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2013 Poll Finds That 52% Of Americans Support Marijuana Legalization
A recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center (Pew) found that 52% of Americans favor the legalization of marijuana, while only 45% believe it should remain illegal.
The 2013 Pew Research Center survey of 1,501 adults was released yesterday, April 4, and was conducted from March 13th to the 17th. The survey concluded that the “Millennial’s” – born after 1980 and are now between the ages of 18 and 32 – are the most likely supporters of legalization, with 65% in favor of legalization. This number is nearly double what it was just four years ago (36% support in 2008).
“The survey concluded that the “Millennial’s” are the most likely supporters of legalization, with 65% in favor of legalization.”
However, it seems that the Millennials are getting through to their grandparents, as 50% of Boomers – born between 1946 and 1964 – are now in favor as well. This is significant considering that number dipped as low as 17% in 1990.
“Generation X” have seen first hand the benefits of medicinal marijuana, as more and more Baby Boomer’s look to cannabis instead of chemotherapy. The increase in support for legalization from “Generation X” – born between 1965 and 1980 – has nearly doubled in the last decade, from 28% in 1994 to 54% in 2013.
“OK… So Maybe I Inhaled… What Of It?”
The Pew Research Center survey found that 48% of respondents have tried marijuana at least one time in their life, and 1% don’t know or can’t remember if they have or not. Party on Wayne.
Only 12% of all respondents admitted to “using marijuana” in the past year. This is far lower than the 27% of respondents below the age of 30 who confessed to sparking up in the past year.
“Of the 48% of respondents who have ever tried marijuana, 70% of them agree that cannabis should be legal.”
Of the 48% of respondents who have ever tried marijuana, 70% of them agree that cannabis should be legal. Those who have never tried cannabis in their life increased their support for legalization from 25% in 2010 to 35% in 2013. The survey also found that only 38% of people believe that marijuana use leads to harder drugs, and 47% (of past year users) claim they use cannabis “just for fun.” Pew conducted the same survey in 1977 in which 60% said that cannabis use led to harder drugs.
Furthermore, attitudes on whether smoking pot is morally wrong, or even a moral issue at all, have changed since 2006. Only 32% believe that smoking marijuana is morally wrong, as opposed to 50% just four years back. The amount of people that have realized using cannabis is not an issue of morality has risen 15 points, from 35% to 50%.
Americans Agree War On Drugs Is An Expensive Failure
Although there were differences in opinion between the Republican (60% opposition) and Democrat (59% in favor) respondents on the legality of cannabis, the majority of respondents agreed that the government’s efforts to enforce marijuana laws cost more than they are worth. In fact, 72% percent of the survey’s respondents felt this way (R: 67% D: 71%).
“[T]he study found that 77% of Americans now agree that cannabis does in fact have medicinal benefits.”
Additionally, 60% believe that the federal government should just not enforce federal laws in states where marijuana is deemed legal on a state level. Only 35% of respondents stated that they believe the federal government should enforce federal law.
Lastly, the study found that 77% of Americans now agree that cannabis does in fact have medicinal benefits. This is compared to the 16% who claimed that cannabis has no legitimate medical use.


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Pending no objections filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and subject to higher bids at auction, The Wall Street Journal reports that A&P and Wakefern Food Corp. have sealed a $40 million deal for 12 east coast stores.
According to the report, the locations in question are 11 A&P, Pathmark, and Waldbaums stores in New York and Pennsylvania, plus one Connecticut A&P location, having gone for roughly $3.3 million each.
This is the second big sale A&P has been able to slate. The retailer has recently won bankruptcy court approval to sell 95 of its stores to the Albertsons chain for $370 million, potentially preserving more than 10,750 jobs.
A&P asked for the auction, the Wall Street Journal reports, in a filing with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court last week, in accordance with U.S. District Court Judge Robert Drain’s approval of “discrete” sales procedures for stores that weren’t part of the original stores put up for sale when A&P filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July.
According to the report, A&P plans to hold an auction on October 8th for the stores in question if no other bidders come forward. Any other party that wins a bid in that auction, however, also has to pay Wakefern a breakup fee of $1.2 million in addition to the winning bid.
Wakefern Food Corp. is the largest retailer-owned cooperative in the U.S., according to its website, and is the parent company of a number of banners, including ShopRite, PriceRite, and The Fresh Grocer.

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While the average worldwide consumption of caffeine is 76 mg, Americans average 200 mg per day.
And cheers to our friends up north and across the pond—Canadians and Brits rival our love for caffeine. Each nation also averages 200 mg a day.
To put that number in perspective, a 16 oz. (grande) Starbucks coffee has 330 mg of caffeine in it, according to Mayo Clinic.
Too bad the celebration might be cut short. It turns out the health hazards of coffee are as bountiful as our cup is full—or so claims this infographic. Go ahead and brew over that the next time you’re standing in line at Starbucks, preparing to order a grande iced insomnia or a venti bout of coffee-breath.


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Updated: IFA 2016: What to expect from Samsung, Sony and more at Germany’s big tech show
5 months ago Comments Off on Updated: IFA 2016: What to expect from Samsung, Sony and more at Germany’s big tech show
IFA 2016 news and rumors
Update: A leak in late August seems to have exposed the Sony Xperia X Compact, a handset with a rumored 4.6-inch display. While not tied directly to IFA, the very real looking phone could make its debut on the Berlin stage. We’ll know more soon.
IFA, the world’s second largest tech show behind CES, is fast approaching, and we’re more excited than ever to see what Berlin has in store.
The show is normally dominated by TVs, but last year saw an influx of smartwatches from the likes of Samsung, Motorola and Huawei. A number of phone announcements were also thrown in for good measure: two Sony Xperia Z5s, the "compact" and the "premium", and Huawei showed off the Mate S and the G8.
Official IFA 2016 dates are September 2 – September 7, though loads of press conferences take place in the days prior. Some of the biggest names in tech will descend on the Messe Berlin, and we’ll be on the ground to bring you all the latest news and first-hand impressions of everything that’s announced.
Read on for a company-by-company breakdown of the news and rumors we’ve heard so far about IFA 2016, and turn to Page 2 for some of our pre-IFA predictions.
Head to the bottom of this page to take our IFA 2016 poll!
It’s been quite a year for Samsung, one that was recently punctuated by the debut of the Galaxy Note 7.
But Samsung isn’t done with 2016 yet. It has two IFA events planned, and we have a good idea what tech it plans to reveal at both.
The main draw of its August 31 mobile event and September 1 press conference looks to be the Gear S3 smartwatch. How do we know? Because Sammy gave it away.
The company’s press conference invite features two watch hands, strongly suggesting a smartwatch will highlight the event. With the Gear S2 announced at IFA 2015, it only makes sense Samsung is gearing up to unveil its successor.
Samsung then followed the invitation up with another one, this time for an event the day before. This invite is even less subtle than the first; not only does it feature a full-blown watch face, it also says "Talk about 3" and "Gear".
It followed that up with a tweet about "a timely innovation", so if Samsung isn’t ready to announce the Gear S3 after giving us these clues, we’re not sure what to think.
The different style watches on the dual invitations could be a hint Samsung will announce multiple versions of the smartwatch, and rumor has it Gear S3 Classic, Gear S3 Explorer and Gear S3 Frontier editions are in the works.
According to the sometimes-spurious DigiTimes, the Gear S3 will have a built-in barometer that will read atmospheric pressure. It can also predict the weather, which is quite a cool feature. Last but note least, a speedometer will clock how fast users are moving while running or pedaling on a bike.
But that’s not all the buzz around Samsung. Thanks to a posting on the company’s Colombian website, we know the Galaxy Tab S3 tablet is very real. It’ll have similar qualities to the Galaxy Tab S2, yet outshine it "with some innovations", the website notes.
While the post doesn’t specifically mention an IFA unveiling, it does say the tablet will launch to support the Galaxy Note 7 release in September. Though the Note 7 landed in the US in mid-August, it’s coming to other regions, including the UK, next month.
All of this is to say that it makes perfect sense for Samsung to unveil the Galaxy Tab S3 at its IFA press event. The Tab S2 earned good marks in our review, though it stood to improve in a few areas, including battery life.
If Samsung does unveil a new tablet next month, it’d do well to give it a healthy boost where its predecessor faltered if it wants to compete with the likes of the iPad.
Sony always comes to IFA packing goodies, and this year it looks like the PS4 maker won’t disappoint.
The invite for its September 1 press conference features a wide range of gadgets, from headphones to an Xperia phone to the PlayStation VR to cameras to a television set.
While Sony will likely limit its announcements to a few core products, we expect it to unveil at least one phone while in Germany.
Recent benchmarks revealed a new Sony handset that’s sporting some serious high-end specs. Those include a Snapdragon 820 processor, 3GB of RAM, a 21MP rear camera and 12MP front-facing one, and a 5.1-inch 1080p screen.
The unnamed device’s specs line up with Sony’s current flagship, the Xperia X Performance, though are behind the Samsung Galaxy S7. The phone could be the long-awaited Xperia X2, and a big-stage announcement at its September 1 press conference seems likely.
On August 25, noted leaker Evan Blass took to Twitter to send out an image of what he says is the Sony Xperia X Compact. The device is said to have a small 4.6-inch display, similar to the Sony Z5 Compact. Also of note is the relocation of the earpiece and speaker to sit more deeply into the bezel, as well as the front-facing camera, much like we’ve seen with the Sony Xperia X.
Though tiny, the new Xperia X Compact could pack a punch if it debuts at IFA next week.
Flipping back to the wearables theme, Fitbit is making the trek to Berlin this year. The company will likely unveil the Fitbit Flex 2, a device with a slimmer design than we’ve seen before, as well as the Fitbit Charge 2.
The Charge 2 is particularly exciting because not only is it thinner than its predecessor, leaked images also suggest it will have a nice, big screen on which to see all your stats.
This would be the first major update for the Flex and Charge since 2013 and 2014, respectively. Rumors suggest the devices will feature some integrated payment capabilities following Fitbit’s acquisition of Coin’s payment systems, a major update for the bands.
With LG launching its V20 flagship phone on September 6 in San Francisco, it’s left many to wonder what exactly it will announce all the way in Berlin.
Word is LG will come to IFA with the third generation in its Flex line in tow, the LG G Flex 3. A PhoneArena report from way back in May suggests the LG G Flex 2 successor will feature a 5.5-inch 1440 x 2560 screen, a Snapdragon 820 chip, 4GB of RAM, 16MP camera and, most intriguingly, a modular design.
LG went modular with the LG G5, so it carry that over to the G Flex 3 – and the V20, for that matter.
If anything, we can always count on LG unveiling new TVs at IFA, so if we don’t get a new phone, at least we’ll have some new screens to stare at.
Lenovo and Motorola
Lenovo, which owns Motorola, has teased a number of announcements for IFA 2016, including new MotoMods for the Moto Z smartphone, a new tablet, and "a new kind of intuitive keyboard."
It’s all in a video put out on Lenovo’s YouTube channel, and it’s chock full of quick looks at devices we’ll see in Berlin. Check it out below:
Lenovo might also announce a new Moto 360 smartwatch for 2016, based on the wearable’s cameo in the teaser. We’ll find out all during the company’s August 31 press conference.
You’re ready for a Zenvolution, aren’t you? Well, Asus sure is, and it’s counting down the days to just such an occurrence on its IFA 2016 minisite.
Asus has Zen products in every category – ZenFone, ZenPad tablets, ZenWatch, ZenBook laptops – so "Zenvolution" could refer to one, some, or all of these devices showing up at the company’s August 31 press conference.
On August 17, Asus tweeted "The time for something incredible is now! #IFA16 #ASUS", indicating a new ZenWatch is indeed headed to the show. Asus announced the ZenWatch 2 at IFA 2015, so a safe bet is that the ZenWatch 3 will show up later this month.
That was backed up by an August 22 report from DigiTimes, citing the Chinese-language Economic Daily News, that Asus will in fact unveil the third-gen ZenWatch at IFA. The device will look different than its predecessors thanks to a new industrial design.
Intel is also featured on Asus’ minisite, and the two teamed up on the ZenFone 2. Is this a hint we’re in for new ZenFones at IFA 2016? Probably.
Acer’s press conference goes days before IFA, and it’s here the company will unveil its holiday lineup to the world.
First, Acer teased a new, ultra-thin laptop in the company’s IFA event invite in the shape of a less-than sign, which could mean the new notebook will measure less than 1-inch thick.
But then reports came in late August that Acer has other tricks up its sleeve, namely a high-end gaming smartwatch and a smart wearable. The word came from DigiTimes, citing the Chinese-language Economic Daily News.
A gaming watch is an interesting tack for Acer to take – these are typically devices you’d see made for specific games, such as the Pokemon Sun and Moon wearable. However, perhaps Acer feels it can make waves in the market, and plans to release a smartwatch that pairs with its gaming computers.
That’s pure speculation on our part, but we’ll learn more about all of Acer’s devices on August 31.
Huawei came out swinging at IFA 2015 with the Mate S and G8 smartphones, plus pricing details for the Huawei Watch. We expect more of the same at this year’s show.
On August 22, the phone maker tweeted a teaser for its September 1 press conference. The image, shown above, looks to feature the edge of a phone. "Defy Expectations" is the event’s tagline.
Recent Weibo leaks (via Pocketlink) revealed the Huawei Mate 9, a 5.9-inch phablet. It looks to feature a dual-camera set-up, much like the Huawei P9 and Honor 8, the latter of which was recently launched in the US. Will the new handset have other features that set it apart from Huawei’s previous phones?
Other rumors suggest Huawei will use IFA 2016 to unveil a new sub-brand, one that focuses on mid-range smartphones – the first of which could be the device we see in the teaser image.
The Chinese firm will likely unveil a new smartphone or two, along with a updated wearable. We don’t think it will deviate too much from the script, though you never know – it may surprise us with a new VR headset. To follow along with the event, check out Huawei’s minisite, which is counting down the days till September 1.
ZTE and nubia
ZTE is set to host a press conference on September 1, and it’s *hear* the company will unveil a brand-new device.
That’s straight from ZTE’s mouth: the company tweeted a teaser for its September 1 press conference with the tagline "Right Hear Right Now." Sound waves rippling across the image also indicate ZTE is readying a product for our ears.
While a speaker or other audio-only device could be in the cards, the safe money is on a new Axon phone with souped-up sound capabilities. LG is placing a premium on sound for the V20, so it could be sonics are the new camera when it comes to the next batch of smartphones.
Before ZTE takes the stage though, nubia, a sub-brand of the Chinese phone maker, has a reveal of its own.
nubia is hosting an August 31 gathering, and a minisite for the event teases we’re in for something that let’s us "dream without boundaries." It’s a good tease, but the company’s press invites also say "flagship smartphone", so we know what we’re in for.
The tagline could hint at a bezel-less phone, though it might also refer to the device’s camera. An image of what appears to be a camera sensor on the minisite indicates the handset’s snapper will be one of its main attractions.
The phone maker claims the nubia Z11, recently released in China, is bezel less, so we could be in for the device’s international launch at IFA.
Stay tuned for more news and rumors about IFA 2016!
Pre-IFA 2016 predictions
With the IFA’s start now rapidly approaching, we’ve got a much better idea what we might have in store, so read on for our top 5 predictions for this year’s IFA.
Prediction 1: Ultra HD Blu-rays will be big
When it comes to TVs, IFA tends to play second fiddle to January’s CES in Vegas where the majority of new sets are announced, but we wouldn’t be surprised if one of the big TV manufacturers dropped a couple more 4K TVs.
We’d be surprised if Sony has more to show after having recently unveiled its line of Z series TVs not to mention the TVs that were shown off at CES earlier this year, but it’s likely that Samsung, Panasonic, Philips and LG will have more to show off.
But we’re more excited to see what happens in the world of Ultra HD Blu-ray players.
Last year at IFA we had Samsung unveil the world’s first UHD Blu-ray player, and Panasonic and Philips have also recently released their first players, the DMP-UB900 and BDP7501 respectively.
To be honest, it might even make more sense this year than it did last year, as most major studios including Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures and Warner Brothers’s first round of UHD Blu-ray releases are just now hitting store shelves. There’s plenty more of these expensive, high-capacity discs to come later this year and throughout 2017 so we’re going to need a lot more players to deal with all those movies.
So this year we’re betting that at the very least Sony and LG will enter the Ultra HD Blu-ray arena to satisfy those of us who want our movies completely unencumbered by the constraints of 4K streaming.
Prediction 2: Ultra HD Premium will become the industry standard
Ultra HD is still in its relative infancy, and much like the early days of HD saw enormous consumer between the ‘HD Ready’ and ‘Full HD’ specifications, the current 4K market is full of TVs that don’t make full use of the new format.
The situation is improving, however. A standard, called Ultra HD Premium, has been decided upon by the UHD Alliance, but it’s still so new that Samsung’s recent UBD-K8500 Blu-ray player had to wait until two weeks after its release to receive its certification.
It will still be early in UHD’s lifespan come September, but we’re hoping that television manufacturers fully get behind the new standard.
The two biggest culprits behind the lag in adoption are Sony and Philips, two of the largest TV manufacturers in the world. Sony currently isn’t using the branding, despite both its equipment meeting the required specification and literally a member of the alliance that defined it, while Philips is currently refusing even to produce sets that meet the specification in the first place.
We’d like to see all manufacturers fully embrace the Ultra HD Premium standard at IFA this year, partly because reducing consumer confusion is always a good thing but mostly because additional features like HDR make TVs look absolutely phenomenal. Plus, it would be a shame to see adoption suffer because of poor communication and branding.
Prediction 3: No to VR, it’s just not IFA’s way
The whole of the tech world might currently be going mad for VR (did you see our coverage of GDC 2016?), but it’s unlikely that we’ll see it make much of an impact at IFA this year.
Most of that immersive gaming VR content is likely to come out during E3 2016 in June, Gamescom in August, or the Tokyo Game Show in September, almost any other convention coming up this year except IFA. Sony also has plans to run its own PlayStation Experience event later on in December where it’ll likely be talking more about its PlayStation VR headset.
That’s not to say that VR manufacturers such as Samsung and HTC won’t be present at the show, but their focus will almost certainly be on their smartphone offerings. (See: Prediction 6.)
Prediction 4: Home automation will cross the threshold
Last year Samsung announced its SmartThings Hub to connect our lighting, thermostat, security monitoring and other systems in our homes to our growing list of smart devices.
We’re not convinced that home automation technology is a worthwhile investment yet for anyone who isn’t a hardcore early-adopter (if you haven’t read it yet, check out this home automation technology is a mess piece), but there’s always hope that this will be the year that some of the more serious kinks get ironed out.
These kinks currently include a lack of interoperability between different home automation brands – Google’s Nest thermostat doesn’t work with Samsung’s SmartThings hub, for example – and a complete lack of any one single killer feature.
These products also continue to be horrendously expensive compared to the relatively cheap products they’re aiming to replace.
IFA probably won’t see any massive announcements in that regard (that will probably come at CES next January) but, after Samsung used it for their SmartThings announcement last year, others might see it as a useful event to make an announcement at without being drowned out by the scale of CES.
Nest has also recently announced that it has open-sourced the networking protocol (called Thread) it uses for communication between its devices. This should in theory make it much easier for other manufacturers to connect their products into the Nest ecosystem. Will we see a swell of companies announcing connectivity with Nest devices at this year’s IFA?
Prediction 5: Ring, ring! It’s a bevy of new phones
And, of course, no IFA would be complete without a couple of phone announcements to round out the show. IFA is the time of year, traditionally, when Samsung launches its new phablet, and we expect 2016’s event to be no different.
Along with a new jumbo handheld, we also reckon there will be more S Pen functions, a bigger battery, more power and hopefully some sultry S7 stylings.
Sony could also be poised to make an announcement at the show, and given the recent Sony benchmark leaks we could have a Snapdragon 820-equipped Xperia X2 with a 5.1-inch 1080p screen on our hands.
Then again, given that the Z5 was announced last year at IFA 2015 it could be that we’re about to see the announcement of the Xperia Z6 but Sony remaining tight-lipped on the status of its ‘Z’ line of phones, we’re not sure what form the new handset is going to take.
IFA is not traditionally a massive show for phones (you’d need to look towards Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress in February for that), but last year saw a couple of announcements, and we’ve got our fingers crossed that this year we’ll see a couple more.
Honorable mention: The insanity of last year
3D printed pizza, virtual reality gloves and a speaker rug all made an appearance at last year’s IFA, and we’d by lying if we said that we weren’t hoping for more weird and wonderful products to inject some diversity into a show that’s overwhelmingly about the big shiny tellys.
Internet connected trainers? Hover trousers? 3D printed 2D printers? Virtual reality dogs? Show us what you’re made of IFA.
We’ll see you in September.


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PMMI Produces Largest PACK EXPO Las Vegas in History
Produced by PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, PACK EXPO Las Vegas posted a record-breaking turnout, with nearly 32,000 attendees converging on the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC). Attendees engaged with more than 2,300 exhibitors spread across a sprawling 1 million net square feet of exhibit space.
As the packaging and processing industry experiences steady growth, this edition earned the distinction of being the biggest PACK EXPO Las Vegas in history. The packaging machinery industry grew 3.4%, resulting in a market size of $10.2 billion in the U.S., according to PMMI's State of the Industry report. But the market has shrunk from 2020, which was a record year for packaging machinery, with the total size of the market in the U.S. at $12.3 billion.
In 2021, the last time PACK EXPO was held in Las Vegas, more than 23,000 attendees gathered to connect with more than 1,500 exhibitors covering 740,000 square feet of exhibit space at the LVCC, according to a release. In the midst of the COVID-era, it was arguably one of the largest trade shows in the U.S. in 2021.
"PACK EXPO Las Vegas was a huge win for the packaging and processing industry,” said PMMI President and CEO Jim Pittas. “From attendance to exhibition space to educational sessions – the show surpassed expectations to provide our largest, most comprehensive show to date. This is proof that the industry continues to thrive and show up to provide the most innovative, sustainable, effective solutions the world has to offer."
PMMI represents more than 1,000 manufacturers and suppliers of equipment, components and materials, as well as providers of related equipment and services to the packaging and processing industry, he added.
With an eye on capitalizing on this growth, exhibitors seized the opportunity to showcase and promote their latest innovations, connecting with key decision-makers in the packaging and processing sector.
Elise Wright, marketing and events manager at Ska Fabricating, emphasized the value of the event.
“PACK EXPO Las Vegas has been an invaluable platform for Ska Fabricating to connect and engage in meaningful discussions about packaging line automation,” she said. “This show not only showcases a myriad of solutions for the entire packaging industry but also fosters an environment where industry professionals can exchange ideas and insights."
Mark Padly, account manager at Provisur Technologies, echoed the sentiment. "The show has been fantastic for us, and being in the Processing Zone was perfect,” he said. “The traffic has been excellent, and we're having quality conversations with key decision-makers about their processing needs."
New and seasoned exhibitors alike seized the opportunity to forge new connections, unveil groundbreaking solutions and extract exceptional value from this year's PACK EXPO Las Vegas.
First-time Exhibitor Jon Timbers, chief sustainability officer at Epsilyte LLC, said that while his team didn't quite know what to expect at their first PACK EXPO Las Vegas, they found the experience to be effective.
“We connected with value chain members that we normally don't have a chance to connect with and discovered innovations, especially in sustainability, that we didn't know existed,” he said.
Mary Mayled, manager of marketing at Plastipak Packaging, Inc., said, "After years of being an attendee at PACK EXPO, making the decision to exhibit at PACK EXPO Las Vegas has brought us great value. The Containers and Materials Pavilion was the perfect venue to showcase our capabilities. The show traffic exceeded our expectations, and we are planning to be back!"
PACK EXPO Las Vegas attracted attendees from more than 40 vertical markets, seeking multifaceted solutions offered at the event.
Kyle Cloward, packaging manager at Mountain Country Foods, highlighted the diversity of needs.
"We're a pet food co-packer and came to PACK EXPO Las Vegas with a big group from Spanish Fork, Utah,” he said. “I'm here to see materials and containers while others from our team are focused on equipment."
Bright Innovation Labs VP of R&D Suzanne Dawis praised the event's comprehensive nature.
"I came to PACK EXPO Las Vegas to find new packaging and filling equipment and am excited by what I'm seeing on the show floor,” she said. “This might be the largest PACK EXPO I've attended. It's a well-put-together event with a good representation of industry suppliers which allows me to see so many solutions live and under one roof."
Ryan Besai Group, chief engineer at Bermudez Group Limited, shared his perspective of the show.
"Our group includes several companies and more than 28 brands in cookies, crackers, snacks and breads,” he said. “I'm at PACK EXPO Las Vegas to find automation and robotics solutions to take our operations to the next level."
Sustainability remained a central theme, with thousands of attendees visiting the new Sustainability Central exhibit to explore sustainable materials and machinery.
Brooke Ervin, packaging engineer at Mopar (Chrysler Service Parts Division), articulated her purpose.
"We came to PACK EXPO Las Vegas to find more sustainable packaging options, particularly returnable packaging,” she said. “This show is where we need to be."
The event also featured the Technology Excellence Awards, where attendees voted for the most outstanding innovations on the show floor.
PACK EXPO Las Vegas went beyond equipment and materials, offering more than 130 educational sessions and numerous networking opportunities. A highlight was the Packaging and Processing Women's Leadership Network breakfast, where keynote speaker Manjit Minhas shared insights on mentorship, entrepreneurship and constant learning.
Laura Thompson, Vice President of Trade Shows at PMMI, extended her gratitude.
"It takes coordination and participation from all parts of our industry to pull together an event of this size and caliber,” she said. “We're extremely grateful to all involved in making this show a record-breaking success."
Following PACK EXPO East, the PMMI calendar includes EXPO PACK México, which will be held June 4-7, 2024 in Mexico City; PACK EXPO International, Nov. 3-6, 2024, in Chicago; and PACK EXPO Southeast, taking place March 10-12, 2025, in Atlanta.


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Solar remains the leading ‘green’ demand source for silver for the next few years, according to a new report ‘The Role of Silver in the Green Revolution’ by The Silver Institute and CRU. (Source: CRU)
- A new report ‘The Role of Silver in the Green Revolution’ by The Silver Institute estimates that roughly 820 million ounces (Moz) will be used by solar energy applications through 2030.
- Silver demand per solar cell is expected to halve to 10.5 mg/W by 2030, but a growing sector will partly compensate for these technical improvements
- Annual silver demand in PV cells is expected to range around 70-80 million ounces in next few years, before declining to approximately 50-55 million ounces in the mid-2020s and return to 66 million ounces by 2030.
- Silver will remain key material for solar cell contacts until 2030
Photovoltaic Industry Demanded Record High Of 94.1 Moz Silver Due To 24% Rise In Installations, According to World Silver Survey 2018
(30. April 2018)
With the PV industry growing by leaps and bounds and the trend expected to continue, the silver industry can look forward to continued high demand from this sector. A new report ‘The Role of Silver in the Green Revolution’ by The Silver Institute estimates that roughly 820 million ounces (Moz) will be used by solar energy applications through 2030. That’s more than half of the over 1.5 billion ounces of silver to be consumed in crucial green technologies through 2030.
Consultancy CRU that has authored the report on behalf of The Silver Institute does warn that even though solar power will account for a growing share of global electricity generation, the use of silver per PV cell is likely to decline. Technological advancements have led to several changes in the shape, size and materials used in a conventional solar cell, ensuring the use of silver comes down.
CRU expects silver loading in solar PV to continue to decline through 2030, though at a slower pace. “Ultimately this will lead to short term growth in silver demand in PV from 2018-2020, before thrifting and a reduced amount of PV capacity installed per year causes a decline in demand through the early 2020s, after which we expect demand to return to growth from 2025 onwards,” write the authors.
Blaming the practice of ‘thrifting’ (slower market growth than material optimization per unit) for this phenomenon, CRU believes that annual silver demand in PV cells will range around 70-80 million ounces in the next few years, before declining to approximately 50-55 million ounces in the mid-2020s. “We expect that it will then return to growth, reaching 66 million ounces by 2030,” it said. CRU believes that 2017 represented a probable peak for silver demand in the PV industry, but a deceleration in thrifting and continued additions to solar generation capacity will further support silver consumption, particularly in the longer term.
When looking at silver usage per cell, according to the report the rate of silver reduction is beginning to slow. After having fallen from 400 mg to 130 mg per cell between 2009 and 2016, CRU forecasts silver content to begin levelling out at 65 mg around 2028. On a mg/W basis, CRU sees consumption per W decreasing from around 22 mg/W in 2017 to 10.5 mg/W in 2030. The leading paste manufacturers are indeed quickly improving their products to reduce silver consumption in cell production, as the recent TaiyangNews Market Survey on Metallization Pastes 2018 shows. In an interview with TaiyangNews, Heraeus Photovoltaics CTO Weiming Zhang said, that he expects average metallization paste usage will reach the 75 mg/cell level already in 2020, compared to 100-105 mg/cell in 2017 (see Beyond Silver Supply Strategy).
The main driver for thrifting has been the price of silver, according to the report. When silver prices more than doubled between 2009 and2011, the amount of silver in the average PV cell halved from 4.0g to 2.5g. The rate of thrifting then halved between 2012 and 2017 as the price of silver fell from U.S.$31 to U.S.$17 per ounce. CRU forecasts that ‘the price of silver is unlikely to rebound to the record-high levels reached in 2011, playing a role in the decelerating rate at which thrifting is expected to continue, which is typical for commodities markets’ (see graph).
CRU also points to potential substitution for silver in solar applications. “As in other applications, there is also a modest risk that silver may be substituted (in solar) with less expensive materials, such as copper.However, substitute materials have had difficulty competing. Silver has the lowest electrical resistance among all metals at standard temperatures, meaning its substitutes cannot hope to match it in terms of energy output per panel; the savings made in substitution may therefore be offset by the increased number of panels needed to match capacity,” CRU said. Adding, “that’s why non-silver PVs tend to be less reliable and have shorter lifespans, meaning they are some way off in terms of commercial development and are unlikely to gain significant market share between now and 2030 as the broader market heads toward more compact and efficient solar panel equipment.”
In April, The Silver Institute reported in the World Silver Survey that silver demand from solar grew to a record high of 94.1 million ounces (Moz), equal to 2,926 tons in 2017 (see PV Industry Needed 19% More Silver In 2017).
‘The Role of Silver in the Green Revolution’ report is available on the website of The Silver Institute.


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Watch out Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton — there’s a new luxury game eyeing this town.
The Chicago-based Elysian hotel is looking to “redefine the high-end luxury marketplace,” according to CEO David Pisor.
The company’s flagship 188-room Windy City property opened in December 2009 (rates hover around $300 a night). But the company hopes to open a New York property within the next year or two. They're also looking at gateway cities like San Francisco, Boston, DC, London and other big European cities, and destination resorts.
“From our perspective, we’re going after a portion of the marketplace,” Pisor said. “Gateway cities—like New York and destination resorts. A development like what we did in Chicago is certainly on the board.”
Beyond the Carrera marble bathrooms with inset LCD televisions on the mirrors, handmade mattresses and 460-thread count Rivolta Carmignani Italian bed linens, the hotel focuses on personalized service where greetings are not scripted (you will never hear “Is there anything else I can get for you?”) and tipping is not allowed.
“I don’t believe it to be luxury to have to worry about a $5 tip and a $10 tip all the time,” Pisor said.
The design of the Chicago property was inspired by Chanel and Dior — chandeliers and lighting replicate Chanel jewelry and kick pleats in the lobby curtains recall a Dior gown.
Pisor was mum on details of the forthcoming New York hotel, but did say it would be congruent with its environment—and won’t be a carbon copy of the Windy City flagship.
“There are a lot of hotels that are so overly-designed, it looks like you’re stuck in a nightclub,” said Pisor. “We want to do something that when you get there, it feels really comfortable.”


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Hot tub retailers, Wittering West, are celebrating 25 years in business by investing for the next 25 years with a major overhaul and expansion of their showroom in Kettering, Northamptonshire, reports Christina Connor.
In a prime location, beside a busy road, Wittering West is a complete home improvements oasis. Displayed alongside a selection of eight Jacuzzi hot tubs are conservatories, replacement windows, luxury kitchens and a range of home style accessories. “Rather than looking back; we are looking forward with a major new investment in the business that has completely rejuvenated my interest in the business – I have got the same buzz back; the old excitement from when we started all those years ago,” enthuses company owner, Adrian Wittering.
It is all a different tale from four years ago when Adrian, 49, and his wife Dawn tried retiring to their home in Spain. It lasted six weeks.
“We were just completely bored to tears,” said Adrian, a keen race horse owner. “Instead we came home and were very lucky to find the new showroom premises for sale in a prime location which we have now refurbished and are already expanding.”
Adrian and Dawn got into hot tubs, literally, when they bought a Jacuzzi at a county show. “I liked the product so much that I went after a dealership ,” Adrian recalls. “We sold ten tubs at our first show and we were hooked,” he said.
“I love working with the new Jacuzzi operation that gives us all the tools we need to deliver a first class service to our customers which matches the ethos of the whole business.” Every customer from the past 25 years was invited to a champagne reception to celebrate Wittering West’s landmark anniversary and the launch of the new showroom.
“I have been overwhelmed by the response but I love dealing with people and creating happy customers. I have always been a firm believer in enjoying what you do,” Adrian adds.
“Our name is everything; our reputation is our bond and we know happy customers will tell their friends,” says Adrian.
“I feel as though I have been fortunate to be in the right places at the right time but I have worked very hard , seven days a week
like many other people. “I guess it is about taking the opportunities and using them to your advantage. “Certainly I would say, it is not about making the money – it is the buzz and enjoying the journey. If you do your job right, the money will come.”
Tel. +44 (0)1536 412599


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NEW DELHI: Nine months after the government notified new gaming rules, companies such as Dream Sports, Games 24×7, as well as industry associations, are seeking clarity on a code of conduct for the sector. The manner in which the notified rules will be implemented, a framework for responsible gaming and player protection, architecture on checking financial frauds, gaming certification, are some of the areas on which the industry needs a clear roadmap.
The need for such a roadmap is felt because the government has mandated self-regulatory organisation (SROs) like structure to certify what is a permissible online real money game. The online gaming rules have left some key frameworks to SROs, with regard to defining the content of an online game in a view to safeguard users against harm, for safeguarding children, and other measures against financial frauds risk. However, the government is yet to notify SROs.
Among other things, the industry has also sought a Sebi-like regulator to regulate the online gaming sector.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) along with All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) and E-gaming federation issued a voluntary code of ethics for online gaming intermediaries.
The companies, affirming to the code, will have to ensure responsible gaming measures such as publishing safety guidelines on websites, monitor player behaviour where necessary, age restrictions for minors that is those 18 years or above can only sign for real money formats, responsible advertising to not mislead users, fairness in terms that players are not made to play real money games with bots, among other things.
“We have been following our own standards with regard to player protection. Once the guidelines come in for player protection, it will be easier to put a set standard for operators as well to standardise player protection,” Bhavit Sheth, chief operating officer and co-founder of Dream Sports, said at the Indian Gaming Convention convened by IAMAI on Tuesday.
According to Sheth, a set standard and regulation is needed to understand what kind of expectations the government has with regard to player protection from companies and ensure there are no varying interpretations.
Trivikraman Thampy, co-founder & co-CEO of Games24x7 echoed Sheth’s views on the need for a code of conduct with regard to responsible gaming. “If you’re a startup and coming up with some creative ideas to build great games, you cannot spend months trying to figure out what is the right responsible gaming practises to put in. This is where a regulator can add a lot of value,” Thampy said.
With regard to preventing money laundering practises in the gaming, the stakeholders have asked for a permissible certification structure as to what needs to be done at every stage of financial transactions between an operator and a player. The companies said they have started doing full KYC of consumers before onboarding them into the system.
“For any set of policies to be implementable, there is a need for operational rules, redressal mechanisms, institutional authorities, to be identified,” said Anuraag Saxena, chief executive officer of E-gaming federation. The federation represents companies such as Junglee Games, Games 24×7, head digital works, among others.
“It is in the interest of companies and the country to actually have very transparent standards that the industry can adhere to,” Saxena added.
One of the key requirements to get started with the implementation of gaming rules, is the notification of SROs. The government has received about four proposals from the industry but is yet to take a call on that. Lately, it has formed a group of ministers to take a call on the matter and notify the framework.
“Self regulation structure or any kind of regulatory structure is the need of the hour. It does not matter whether the regulation comes from the government or industry,” an executive at a gaming firm said.
“Fast-paced industries have followed a self-regulation approach and it is a great balance between speed of decision making, speed of ensuring safety and a very fast way of ensuring the interests of the consumers and players. We’ll have to wait till the government clarifies its view on which way it wants to shape or form this,” Saxena said.
According to EY’s report titled ‘New Frontiers: Navigating the Evolving Landscape for Online Gaming in India’, the online gaming market grew at a 28% CAGR (compound annual growth rate) from FY 2020-2023 to Rs 16,428 crore. The industry is projected to maintain a 15% CAGR till FY28.
However, the real money gaming segment, which accounted for 84% of the online gaming market share, in FY23, might see its share decreasing to 75.4% by FY28, due to the recent GST (goods and services tax) changes.
The report estimated the real money gaming segment to generate Rs 6,500-6,800 crore in direct taxes and Rs 75,000-76,000 crore in indirect taxes (GST) for the exchequer during FY 2024-28.
Source: The Financial Express


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The sunflower market is in free fall due to the record harvest, is spoken in the message of the analytical company.
The price drop continued this week: according to preliminary estimates, the average price of sunflower fell to 16 thousand rubles per ton of oilseeds.
This is the lowest level since November 2014, when the price of sunflower was of 15.55 thousand rubles per ton, said "Sovekon".
Prices are falling on the background harvesting a record crop, analysts say.
According to the data cited by the Ministry of agriculture, on October 18, the sunflower in Russia threshed with 5.6 million hectares, accounting for 65.7% of the cultivated area (in 2018 from 5.4 million hectares). Produced 10.7 million tons of oilseeds (8.8 million tonnes in the previous year) with a yield of 19.2 tons per hectare (16,4 kg/ha).
According to the forecast "SovEcon", the harvest of sunflower in Russia in 2019 will amount to 13.9 million tons compared to 12.8 million tonnes in 2018.
"In the near future the decline may continue - many processors restocked, stopped purchasing and waiting for even lower prices. On the other hand, in the near term, the market of sunflower can be supported by the emergence of export demand. We focus on active strengthening of the global vegetable oil markets in recent months", - stated in the message of the analytical company.
Translated by service "Yandex.Translation"


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Out of the blue, a growing group of food trucks and restaurants adds another brick-and-mortar location to its lineup tomorrow. Chicken & Rice Guys will debut a previously unannounced Allston restaurant at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, November 9, celebrating with the patented "grand hatching," which includes 50 free meal cards and a magical Golden Coin that guarantees one customer free CNR for life, as Boston Magazine reported.
The Guys quickly snapped up a lease at 81 Harvard Ave., which was previously a shoe store called At the Buzzer, located next to Common Ground. The turnaround happened very quickly, hence the lack of buildup to the opening of the new location that the CNR Guys had for their restaurants in Medford and Downtown Boston.
The Hatching in Allston kicks off at 11 a.m. tomorrow and runs until 11 p.m. Chicken & Rice Guys will serve its popular menu of rice plates topped with halal-style chicken, beef and lamb, or tofu, plus a handful of sauces — and baklava as a treat to round out the meal.


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Roll your own tobacco has been gaining ground for years, and there are further opportunities under the nicotine banner
ALTERNATIVES to factory made cigarettes are gaining serious ground among existing adult smokers.
The roll your own category has gone from strength-to-strength since the implementation of EUTPD 2 in 2016, and sales data provided by JTI suggest that’s not about to change.
Headline figures that show roll your own growing 6.5% year on year in the UK – to a total value of £2.8bn – paint a rosy picture for the subcategory.
The UK roll your own (RYO) category is now worth close to £3bn per year.
Ross Hennessy, head of sales at JTI UK, commented on the performance of roll your own: “With 6.5 million kilograms of rolling tobacco sold in the UK each year, this category offers a significant opportunity for retailers to maximise sales by stocking up on value RYO products, such as JTI’s Sterling Rolling Tobacco – which is now the UK’s fastest growing tobacco brand.
“Other brands to stock include, Amber Leaf, which is the number one tobacco brand in the UK,” he said.
Roll your own isn’t the only subcategory with potential, according to JTI.
Last year the firm launched a new tobacco-free nicotine pouch brand – Nordic Spirit – and JTI is predicting strong growth for the tobacco alternative this year.
Nordic Spirit is available in two flavours, Mint and Bergamont Wildberry, at two strengths: 6mg and 9mg.
Value sales for roll your own tobacco are enjoying growth of 6.5%.
For one can of 20 tobacco-free pouches, JTI has set the RRP at £6.50.
To use Nordic Spirit pouches, consumers place a pouch in their mouth, between the lip and gum. JTI has said that a single pouch can be enjoyed for one hour.
Hennessy said: “JTI introduced Nordic Spirit to all channels last year, which joins the tobacco-free nicotine pouch market, currently in its infancy but expected to grow in popularity across 2020.
“Whether on a long-haul flight, in the office or just hanging out with friends, this smoke, vape, and odour-free offering can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere, and responds to the evolving preferences of adult smokers and vapers who are looking for an alternative nicotine product.”
For retailers, it’s also worth noting that as a tobacco-free product, Nordic Spirit and other nicotine pouch brands offer stores a bit more flexibility when it comes to display, as Hennessy explained.
Six and a half million kilograms of RYO are sold in the UK each year.
“As Nordic Spirit can be merchandised in a countertop display, it can be placed directly in front of customers, which helps to intrigue existing adult smokers and vapers and gives retailers a chance to discuss what the product is and how it works,” he said.


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Despite dominating the online retailer space, Amazon has achieved a considerable success with the Alexa-powered Echo smart speaker as well.
Now, it looks like Amazon could be venturing into the booming messaging space sometime soon. We say so as a report by Aftvnews points out that Amazon is in plans to launch a new messaging app called Anytime. The Amazon Anytime app is said to be launched soon. The online retailer giant is already surveying users to know what they will need in the new app.
Going by the report, the messaging service will have features such as the ability to make voice and video calls and photo sharing with filters, masks, etc. Also, this messaging app coming from Amazon is said to be able to perform tasks such as ordering food, playing games, etc. in groups.
For now, it remains to be unclear if this Amazon Anytime platform will have end-to-end encryption by default as in many other messaging apps. But the report mentions that the app will encrypt bank account details. The idea of this app is to let users shop from Amazon, so privacy will be a major concern.
Given that Facebook is dominating the messaging market space with Messenger and WhatsApp, it would be tough for a newcomer like Amazon to take off with the Anytime app. A noteworthy example for the same is the launch of Google Allo and Google Duo. These apps introduced in 2016 did not fare up to the expectation in the already competitive market segment.


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April 13, 2021 - The Navigator Company announced that it will increase paper prices in Europe from 6% – 9%, effective with deliveries from May 10.
The company said that it will provide further details to customers about how the prices will be applied throughout its range of papers.
In a press release, The Navigator Company said, "This decision was taken following not only further worldwide cost increases in pulp, chemicals and logistics, with structural effects in the profitability of the industry in Europe and across the globe, but also a robust demand for Navigator's products and brands during late 2020 and the first months of 2021.
"The Company will continue to tightly monitor the market evolution of key business drivers and act, if required, to correct potential future imbalances between its products prices, raw materials and logistics costs."
The Navigator Company sells its products to 130 countries over five continents, under its paper brands with a strong reputation for superior and consistent quality — Navigator, Discovery, Explorer, Inacopia, Inaset, Pioneer, Soporset and Target.
Based in Portugal, The Navigator Company is a leading European manufacturer of uncoated printing and writing paper and bleached eucalyptus pulp with a total annual production capacity of about 1.6 million tons of paper and 1.5 million tons of pulp. To learn more, visit: thenavigatorcompany.com.
SOURCE: The Navigator Company
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The Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA), on Wednesday, launched its new mobile phone application known as “ShippersApp” as a one-stop shop for dissemination of timely, reliable and relevant maritime information to industry players.
The mobile app would also aid shippers within and outside the country’s jurisdiction to access shipping activities for prompt decision making.
Consequently, the Authority’s publications such as the Shipping Review, the Maritime Digest, its leaflets on Import and Export procedures and other information on its website would be made available on the app for the success of players in the maritime industry.
Ms Benonita Bismarck, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Authority, launched the app at its Shipping Quarter and Outlook engagement with the media, in Accra.
The mobile application has been designed to bring the services of the GSA to the doorstep of shippers to ensure convenience for customers everywhere.
The app has been placed on Appstore or Google Play Store and can be accessed on mobile phones, tablets and other devices.
In a presentation to explain the use of the app, Mr. Godwin Kofi Biney, the Head of the Management Information Systems (MIS) Department of the GSA, said some relevant shipping information are readily available on the app for the convenience of users.
He mentioned shipping information, including Negotiated charges of Shipping Service Providers such as the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), freight forwarders and other shipping service providers.
Others are; contacts and location of shipping agents, freight forwarders, Customs house agents and government’s agencies and other shipping service providers.
More so, the app contained the expected time of arrival (ETA) of vessels, and vessels in port, maritime trade statistics and notices to shippers, industry news, among others.
Mr Biney, therefore, urged all shippers to download the app so that they wouldn’t have to cross-check from one place to another before accessing information on shipments.
“Building this app will help us to get closer to our shippers and ensure comfortability in meeting their need,” Mr Biney said.


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- Catheter Precision has agreed to merge with Ra Medical Systems, giving it access to public stock markets and additional cash to fund its work on cardiac electrophysiology devices.
- The merger comes months after Ra Medical, a company focused on laser radiation ablation, said it was considering a deal. Ra Medical has struggled commercially, generating product sales of $14,000 in the first half of the year to record a loss from operations of $14 million.
- Catheter Precision is closer to sustainability, recording a loss of $1.3 million on sales of $132,000 over the same period, but has lacked cash to invest in its cardiac electrophysiology portfolio.
Ra Medical went into 2022 focused on making a 510(k) filing for enhancements to its DABRA catheter, a laser endovascular treatment of vascular blockages, and securing clearance in a new indication. Yet, in July, having seen its share price fall 90% over the preceding year, the medtech company revealed plans to merge with Catheter Precision.
Those plans have now come to fruition. Under the terms of the reverse merger, the current Catheter Precision shareholders will own around 80% of the combined company. David Jenkins, the founder and CEO of Catheter Precision, will run the combined company.
Catheter Precision’s primary product is the VIVO System, a software based non-invasive imaging system that is designed to enhance the ability of cardiac electrophysiology specialists to diagnose and treat cardiac arrhythmias. The device is authorized for use in the U.S. and European Union. Catheter Precision used to market a remote catheter system, Amigo, that it plans to bring back in an updated form.
The company’s ability to pursue its plans has been constrained by its financial situation. At the end of last year, Catheter Precision had $12,000 in cash, leading its accountants to raise doubts about its ability to continue as a going concern. The company’s bank balance had increased to $76,000 by the end of June. Ra Medical ended June with $11.1 million in cash and equivalents.
The merger is expected to close before the end of 2022, subject to satisfying certain closing conditions.


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It’s May the 1st, and that means May Day parades celebrating the many contributions of organized labor to the betterment of mankind in cities across the globe. May 1st also means that April’s auto industry sales numbers have been released, and General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) reported strong sales ahead of consensus estimates.
Industrywide sales look to be a bit off this month, however. According to the data seen so far, it looks like car sales did not keep up with the strong demand for pickups and SUVs. Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s overall car sales dropped 9% for the month, with the Ford Focus down 15%. Monthly deliveries of Chrysler’s lame duck 200 sedan decreased by 66% and sales of General Motors’ Chevy Cruze also slid 1.3%.
Every month and quarter, multiple reports on average hedge fund returns are released from several sources. However, it can be difficult to sift through the many returns to uncover the most consistent hedge funds. The good news is that Eric Uhlfelder recently released his "2022 Survey of the Top 50 Hedge Funds," which ranks the Read More
General Motors April sales numbers
General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) reported sales of 254,076 vehicles in April, a 6.9% increase over March. On average, the ten major analysts who cover General Motors had been anticipating an gain of 5.7%.
Trucks were a particular bright spot, as deliveries of the GMC Sierra truck jumped by 21 percent and sales of the Chevrolet Silverado pickup increased by 8.5 %. General Motors’ large sport-utility vehicles, including the popular Chevrolet Tahoe, gained 22%, the Detroit-based company said in an e-mailed statement.
Ford and Chrysler results
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) reported U.S. sales for April dropped by 0.8% to 210,355, in a statement released earlier today. The April sales number was a disappointment and well below consensus analyst estimates of 3.1%.
Fiat-affliated Chrysler Group reported April U.S. sales of 178,652, a solid 14% increase from March. The numbers represented Chrysler’s best April sales since 2007, but the results fell a little short of consensus analyst estimates for a 16% increase. Chrysler is projecting total sales of 16.3 million units for 2014.
Other automaker April sales results
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (ADR) (OTCMKTS:NSANY) (TYO:7201) April sales were also very strong, up 18%, and easily outpacing the 14% average analyst estimates.
Fiat S.p.A. (ADR) (OTCMKTS:FIATY) (BIT:F) April sales were up a brisk 10% to 4,298 units.
Although Toyota Motor Corp (ADR) (NYSE:TM) (TYO:7203) and Honda Motor Co Ltd (ADR) (NYSE:HMC) (TYO:7267) have not reported official April sales figures yet, analyst expect Toyota’s U.S. sales to be up 13% and Honda Motor Co. to come in with a 3.3% increase.


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U-Haul Hitches a Ride to Contactless Payments
Add U-Haul to the contactless bandwagon.
The DIY moving company has added Scan & Go technology to all U.S. and Canada stores, enabling customers to use their mobile devices to scan and purchase products for contact-free transactions during this age of social distancing.
To use, consumers can download an app or visit Uhaul.com/scan. The company continues to offer traditional in-store checkout and online ordering and delivery.
"We continue to transform our business to keep up with the latest customer trends and demands," said Sam Cocchi, U-Haul retail sales program manager. "With U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 already offering customers access to U-Haul trucks at every hour through their smartphones, the opportunity for U-Haul Scan & Go to advance retail sales was an obvious next step. This is just another convenience we're able to provide."
U-Haul operates 22,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces.


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Phishing Against E-Stores Soars
(AllAfrica Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) KASPERSKY Lab, one of the biggest online security vendors, reported a surge in phishing attacks on online stores in March.
Despite the increased share of phishing attacks on e-stores, the most frequently attacked category of organisation was still social networking sites (23,5 percent).
There were also lots of malicious attachments sent on behalf of various well-known financial organisations.
These attachments often contained malware that stole browser cookies or passwords for email programmes and sent the data to a remote server run by cybercriminals.
Kaspersky said second after social networks were the email and instant messenger services category (16,6).
The share of search engines (14,4) and financial and e-pay organisations dropped by 2 and 3.5 percentage points respectively, resulting in search engines leapfrogging financial services into third place.
The proportion of phishing attacks on online stores grew by 8,9 percentage points, moving that category up two places to fifth (12.8).
"Cybercriminals are very resourceful and are constantly coming up with new ways to trick users.
"Any messages from unknown senders, no matter how important they may seem, should be treated with a lot of scepticism," Maria Vergelis, Spam Analyst at Kaspersky, commented.
Copyright CAJ News Agency. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]


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According to recent reportage in Click 6, The Fry Shoppe, a Dutch-inspired concept, is soon opening on 489 N Semoran Boulevard—and is already eyeing a local expansion.
“Every time I travelled to Amsterdam; I went straight for the fries,” owner Wilson Santos said in a statement.
Wilson says that the lack of chain in the U.S. dedicated to this Dutch-style snack motivated him to spearhead his own.
“I want to offer something that is different yet affordable and fast for the student population that surrounds us. Since moving to Orlando in 2012, I’ve always lived in the neighborhood and have kept an eye on this building,” Santos said.
The Fry Shoppe will serve the Dutch-style cone fries in regular and large sizes and skin-on or crispy options, featuring over 10 different sauces and toppings.
“They are the perfect blend between a snack and a full meal. They are unique and affordable. Someone can eat them every day and they will be different each time,” Santos said.
Beyond the debut location, Santos said he has plans to expand The Fry Shoppe throughout Florida and beyond, especially eyeing airports, malls, food halls and even a food truck.


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A group of 26 Cape Breton investors have pooled $1.3 million of their personal money to form the island’s first venture capital fund, Cape Breton Capital Group.
General Partner Todd Mercer, who runs residential oil supply company Mercer Fuels, said in an interview that the fund was inspired by regular gatherings of local businesspeople, during which they often discussed ways of fostering entrepreneurship in Cape Breton.
“We established the fund to support early stage startups and business extension for more traditional businesses in Cape Breton,” said Mercer. “We’re looking to drive economic prosperity and create jobs by providing seed funding to new businesses, and we want to ensure local ownership of existing, traditional businesses.”
The fund's partners are all unpaid volunteers. Manager of Operations and Investments Holly Chisholm is the only paid staffer. Mercer said the partners will also be encouraged to take personal stakes in the fund’s portfolio companies.
“The way I see the group is that it is a gateway to investment from a segment of the Cape Breton business community,” he said. “We're looking to leverage our impact by … also allowing the angel investors to do their own thing on top of the fund.”
Mercer said CBCG is largely technology and sector agnostic, instead aiming to invest in companies with significant operations in Cape Breton with an eye towards creating jobs in the region.
The fund is now officially accepting applications, with initial funding capped at $150,000 per company. Companies can also apply online through the fund’s website, and Mercer promised that every entrepreneur who reaches out will receive some form of response.
He expects CBCG will make its first investment in a matter of months, with six or seven additional deals to follow in the coming two years. Some of the $1.3 million is also earmarked for follow-on investments.
Mercer said CBCG is managing exclusively private sector money. And while the partners have had talks with the provincial government and other local VC firms, like Build Ventures, they do not plan to enter into a limited partnership deal with the province, unlike most other funds in Nova Scotia.
The Cape Breton Capital Groups is being launched as the Atlantic Canadian startup community has been searching for more angel investment and organized angel groups. Though CBCG is not officially an angel group, the six-figure deals it is targeting and the potential for portfolio companies to ink additional funding deals with individual partners means it has the potential to fill a similar role for some startups.
“We have a group of people that are really passionate about the community,” said Mercer. “And community economic development is really the core goal of this group.”


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Infographic: On average, U.S. subscribers consumed 1.8 GB of data per month in Q3, and that was roughly the same for iOS and Android phone users. The majority of that data was consumed on Wi-Fi networks, though iOS users relied on Wi-Fi a little more heavily than Android users.
The two have integrated Edgeware’s VCP, a content delivery system, with Mirada's Iris, which provides the user experience. Service providers can use the combined solution to deliver a unified user experience across multiple devices, including STBs, computers, smartphones and tablets.
This version of the bill eliminates the integration ban, and also includes provisions that ban broadcasters from banding together to negotiate retransmission consent deals with MVPDs. The bill heads to the Senate, where passage is expected to be automatic. The President is expected to sign the bill.
Using Big Data analytics, service providers can gain invaluable insights that can help them to stay ahead of the competition, improve customer services and drive new revenues. So how can service providers best harness Big Data analytics, and what do they stand to gain from doing so?
There are probably few things more annoying than being held hostage over a four-hour window for a cable installer to arrive at a customer’s home. Comcast has winnowed down that window to around two hours, but now its trialing a new real-time solution that it hopes will alleviate subscribers’ frustrations.
For the third time, Grande Communications is expanding its gigabit service in Austin, Texas. Grande’s fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) gigabit service, which is called “Power 1000,” is now available to new and existing customers in the West Campus area.
The app allows Comcast customers to do the same things with their remote controls that they’ve previously been able to do only on their iOS and Android mobile devices: manage and monitor their home systems, including controlling includes security sensors, video cameras, lighting fixtures, and thermostats.
The FCC set aside $100 million for the project. More than 180 entities proposed 600 projects worth $885 million suggesting even before the experiment is conducted there is widespread demand for far more than the minimum level of broadband service many think is adequate for rural markets.
Cable operators have been quick to point out that they’ve been offering gigabit services on the business services side for sometime now. Such is the case with Mediacom Business, which first started offering fiber-based gigabit services back in 2007 before renaming the platform “Gigabit+ Fiber Solutions” in the summer of 2013.
Concurrent announced that Derek Elder will take over as the company’s CEO on Friday, replacing Dan Mondor. Elder, a former Arris executive, will also join Concurrent’s board of directors. Mondor had served as Concurrent’s CEO since April 2008.
The Internet of Things promises universal interconnectivity. There are multiple ZigBee profiles optimized for different applications, however. So that different groups of products no longer operate in silos, the ZigBee Alliance plans to unify most ZigBee profiles under a common standard: ZigBee 3.0.
Atlantic Broadband has launched an online portal that gives customers direct access to content on any personal computer. Atlantic Broadband customers can log in with their user names and passwords, anywhere in the U.S. where they have an Internet connection.
The city issued an RFP for the project, called LinkNYC, earlier this year, and today awarded the contract for the work to CityBridge, a team of companies comprised of Qualcomm, Titan, Control Group, and Comark. Titan is an ad company that currently operates most of the city’s pay phones.
The 17 biggest broadband providers now account for 86.6 million subscribers. The cable companies among them claim over 51.2 million of the total; top telephone companies have nearly 35.4 million Internet subscribers. Cable added to its lead in the quarter.
On Monday Midcontinent Communications unveiled its “Gigabit Frontier Initiative” that will eventually make gigabit speeds available to 600,000 homes and 55,000 businesses via a fiber network that covers more than 7,600 miles across the Northern Plains. Work on the Midcontinent Gigabit Frontier Initiative is slated to start next year.
Starting next month, RCN will light up a 330 Mbps down, 20 Mbps up tier across its New York City footprint where it will compete against Time Warner Cable’s 300 Mbps offering. Pricewise, the 330/20 tier will start at $64.99 a month for new subscribers, which includes a three-year price guarantee.
The U.S. should spend $1.5 billion more a year to make sure every child has access to high-speed Internet connections at school, the head of the Federal Communications Commission said in a proposal that would increase slightly the fees consumers pay each month on their phone bills.
The U.S. Court of appeals ruled that programmers do not have to share details of their transmission contracts with a set of MVPDs because some of the MVPDs want to hire outside legal counsel to review the documents. The ACA challenged the decision as unjustified.
Super cookies provide a lucrative data-mining opportunity for advertisers. AT&T is giving up the practice because it made it nearly impossible to shield its subscribers' identities online. Verizon Wireless said it is still using this type of tracking.
Comcast is building a data center in Hillsboro, OR, which the company said will provide support for video, Internet and phone services for Oregon and southwest Washington customers. The company has a headend and a large sales center nearby.
The service is called Vue, and will be delivered at first through PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 game consoles. The company will start with a free beta test with a limited number of people residing in New York. Sony intends to offer Vue commercially starting early next year.
Time Warner Cable announced it has applied the finishing touches to its “TWC Maxx” project upgrades in Los Angeles and New York. TWC Maxx, which was first outlined by CEO Rob Marcus in January, includes all digital conversions in both markets, which has led to faster data tiers, including 300 Mbps down, more VOD choices and an improved whole-home DVR offering.
Graham Holdings’ board of directors has decided that its Cable One division would be more successful on its own with the spinoff slated for next year. Graham Holdings board of directors gave management its nod of approval to proceed with plans for the complete legal and structural separation of Cable One, which will result in the cable operator being a publicly traded company.
Cellcom, Bluegrass Cellular and three other regional wireless providers are warning the FCC of the potential havoc Title II reclassification could wreak in the smaller markets they serve. The response from rural and regional carriers is similar to what larger carriers and wireless industry groups have said after President Obama earlier this week urged the FCC to reclassify ISPs as common carriers.
Infographic: It is a misconception that the discussion about network neutrality is solely about principles such as preventing ISPs from blocking traffic or favoring traffic from any source. It's also very much about broadband competition, or more to the point, the lack of it.


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SMEs troubled by billions in unseen taxes
According to an Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) study published recently, UK-based small and medium enterprises could suffer hidden costs amounting to a maximum of £ 10 billion a year.
Reports indicate that the majority of small and medium-sized enterprises are charged the most – about £9.9bn a year – while in contrast, larger companies pay about 100million pounds. The study was conducted in January before the end of the deadline for submission of online self-assessment tax returns.
According to AAT figures, there are approximately 2.25 million small and medium-sized enterprises in the UK, each paying £ 4,376 tax compliance costs. Compared to the larger 9,000 companies in the UK, at the average price £ 8,907, this works out as almost half as much.
The cost of tax compliance may be lower than the average UK SME, but 1.7 million companies have four or fewer employees, whereas large companies have 250 or more employees. This leads to a greater impact on SMEs. Businesses also spend time every week on tax compliance, which also has a greater effect on small companies. Large companies can spend up to six hours per week working on tax compliance, as opposed to the two hours spent by small and medium-sized enterprises. However, the burden is much greater for smaller businesses.
AAT have asked for a simplification of tax, including bringing together income tax and National Insurance contributions. The organisation also called for fewer rules, and other tax incentives to make the business of compliance an easier one.
AAT executive Mark Farrar said:
“Having the tax system made easier will help raise this huge, additional weight, and reduce costs in to small and medium-sized enterprises. It will give space for small and medium-sized enterprises to develop their business and hire more workers to invest in. It is necessary for economic recovery of the UK.”
• What are the tax compliance costs?
The answer to this lay in the completing of and filing tax returns, accounts, administration, recording of transactions, and more. A tax burden means the amount of taxes paid to the government for the settlement of tax liabilities.
The increase in consumption tax compliance usually equates to greater consumer prices and fewer numbers of employees. Without a doubt, this ends up affecting the economy.
• Outsourcing as a solution
Outsourcing to experts can decrease costs of tax compliance, leaving business owners with the time to concentrate on other facets of the company. Time, labour and money are the key costs of tax compliance.
You can find out much more on all aspects of tax news over at The Cheap Accountant.


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|By RealWire News Distribution||
|March 26, 2014 01:24 AM EDT||
Eptica research of top 100 companies finds customer experience 'average' across web, email and Twitter
Reading, 25 March 2014: Many UK companies are still struggling to deliver adequate customer service through the web, email, social media and web chat channels, with Twitter performance particularly patchy according to a new study. Only 39% of companies were able to answer customer service questions asked through Twitter - despite 76% of organisations now being contactable through this channel.
The Eptica Multichannel Customer Experience Study, released today, evaluated 100 leading UK companies on their ability to provide answers to 10 routine questions via the web as well as their speed and accuracy when responding to email, Twitter and web chat, repeating research carried out over the past two years.
The study reveals that consumers were more likely to get an accurate answer via email than Twitter, with 41% of companies successfully responding to email. However, more and more organisations have removed the opportunity for non-customers to email them. Nearly a third (29%) of companies were uncontactable by email, compared to just 13% in 2011.
On average it took 61 hours and 39 minutes (nearly three whole days) to get a response via email, a minor improvement of 3 hours from last year. Eight out of ten sectors answered email slower than in 2012. In contrast the average response time for Twitter was 8 hours and 37 minutes, although one company replied in just 4 minutes.
"The web, email and social media are fast becoming the channels of choice for consumers, yet the biggest brands in the country are struggling to cope," said Olivier Njamfa, CEO, Eptica. "In particular, when it comes to Twitter companies are playing a dangerous game by establishing a presence and then failing to engage with customers. This could well backfire, leading to negative feedback spreading through the social network and damaging their overall brand. Companies need to focus resources to deliver a consistent, high level and above all, fast, customer experience across every channel if they are to win and retain consumer loyalty and appeal to today's demanding customers."
The in-depth study, carried out by multichannel customer interaction management software provider Eptica, found that the most accurate mainstream channel was the web. Companies were able to answer an average of 63% of questions asked on their websites (up from 53% last year). Much of this improvement was down to increased use of web self-service software which lets visitors find their own answers to their queries, with over half (53%) of companies now deploying these solutions.
For the third year running fashion retailers led the way, successfully answering 79% of questions via their web sites. However, 36% of the top 100 companies scored worse than in 2012, with entertainment and electronics retailers bringing up the rear, answering just 52% of questions asked via the web. Gaps are opening between best and worst - nearly a third of companies (32%) failed to answer more than half of the 10 basic questions they were asked online, yet 22% scored eight or more. There are major differences in performance, even in the same sector. For example, one entertainment retailer scored 100%, yet two competitors just 20%.
For the first time, the research looked at consistency across multiple channels, and uncovered a piecemeal approach to service. Just 12% of companies gave a consistent response to the same question asked through email, Twitter and (where available) web chat. Several directly contradicted themselves on different channels, with one company giving three diametrically opposed answers on email, Twitter and web chat.
Many companies that were strong on one channel were weak on others - for example electronics manufacturers answered an average of 70% of questions asked on the web, but just 30% of emails or tweets. In contrast telecoms companies responded successfully to 60% of tweets, but just 10% of emails.
There is also a shrinking choice of channels available to non-customers looking to contact organisations. Just over half of companies (55%) offered two channels (normally email and Twitter) alongside their websites, but 5% provided no way of contacting them through digital channels, forcing potential customers to pick up the phone to find out information.
"Our research shows that, for most companies, the idea of multichannel customer engagement is a distant dream," said Olivier Njamfa, CEO, Eptica. "Many appear to have focused resources on particular channels, ignoring others. This not only risks alienating customers but actually pushes up costs, as they run silo-based, inconsistent, channel by channel activity that is more expensive than a single, multichannel operation."
Web chat was the final channel surveyed and provided the greatest accuracy (93.5%) and fastest response, with an average conversation time of just 4 minutes and 29 seconds. However, just 7% of companies offered reactive chat, despite industry studies showing that it increases efficiency, helps sales and is well-accepted by consumers.
|Sector||2013 % answered online (position)||2012 % answered online (position)|
|Fashion Retail||79% (1st)||75% (1st)|
|Consumer Electronics manufacturers||70% (2nd)||55% (6th)|
|Travel||68% (3rd)||63% (2nd)|
|Utilities||66% (4th)||60% (3rd)|
|Banking||64% (5th)||41% (8th)|
|Telecoms||63% (6th)||56% (5th)|
|Insurance||57% (7th=)||48% (7th)|
|Food retail||57% (7th=)||40% (9th)|
|Electronics Retail||52% (9th=)||58% (4th)|
|Entertainment||52% (9th=)||40% (9th)|
Eptica Multichannel Customer Experience Study methodology
In total 100 company websites across the insurance, travel, entertainment retail, food retail, electronics retail, consumer electronics manufacturers, utilities, fashion retail, telecoms and banking sectors were evaluated in three areas in Q3 2013:
- For their ability to answer ten basic, sector-specific questions via their website, such as "What is your returns policy if I change my mind after purchase?" (retailers) and "How do I cancel my contract?" (telecoms suppliers)
- On the speed and accuracy of their response via the email, Twitter and web chat channels
- On the consistency of responses across email, Twitter and web chat
The full Eptica Multichannel Customer Experience Study, which includes a detailed sector by sector breakdown of performance and full analysis, can be downloaded from http://www.eptica.com/Multichannel-study-2014-Press.html
An infographic illustrating the results is available at http://www.eptica.com/IMG/jpg/The_Eptica_Multichannel_Customer_Service_Study_Infographic.jpg.
Eptica is the European leader in multichannel and multilingual customer interaction management software, covering the email, web, social media, web chat and agent channels. Available on premise or as a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution, Eptica's suite enables organisations to improve engagement with customers, increase efficiency and drive sales by delivering fast, consistent and personalised responses to their queries, through their channel of choice.
The Eptica customer engagement platform is designed around a central knowledgebase, powerful workflow and Eptica Linguistic Services™, advanced linguistic capabilities that enable organisations to quickly understand the tone, sentiment and context of digital interactions and automatically deliver personalised service.
Today, more than 400 organisations across all industries and in 15 countries rely on the power of Eptica's platform. They include Axa, Dixons, Domestic & General, AirAsia, Hastings Direct, L'Occitane, TUI, Debenhams, Capita and Ageas Insurance Solutions. Eptica's continuing innovation and strong performance has resulted in the company's inclusion in Gartner's 2012, 2011 and 2010 Magic Quadrants for Web Customer Service.
All major researchers estimate there will be tens of billions devices - computers, smartphones, tablets, and sensors - connected to the Internet by 2020. This number will continue to grow at a rapid pace for the next several decades. With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing IoT strategies, now is the perfect time to attend @ThingsExpo, November 3-5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and e...
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Puppet Labs is pleased to share the findings from our 2015 State of DevOps Survey. We have deepened our understanding of how DevOps enables IT performance and organizational performance, based on responses from more than 20,000 technical professionals we’ve surveyed over the past four years. The 2015 State of DevOps Report reveals high-performing IT organizations deploy 30x more frequently with 200x shorter lead times. They have 60x fewer failures and recover 168x faster
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Containers are not new, but renewed commitments to performance, flexibility, and agility have propelled them to the top of the agenda today. By working without the need for virtualization and its overhead, containers are seen as the perfect way to deploy apps and services across multiple clouds. Containers can handle anything from file types to operating systems and services, including microservices. What are microservices? Unlike what the name implies, microservices are not necessarily small,...
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This Enterprise Strategy Group lab validation report of the NEC Express5800/R320 server with Intel® Xeon® processor presents the benefits of 99.999% uptime NEC fault-tolerant servers that lower overall virtualized server total cost of ownership. This report also includes survey data on the significant costs associated with system outages impacting enterprise and web applications. Click Here to Download Report Now!
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SYS-CON Events announced today that G2G3 will exhibit at SYS-CON's @DevOpsSummit Silicon Valley, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. Based on a collective appreciation for user experience, design, and technology, G2G3 is uniquely qualified and motivated to redefine how organizations and people engage in an increasingly digital world.
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Too often with compelling new technologies market participants become overly enamored with that attractiveness of the technology and neglect underlying business drivers. This tendency, what some call the “newest shiny object syndrome,” is understandable given that virtually all of us are heavily engaged in technology. But it is also mistaken. Without concrete business cases driving its deployment, IoT, like many other technologies before it, will fade into obscurity.
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SYS-CON Events announced today that DataClear Inc. will exhibit at the 17th International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on November 3–5, 2015, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. The DataClear ‘BlackBox’ is the only solution that moves your PC, browsing and data out of the United States and away from prying (and spying) eyes. Its solution automatically builds you a clean, on-demand, virus free, new virtual cloud based PC outside of the United States, and wipes it clean...
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In 2014, the market witnessed a massive migration to the cloud as enterprises finally overcame their fears of the cloud’s viability, security, etc. Over the past 18 months, AWS, Google and Microsoft have waged an ongoing battle through a wave of price cuts and new features. For IT executives, sorting through all the noise to make the best cloud investment decisions has become daunting. Enterprises can and are moving away from a "one size fits all" cloud approach. The new competitive field has ...
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Compact and fast, the Transcend ESD200 is an excellent storage and backup extension for your USB 3.0-enabled laptop.
Laremy Tunsil says his Twitter and Instagram accounts were hacked. Among the damaging posts: video of him smoking a bong and transcripts suggesting he asked coaches for money.
The publisher will announce more details on the swordfighting game at E3 and later in 2016 at Gamescom.
In his first-ever letter to shareholders, Google CEO Sundar Pichai says the next wave of computing is all about machine learning. And a computer that can beat you at a 2,500-year-old board game.
The first round of leaked documents brought the murky financial practices of the world's elite to light. Now the "largest ever" release of secret corporate information will be searchable.
Nuke metadata from your photos before you post them online.
Facebook's latest "Global Government Requests Report" shows a leap in filings worldwide. In the US at least, most of those requests come with a gag order.
Between Facebook, your email and your browsing history, you're putting, and leaving, a lot of your personal information online. Here's how to get a handle on keeping it private.
The drone made famous via attack from a great white shark has delivered a wealth of new information on the behaviour of these amazing predators.
The US Food and Drug Administration had previously halted the company's test, which can show the potential risk of hereditary diseases.