketing and advertising of cryptocurrencies in order to weaken their appeal to retail investors.
The government may wish to classify cryptocurrencies as asset classes, not currencies, as required by cryptocurrency exchanges. A senior government official told Reuters that the plan is to ban private encrypted assets and eventually pave the way for a new central bank digital currency (CBDC).
The Reserve Bank of India has expressed “serious concerns” about private cryptocurrencies and will launch its CBDC in December. Bitcoin is the world’s largest cryptocurrency, currently hovering at around 60,000 US dollars (53,000 euros), and has more than doubled since the beginning of this year; this coin has the highest grade, with good and bad all over the world. Many people speculate that India holds billions of dollars in cryptocurrency, which puts the government on high alert.
Will this be the beginning of countries strengthening cryptocurrency regulation?


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Market activity is up substantially on previous months.
While prices have fallen sharply over the last year, they seem to be stabilizing at present.
Buyers with pre-approved mortgages are now in the market, hoping to buy while their approval lasts.
Numbers of offers are up, leading to more sales.
Unlike last year, we have been busy these last two months.
Long may it continue


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Huawei sub brand Honor has announced the launch of its new flagship device Honor 10 Lite on 22nd November, and ahead of its launch, the Smartphone is now listed on the Chinese certification site TENAA confirming the list of full specifications. The listing matches with the key details which were leaked earlier this month.
Furthermore, the new listings offer few images of the Honor 10 Lite along with its colour variants, all models. The three model numbers bearing HRY-TL00, HRY-AL00, and HRY-AL00a – have been listed on TENAA hinting at three storage variants and color options. Honor 10 Lite could be available in Black, Blue, and White colour models.
As per the TENAA listings, the Honor 10 Lite sports a 6.21-inch full-HD+ (1080×2340 pixels) display and will house an octa-core processor clocked at 2.2GHz. It runs on Android 9 Pie with EMUI 9.0 on top and will be launched in 4GB and 6GB RAM options along with in built 64GB/128GB storage options as well. The inbuilt storage is expandable via microSD card (up to 256GB).
For images, Honor 10 Lite comes with a dual camera……Read More>>


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Trek has released its first-ever Sustainability Report detailing its emissions audit findings pre-2020 alongside 10 steps the brand is taking to lighten its footprint, including increasing the use of alternative materials, removing plastic waste from packaging materials as well as establishing and protecting trails as part of the new Trek Foundation.
Trek says it partnered with WAP Sustainability Consulting to conduct its first emissions audit in 2020 to better understand its environmental impact and to build a plan for its more sustainable future.
This data takes into account a single year of operation before 2020 as a baseline, Trek says, to identify its areas of greatest impact to determine where to dedicate attention and resources to reduce the carbon footprint.
One of these steps is to establish and protect new publicly accessible trails as part of its new Trek Foundation. The project aims to support the development of bicycle trails and infrastructure for public use and protect land from development.
"This world needs more people to ride bikes, and if that's going to happen, they need great places for bikes that are safe and close to home," says Trek Bicycle President John Burke.
As well as establishing the Trek Foundation, here are the other nine areas Trek is focusing on in order to reduce its footprint:
Get more people on bikes: Trek is continuing to encourage people to #GoByBike and has provided riders with a new milestone to reach carbon neutrality, with what it calls the Rule of 430.
Trek explains: “When you replace a ride in your car or an emissions-emitting vehicle for a bike trip, you are making a small contribution towards the carbon neutrality of your bike.
"If you ride a collective 430 miles – or a little over a mile a day for a year – that you would have otherwise used a vehicle for, you have saved the carbon equivalent of what it took for Trek to make your bike."
Trek claims anything above 430 miles, and your bike is now carbon negative.
Reduce use of air freight: “Air freight has 84 times the footprint of transport by ocean,” notes Trek and so it plans to improve supply chain processes to reduce air freight mileage by 75% by 2024.
Consolidate shipments to retailers: To address ground shipping emissions, Trek says it is working on a global consolidated shipping strategy by 2024. “Mainland European retailers currently utilise a batched shipping strategy that drastically cut mileage required to move product,” notes Trek.
Increase reliance on renewable energy: All Trek-owned facilities globally will be entirely powered by renewable energy by 2023, promises the brand. Currently, Trek’s global headquarters uses of mix of 60.6% wind, 33.3% biogas, and 6.1% solar power, while the California and New Jersey distribution facilities are already helping Trek towards its goal as both are 100% renewably sourced.
Reduce corporate travel: In 2021 travel has been reduced by 50% of pre-pandemic levels and Trek says it will continue to reduce plane travel.
Increase reliance on alternative materials: Trek says it is committed to using recycled, recyclable or refurbished materials to build products, expanding its current range of 15 products that are already made entirely of reclaimed materials.
For example, in partnership with Bureo, a group working to remove discarded fishing nets from the oceans, Trek is grinding down this ocean pollutant into reusable material used to create the water bottle Bat Cages as well as several handle grips.
Create zero-landfill manufacturing facilities: Landfill-free by 2024 is Trek’s goal, with efforts already in place in its US manufacturing facility.
Remove plastic waste from packaging: Trek is working towards a goal of plastic-free packaging by 2024, having already removed 433,600 lbs. of plastic from packaging in one year alone.
Increase access to bike share: Trek has had its bike-share system ByCycle in place since 2009 to help reduce congestion and transportation-based carbon emissions in 35 cities, and the plan now is to continue accelerating its growth and expansion.


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Beyond the Footsie: Thursday close
TAKEOVER bids were the main focus among the smaller companies as the FTSE SmallCap index closed just 0.7 of a point higher at 2,549.5.
Heiton Group closed 72 1/2p higher at 415p, after its board rejected a bid from Grafton Group for its operations at e6.35 per share in cash and shares.
In reply, Grafton said it was reviewing its options, including another offer.
A similar rejection from Integrated Dental pushed its shares 4p higher to 38 1/2p. The group said 'no' to a 40p-a-share offer from its own management, which valued the group at £12m.
Gooch & Housego closed up 20p or at 138 1/2p, after it unveiled an interim pretax profit of £1.27m - doubling last year's number. The optics and acoustics group said turnover increased above expectations on higher demand for all product types.
ITIS Holdings closed up 2 1/2p to 25 1/2p after announcing it had won a new contract with Land Rover to supply its Radio Data System - Traffic Message Channel service as standard across all models fitted with satellite navigation.
Phytopharm ended the session with an 11 1/2p gain to 160p after a report the group is in advanced talks to license an appetite suppressant isolated from a South African desert plant to a food manufacturer for use in diet products.
A management change at MyTravel appeared to please investors. The shares rose 0 1/4p to close at 8 3/4p on news chief operating officer Philip Jansen has resigned, to take up a position as CEO of UK and Ireland for Sodexho Alliance.
Dart Group closed 7p higher at 148 1/2p after it disclosed higher profits for the year and said current trading matched expectations. Full-year pretax profit was £9m compared to £7.9m a year earlier.
BioFocus gained 5 1/2p to 166p. Teijin Pharma has bought the global rights to develop and market anti-inflammatory drug leads discovered in a collaborative research programme between the two companies.
Asia Energy added 3 1/2p to 67 1/2p. The group said it plans on increasing the scale of its Phulbari coal mine development in Bangladesh to 15m tonnes per annum from 9m.
British Energy recovered from earlier weakness, closing up 0.04p at 12.54p. Earlier, the group warned that a number of major obstacles need to be overcome before a planned restructuring, designed to ensure its survival, can be implemented. However, it also unveiled a net profit of 234 mln stg.
On the downside, Quiktrak come under pressure, closing down 1/2p at 3 1/4p after it said that progress has been made in securing new funds from a strategic investor but no commitments have yet been received.
Flat-panel loudspeaker company NXT closed down 5 1/2p at 93 1/2p, after an analysts' day revealed the group is going to have to raise new funds this year as it is running out of cash.
And computer games maker Eidos ended 3 3/4p lower at 109 1/2p. It may make a small loss this year after delaying the release of one of its titles because of weakness in the games market.
Most watched Money videos
- Britain's Garage of the Year 2021 nominee's incredible construction
- Gresham House's Ken Wotton backing small UK companies
- Scaled-down electric Aston Martin DB5 marks release of new Bond film
- Taking a look at the electric converted Lunaz Aston Martin classic
- Take a glimpse of the Bugatti supercar set to be auctioned for £2.1m
- Rolls-Royce begin testing on their first fully electric car model
- Britain's best used car this year: The French-made Peugeot 5008
- MGB Roadster Limited Edition in detail
- NREL team up with Google Maps to help drivers find eco-friendly routes
- Range Rover announces new fully electric version
- New £95k Range Rover unveiled - and will have an EV version
- The classic Moke is reborn as an electric vehicle


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Did you ever listen to podcasts with Swell? Apple just bought the podcast app for $30 million, and is planning to remove it from the iTunes store.
Swell was a competitor to Apple's podcast app, and I suspect that $30 million was a small price to pay after paying $3 billion for acquisitions like the Beats headphone brand.
Consumers like Swell because of its easy-to-use user interface that made in-car listening a breeze. You might as well delete the app if you have it installed, because Apple plans on removing it this week.
Both Apple and Swell have refused to provide a comment for the tech blog Re/code regarding the buyout. My only question is whether Apple plans on integrating Swell's user interface into their poorly-rated podcast app, or if the company is simply shutting down the competition.
Apple has always been proud of their user interface design, and an app like this could give the next iteration of their podcast app a head start.


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The Sun digital sales manager Becci Reeve-Kendall landed a top award last night (Wednesday).
Becci was named Sales Person of the Year in the AOP Digital Publishing Awards at London’s Old Billingsgate.
In the Digital Advertising Operations Team of the Year category, our ad tech company Unruly was highly commended.
- Jeff Stelling joins talkSPORT Breakfast
- News UK names Tom Jackson Chief Technology Officer
- The Times & Sunday Times Christmas Appeal 2023
- Raheem Sterling Foundation and talkSPORT's Youth Broadcast Academy returns
- Ryan Tubridy latest star-signing to Virgin Radio UK
- talkSPORT launches Ukrainian football radio documentary


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January 2, 2018 — The American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) is pleased to announce that pump system manufacturers Wilo USA and Weil Pump have signed on as ASPE Affiliate Sponsors for 2018.
In first-quarter 2017, Wilo USA, a provider of pumps and pump solutions for building services, water management, and groundwater, acquired pump manufacturer Weil Pump to reinforce the company’s commitment to the North American market. Headquartered in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, Weil Pump designs and manufactures centrifugal pumps for construction, industrial, commercial, and municipal applications.
“It’s a no-brainer for us to align ourselves with ASPE,” says Tim Stapula, Director of Marketing for Wilo USA. “There are many synergies between ASPE, Wilo, and Weil, and we look forward to connecting our people and portfolio with the organization’s members. It will be a win-win.”
As ASPE Affiliate Sponsors, Wilo and Weil Pump will receive year-round brand reinforcement and company recognition through exposure in ASPE’s official publication, Plumbing Engineer, and the ASPE Pipeline e-newsletter, on ASPE’s social media platforms and ASPE’s website, and at national ASPE events.
“I am very pleased that Wilo and Weil Pump have joined our elite list of Affiliate Sponsors,” says Brian Henry, ASPE’s Director of Affiliate Relations. “ASPE members and the plumbing industry in general will benefit from increased knowledge of the companies’ innovative, cost-effective pumping technologies.”


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Baba Ramdev’s swadeshi brand has mighty multinationals on the run
By Nantoo Banerjee
Few will disagree that making a Rs.1,00,000-crore-plus branded fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) market, led largely by multinational companies and their associates, suddenly busk in the glory of nearly 5,000-year-old India’s own home-grown Ayurvedic formulae products is no joke. A Yoga-guru-turned-marketing-mahaguru from Haridwar, Baba Ramdev, has not only made it happen in just about 10 years, but, in the process, has put some of India’s 100-plus-year-old MNC brands and their associates such as Hindustan Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Nestle, Glaxosmithkline, Horlicks, L’Oreal, Colgate, ITC, etc, at their wit’s end about how to fight the Baba’s Patanjali onslaught in the market. The name, Patanjali, an ancient Rishi, as described by Paramhansa Yogananda in his ‘Autobiography of a Yogi,’ defined ‘yoga’ as a process to ‘control the fluctuations of the mind-stuff’. The word Ayurveda combines two Sanskrit words — Aayush and Veda. In English, Aayush means life and Veda is knowledge. Thus, Ayurveda means ‘knowledge of life’.
Patanjali is posing a threat to MNCs not only in India but also in other countries with large Indian or Indian-origin population, where the Indian brand has already made an inroad.
Seemingly, Ayurveda may have little to do with some of Ramdev’s so-called Patanjali herbal products — from Marie and Digestive biscuits to a host of cooking aids, rice, atta, mustard oil and cosmetic products such as face wash. Never mind that. The modern yoga guru is going strong with newer and newer FMCG products under the Patanjali label that is targeted to reach a Rs.20,000-crore plus business within the next four years. Patanjali is posing a threat to MNCs not only in India but also in other countries with large Indian or Indian-origin population, where the Indian brand has already made an inroad. According to the latest UN survey on international migrant trends, India’s diaspora population is the largest in the world with 16 million of them living outside their country in 2015. Patanjali finds a great export opportunity in some of those countries.
Patanjali seems to be focussing more on FMCG products than initial Ayurvedic medicines, which face intense competition from other big local firms such as Dabur, Baidyanath, Himalaya, Hamdard, Emami, Zandu, Charak, Vicco, Surya Herbal and Arya Vaidyashala of Kottakkal (Kerala). The annual turnover of India’s branded Ayurvedic drug and cosmetics industry is not very large, said to be in the vicinity of Rs.5,000 crore, outy of which exports account for nearly Rs.500 crore. However, multi-product Patanjali is said to have already crossed Rs 10,000 crore sales in last fiscal. Processed food products may have largely contributed to such a massive turnover. The company is now having global ambitions.
Patanjali plans to invest Rs 5,000 crore on expansion of its various verticals. It would be putting aside a substantial portion of funds to open new units and ramp up existing capacity
Recently, Patanjali Ayurved managing director Acharaya Balkrishna said the FMCG major is looking to double its share in the country’s food processing market in the current fiscal. The company plans to invest Rs 5,000 crore on expansion of its various verticals. It would be putting aside a substantial portion of funds to open new units and ramp up existing capacity. Patanjali plans to set up as many as five mega food parks, including one in Madhya Pradesh and another in Maharashtra, both ruled by Bharatiya Janata Party, with which the Baba enjoys a special relation. The Ramdev company also has plans to grow medicinal herbs in a big way for dual use, medicines and modern beauty treat. Alongside aloe vera and amla, Patanjali wants to produce a host of herbs such as Tulsi and Ashwagandha. For instance, the company plans to sell 100 tonnes of aloe vera juice per day, up from 40-50 tonnes, currently. The list of Patanjali products is long, covering some 800 items. No other FMCG firm is known to have such a large number of products.
Brand Patanjali’s meteoric rise is expected to interest market researchers and faculties in leading management institutes, which might look at it as a case to study deeper
Patanjali seems to have taken the sails off some of the traditional and well-entrenched branded grocery and processed food products in the market, which are faced with low sales growth and even lower sales margin in the face of growing competition. Patanjali, whose grocery, processed food products and cosmetics are cheaper than MNC brands, is certainly giving the established players in the business a big competition. Going forward, there is nothing to believe that Patanjali will continue to have a free run for long in the crowded FMCG market led by some of the old big-pocket multinational and domestic tsars. Questions are also being raised about Patanjali’s sources of funds to sustain and grow such a large operation, so fast. In just 10 years time, Patanjali has given competitors like Hindustan Unilever, Emami, Godrej Consumer, Colgate and several others a run for their money. According to reports, the company has, so far, been taking short term loans to meet its working capital needs. In the past, public sector banks like Punjab National Bank and SBI have lent credit to the company.
While brand Patanjali’s meteoric rise is expected to interest market researchers and faculties in leading management institutes, the company itself may have to revisit its growth strategies in the face of no-holds-barred competition from established entities, which may leave no stone unturned to put hurdles to its business ambition. Patanjali’s rack visibility in large retail grocery stores is yet to strike discreet consumers. Its product integrity is also being questioned.
An unfavourable test report by the Central Food Lab in Kolkata has led the defence canteen stores department (CSD) to recently suspend sales of Patanjali’s Amla juice. In a letter dated April 3, the CSD is said to have asked all its retailing depots to make debit notes for their current stock of the product so that it can be returned to the company. Incidentally, the same lab in Kolkata had detected high lead levels in Nestle’s Maggi noodles samples two years ago that led Nestle to temporarily withdraw the brand across India.
It is not the first time that the Ramdev company is locking horns with the regulators. It has been questioned for selling noodles and pasta without the requisite licences, and had faced flak from the food regulator, FSSAI, over the allegedly misleading advertisements for its edible-oil products. Hopefully, Patanjali will soon learn how to overcome such business obstacles to maintain its growth and focus on the market.
Most Disruptive Force in the Market
Assocham report says Patanjali has snatched market share from global FMCG majors
Patanjali Ayurveda, steered by Baba Ramdev has turned out to be the most disruptive force in India’s fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) market which is expected to reach the billion-dollar mark by 2020, an Assocham– TechSci Research paper said.
Patanjali, which has expanded its product portfolio across wide range of personal care and food and beverages, witnessed a whopping annual growth of 146 per cent in fiscal 2016 grossing in turnover of $769 million whereas its peers, including ITC, Dabur, Hindustan Unilever, Colgate – Palmolive and Procter & Gamble, among others, struggled to get a growth much less than a double digit.
Patanjali witnessed a whopping annual growth of 146 per cent in fiscal 2016 grossing in turnover of $769 million whereas its peers, including ITC, Dabur, Hindustan Unilever, Colgate – Palmolive and Procter & Gamble struggled to get a growth much less than a double digit
“Patanjali Ayurveda has turned out to be the most disruptive force in the Indian FMCG market. Initially the company focused only on the development of Ayurvedic medicines but gradually started manufacturing food items and cosmetics”. Its products are available in 15,000 exclusive retail outlets, 3,000 Patanjali chikitsalaya kendras and retail chains such as Big Bazaar, Reliance Fresh etc.
“With around 500 products many of them in FMCG category the company has significantly increased its market share. Many of its product launches have impacted share of other FMCG companies in that product category. Some of its flagship brands which have wrested the market share of its competitors include Dant Kranti, Atta noodles and Kesh Kranti”, the paper said.
Patanjali Ayurveda Limited is owned to the extent of 94 per cent by Acharya Bal Krishna, a close disciple of Baba Ramdev. Rest of the small holdings are dispersed among a small group of individuals.
“Like in several other areas the Indian FMCG is also witnessing its disruptive moments. Interestingly the big disruption has come about from unconventional ownership. Yet another interesting aspect is that unlike a few years ago the focus has shifted away from the foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail to home grown Ayurveda. This also reflects a kind of latent desire among the Indian consumers to adopt the products which are safe, healthy and free from side-effects”, said ASSOCHAM Secretary General Mr. D.S. Rawat.
In 2015, the total Indian FMCG market was $43 Billion of which 60 per cent is concentrated in urban areas and the rest in the rural areas.
As much as 91 per cent of the retail trade in the sector is in the unorganized segment in contrast to the developed countries. In the US, the organised segment of the retail trade is 86 per cent. As India would witness the digital penetration and the roll out of the goods and services tax along with better supply chain, the share of the organised segment would grow significantly in the coming few years. The paper said India is also emerging as a strong regional export hub for the domestic and multinational FMCG players leveraging the countries cost competitiveness.
“With growing disposable incomes, middle and upper middle class consumers in urban areas have shifted their purchasing trends from essential to premium products. The premium brands are manufacturing smaller packs or products and in response the firms have begun enhancing their top end product portfolios. The FMCG sector is also riding on the fast growth in e-commerce helped by the entire digital initiative being rolled out.”
E-commerce is among the major drivers for the FMCG sector. The websites such as Grofers, Flipkart and Amazon are making these products readily available to the consumers.
Clothing, Food Next
From Coat to Langot and chain to take on KFCs and Pizza Huts
Having given the multinationals a run for their money, Patanjali is now eying the textile business, which Baba Ramdev considers has the potential of doubling the group’s turnover and growth within one year.,
“From fashion wear to jeans, coat to langot (inner wear), Patanjali is going full steam ahead towards its goal of promoting manufacturing in India,” he said while addressing a two-day Global Investors Summit in Indore, organised by the Madhya Pradesh government.
Ramdev said Patanjali’s textile manufacturing would start with kurta-pyjama and then diversify into foreign wears like the jeans.
Ram Dev said the group is also planning to open restaurants that will challenge established multinational food chains like McDonald’s, KFC and Subway. “We haven’t launched them. But we are working on this direction. In future, it will surely happen,” he said.
The group also announced 111 per cent rise in turnover to Rs 10,561 crore in 2016-17. The FMCG firm said it will double the annual production capacity and number of distributors this year to “become biggest swadeshi brand within one to two years”.
In the FY17 turnover, the share of Patanjali Ayurved, Divya Pharmacy and Patanjali Gramodhyog is Rs 9,346 crore, Rs 870 crore and Rs 345 crore, respectively. In 2015-16, Patanjali group’s turnover had grown by 150 per cent to Rs 5,000 crore.
He said Patanjali group’s plan is to create avenues for the generation of up Rs 10,000 crore income to farmers through agriculture, milk production and other sectors in the next two to three years.
Ayurveda for heart diseases
Eminent heart surgeon Dr Rahul Malhotra has set up a flourishing business in the US, dispensing Ayurveda medicines to treat heart conditions. Ayurveda is finding increasing acceptance as a cure for heart ailments in the US, just as yoga, the ancient Indian science of keeping healthy, has become almost a daily routine for Americans and Europeans and enjoys official patronage in a high-profile city like Dubai, despite the fact that it is part of a Muslim country.
Ayurveda considers that there is a link between the heart and the mind. If one is affected, the repercussions are felt on the other and vice-versa. There are a number of Ayurvedic remedies that help to get rid of heart disease, the indigenous branch of medicine claims.
The bark of Arjuna or the Terminalia Arjuna tree is believed to be highly beneficial in treating heart disease and the medicine is administered in the form of a concoction .of powder made up of arjuna bark and ghee or milk.
The Ayurvedic treatment of heart disease involves a great deal of importance to eating right. A person suffering from heart disease is not supposed to eat foods such as pulses or substances made from pulses, should avoid excess of oils and fried foods. Buffalo milk or cheese made from buffalo milk is strictly avoided. But ghee, vegetables and cow’s milk or cheese made from cow’s milk are encouraged.
A person suffering from heart disease should stay away completely from stimulants such as tea, coffee and other beverages and should give up the habits of smoking and drinking.
Ayurveda also advises that a person suffering from heart disease should not be involved in any kind of strenuous activities that might increase blood pressure. The person should also take a good amount of rest at night as well as during the daytime and avoid staying awake especially at night time. If the person is suffering from other problems such as constipation then it is advisable that he drinks at least a glass of water in the morning or go for a brisk walk..


text: The 2016 Nissan Frontier might be the oldest midsize pickup in the U.S. these days, but that’s not stopping customers from buying them. Nissan announced the Frontier posted a 72.7 percent year-over-year increase in July sales. That’s impressive. July 2016 sales are listed at 7,244 units. That’s far more that July 2015’s number of 4,194. It’s a difference of 3,050 trucks.


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LG’s 2019 WiSA Ready TVs will ensure low-latency, seamless speaker synchronization and hi-fidelity sound via a range of already available WiSA Certified intelligent speakers from global providers such as Klipsch, Bang & Olufsen, Axiim, and Enclave Audio. At CES 2019, WiSA will also promote its channel marketing program to drive global deployment of new WiSA speakers from Harman International, Klipsch, Bang & Olufsen, Axiim, Enclave Audio, EC Living, Platin, Golden Ear, and System Audio.
Summit Wireless Technologies, a founding member of WiSA, the Wireless Speaker and Audio Association, confirmed the 2019 global launch of WiSA Certified products from nine leading wireless speaker manufacturers across North America, Europe and Asia. This multi-tiered deployment, slated for the first quarter of 2019, will coincide with the worldwide roll out of WiSA Ready TVs from LG Electronics’ 2019 lineup of OLED and flagship UHD displays.
All WiSA Ready and WiSA Certified components work together seamlessly to deliver wireless, multi-channel audio capabilities and concert-quality sound that dramatically increases the enjoyment of movies and video, music, sports, gaming/esports, and more. As a result, consumers can expect a reliable and flawless experience, but unlike traditional audio systems, set up is simple and takes just minutes, even for 5.1 speaker setups.
“Intelligent TVs are the centerpiece of today’s next generation home entertainment systems and audio is essential to the overall experience,” states Tim Alessi, senior director, product marketing at LG Electronics. “With WiSA Ready displays, we recognize the tremendous benefits that consumers will enjoy in taking advantage of truly immersive, wireless sound that complements all kinds of big screen home entertainment from movies and video to games, esports, and more.”
The full range of Summit’s WiSA technology enables up to 8 channels of uncompressed 24-bit audio capable of supporting the latest audio decode formats, including Dolby Atmos and DTS X for an immersive sound experience. Summit’s network performance reduces latency to a negligible 5ms that doesn’t vary with network loading, up to 20 times better than standard Bluetooth and WiFi technologies. Summit’s patent pending ADAPT algorithms for active detection, avoidance and prioritization technology more than doubles wireless network capacity, virtually eliminating interference from surrounding wireless networks to deliver a consumer experience that is best-in-class. With Summit’s WiSA technology, consumers enjoy great movies or gaming content knowing that the picture and sound will always be synchronized perfectly.
“LG is a brand synonymous with leadership, innovation and quality, and together we are championing the WiSA industry standard, which delivers wireless, immersive hi-fidelity sound capabilities with tremendous benefits to both manufacturers and consumers worldwide,” notes Brett Moyer, president and CEO of Summit Wireless Technologies. “WiSA Ready LG TVs are an integral part of our delivering next generation audio to a mass, global market with seamless compatibilities and ease of setup.”
More WiSA Products
The WiSA Ready standard has experienced rapid adoption and includes not only the 2019 lineup of LG TVs, but Xbox One gaming systems as well as PCs running Windows 10. Summit estimates that there will be up to 60 million units of WiSA Ready platforms in the market in 2019, providing for a total available market of more than 300 million WiSA enabled speakers.
Summit’s WiSA Certified manufacturers include brands like Harman International, Klipsch, Bang & Olufsen, Axiim, Enclave Audio, EC Living, Platin, Golden Ear, and System Audio. Beginning in the first quarter 2019, WiSA will kick off an international channel marketing program to support the entire spectrum of WiSA Certified speakers launching next year.
“As the world’s top CE brands and manufacturers rapidly embrace Summit’s WiSA technology, we move closer to broadly delivering the most innovative, wireless sound solutions available to greatly enhance the consumer experience,” adds Brett Moyer. “With an estimated 60 million WiSA Ready units in market by the end of next year, a new standard of quality, compatibility and superiority has been set.”
“The WiSA Association is extremely excited to reach this landmark and see leading brands adopting WiSA Ready Certification,” states Tony Ostrom, president of the WiSA Association. “A significant number of TVs, gaming PCs and console systems will now be able to simply connect to a WiSA Certified Transmitter and broadcast high-def, multi-channel audio allowing users to easily connect to a wide variety of speakers solutions from leading brands a create immersive audio systems with ease. The incredible amount of highly produced, multi-channel audio content coming directly into our homes today demands better audio and we are thrilled to help provide solutions that allow it to be properly enjoyed.”
www.LG.com | www.wisaassociation.org | www.summitwireless.com


text: Bonds Asian shares inch up after Apple earnings, CEO comments Updated : January 30, 2019 08:23 AM IST S&P 500 e-mini futures tacked on 0.1 percent in early trade while MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edged up 0.05 percent Apple shares rose 5.7 percent after the bell as the iPhone maker reported sharp growth in its services business. CEO Tim Cook, who is in regular contact with US President Donald Trump, also said trade tension between the United States and China is easing in January. Subscribe to Moneycontrol PRO at just Rs.33/- per month for the first year. Use code SUPERPRO. Limited period offer. Available on Web and Android.


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3 August 2023Compagnie Financière Tradition continued to grow in the first semester 2023 with consolidated adjusted revenue up 11.8% Read more >
A completely new approach to spot FX trading.
ParFX – a truly innovative solution.
Designed by Tradition – one of the world’s largest interdealer brokers in over-the-counter financial and commodity-related products – in conjunction with a group of the world’s leading FX banks, ParFX brings renewed transparency and equality to global wholesale electronic spot FX trading.Read more >
ParFX has introduced reduced minimum order and increment sizes across all currency pairs.


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S h a r e
Fast forward with new company car tax rules
We can all move forward.
The uncertainty that had turned managing fleet vehicles into a boggy mire of gelatinous indecision has, in an instant, been cleared away.
Time to hit the go button.
The Government has – at last – provided us with a pathway to the future. It’s down the road to zero emissions – well, we knew that already – but it was the signposting along the journey that had been missing: what steps to take; and when to take them.
Yesterday the government announced that company car tax had been frozen at the 2020/21 rates up to and including the 2022/23 tax year for all current company cars on fleet.
For new fleet cars registered from April 06, 2020, company car tax is to be cut by two percentage points.
All this provides a stable foundation on which to build fleet policy. It also resolves the impact of WLTP on company car tax. WLTP – or Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure – is the new and more accurate way that has been introduced to measure car emissions and fuel efficiency.
All new cars from January 2019 must display the new WLTP figures, which replace the old and inaccurate NEDC figures. However, all CO2 values under WLTP have generally increased. And this was causing huge concern in the fleet market because from April 2020, all company car tax will be based on WLTP figures.
It was, potentially, a huge landmine in the road for company car drivers with possibly hefty increases in benefit-in-kind taxation. That will not happen now.
The government has recognised the importance of transitioning the company car through the WLTP change.
What’s more, the government has understood how critical the company car is in driving down CO2 emissions to meet its climate change ambitions.
And here’s the exciting part.
Electric vehicles will be rated at 0% company car tax next year. Whether you are in an electric car now, or order one after April 2020, the tax will be zero. The tax in the following year rises to just 1% and then 2% the year after.
Our commercial director, David Blackmore, chose a Jaguar I-Pace for his company wheels last year. It was a smart choice then; and looks even smarter now. While David was expecting his benefit in kind to drop from 16% this tax year to 2% next year – around £50 a month – he will now pay zero benefit in kind. Smart. Really smart.
While electric cars are the real company car winners here for fleet drivers, let’s not forget that plug-in electric hybrid (PHEV) cars also benefit from low taxation levels, along with diesels that are RDE2 compliant (because there is no 4% surcharge).
I’ve argued again and again that the company car is not dead – see my blog No, it’s not the end of the company car driver as we know it – and these changes in taxation serve to strengthen the position and value of the company car in fleet structures.
So it’s time to stop glooping around in the mud of unknowns, and think about next steps in formulating fleet policy.
We will, of course, be happy to assist you on that journey. The brakes are off!
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Celebrating a decade of its presence, Spicejet has launched a discount offer called the “CelebrationSale” with fares starting as low as Rs 1,010 all inclusive. SpiceJet, which flew its first commercial flight between Delhi and Ahmedabad in 2005 on a Boeing 737 aircraft, completes its first decade of flying on May 23, 2015.
The three day sale launched on Tuesday and will be open till midnight, May 21. The travel period covered in this sale is July 1, 2015 to October 15, 2015. The offer is available for all domestic flights on SpiceJet's direct, via (same flight number hopping flight) and connecting flights network. International are not included in this offer.
SpiceJet is India’s most preferred airline who delivers the lowest air fares with the highest consumer value. The airline currently operates flights to over 44 Indian cities and 9 international destinations.


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Production of hemp, dagga's innocuous cousin, should be legalised, say fans of the crop
You wouldn't ban bamboo. After all, it's a carbon-absorbent, botanical wunderkind, with uses ranging from food to furniture.
So why ban hemp? For starters, it's equally useful. A versatile, hardy and protein-rich superplant whose cultural history dates back 10000 years, every bit of it - seeds, stalk, leaves - can be transformed into something practical (see box).
Hemp is a non-psychoactive variety of cannabis, which means you can smoke fields of the stuff and are as likely to get high on it as you are on bamboo. But the government banned raw hemp in 1903 because somehow the fun police got it spectacularly wrong and confused this innocent, functional plant with its psychoactive cousin, dagga. The plant is also persona non-grata in several other countries such as the US. It's doing a roaring trade in China, France and the former Soviet bloc, however, where hemp has always been a prized, legal commodity and supports multibillion-dollar export industries.
"But the whole prohibition side is now being re-looked at by many countries," says Tony Budden, co-owner of a Cape Town hemp retailer. "Nearly 40, such as Australia and Canada, have started growing hemp legally." But processed hemp, notes Budden, can still be imported into SA, an opportunity seized by Budden's business partner Duncan Parker in 1996 when he launched Hemporium, one of the country's first businesses to make and sell hemp products.
And now Hemporium has joined forces with Gauteng retailer House of Hemp to conduct SA's first commercial-research trials into the controversial crop. With a special licence issued by the Department of Heath, the retailers have planted four plots in the Western and Eastern Cape in a bid to demonstrate hemp's low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the stuff that makes you high. While dagga can contain up to 20% of THC, hemp contains negligible amounts at around 1%.
"We also hope the trials will show the job and wealth-creation possibilities of hemp," says Thandeka Kunene, national trial coordinator and House of Hemp founder. The trials, which already employ 47 people and are based in the Riebeek Kasteel area, Queenstown, East London and Mthatha, will be conducted over the next three years.
"If the trials are successful, government [departments of Health and Environmental Affairs and the police] has committed to investigate means of amending ... restrictive legislation," she adds. "The trials will also assist with organising potential hemp farmers into a national ... cooperative that interacts with government and self-regulates to ensure all who want to farm hemp are able to."
Says Budden: "Several government departments are showing support for a hemp-legislation change, such as the departments of Trade and Industry and Economic Development."
A 2011 Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries report even lauds hemp's potential to "produce jobs and income in a ... poverty-stricken area [like the Eastern Cape]", and recognises it as "one of the most important fibre crops for SA" with a "never-ending list of benefits".
"It needs less fertiliser as it grows so well on its own by using sunlight very efficiently," says Budden. "In fact, it grows so fast it suppresses competitive weeds naturally." The Western Cape plot was only planted in November but already stands 1m high.
"It's also naturally pest-resistant, because hemp releases a hormone that tells pests they are full, so they don't hang around."
According to Budden, the plant compares favourably to a crop like cotton. "You get about 25% more fibre per hectare than you get from cotton. Hemp is not particularly thirsty, so it also uses less water," he says. You can also make food from hemp, as well as paper - and so cut down fewer trees.
And hemp builds houses. Budden's 187m² home in Noordhoek was constructed over eight months in 2010/2011 from imported hemp products - such as "hempcrete", a mixture of lime and the hardy material extracted from the plant's stalks .
Matthew Ballenden of Fresh Earth Food Store, a Joburg retailer selling hemp products, believes local hemp production holds "huge" benefits for store and consumer: "You talk about health foods and the first thing people think about is that it's bloody expensive. There are too many middle-men, three or four people all putting on 30%. It's a rip-off ... Hemp is only accessible to wealthy people who can splash out."
But, as Ballenden argues, perhaps "we can get the product to the shelf at a much better price if we can it directly from the local manufacturer. That's the future of business". - Visit www.hemporium.co.za or www.houseofhemp.co.za.
TELL US: Would you buy more hemp products if they were cheaper? E-mail firstname.lastname@example.org.
Some uses for hemp
Clothes, nappies, fabrics, handbags, denim, socks, shoes, twine, rope, nets, tarps, carpets, geo-textiles, brake and clutch linings, caulking, paper, cardboard, fibreglass substitute, cement blocks, mortar, oil paints, solvents, varnishes, printing inks, putty, fuel, animal bedding and feed, mulch, compost, soap, shampoo, bath gels, cosmetics, food supplements.
- Source: Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Top honours for Tiara
Tiara Walters was named the environmental journalist of the year at the Sanparks conservation awards last week for her work as Sunday Times Lifestyle Magazine's Green Life columnist.
Formally known as the Kudu Awards, the function honoured South Africa's top conservationists and environmental media.
Walters was awarded R20000, and recognised for "reporting in a socially responsible manner" and "giving extensive and balanced reporting on conservation-related matters".


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CBS 2 - Search Results
Eastern Iowa Car Dealership Giving Refunds
URBANA (CBS 2/FOX 28) --
Urbana Motors is accused of improperly collecting fees.
Attorney General Tom Miller says the dealership sidestepped legal protections for consumers who were behind on payments and hid some costs.
Company officials say they will now accurately disclose total sales prices, annual percentage rates, and other charges.
They also plan to forgive outstanding balances for customers whose vehicles were improperly repossessed in the last two years.


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Speaker: Listening key to keeping clients, workers
In the business world, the top reason people lose clients is because customers don’t think the business cares about them, a North Carolina speaker said Tuesday.
One way to correct that perception is to become a good listener, said Mike Hourigan, a speaker, consultant and author from Charlotte. Hourigan, president of Hourigan & Associates, spoke to more than 200 people Tuesday at the Ramkota Hotel during the opening day of the Governor’s Economic Development Conference.
Likewise, companies value happy, creative and motivational employees.
“That’s all companies want,” Hourigan said.
If employees know their boss is listening to their ideas, they are more likely to love their jobs.
In a selling scenario, listening often means not talking but focusing on what a customer wants and understanding what body language says. “The worst thing you can possibly do if someone is talking to you is look at your watch,” he said.
Pat Costello, commissioner of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, said organizers of the event like to start the annual two-day conference with a motivational speech because it gets everyone talking with each other. About 350 businesspeople, government employees and lawmakers are attending this year’s event, which coincides with the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s Governor’s Giant Vision Business and Student Business Competition.
Today, Costello will speak to participants about the changes in laws that affect business and about economic development efforts. “The trade shows have become almost as important as referrals,” he said of state economic development efforts.
Nick Fosheim, executive director of the Minnehaha County and Lincoln County economic development associations, said the event is a good way to share ideas with others in the industry.
Hourigan’s session on listening was a good reminder that hearing what people want is important, Fosheim said.
“We match what clients and prospects need,” he said.


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Nova Wellness targets Southeast Asia market
KUALA LUMPUR: Pharmaceutical company Nova Wellness Group Bhd, that made its debut in the ACE Market of Bursa Malaysia today, plans to expand business in the Southeast Asian market, particularly in Indonesia and Thailand.
Managing director and chief research officer Phang Nyie Lin said the company is currently in talks with sole agents or distributors from two countries.
“To date, we have already distributed six of our products in Indonesia and seven in Thailand. We are also starting our online business to see the market performance there, before looking for a single agent to become our product distributor.
“The discussion process is expected to take two years,” he told reporters after the listing ceremony here today.
Nova Wellness open at 65 sen, or at 11 sen premium, above its offer price of 55 sen.
Phang said through its initial public offering (IPO), Nova Wellness has successfully raised RM44.91 million from its public issue, of which 36.7 per cent will be utilised for the construction of a new production facility, and 25.8 per cent for research and development activities.
Apart from that, 11.2 per cent will be utilised for the expansion of the company’s retail market presence, 20.5 per cent for working capital and the balance of 5.8 per cent will be utilised to finance the company’s listing expenses.
The retail tranche of Nova Wellness’ IPO comprised 16 million new shares applied by the Malaysian public registered an oversubscription of 2.84 times.
Nova Wellness is a Malaysian-based company within nutraceutical industry. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Nova Laboratories Sdn Bhd, is principally involved in the development, production and sales of nutraceutical and skincare products sold locally and overseas under the company’s house brands, and original equipment manufacturers (OEM) development and production of nutraceutical products.


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There is more graphite than lithium in electric vehicle batteries and the market for graphite used in batteries has grown by 250% since 2018. In addition to EVs, graphite is critical for use in solar panels, wind turbines and a whole host of military applications. It is also used in cores of nuclear reactors. But the supply chain is about to be disrupted as China has announced a graphite export ban.
China produces 61% of the world’s graphite and 98% of the ready-to-use material. In just 12 days, China will impose a ban on the exports of two types of graphite (synthetic and natural) and derivative materials without a special license. This comes after the U.S. limited the communist-run country’s access to high-end semiconductor chips in what seems like an escalating trade war. China said it was looking after its “national security and interests,” by applying dual-use export controls on certain types of graphite. The dual-use tag is used on items that can also be used in military technology.
We are now likely to see a disruption in supply chains and sharp increase in graphite prices. And this comes after prices had dropped to a 11-year low, down over 50% year on year during June. So the potential for a powerful bounce in the prices for graphite off oversold levels is high.
Over the longer term, natural graphite and active anode material (AAM) demand is expected to increase four and eight times, respectively, over the next 10 years.
3 Stocks to Profit from China’s Coming Graphite Export Ban
There are several micro-cap companies with some graphite in the ground, but only three names that I would personally consider for getting exposure to graphite.
Syrah Resources (SYAFF) is an Australia-based company that operates the world’s largest graphite mine in Mozambique, while expanding its active anode material production facility in Louisiana. Production in Louisiana is expected to start by year-end. Most of the production will be to supply an integrated Tier 1 battery manufacturer and automotive OEMs. A definitive feasibility study is also ongoing to expand the Vidalia facility in Louisiana to 45,000 tons of active anode material per year. Syrah Resources has entered into an off-take agreement with Tesla (TSLA) for 8,000 tons of AAM per year from the Vidalia plant. Syrah is the only operating vertically integrated natural graphite AAM supplier outside of China.
Enterprise value is $411 million with $87 million in net debt. This is the most advanced of the graphite companies we track. (Company Website)
Nouveau Monde Graphite (NYSE NMG) operates a demonstration Phase-1 facility. NMG is advancing the commercial parameters and the execution plan for the Phase-2 Matawinie Mine and Bécancour Battery Material Plan, expected to start producing in 2026. Future growth will come from their UATNAN mine, which has an even larger resource and returned an after-tax IRR of 26% and NPV of C$ 2,173 million. NMG is expected to produce 100,000 tonnes per year, according to Pallinghurst, with a mining life of 30 years. Panasonic Energy is now producing EV lithium-ion batteries at its prototype production facilities testing NMG’s active anode material, a major step toward a definitive off-take agreement.
Enterprise value is $158 million with just $7 million in net debt. (Company Website)
Northern Graphite Corporation (NGPHF) is a small-cap graphite producer with revenue growth of 7.3% in the latest quarter. They aren’t yet turning a profit but that could change quickly if graphite prices spike higher. The company 100% owns the Lac des Iles (LDI) graphite mine in Quebec, advanced stage Bissett Creek Graphite Project in Ontario, and the Okanjande graphite deposit/Okorusu processing plant in Namibia. Lac des Iles is producing at 15,000 tpy, but has capacity to expand to 25,000 tpy. The Namibia mine should come on stream next year at 31,000 tpy, more than doubling their production profile. Bissett Creek could start production of 44,000 tpy by 2025. Northern Graphite plans to build North America’s largest Battery Anode Materials (BAM) Plant to produce 200,000 tpa of battery anode material in Baie-Comeau, Quebec, Canada. They also have an option to acquire a 33.3% equity interest in NeoGraf. The vertical integration gives them greater operational control and should result in higher margins.
Enterprise value is $33 million with $12.4 million in net debt. I view this as a high-risk/high-return play for investors with a high risk tolerance. (Company Website)
Graphite miners have consolidated and pulled back a bit after the initial news from China. I think this presents an opportunity for investors that did not buy the initial breakout to pick up shares. I expect another push higher in graphite mining stocks over the next few weeks as we near the December 1st target date for China to ban exports. If you would like to receive all of our mining stock picks as soon as we add them to the Gold Stock Bull portfolio, sign up here.


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Officers sack 150 pounds of London-bound marijuana in 100 separate parcels.
STERLING, Va. – There were likely a lot of upset Brits who were unable to properly partake in the 420 Day observance after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers intercepted a crazy amount of London-bound wacky weed this weekend at Washington Dulles International Airport.
While conducting routine outbound mail inspections, CBP officers seized 62 parcels of marijuana on Saturday that weighed nearly 99 combined pounds and seized another 38 parcels on Sunday that collectively weighed a little more than 51 pounds. All 100 parcels and 150 pounds were destined to London.
Residents across California were the busiest bud shippers. CBP officers intercepted 80 parcels of Golden State ganja, 15 parcels of Las Vegas reefer, and five parcels of sinsemilla from Seattle.
Though some states have taken measures to decriminalize the possession of personal use amounts of marijuana, bulk smuggling remains illegal. Additionally, marijuana possession and distribution of any amount violates federal law.
The marijuana will be destroyed in a hazy blaze.
“The internet has essentially created a singular marketplace where consumers can buy anything from anywhere across the globe; however, Customs and Border Protection reminds consumers and vendors that those transactions and commodities must still comply with applicable U.S. laws,” said Daniel Escobedo, Area Port Director for CBP’s Area Port of Washington, D.C.
CBP officers and agents seized an average of 4,732 pounds of dangerous drugs every day at our nation’s air, land and sea ports of entry. See what else CBP accomplished during a typical day in 2021.
CBP's border security mission is led at ports of entry by CBP officers from the Office of Field Operations. CBP officers screen international travelers and cargo and search for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture, and other illicit products that could potentially harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality.
Please visit CBP Ports of Entry to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders.


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More than 33,000 counterfeit items valued at north of $8 million were seized in combined operations that overlapped the Halloween and holiday shopping seasons, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans office announced.
In one phase of a month-long Intellectual Property Rights, HSI-led surge dubbed Operation Safety Claus this month focused on the holiday gift-buying season, an array of merchandise was seized. The alleged fake goods included designer clothing, shoes, sunglasses, handbags, wallets, cosmetics, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, cell phones and cell phone accessories, DVDs, music CDs and sports memorabilia. The operations covered Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi.
This followed a connected operation that began the week prior to Halloween in which HSI New Orleans special agents conducted surveillance of area business locations that led to identifying numerous vendors engaged in the illegal sale of counterfeit goods, with an emphasis on Halloween-related items such as cosmetic contact lenses and makeup that pose a potential public safety threat due to possible bacterial and heavy metals contamination.
This operation vastly exceeded the HSI New Orleans 2018 totals, which resulted in 6,800 seized items valued at $800,000.
At a news conference announcing the operation’s results, HSI New Orleans special agent in charge Jere T. Miles said, “While consumers may think they’re saving a few dollars, the reality is transnational criminal organizations use counterfeiting as a revenue stream to fund other large-scale criminal activities.”
Steven Stavinoha, U.S. Customs and Border Protection-New Orleans director of field operations, said, “The Port of New Orleans has been a longtime partner with HSI in the effort to protect intellectual property rights. Operation Safety Claus is a powerful initiative for consumer safety and I commend all of our DHS partners for their outstanding work.”
In fiscal year 2019, HSI as a whole seized more than $800 million in counterfeit goods, and made more than 350 criminal arrests related to support of IPR enforcement operations.


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The big increase in prices puts closer to the hyperinflation to Venezuela, a country that suffers the deterioration of the purchasing power. However, the Central Bank has not reported the inflation for three months (the last data was published in late August, 63.4% annualized).
Venezuelan people report how day by day the bolivar collapses. The Big Mac from McDonalds reflects the inflationary spiral: in September 2013 it used to cost 125 bolivars with french fries and soda, while last November’s price was 245 bolivars.
“In November, the salary buys about 13% fewer products than 12 months ago,” said Henkel Garcia, Director of the Econometricfirm.