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On September 15, 2020, a World Trade Organization (“WTO”) panel found that the Trump Administration’s unilateral tariffs imposed on Chinese products violated WTO rules regarding nondiscrimination and import tariff rates agreed to by the United States. The dispute concerned China’s challenge to the Trump Administration’s tariffs imposed pursuant to the Trump Administration’s investigation under Section 301 of China’s intellectual property and technology transfer practices. Specifically, China challenged USTR List 1 (discussed here) and List 3 (discussed here).
On September 18, 2020, the U.S. Commerce Department published two rules defining the scope of prohibited transactions related to the mobile applications, WeChat and TikTok. The scope of prohibited transactions clarified the two parallel executive orders (EOs) issued by the Trump administration on August 6, 2020, which required the Commerce Department to impose restrictions on both platforms.
The scope of prohibited transactions are the same for both WeChat and TikTok. Prohibited transactions do not include individual use of these mobile platforms to exchange personal or business information. However, the rule would effectively shut down WeChat and TikTok within the United States via mobile application storefronts (e.g., Apple Store and Google Play), and additional restrictions would further impair the apps’ functionality and user experience.
On September 1, a new round of Section 301 duties will be imposed on “List 4” products. President Trump previously announced plans for these duties, but had delayed implementation in June citing progress on the negotiations with China leading up to the G20 summit. Reportedly, however, the recently resumed talks have not led to the progress desired by the Administration. In his series of tweets announcing the 10 percent tariff, President Trump stated that China had failed to purchase increased quantities of U.S. agricultural goods and reduce the flow of fentanyl into the United States.
As trade relations with China continue to evolve, Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (“Huawei”) and its foreign affiliates remain subject to broad U.S. export license requirements. However, President Trump’s statements at the G20 Summit on the relaxation of restrictions on Huawei were followed by recent senior administration officials’ announcements, including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, that export licenses may be possible where the proposed transaction does not implicate U.S. national security.
The U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) maintains the Entity List, which is comprised of individuals and entities subject to U.S. export licensing requirements for exports, re-exports and in-country transfers of items subject to the Commerce Department’s export control jurisdiction. On May 16, 2019, BIS added Huawei and 68 affiliates to the Entity List, creating a license requirement for all items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). This designation means that licenses are required for all exports and re-exports to Huawei of U.S.-origin goods, including “EAR99” items that are not identified on the Commerce Department’s dual-use Commerce Control List (“CCL”). “Items subject to the EAR” can also include non-U.S. made items in certain circumstances, such as where they contain more than a de minimis amount of controlled U.S.-origin content, or are a “direct product” of certain controlled U.S.-origin technology. The official licensing policy for exports to Huawei is a “presumption of denial.”
BIS subsequently issued a Temporary General License authorizing a narrow subset of transactions through August 19, 2019. Temporarily authorized transactions include those relating to:
- Continued operation of existing networks and equipment: Transactions necessary to maintain and support existing and currently fully operational networks and equipment, including software updates and patches, subject to legally binding contracts and agreements executed between Huawei on or before May 16, 2019.
- Support to existing handsets: Transactions necessary to provide service and support, including software updates or patches, to existing models of Huawei handsets that were available to the public on or before May 16, 2019.
- Cybersecurity research and vulnerability disclosure: The disclosure to Huawei of information regarding security vulnerabilities in items owned, possessed, or controlled by Huawei when related to the process of providing ongoing security research critical to maintaining the integrity and reliability of existing and currently fully operational networks and equipment, as well as handsets.
- Engagement as necessary for development of 5G standards by a duly recognized standards body: Transactions necessary for the development of 5G standards as part of a duly recognized international standards body. U.S. and non-U.S. companies dealing in items subject to the EAR should be aware that Huawei is still on the Entity List and remains subject to broad export licensing requirements. The Temporary General License authorizes certain limited exports to Huawei until August 19, 2019, and could signal the types of activities that would be viewed favorably in a license request. For activities outside the scope of the Temporary General License, exporters may consider submitting license applications for exports to Huawei or its supply chain where they believe the U.S. government would not have national security concerns.
Since its designation, interested U.S. and non-U.S. parties have questioned whether Huawei’s Entity List designation will remain permanent. President Trump made statements that the U.S. would lift some of the restrictions on Huawei following a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping to reengage the stalled China-U.S. trade talks. On July 9, 2019, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross indicated that Huawei will remain on the Entity List with the same export licensing requirements. In other words, exports to Huawei of any items subject to the EAR (including EAR99 items) will continue to require a license subject to an official policy of a “presumption of denial.” However, Secretary Ross left open the possibility that BIS may grant licenses where the proposed exports do not threaten national security. He further stated: “Within those confines we will try to make sure that we don’t just transfer revenue from the U.S. to foreign firms.” BIS has not released any official guidance announcing any specific criteria that would need to be met in order to obtain a license.
U.S. and non-U.S. companies dealing in items subject to the EAR should be aware that Huawei is still on the Entity List and remains subject to broad export licensing requirements. The Temporary General License authorizes certain limited exports to Huawei until August 19, 2019, and could signal the types of activities that would be viewed favorably in a license request. For activities outside the scope of the Temporary General License, exporters may consider submitting license applications for exports to Huawei or its supply chain where they believe the U.S. government would not have national security concerns.
On May 21, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) established a process through which U.S. stakeholders may exclude products included in List 3 from a 25% tariff imposed pursuant to the investigation of China’s intellectual property practices under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (“Section 301”) (discussed here). The window to submit exclusion requests will open “on or around” June 30.
On May 9, 2019, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) issued a Federal Notice indicating that tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports would be increased from 10% to 25%. These products are included in the third set of tariff categories (the first two sets are discussed here) announced by USTR in connection with the investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 into China’s acts, policies, and practices related to intellectual property (discussed here). The increase will go into effect on May 10, 2019 at 12:01 am eastern daylight time. Over the weekend, President Trump also threatened a 25% tariff will “shortly” be imposed on the remaining $325 billion worth of imports not currently subject to tariffs. For the prior three sets of Section 301 duties, there were proposed regulations with opportunity for public comment, and it seems likely that USTR would follow the same approach if there will be a fourth set.
- June 15, 2018 – U.S. proposes an additional 25 percent ad valorem duty on products from China (818 tariff categories) with an annual trade value of approximately $34 billion. The $34 billion action became effective on July 6, 2018. (See our previous blog here)
- June 15, 2018 – U.S. also proposes an additional 25 percent ad valorem duty on products from China (284 tariff categories) with annual trade value of approximately $16 billion. The $16 billion action is undergoing public comment.
- June 15, 2018 – China retaliates imposing an additional 25 percent tariff on U.S. goods with a value of $50 billion. Part of this action ($34 billion) became effective on July 6, 2018. The additional $16 billion will be effective on a date to be determined.
- July 11, 2018 – U.S. proposes an additional 10 percent ad valorem duty on products of China with an annual trade value of $200 billion.
On July 11, 2018, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) proposed an additional 10 percent ad valorem duty on products of China with an annual trade value of $200 billion. President Trump directed this action in connection with the Section 301 investigation into China’s acts, policies and practices related to intellectual property (discussed here and here).
According to USTR, President Trump directed this action in response to China’s decision to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods following the initial round of 25% tariff increases on Chinese goods covering $50 billion in trade value, $16 billion of which is currently proposed (discussed here). According to the USTR, “China has shown that it will not respond to action at a $50 billion level” and “supplemental action at a $200 billion level is in accord with the President’s direction.”
The proposed tariffs cover 6,031 tariff subheadings and a wide variety of products, including food, chemical, mineral, electrical products; fertilizers; photographic goods; plastic, rubber, leather, cork, and wood articles; paper and paperboard; textile articles; headgear; stone, ceramic and glass articles; base metals; various types of machinery and appliances; electrical equipment; vehicles; ships; clocks; and furniture.
USTR will finalize the list following a public notice and comment process, including a hearing. USTR has requested comments on:
- Whether tariff subheadings included in the list should be retained or removed, or whether subheadings not currently on the list should be added;
- In comments advocating for the removal of products from the list, commentators address whether imposing increased duties on a particular product would: 1) be practicable or effective to obtain the elimination of China’s acts, policies, and practices identified by USTR to be in violation of Section 301 (discussed in our blog post here); and 2) cause disproportionate economic harm to U.S. interests, including small- or medium-sized businesses and consumers.
- The level of the increase, if any, in the rate of duty;
- The appropriate aggregate level of trade to be covered by additional duties.
The relevant dates for the proceedings are as follows:
- July 27: Requests to appear and a summary of expected testimony
- August 17: Written comments
- August 20-23: Public Hearing
- August 30: Post-hearing rebuttal comments


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Since for years, despite the inherent lack of privacy measure on major public blockchain networks including Bitcoin [BTC] and Ethereum [ETH] that discourage the settlement of illicit transaction along with money laundering, awidepushed narrative usage of the cryptocurrencies is subjected to their employment in the criminal activities.
Several major cryptocurrenciesdon’t seem to be anonymousnaturally. Withimplementing KnowYourCustomer[KYC] and Anti-MoneyLaundering[AML] systems integrated by crypto exchanges,it’sverytroublesomefor criminals to utilize digital assets to settle the transfer ofillicittransactions.
Authorities and govt. agencies acrossthe worldarewell known to this non-anonymous characteristic of blockchains,thatmighthaveintendedgovernmentsincludingUnited States, Japan, andSouth Koreato legitimate andacknowledgethe cryptocurrency market.
This week, Binance hasbegan tocooperatewith Chainalysis that isa number oneblockchain analysis company that evaluates suspicious transactions and addresses,to enhanceits AML system and toadditionallylegitimise the cryptocurrency sector.
The Co-Founder and COO of Chainalysis ‘Jonathan Levin’ added:
“Cryptocurrency businesses of all sizes facea similarcore challenge: earning the trust of regulators,monetary establishmentsand users.weexpectseveralto follow Binance’slead tobuildbestAML compliance programs to satisfy regulators globally and build trust with majorfinancialestablishments.”
In 2018,several world’s mostprestigiousbanks were cracked down for Money Laundering. Danske Bank laundered $243 Bln from criminalteams, and in line with CCN’s recent report, Nordea Bank,the biggest financialgroupwithin theNordic countries, is said to have takenmanyillicit payments from bankswithin theBaltic region.
With the institutional market of cryptocurrencies growing exponentially, thealterationof AML systemsutilized by public exchangesis predictedto solidify cryptocurrencies as a recognizedassetcategoryand thedigital asset market along with well-regulated sector.
Thechief financial officerat Binance ‘Wei Zhao,’aforesaidthat maintaining the firm’s visionof skyrocketingthe freedomof moneyglobally, the exchangecanstilladhere toregulativemandateswithin thecountries it operates in.
Explaining further he added:
“Byworking in collaborationwith Chainalysis,we areready tocontinue building a foundational compliance programthat allowsfuturesectionof our growth. Our vision isto supplythe infrastructure for a blockchainsystemand increasethe libertyof moneyglobally,whereasadhering toregulative mandateswithin thecountriesweserve.”
However it’s clear for now, that the cryptocurrency sector isentering intoa newsectionof development and growth, asZhouexplained.
During the 2017 bullmarketduring whichthe valuation of the cryptocurrency market surged to $800 Bln, theassetcategoryobtainedimportantmainstreamawareness inbothcountries that support crypto and regions that have established impracticalregulativeframeworksto stoplocalblockchain markets to flourish.

domain: news


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Microsoft Says Outlook.com Has 60 Million UsersDina Bass
Microsoft Corp. said its free Outlook.com Web-based e-mail service has gained 60 million active users in its first six months, with a third of those switching from Google Inc.’s Gmail.
Microsoft had expected it to take a year to reach that level of usage and it took Gmail two years to get there, Dharmesh Mehta, a senior director for Outlook.com, said in an interview. A third of active users are Gmail customers now using Outlook.com as their primary free e-mail account, he said.
While free e-mail isn’t a huge money-maker -- Mehta said Outlook.com carries about 60 percent fewer advertisements than Microsoft’s previous Hotmail product -- the Redmond, Washington-based company considers it critical to gaining and retaining consumers. Microsoft, the world’s largest software maker, has been losing users of its Windows operating system to smartphones and tablets such as Apple Inc.’s iPad.
Outlook.com, accessed mainly via Web browsers, shares the brand name with Microsoft’s e-mail, contacts and calendar program, part of the Office suite of software installed on personal computers running Windows.
The software has been in preview since July 31. Microsoft is releasing the final version today, with features mostly unchanged. Outlook.com works on Windows-based machines, as well as Apple’s. There’s also an application for devices running Google’s Android mobile-operating system.
To promote the service, Microsoft is beginning what Mehta says is the biggest-ever advertising campaign for an e-mail product, spending “tens of millions” of dollars on U.S. television, online, print and bus ads to market Outlook.com. The company will also run TV ads in Europe in the coming weeks.
Microsoft will also begin moving customers to Outlook.com from its Hotmail service, Mehta said. Microsoft will initially encourage Hotmail users to switch before moving them permanently by the end of the first half. While Hotmail users can keep their old e-mail addresses, they will use the new Outlook.com interface, Microsoft said.


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Shaw Kwei & Partners has agreed to sell YongLe Tape – a Chinese PVC adhesive tape manufacturer that it privatized in 2012 – to Avery Dennison for $190 million, with additional earn-outs of up to $55 million.
YongLe is the name of an acquisition vehicle the PE firm established to acquire Singapore-listed CHT Holdings, working in conjunction with Fung Wong, CHT’s founder and chairman. The deal was worth $66...
Morningside Venture Capital, a China-focused early-stage VC firm that used to manage only US dollar-denominated funds, has closed its first renminbi vehicle at RMB1 billion ($143 million).
TPG Capital has agreed to acquire a controlling position in Vietnam Australia International School (VAS), facilitating an exit for existing backers Mekong Capital and Denmark-based MAJ Invest.
Apax Partners has agreed to invest $388 million in Guotai Junan Securities as the largest cornerstone investor in the Chinese brokerage’s HK$16.5 billion ($2.1 billion) Hong Kong IPO.
Consumer-focused GP ClearVue Partners has led a RMB200 million ($30 million) Series B round of funding for I Believe, a Chinese convenience store operator.


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Squire Patton Boggs has advised Mariusz Koczwara, the owner of the Polish gluten-free manufacturer Bezgluten, on his sale of the company to Bounty Brands, the food division of Coast2Coast, an investment holding based in South Africa. Gessel advised Coast2Coast on the deal that recently closed following a September signing.
Bounty Brands acquired 99% of Bezgluten shares in the buyout, which marks the fourth buyout in the Polish food sector. The seller will retain the balance and will remain in its CEO position and continue the core management of the business. The deal is unrelated to Bounty Brand's recent acquisition of Poland's Stella Pack (reported by CEE Legal Matters on November 17, 2017).
Bezgluten, the producer and distributor of gluten-free products, is a second largest player on the Polish free gluten food market. The company operates a manufacturing plant near Krakow, and it currently employs more than 75 people. The company reportedly spent over PLN 145 million on gluten-free products in 2016. According to Stefan Rabe, the CEO of Bounty Brands: “Bezgluten build a strong brand, offers unique products and strengths our position on the fast growing free gluten food and snacks market”.
According to Squire Patton Boggs, "In connection with Coast2Coast partial exit plans related to next year IPO of Bounty Brands, the Polish team of Coast2Coast did a remarkable work this year to strengthen Bounty Brands position in the Polish food sector. Their investment criteria in connection with the planned IPO differs slightly from typical PE Houses looking primarily on fast growing EBITDA track and projection, as Coast2Coast focuses also on strong brands, synergies with other portfolio companies, and net financial result”.
The Squire Patton Boggs team consisted of Partner Michal Karwacki, supported by Counsel Pawel Magierowski and Associates Hubert Binkiewicz and Aleksandra Drozdz.
The Gessel team was led by Partner Maciej Kozuchowski and included Associate Tomasz Maslak.


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Ag tourism to boost rural economies
- From: AAP
- August 06, 2014
THE US agricultural industry hopes a focus on tourism will help revive struggling rural economies.
FARMS engaging in ag tourism generated roughly $US700 million ($A757.37 million) in West Virginia in 2012 - a 24 per cent increase over five years, according to the most recent US Agriculture Department statistics. But that's still a sliver compared to some other, more traditional forms of tourism; for example, visitors to national parks spent about $US14.6 billion in communities within 100km in 2013.Ag tourism is one of agriculture's fasting growing sectors, said Kelly Smith, marketing and commodities director at the Missouri Farm Bureau. "Many farmers are looking to add revenue streams to their farms," Smith said. In July, the Appalachian Regional Commission, a federal agency charged with promoting economic development, launched a map and guide of nearly 300 farmers markets, vineyards, farm-to-fork restaurants and other destinations in an effort to boost the industry. The map and guide were published in Food Traveler Magazine and online. "Local food systems are growing throughout Appalachia, and their growth is making important economic contributions in rural communities," said Earl F Gohl, who co-chairs the commission along with West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin. Linda Losey, who had never owned a farm before, started Bloomery Plantation Distillery in 2011 after deciding to try her hand at making limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur. The distillery uses many of its home-grown products in its drinks - "Moonshine Milkshake" and hard lemonade among them - plucking fresh raspberries, pumpkin, lemons and ginger. Now, the business generates nearly $US1 million in annual sales and employs 14 people. Until about a year ago, 97 per cent of its business was selling onsite, but that's changing, said Rob Losey, Linda's ex-husband and business partner. The split is now 80-20, and Losey said that number will continue to shift. "We'll max out here. All the growth will be in external markets," he said. About 25km away in Martinsburg, West Virginia, family farm George S Orr & Sons added a retail market in 1995. Retail sales now generate about 15 per cent of the business, up from five per cent just seven years ago, said retail market manager Katy Orr-Dove. The rest is mostly wholesale fruit sold to grocery stores. Orr-Dove said the increase in retail sales was sparked by the "buy local" movement. "People started having a greater interest in finding locally grown fruits and vegetables and they started looking for us," she said. "At about the same time, we decided we wanted to reach out more and increased our advertising, our website, our e-newsletter." Orr-Dove said that ag tourism represented a good opportunity to help West Virginia's economy. In 2012, 174 farms in West Virginia generated about $US1.2 million in ag tourism - up from 112 farms and $US970,000 in 2007, according to the USDA. The West Virginia University Extension Service will do an ag tourism study starting within the next few months to determine its impact on tax revenues, jobs and income, said Doolarie Singh-Knights, an assistant professor at the extension. "The possibilities are endless," Orr-Dove said. "West Virginia is known for being mountainous farmlands. And there are a lot of people who have small farms already."


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PM Modi swiped his RuPay card for buying Indian sweets.
Imran Mojib, Special Correspondent
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi launched the RuPay card in Abu Dhabi on Saturday by swiping his RuPay card for buying Indian sweets. With this, the UAE became the first country in the Gulf to accept the RuPay card.
Simon Haslam, Chairman of Mercury Payments Services – UAE’s Domestic Scheme, and Arif Khan Pyarebhai, Chief Digital Officer of National Payments Corporation of India, exchanged an MoU on RuPay Card in presence of the Prime Minister.
RuPay is the first-of-its-kind India’s domestic debit and credit card payment network. Partnership between the two institutions has made RuPay cards also acceptable at 175,000 merchant acceptance locations and 5,000 ATM and cash access locations within the UAE. Initially the card will be issued in the UAE by the Emirates NBD, FAB1 and Bank of Baroda.
The launch of RuPay card was welcomed by stalwarts of Indian business community in the UAE who were present during the launch event and pledged to accept RuPay as a mode of payment and stated that the initiative will go a long way in bringing India and the UAE businesses closer.
Dr Azad Moopen, Chairman and Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare, said that the launch of RuPay card in the UAE will boost the financial independence and would help Indians travelling to the UAE and those based in the UAE.
“It is our privilege to accept the RuPay card for all payments in our 351 establishments comprising Aster, Medcare and Access brand of hospitals, clinics and pharmacies in all GCC countries. We already accept RuPay in our hospitals in India,” he said.
Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, Chairman and Managing Director of VPS Healthcare, said that this landmark initiative would help create seamless financial transactions. Given the lower transactional costs, both users and merchants would prefer RuPay over the more expensive existing payment networks. He also announced that the Rupay card would be accepted across all units of VPS Healthcare.
Mahmood Bangara, Chairman of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India – Dubai chapter, said that the RuPay launch in the UAE and other GCC countries would invoke a great interest among the NRIs. He expressed confidence that the card would become one of the most subscribed around the globe.
Sheikh Abdullah and his accompanying delegation met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday as part of their official visit to the country.
Indian expatriates based in the UAE cheerfully welcomed the second inning of Narendra Modi as the prime minister of India, popularly termed as ‘Modi 2.0’.
India’s energy security is a top priority for the UAE with ADNOC being the only foreign oil and gas company, to date, to invest in India’s strategic petroleum reserves programme.
The guests were asked to undergo a COVID-19 tests, and to present the negative result of the test before entering the house.
The Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, on Saturday said it carried out 77,640 additional COVID-19 tests in the country over the last 24 hours, using the latest testing methods.
Individuals and corporate teams can simply download the Relay by FOCP app, walk at their own pace, and win exciting prizes.


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Engadget reports on a press release concerning Blio, Ray Kurzweil’s imitation-of-a-paper-book e-reading app that we have mentioned a few times in past months. The PC application will be released for download starting September 28th, and iOS and Android applications will be available soon afterward.
Blio will, the press release claims, “revolutionize the digital reading experience with full-color, interactive, and immersive content.” The full-color reader will read files presented in XPS format, “which allows digital books to stay true to their original print version,” and will also read EPUB files. It will also offer text-to-speech technology,
Blio will reportedly have a million free titles available at launch, and 10,000 commercial e-book titles from Baker & Taylor. Toshiba already has a Blio-powered e-book store of its own.
As I’ve said before, Ray Kurzweil has some impressive chops in the fields of scanning and text-to-speech, including reading machines for the blind. It still remains to be seen just how well this will translate to going up against the commercial e-book industry giants.


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As an interactive social media hub of sorts, PlayStation Home allowed players to create avatars and interact with each other in a sort of virtual online world. For all the flak that its received, there are still plenty of Home users out there. Regardless, Sony has announced that updates Home in Japan will cease in September. It has also revealed that the content will end for all Asian territories in March 2014.
Because we couldn’t get enough of it as it is. However, markets where Home does see its fair share of users will remain unaffected, as the US and Europe will still receive updates. Considering that there has been some clamouring for Home on the PlayStation 4, it remains to be seen whether this will affect chances of the same. Will it be long before Home is phased out in the West as well? Time will tell.
Sony’s PlayStation 4 launches on November 15th in the US and November 29th in Europe.


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It has emerged that chilled and ambient logistics specialist Davis Haulage entered into a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) months after it was bought by the owner of Widdowson Group. Widdowson Group, the trading name of AM Widdowson & Son, is also operating under a CVA after suffering financial problems. It was purchased by Malta-based company HLD Group on 16 June 2015 and placed into a CVA the month after. In February this year HLD Group purchased Crewe-based Davis Haulage. One […]
Creditors at AM Widdowson & Son have voted to approve a CVA that will see them paid 36.12p in the pound.
With Widdowson Logistics in administration once more, Motortransport.co.uk revisits the events that lead to the operator’s pre-pack in July 2016. Although incorporated in 1975, business conducted by former coal merchant AM Widdowson & Son can be traced back more than 100 years. Like any haulage firm with a few years on the clock there’s been plenty of ups and downs, but for this Leicestershire outfit it’s been a particularly breathless few years. A stricken AM Widdowson was kept on the […]
Davis Haulage, which was sold to Buffaload Logistics for £1.8m late last year, got into trouble after overextending itself, according to a report from administrator Leonard Curtis.


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Refuting all baseless allegations, K-Electric shared that its prime responsibility and focus is to serve the people of Karachi. The power utility remains fully committed to its vision statement of ‘Energizing Karachi’ while serving over 25 million people of Karachi and its adjoining areas.
Refuting the allegations, K-Electric shared that all billing is done as per regulatory processes and guidelines. Bills are generated as per consumer’s meter reading. Any previous allegations on billing have already been reviewed and refuted by the concerned authorities.
With regards to the cost of electricity, the Government has implemented a “Uniform Tariff Policy” across Pakistan, including Karachi. The slabs of electricity are also implemented across Pakistan. K-Electric confirmed that no change has been made in the tariff charged to the consumers of Karachi.
According to KE spokesperson, “KE’s transition into a dynamic institution today in the face of numerous challenges has become a case study in business excellence and transformation. Through sustained investment of US $1.2bn since 2009 in its infrastructure, network and services, the power utility has enhanced the reliability of power supply to its customers. Today, 61% of Karachi including industries is load shed free. We continue to invest in our systems and remain committed to bring further developments to attain the vision of a load-shed free Karachi.”
K-Electric also ensures that all avenues are available to the customers in case of any dispute. K-Electric is part of the sessions held at the Office of the Federal Ombudsman. The documentary evidence collected at time of assessment is included in the proceedings. In the past 6 months, 79% of rulings by the Federal Ombudsman have been in favour of K-Electric. Moreover, in 2016, K-Electric partnered with the Office of the Federal Ombudsman to establish a one-of-its-kind electronic communication network between FO Secretariat and K-Electric to ensure quick disposal of consumer complaints.
In line with the utility’s mission statement to put consumers at the heart of everything it does, K-Electric offers a wide range of avenues to address consumer requests ranging from 29 Integrated Business Centers spread across its network, one of the largest call centers (118) equipped with leading consumer experience platform ‘Genesys’, centralized handling via KE website, facilitation at consumers’ doorstep with mobile vans and round the clock engagement via social media forums including public holidays. Moreover, KE is also one of the first utility companies to implement SAP IS-U, a state of the art customer relations and billing management system.
Overloading in kunda-infested areas and electricity theft are two major reasons for faults and tripping, Aerial Bundles Cables are kunda-resistant and therefore help curb electricity theft while also enhancing the reliability of electricity supply.


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For the first and second generation of both Google Pixel devices, the Alphabet-owned company has worked alongside an OEM partner to manufacture the handsets. In 2016, Google signed a contract for the Pixel and Pixel XL manufacture with HTC, however in 2017 the search giant split the development of its smartphones between HTC and LG, while the first was responsible for the smaller Pixel 2, the latter made the bigger Pixel 2 XL.
Apparently, Google is ready for a sail alone on the smartphone waters during this year, well, not so alone. According to recent reports, both Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will be designed entirely in-house by Google, but the manufactured will be put on Foxconn shoulders. If you have lived in a cave for the past ten years, Foxconn is the well known manufacturing company behind Apple iPhone and Nokia branded products.
The documents pointing to the above statement were collected by the folks at WinFuture and they state that Google has been looking for a company that could manufacture their 2018 flagships. Foxconn has been one of Google choices since the start, but the reports say that FIH Mobile – Foxconn’s subsidiary – has been commissioned to manufacture the next Pixel smartphones.
This will be the first time that we will see Google exclusively responsible for the manufacture of its smartphones since the Nexus era. Of course, a lot of smartphone industry enthusiasts were pointing that something like this would eventually happen. Especially after the Alphabet-owned company acquired the HTC engineers involved in the making of Pixel smartphones.
Gizchina News of the week
According to a Bloomberg report, the newest Pixel 3 smartphone will not bring a different design over its predecessor, but the Pixel 3 XL, in counterpart, is said to have a nearly edge-to-edge screen, unfortunately (or not) with a display notch in the top. A picture containing the alleged front panels of both smartphones have leaked two days ago and confirms this statement.
If the Pixel 3 XL will really embrace the Notch that wouldn’t be a big surprise since Google is preparing Android P to offer special support for the devices of such pedigree. Seeing Google’s own smartphone with a notch to show all the specific features of Android optimized for it would be a good way to market the OS and its implementation for the remaining manufacturers.
Lastly, but not least, seems that the Pixel 3 smartphones will be offered to the US through an exclusive contract with Verizon. According to some reports, the Pixel 3 smartphones could be available sooner than expected, towards August or September, but of course, this information isn’t accurate enough to take it without a pinch or two of salt.


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Brussels, 22 July 2014
Employment: Commission proposes €700,000 from Globalisation Fund to help redundant workers in the carpentry sector in Spain
The European Commission has proposed to provide Spain with €700,000 from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund (EGF) to help 400 workers made redundant in the carpentry and joinery sector in the Castilla y León region to find new jobs. The proposal now goes to the European Parliament and the EU’s Council of Ministers for approval.
EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion László Andor commented: “The Spanish society and economy have been hard hit by the financial crisis and the employment situation in the region of Castilla y León is a matter of great concern, but I am convinced that the proposed support from Europe’s Globalisation Adjustment Fund would help the workers who lost their jobs to find new opportunities in the same or other sectors”.
Spain applied for support from the EGF following the dismissal of 587 workers in three businesses operating in the joinery and carpentry sector in the region of Castilla y León. The workers primarily make doors and window frames used in the construction of buildings. These dismissals were the result of the shrinking market for wooden doors and window frames worldwide and the decline in the volume of exports of these goods from Spain during the past years.
The measures co-financed by the EGF would help the 400 workers facing the greatest difficulties in finding new jobs by providing them with intensive job-search assistance, counselling and guidance, general training and re-training, vocational training, promotion of entrepreneurship and a variety of allowances and incentives.
The total estimated cost of the package is €1.4 million, of which the EGF would provide half.
The market for joinery and carpentry products for the building sector is shrinking globally and the volume of worldwide exports of this commodity decreased by 3.4% from 14.2 billion US dollars in 2008 to 13.7 billion US dollars in 2011. Between 2008 and 2011 the volume of EU-27 exports of these products decreased by 10.33 % and its market share dropped from 17.24% to 16%.
During the same period the Philippines almost doubled its market share (which rose from 6.31% to 12.13%) and other Far Eastern countries also increased their share although to a lesser extent – China for instance increased its market share by 15% and Malaysia by 37%.
This decline in the EU-27 market share led to the closure of a number of enterprises operating in the sector, with negative consequences for employment. As noted in the staff working document accompanying the Commission’s communication on A new EU forest strategy for forest and the forest based sector, the number of enterprises in the manufacture of wooden and timber products decreased by 8% between 2003 and 2010, while employment in the sector decreased by 20% in the period 2000-2011.
Employment in Castilla y León has been severely affected by the crisis. The unemployment rate in the region increased rapidly from 8.2% in the first quarter of 2008 to 22.70% in the same quarter of 2013. The redundancies in the manufacture of wood and timber products will further magnify the unemployment situation, since the affected territory, Pinares (literally ‘pine groves’), is highly dependent on the wood sector and the pine trees constitute the main economic resource, which has resulted in an industrial area of primary and secondary processing of wood.
The region already received EGF support for another mass redundancy case in the automotive industry (IP/09/233).
More open trade with the rest of the world leads to overall benefits for growth and employment, but it can also cost some jobs, particularly in vulnerable sectors and affecting lower-skilled workers. This is why Commission President Barroso first proposed setting up a fund to help those adjusting to the consequences of globalisation. Since the start of its operations in 2007, the EGF has received 125 applications. Some €518 million has been requested to help more than 112,000 workers. EGF applications are being presented to help workers in a growing number of sectors, and by an increasing number of Member States. In 2013 alone, it provided more than €53.5 million in support.
In June 2009, the EGF rules were revised to strengthen the role of the EGF as an early intervention instrument forming part of Europe’s response to the financial and economic crisis. The revised EGF Regulation entered into force on 2 July 2009 and the crisis criterion applied to all applications received from 1 May 2009 to 30 December 2011.
Building on this experience and the value added by the EGF for the assisted workers and affected regions, the Fund continues during the 2014-2020 period as an expression of EU solidarity, with further improvements to its functioning. Its scope has been expanded to include again workers made redundant because of the economic crisis, as well as fixed-term workers, the self-employed, and, by way of derogation until the end of 2017, young people not in employment, education or training in regions of high youth unemployment.
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Before Trump, the US House of Representatives once got other work done. In November they unanimously (when life was harmonious) passed the Consumer Review Fairness Act. The act will protect customers from businesses if they leave negative feedback.
Why did they pass the Consumer Review Fairness Act?
Well, many businesses were putting gag clauses into their fine print so that people can’t write bad reviews online. And there were a few extreme cases of businesses taking outrageous steps to seek retribution on disgruntled customers.
Publications including the New York Post and Business Insider picked up on the story of a hotel in New York state informing guests that any bad reviews would result in a $500 fine, charged directly to their credit card. In another incident, newlyweds had to agree to not ‘encourage’ negative feedback. And last year a Texas petsitting company sued a couple $1M for a negative Yelp review.
The Consumer Review Fairness Act invalidates those gag clauses and gives the Federal Trade Commission the power to go after any business that tries to pressure its customers into leaving a good review.
Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ) saw it as an issue which touched on freedom of speech and the First Amendment:
This bill is about protecting consumers posting honest feedback online. Online reviews and ratings are critical in the 21st Century and consumers should be able to post, comment and tweet their honest and accurate feedback without fear of retribution. Too many companies are burying non-disparagement clauses in fine print and going after consumers when they post negative feedback online. That needs to stop.
We agree. It’s the right of the customer to be able to honestly share their feelings and experiences about the things they buy.
Is it bad news for businesses?
Here at Reevoo, we know the power of bad reviews. If dealt with properly (read our guide), negative feedback – or in other words, honest feedback – can lead to greater customer satisfaction and improved product development.
Consumers spend more than five times as long on site when they see bad reviews. Increased trust means consumers convert nearly 85% more often. The UK government knows that – Last year it updated guidelines for businesses dealing with online reviews.
The bottom line: the bad press that comes with trying to silence bad reviews is too much of a risk. Brands that welcome feedback – good and bad – and use it to nourish their business will be a lot healthier in the long run.


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Mobilink has announced today that its parent company, “VimpelCom Ltd” (“VimpelCom”, “Company” or “Group”) (NYSE: VIP),a leading global provider of telecommunications services,and Google, a global technology leader focused on improving the ways people connect with information, today announce an agreement to deliver a new, enhanced digital entertainment experience for VimpelCom customers across its markets.
VimpelCom customers will be able to use their mobile accounts to easily find, try and buy Google Play content. The cost of any purchased app can now be simply deducted from a customer’s prepaid credit or just added to their monthly bill.
The Google Play store brings together Google digital goods including apps, games, Google Books, Google Music and Google Movies into a single unified offering. Users can access their entire library of music, videos, books, apps, and games in one place, all of which are also stored online, without the need to synchronize devices.
A dedicated “VimpelCom Channel” will make it easy for VimpelCom customers to navigate their way among the 600,000 apps available in the Google Play store. Available via the local Google Play store, the VimpelCom channel will feature dozens of apps, tailored to offer local content and services.
The “VimpelCom Channel” and mobile account payments for the Google Play store will be rolled out in VimpelCom’s operations across the globe, starting later on this year.
Mikhail Gerchuk, VimpelCom’s Group Chief Commercial Officer, said: “the collaboration with Google will provide our customers around the world with a convenient way to access and pay for millions of apps, games and songs, significantly enhancing the smartphone experience in countries where banking and credit card services are not widely used.
In most of our markets, we will be the first operator to launch mobile account payments for Google Play store and with the “VimpelCom Channel” we will bring tailored content to millions of our customers around the globe using Android smartphones” he said.
This latest agreement is part of VimpelCom’s consistent strategy of providing its customers with the best mobile internet experience, complementing its recently announced partnership with Opera Software to deliver better mobile web browsing for customers using alow-costmobile phone.


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How Processors Can Lower Those ‘Added Sugars’
Sugar has been nearly omnipresent in the food and beverage industry, but the addition of “Added Sugars” to nutrition labeling is motivating many food, beverage, and nutraceutical brands to look for alternatives to satiate consumers seeking healthier products. Food Processing recently highlighted Apura Ingredients’ sweeteners such as sucralose and allulose in an article on the topic, which is available to read at this link.
“Each sweetener has a different taste profile and functionality,” Apura’s President Nancy Hughes says in the article.
Looking for the right sweetener for your application? Contact us today, and we’ll help you out!


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President Akufo Addo has called on farmers in Ghana to take full advantage of the the newly established Commodity Exchange organization in order to ensure the speed sale of their produces.
In his address at the inauguration of the Ghana Commodity Exchange’s (GEX) Operations at the newly built Export Trade House in Accra, President Akufo Addo said, Even though Ghanaians farmers are responsible for feeding a nation of some twenty-nine million (29,000,000) people, they are amongst a class of workers in the country with no guaranteed incomes for their labour and efforts”.
“On their own, some of them have to deal with commodity price volatilities, and many possess little to no knowledge of the true value of their produce. Even worse is the fact that most transactions in the agricultural sector are conducted by word of mouth or handshake agreements”.
To this end, President Akufo Addo said the “Ghana Commodity Exchange, the platform for buying and selling listed commodities, will, thus, become the first of its kind in West Africa, and one of only three operating on the African continent”. He challenged Ghanaian Farmers to take full advantage of the institution to push their commodities.
The Scope of GCX Operations
The President in his speech indicated that “a decision has been made by his administration for the Exchange, as a start, to trade in agricultural commodities, specifically with food security crops, with additional commodities set to be traded at the Exchange” in the near future.
Commitment to the success of the GCX
The President pleaded that his administration will do all within it power to ensure that “the Ghana Commodity Exchange delivers on its mandate, and promotes high productivity, price stability, increased exports, and reduced imports of commodities”. The Exchange, in light of the emerging regional and continental free trade area, the President said, “can position Ghana as the premier West African global trading hub”.
With one of the main focus of the GCX being the ability to offer storage facilities for the products of Farmers, the President stressed that “with an estimated one million farmers, in the next 18 months set to be integrated into the Ghana Commodity Exchange and Warehouse Receipt System, Ghanaian farmers will gain access to secured storage for their harvest and good warehousing management practices, substantially reducing their post-harvest losses, and improving their take home sales; affordable short-term loans using their commodities as sole collateral, as well as managing borrowers’ credit and default risks; and daily real time market and price information directly via text messaging”.
Plea with Traditional Rulers
To traditional rulers in Ghana, the President encouraged them to “help with the sensitization drive to improve the lives of your peoples; to our farmers, be part of the knowledge sharing within your communities so everyone benefits. Buy and sell through the Ghana Commodity Exchange,” he added.
The Minister for Finance and Economic Planning, Ken Ofori Atta, in explaining the role of the GCX, said the organization has come into being at a strategic time in the history of the country. He indicated that the GCX if fully embraced by Ghanaian famers will guarantee improved agricultural productivity and reduce post harvest losses.
A Ghanaian farmer, Maxwell Akandem, who shared his personal experience with the GCX and the impact it has had on his ability to sell his commodities, made a passionate appeal to the President to set up a financial institution in the country that would offer credit facilities to farmers at a rate of 4% or less in order to boost the industry. President Akufo Addo assured Mr. Akandem that his suggestion has fallen on fertile grounds and soon, government will announce her plans it that regard.
Ghana Commodity Exchange
The Ghana Commodity Exchange is a private company limited by shares, structured as a Public Private Partnership, with the government of Ghana currently the sole shareholder. The aim of the exchange is to establish linkages between agricultural and commodity producers and buyers, to secure competitive prices for their products, assuring the market quantity and quality as well as timely settlement of their trade.
Essentially, the GCX has been established to regulate markets that links buyers and sellers of commodities to trade by Rules, while assuring the market quantity and quality, timely delivery and settlement.
Ghana Commodity Exchange is also a regulated national and regional market linking buyers and sellers of agricultural and non- agricultural products to trade under rules, and discover prices while assuring the market quantity and quality of the products and timely settlement.
GCX key goal is to link Ghanaian smallholder farmers to agricultural and financial markets in Ghana and across the West Africa Region to ensure Ghana’s farmers secure competitive prices for their commodities, as well as supply good quality commodities which meet the nutritional needs of the Ghanaian people.
GCX was launched as a project on June 23 2015. Upon incorporation as
November 2017, GCX has commenced the acquisition of the required infrastructure to support a modern commodity exchange such as warehousing, stock management and quality control systems, electronic trading platform, business processes, central depository, clearing and settlement process, hiring of technical and functional staff, recruitment of members, finalization of exchange trading rules, capacity building and training of market actors and selection of commodities to be traded on the exchange.


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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and ad agency Wieden & Kennedy are parting ways after a six-year run that included some of the most notable work in the automotive category, such as the iconic "Imported From Detroit" ads.
W&K had worked on brands across the FCA portfolio -- including Jeep and Maserati -- but was considered the agency-of-record for Chrysler and Dodge. The agency and automaker confirmed their breakup in a joint statement.
"Making your mark in the automotive category isn't easy. But we're damn proud of the one we made with FCA. We're even more proud of the company's turnaround. Parting ways is always hard, but sometimes it's just the right call. We wish FCA all the best," said Tom Blessington, managing director for Wieden & Kennedy, Portland.
Olivier Francois, chief marketing officer for FCA Global, said the time is right for the move.
"Since 2010, W&K and FCA have collaborated on memorable campaigns for many FCA brands," Francois said in a statement. "It has been a great partnership and as these things do go, it is now the right time for both the agency and FCA to seek other pursuits."
Asked about what is next for Chrysler and Dodge, an FCA spokeswoman said in an email that "FCA and W&K are still working together to wrap things up, to wind down the relationship. At this point in time, we have no announcements to make about a new (agency of record)."
The move frees W&K to eventually pursue competing auto brands and it could emerge as a sought-after shop in the category.
FCA also confirmed that it is naming FCB, Chicago, the official agency of record for its Fiat brand in North America, replacing The Richards Group, which remains the agency of record for the Ram brand.
The split with W&K ends an era that led to several breakthrough campaigns. The list of standouts includes the Emmy-winning Super Bowl ad "Born of Fire" for Chrysler, which introduced the "Imported from Detroit" tagline. That was followed up with the 2012 Super Bowl ad "Halftime in America" starring Clint Eastwood.


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Before year’s end, Arizonans in search of a cruise vacation won’t have to travel far.
On Monday, the British-based cruise line Cruise & Maritime Voyages announced it will launch the first ship from Rocky Point, Mexico, on Dec. 7.
Also known as Puerto Penasco, Rocky Point has long been a popular destination for Arizona vacationers, who now have one more reason to travel south.
The drive from Phoenix down to the port is 220 miles long, which equals less than four hours of drive time. The 360-mile drive to the port in San Diego would take close to six hours.
Officials from the Mexican state of Sonora have been working with Arizona officials for a while to bring a cruise line to Rocky Point.
Dubbed the Treasures of the Sea of Cortez cruise, a ship named the Astoria will make the new excursion and can accommodate 550 passengers.
It is san 11-night journey that includes seven stops at Gulf of California locations, including Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas, before returning to Rocky Point.
At this time, there are six scheduled departures for December 2019 and January 2020, while reservations can be made at the cruise line’s website.
The discounted fares currently available start at $1,399 per person for two travelers.


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Pune, India, Nov 2022, MRFR Press Release/Market Research Future has published a Cooked Research Report on the Global Smart Indoor Lighting Market.
The global Smart Indoor Lighting market is projected to grow at a 21.7 % CAGR during the forecast period, 2022–2030.
The geographic analysis of the Smart Indoor Lighting market has been conducted for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and South America.
Europe dominates the Smart Indoor Lighting market. The existing infrastructure and major players in the region provide the regional market with ample opportunities for significant growth during the study period. The European smart indoor lighting industry is steadily rising, supported by low interest rates and stable economic growth. Economic stability has, in turn, resulted in a decrease in unemployment, thus boosting consumer and business confidence that the future is better. Steady growth in the industry in Europe has recorded an increased inflow of public and private investment. The European market is also likely to witness a shift in its growth engine from indoor lighting to the lighting sector. As a result, there are medium to large scale business opportunities in the region.
The rest of Europe comprises Spain, Denmark, Russia, the Netherlands, and other neighboring countries. The rest of Europe has a major market share in the region due to the high adoption of smart lighting among indoor market in the region to increase the efficiency of smart homes. Furthermore, a growing focus on developing personal and commercial infrastructure is further boosting the growth of the market significantly. The Asia-Pacific Smart Indoor Lighting market, based on country, has been segmented into China, Japan, India, and the rest of Asia-Pacific.
The North America Smart Indoor Lighting market, based on country, has been segmented into US, Canada, and Mexico. North America is expected to be the fastest-growing region for the global Smart Indoor Lighting market due to a growing focus on digitalization, increasing investments, and rapid development of infrastructure for smart home purposes, and increasing adoption of smart lighting platforms in the region. US is expected to account for the largest market share in the region during the forecast period. The country is witnessing rapid growth in the smart home industry owing to investments in smart lighting infrastructure projects.
The key players of the Smart Indoor Lighting market include Signify N.V., Acuity Brands Lighting Inc., General Electric Company, Osram Licht AG, Legrand SA, Hubbell Incorporated, Ideal Industries (CREE), Syska LED, Lifx, Sengled, Lutron Electronics Co., Inc, TCP Lighting, Levitron Manufacturing Co. Inc., Wipro Lighting, and Zumtobel Lighting.
The Smart Indoor Lighting Market has been segmented based on Component, Communication Technology, Light Source, Application, and region.
Based on component, the global Smart Indoor Lighting market has been segmented into Hardware, Software, and Services.
By communication technology, the Smart Indoor Lighting market has been segmented into Wired Communication Technology and Wireless Communication Technology.
Based on light source, the Smart Indoor Lighting market has been segmented into Fluroscent Lamps, Light Emitting Diodes (LED), and High Density Discharge Lamps.
By application, the Smart Indoor Lighting market has been segmented into Residential, Commercial, and Industrial.


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TOPSHAM, Maine — The family of a 41-year-old Woolwich fisherman hit and killed by a truck delivering Amazon packages in 2020 is suing Amazon and the truck driver for negligence, liability, emotional distress, pre-death pain and suffering, and wrongful death.
Joseph M. Fisher was taking his family on a camping and fishing trip the morning of July 3, 2020, when he stopped on Interstate 295 to check his boat's trailer and was hit by a white box truck driven by Nasser Tibaijuka of Waltham, Massachusetts.
Fisher died 10 days later.
Fisher's wife, Misty D. Fisher, filed the suit on behalf of herself and the couple's three children, now 9, 18, and 19 years old, who witnessed the crash.
Tibaijuka was indicted for felony manslaughter in October 2020. He pleaded guilty in September 2021 to felony driving to endanger causing serious bodily injury.
As the result of a plea agreement, Tibaijuka pleaded guilty to one count of class C felony driving to endanger and was sentenced to 10 months in jail, a $575 fine, and his license was suspended for six months, the Bangor Daily News reported.
According to the complaint filed in Sagadahoc Superior Court, District Attorney Natasha Irving gave evidence at Tibaijuka's plea hearing that showed he was delivering Amazon packages the night of the crash and received an incoming call on his cell phone at 6:03 a.m., shortly before the crash was reported.
According to the suit, after the truck hit Fisher, Tibaijuka continued to drive for 2/10 of a mile before pulling over.
"After a witness informed Mr. Tibaijuka that the Truck had just hit a person, Mr. Tibaijuka attempted to fix a headlight on the Truck that had been broken in the crash and then asked the witness if he, Mr. Tibaijuka, was 'good to go,'" the complaint states.
He was stopped by Maine State Troopers later that day while unloading Amazon packages at the Litchfield Post Office.
The complaint said Amazon's business model "depends on rapid, guaranteed delivery" of goods and promises to refund shipping costs if a delivery date is missed.
The suit claims Amazon was the "de facto" carrier for the packages being delivered by Tibaijuka and controlled loading and unloading, the truck's route, the hiring and qualification of Tibaijuka, their compensation and benefits, and other aspects of delivery, and thus assumed responsibility for the transportation.
The complaint also claims the Massachusetts trucking companies Midnight Logistics/Midnight Trucking, Merrimack Institute/Merrimack Transportation and Arafat Logistics, which owned and operated the box truck at the time of the crash and contracted with Amazon, were negligent because they hired Tibaijuka who "
"was not a competent driver" and was not properly trained or supervised.
Furthermore, the suit claims Amazon used the trucking companies despite their high number of driver and safety violations including excessive driving hours.
"Amazon Services knew or should have known that Mr. Tibaijuka was an unsafe and inadequately trained driver who was doing his work in a way that was unreasonably dangerous to others," the suit claims. "If Amazon Services had reasonably exercised the control it retained over Mr. Tibaijuka, it could have prevented the crash."
Maria Boschetti, Amazon spokesperson, provided the following statement to NEWS CENTER Maine.
“While our deepest sympathies are with Mr. Fisher’s family, because litigation has just been initiated, we’re not in a position to offer any comment right now.”
The Fisher family declined to comment Wednesday.
"In its rush for profits, Amazon is knowingly putting dangerous truckers on the road," the Fisher family's attorney, James E. O'Connell, said in a statement. "For the sake of public safety, Amazon is required to ensure the trucking companies it hires are safe, and yet here, Amazon repeatedly used a trucking company with a known dangerous safety record. The tragic result was the death of a father and husband right in front of his family. While Amazon continues to thrive as usual, the Fisher family will never be the same."


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UPDATE 3:45 p.m. EST Apple’s services came back online in the late afternoon. Apple’s system status page shows that all of the services that had previously been listed as “down” are now back in the green. It’s still unclear what happened exactly, and Apple never returned Gizmodo’s email for comment on the situation.
Apple is experiencing massive technical difficulties, and widespread reports of outages for its various services are flooding the internet.
The company’s own status page shows that several of its most popular products aren’t working. Multiple reports—including from Down Detector, which tracks website and app outages—have shown that users of iCloud, Apple Music, the App Store, iTunes, Apple TV, iMessage, Mail, Contacts, Find My, Apple Maps, FaceTime, Apple Fitness+, and even our beloved domestic helper Siri all appear to be having major problems. Additionally, Bloomberg reports that Apple’s internal systems, both for its corporate offices and its Apple Store retail locations, are down as well. The company reportedly sent internal messages notifying employees, who had difficulty working from home, that domain name system (DNS) problems led to the outage. The full extent of these outages and the regions they are affecting is unclear. The network’s failure is a rare misstep for Apple, whose services and products rarely go down.
Twitter is alight with complaints from people claiming they can’t reach one Apple product or another:
Apple’s system status page—which keeps a live tally of how well its products and services are working—shows that the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Business Manager, Apple Radio and Podcasts, Apple Arcade, Apple Schoolwork, and Apple TV + are all having major problems, but only “some users” are affected, not all. Apple hasn’t issued a statement on what it is doing about the outages or what their cause might be. However, we’ve reached out to the company for clarification on what the heck is going on and will update this story if they respond.
It’s possible that whatever is causing the problems for Apple is also causing issues for a number of other companies, as Down Detector appears to show a number of other large companies and platforms also reporting outages.
Apple’s system status page lagged behind many users’ experiences of the outage, and the fact that it took a minute to update seriously peeved several.


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I addition to 陌陌, I downloaded WeChat this week. This is the English name of 微信 (Weixin). One of the more interesting features of this social networking app is... well, the below screenshot is pretty self explanatory. I tried it, but all that came up were other guys shaking their phones. I'll try it again tonight and see if anything different happens.
China is expected to have 26.5% of worldwide smartphone marketshare versus America's 17.8%. Why? It's a simple numbers game.
China’s overtaking of the United States in smartphones doesn’t mean sales here are grinding to a halt, says Ramon Llamas, a senior research analyst at IDC, in a statement. Smartphones already account for the majority of phone sales in the United States, so a slowdown was expected, he said.
There's a lot of people here. Really.
Wow. From CNN:
According to a court proffer, Bryan Underwood had lost a significant amount of money in the stock market and hoped to make between $3 million and $5 million by supplying classified photos and information to China's Ministry of State Security.
I was just at the Guangzhou US Consulate in June to get extra pages in my passport. So what was his plan for originally contacting Chinese government officials?
In the court proffer signed by Underwood, he admitted writing a letter last year addressed to the Chinese Ministry of State Security. "I know I have information and skills that would be beneficial to your offices (sic) goals," Underwood wrote. "And I know your office can assist me in my financial endeavors."
Underwood tried to deliver the letter to China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) but a guard turned him away and would not accept the letter. According to court documents, Underwood then "left the letter in the open in his apartment hoping that the MSS would find it. He believed the MSS routinely conducted searches of apartments occupied by Americans."
On advice from a Chinese friend, I downloaded a new social app called 陌陌 (MoMo), which is pictured on the right. Like other current Chinese social apps (QQ, WeChat) this app displays all the users in close proximity to yourself. As we were driving around I started checking out who was close by. That's when I came upon the below. I know a Pasta (a student from my teaching days in Beijing) and two days ago I met a Pizza. But I've never met a Fertilizer.
The question is, will it actually get on China Mobile store shelves? We'll have to wait and see. From AnandTech's excellent iPhone 5 rumor analysis:
The big addition with the upcoming iPhone will be a massive and much needed improvement in cellular connectivity. Put simply, the addition of both support for LTE in the Americas and perhaps a few other international markets, and TD-SCDMA support for China. Support for LTE is simply requisite for a high end smartphone at this point, and inclusion of TD-SCDMA is likewise requisite for any further growth in China.
My wagon's already hitched to China Unicom, but the importance of having TD-SCDMA 3G capability on the next iPhone cannot be overstated. Without it, Apple will continue to lose market share in the world's largest smartphone market.
Unlike Spanish bullfights, these bulls face each other and, unless badly wounded, aren't killed by a matador.
Chinese bull trainer Wang Youxiu says he didn’t realize Spanish bullfights end with the matador slaying the bull. Too cruel for Chinese bull owners, he says. “We are too emotionally attached to our bulls,” he explains. “Even when they get old, we don’t kill them. We sell them to far-away places.”
Though hardly a well known pastime, Chinese bullfighting has grown in tandem with the country’s economy. Where farmers used to stage showdowns in fields for beer money, matches these days can involve purses as high as 50,000 yuan (nearly $8,000), and one town in Yunnan province – where the tradition was born — even has a new bullfighting arena.
I had to chuckle at the Wall Street Journal's caption for the photo below: "Optimus Prime, at right, sent an opponent running, winning another bout." Here's hoping Lamborghini's next Chinese special is named the Lamborghini Optimus Prime.
Mining accident, European debt, BYD in trouble, and China in Egypt
The death toll from a gas blast at a coal mine in the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan rose to 19, with 28 miners still trapped underground, according to the local city government. A total of 154 miners were working underground when the accident occurred Wednesday at around 6 p.m. at Xiaojiawan Coal Mine, according to Panzhihua city's official account on Sina Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter.
Expressing alarm at Europe's debt problems, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called on Greece, Spain and Italy to embrace budget cuts and get their finances in order after meeting Thursday with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
But the carmaker that used to own the country's best selling model F3 sedan has been outstripped by its peers in the Chinese market, despite only a total 9.6
million vehicles being sold in China in the first half, representing a 14-year low of 2.9 percent year-on-year expansion, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. Great Wall Motor Co on Friday said its first-half net profit rose 29.9 percent to 2.4 billion yuan from 1.8 billion yuan a year earlier after selling an aggregated 262,018 vehicles during the period. Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd, another Hong Kong-listed carmaker, reported last week that its first-half net profit rose 8.7 percent this year, following sales of a total of 222,390 units both at home and abroad, up about 4 percent from a year earlier.
The Chinese are attracted to Egypt’s massive market for cheap consumer goods and an expansive and relatively cheap labor force. Egypt’s large number of preferential trade agreements with Europe, Africa and the Middle East, along with the Suez Canal, one of the world’s most important waterways, also make it a prime location, said Chen Lin, the commercial counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Egypt.
Retired Major General Luo Yuan suggested naming China's new aircraft carrier Diaoyu, after the Diaoyu islands in the East China Sea. It would demonstrate China's sovereignty over the islands known as the Senkakus in Japanese, he said. For a notable hardliner, it was one of the least bellicose reactions he has advocated throughout a series of territorial rows that have soured China's ties with its neighbors in recent months.
Slate reports on the often rumored use of body doubles in criminal cases:
The practice of hiring “body doubles” or “stand-ins” is well-documented by official Chinese media. In 2009, a hospital president who caused a deadly traffic accident hired an employee’s father to “confess” and serve as his stand-in. A company chairman is currently charged with allegedly arranging criminal substitutes for the executives of two other companies. In another case, after hitting and killing a motorcyclist, a man driving without a license hired a substitute for roughly $8,000. The owner of a demolition company that illegally demolished a home earlier this year hired a destitute man, who made his living scavenging in the rubble of razed homes, and promised him $31 for each day the “body double” spent in jail. In China, the practice is so common that there is even a term for it: ding zui. Ding means “substitute,” and zui means “crime”; in other words, “substitute criminal.”
This does have some relevance right now but I'll let you find out why on your own.
I enjoy technology and enjoy dreaming about owning technology. I've been an iPhone guy and don't care at all for Android. While nothing will stop me from continuing to use my iPhone, I do like what Microsoft is doing with Windows Phone. Unlike Google with Android, Microsoft took their time (which unfortunately dented their marketshare) and created a unique and fresh os that in some ways surpasses Apple's iOS. I'd love to support the platform and thus am very interested in getting one once Windows Phone 8 is released later this year.
Samsung just announced a new Windows Phone 8 phone based on the Galaxy S III hardware. As I was reading the linked post and getting very excited, I realized I had completely forgotten about Nokia's September 5th event which will certainly be used to debut two or three new Windows Phone devices.
I was pretty set on buying an iPhone 5 later this year but if Nokia announces a new Windows Phone 8 phone with a PureView camera, all bets are off. So, buy an iPhone 5 or continue with the trusty iPhone 4 and get the new Nokia PureView Windows Phone in addition? Hmm...
And I say to the grownups, if you want to deny evolution and live in your... your world that’s completely inconsistent with everything we observe in the universe, that’s fine, but don’t make your kids do it because we need them. We need scientifically literate voters and taxpayers for the future. We need people that can... we need engineers that can build stuff, solve problems.
Verdict: You should give in too.
A week ago I saw the below advertisement upon my return to Shenzhen. My interest was pipped. What was this crazy concoction?
Well I finally gave in and 15 minutes later the delivery man was at my door with a box of freshly prepared black and white burgers.
To my surprise, the contents of each burger was unique. The black burger was a hamburger topped with onions and a sweat sauce. The white burger was actually chicken.
I'm not embarrassed to say (okay, I'm a little embarrassed to say) I really liked them, especially the black burger. I have no idea the reason for their existence, but the set complimented each other well; while the toppings may have been applied with little delicacy and finess, each burger was distinct and tasted great.
Not sure how long this item will stay on the menu, so try it while you can.
It's only two babies kissing.
Jingdi Meilongzhen, Shenzhen
Mitt Romney says the U.S. must be willing to say “no more” to its rocky trade relationship with China. If elected president, he vows to brand China a currency manipulator on his first day in office. He also says he’ll place extra tariffs on Chinese imports to correct an undervaluation of the Chinese currency, the yuan, which helps make Chinese goods cheaper than U.S. goods.
That stance puts Romney at odds with President Barack Obama, who’s resisted formally rebuking China for its currency practices. No doubt the Republican challenger wants to differentiate himself from the incumbent in his dealings with the world’s second-largest economy.
After reading those first two paragraphs my first thought was, "I'm sure US businesses would love being shut out of the Chinese market." Thus I had a small chuckle when I read the next paragraph:
The problem is that getting tough with China also puts Romney in conflict with a bastion of Republican Party support, the U.S. business community. Many of the largest U.S. companies favor a less confrontational approach. They’re too concerned about being locked out of the Chinese market to risk taking a bold, public stance against objectionable Chinese practices.
China's not an evil place; there are some really great people here, just like there are in the US. Both countries have their issues. Why does this have to be the second Cold War? Can't we all just find a way to work together for the mutual benefit of both societies? I love living here and I value the relationships I've made and the friends I have. I'm also here helping US businesses expand in the country and access this market, a market that has a lot of potential and value.
Mr. Romney, please think before you speak. Please.
Violence against the Japanese ambassador, stocks drop, Lincoln expands, and China is aiming for the moon.
Beijing apologized for the embarrassing incident on Monday, in which an unidentified man ripped the Japanese flag from the ambassador’s car amid rising tensions over disputed islands in the East China Sea.
Air China, the nation’s largest international carrier, sank to its lowest level since March 2009, while Zhongjin Gold, the third-largest bullion producer by market value, retreated 2.3 percent. FAW Car Co. (000800), which makes passenger cars with Volkswagen AG, declined for a seventh day as the company reported a six- month loss. Shanghai Chaori Solar Energy Science & Technology Co. rose 6.4 percent after Japan imported more solar products.
Ford CEO Alan Mulally used an event Tuesday in Beijing to announce plans to start selling the brand in China in the second half of 2014. The announcement is significant because it makes Lincoln an international brand.
But experts say that China, which as recently as the 1980s was focused solely on developing satellites, is the closest to landing an astronaut on the moon. Beijing launched its manned space programme in 1999 and has developed rapidly since, sending its first astronaut into space in 2003 and completing a space walk in 2008.
This year, it conducted its first manned space docking -- the latest step towards setting up a space station -- during a mission that included its first woman in space. In its last white paper on space, China said it was working towards landing a man on the moon -- a feat so far only achieved by the United States, most recently in 1972 -- although it did not give a time frame


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Commentators and politicians often fall into the trap of thinking that the corporate giants represent the business community. They don’t. The engine room of Australian business is the myriad of medium and smaller-sized businesses (SMEs), so what they are doing has enormous ramifications for the nation.
In this week’s Management Insights MasterClass series, we reveal that a massive revolution, which will change the face of our business community, is taking place within SMEs. There is no better person to describe what is happening than the chief executive of MYOB, Tim Reed, whose company provides accounting software systems for about 70 per cent of Australian SMEs.
But while this revolution is lifting confidence among a wide range of SMEs, one group is in the doldrums: retailers. It’s as though the government, the Reserve Bank, and technology have ganged up on the retail sector; but more of that later.
The revolution is actually in two parts.
The first part came in the middle of the global financial crisis when SMEs began tailoring their business to cash flow and wanted MYOB systems to help them achieve their cash goals. Cash flow management is at the heart of every business but in the era of virtually unlimited credit, the SME sector was not as vigilant as it should have been.
The second part of the revolution is more profound. Reed explains that small and medium businesses are asking: “How do I make more from the internet?; “How do I engage my customers online?”
Incredible as it may seem, the majority of Australian businesses do not have a website. Lots still use a ‘Yahoo’, or a ‘Gmail’ email account, not realising that their email address is now seen by more people than their logo, or the name on their physical premises. In the past, companies with websites were concerned with colours, etc. It is now far more important to rate well in the search engines.
We have been forecasting the swing to electronic business for years, but Reed explains that now it is actually happening over the whole spectrum of business. Once companies get “with it”, it will change their marketing production and distribution and greatly increase productivity. In the process, many will be left behind.


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Sit among the sunflowers and under the starry nights of the painter’s most famous works.
WASHINGTON – After traveling around the world, the exhibition “Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience” has officially opened in DC, allowing guests to sit among the sunflowers and under the starry nights of the world’s most famous works. painter.
Who is Van Gogh?
Vincent Van Gogh is generally considered one of the best painters in the world. The Dutch artist was born in 1853 and is known for his amazing use of color and brushstrokes. Although it is now quite popular, Van Gogh’s career was quite short and he ended his life at the age of 37.
What is the Immersive Exhibition like?
The 20,000-square-foot exhibit in downtown Rhode Island immerses attendees in a spectacular experience with 360-degree, two-story projections of Van Gogh’s most compelling works.
Visitors will also be able to take a 10-minute journey through a day in Vincent van Gogh’s life using virtual reality. Users will walk alongside Van Gogh during “a peaceful, visual-rich journey” and see the inspiration behind eight of the artist’s iconic works, including Vincent’s Bedroom in Arles and Starry Night Over The Rhone River.
The family-friendly art exhibit lasts just over an hour and offers something for all family members, including a surprise at the end for young artists.
Visitors are allowed to take photographs and videos of the exhibition, but are asked not to disturb other people, professional equipment or tripods are not allowed.
The event was created by Exhibition Hub Edutainment, a company that has produced more than 70 exhibitions and edutainment experiences worldwide, according to the company’s website. The edutainment company partnered with Fever to help bring the traveling exhibition to Van Gogh fans around the world.
The immersive experience will not be in DC forever. The traveling exhibition will only be in the district from August to January 2022.
Where is it?
The immersive exhibition experience is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and weekends from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Rhode Island Center on Rhode Island Ave NE.
Tickets are needed to visit the immersive experience. Entries are divided into seven different categories. Standard admission includes admission to the exhibition and online access to the Van Gogh studio.
- Adult: $ 36
- Child (ages 4 to 12): $ 19.90
- Family Pass (2 adults and 2 children): $ 23.00
- Additional child (for family season ticket): $ 16.20
- Senior (over 65): $ 24.90
- Student (ages 13 to 26): $ 24.90
- Military: $ 24.90
For those who want to purchase VIP tickets, the purchase includes admission to the exhibition, online access to the Van Gogh studio, entry to the VR experience with glue and a poster.
- Adult VIP: $ 54.50
- Children’s VIP (ages 4 to 12): $ 19.90
Click here to buy tickets.
COVID-19 safety standards
As the exhibition is an indoor experience, COVID regulations will be established. The number of visitors will be limited. The workers of the exhibition will only allow 200 visitors to live the experience at a time. Ground markings will guide visitors to stay six feet away to attend a safe distance.
The exhibition will require all visitors to wear a mask. Those arriving without a mask will be able to pick up a free one at the main entrance.
For VR headsets, the equipment will be disinfected after each use and each visitor will receive a disposable eye mask to prevent any contact between the skin and the glasses.
Click here for a complete breakdown of COVID-19 exhibit safety standards
LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING: The National American History Museum exhibit highlights women, girls
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[via designer, Frank Chimero]
Archives for July 2008
Jeffrey Zeldman is a lecturer and author on web design. He also runs his own web design studio, Happy Cog.
Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals set a new standard in pro sports by building a green stadium for its team. By saving millions of gallons of water, using efficient field lighting, adding a green roof, incorporating recycling at the ballpark and using recycled materials in 20 percent of the ballpark’s construction, the project received LEED […]
Adliterate reveals the results of the fourth annual Global Planners survey from Heather LeFevre. | View | Upload your own note: click full view to see this presentation 798 planners from many nations participated in the study. Some of the key findings include: The majority of planners want to work for Wieden + Kennedy; planners […]
Tom Asacker, points to a new book by Lucas Conley. He does so after venting about Laura Ries’ poorly constructed advice to brand managers. Here’s the heart of her demented argument: Burning the consumer’s mind is the key detail many companies miss. They think branding is putting their name and logo on the package. But […]
Karsh\Hagan senior copywriter, Matt Ingwalson, sent me an innaugural copy of The 50, Denver’s new awards annual (as a way to promote 2008’s show). I’m glad he did. I rarely look at award show books these days, but this one pulled me in. First off, there’s no Best of Show, just 50 big ideas, one […]
The Mr. T Snickers ad that caused a stir this week has been taken off the air. The AP says Mars Inc., which makes the candy bars, meant the ad to be funny, not offensive, and that’s why they decided to pull it. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation said the ad used stereotypes of gay […]
“On The Bubble” is an animated newscast put on by group of fictional cash-strapped 20-something students in a dorm room at the equally fictional Middle Town Community College. According to Ad Age, it’s also a content play from PepsiCo’s Sierra Mist, although there is no brand presence on the site or in the fake newscasts.
Taco Bell got a bit too cute for its own good when it asked 50 Cent to change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent or 99 Cent, in deference to the prices on its new value menu. Now the lawyers for both sides will have to make it right. According to Ad Age, the […]


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Boeing lets customers pick up planes in style
Published 10:00 pm, Wednesday, October 4, 2006
EVERETT -- Think of The Boeing Co.'s jetliner delivery center at Paine Field as a showroom where the world's most important airline customers meet with Boeing representatives to sign papers and transfer a lot of money before they fly away with a new airplane that can cost upward of $200 million.
For that kind of money, a little style and class would be nice, figured Jack Jones, director of the delivery center.
Boeing is upgrading the factory where the widebody jets are made, so why not improve the delivery center, too, Jones said. Besides, Boeing is ramping up production of its 777 and 747 at the Everett plant and soon will be producing the 787 Dreamliner there.
"We will be delivering a lot of planes," Jones said. And the old delivery center was not much to look at -- or spend time in.
So he persuaded Boeing to give the place a dramatic face-lift -- the first since the center was built in the late 1960s to deliver the company's new 747s.
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After about five months of work, the center officially opened last weekend, with the delivery of a 747-400 freighter to Nippon Cargo Airlines.
"We wanted a more pleasant environment," Jones said of the delivery center. He got it. So did the 850 Boeing employees who work there.
What had been a bland, one-story building with 1960s furniture and few, if any, features that suggested its importance took on a bold new look.
The old building had a small window that looked out on the Paine Field flight line where the Boeing jets are parked for delivery. The newly designed center features a dramatic slanted glass facade -- which added about 4,400 square feet to the center -- that faces the flight line. It includes a second-story observation deck where customers can watch the big jets taxi down the runway and even take off on shakedown flights before delivery.
Inside are eight large conference rooms where customers can do their business in private. There are also 27 smaller offices for customers.
Plasma TV sets are located in the conference rooms and throughout the main lobby. They will be showing live news 24 hours a day. Many customers who take delivery of the widebody jets made in Everett are from Asia, where there is a huge appetite for news.
Taking delivery of a 747, 777 or 767 is a little more complicated than walking into a car dealership and leaving a few hours later with a new car. The final delivery process involves a lot of paperwork and lawyers, and it can take several days before money changes hands and the customer gets the airplane.
Customers and Boeing employees all had a hand in "brainstorming" what the new delivery center should be, Jones said. Based on those meetings, the center was designed to feature more natural light, lots of plants and a futuristic look.
The center includes a Tully's coffee shop. "Our employees are nuts about it," Jones said.
The old delivery center had vending machines inside. Small trucks made the rounds outside with coffee, drinks and food.
Jones would not say the exact cost, only that it was a multimillion-dollar project.
Snohomish County is building a taxiway that will connect the delivery center with the new Future of Flight aviation museum and center. Jets can be rolled over to the Future of Flight center for those big delivery events when a few hundred people are invited.
Jones hopes eventually to persuade Boeing to make one more addition to the delivery center: a jetway for customers to walk from the observation deck on the second floor to the new jet they just bought.