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Paul's Pasta still fresh after 30 years
Groton — As a kid, Paul Picken would mow the next-door Ledyard lawn of Paul and Dorothy Fidrych. The Fidryches, owner of Paul's Pasta Shop, would return the favor by bringing over a hotel pan of pasta.
Picken is now 39, and he recalled this memory as he ate lunch at Paul's on Thursday afternoon with a Pfizer co-worker.
Kimberly Thorp, his lunch companion, said Paul's hasn't changed in the decade or so she's been eating there.
"I think that's why it's so good, because you can count on it," she said.
The changes have been mostly limited to the addition of outdoor seating, growth from four to 34 employees and the cessation of selling canned gourmet foods that have since become commonplace in grocery stores, like artichoke hearts.
The changes were made to streamline operations to focus on customers' number-one priority: fresh pasta and a place to eat it. The shop also sells its rolled pasta for $4 a pound — $4.50 for whole wheat, spinach, tomato basil, garlic herb or black peppercorn — and caters.
Having opened on Feb. 8, 1988, Paul's Pasta Shop is celebrating 30 years in business.
Paul, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, and Dorothy, a Johnson & Wales University alumna, met while working at the Harbor View restaurant in Stonington.
At one point, Paul was living in Westbrook and working in Chester while Dorothy was working in Old Lyme, and so they found themselves at Pasta Unlimited in Deep River.
It was the first time Paul had homemade pasta. He loved the flavor and the texture. And he loved that the restaurant had its pasta machine in the window.
Pasta Unlimited served as the inspiration for Paul's Pasta, and the Fidryches are now on their third pasta machine. It sits in the window and churns out pappardelle, fettuccine, linguine, spaghetti and angel hair.
When Paul's Pasta opened, the Fidryches had a 3-month-old son. Now they have three sons, ages 30, 28 and 25, and all have worked at the shop in various positions. One works there now, having recently returned from six months on the Appalachian Trail.
Over the years, Paul and Dorothy Fidrych have seen fad diets come and go, ones that have temporarily kept some from eating pasta. Dorothy on Thursday sported a t-shirt that read "Don't fear the gluten" on the back, though the shop does offer a gluten-free penne dish.
Dorothy said of the customer base, "We have the sub base, we have the Coast Guard Academy, we have EB, a lot of business people."
"The military boys, they really like their chicken alfredo," Paul said. Anything with alfredo is popular among customers in general, and the buffalo mac and cheese has become a recent favorite.
The restaurant gets good publicity from sailors, who travel and tell others about Paul's Pasta.
Of the 18 months he has been with the Navy in Groton, Trevor Meligan has spent the past six going to the restaurant. He's been three times in the past month, considering pasta has been his wife's pregnancy craving.
Anyone who has eaten at Paul's Pasta logically had to have a first time there, but the return rate is so strong one is hard-pressed to find first-time diners. But Paul said he is now starting to see the fourth generation of customers eating there.
To celebrate 30 years in business, Paul said he and Dorothy would go out for dinner — and order pasta.
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Hot off the iOS 5 and iPhone 4S launch, Apple is deep into preparations for its next iOS device, says Susquehanna Financial analyst Jeff Fidicaro. If his supply chain checks pan out, that would mean the iPad 3 is heading into production.
Previous manufacturing estimates pegged 11 to 13 million iPads being made in Q4 2011, but that didn’t include iPad 3. According to Fidicaro, there are 600k to a million third-generation tablets being made, amping things up to 12 to 14 million units this quarter.
But before you get too excited, that doesn’t mean the next-gen tablet will land immediately. This run could be slated for release during the early part of 2012, to fit Apple’s typical March/April iPad release launch cycle. Then again, the company’s been doing unusual things lately, making the release date anyone’s guess.
What do you think? Are iPad 3’s being made as right now? If so, are you hoping Apple will unexpectedly buck the trend and make it available in time for the holidays? Or if they do release as expected, i.e. early next year, will you wait for it and buy one then?

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Asus ZenFone 8 Mini expected to be powered by Snapdragon 888
The ASUS ZenFone 8 Mini has been seen on the benchmarking platform Geekbench (via Pocketnow). The phone will reportedly go on sale later this year as part of the ZenFone 8 series. It is apparently internally known as 'SAKE,' and bears the model number ASUS_ZS590KS/ASUS_I006D.
The ASUS ZenFone 8 Mini variant spotted on Geekbench has 16GB of RAM and the listing is further indication that it will be underpinned by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset. This will bring it into line with this year's Android flagships.
previously leaked information, the ZenFone 8 Mini will sport a 5.92-inches Samsung-made OLED panel with a resolution of 2400×1080 and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The phone's rear camera array is expected to have at least two sensors: a 64MP Sony IMX686 unit and a new IMX663 module.According to
The device may offer 30W fast charging and its small size could make it one of the best Android phones of the year. The ZenFone 8 Mini will presumably be accompanied by a standard model and a Pro variant. These will also feature the Snapdragon 888 SoC, per rumors.
The regular variant is reportedly referred to as 'PICASSO' internally and its model number is ASUS_ZS672KS/ASUS_I004D. It will reportedly have a 6.67-inches OLED panel and a quad-camera array with a 64MP Sony IMX686 sensor, a 12.2MP Sony IMX363 snapper, a 24MP OmniVision OV24B1Q module, and an 8MP OmniVision OV08A telephoto unit.
The third model is called 'VODKA' internally and has the model number ASUS_ZS675KW/ASUS_I007D.


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BlackBerry has taken to the stage at Mobile World Congress to reveal two new smartphones, including a classic QWERTY model, showing that beleaguered Canadian manufacturer is still determined to succeed in the mobile sector.
Company CEO John Chen took the wraps off the Z3 ‘Jakarta’ and Q20 devices, both of which are expected to go on sale later this year, alongside several new services which the company hopes will boost its flagging fortunes.
At a press briefing, Chen (below) also confirmed that the company was also working on new high-end devices, but was unable to share any details. He also stated that the company had no plans to move into wearable technology in the near future.
The Q20 is very much a classic BlackBerry handset, coming with the QWERTY keyboard, trackpad and other buttons, features which Chen said were repeatedly mentioned by customers during his leadership so far.
“I want these customers to know that we heard them, and this new smartphone will be for them,” Chen said. “The new BlackBerry Q20 smartphone [is] designed to give you the distinct experience that every BlackBerry QWERTY loyalist and high-productivity business customer absolutely loves. With the BlackBerry Q20 smartphone, you’ll get the familiar hard buttons and trackpad that you want, along with the best email service, the best keyboard experience and the best battery life possible.”
Although specific details were lacking, the company confirmed that the Q20 would feature a 3.5 inch touchscreen, the largest display yet on a QWERTY BlackBerry smartphone.
BlackBerry said that the Q20 will be made from ‘premium materials’ and will designed for reliability and durability, containing a ‘large’ battery to provide superior battery life and the latest updated version of the BlackBerry 10 OS.
The Q20 will be available in the second half of 2014, so further details on pricing and availability will be announced later in the year.
The Z3, codenamed ‘Jakarta’ (pictured right), is a somewhat different offering, designed as an affordable device specifically targeted at the Indonesian consumers as BlackBerry looks to have more presence in this potentially huge developing market.
Featuring a 5 inch touchscreen and running BlackBerry 10 OS with customised access to local apps and Indonesian content, the Z3 will cost around $200 and will be built by Chinese manufacturer Foxconn as the first part of a joint partnership between the two companies.
“BlackBerry is beloved in Indonesia and its loyal fans have made it a popular smartphone brand,” said Terry Gou, Founder and Chairman, Foxconn. “This is why we are so proud to be able to help bring BlackBerry even closer to Indonesia with a fantastic product that will be accessible to even more Indonesians. This is only the beginning of what we know will be a long and fruitful partnership between Foxconn and BlackBerry.”
Is this the beginning of a new dawn for BlackBerry in 2014? Try our 2013 BlackBerry quiz!
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Patagonia announced its World Trout initiative, has generated over $333,000 since its inception in 2005. World Trout was founded by Patagonia owner Yvon Chouinard and author/artist James Prosek, who believed that immediate, hands-on action through grassroots groups can begin to address multiple threats facing our native trout species. Educating the public about these groups’ efforts and raising money to support their activities was the goal. As a result, original artwork by such renowned artists as James Prosek, Tim Borski and Alan James Robinson, has been used to create unique t-shirts, with $5 from the sales of each t-shirt set aside to fund these groups. Patagonia’s website brought awareness of each group’s effort, and summarized each season, how those funds had been used.
“We cannot depend on the government to address threats facing our fish populations. So we look to specific groups actively and passionately working to protect their fisheries, providing them with funds to get things done” commented Patagonia owner Yvon Chouinard. “We are committed to World Trout, and have made this a long term initiative for our company.”
Because of increasing requests for support and the significant amount of dollars being raised, Patagonia is creating additional funding opportunities for both fresh and saltwater grassroots groups working to protect threatened fish. Beginning in August, interested groups can go to the Patagonia website (www.patagonia.com/flyfishing) to apply for funding through a special online grant process.
“Seeing the hands on success of these groups, plus the global support from all our customers buying t-shirts and recommending worthy organizations, Patagonia wanted to provide an avenue for additional funding. This new World Trout Grants Program allows us to hear directly from grassroots organizations worldwide, allowing us to react to emergency situations and alternative funding strategies”, stated Bill Klyn, fish marketing manager.


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Looking to repeat the success of its investment in StoneCo (STNE -0.51%), Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A 0.03%) (BRK.B 0.00%) recently invested $500 million in another Brazilian fintech start-up called Nubank. In this Fool Live video clip, recorded on June 14, Fool.com contributor Matt Frankel, CFP, and Industry Focus host Jason Moser go over the details of the investment and what it could mean for Berkshire.
Jason Moser: Last week, we saw, I think, a very noteworthy headline, Berkshire Hathaway making, for most, a large investment in Brazilian fintech leader, I guess you could say there. It does seem like this is a leader in the Brazilian fintech space, Nubank. Matt, let's talk about this for a minute because it feels like Berkshire Hathaway, the business, I mean, we can talk about whether this is something spearheaded by Buffett or his deputies. But at the end of the day, Berkshire Hathaway certainly making some investments in Brazil, seeing this as one of the pockets of opportunity out there today in this newly developing fintech space. What do we make of this investment with Berkshire? I think it was somewhere in the neighborhood of $500 million investment they made in Nubank.
Matt Frankel: Yeah, $500 million, which would be a big investment for anybody but Berkshire Hathaway. It is just under 0.1% of Berkshire's total capital, or their total market cap rather. It could be a needle mover if it's, say, like a 10-bagger, but it's not a giant investment. But having said that, it's not hard to see why Berkshire might like the financial sector in Brazil. Brazil, it's a big country, if you're not familiar. They have over 200 million people in Brazil, and their financial system is not as inclusive as ours. In other words, banking has been dominated for years and years by a few big companies. Think of our big four banks, if there were no one else doing banking.
Frankel: As a result, there have been millions of people shut out of the traditional financial system. We talked about the unbanked and underbanked population in the US, it's a lot more in Brazil. You'll see a lot more people without a checking account, a lot more people without 401K or any traditional financial products. Over the past few years, the Brazilian government has been actively encouraging, and incentivizing, and supporting these fintech start-ups. You remember Berkshire already has a pretty successful track record in this space. They got into StoneCo a few days after the IPO. They're up 160% on that investment to date. That's pretty good. But Nubank, as the name implies, they're a new kind of bank. They offer things like, in addition to traditional cash management accounts, they have loans, they have life insurance products, they have investment products, they offer mobile payment business. They have about 40 million users, primarily in Brazil. They're just expanding into Mexico and Colombia. A lot of big companies start in Brazil and then expand outward. I think MercadoLibre is another one that is slowly expanding into the Mexico and Colombia markets from their core Brazil and Argentina market. Forty million users, this is part of a bigger investment round. They simultaneously raise another $250 million from other investors, and this is part of a funding round that's been going on since January in the bank. It values the bank at $30 billion. Doing just some quick math, this means Berkshire owns just under 2% of Nubank now.
Frankel: Pretty big company. If this becomes the next PayPal or the next Square, it could be a needle mover for Berkshire. But it looks like you're just trying to get some exposure. I'm pretty sure this was a Ted or Todd investment. I'd be really surprised if this was Buffett himself.
Moser: Yeah. I think you're probably right there, but it feels like even if that's something that they came up with, you feel like this is something that has to at least go through the front office, right?
Frankel: I mean, those two have pretty much freedom to operate. Their potential -- Buffett said that he didn't realize a stock that they own until reads about it in the paper because those guys don't really have to clear anything with them. But having said that, whether he knew about it or not, it's one thing I would have to think that Buffett would give his stamp of approval to. We know that he loves the banking industry. He invested in Wells Fargo long time ago, has since exited that investment. Bank of America behind Apple is the company's biggest stock position. He owns bunch of banks. He loves the bank and he loves the whole nature of the business. How you're using someone else's money to make money and things like that. The Brazilian banking system is where ours was a few decades ago. It makes sense that he sees more or that Berkshire in general sees more growth opportunities out that way.
Moser: Yeah, I mean, it does make sense from a lot of different perspectives there. I think it was really interesting to note, too, that leadership at Nubank actually sees this is really validation. I mean, that's actually what the CEO of the business of the company said. He said this is a huge validation for what they've been doing. I mean, you have to believe that gives them the confidence that what they're doing is working and the vision that they see for Brazil's and really Latin America's fintech future, I mean it really does, it seems like Nubank is a company that's really helping to dictate and help form that.
Frankel: Yeah. I mean, Berkshire stamp of approval, it's a pretty big one. Every quarter when their 13F comes out, the stocks that they bought go up, the stock that they sold go down, like the business hasn't changed. It's that they don't -- do or do not have the Buffett stamp of approval anymore. Remember, Buffett didn't own Bank of America till a few years ago, he had a bunch of warrants. When he cashed in those warrants, then Brian Moynihan had put out a letter saying we're proud to have Warren Buffett as our largest shareholder. Same thing Nubank just did. It's not just NuBank, a fintech start-up that thinks Buffett's stamp for approval was important. Bank of America thinks it's very important. Tim Cook has said he's happy to Buffett as an Apple investor, it's a big stamp of approval to have because like it or not, a lot of people invest based on what Buffett does. A lot of people take their cues from Buffett and think, "Oh, this must be a real business," especially in the case of some of these start-ups.


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Stablecoins will become one of the most preferred digital assets in Africa, Yellowcard, an exchange platform for cryptocurrencies, has disclosed.
The fintech disclosed this while announcing the introduction of its USD Coin (USDC), a digital stablecoin on the stellar network to improve cross-border payments, remittances, and treasury management globally.
Read also: eNaira ghost haunts stablecoin
“We are thrilled to bring USDC on Stellar to our users. This is a giant leap forward for global payments, making it easier, faster, and more affordable for people around the world to access and utilise digital dollars,” Chris Maurice, Yellow Card’s Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement.
Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency designed to address the issue of volatility among traditional cryptocurrencies. The preference for stablecoins hinges on the fact that they are tied to the dollar’s value, which protects it against inflation and eliminates the fear of volatility recorded by other digital assets.
The total market capitalisation for stablecoins was $165 billion as of January 2024, according to CoinMarketCap. This is a 19 percent increase from the $138.4 billion reported in January 2023 and lends credence to its growing importance in the crypto ecosystem, with stablecoins now occupying 15 percent of the total ecosystem.
Yellow Card added that stablecoins solve the problem of hidden charges, which is a challenge many people face in Africa. It stated that users will benefit from cheaper charges by transferring USDC to other USDC-supported exchanges.


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Amazon and Google to face questions from MPs
12.11.12 | Lisa Campbell
Amazon and Google are to face questioning from MPs over corporation tax in the UK today (12th November).
The US-based companies are due to give evidence to the Public Accounts Committee which is investigating taxing multinationals, at 3.15pm this afternoon. Andrew Cecil, director of public policy, will be giving evidence for Amazon, while Matt Brittin, chief executive officer will speak for Google UK.
Joining Amazon and Google in giving evidence is Starbucks, with all three set to give evidence on the fact that they pay no corporation tax on their earnings in the UK.
Amazon has paid no corporation tax on £3.3bn of generated sales in the UK while Google paid just £6m to the Treasury in 2011 despite registering a turnover of £395m. Starbucks meanwhile is said to have only paid £8.6m in corporation tax in the UK since 1998.


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Windsor-made whiskies and the distillery that produces them took home six major awards this month at the 10th annual Canadian Whisky Awards.
The winners included Pike Creek 21-Year-Old Oloroso Cask Finish, which was named Whisky of the Year. Hiram Walker and Sons received Distillery of the Year honours for the third time in a row, and Dr. Don Livermore was named Blender of the Year for the second consecutive year.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
“To be recognized as the Distillery of the Year is a tremendous accolade,” said Livermore.
“From grain to glass, there is a dedicated and passionate team behind our whiskies. We all rely on each other to make sound choices and it reflects in the quality award winning brands that we make. It’s a true honour to be part of the Hiram Walker and Corby family.”
The winners were announced Jan. 16 during the annual Victoria Whisky Festival in British Columbia. the Pike Creek 21-Year-Old Oloroso Cask Finish also won for Best Blended Whisky, and Connoisseur Whisky of the Year Domestic. J.P. Wiser’s Triple Barrel Rye was named Sippin’ Whisky of the Year Export.
“We are beyond proud of our brands and the recognition received this year at the Canadian Whisky Awards,” said Keeshan Selvakumar, brand director for umbrella company Corby Spirit and Wine Limited.
“These awards demonstrate Corby and Hiram Walker’s deep commitment to continue innovating, pushing the boundaries, and producing a diverse range of quality whiskies.”


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“Feel energy from nature,” says the ad for Aveda’s hydrating facial and eye creams. Not that we’re in the cosmetics business, but the ingredients in this moisturizer made us sit up and take notice: It uses finely powdered tourmaline.
Aveda says the tourmaline does not act as a polishing compound. The company’s ad copy calls it a “natural mineral, bringing energy to brighten the skin, improving the skin tone not as an exfoliant but reacting with the other elements in the cream.”
Aveda’s public relations spokesperson, however, didn’t seem to know how it does what it does. Jewelers know that tourmaline has a hardness of 7, which is probably a lot more abrasive than any other mineral Aveda would use in facial creams, so don’t rule out its polishing potential. But more important than its hardness is tourmaline’s piezoelectric property—it truly could be electrifying. “Well, not exactly,” says Aveda’s customer service representative. “It’s just a natural mineral bringing energy to the skin.” (Thanks for clearing that up.)
How about walnut shells in skin products? You’ve probably read recently that walnut shells have been used to polish pearls, and some suspect that the high luster of Chinese freshwater pearls is achieved by tumbling them in walnut shell media. Rio Grande, an Albuquerque, N.M., seller of jewelry manufacturing supplies, sells walnut shell by the pound, loose, charged, and crushed; a 10-lb. bag costs $10. According to Rio Grande, walnut shell is an excellent carrier for other components, to charge with different compounds—e.g., polishing creams such as chrome oxide and iron oxide.
Walnut shell has been used in the jewelry industry for polishing plastics, metals, fossil ivory, and more, says Rio Grande. But the use of walnut shells in Aveda’s smoothing body polish is something new. “It is a natural exfoliant,” says the Aveda spokesperson. “It’s been ground for that purpose. And we also have walnut extract added for color in our sun creams.”
For information on Aveda products, call (800) 328-0849, or log onto www.aveda.com. For information about walnut shell and walnut shell media, contact Rio Grande at (800) 965-2329 or visit www.riogrande.com.


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Clothing Company Wants To Trademark 'Yinzer,' But Says Pittsburghers Shouldn't Panic
Columbus, Ohio-based clothing company Homage has applied for trademark of the word "Yinzer" for apparel. The company has a store in East Liberty, and on their website sells shirts and baby onesies with "Yinzer" printed on front.
Homage filed for the "Yinzer" trademark in September of this year. If the company is granted the registration, intellectual property lawyer Gwen Acker Wood of Acker Wood IP Law said it could send a cease and desist order to vendors who use the word.
"And hopefully, that company would stop using the name as soon as possible," Acker Wood said. "But if not, they can sue in federal court for statutory damages for infringement."
"Yinzer" was actually trademarked for shirts in 2012 by an individual in Glendale, Calif. In an email, Homage Founder and CEO Ryan Vesler said the company created a licensing agreement with the registrant that included quarterly royalty payments. The original registrant let the trademark lapse, and Homage filed for the trademark to avoid "legal limbo."
"Our intention in filing for the trademark was never to aggressively enforce its use," Vesler wrote. "It was simply a decision to create some continuity with the intellectual property and continue selling shirts."
"Yinzer" is an omnipresent word in Pittsburgh, and it makes frequent appearances on shirts sold by small shops and street vendors. University of Pittsburgh Law Professor Michael Madison said it isn't unusual that someone would try to trademark the term.
"Ordinary words and phrases can be subject to trademark rights, even common words and phrases and things that are linguistically distinctive such as 'yinzer'," Madison said.
Even if Homage wanted to go after vendors that used "Yinzer," it would be hard.
"You're dealing with a word that's part of Pittsburgh's heritage," Acker Wood said. "I would think that it would be quite difficult to go after everyone who's going to be printing that on a shirt, especially if they're small vendors."
Vesler said the company did not mean to offend anyone or cause controversy by applying for the trademark.
"We've reached out to a Pittsburgh area non-profit with the hope of assigning the registration to them," he wrote. "So that royalty payments could benefit the community."


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Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, has announced that Grand Theft Auto V is expected to launch worldwide on 17 September 2013, for PS3 and Xbox 360. No word on a PC version was given.
The September release date moves the launch back from its original projected release window of spring 2013 in order to allow additional development time, Rockstar said in a press statement.
“Grand Theft Auto V continues to push the series forward in new ways; Rockstar North are creating our deepest, most beautiful and most immersive world yet,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We are very excited for people to learn more about the game in the coming months.”
In Grand Theft Auto V, Rockstar promises “the biggest, most dynamic and most diverse open world Rockstar Games has yet created.”
All the classic hallmarks of the series return, including attention to detail, a darkly humorous take on modern culture, alongside a brand new and ambitious approach to open world multiplayer.
Players will fill the role of three protagonists as their storylines interweave through the game.
The game is set in Los Santos: a sprawling sun-soaked metropolis full of self-help gurus, starlets and fading celebrities, once the envy of the Western world, now struggling to stay afloat in an era of economic uncertainty and cheap reality TV.
Amidst the turmoil, three very different criminals plot their own chances of survival and success: Franklin, a former street gangster, now looking for real opportunities and serious money; Michael, a professional ex-con whose retirement is a lot less rosy than he hoped it would be; and Trevor, a violent maniac driven by the chance of a cheap high and the next big score.
Running out of options, the crew risks everything in a series of daring and dangerous heists that could set them up for life.


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Tech News Site 'The Next Web' Acquired by Financial Times
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Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, Founder and CEO of The Next Web, joins Cheddar to discuss what being acquired by the Financial Times means for the company.
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The Next Web CEO Looks to Acquisition by The Financial Times to Expand its Reach
The CEO of The Next Web, a European tech news and events company, is looking to its acquisition by The Financial Times this week to jump-start what it hopes will be an explosive expansion of its global reach.
Dec 12, 2017
Cheddar Talks With The Next Web's Founder
Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, CEO and co-founder of The Next Web, discusses why he and his co-founder created the company and how much it has grown today.
Dec 13, 2017
Content as the New Currency
Hope King was over at The Next Web Conference to find out some of the biggest trends in digital advertising. She was joined by Geoff Colon, Senior Marketing Comms Designer at Microsoft, to get insight into the new era of marketing.


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Top tech startup news stories you need to know this Wednesday, October 24
Good morning! Here are some of the top tech startup news stories for today, Wednesday, October 24.
Zoox has raised about $800 million to create a safer vehicle for our roads. About 40,000 people are killed in car crashes in the U.S. every year. That’s an average of 102 deaths every day, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Zoox, a new Silicon Valley-based robotics startup pioneering autonomous mobility as-a-service, aims to revolutionize transportation safety with self-driving vehicles. The startup has raised an astonishing $800 million to date, including $500 million in early July at a valuation of $3.2 billion. Zoox was founded in 2014 by Tim Kentley-Klay, an Australian native, and Dr. Jesse Levinson, the coveted Stanford computer scientist, to create autonomous mobility. Operating at the intersection of design, computer science, and electro-mechanical engineering, Zoox is a multidisciplinary team working to imagine and build an advanced mobility experience that will support the future needs of urban mobility for both people and the environment.
Data warehouse startup Yellowbrick Data secures $48 million in funding. Yellowbrick Data, a Palo Alto, California-based data warehouse startup, has raised $48 million in a series B round of funding to accelerate adoption of its data analytics platform for the hybrid cloud. The funding was led by Siemens’ VC firm Next47, with participation from DFJ and other existing investors, including GV, Menlo Ventures, Samsung Ventures, and Third Point Ventures. Founded in 2014 by Jim Dawson and Neil Carson, Yellowbrick Data empowers companies to make faster decisions with all of their data.
Education startup Yogome shuts down afew months after raising $27 million, amid fraud allegations. Yogome, an educational startup founded in Mexico in mid-September this year. A few weeks later, the company board said it had uncovered evidence of financial misconduct and would abruptly shut down the company. The news, shared with the company staff in the first week of October, marked a sudden turn of events for an educational game developer that had raised $36.5 million in venture capital and had been heralded as a shining example of Mexico’s tech startup scene. After the decision was announced, the company laid off almost the entirety of its team—more than 150 people, according to a report from EdSurge. Those affected include roughly 140 employees based in Mexico, who received severance after the layoffs. Another 10 staff based in the U.S. were also let go.
NayaHealth, the $1,000 smart breast pump startup, has gone missing, leaving many customers unhappy. NayaHealth, a a startup that promises revolutionary $1,000 breast pump, no longer offers the product on its web site and it’s not responding to its customers, according to a new report by CNBC. Customers are upsets and also said the device doesn’t work as promised and they never got a refund. The company has also stopped updating its social media accounts, and has shut down its customer-support site. In late September 2017, Naya Health launched a Kickstarter campaign for a follow-up product: a smart bottle that promised to track how much milk was pumped into and how much a baby drank out, as well as provide “the nutritional composition of your breast milk.”
Google launches startup residency program. Alphabet, the parent company of Google, launched a startup residency program, Lisa Gevelber, a VP, Google for Startups, said in a blog post on company’s website yesterday. According to the statement, existing startups can also apply to Google for Startups Residency. Participating startups receive tailored mentorship and workspace for 5-6 months at a Google for Startups Campus in London, Madrid, São Paulo, Seoul, Tel Aviv or Warsaw. Applications for the program are open as of yesterday, Gevelber said. Currently, more than half of the participants in the residency program are women. Only 38% of the participants are women, the Tel Aviv Campus’ website notes.
Apple is expected to rake in an estimated $2 billion from App Store Ads by 2020. Apple’s Search Ads found in the App Store could be worth $2 billion by 2020, according to a CNBC interview with Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi. In 2018, Apple is expected to make $500 million in the Search Ads alone. “Apple’s App Store ads could be a $2 billion business by 2020,” Bernstein analyst predicted. In recent years, Apple has been trying to diversify its business by expanding its services offerings, including Search Ads, Apple Music and iCloud.
Cybersecurity startup Cyr3con raises $1.5 million in Seed Funding. Cyr3con, artificial intelligence powered cybersecurity startup, has closed $1.5M in seed funding. The round was led by Scout Ventures with participation from Michael Sutton (former CISO, Zscaler), Aleksandr Yampolskiy (CEO, SecurityScorecard), Steven Witt (former CEO, Onyara and Partner/Co-Founder of DataTribe), and Steve Hassell, (former CIO, Emerson). In conjunction with the funding, Scout Ventures partner Wes Blackwell will also be joining Cyr3con’s board. Founded by Paulo Shakarian, the Tempe, Arizona-based Cyr3con leverages a patented hybrid of Artificial Intelligence and Darkweb Mining to predict and prevent future cyberattacks before they occur.


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According to MediaPost , Amazon has beaten out Apple and Google, with the e-commerce giant’s brand value increasing by 42% year on year to a whopping $150 billion, according to Brand Finance.
With a brand strength index score of 92.3, up from 91.3 last year, Disney is the world’s strongest brand and one of the most interesting to watch in the coming years, according to the valuation and strategy consultancy. In light of its recent purchase of a majority stake in 21st Century Fox, Disney can further develop its brand to deliver for more consumers worldwide.
As for Amazon, it is no longer just an online retailer, but also a provider of cloud infrastructure and a producer of electronics. The company is moving beyond the digital space, as last year’s takeover of Whole Foods for $13.7 billion gave the brand a foothold in the realm of bricks and mortar.
“Jeff Bezos once said that ‘brands are more important online than they are in the physical world,’” says David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance. “He has proved himself right by choosing the name Amazon, known as the largest, most powerful river in the world, as 23 years later the Amazon brand carries all before it as an unstoppable force.”
Click here to read full article: mediapost.com
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Ambassador pledges support for deeper two way investment between Thailand and U.S.
While U.S. investment in ASEAN countries is more than in Japan and China combine, a quarter of U.S. investment in ASEAN or around $ 50 billion is in Thailand. Big U.S. companies have been investing in Thailand for decades. Early this month, representatives from 29 leading US companies which invest in Thailand called on the Thai Prime Minister and his economic ministers.
Thai investors have recently discovered US to be a favorable investment destination too. Ambassador Pisan Manawapat has been urging Thai companies and investors to look at US market and invest substantially as it has been a consistent policy of the Federal as well as State governments to welcome foreign investment to promote jobs and growth in the USA.
On 24 August 2015, Ambassador Pisan Manawapat together with Mr. Songphol Sukchan, Thai Consul-General in Chicago, and Team Thailand from Office of Commerce in Washington D.C., Thai Trade Chicago, and BOI New York visited Thai Summit America Corporation, a 100% Thai own automobile parts manufacturing company in Howell, Michigan, which brought back employment and generated growth for the city. The delegation were welcome by Mrs. Somporn Juangroongruangkit, President of Thai Summit.
Thai Summit, a global company, provides world-class engineering, sheet metal stamping and assembly capabilities to customers in a range of industries, including alternative energy, medical equipment, and automobiles. The Howell plant provides high quality parts for Ford Mustangs and F-150 pickup trucks as well as for Jeep products and Freightliner trucks.
It has recently expanded their facility and add new equipments with accumulated amount of $200 million investment. Their building area is one million square feet with more than 700 employees in a small town of 6,000 inhabitants.
No wonder why the ambassador’s visit was joined by Congressman Michael Bichop (R-Michigan), City Mayor Nick Proctor, Michigan State Representative Hank Vaupel, and city officials. Dignitaries attended a tree planting that marked the official groundbreaking for a $52.4 million expansion project at Thai Summit America in Howell.
During the trip to Michigan, the Ambassador and his team also visited Ford Motors Dearborn and the Guardian Industry HQs in Michigan. The meetings were to follow up trade and investment issues and continue dialogue to support U.S. investors in Thailand. Ford and Guardian reaffirmed to continue their businesses and to expand their investment in Thailand. Ford has been investing in Thailand since 1995 and exports 80% in the region with more than 2 million automobile production per year.
Guardian industry has been investing in Thailand as production base since 1992 with almost 40% export of high quality glass to Asian region. Ron Vaupel, President and CEO of Guardian Industry welcome the Thai delegation and showed their world leading glass producing technology.
Thai Ambassador assures Thai investors in the U.S.and U.S. investors in Thailand his utmost support, The two-way investment will only strengthen further the mutually beneficial business ties between Thailand and U.S. and reinforce U.S. overall strategy towards ASEAN and Asia as a whole.


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The Disney Parks Blog announced the re-opening dates for several restaurants at the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Woody’s Lunch Box will re-open on November 25th
- The Crystal Palace will re-open on December 13th
- Tomorrowland Terrace will re-open on December 17th
It is unknown whether or not these will remain open past the holidays, with Tomorrowland Terrace specifically only open seasonally in previous years.


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Renowned Microsoft-owned employment-oriented social networking company LinkedIn has reportedly announced its intention of acquiring the employee surveying start-up Glint. Sources familiar with the matter claim that the value of the deal would be worth over $400 million.
Glint is based out of Redwood City, California and employs more than 200 individuals. The company has reportedly drawn in large businesses like United Airlines, Alphabet’s Waymo, and Dish Network to utilize its software.
According to a press release by the company, the acquisition would prove to be a powerful extension to LinkedIn’s talent business owing to its extensive insight into a larger workforce to search and acquire talented individuals coupled with Glint’s contribution towards the overall productivity and health of the employees.
The Co-Founder and CEO of Glint, Jim Barnett reportedly stated that Glint’s insights into the success of people coupled with LinkedIn’s expertise into the broader spectrum of workforce would be a powerful blend that would help customer organizations to attract, retain, and develop the best individuals.
For the record, Glint previously raised $20 million in a series D funding round back in November 2017. The deal is reported to have given the Silicon-valley company a valuation of $220 million. The company’s software allows the client’s human resource division to survey the employees and measure the productivity of different teams and measure their satisfaction with the work environment.
As a part of Microsoft, this would reportedly be the biggest purchase made by LinkedIn. Microsoft acquired the professional social networking company back in 2016. The Glint acquisition further demonstrates Microsoft’s intention to let LinkedIn operate independently.
According to reports, while the companies declined to unveil the terms of the agreement and the related financial information, sources privy to the matter claimed that LinkedIn paid over $400 million or possibly over $500 million. A LinkedIn spokesperson reportedly stated that it is one of the biggest acquisitions made by the company, however, declined to comment on the amount of the takeover.


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Inductive charging project starts test phase in Oslo
The EnergiCity project has started the test phase for the contactless charging of electric cabs. In the Norwegian capital Oslo, 25 Jaguar I-Pace will in future be inductively charged in taxi use. The charging capacity is to exceed far that of standard AC charging.Weiterlesen
UK government boosts electric automotive sector
The UK government has awarded £73.5 million in funding through the Advanced Propulsion Centre. This includes ten projects in the automotive sector to develop technologies to reduce CO2 emissions. A significant proportion of the money is being spent on furthering electric vehicle production and technology.Weiterlesen
BYD & JLR consider battery factory in the UK
According to insider information, BYD is considering building a battery cell factory in the UK to supply Jaguar Land Rover. Corresponding talks between BYD and JLR are currently underway. However, the unclear future trade relationship of Great Britain with the EU is delaying BYD’s decision.Weiterlesen
Land Rover introduces hybrid Evoque & Discovery Sport
Land Rover has introduced its two smallest SUVs, Evoque and Discovery Sport, with a specially developed plug-in hybrid drive. Both models are also available for immediate order.Weiterlesen
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JLR to convert Castle Bromwich to e-mobility centre
According to a media report, Jaguar Land Rover wants to expand its historic plant in Castle Bromwich into a production centre for electric vehicles. The first three models have also already been named.Weiterlesen
Lack of batteries hinders Mercedes & halts I-Pace production
Jaguar is suspending production of its electric SUV I-Pace in Graz, Austria this week due to battery cell supply problems. The British firm gets its batteries from the LG Chem plant in Poland. Mercedes is also suffering from lack of battery cells among other issues.Weiterlesen
GKN Automotive and Delta join forces on e-drives
GKN Automotive and Delta Electronics are launching a strategic cooperation for the development and marketing of electric drives for the 80 to 155 kW power class. The drives from the joint development are to be launched on the market in three years.Weiterlesen
UK: JLR to create “powerhouse of e-mobility in the Midlands”
Jaguar Land Rover has announced plans to manufacture a range of new electrified vehicles at its Castle Bromwich plant near Birmingham. The announcement is the next step towards the company’s promise to offer electrified options for all new models starting 2020.Weiterlesen
JLR installs 166 NewMotion charging points
Jaguar Land Rover has had NewMotion (Shell) install 166 charging points at their development centre in Gaydon. The 7 kW chargers are ready for employee use. JLR will also install charging stations in the Gaydon visitor car park and later at other locations in the UK.Weiterlesen
JLR & Chery turn China factory into EV centre
Chery Jaguar Land Rover, the British company’s Chinese joint venture is planning to invest 7BN yen (over 900M euros) in the local development and production of electric cars. This will see them turn their existing facility in Changshu into a powerhouse for EV testing, R&D and manufacturing.Weiterlesen
Jaguar may turn into all-electric car brand by 2025
JLR is considering to turn Jaguar into an electric vehicle only brand within the next decade. Executives and their product planners have produced an outline strategy, says Autocar, complete with a future line-up of nothing but EVs.Weiterlesen
Jaguar Land Rover considering producing I-Pace in China
JLR is considering starting up production for their BEV I-Pace in China. Their local Chinese partner Chery Automobile will take over production of the I-Pace alongside the E-Pace, which will begin production at the facility soon.Weiterlesen
Jaguar connecting with Plugsurfing for premium charging
Jaguar Land Rover has opted for Berlin-based Plugsurfing to offer a “premium charging service” for the I-Pace electric car and Range Rover PHEVs. The partnership includes 70,000 charging points across Europe to be accessed through JLR apps.Weiterlesen
Mennekes exclusive charging provider for Jaguar I-Pace
Jaguar Land Rover selects Mennekes as charging infrastructure partner for the I-Pace electric car. The cooperation will kick off with Mennekes installing their premium wallbox Amtron at 80 JLR stores and garages in Italy.Weiterlesen
JLR increases spending to offer electric cars across board
Jaguar Land Rover is increasing investment by about a quarter in order to offer electrified versions of its entire model range. By 2025, the British brand plans to include hybrid and electric versions for every car, although the EV variant will depend on demand.Weiterlesen
JLR to set up battery assembly or else face bottlenecks
Jaguar Land Rover will not (yet) produce battery cells but plans to set up their own battery assembly. CEO Ralf Speth told Manager Magazin that a looming shortage of batteries could hit deliveries of the I-Pace otherwise.Weiterlesen
JLR working on flexible platform for petrol and electric models
Jaguar Land Rover follows BMWs and Mercedes’ example and is working on an architecture ready to accommodate both fossil fuel and electrified models. JLR’s head of production, Wolfgang Stadler confirmed this in German media but would not give a timeline.Weiterlesen
IONITY negotiating with Volvo, FCA, PSA, Jaguar and Tesla
IONITY, the high power charging cooperation between BMW, Daimler, Ford and Volkswagen, along with subsidiaries Audi and Porsche, is negotiating with other potent partners such as utilities and even Tesla, who maybe interested in joining.Weiterlesen
Jaguar to make its next-gen XJ an electric flagship
The British car manufacturer intends to launch its next-gen luxury sedan XJ with an all-electric drivetrain, according to “Autocar”. Related design works shall be already completed.Weiterlesen
Nissan, JLR, Tesla, Ford, Israel, Suzuki.
Nissan presents launch edition: The next-gen Leaf finally reached Europe. The Japanese carmaker chose Oslo to introduce its updated EV to the audience and to also announce a launch edition called „2.ZERO Edition“, fully equipped e.g. with the driver assistance system ProPILOT and Nissan’s new e-pedal. Pricing for the special version starts at 34,950 euros (in contrast to the new Leaf’s basis price of 31,950 euros), first deliveries are scheduled for early 2018.
JLR electrifies Range Rover Sport: For the first time, Jaguar Land Rover adds a PHEV to its line-up: The Range Rover Sport family will get a new plug-in hybrid member called P400e. The new model couples a 300 PS gasoline engine with a 85kW electric motor and a 13.1 kWh battery, reaching a maximum range of 50km in an electric-only modus. The UK order books are open by now. Pricing starts at 70,800 pounds with first sales planned in the beginning of 2018.
electriccarsreport.com, greencarcongress.com, autocar.co.uk
First spy shot of Tesla’s truck: Several websites have published a photo showing Tesla’s electric truck Semi for the first time more or less completely. The picture has been taken at a circuit in California where the EV maker regularly tests its vehicles. The truck’s official presentation is due at October, 26th, after having been once postponed.
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Cluster Electric Mobility South-West with strong presence at EVS30: The Cluster Electric Mobility South-West is one of the most important networks for the mobility of the future, pooling effectively the competences of industry and science. The network consisting of more than 125 partners is managed by the State Agency e-mobil BW. On October 9-11, 2017 the leading-edge cluster will be present at EVS30 with numerous contributions in the conference programme as well as in the exhibition. Get in touch with us in Stuttgart, Germany. Programme (PDF). www.e-mobilbw.de
Ford to reconsider EV strategy for China? The American carmaker is about to realign its EV business, shifting together with its JV partner Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC) further towards electric transporters and trucks, according to Reuters. Main reasons are the impending ban of combustion-powered cars in China and the fact that no other foreign manufacturer has yet put detailed plans on the table to enter the potentially lucrative Chinese electric utility vehicle market.
Israel continues „green taxation“: The country’s government agreed on keeping its lower purchase tax rate on electrified vehicles until at least late 2019. Instead of a 83 percent tax rate, HEVs and PHEVs are taxed at 30 percent, fully electric cars just at 10 percent. The reductions are valid since 2009 and serve as incentives for the country’s population.
JV trio to get another partner? After Toyota, Mazda and Denso have founded a Japanese EV alliance based in Nagoya, Suzuki seems to be interested to join the JV, too. At least that is what Kyodo News reports referring to sources that do not want to be named. Suzuki has a major presence in India but faces more and more problems to meet tightening emission standards around the world.
Austria, Mitsubishi, Sprinter, Suzuki, JLR, India.
Austria to increase its bonus programme’s budget: In March, the Austrian government introduced premiums for private buyers of electrified vehicles and charging infrastructure components. Since then, 2,380 funding applications have been handed in and more than 4m euros have been distributed in return. That’s obviously the main reason, why the country turns out to be the EU’s frontrunner when it comes to newly registered EVs. Now the Austrian cabinet decided to increase the programme’s budget by providing additional 5m euros. In detail, buyers get 4,000 euros bonus for all-electric cars, 1,500 euros for hybrids, 750 euros for electric bikes and 200 euros for wallboxes or smart charging cables.
oekonews.at, diepresse.com (both in German)
Mitsubishi intends to launch electric duo: As part of the alliance with Nissan and Renault, Mitsubishi will contribute two electric vehicles to the recently announced alliance project to launch 12 EVs until 2022. The first one will be a mini EV based on Mitsubishi’s eK wagon and created to be a successor of the i-MiEV. The second newcomer shall be an electric version of the company’s RVR compact SUV – rather known as AXS respectively Outlander Sport abroad.
Design details about Mercedes’ new Sprinter: In the run-up to the North American Commercial Vehicle Show in Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz Vans has presented an official design sketch of its next-gen Sprinter. As reported, both, the conventional and the electric version of the Sprinter, will roll off the lines in Düsseldorf. Market launch is scheduled for the first half of 2018.
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EVS30 in Stuttgart: New standards in electromobility: From 9th to 11th October 2017 the entire electromobility industry will meet in Stuttgart for the EVS30. Find out about latest trends as well as applications of the electric drive train – at the exhibition or in the international conference. Don’t miss EVS30 and also visit the co-located events BATTERY+STORAGE and f-cell. www.evs30.org
Electric buggy by Suzuki: With a concept car dubbed eSurvivor, Suzuki shows its vision of future electric mobility at the Tokyo Motor Show. The prototype is a fully electrified off-roader in buggy stile with a two seat open cockpit and a motor in each wheel. More details will follow with the concept vehicle’s official presentation in October.
autoevolution.com, carscoops.com, paultan.org
JLR to launch new model line: Jaguar Land Rover plans to initiate a new model line called Road Rover and says its first representative, an electric-powered luxury car, would hit the road before 2020, Autocar reports. Pricing for the top-line version could exceed 90,000 pounds. Simultaneously, JLR develops the next-gen Jaguar XJ. According to the report, both, the XJ and the Road Rover, will be pure-electric vehicles with twin motors and on-demand all-wheel drive.
India extends its FAME programme up to March 2018. The inventive scheme with the four letters standing for “Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles” is in its second year and offers premium payments on electric and hybrid vehicles of up to 29,000 rupees (375 euros) for bikes and 138,000 rupees (1785 euros) for cars.
E-mobility Index, JLR, Magna, Porsche, Tesla, Koenigsegg.
Electric mobility index sees China ahead: Roland Berger’s ‘E-mobility Index Q2/2017’ shows China in pole position for the first time, due to its lead in both industry and market for electric transport. The index compares Germany, France, Italy, USA, Japan, China, and South Korea. Germany even lost its “Vorsprung durch Technik” to France, that took the technology lead mainly because of the high PHEV share German manufacturers currently have in their portfolios.
JLR to strengthen EV unit: Jaguar Land Rover intends to create 5,000 new jobs, mainly in Great Britain by 2018, in line with its plans to accelerate its EV and autonomous driving businesses. Still, JLR’s first electric model I-Pace, shall be produced at Magna in Austria, however, the firm said it is keen to build such electric cars also in Great Britain – if conditions prove favourable.
Meanwhile Magna has been chosen to produce BMW’s 5-series PHEV as well starting this summer, when the plug-in hybrid will begin to roll off the lines in Graz, Austria.
Porsche hattrick at Le Mans: In a dramatic race, the Germans won the prestigious 24 hours of Le Mans for a third time in a row. Timo Bernhard, Earl Bamber and Brendon Hartley confidently steered free of the incident-packed course and once again triumphed in their Porsche 919 Hybrid.
reuters.com, autocar.co.uk, theguardian.com
Model X comes to Indonesia: While the Western hemisphere is expecting the Model 3, other parts of the world have yet to receive the Model X. Like in Indonesia, where the wait of Tesla fans has only come to an end by now. The price is set at the equivalent of 200,000 dollars.
Koenigsegg’s Regera sold out: All 80 units of the 1.9m dollars sports car by Swedish Koenigsegg have found their buyers. First introduced as production-ready in Geneva last year, the Regera programme has been the largest single vehicle series in the company’s history.
Tesla, PSA, Beijing, JLR, Honda, GM.
Model 3 debut with limited choice: Tesla will activate the online configurator for the Model 3 by the end of July. Design choices will be limited however to a choice of colour and wheel size as the firm wants to avoid problems it had with the Model X debut. At the time, the Californians had difficulties to quickly reach large quantities, due to a lot of configuration possibilities.
teslarati.com, electrek.co, tesla.com (video of shareholder meeting)
PSA to invest in China: 500m euros will flow into the China JV between the French car manufacturer and its partner Changan this year. Their target is to launch one new DS model per year in China starting in 2018, and to offer both PHEV and EV versions of their luxury label from 2019.
Beijing has used up its NEV quota for the private sector this year already. Local government had limited the number of licence plates to 51,000 in 2017 and with all of those gone, it looks like new buyers must be patient until 2018 – if the city government does not readjust the quota in the meantime.
Jaguar to electrify extensively: Each and every Jaguar Land Rover will be offered as both EV and PHEV by 2025, Hanno Kirner, responsible for the company’s strategy, revealed to German Tagesspiegel. Starting with the I-Pace due in 2018 for a price of around 80,000 euros, Jaguar wants to get half way through the electrification of it main line-up within three years. Kirner further pointed to the Formula E as both a platform for learning and audience engagement. For JLR it is the first season with Team Panasonic Jaguar Racing.
Nothing but electric for Honda’s NSX? According to Honda’s head of R&D Sekino Yosuke, the next-gen hybrid sports car NSX could come equipped with four electric motors. Honda is just testing fitting tech in the 1,000 bhp Pikes Peak race car, the NSX-inspired Acura EV concept.
Chevy Bolt now U.S.-wide: General Motors slightly accelerates market entry of its all-electric Bolt in the States as it opens the order books nationwide. The Bolt will now arrive in the newly included states in August, one month earlier than originally planned.


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After coming under fire over the holidays for being the victim of a massive hack that leaked phone numbers and Snapchat usernames of over 4.6million of its users, Snapchat is back in the hot seat as many of its users are complaining of a being suddenly assaulted by Snap Spam.
Snapchat has been quick to put out the flames by publishing an open letter on its blog, claiming that the wave of spam is totally unrelated to the holiday hack that exposed users’ info. Instead, Snapchat blames the Snap Spam on the rising popularity of the service.
Here’s the full apology:
We’ve heard some complaints over the weekend about an increase in Snap Spam on our service. We want to apologize for any unwanted Snaps and let you know our team is working on resolving the issue. As far as we know, this is unrelated to the Find Friends issue we experienced over the holidays.
While we expect to minimize spam, it is the consequence of a quickly growing service. To help prevent spam from entering your feed, you can adjust your settings to determine who can send you Snaps. We recommend “Only My Friends” :)
We appreciate your patience and we’ll keep you posted.
Snapchat promised to bring a spam fix to the app way back in April of last year, but other than fixing your privacy settings, there’s no way for users to report or filter spam.
Got 3 @Snapchat spams today. Time for them to add a report button?
— Jordan Harband (@ljharb) January 13, 2014


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* Plans to triple exports over the next 5 years
* Expects to build new 400 MW plant in Michigan
LOS ANGELES, April 1 (Reuters) - U.S. solar startup Suniva Inc, which makes high-efficiency solar cells and modules, said on Thursday it is sold out through 2010 and plans to triple exports over the next five years.
The company raised $75 million last year in a financing round led by private equity firm Warburg Pincus [WP.UL] LLC to expand its manufacturing capacity.
Demand for solar power products has rebounded after a difficult 2009, when the global credit crisis dried up financing for new projects and panel prices plummeted.
“Through the end of the year, we are sold out and we have customers who ask us for more product everyday,” Suniva’s Chief Executive John Baumstark said in an interview.
Norcross, Georgia-based Suniva's solar cells and modules compete with those made by U.S.-based SunPower Corp SPWRA.O and Japan's Sanyo Electric Co Ltd 6764.T, or Suntech Power Holdings Co Ltd's STP.N high-efficiency Pluto panels. Its customers include Germany's Solon SE SOOG.DE and India's Titan Energy Systems Ltd.
Suniva is planning to build a plant in Saginaw County, Michigan, which would produce some 400 megawatts of capacity per year. It is expected to be operational sometime in 2011.
Baumstark said the company is currently under consideration to get a $141 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy, to help fund the $250 million plant.
In February, the United States gave its biggest backing yet to a renewable energy project, guaranteeing $1.37 billion in loans for a California development by BrightSource Energy Inc.
Including production from the proposed Michigan facility, Suniva is expected to have an annual capacity of around 600 MW, and triple its exports in five years, said Baumstark.
Suniva exported more than 90 percent of its products to Asia and Europe last year.
Baumstark said the company has no firm plans for going public, but will do so when market conditions are favorable. (Reporting by Dana Ford, editing by Leslie Gevirtz)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.


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Accessories Amazon Asda Christmas Expansion & Franchise Fashion HR News High Street John Lewis London Marks & Spencer Media News Results Retail Retail and Consumer Industry Retail news Sainsbury's Store Tesco UK brand china consumer deal deals and rumours department department stores e-commerce electricals expansion fashion news food grocer group launch luxury morrisons my online online retail people profit property retail property retailer sale sales supermarket waitrose
Puma scales down business to combat euro zone instability Friday, 27th July 2012
Puma has spoken of its plans to cut back on sponsorship deals and reduce the amount of products it sells as it fights the effects of a weakened euro zone.
The German sportswear brand has previously warned 2012 profits would fall shy of forecasts after its core European customers cut back on spending.
The company is planning to downsize its store network both in Europe and North America, as well as reducing the number of warehouses it operates.
Second quarter sales in Europe fell three per cent while sales in its biggest product category, footwear, were flat. Sales hit EUR 752.9 million while net earnings were EUR 26.7 million.


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By Joel D. Pinaroc
Perseverance and sacrifice propelled the Philippine team TNC Predator atop the online gaming world anew after the team bagged its second consecutive championship crown at the Defense of the Ancients (DOTA) 2 tournament at the World Electronic Sports Games (WESG) held in Chongqing, China this month.
Along with the championship trophy, the all-professional team comprised of Armel Paul ?Armel? Tabios, Kim ?Gabbi? Villafuerter, Nico ?eyyou? Barcelon, Timothy ?Tims? Randrup and Carlo ?Kuku? Palad, also brought home the top cash prize of $500,000 (over P26 million).
TNC Predator bested top teams in Asia, most notably China, and around the world to win the championship.
In a previous interview, team members disclosed that one of the toughest competitions they had was against Team Russia.
Team members also admitted that to reach such heights, ?there was a lot of sacrifice? particularly the time spent on playing the game.
DOTA 2 is a massively popular game in the Philippines and abroad. Some players transitioned to playing the game professionally by joining tournaments around the world which offered prize money to winners.
In fact, TNC Predator was fresh off its win in the Asia Pacific Predator League, bagging the championship and $75,000 in prize money before winning the big one at the WESG.
DOTA 2, in a nutshell, is a an online team-based, fantasy world game, where players can take the role of various characters — with different capabilities — to battle it out with other teams to accomplish certain tasks.
Taiwanese PC maker Acer is one of the major sponsors of TNC Predator, particularly Acer?s game PC lineup ?Predator.?
TNC Predator was formed in 2015 and although relatively young, the team is now known as a gaming powerhouse after becoming the first Philippine team to qualify in ?The International,? a prestigious global online gaming tournament attracting the best professional gamers across the globe.
?The International? is organized by Valve Corporation, the American video gamed developer and digital distribution company and the creator of DOTA 2.


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Small Companies Make a Big Impact
It’s the 50th annual National Small Business Week, and organizations, officials, and communities across the country are taking time to publically herald the many benefits America’s small companies offer the nation. As with other groups and communities that enjoy annual commemoration, America’s small businesses are an integral part of the country year round. Yet, taking time to focus on just how important small business is to the United States is worthwhile, if but only to continue directing the national attention to the big drivers of job creation, innovation and economic growth.
“Small” can be a misnomer for business. While the staff and revenue may be less than the corporate giants of the world, in the aggregate, small businesses constitute a big impact on the country. Small businesses account for 64 percent of new private sector jobs, and nearly half of all private sector employment, according to the Small Business Administration. They make up 98% of companies that export goods to the world, and bring in one-third of America’s export value. With regard to innovation, high-patenting small businesses (that is, 15 or more patents over 4 years) yield 16 times more patents per employee than larger companies. When it comes to employment and innovation, America’s small businesses are in the driver’s seat.
The federal definition of what constitutes a small business often differs from state and local definitions, and any category based only on revenue or number of employees necessarily has some gray areas. When a company exceeds the official definition by one employee or $1 of revenue, they hardly find an easier time in the mid-sized company range. If anything, America’s mid-sized companies are more challenged to grow and succeed as, unlike small businesses, there is not as much of a focused effort on supportive policies and programs.
Regardless of an “official definition,” we know a small business when we see it. These companies are not just the sponsors of the Little League baseball team or the local Fourth of July parade. They are where many of the people in this country earn a living. They provide the local products and services that fuel everyday life. They are the beating heart of the American economy. It is important to remember that every large business with a brand and product we know as well as our local sports team started out as a small enterprise. World-leading companies like Boeing, Lockheed and GE were all once small enterprises. Even the international powerhouse Wal-Mart was once just a humble storefront in Bentonville, Arkansas.
As well as providing jobs for much of the country, small companies are critical in the larger innovation system. As larger companies grow, one key element to their success can been merging and purchasing small businesses. The innovations that arise in small companies often provide the missing piece of the puzzle for a larger system. Small business success is not only measured by growth and revenue; sometimes it is achieved when they become part of a bigger enterprise.
Yet, small businesses face steep challenges on the road to success. Fully half of all new companies close within five years; only one-third make it a decade. For that reason, those on the national stage who champion smaller companies need to do more than provide lip service to the ubiquitous talking point of promoting small business. America’s political leaders must always question what the policies and programs they support do to encourage business development.
For example, there is an appropriate role for regulations; however, what are not appropriate are rules that ultimately create obstacles for small business creativity and growth. Understanding that small businesses are a binding thread in the fabric of this country, any government action that makes it tougher for small businesses to succeed moves towards unraveling what made our country the greatest economic power the world has ever seen.
During this National Small Business Week, it is good for us to pause and reflect on all the benefits we enjoy because of the entrepreneurs and small companies that keep America running. Like so many parts of the United States, however, the small business community demands more than a passing annual acknowledgment. America’s companies operate year round, and it takes a collective effort and awareness to ensure they remain open for business.


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By the Numbers: Amazon vs. Alibaba (Infographic)
According to an infographic compiled by international courier ParcelHero, while Amazon ships 3 million packages a day, Alibaba ships 12 million. Another interesting factoid: On Cyber Monday, America's great ecommerce shopping day, Amazon processed 37 million orders. On Singles Day, an annual shopping holiday in China created by Alibaba itself, Alibaba processed 278 million orders.
Alibaba, of course, has a much larger customer base: There are about 1.4 billion people living in China, compared to 319 million in the U.S.
As Amazon closes in on its 20th birthday, which it plans to celebrate on July 15 with a slew of Black Friday-style deals, ParcelHero founder Roger Sumner-Rivers says the tech giant's future is in truly developing its own infrastructure for package delivery.
"Amazon's ultimate aim for its new distribution arm, Amazon Logistics, is, we believe, that it becomes a logistics company in its own right, competing with companies such as UPS and FedEx," he said in a statement accompanying an industry report on Amazon.
As Amazon is busy building its own delivery logistics network, so too is Alibaba. Called the China Smart Logistics Network, the operation aims to deliver shipments to any city in China within 24 hours, according to ParcelHero. It's slated for completion in eight to 10 years.
For both Alibaba and Amazon, delivering packages is only one part of multi-pronged business models, and so while Alibaba delivers more packages than Amazon, Amazon is the larger company by revenue. Last year, Jeff Bezos' company raked in almost $89 billion in sales and Jack Ma's ecommerce platform took in a bit over $12 billion.
Have a look at the infographic below for a more in depth look at the Amazon-Alibaba faceoff.
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text: Sony Interactive Entertainment Leadership Restructure Appoints New People to Key PositionsPS4 22 March, 202123 March, 2021Sony Interactive Entertainment today announced a leadership restructure and several new appointments of key positions, primarily focused on the engineering and finance teams. The management shakeup comes as SIE deputy president John Kodera is getting ready to shift to a new position at Sony leading digital transformation.Kodera previously led the development of the PlayStation Network and its infrastructure, as well as being responsible for PlayStation Plus. He also led SIE as President and CEO following Andrew House’s departure in 2017 before stepping down himself in 2019 in favor of Jim Ryan.Hideaki Nishino now steps in reporting directly to Jim Ryan as SVP platform experience. Nishino will “oversee network engineering and operations, R&D, design, data strategy and operations in addition to managing product and platform development.” Nishino joined Sony in 2000, and played a key role in PS4 and PS5 product development. He was the person who introduced the PS5 UI and user experience reveal last year.VP of global third-party relations Michael Pattinson will now report to Nishino. Pattinson is a key part in the third-party business partnerships for PlayStation, and is a champion for indie devs.Following a 40 year tenure, SIE deputy president and chief financial officer Kazuhiko Takeda will be retiring in June 2021. In July 2021, Lin Tao will step in as SVP finance, corporate development and strategy, reporting directly to Jim Ryan.The board of directors for SIE Tokyo is also getting some new faces, including Masayasu Ito as representative director and deputy president, Lin Tao as director and deputy president, and Takeshi Shibata as director.All of these leadership changes come in addition to the recently announced restructuring of Sony’s Japan Studio. Japan Studio’s Team ASOBI will operate as it’s own studio for SIE Japan, while Japan Studio as a whole will be phased out following departures by numerous key leadership over the last few years. [Via: VGC]The post Sony Interactive Entertainment Leadership Restructure Appoints New People to Key Positions appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.


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Oh good, even more drones to be petrified of. This time it’s from Google.
After more than two years of research, the company’s research lab Google X announced Project Wing last night. The plan is to use the flying robots to deliver packages within minutes to its destination. Hmm, that sounds mildly similar to Amazon’s, which is also planning to use drones as delivery vehicles.
Anyway, the type of drone that Google is using is slightly larger than others. Its wingspan clocks in at 5 feet and has four electrically-powered propellers. Testing has been conducted in Queensland, Australia where it has dropped first aid kids, dog treats, and
Project Wing is led by Nicholas Roy, a professor at M.I.T. who took a sabbatical for the project, notes The New York Times. He’s joined by dozens of other people who are developing some sort of drone delivery app. There are still a lot of specifics to be nailed down per the NYT:
In terms of how the actual delivery would be handled, Google said it tried the parachute approach (like in The Hunger Games), as well as shooting the package downward like a missile. They also tried landing it, but that was problematic because Google believed people might get too close to the vehicle and lose a finger to the drone’s rotors while trying to fetch their delivery.
And there’s that little government agency called the FAA. They haven’t been so keen about drones zipping around the skies, but Google said it has briefed them about it.
Don’t expect a Google drone anytime soon. It has least a few more years before it can do battle with Amazon.


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“We are excited to offer full service testing for the state’s exploding adult-use market. The first two recreational cannabis dispensaries opened on November 20, 2018 and according to the CCC, sales exceeded $2 million in the first five days. Additional dispensaries are awaiting final license approval to enter this $1.2B cannabis market. We have already established relationships with a majority of the growers and producers across the Commonwealth and we look forward to serving them,” said Lori Glauser, COO of EVIO, in a media release. “As more consumers try cannabis including CBD products, it is vitally important that the product is safe, and the product labels are accurate.”
The provisional license permits EVIO Labs to complete the relocation to its new Framingham facility, reoptimize the equipment to support EVIO’s ISO accredited methods and complete preparations for final inspection.
The Oregon-based company is forecasting this process will be complete within the next 30 to 45 days.
The company has leased space on Speen Street.
EVIO Inc. is a leading provider of cannabis testing and scientific research for the regulated cannabis industry.
The company’s EVIO Labs division operates coast-to-coast providing state-mandated ancillary services to ensure the safety and quality of the nation’s cannabis supply.
The company’s EVIO Biosciences Division is dedicated to the scientific, medical, and psychosocial exploration of clinical cannabis, cannabinoids, and the endocannabinoid system.


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A top executive at American International Group says U.S. annuity sales seem to be firming up.
Kevin Hogan, the chief executive officer of AIG’s Life & Retirement unit, talked about the sales pipeline Tuesday, during a conference call the company held to go over its latest earnings.
(Related: AIG’s Life and Retirement Business Made $650 Million: Earnings)
Hogan told the analysts that, because of the effects of COVID-19 and the pandemic-related social distancing rules, “the quarter was the lowest in memory.”
But, “towards the latter part of June, we saw some real signs of life,” Hogan said.
The bank channel suffered the most serious disruption: AIG annuity sales through that channel fell about 60%.
But sales through the bank channel in July were almost twice as high as sales in June, Hogan said.
At financial advisors, broker-dealers and insurance marketing organizations, sales fell about 40%, Hogan said.
AIG responded to falling interest rates by repricing its products quickly. Now, other issuers have caught up with repricing, and that may be starting to level the playing field, Hogan said.
Many advisors have now shifted to virtual sales practices, Hogan added.
Thanks to the marketwide pricing realignment, and the sales system shift, sales through advisors, broker-dealers and IMOs also looked much stronger in July than in June, Hogan said.
“The pipeline is growing,” Hogan said. “Our sales of annuities per day continued to increase. So, we’re pretty optimistic that, if conditions continue the way they are, we’ll see recovery in July over June, and in the third quarter over the second.”


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After two and a half years of pandemic and restrictions, Calgary retailers are welcoming a return to normalcy as local shoppers prepare for Santa coming down the chimney.
The question for shop owners is just how merry the season will be.
Lindsay Saunders, owner of Cinder and Sage, said she has seen a drop in sales this year, including 25 percent for November, compared to 2020 and 2021 when there was a hyper-local focus among shoppers.
“That push from the last couple of years to buy local has really saved us all and we just need it again this year because I think a lot of people are in a bit of trouble,” she said.
Cinder and Sage sell Saunders’ line of jewelry as well as many other items mostly sourced from Alberta.
The store actually spent the first few years of its existence only as an e-commerce business, but finally opened a brick-and-mortar location about five years ago. This foundation set them up well for the pandemic as retailers faced closures and restrictions on face-to-face sales. While many were forced to pivot, in some cases they helped other stores to operate online.
They are also faced with economic forces that are causing some shoppers to be more cautious in their spending.
According to Deloitte’s 2022 Holiday Retail Outlook, a looming recession fueled by high inflation and rising interest rates is a concern for many Canadians. Marty Weintraub, their national retail leader, said from his conversations with retailers there is caution and concern about the holiday season tied to Canadians’ willingness to spend.
“It’s not necessarily that the money isn’t there, it’s the propensity to let it go,” he said. “I still believe we’re going to have a tougher holiday season because the messaging from the banks has actually gotten a little bit worse since we did our research in September.”
He added that the expansion and emphasis on Black Friday sales also continues to take some of the shine off Boxing Day sales, with only one-third of Canadians planning to shop after Christmas this year. He said that the percentage drops by about one or two percent every year.
While supply chain issues have been a challenge in all sectors, Weintraub said in retail it is starting to return to normal. In some cases, there are problems where businesses have excess inventory due to the unreliability of the supply chain. Where there is difficulty in finding certain items, especially in electronics, this is countered by the availability of options, as long as people are willing to look at other brands.
The holidays are the time to shine for toy stores and this is where they can often make or break the year. The Discovery Hut was forced to take some big steps to stay operational during COVID, including opening a store in CrossIron Mills so they could serve people who would otherwise be cut out due to capacity constraints. Second place was successful enough that it’s not going anywhere.
Most important to co-owner Randy Shapiro is a return to normal shopping patterns.
“It really is of crucial importance to us,” he said. “We do provide entertainment in the store and most of our customers are people who shop in the store. So when we have capacity constraints or we have to rely on Internet sales, that means a really lean year for us. And that’s putting it mildly.”
According to manager James Brewer, one of the big trends is the sale of board games because of the social aspect of people getting together more this Christmas.
The Sentry Box, which has been selling board games and miniatures in Calgary for 49 years and is one of the largest board game stores in Canada, is seeing record sales this month – without any Black Friday promotions.
Owner Gordon Johansen said sales were up about 15 percent from their previous best November. He wasn’t ready to acknowledge their social nature, as many families leaned toward sitting around the table and breaking out a game during the pandemic. He looks at their affordability in these times of tight budgets.
“Starhorse shops and bars always do well in any kind of slowdown in the economy,” Johansen said. “You can’t go out and buy a new computer, a new car, fancy TV or whatever, but you can pay $50 to $80 and get a game that’s going to keep five people entertained, entertain six people multiple times, that is still a good deal. Games are cheap compared to most other things.”
Johansen said online sales make up a very small portion of their sales as they have over 7,000 titles available and it’s much easier to come in and browse.
A muted Black Friday for Canadians amid inflation, online shopping and longer deals
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The Retail Council of Canada published its holiday outlook a few weeks ago. It showed spending expected to be slightly lower this year, with Albertans planning to spend about $856 this season, down from $869 last year.
RCC national spokeswoman Michelle Wasylyshen said 35 percent of people plan to start shopping in November, with 28 percent planning to hit the stores on Black Friday and 21 percent scouring the internet for deals on Cyber Monday.
She said there was reason to be optimistic with people planning to spend more on food, drink and clothing.
“It’s indicative of more parties, more opportunities to look nice, more face-to-face gatherings, more family gatherings, those kinds of things,” she said. “We know that consumers are going to watch their money, they’re going to stretch their dollar as far as they can go, but that they do want to shop, they want to celebrate.”


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A South Korea-based coffee company this week received a seven-container shipment of approximately 134.4 metric tons of Kenyan coffee from the Kikpelion District Cooperative Union Limited.
Exporting directly to the Good Bean Coffee company is a respite for Kenyan farmers who have long seen coffee yields decline due to price strangulation by middlemen in the sector.
This breakthrough is the result of Kenya’s participation and marketing initiatives during the Coffee Expo Seoul which took place in July 2021, where Kenya was a country of profile.
Kenya’s main focus at Coffee Expo Seoul was to establish direct coffee export links to South Korea, which is the fourth largest consumer of Kenyan coffee after Belgium, Germany and the United States. United.
The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA), the Kenya Investment Authority, the Coffee Authority, the State Department of Commerce and the Kenyan Embassy in Seoul represented farmers who were unable to attend Coffee Expo Seoul due to Covid-19 restrictions in 2021.
“The agreement signed by Good Beans Coffee Company, will enable Kenyan farmers to earn nearly USD 908,160 through the direct sale of 134.4 metric tons or the equivalent of 7 containers of coffee. About 9,582 coffee farmers will receive an average Ksh 100 per kilo, almost 3 times the current auction price of Ksh 35,” said Prof. Joseph Kieyah, Chairman of the Coffee Sub-Sector Reforms Implementation Standing Committee.
In addition, export by farmers is a milestone under President Uhuru Kenyatta’s coffee sub-sector reforms that aim to free farmers from the chains of predatory brokers.
“The coffee industry is the 11e largest industry with an annual consumption of approximately 512 cups per capita and more than 110,000 coffees. It is a lucrative industry that Kenyan farmers can benefit from in terms of diversifying the coffee market. Our focus now must be on adding value to ensure that our farmers reap more profits instead of selling coffee beans for further processing and repackaging,” added Dr. Wilfred Marube, CEO of KEPROBA.
Currently, Belgium has overthrown America as Kenya’s top export market for coffee with over Kshs 6.5 billion worth of coffee exported in the year to June 2021.
It was nearly double what it had purchased the previous year, overtaking the United States as the drink’s top buyer.
Apart from South Korea, Europe and the United States of America, Kenyan coffee has market penetration capability under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, which is the largest free trade area in the world since the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO). has 55 African Union member states and has a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of at least $3.4 trillion and a market of over 1.2 billion people.
Other market prospects for Kenyan coffee include trade ties created during Expo 2020 Dubai which aims to target the Gulf Cooperation Council.


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Standard Li-Ion batteries for medical devices to be presented
at COMPAMED 2017
The company will exhibit a complete line of batteries in Hall 8b/L33.
After passing the tests for the European safety standard IEC-62133, Electric Fuel standard batteries for the medical device industry can bear the CE safety marking. The company also holds ISO-13485 medical quality system certification.
“The fact that our batteries succeeded in passing the tests is another step toward achieving our goal of becoming a key player in the medical device battery market, offering high-quality batteries at affordable prices,” said Ronen Badichi, president of Electric Fuel. “We see growing interest in our batteries, and we are currently negotiating with several European distributors who are interested in representing our product range.”
Electric Fuel offers a premium product based on Li-Ion cells from Tier 1 global vendors. Its standard batteries come in a wide variety of capacities, voltages, sizes and form factors, together with unprecedented reliability. The company already offers the EMB-2020 Model (equivalent to DR-202) and intends to soon release other popular models to meet different customer requirements and enable comprehensive solutions.
Electric Fuel also provides a wide variety of custom batteries and charging solutions such as embedded chargers, desktop chargers and multi-channel chargers for hospitals.


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Christmas came early for some employees in the Netherlands when their boss unexpectedly offered them a month worth of groceries.
Digital marketing company Yonego is based in Breda, Netherlands and the company’s owner, Joris Toonders, wanted to do something special for his employees.
In a surprise move, Toonders gifted more than 100 employees with a folder, a shopping bag, and a gold-colored envelope.
According to the Netherlands Posts English, Toonders explained to the employees that they could put their grocery store receipts from the month of December in the envelope and tuck it into the folder.
After his announcement, the room went silent. He said, “I have never seen a hundred colleagues so quiet together.”
Toonders clarified that the grocery store receipts didn’t have any limits and employees could pick and choose what to buy for food. What many employers would trust their employees to be reasonable, Toonders emphasized that trusting colleagues is important and he felt his employees wouldn’t take advantage of the gift.
He shared with the outlet, “I don’t know what people normally do for groceries and whether they’re going to buy something extra, but I trust my colleagues. You have to trust your colleagues and they have to feel that way too.”
What a great boss!Whizzco


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X018, the return to the X0 event Xbox used to hold, is almost here. To help properly set expectations for the event, there’s a new post on Xbox Wire with details on who and what will be there. This should help us know what to expect from X018.
Here’s what was posted on Xbox Wire:
We’ll be celebrating an incredible holiday season for gamers with our biggest episode of Inside Xbox yet, including news, interviews, great deals, and much more. Guests include Head of Xbox Phil Spencer, Head of Microsoft Studios Matt Booty, Minecraft Studio Head Helen Chiang and many, many more.
Tune in for games including Crackdown 3, Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, Forza Horizon 4 and of course, we’ll have a surprise or two as well.
They also confirmed that there will be over a dozen game announcements for Xbox Game Pass. Additionally, viewers who watch the show via Mixer will earn some special rewards for Forza Horizon 4 and Sea of Thieves.
Without speculating about what the surprises or additions to Game Pass will be, this seems like a solid list of games and guests. We’ll keep you up to date on all the announcements. X018 goes live on Saturday, November 10th at 4 p.m. on Mixer, Twitch, YouTube and Twitter.


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Trawler Fest, the cruising-under-power lifestyle event produced by PassageMaker magazine, announced Warwick, R.I., as the location for its New England show. Trawler Fest Warwick will take place July 15-17 at the Brewer Greenwich Bay Marina. The event will feature more than 30 exhibitors showcasing a variety of boating products and services. More than 30 boats…more
TrawlerFest, which is held annually in Anacortes, Wash., Baltimore and Fort Lauderdale, is designed to help people find their dream boat, connect with fellow cruisers and expand their nautical knowledge through seminars and presentations.


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Activist Judge Sets Trial Date For Frivolous AR-15 Lawsuit In Connecticut
Connecticut Judge Barbara Bellis refused to comply with federal law last week, which compels her to toss out a frivolous lawsuit filed by a small group of Sandy Hook families who are seeking to make selling the most popular rifle sold in the United States illegal.
She’s now set a trial date for this lie-filed suit.
Yesterday a Connecticut judge set a trial date of April 3, 2018, for a lawsuit against the manufacturer, distributor, and dealer who supplied the Bushmaster XM15-E2S used in the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. In the meantime, the plaintiffs—who include the families of nine people murdered at the school, plus a survivor of the attack—can proceed with discovery. It’s not exactly clear what they hope to find, since the case hinges not on facts but on the way they’re spun. The plaintiffs argue that selling the Bushmaster XM15-E2S and other AR-15-style rifles to the general public qualifies as “negligent entrustment,” because such “assault weapons” have “no legitimate civilian purpose.”
“No legitimate civilian purpose?”
Citizen demand in particular for AR-15 pattern rifles is especially high in recent years, for the most practical of reasons.
AR-15 rifles are very modular in nature. Depending on the needs and desires of the owner, an AR-15 can be set up in a wide range of configurations.
AR-15-style rifles are common among competition shooters, using iron sights or optics depending upon the kind of competition.
[Continue reading on Bearing Arms …]


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