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The first “fireside chat” on the schedule at Beautycon this past weekend wasn’t with a makeup guru with 3 million followers. It was with three organizers of the Women’s March.
Chloe Lukasiak, the 15-year-old former Dance Moms cast member, moderated the panel featuring Sarah Sophie Flicker, Carmen Perez, and Paola Mendoza. Gigi Gorgeous, a trans woman with 2.6 million YouTube subscribers and Beautycon’s host for the day, introduced the panel speakers. Alicia Keys’s “Girl on Fire” blared from speakers next to the stage and a stagehand shot metallic glitter from a gun as each woman walked up.
Beautycon is a beauty media company that offers a subscription beauty box, creates digital content, and, most visibly, holds beauty festivals in New York City, Los Angeles, and London. Its goal is to get creators (YouTubers and Instagrammers who focus on beauty), their fans, and beauty brands together into a big room — in this case, a 200,000-square-foot warehouse complex at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Moj Mahdara, Beautycon’s CEO, says it’s all about fandom. And now, increasingly, politics.
“We as a company want people to know where we stand on social issues,” Mahdara said to me in the Beautycon VIP area, where people stopped constantly to hug her in between grabbing glasses of wine and checking out the beauty swag on display. “We made a very conscious effort to reflect the times we’re living in. We’re not afraid. If you don’t like us for what we have to say, we’re fine with that.”
To that end, Beautycon’s organizers programmed the Women’s March panel; one on body positivity with plus-size model Tess Holliday; and one at the end of the day on beauty and politics moderated by Teen Vogue’s editor-in-chief Elaine Welteroth, whose publication has been garnering a lot of attention for the fact that, yeah, teens want to read about what is going on in the world. This isn’t the first time Mahdara has merged beauty and politics, though.
Back in July 2016, Mahdara approached Hillary Clinton’s campaign to set up a town hall meeting with the then-candidate and 90 YouTube creators in LA. According to an account in the New Yorker, reactions of attendees were mixed. One YouTuber told the publication, “I’m not going to lie, I’m not a politics person. I don’t follow Hillary on social; I only see the memes.”
Are the teens and young millennials who make up the majority of Beautycon’s attendees ready for in-your-face politics next to the Wet n Wild unicorn makeup sets that I saw dozens of people carrying? “Yes,” Mahdara says vehemently. “I mean, I’m a gay Iranian woman. They know what I am. I can’t pretend to be anything else.”
At the Women’s March panel, Lukasiak asked the organizers things like “What gave you the courage to organize the march?” and “What were the challenges?” The organizers were passionate and articulate in their responses, but there wasn’t a lot of discussion about how to get involved now — it was mostly a recap of events leading up to the march. The seats at the talk were about two-thirds full; it was the most sparsely attended of the talks I went to that day. To be fair, the panel was at 12:30 p.m. and general admission opened at noon. The main stage was also the farthest point from the entrance and there was a lot to be distracted by before you wandered back there.
“We both identify as feminists, and that looked like the coolest thing that was happening here today, but it seems like the least attended,” says Veronica, 26, who was attending with a friend who had received free tickets for Beautycon from her company. Veronica pointed to the long line at the booth of the makeup company next to the stage. “It’s like everyone is waiting in line for lipsticks and makeovers and, meanwhile, the founders of the Women’s March were just speaking and no one was here to listen to them. Just keep putting on lipstick while we all become handmaidens!”
It was a slightly harsh critique, because Beautycon is the most diverse, inclusive beauty event I’ve ever been to. Accepting that there should be no one particular standard of beauty is the first step in recognizing that certain factions of our government don’t feel that way — Beautycon excels at that message. And it is a conference about beauty, and a rare chance for attendees to interact with brands that they don’t usually have access to. One can’t really fault someone who may have paid up to $450 for a ticket for being excited about hitting up the Milk Makeup casting. There’s also been a lot of discussion about how beauty can be a sort of escape from the stress of the times we live in.
Arabelle Sicardi, who spoke on the Teen Vogue panel (which I unfortunately missed), already wrote beautifully here on Racked about how beauty standards are tied to race — and are absolutely political. The hope is that the teens and young 20-somethings who see a wide range of skin tones, hair types, and gender differences on their social media feeds will eventually realize that not everyone is as open-minded as they are, then get pissed off about it and take action.
But Beautycon is ultimately about commerce, which means that there are going to be some barriers to political action. Mahdara noted that there were almost three times as many beauty brands at the New York conference as last year’s. But companies, particularly larger corporations, are often reluctant to get involved in political discourse because, well, people in red states want lipstick, too. When Trump’s Muslim travel ban was first announced, some fashion and beauty companies came out against it, but most remained mum. As Beautycon gets more politically active, it will be interesting to see if companies continue to want to be associated with it.
The creators themselves also aren’t that politically active. The Teen Vogue panel featured Sicardi; Sir John, who is Beyoncé’s makeup artist; and Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, the founder of Muslim Girl, but none of the “celebrities” — the creators who inspire screeching the likes of which has surely only been heard at a One Direction concert — took to the stage for that or the Women’s March panel.
Just a simple everyday look for the fall ✨ EYES: @morphebrushes 35O palette - use code "THOMAS" to save $$$ off Morphe Liner: @katvondbeauty tattoo liner Contour & highlight: @tartecosmetics #tarteist proglow palette Lips: @anastasiabeverlyhills liquid lipstick in Stripped with @katvondbeauty tattoo liner in trooper
“I think the way to do it would be to get the people that these girls look up to, whoever is the beauty star of the moment, to espouse this,” says Veronica. “If you have the Women’s March movement leaders with whatever Instagram model is speaking next, maybe that would be a good idea. Find an entryway into their world.”
It was an issue among top YouTubers in general (though beauty personalities did not really enter that fray) during the election. Some faced backlash for choosing to remain apolitical and keep their views to themselves: take Taylor Swift’s much-maligned silence during the election. One Instagram beauty personality, Thomas Halbert, posted an Instagram after the election featuring a lip look that read “Fuck Trump.” Most of his followers were supportive, but he did get several negative comments on the post. Huda Kattan has also spoken out about the rhetoric against Muslims in the US. But in beauty particularly, creators don’t usually post many controversial things, unless you consider applying foundation with a condom controversial.
Mahdara acknowledged that this part is a challenge sometimes, and it’s one of the reasons she wanted the creators at the town hall with Clinton. “I was passionate about getting these [creators] engaged, not as PR but as people who have a large channel to consumers and who could be helpful in evangelizing votership and voting,” she explained. “So yes, it’s still complicated and it’s hard, but you have to get people addicted to a healthy diet of media. We want to be the voice of healthy news. But we can do better, we can always do better... but I think we’re trying to lean into who we are as a brand.” Whatever the motivation, Beautycon still feels genuine and earnest. Politicizing the event goes hand in hand with its mission of “challenging traditional beauty standards.”
While scrolling through Instagram stories to try to catch pieces of Welteroth’s panel, I came across a statement by Sir John at that panel that pretty much sums it all up. While a printed caption on the post read “With a person like this at the top, we need each other,” I’m pretty sure what he actually said on the audio was, “With a prick like this at the top, we need each other.” We certainly do. If a beauty gathering provides that, so be it.


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The Serious Fraud Office is following events at Tesco closely as Sainsbury’s and Morrisons have been warned by auditors that they could be at risk of an accounting fiasco.
A day after four Tesco senior executives were suspended after it was revealed that it had overstated its profits by £250m, the SFO said it was “following developments at Tesco with interest”.
The Financial Conduct Authority has also been informed of Tesco’s problems. It is thought that the retailer could be obliged to restate accounts going back as far as 2011.
In the US, law firm Glancy Binkow & Goldberg said it is investigating potential claims on behalf of Tesco’s US shareholders over possible violations of federal securities laws, The Independent reported.
The law firm has encouraged Tesco’s US shareholders to get in touch and said its investigation is focusing on “certain statements” issued by Tesco about its operations and financial performance.
Experts believe that Tesco’s bullying tactics towards seeking rebates from suppliers is at the heart of the accounting scandal. Rebates could be sought with little or no notice under the guise of building commercial income for marketing or promotions, according to The Times.
Cantor Fitzgerald retail analyst Mike Dennis said: “This was a well-known practice within Tesco and we believe it has been going on for at least a year or more, and became more desperate as sales full further.
Meanwhile, other retailers have been warned they could face the same issues as Tesco.
Sainsbury’s auditor PwC, which also audits Tesco, has highlighted the way that the grocer accounts for its commercial deals with suppliers, according to The Times. The accountancy firm listed supplier incentives, rebates and discounts at the top of its area of focus in May because it “involves significant manual processes which are more susceptible to error.”
A Sainsbury’s spokesman said: “Sainsbury’s business is built on the values of honesty and integrity. Our accounting principles dictate that we recognise income and costs at the appropriate time and we abide by those principles.”
KPMG, Morrisons’ auditor, also said income from suppliers as a potential risk in its audit of its accounts in March. Morrisons finance team launched an internal audit but identified no “significant control weaknesses were identified”.
A Morrisons spokesman said: “As we said in our Annual Report, Morrisons is satisfied that supplier income is calculated correctly and recognised in the appropriate period. In their report, KPMG described the work they did in their audit on supplier income and gave a clean opinion on the Morrisons accounts.”
In another blow for the supermarket, it was revealed yesterday that prosecutors in South Korea are investigating Tesco-owned supermarket, Homeplus, over allegations that its managers sold customers’ private information to insurance firms.
Tesco discloses £250m overstatement of profit forecasts
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Serious Fraud Office keeps eye on Tesco as other grocers warned over accounting practices

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Vietnam has been garnering a good amount of attention in cryptosphere over the past year, most notably by ranking among the top 5 audiences on CoinMarketCap.
This is thanks to the rapid growth of its crypto communities, continued engagement with crypto trading and a strong pool of technically-adept developers. With the Vietnamese government due to announce its crypto legislation anytime soon, there has been a build-up in interest from blockchain startups to enter the market.
To provide these startups with the latest on-the-ground insights, Asia Blockchain Review (ABR) has been working closely with local blockchain players to produce our latest Vietnam Blockchain Landscape Report. Although an earlier version of the report was launched earlier, the upcoming edition will be even more comprehensive than before. This version will include an updated list of ecosystem players (a portion showed below).
Excerpt from Upcoming Vietnam Blockchain Landscape Report issued by Asia Blockchain Review
In this authoritative report, we will recap key developments and insights in Vietnam’s cryptocurrency and blockchain space over the past few years and introduce a comprehensive overview of blockchain companies active in the country. Furthermore, we have conducted numerous interviews with local opinion leaders such as Long Vuong, CEO of TomoChain; Ben Le, Product Manager of WeTrust; Leo Pham, Program Manager of Visaa. The report will include insights from these leaders in the latest version.
The report will be part of a series of blockchain landscape reports focusing on various Southeast Asian countries. Through ABR’s extensive partnerships and physical presence in the region, we will uncover what’s currently happening in the following countries: Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
In ABR’s earlier Unblock meetup in Bangkok, Head of Asia-Pacific Nicole Nguyen presented initial drafts of the Thailand Blockchain Landscape Report. The Malaysian version of the report was also presented in a meetup held in Kuala Lumpur. These meetups, held last year in September, attracted about 100 attendees each amidst intense discussions about the local blockchain landscapes.
These reports will continue to cement ABR’s role as a leader for media and community building for blockchain technology in Southeast Asia. Companies looking to explore or collaborate in these markets are welcome to reach out to us and leverage our connections.
The Blockchain Landscape Report Series will officially launch in the second quarter of this year. To stay updated, don’t forget to subscribe to our mailing list.
About Asia Blockchain Review
Asia Blockchain Review is the largest initiative for media and community building in Asia for blockchain technology. It aims to connect all blockchain enthusiasts on a regional scale and facilitate the technological foundation of blockchain through a range of group discussions, technical workshops, conferences, and consulting programs.
Our goal is to cultivate and encourage a collaborative community for our members to gather, share their experiences and endeavors in the blockchain space, and brainstorm the potential uses of blockchain technology.
We provide information about Asia Blockchain Review latest activities as well as global blockchain news and research. Subscribe to our Newsletter now or Contact us


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How to build a metal roof on a Smartphone
The smartwatch industry is slowly starting to see its way to the smartphone, and Apple is the latest company to take advantage of this.
Today, Apple announced that it will be partnering with the National Wood Products Association (NWPA) to create a new line of metal roof components.
This new line will include aluminum and stainless steel roof components that will allow the iPhone 5S to use less power.
The company will be offering a limited edition of 5S aluminum roof components at its retail stores.
The first batch of the aluminum roof component will be available starting today.
The aluminum components will cost $200 and will ship in June.
The stainless steel components will be $350 and will be shipping in June, and the aluminum and steel components together will cost a whopping $600.
This is a significant increase in price compared to the previous aluminum roof products that were available for only $300.
The new aluminum roof parts will have a thickness of 3.3mm, a diameter of 18.8mm, and a width of 1.8m.
These are all similar to the existing aluminum roof panels that Apple sells in its stores.
However, the new aluminum roofs will be much thicker, measuring in at a whopping 12.5mm.
The roof is also a little thinner than previous aluminum roofs, measuring just under 7mm.
Apple has already introduced aluminum roof modules into its own devices, such as the Apple Watch.
Apple also has plans to introduce more metal roof products into the smartwatch market in the future.
Apple said that it would begin releasing new smartwatch panels in 2018.
In addition, Apple will be adding an additional product category to the smart watch lineup called “metal roof” in 2018, Apple said.
Apple has previously announced plans to expand the Smartwatch Series 3 lineup, which is currently in beta.
In a new post on its developer site, Apple explained that it was adding a new “metal wall” component to its upcoming smartwatch.
The new metal wall will add additional features such as a customizable backlight, a weather sensor, and other features that will be added to future Smartwatches.
Apple did not specify exactly when this new product would be available for purchase.


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Lucozade Sport is focusing on flexibility and prioritising communication, especially on mental health, to help its marketers adapt.
Predictions of fundamental change after Covid-19 are driven by the biased perspectives of those making them – in reality, most things will go back to how they were.
Marketing Week columnist Mark Ritson provides practical advice on how to prevail in the time of Covid-19 in this webinar.
The School of Marketing is launching Mentoring Gen Z, which aims to connect young people with marketing leaders from brands including Boots and Direct Line in a bid to avert the “ticking timebomb” of youth unemployment.
Tom Fishburne is founder of Marketoon Studios. Follow his work at marketoonist.com or on Twitter @tomfishburne See more of the Marketoonist here
From nurturing a fierce curiosity in customer behaviour, to becoming more agile and honing their digital skills, marketers must be prepared to upskill if they want to futureproof their careers in 2021 and beyond.
We may be in the middle of a third lockdown, which has undoubtedly set back the job market once more, but make sure you’re ready and well placed for future opportunities as they will arise.


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The Social Security Administration says that SSI benefits were paid on December 1 and another round will go out on December 29.
Typically, SSI is issued on the first of the month, but if that day falls on a weekend or a federal holiday, the payment is sent in advance. As a result, beneficiaries can expect two checks to arrive this month but nothing in January. The maximum federal payment for individuals receiving SSI earlier this month was $914 and $1,371 for couples.
But, the next check will be larger thanks to an automatic cost-of-living increase taking effect in 2024. As a result, the top federal payment will grow to $943 for individuals and $1,415 for couples.
Read the Trust Matters Newsletter


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By Miriam Humbe
There are indications that the Nigerian paper industry may come alive during the lifespan of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo, revealed yesterday that the Federal Government would resuscitate the paper Industry for the economic diversification of the country.
The Minister who disclosed this at the inauguration ceremony of the Committee for the Resuscitation of the Nigerian Paper Industry held in Abuja further stated that available record showed that the Industry contributed in meeting the paper products requirements of the country, but recent findings revealed that virtually all the paper and paper products’ needs which amounted to over 800 billion Naira annually, were imported, describing it, as unsustainable.
“The critical role the Paper Industry plays in any economy is evidenced in all aspects of our endeavours, ranging from education, agriculture, banking, health sectors, among many others. The paper Industry therefore serves as an indicator to the growth and development of any economy in the world. As you are aware, a vibrant paper industry has been identified as a key component of assessing the self-sufficiency status of any economy”.
“Let me emphasize that this is very important to the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and personally as a Minister in charge of Industry, and Trade and Investment because it represents one of the litmus tests of our resolve to correct some of the wrongs which have been done to the Nigerian economy” , the Minister stated.
Otunba Adebayo who was represented by the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment, Amb. Mariam Yalwaji Katagum explained that the vision of government in setting three major mills industries namely, the National Paper Manufacturing Company (NPMC); Nigeria Newsprint Manufacturing Company (NNMC) and Nigeria Paper Mill (NPM) in the 70s and 80s was to build up platforms, taking advantage of the rich forest resources available in the country and to enhance local capacity to meet up with country’s demand for paper and paper products, stressing that, “it is on record these Industries were functional and operational until they were privatized”.
He maintained that the Buhari Next Level Agenda was poised to reverse this ugly trend in the industry especially in its resolve and commitment to the economic diversification of the country, stressing that, the Committee has critical role to come up with innovative and new ideas towards the resuscitation of the industry. In his words, “I charge you to leave no stone unturned in the course of your assignment as I give you my full support in the discharge of this national assignment without fear or favour” Adebayo said.
Members of the Commitee on resuscitation of the Nigerian Paper Industry which had the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Edet Sunday Akpan as Chairman also had members drawn from the Ministry and relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies has the following Terms of Reference which included to determine the conditions/terms under which the paper mills were privatized; assess the status of the mills since privatization; carry out due diligence of the privatized paper mills; to interface with new prospective investors who have indicated interest in the paper mills; to recommend measures for the resuscitation of the Paper industry; to liaise with relevant Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on the need to propose sector specific incentives/concessions required to attract investments into manufacturing of paper and paper products in the country as well as to propose and recommend holistic measures for the resuscitation of the paper industry in the country.
Committee chairman, Mr. Edet Sunday Akpan thanked the Minister for the new assignment and assured him of their commitment to ensure that all relevant persons and institutions are carried along that the industry is revived again.
Director- General, Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr. Alexander A. Okoh who was represented by the Director, Post Transition Management, Alhaji Yusuf Adamu, said that all efforts would be channeled towards the resuscitation of the Nigerian Paper Industry to attract Foreign Direct Investment.


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In the past few years, the world of watches has become obsessed with three things: blue and red coloured bezels, stainless steel and sport watches. The blue and red steel bezel is present in almost all the legacy brands in the watch industry. Old and new watches, new collections released and the timeless classics cased in stainless steel have been highly in demand unlike any other variant. And sport watches have been dominating the wrist watch segment for the past couple of years. Not only are they in demand but are thriving!
It is no surprise then that the reintroduction of the Q Timex watch has got watch enthusiasts eager to get their hands on this affordable, diver-inspired watch. Timex is bringing back the model in three new colours making the already coveted styles even more admirable and desirable.
The American brand first came out with the Q model back … Read the rest


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UPDATE: Chubb on Jan. 9, five days after this article was published, called an earlier email declaring it would scan all 1990-or-newer vehicles before and after a collision “sent prematurely” and not company policy. The carrier said it would continue to handle vehicle scans — which numerous OEMs have deemed necessary within repair procedures and position statements — on a “case-by-case” basis. Find out more here.
Chubb, the world’s largest property-casualty insurer, has told U.S. estimators that it will pay for pre- and post-repair scans on all vehicles dating back to 1990, a move that a Montana repairer called “fantastic news.”
“Chubb has decided that we are going to allow for pre and post scans on all ‘modern’ autos (1990 and Newer),” the insurer wrote in a message to body shops. (Emphasis Chubb’s.) “Your first line on the estimate should read pre-scan at 1.0 hour of body rate and the last line on the estimate should read post-scan at 1.0 hours of body rate. If you find that the cost of doing the scan is going to be higher, then provide the actual scan report and the invoice and we will reimburse accordingly on the SUPPLEMENT.
“Chubb takes this very serious and wants to make sure the vehicle is returned in proper working order.”
A Chubb spokeswoman contacted Tuesday was still trying to track down a contact Wednesday to further discuss the policy. Continue to check Repairer Driven News for updates.
McDonnell Group President Matthew McDonnell shared the document with the industry last week after receiving permission from Chubb to do so.
“It’s really funny when you call an insurance company and tell them how great they were,” joked McDonnell, observing that Chubb representatives seemed to be bracing for a “but…” and criticism when he complimented them on the policy and asked to share it.
McDonnell said he had been compiling shop scan data from his three-store MSO (perhaps best known for Big Sky Collision) and sharing it with any receptive insurer after realizing in 2015 how many diagnostic trouble codes were being thrown.
“We were really the tip of the spear here,” said McDonnell, who pointed out that scanning didn’t catch the industry’s attention until 2016.
McDonnell said his company already had a relationship with Chubb, which he said contacted the McDonnell Group out of the blue because of the quality of the MSO’s repairs and repair plans.
“I’m humbled by this,” he said. He said Chubb told him, “We don’t have any Chubb DRPs in Montana, but we want you guys.”
Chubb charges more for premiums but doesn’t nickle-and-dime on repair, according to McDonnell. He described the company’s thought process as “We want the car repaired correctly, and we pay for that.”
Thus, Chubb was receptive to the pre- and post-scanning concept, and opted to go all the way back to 1990, the year federal OBD-I monitoring was instituted.
McDonnell said Chubb wanted “basically everything” scanned to leave no doubt that the insurer was meeting its obligation to pay to properly repair the vehicle.
“Is it overkill? No,” McDonnell said. “… They’re pushing the liability back on the shop.”
Technology, not opinion
Chubb’s announcement seems like a welcome recognition of the actual vehicle technology, rather than the “case-by-case” hemming and hawing of some of Chubb’s competitors.
All U.S. vehicles since at least 1996 have been mandated to carry OBD-II ports, with diagnostics available on some prior to that as well. The less advanced OBD-I standard emerged in California in 1988 and was codified federally by a Clean Air Act overhaul in 1990.
Nor did Chubb passively wait for every single OEM to issue position statements confirming something already contained in repair procedures, described by industry experts — and somewhat apparent from common sense:
The average U.S. vehicle is about 11.5 years old, which puts it within the 2005-06 model years. The average repaired vehicle is around 7 years old, or in the 2009-10 model years. Even if a repairer wasn’t told the model year of the vehicle in front of them, odds are it’d fall at least a decade into the OBD-II era.
In fact, the NHTSA recently estimated the “vast majority” of the U.S. fleet tends to be replaced within 20 years, so it’s likely that nearly everything on the road today falls into the OBD-II era.
At this point, Chubb is the only insurer to cover back to 1990, at least in his Montana markets.
“That’s very unique,” said McDonnell.
However, McDonnell pointed out that most motorists aren’t keeping and insuring 26-year old vehicles, while Chubb’s high-end clientele might. He also observed that he wasn’t seeing many vehicles that old either, though cars seemed to corrode more slowly and hold up longer in Montana.
Chubb’s stance reflects those practical conditions as well as technical ones, and the insurer’s recognition of such realities with such a definitive position is good for both the shop, insurer and customer. It leaves no wiggle room that could lead to repairers and appraisers wasting cycle time and energy arguing over whether a vehicle needs scanning — resistance which might incentivize shops to neglect the work at theirs and the customer’s peril.
It also might help keep repairers who unfortunately haven’t kept up with scanning demands from omitting the work through ignorance or habit. After all, Chubb’s SOP now begins and ends every estimate with scanning line items — you can’t miss it.
Though McDonnell said Chubb isn’t just paying lip service to the possibility of scanning supplements, its scanning time and rate could be problematic if it or an imitator were stingier in the future.
We explored a similar situation this summer with our report on an American Family DRP’s claims adjuster who’d erroneously told shops that scans would typically be capped at 1 hour of work at the mechanical rate. An American Family spokesman ultimately confirmed the staffer mischaracterized the insurer’s position and clarified the company was “committed to working closely with repair shops to ensure their work is correctly compensated for – we do not expect our customers to pay out-of-pocket costs for scans.”
As we noted then, scanning is a non-included procedure in the three estimating services, which means there’s no “official” gauge of how long the work usually takes. Based on how McDonnell and Collision Diagnostic Services have described the work, Chubb’s two hours is likely adequate for in-house or CDS remote scans, but shops should still know that this or any other time set by an insurer still is technically arbitrary without IP or other formal third-party repair time research.
The bigger concern might be how those two hours are billed, particularly for shops which sublet scans to a dealership or use a hybrid internal-external option like CDS.
Chubb’s two hours count at the body rate, not the mechanical rate the procedure arguably suggests. There’s a big difference, as shops well know.
CCC’s 2016 Crash Course reported mechanical labor rates on its estimates averaged $80.48/hour in 2015, while body labor only averaged $47.30/hour. (McDonnell, however, said the Montana body rate was much higher than that.)
Because of the disparity, subletting as an alternative to buying and training on OEM or aftermarket scan tools could still leave shops or customers eating costs. Let’s use the example of CDS, whose asTech devices remotely link customers’ vehicles to its collection of OEM scan technology and which McDonnell’s shops use.
CDS this summer told us it charges $169 for a pre- and post-scan. Two hours at CCC’s $47.30 body rate is only $94.60 — a loss for CDS users before any markup or the time spent by the shop’s own technician. (CDS scans the car, but someone at a shop must hook up the asTech.) Even a shop charging what last year’s “Who Pays for What” body survey estimated was the 75th percentile $60/hour still would come out behind — $120 to $169.
However, Chubb’s email does say the insurer will consider supplements to make up such differences if accompanied by an invoice and the scan results, and And in contrast to competitors, Chubb starts with the presumption that scanning is necessary — starting both the shop and insurer off on the same foot and suggesting those conversations might be more genial than combative.
Indeed, McDonnell said Chubb doesn’t balk at supplementing his CDS sublet costs — which is fortunate, as he also said the McDonnell Group couldn’t afford to buy all the OEM scan tools. Nor does the insurer balk at a dealership’s sublet cost should one be necessary for McDonnell’s shops.
However, he noted that in general, having a dealership scan everything might be untenable given the cycle time wasted. Pre- and post-scanning in a shop or with CDS is two hours and manageable, according to McDonnell. Sending a vehicle to a dealership for pre- and post-scans could be two days — assuming the dealership can get the work done immediately.
“We’re at their mercy,” he said.


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Nuro’s self driving vehicle is already becoming very popular. The company just revealed the features of Nuro’s AV and it is definitely promising.
Firstly it is not just a car, it is a smart logistics program in and of itself. The AV is actually a small, narrow box on wheels, which is about half the width of a regular car specifically designed to be a lightweight way to get goods from a local business to a customer, or from one person to another within a neighborhood or city. This feature of the AV can have a wide range of applications. Also, the car has a pin pad for user interaction, so that only the right customer can access the contents stored within, along with a top-mounted sensor array that includes LiDAR, optical cameras and radar.
With its unique design the company hopes to partner with businesses to set up transportation services. Its good carrying capability can interest many companies to invest in the startup and join the business. Interestingly Nuro has already raised a $92 million Series A round led by Banyan Capital and Greylock Partners to help make its unique vision of autonomous transport take shape.
Nuro’s self driving vehicle is indeed an innovative invention that shows promise and might just have a chance to really be a successful business prospect in the coming years.
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Every once and awhile as a sanity check I go to the keeper of the numbers to try and validate not just my own opinions, but those of the infamous “industry observers.” Truth be known, despite the apparent contradictory evidence in political discourse around the world, facts still matter. That is why I checked in with my favorite source on search engine activities, Reston, VA-based comScore. There is an old saying here in the U.S. that, “You can’t tell the players without a score card,” and fortunately comScore, as its name implies, knows how to keep score.
What sent me through my bookmarks was a question asked by a colleague about how fortress Google was holding up given the desire of “E”veryone to put a dent in their ecosystem by somehow/some way challenging Google’s domination of search. They were interested in the U.S. standings because of the criticality of the American market on a variety of fronts.
*“Explicit Core Search” excludes contextually driven searches that do not reflect specific user intent to interact with the search results.
The raw numbers, other than demonstrating the unbelievable amount of searching that goes on, show a remarkably similar story in terms of not just share, but in the percent increase in traffic month over month. This is an increase that is likely seasonal given the holidays and the increase in online shopping that just occurred.
Unlike the browser wars where the supposed unassailable position of Internet Explorer has been successfully assailed by Chrome – or for that matter, the Android device market, which has seen Samsung distancing itself from the rest of the field in a market that one would have thought was a commodity – SEARCH is different.
And while this is just a one month snap shot, if you were to go back through the comScore historical data, you will see why industry observers like to believe that Google really is different, i.e., will be hard to displace and causes major nightmares for other competing ecosystems including Apple and especially Microsoft.
In this case, a picture may not be worth a thousand words, but two pictures are certainly worth several hundred as a sanity check. Let’s just say that the occasional glance at these numbers maybe one of the best indicators for understanding all aspects of ecosystem search and destroy missions.
This week, the NHTSA made a decision to designate the computer in a self-driving car the driver. This means, in theory, that you can now build a car t…
Roll over dogs, there's a new human companion in town and it's smart, omnipresent and perhaps best of all, hair-free.
The late Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart once said, "Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do…
Telecom fraud is big business and poses a significant threat to carriers throughout the globe. According to a 2015 survey from the Communications Frau…
This last week I was at the Intel Skylake for business launch in San Francisco, and I moderated a panel on security which pretty much convinced me to …


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Blog & News
Mot-clé : Vegetarian
As we collectively take our first steps into the new year, the team at Earth Day would like to share its beneficial resolutions, which are aimed at doing good for ourselves and the planet.
For a few years now, I’ve been wondering whether we should change our family traditions and transition to a more vegetarian Christmas dinner. And since Christmas will be different from other years in some ways in 2020, why not take the opportunity to change more of our traditions? Without further ado, here are some mouth-watering recipes for a vegetarian Christmas feast!
Becoming vegetarian or at least reducing your meat consumption is one of the most effective personal actions you can take to protect our planet. Intensive fishing and industrial meat farming are currently creating a real environmental disaster. So, how does it really make a difference when you pay attention to what you put on your plate?
Tous les Jours / Jour de la Terre
5818, boulevard Saint-Laurent
Montréal (Québec) H2T 1T3 Canada


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Signature Aura Luxury PG for Women in Hyderabad asked to Rs. 40,000 for failing to provide amenities25 Sep 2023 2:01 PM GMT
Vineela claimed that the hostel authorities increased monthly rent without ensuring a safe environment on the hostel's property
Dr Sampathi Shiva Krishna, a resident of Hydernagar in Hyderabad paid Rs 3.69 lakh for membership in Mahindra Holiday and Resorts India Limited
The Telangana State Consumer Disputes Commission in Hyderabad has fined Century Seeds Ltd, of New Delhi and Gayatri Seeds & Pesticides, Deshmukh Complex, Gunj Road, Adilabad, Telangana for selling...
R Ghansham (41) of HAL Colony at Old Bowenpally in Secunderabad contacted Asian Paints Beautiful Home Services for the beautification of his house
Lakkireddy Lokesh Reddy(26), resident of Vanasthalipuram, Hyderabad, visited Chicha’s Express in Banjara Hills on April 11, 2021 for dinner
Ameer Ali Khan, 28, a resident of Asif Nagar in Hyderabad, purchased a Toyota Etios car of 2011-make, a diesel variant, and paid Rs 4.92 lakh to Dr Car Pvt.Ltd
K Raghunath, 36, of Rajamahendravaram reserved a third AC ticket on the Garib Rath train for travelling from Rajamahendravaram to Secunderabad on April 5
Vishwanath Tiwari, 54, a resident of Secunderabad had engaged, Agarwal Packers and Movers, for the shifting of his household items from Hyderabad to Noida
Ajay Velpula, 36, of Bholakpur in Hyderabad, booked an Ola cab on January 19, 2021 to travel from his residence in Bhoiguda to Peddapally District
Ketan R. Sanghvi, 50, of Secunderabad, visited Clove Dental in Karkhana in January 2018 for a dental ailment
Zoom Cars India private ltd, was fined Rs 15,228, by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, for failing to deliver a car to a customer in Vijayawada on time.


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"BITCOINS" content on TweakTown - Page 1
We found 26 items for the tag: BITCOINS
Bitcoin's new anti-inflation code means twice the work, same profits
Bitcoin mining just got harder, with the new anti-inflation code making it longer to mine Bitcoins.
Silk Road helped reduce risks users faced trying to buy narcotics
Did using Silk Road help some users stay off the street?
Bitcoin fighting to gain widespread support, while challenges remain
Trying to convince consumers and businesses to support bitcoins isn't easy.
Criminals receiving bitcoin ransom payments converting money fast
Cybercriminals victimizing users with ransomware are converting bitcoins into currency due to volatile valuation.
Police department forced to pay $500 bounty in ransomware cyberattack
Police agency forced to pay $500 in bitcoins to end ransomware siege due to Cryptoware.
Supporters concerned mainstream bitcoin interest now stalling
The bitcoin cryptocurrency has suffered from declining value, and supporters are concerned interest is beginning to drop further.
Bitcoin still not dead, but needs to better promote itself
Bitcoin valuation continues to be volatile, and consumers might be losing faith, but the cryptocurrency still isn't going away any time soon.
Winklevoss twins want secure bitcoin exchange with FDIC support
The Winklevoss twins want to create the "Nasdaq of bitcoin," which would be a federally-insured bitcoin exchange for US consumers.
bitcoin values plunge below $250, as investors worry over value crash
bitcoin prices dropping, plunging as low as $185.
Bitcoins draw interest, but volatility and tax headaches linger
Consumers and businesses might have shown more interest in bitcoins, but there are major headaches all around for bitcoin companies, supporters.
Time is the first major publisher to begin accepting bitcoin payments
Time is the first major publisher to accept the bitcoin cryptocurrency.
US Marshals will auction off another lot of 50,000 bitcoins
The US Marshals will auction off 50,000 bitcoins that were seized from Silk Road.
Bitcoin security moving forward, and BitStash hopes to lead the way
Bitcoin has proven to be a relatively secure cryptocurrency platform, however, bitcoin exchanges and digital wallets have been victimized by criminals.
Department of Banking and Securities concerned over bitcoin security
The bitcoin cryptocurrency is getting more headlines, but security remains a concern.
Bitcoin provides a 'compelling investment thesis' for investors
TweakTown speaks with Trevor Murphy, CTO of the BitStash bitcoin storage company.
bitcoin ATM seized during $2.6 million drug raid in Australia
A bitcoin ATM was seized as part of a drug bust in Australia.
Bitcoin value drops to just $290 over the weekend, as investors cringe
Bitcoins remain highly volatile, as the value of a single bitcoin dropped down to $290 over the weekend.
FTC shuts down Butterfly Labs, a supposed bitcoin mining company
The FTC isn't impressed with Butterfly Labs for scamming customers thinking they were able to mine for bitcoins.
Bitcoin value drops 12% down to $435.60, lowest rate since May
The value of bitcoins dropped on Monday, sending alarm bells throughout the bitcoin community - while others urge patience.
Lake Tahoe-area home site sells for $1.6 million in bitcoins
A recent Northern California real estate deal closed for $1.6 million in bitcoins.
Bitcoin value shaky, with many investors says bubble pricing in play
Bitcoins might be rising in popularity, but there are still a lot of people worried about cryptocurrency volatility that can swing drastically.
Dell embraces bitcoins, accepting the cryptocurrency on its website
Dell becomes one of the latest major companies in the United States to accept bitcoin cryptocurrency payments, giving online shoppers another choice.
Newegg will now start accepting Bitcoins as a method of payment
Popular US based based online retail website for electronic and DIY PC components Newegg has now started accepting the popular virtual currency via Bitpay.
Cybercriminals update Pony Loader malware to steal your bitcoins
Updated malware designed to compromise users and steal bitcoins, as users find it difficult to keep their digital currency safe online.
U.S. federal government to auction off millions in Silk Road bitcoins
The U.S. Marshal's Service is auctioning off millions of dollars of bitcoins seized following the Silk Road closure.
Someone in Germany just bought $150 million worth of Bitcoins
194,993 Bitcoins were just acquired by someone in Germany, with a value of over $150 million.


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You have searched for Junius Spencer Morgan
LAST UPDATED : 23 Jan 2017, 14:05 IST
- Chris Woakes in last over was not to protect Ben Stokes: Eoin Morgan
England captain Eoin Morgan has said the ploy to bring in Chris Woakes for the last over in the inconsequential third ODI against India was not a way of protecting Ben Stokes, who had been hammered in a similar pressure situation during last year's World T20 final.
- Morgan Stanley MF slashes Flipkart's valuation to $5.5bn
A mutual fund managed by Morgan Stanley has sharply cut the value of its shares in India's largest e-tailer for the fourth time over a period of a year, valuing the company at $5.5 billion.This is by far the most sizeable correction for Flipkart, which last raised a financing round in July 2015 when its paper valuation stood at $15.2 billion.The macro environment has since turned globally around technology startups, and mutual funds which had fuelled valuations have gone sour on private investments. According to regulatory filings, Morgan Stanley, which holds around 1.5% stake through its various entities in Flipkart, reduced the value of its holding by 38%, pegging the company's shares at $52.13 a piece as of September. Morgan Stanley Mutual Fund Trust holds 1,969 shares in Flipkart Online Services currently . It first invested in Flipkart in 2013, and its shares are collectively valued at $102,644. This en tity had valued Flipkart shares at $87.9 a piece as of March 2016, which was pared down to $84.29 by June 2016. In December last year, Flipkart's shares were priced at $103.97 a pop by this particular mutual fund. A Flipkart spokesperson said in an emailed response to TOI that a mutual fund markto-market is a purely theoretical exercise and is not based on any real transactions. “We are seeing strong traction in our business momentum and ope rating performance. We continue to be focused on innovating for the customer, growing the market and executing on our long-term growth agenda,“ the statement said. Other mutual fund investors, too, have been correcting Flipkart's valuation this year with the likes of Valic, Fidelity and T Rowe Price readjusting the value of their shares in the company every few months. This latest markdown comes at a time when the online retailer is fighting a fierce battle with the Jeff Bezos-led Amazon, which is ploughing billions of dollars into the local market to topple its homegrown rival. A series of markdowns through this year has affected the company's fundraise plans at its current valuation. Talks with strategic players like Walmart and Alibaba haven't yet yielded in an investment deal and these markdowns may impact deal-making going forward.
- Marks & Spencer will continue to expand in India
MUMBAI: Amid a major global strategic overhaul, British brand Marks & Spencer (M&S) today reaffirmed its commitment to growing its joint venture business with Reliance Retail in India, and expects to continue opening 10 new stores annually. M&S also plans to grow its online reach across the country via fashion platforms Myntra and AJIO here, the company said in a statement. "The Marks & Spencer brand resonates with customers in India and combined with our established store estate, online offering and the growth potential in the Indian market, Marks & Spencer will continue to grow in scale and relevance in the country," Venu Nair, the Managing Director of Marks & Spencer Reliance India, said. Presently, the retail store has 58 outlets across 27 cities here, the largest outside the UK. The Group is looking to close parts of its loss-making wholly-owned business in a number of markets and promote its profitable franchise business, which made a profit of 87 million pound last year, it said. "Going forward Marks & Spencer proposes to operate with fewer wholly-owned markets and have a greater focus on its established joint ventures and franchise partnerships," M&S said in a statement here. It plans to close all of its 53 wholly-owned stores in ten markets, including seven in France and 10 in China, as well as its stores in Belgium, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. M&S has 268 franchise stores in 34 markets, and an established joint venture in Greece, as well as India. "Working together with its partners here, the Group will leverage their scale, infrastructure and local expertise," it added. It will continue to operate owned businesses in the Republic of Ireland, Hong Kong and Czech Republic which are more profitable with strong brand awareness, established store estates and customer base. M&S also trades online in 21 markets reaching customers through its fully localised owned and operated websites, via marketplaces such as Myntra in India and Zalando in Europe and with its established franchise partners.


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Zipping round Hong Kong in a drone might sound far-fetched, however would-be startup airline Seaplane Hong Kong is eyeing that chance. With quick journey instances and low fares, Seaplane Hong Kong thinks their plans for city air mobility automobiles, or drones, may very well be simply the factor to beat Hong Kong’s congested road site visitors.
Are passenger drones like this quickly to reach in Hong Kong? Photograph: EHang
“We are able to actually land on high of buildings,” mentioned Seaplane Hong Kong’s CEO Steven Cheung this week when discussing his plans.
Mr Cheung is behind bold plans to run a fleet of seaplanes providing aerial sightseeing, constitution, and air taxi companies round Hong Kong and the Higher Bay Space. Seaplane Hong Kong plans to make use of a fleet of 19 seat Twin Otter amphibious planes and make hiring one so simple as flicking open your smartphone. Of their pitch, Seaplane Hong Kong says;
“Seaplane Hong Kong might be offering top-notch aerial transportation companies from 2021, topic to regulatory approval.”
Seaplane Hong Kong eyes drone air taxi companies
This week, Seaplane Hong Kong added drones to the combo. In a media briefing, Mr Cheung mentioned;
“We might be increasing this city mobility, drones, from Hong Kong Central to Kwun Tong, after which to TKO (Tseung Kwan O), considerably decreasing journey time from 18 minutes to 6 minutes.
“We’ll do a trial simply earlier than the tip of this 12 months.
“At first, they are going to be flown with manned pilots, however they’re merely there for security functions.”
There are just a few caveats right here. Firstly, Seaplane Hong Kong wants to lift roughly US$13 million to get its seaplanes or drones into the air. The startup is reportedly aiming to do that through convertible notes and can also be trying to find “appropriate strategic companions and traders.” Second, any seaplane or drone operations will want regulatory approval. Seaplane Hong Kong doesn’t but have that. Third, Mr Cheung mentioned he’s speaking to drone producers however declines to say which of them.
Might passenger drones be the best answer to assist keep away from crowded Hong Kong streets? Photograph: Hong Kong Tourism Board
“We’re working with all the foremost producers to carry them (drones) to Hong Kong. We’ve listed one, they usually’ve mentioned the expertise is prepared. The producer can ship the plane within the subsequent three months.”
Seaplane Hong Kong isn’t the primary enterprise to drift the concept of passenger drones in congested city areas. A few years in the past, Uber famously proposed trialing pilotless drones between airports and downtown areas in a number of key cities. Uber later dropped the concept. Extra lately, AirAsia has mentioned it’s gearing as much as function manned passenger drones round Kuala Lumpur.
Might passenger drones work in Hong Kong?
Some pundits say Hong Kong’s steadily uneven Victoria Harbour, noise from seaplane operations, and regulatory hurdles make seaplane operations a tricky proposition there. However there’s additionally a practice of thought passenger drones may go well with the Hong Kong setting very properly.
Steven Cheung says a brief hop on a passenger drone might be very reasonably priced, with fares ranging from round US$25. The thought of skipping above the Hong Kong site visitors in a piloted drone with a few buddies, crossing the harbor rapidly, has some interesting logic to it.
Corporations like EHang are producing drones able to carrying passengers. Photograph: EHang
A number of drone producers have developed city mobility automobiles able to carrying passengers. However with most new applied sciences and concepts, there’s additionally a matter of overcoming regulatory and public resistance.
Nevertheless, Steven Cheung thinks he’s onto a profitable concept. Seaplane Hong Kong says NASA estimates the passenger drone trade is anticipated to succeed in US$16 billion by 2027. Seaplane Hong Kong would love a slice of that pie.
What do you suppose? What are the probabilities of drones flying passengers round Hong Kong within the subsequent couple of years? Publish a remark and tell us.


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Less Expensive Batteries
One of the biggest turnoffs for potential hybrid car buyers is the high cost of a replacement battery. Battery packs, which typically cost about $3,000, represent a significant percentage of the total vehicle cost. The fear of battery replacement due to failure has led many drivers to hold back on making a hybrid car purchase.
But battery prices -- along with battery failure rates -- have plunged since the beginning of the decade. To phrase in that a different way, batteries are now less expensive and last longer than they did in the past. In 2001, battery replacement in a hybrid car cost about $10,000. Recently, however, Honda has cut its battery replacement price from $3,400 to $1,968. In the near future, Toyota also plans to slash its replacement costs from where it stands now at around $3,000. Also, Toyota's out-of-warranty battery replacement rate has plummeted from about 1 percent for the first generation Prius to 0.003 percent for the second generation.
Could hybrid cars eventually get power from the same kind of battery you find in an iPod? Find out on the next page.


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Ford Australia announces the reveal date of the new 2023 Ford Ranger: the company will debut the model in live stream on YouTube on November 24, 2021.
The global version of the all-new Ford Ranger will throw off the veils in three weeks – on Wednesday, November 24. Americans will have to wait a longer time – till mid-summer 2023, when the pickup should go on sale in the country.
Ford has released a new teaser video that shows the design process. When working on the next-generation 2023 Ford Ranger, the design team has focused on meeting the real-life needs of pickup owners. Ford interviewed more than 5,000 owners worldwide to find out their likes, dislikes, how they use their vehicles and which challenges they have.
The new Ford Ranger is a true global truck, most capable ever, set to be on sale in more than 180 countries. The manufacturer states it is “designed to go more places, work harder and offer more comfort and refinement than ever before.”
During the test stage, the Ranger prototypes underwent extreme testing in hot and cold environments.
Ford has not unveiled the technical specifications yet. While we’re waiting for the official premiere, we can guess which engines will be available for the fourth-gen Ford Ranger. Expect a pair of turbocharged diesel options, a plug-in hybrid variant, a high-performance Raptor – supposedly with a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 under the hood, Ford’s latest connectivity features and the SYNC 4 multimedia.
As the result of the Ford-Volkswagen deal to share architecture for commercial vehicles, the new Ranger is a platform-mate of the new-gen Volkswagen Amarok pickup that arrives next year.
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Gen Z’s buying habits — which run the gamut from eco-friendly resale websites like Depop to wasteful fast-fashion retailers like Shein and Fashion Nova — might seem incongruous at best, or hypocritical at worst.
That’s because, despite being heralded as the most eco-conscious generation, Gen Z’s infatuation with affordable clothes in the face of the growing awareness of their environmental ramifications raises questions about what the allure of resale and sustainable fashion actually is. Are young adults really buying their clothes with the planet in mind? Or does resale simply offer another affordable consumption option that allows them to keep up with ever-changing trends in the social media age?
I’d vote the latter.
The proliferation of resale retail sites has allowed anyone to become a virtual store owner, selling and shipping their goods to buyers all over the world. ThredUp, the largest of the online consignment stores, claims that by 2029, off-price retailers such as itself will make up 19 percent of the market, even as department stores selling new clothes dwindle to just 7 percent. In August, clothes-selling app Depop counted 30 million active users across 150 countries. When retail suffered during the pandemic, the reseller sold around $660 million in merchandise in 2020, actually doubling sales from the year prior. Even Gucci and Burberry have launched their own resale programs to get in on the game.
All these companies share a key demographic in their customer base: Gen Z. Ninety percent of Depop’s users are younger than 26. As Esquire UK reported, “Depop — like its contemporaries The Real Real, Grailed, Poshmark, and Vestiaire Collective — has capitalized on a desire among young consumers to shop vintage.” But is the popularity of Depop actually a reflection of Gen Z’s heightened environmental consciousness?
It’s true the environment tops the list of concerns for Gen Z; after all, they’re the first generation to grow up with an awareness of the numerous and constantly worsening effects of climate change. And for at least some, this anxiety informs their shopping choices: In the words of one high school student who spoke to The New York Times, thrifting is the perfect answer for someone money-conscious and sustainability-focused, as “it’s usually very cheap and helps keep perfectly fine clothing out of landfills!”
But complicating that conclusion is the parallel explosion of environmentally detrimental fast fashion e-commerce companies like the Chinese retailer Shein. In a revealing 2020 Vogue Business survey, more than half of the 105 members of Gen Z surveyed reported buying “most of their clothes” from fast-fashion brands. Shein alone earned almost $10 billion in 2020 — its eighth consecutive year of revenue growth over 100 percent. In May of this year, the Shein app overtook Amazon to become the most downloaded shopping app in the U.S. The site is also not only one of the most discussed brands on social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube, but also the most-visited fashion and apparel site in the world.
But online retailers like Shein are not a new phenomenon — or not exactly. Today’s trendy fast-fashion retailers stole a page from a playbook perfected over the past two decades by brick-and-mortar stores like Zara and H&M, whose extremely low prices and knock-off designs contribute to their increased consumption as well as their dispensability. Clothing from Shein, for example, typically ranges from between $8 to $30. And while Shein has become the leader in this market, there are plenty of other places to source cheap fast-fashion items, from Missguided and Fashion Nova to Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing. This model has clearly profited off Gen Z’s desire to pay less for more.
All this consumption is not without consequences. While fast fashion brands typically come under fire for dubious production and worker treatment practices, their scale and consequent waste are also incredibly unsustainable. Fast fashion companies produce 10 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions every year while utilizing an estimated 1.5 trillion liters of water annually, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The global fashion industry itself contributed to 2.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2018, which amounts to 4 percent of total global emissions — that’s more than double the emissions of the global aviation sector. What’s worse, over 50 percent of fast fashion garments are reportedly disposed of within a year of manufacturing; the average American throws out an estimated 70 pounds of textiles and clothes every year. Meanwhile, Shein and its ilk churn out thousands of items a week for lower and lower prices thanks to a business model that relies on little care for environmental costs or the subsequent accumulation of waste.
By being part of the circular economy, sites like Depop do provide a method for reducing waste and emissions — and in a perfect world, it’d reduce the scale of production currently required of the fashion industry. But here’s the sticking point: As a study by sustainability consulting firm Quantis notes, to be effective, a circular economy must not lead to more consumption, which can occur if there is a “rebound effect of increased or ongoing fast fashion consumption.”
Thus, while Depop’s popularity continues to rise, so does the pressure to have a seemingly infinite closet that can keep up with the breakneck speed of trends. This need has been appeased by fast fashion, but also by the opportunity provided by resale sites to make room in one’s closet for more … and more and more. As one Depop seller revealingly writes in her bio, “I love all of these clothes but I hate wearing things more than once.”
So while online consignment store sites are on the rise, for the time being, they’re not much of a threat to their less sustainable e-commerce competition. Members of Gen Z want more for less, and resale has become just another method to sustain this consumption.
Perhaps, as the effects of climate change multiply, a greater sense of urgency will trickle down to Gen Z’s buying habits. But for now, sustainability is not necessarily what’s “in” for Gen Z. It’s still about the look — secondhand or not.


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Two prototype Razer Blade laptops have been stolen, according to the company that makes them, but they claim that the theft is unlikely to impact launch plans for what it calls "the world's first true gaming laptop." Razer revealed this morning that two prototype Razer Blade gaming laptops had been stolen from its R&D offices earlier this month.
Heathcliff Hatcher, Razer's director of global product marketing, told Kotaku that the prototypes were not fully functional and that the theft shouldn't have any sort of impact on the company’s plans to launch. The company said that it finally went public with the news this week is in the hope it will help to recover data from a weekend-long thermal test that is on one of the stolen laptops.
"As you can imagine, the return of these prototype units is very important to the company. We have already reported this to the authorities who are working closely with us on this matter," the company wrote on its Facebook page.
Details on the theft were not revealed – like if this was simply an act of theft by an individual or if the company thinks this was some sort of industrial espionage to steal trade secrets. Whatever the motive, authorities are looking into it.


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Apple iPad sales are still strong, and the iPad sales increases have created a shortage on the product. That Apple iPad is selling so well in fact, that the guaranteed shipping date on new orders has been pushed back in order to ensure that there is enough product on hand to meet the demand. This is exactly what a company like Apple wants to see, where one of their new electronics devices is selling faster than they can produce it. The exact numbers haven’t been released by Apple as to how many Apple iPads have been built, but the sales estimates have the Apple iPad closing in on 300,000 units sold already. Quite an accomplishment this early in the game. You could play your favorite sports betting games via rantan.com seamlessly and without any issues.
The published estimates according to a CNN Money article, is that Apple was expected to have 300,000 to 1 million of the Apple iPads on hand when shipping was set to begin on April 3rd. With sales already threatening to pass the low end estimate of units produced, it means that Apple could possibly face the risk of not having enough product on hand next week.
The Apple iPad isn’t even in the hands of consumers yet, nor is it on store shelves, because Apple is just working with pre-orders at this point. It means that nearly 300,000 of the Apple iPads have been ordered by consumers that want to be one of the first on the block to have one of these new ‘toys’ in their hands.
With so much negative buzz about the Apple iPad originally, it’s remarkable how many sales that the iPad is racking up. This is of course the exact same thing that happened when the iPod was getting close to being released, and will have Apple laughing all the way to the bank once again. The delay on new online orders for the iPads has increased to a shipping date to April 12th (used to be April 3rd) as Apple tries to predict how fast they can get enough product on hand to meet the demand. Apple stock holders have to be pleased with this news, and if the sales of the Apple iPad get even stronger when it finally hits the physical store shelves, this could be yet another home-run for Apple Technologies.


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It’s hard to believe the head of any massive corporation when they try to apologize. We’ve seen it countless times, the slick suit, bowed head, asking for forgiveness for the massive ethical error they’ve just knowingly enacted. Most people don’t apologize until they get caught, but in Mr. Toyoda’s case, he apologized before even knowing exactly what went wrong, a fact which has its good and bad qualities. In this situation, Toyota handled it morally and ethically, expect for one glaring issue: the timing.
In Toyota’s case, their response was indeed ethical, the fact that it didn’t come until February 24, 2010, six months after the initial problems however, was not. When people are dying because of an issue that appears to be with your product, the company should react immediately, figure out exactly what is going wrong, recall the product and fix the problem. It was precisely this lack of urgency in their crisis management approach, a trait the media really latched onto, that hurt Toyota as a company.
Mr. Toyoda’s testified on February 24, 2010 and it was quite effective. He appeared heartfelt, took the blame upon the company and outlined several ways in which the company planned to fix not only the issue at hand, but also the issue of Toyota’s lack of customer service. He inserted himself into the equation, making a point to tell how he was a trained test driver who drove all the cars they manufactured. He assured everyone that “my name is on every car,” and gave his personal word that “Toyota will work vigorously and unceasingly to restore the trust of our customers.” Although to some it means very little, the action of putting “your name” on every product in business is intended to create a personal bond between the consumer and the business, as one person does to another. Giant corporations are after all, run by people, so breaking the corporate façade is a tactic often used to gain the consumer’s trust. Personally, I wasn’t at Mr. Toyoda’s testimony, nor do I know his character enough to fully assess his sincerity. However, the transcription seemed to be sincere, and there’s nothing I know to indicate that Mr. Toyoda shouldn’t be trusted. The testimony could have been improved by revealing more information about the actual crashes, but it’s understandable why Mr. Toyoda took the more sorrowful approach. Especially because of the long duration between the throttle issues being reported and his testimony, the public was looking for an apology and Mr. Toyoda gave it to them. Had he not, the company would have suffered even a bigger loss to their reputation, so considering the context in which he spoke he addressed the issue appropriately. The biggest issue then, would be precisely how long it took for Toyota to respond to the recall issue.
What Toyota should have done in this instance is immediately reveal the fact that a black box existed in every car so they could have gotten to the bottom of the claims. Then, they could have immediately issued a public statement regarding the claims. So not to look as they are blaming the victim, they would have to address their fault on designing the gas pedal to be incompatible with a modified floor mat and notify Prius drivers as such. Then, they could issue a warning on the cars without the redesigned gas pedals, or issue a recall depending upon how much money they stood to lose. In fact, money is probably the issue which took them so long to respond to the claims in the first place. I can imagine there was much office delineation, back and forth between board members about the cost of addressing the issue, the cost of recall and how much they stood to lose. Nearly every ethical blunder a company makes relates to money and how much revenue they stand to lose, and in this case, Toyota made the mistake of putting money before the customer’s safety.
A possible reason for Toyota not reacting quickly enough is the fact that they are located in Japan, worlds away from the United States, and the urgency of the problem simply did not register with them until months later. It probably took some time to even get the information, longer to process it, and then even longer to respond. They have a completely different media, a totally different outlook on their own indigenous corporations and (as Mr. Toyoda addressed), a lack of communication between their North American business counterparts. That being said however, in the intervening months the American media had sensationalized the story of every Prius being out of control, drivers careening wildly into guard rails and unable to even apply the brakes. The globalization of Western media around the globe is not a farce, so it’s hard to believe that Toyota wouldn’t have caught wind of it back in Japan. In addition, Mr. Toyoda never directly said in his testimony that they never knew of the issues regarding the recalls, so the notion of miscommunication of lack of communication between the separate company branches doesn’t seem to account for all the months spent in between. In short, the reasoning doesn’t hold up, and Toyota was definitely aware of the issues at hand.
What then, could cause such an error on Toyota’s part when they have always been touted for their excellence? And why didn’t they uncover the evidence that would clear them of their errors? As the footage revealed, most of the crashes were caused as a result of the driver pressing on the gas when they thought they were pressing on the brake, only one being the result of a gas pedal jamming over an all-weather rubber mat the driver had installed. In my opinion, the biggest ethical quandary on Toyota’s part was the time it took for them to react. Had they looked at the black box footage, the could have determined the reality of the situation, addressed the design issue of the gas pedal jamming when installing an additional floor mat, and then quelled the fears of thousands of Prius drivers by revealing the footage that showed little error on their part. Their error was not responding at all, allowing the media to develop one story into a phenomenon, and subsequently destroy the reputation of their brand.
In order to recover their reputation, Toyota would have to do a lot more work than if they’d just addressed the issue immediately. A completely redesigned Prius with more safety features would help, but it is really the name which has suffered more than the engineering. In all honesty, I think the only thing that can help Toyota’s reputation recover is time, and the public’s general forgetfulness when it comes to things like that. People are still going to buy Toyota, in particular the Prius, because it’s good on gas mileage, looks nice, and is a car that integrates future technology to help protect the environment. In the meantime, Toyota sales will just have to suffer, and the company can deal with customer safety more promptly, efficiently, and ethically next time around, or so one would hope.
The Toyota recall situation was at the end of the day, handled ethically if you don’t take into consideration the massive lapse of time. However, doesn’t the massive lapse of time mean that the company in fact, handled it unethically? By not responding promptly, they were putting their customers at risk, and therefore treating them without respect or ethics. In matters of forgiveness, it is up to the individual consumer, and Toyota’s crisis management should seek to get to the bottom of their problems far quicker in the future. Overall, it is a difficult ethical quandary because Toyota reacted better than many companies and did in fact address the issue, but they fail specifically because of the amount of time it took them to react.


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The upcoming major Windows 10 update is Windows 10 20H2 update. The expected release of Windows 10 20H2 is in November 2020, but there is no official date announced yet. But, if you can’t wait for the update to get a release and want it right now, then you can download Windows 10 20H2 update.
Windows 10 20H2 Update Available for Download
You can download the update right now, and you don’t need to wait for the official launch. To download the update, you need to join the Windows Insider program.
This week Microsoft has announced the update and is now available for Pre-release validation testing with Commercial PCs. All the PCs managed by IT administrators and who are not running Windows 10 Home Edition can use a 20H2 update for testing before it is released.
You can access Windows 10, version 20H2 through all standard outlets, including Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), and Azure Marketplace, or you can download an ISO file. If you manage updates directly from Windows Update, or have devices enrolled in the Beta Channel (previously the Slow ring) or the Release Preview Channel for validation purposes, you don’t need to take any action. Windows 10, version 20H2 will be automatically deployed to all commercial devices in the Beta and Release Preview Channels and those who have devices on Windows 10, version 2004 will get to experience the remarkably fast update that comes with moving from version 2004 to version 20H2 via an enablement package.
This validation testing is meant to give to the IT managers to check all the things are going well or not.
Windows 10 20H2 Update includes new features like an updated Start menu, a new Alt + Tab experience. However, these new features are already available in Windows 10 version 2004 installed on your PC. But the features are disabled. To activate these features, Microsoft is using a 20H2 update as an “enablement package”.
“Commercial Pre-release validation” is a program which is used by Microsoft to give a commercial customer a chance to start exploring feature and validation before the update is available for everyone.


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With much of the world’s games industry gearing up for GDC in San Francisco this week, the number of rumours doing the rounds is rapidly increasing – and there’s plenty being said about Sony’s Motion Controller.
Chief amongst the talk, VG247 claims to have word that Sony will tomorrow go live with details including a firm release date and list of launch publishing partners.
You can also expect the peripheral to be given a concrete name – be it Arc, Gem or something altogether different.
Further chat has claimed that the device will come in two parts much like Nintendo’s WiiMote and Nunchuck controller.
There are plenty more rumours doing the rounds, too, though the credibility of most is up to question. Here’s one that caught MCV’s eye, though – LittleBigPlanet 2 will tomorrow be revealed as a Motion Controller exclusive due out this Q4.
The truth will be known first thing tomorrow morning.


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The May report on retail sales in the US set for release at 8:30 am ET.
Expectations are for the report to show sales grew 1.2% in May, up from a flat reading in April.
Excluding gas and car sales, retail sales are expected to rise 0.5% in May.
In a note to clients ahead of the report, Joe LaVorgna at Deutsche Bank — who expects sales will rise 0.9% in May — wrote that the increase in auto sales and the elevated consumer confidence readings indicate that Americans appear ready to boost spending again.
We’ll be back with the live numbers when they hit.
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Amazon Gives Customer Data to the Government at a Record Pace
In the first six months of 2017, technology giant Amazon broke its own record for the amount of information it turned over to the U.S. government, according to a transparency report quietly released by the company at the end of December. Considering millions of people store their personal information on Amazon’s web services, it’s worth speculating what, exactly, the tech conglomerate turned over to the government, and why.
Zack Whittaker, the security editor of tech website ZDNet, explains:
The report, which focuses solely on its Amazon Web Services cloud business, revealed 1,936 different requests between January and June 2017, a rise from the previous bi-annual report.
The company received:
- 1,618 subpoenas, of which the company fully complied with 42 percent;
- 229 search warrants, of which the company fully complied with 44 percent;
- 89 other court orders, of which the company fully complied with 52 percent.
It’s not clear why there was a spike in requests during the half-year period. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment.
Whittaker goes on to note that, as in past reports, Amazon “refused to say if it had received a national security letter,” or a subpoena issued without needing prior approval from a judge. Tech companies are, he writes, “barred from disclosing exactly how many of these letters they receive,” although they are allowed to state if they have not received a national security letter. Amazon stated it received between zero and 249 national security requests.
The transparency report also does not address the Amazon Echo, a speaker system which has been making headlines for being a best-seller as well as a security concern. Whittaker writes that the latest transparency report does not note whether authorities collected data via wiretapping the Echo.
The report comes as Amazon’s Alexa—a “smart-voice” assistant that initially only worked with the Amazon Echo—becomes compatible with a wide array of third-party products, further increasing potential security risks.
–Posted by Emma Niles


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Other Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 phones that are available in the Philippines may have some serious competition next month. Following its launch in Vietnam earlier this year, the Realme 9i has been confirmed to debut in the Philippines on May 4.
Battle-ready: We unbox the Realme 9 Pro Plus Free Fire Limited EditionView Post
Market-research firm Canalys’ latest quarterly report on the global smartphone market is in. Based on the preliminary estimates for the first quarter of 2022, Samsung remained king of the hill, with a 24% share of the worldwide market, while the rest of the top five were composed of the same brands, in the same order as last year’s January to March ranking.
The special edition of the most premium member of the Realme 9 series is finally on its way to the Philippines.
We got our first look at the Realme 9 Pro Plus Free Fire Limited Edition just last week. Now, the game-themed smartphone is official.
Benchmark app Antutu has finally posted the global list of Android smartphones that performed the best on its platform for the month of March.
We already knew it was coming as early as February, when the series was launched globally. But this month, we finally got our first look at the Realme 9 Pro Plus Free Fire Limited Edition ahead of its April 12 debut.
Realme has welcomed a new member of its latest 9 series family, following the launch of the Realme 9 4G in India.
Brace yourself. The Realme 9 family is about to welcome a new member.
If you think size matters, why not go for a mini for some added portability? The Realme Pad Mini is now official in the Philippines as the company’s latest budget tablet and the first-ever Realme device to launch in the country.
Realme is busy beefing up its portfolio in categories other than smartphones as part of its 1 + 4 + N strategy.
Heads-up, Realme squad: The Philippines’ top smartphone brand for 2021 will be dropping prices on a lot of its products at Lazada’s Epic 10th Birthday Sale, including one ultraportable that hasn’t been announced by the company for the local market.
Surprise! The Philippines’ top smartphone brand is rolling out not one, not two, but three handsets starting tomorrow, March 23.
What can you do in 5 minutes? Because you see, that’s the time it takes for a newly launched Realme smartphone to get charged from 0% to 50%. Meet the gaming-focused Realme GT Neo 3.
We’ll finally know all the details of the smartphone Realme teased at this year’s Mobile World Congress next week.
Realme 9 Pro Plus review: Pro-grade camera plus moreView Post
Realme 9 Pro review: Elegance meets performanceView Post
Roll out the carpet for the latest handsets of the Philippines’ leading smartphone brand, as they go official in the country today, March 15, a month after they debuted in India.
Realme‘s latest number series just welcomed two new members to the family.
Mark those calendars! Realme, the Philippines’ leading smartphone brand based on Canalys and IDC sell-in reports for 2021, will launch its latest Realme 9 Pro series in the country March 15. As usual, you can catch the launch event on the company’s Facebook page.


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28 Dec Coasters in Restaurants to Gather Community Feedback About Downtown Lewiston
Coasters asking community members for their opinion about downtown Lewiston are being distributed to restaurants in the Lewis Clark Valley.
On the reverse, each coaster features one of fourteen different questions about downtown Lewiston’s business mix, transportation pattern, and potential for residential and commercial development. The anonymous responses will be used by the consulting team to develop the Lewiston Downtown Master Plan.
“We’re developing a Downtown Master Plan that is rooted in a firm understanding of the downtown economy and underpinned by an extensive round of citizen engagement,” wrote Courtney Kramer, Executive Director for Beautiful Downtown Lewiston Revitalization Corporation (BDL), in a press release. “The coasters are a low-key way for us to gather information at places where community members are already gathered. They’re fun, and we’re hoping they prompt conversation about downtown Lewiston.”
BDL is administering the development of the Lewiston Downtown Master Plan on behalf of the community and in partnership with the City of Lewiston. The citizen engagement coasters are a result of an “Our Town” grant awarded to BDL by the National Endowment for the Arts, which provides funding for artist-led citizen engagement in the master planning process.
“The coaster designs are so much more engaging than I would have come up with,” wrote Kramer.
Coasters will be on tables during regular service hours at:
- Blue Lantern Coffee House & Wine Bar, 326 Main Street in Lewiston
- Imua Hawaiian Style Restaurant, 800 Main Street in Lewiston
- Vine 46 Wine Tasting Room, 800 Main Street in Lewiston
- Jollymore’s: A Dining Experience, 1516 Main Street in Lewiston
- Main Street Grill, 625 Main Street in Lewiston
- Mystic Café, 1303 Main Street in Lewiston
- Brava’s Restaurant, 504 Main Street in Lewiston
Volunteers are working to deploy the coasters at events where people gather, like civic group meetings, bingo nights, and trivia nights in January, February, and March. Civic groups or businesses that would like a round of coasters are encouraged to contact Courtney Kramer at 208-790-1148 or email@example.com


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Iniesta and Piqué have joined the campaign posting photos of when they were little
Nike have launched this week a new campaign named 'Unlimited Future', corresponding to the start of the Olympic Games.
In one of the adverts Neymar appears, but not as we picture him. The American actor Bobby Cannavale walks around a room full of babies. Each one of them represents a future star of sports. Neymar, LeBron James, Serena Williams, Mo Farah, Zhou Qui... "You don't get to decide how your story begins; you get to decide how it ends", says Cannavale to them with an epic speech.
On the other hand, Blaugranas like Iniesta and Piqué joined the campaign by posting pictures of when they were little.
"It all starts in Fuentealbilla. To be born in a small village is not a limit to reach your goals."


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It was quite an obvious wait for the gadget freaks that LG will be coming up with its Nexus 5. But to a sudden expectation, the LG thinkers revealed their model of the month, the LG VU3 smart. The model comes in with quad core processors but has a pretty unusual look and get up. The Vu3 is the latest revealed smart phone from LG under their Vu range. The LG vU3 comes in with IPS sensor screen of 5.2 inches display. The latest curtain raiser phone stands at a resolution of 920 x 1280 pixels capacity.
The phone comes in with quad core processor strength of 800 snapdragons. LG’s latest released phone was in the news for quite a sometime, but its release date was not known to all. The phone runs on android latest operating system, android jelly bean. Whether the phone has options for future up gradation in operating system or not, is still not yet confirmed. The camera of this spectacular unusual shaped smart phone is quite a recommended one for the users. The LG’s VU3 stands at a very sharp thirteen mega pixels strength at the rear end. The camera is supported with LED flash, and is also back with front facing camera too. Though to speak of the design, it looks the same as its predecessors with just 0.3 inches bigger. There is hardly any change in display although it has a larger screen if compared to its predators.
The latest released smart phone from LG has made some great stuff with accessories of the phone. It certainly has a very smart stylus pen of rhodium. The documents can be read with great style poise through this pen. If one is thinking about the storage then let us make it confirm that the smart phone from LG is coming with RAM of 2 GB. The phone also has internal storage of 16 GB, whether expandable option is there or not, we have to wait for the final device in hand to know it more.
The unusual of the path, screen size of 4:3 is been said by the LG thinkers is one of the best portable screened device to read A4 pages. It is aptly designed for comfortable reading of web pages and docs. Thus reading e-books or reading some docs of web pages will be a real grand experience for the users, as this is what the LG think tanks are recommending the unusual designed smart phone for. The features of the Notebook has also seen some great improvements in the latest curtain raiser smart phone from LG. The acrylic paint and charcoal paint are some to speak, a total of eight drawing inputs have been installed.
The knock on features of the latest smart phone is quite similar to that of the LG2. Through this function any one can quickly access to lock and unlock the phone. The guest mode in the smart phone helps the prime user to allow the others use the smart phone without any disturbance to the main profile of the user or its privacy settings.
Thus, all in all LG brings a whole new dimension for the gadget geeks with their varied screen and some additional features. Though the price is not revealed, but users can track in more to get a first-hand copy of the latest revealed smart phone.


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The country’s inflation rate went up to 12.6 percent in December, the highest level since April 2017.
The rate is the official inflation figure for 2021.
This comes after the central bank raised its benchmark monetary policy rate by 100 bps to 14.5 percent from 13.5 percent in November 2021 to curb price rise.
The move was also to bolster the economy.
Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, told reporters in Accra on Wednesday, January 12, the rate exceeds finance ministry’s forecast of 8 percent.
He noted a quickened trend in inflation. “This is the sixth consecutive month in a roll that prices of goods and services have gone up, indicating a 4.8 percentage difference between the rates recorded in June 2021 which was 7.8 percent relative to December 2021 which was 12.6 percent”.
Non-food inflation, particularly housing and transport, which includes fuel continue to drive the country’s inflation. “The gap between food and non-food inflation has been narrowed from the month of December 2021 to a gap of 0.3 percentage point as food inflation stood at 12.8 percent relative to 12.5 percent for non-food inflation”, according to Professor Samuel Annim.
He continued, “Locally produced items (13.1 percent) continue to dominate imported items (10.5 percent)”.
On the regional level, inflation rates for Upper West Region remain high with 18.6 percent, while Eastern Region recording the least rate of 7.4 percent. Ashanti Region overtakes northern region as the second highest in inflation rate of 16.0 percent.
The average inflation rate for the year 2021 was 9.17 percent which is within bank of Ghana’s medium to long-term band range of 8 plus or minus 2.
By Eben Agyekum-Biateng|3news.com|Ghana


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NEW YORK — In an East 75th Street town house far from the frenzy of the garment district, Winter Hodges, president of Bumi Sirotka, is ushering in two relatively unknown ready-to-wear labels with the guile of a Southern gentleman.
This story first appeared in the July 13, 2004 issue of WWD. Subscribe Today.
Most Seventh Avenue types don’t call their offices “our home,” greet visitors with “y’all,” or offer them midafternoon cocktails, as Hodges does in his well-appointed space. All the charm adds up, as Hodges hails from Tennessee and still spends half of each month in the South.
This year he became president of Bumi Sirotka, an athletic-inspired brand that is offering office-appropriate clothes. This fall, Hodges launches Winter & Miggs, a more upscale ready-to-wear collection.
During an interview last week, Hodges, leaning on a handmade harvest table, said, “This is our home. We’re taking a different approach. It’s not traditional. We want people to be comfortable here.”
When Bumi Sirotka, the designer behind the brand that bears her name, asks him to put on one of her polo shirts for a photograph, Hodges steps into the hallway to retrieve one from the dryer. “Our home” isn’t a complete stretch considering Hodges lives in the upper level of the 2,500-square-foot space when he is in New York. The rest of his time is spent in Roanoke, Atlanta, Charlotte, S.C., and Tennessee, where he has other business obligations.
Hodges owns Westwin, a Trenton, Tenn.-based five-store operation that sells women’s, men’s and children’s apparel, and Nick Nack Patty Wack children’s clothing. He claims to have “grown up on a cutting table,” since his parents owned and ran Greenfield Manufacturing, before selling to Kellwood in 1961. Founded in 1947, Greenfield supplied coats, parkas and field jackets to the U.S. armed forces during the Korean War. The company later made women’s apparel for Sears, Roebuck and Co., and employed almost 700 people at its peak.
For Bumi Sirotka and Winter & Miggs, sales representatives have been hired to cover Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, New England and the mid-Atlantic states. Both collections will be focused on better specialty stores. Bumi Sirotka will continue to be sold to resort shops, but is expanding beyond New York and Florida. Sirotka has traded in her Wilhemina modeling career to focus full time on her business.
Winter & Miggs is projected to generate $5 million in first-year wholesale volume, and this year, Bumi Sirotka should ring up about $3 million in wholesale volume — tripling last year’s sales, Hodges said. At this point, the main concern is retail placement rather than expansion, he said.
“We want to get it right,’’ Hodges said. “What’s different is we’re about the retailer. It’s tough to be a retailer today.”
Until recently, Hodges handled the buying for his Westwin stores.
To try to make the collections, and the stores that carry them, more distinctive, Winter & Miggs will be heavy on prints and Bumi Sirotka has broadened its color palette beyond tennis whites. With financial backing from Hodges and a silent investor, Bumi Sirotka is expected to be sold in 70 specialty stores. Winter & Miggs aims for 700 specialty stores.
Sara Rotman, founder of MODCo Creative (which stands for My Own Damn Company), is designing the prints for Winter & Miggs and is helping with the creative side. Leslie Gordon Johnson has been hired as designer for Winter & Miggs. Coincidentally, she was voted “Miss Ole Miss” at the University of Mississippi when Hodges was president of the student body in 1986. They plan to offer some Southern hospitality this fall for the collection’s launch. They will have cocktail parties in friends’ homes in Houston, Dallas, Charlotte, Atlanta and Washington, D.C.
“We want to go, but not sell them,’’ Johnson said. “We’ll just let them know this can be picked up at their local specialty store. I hate it when you go to people’s homes for one of those events and you feel like you have to buy something.”
The welcome mat is also out at the Upper East Side town house, where the kitchen is stocked and fires will be set in the fireplace this winter to encourage buyers to linger. But generosity has its drawbacks. Buyers are becoming more inclined to make their midafternoon visits the last stop of the day, said Sirotka, laughing. “I tell them, ‘I bet you planned it that way.’”
— Rosemary Feitelberg


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01 Aug 2017 — Puratos, an innovator in the bakery, patisserie, and chocolate, will hold 80 percent of the newly created entity and the historical distributor of Puratos will keep 20 percent. Puratos Taiwan plans to bring even more quality and value-added ingredients to artisan and large account customers.
“Taiwan is a sophisticated market, very influential in the rest of Northern Asia. Puratos Taiwan will help us expand our geographical footprint,” says Daniel Malcorps, Chief Executive Officer of Puratos.
Puratos Taiwan will provide a wider range of products and services to help artisan and large account channel customers be even more successful with their business.
“We will continue to supply customers with the current products while offering a wider range of Puratos products and services in Taiwan. Our focus is also on offering adequate marketing tools and sales processes to better serve large account channels (retail, industry and food service),” comments Peter Deriemaeker, Market Director Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa at Puratos.
With more than 30 years of expertise, the historical distributor benefits of a strong network of 4 distribution centers based in Taipei, Zhongli, Taichung and Kaohsiung, and employs more than 50 people.
In order to meet the significant growth opportunities, future investments will follow, including investing in a local R&D team as well as the construction of a local production plant.
Currently, Puratos counts close to 1,300 employees in Asia Pacific with 22 production units in 9 countries.
Source: Food ingredients first
Cargill is investing $150 million in a new plant that produces advanced biofuels from waste and residues, in an effort to further promote circular economy.
The European Parliament has voted to reject the ban on plant-based products using names typically associated with meat products, but has voted in favour of a plant-based dairy ban.
Researchers have developed a portable device that detects how much capsaicin a pepper contains with the help of a smartphone.