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Retail Sustainability: High, Low and Inbetween
In a recent interview with Fast Company, Patagonia founder, Yvon Chouinard offers his thoughts on running an environmentally conscious business and what is on his mind - the "myth of sustainability", an ideal he sees as a path rather than [...]
In a recent interview with Fast Company, Patagonia founder, Yvon Chouinard offers his thoughts on running an environmentally conscious business and what is on his mind – the “myth of sustainability”, an ideal he sees as a path rather than a destination. Though this last statement is bit too zen-like for our tastes, Patagonia does have a number of thoughtful green initiatives in place, particularly their 1% for the Planet project and product life-cycle studies, that can serve as valuable models for other corporations to follow. Chouinard feels that companies need to move away from thinking about saving the planet in terms of philanthropy and adopt the attitude that these are the new costs of doing business.
One company that has sought Chouinard’s advice and is poised to put it into action, is Wal-Mart, which will be announcing its plans to unveil a “sustainability index” for every product sold in its stores. A bold move for the world’s most powerful retailer that can potentially transform the entire retail landscape for both consumers and manufacturers. As Big Money explains:
For the index to work, consumer-goods makers will need to understand the origins of everything they put into their products. Wal-Mart has talked about assessing sustainability in four broad categories: energy and greenhouse gas emissions, materials, natural resources, and “people and communities,” which will attempt to measure social impacts. Right now, most supply chains are opaque: Try tracing a hamburger to a particular cow.
But given the leverage of Wal-Mart alone, not to mention its consortium that includes competitors, Kroger, Costco and Target, along with a number of large manufacturers like Unilever, General Mills and Proctor & Gamble, among others, one suspects that they’ll find a way to develop a methodology. And while this may sound good in theory, if this consortium is in charge of the analysis, isn’t it in their best interests to simply feed the public a bunch of phony results?
For the skeptics out there, the short answer is a resounding yes, but ultimately, Wal-Mart doesn’t want to own the index, but merely get it off the ground. Once underway, the project will most likely be handed off to a non-profit that will receive funding from a combination of retailers and manufacturers. In the interim, the project will led by the University of Arkansas and Arizona State University, which will provide scientific research to support the effort. A number of unnamed academics, environmentalists and government officials have also been invited to take part.
On the other side of the aisle, we were struck by a recent piece in the Atlantic that endeavors to put the streamlined, Scandinavian design of IKEA in its proper place as, according to one EPA endorsed activist, “the least sustainable retailer on the planet.” It’s interesting to note that early on in the article, author Ellen Ruppel Shell makes the point that, “IKEA passes as the anti-Wal-Mart: a company where value and good values coexist,” which in light of the Wal-Mart’s initiatives, raises interesting questions about consumer perception.
Despite IKEA’s outward appearances at being eco-friendly – reusable blue bags, flat-packed trucking and partial use of renewable energy – on larger issues, the opposite might actually be true.
By some measures the world’s third-largest wood consumer, IKEA proudly employs 15 “forestry monitors.” Eight of them work in China and Russia, but illegal logging is widespread in those vast countries, making it impossible to guarantee that all wood is legally harvested. (The company declines to pay a premium to ensure that all timber is legally harvested, citing costs that would be passed along to the consumer.)
And no one can argue that IKEA’s furniture, while aesthetically pleasing and certainly sturdy enough, is designed to be handed down through generations. A function not only of its construction, but perhaps its lack of story as well. A fact that points to our own level of involvement with most of the things we buy.
Of course, no label, no matter how much information it contains, is going to singlehandedly transform our relationship with the objects that clutter our lives, but it’s a good a place as any to start, if only for their ability to make us stop and think. After all, we’re all on a journey, right?


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Ah, WeWork. The gift that keeps on giving.
This week, it was reported that the coworking firm is considering the drastic move of cutting its $47 billion valuation in half before its planned IPO. WeWork's roadshow is reportedly set to kick off next week, but it remains unclear if that'll happen. Some investors that I spoke to said they're still concerned about opacity around WeWork's financials and lack of disclosures. They think ultimately the deal will get done — it just may not be at the company's ideal price.
Meanwhile, even seasoned asset managers are confused about WeWork's valuation, reports BI's Bradley Saacks.
Fidelity, which has exposure to WeWork through its massive Contrafund, slashed the fund's valuation on WeWork shares between the end of last year and the middle of this summer, according to a regulatory filing. The mutual-fund giant once valued the company significantly higher than its peers but has cut the valuation of WeWork shares in the Contrafund by roughly a third.
Other funds, like T. Rowe Price's Diversified Mid-Cap Growth Fund, have hiked the value of their WeWork stakes.
There does seem to be one thing that all the funds can agree on: WeWork is listed in the real-estate section of each funds' reports. It's a far cry from the high growth tech company that WeWork is trying to position itself as to prospective investors.
Here's some more of our WeWork coverage from this past week:
- Real-estate billionaire Sam Zell just bashed WeWork: 'Every single company in this space has gone broke'
- The CEO of coworking startup Convene is worried bad press around WeWork's model could taint the entire flex-office industry
- WeWork says it has a $3 trillion market opportunity and has signed up only 0.2% of its potential customers. Here's why real-estate experts say those numbers don't add up.
If you were away all summer...welcome back!
Meet the star women running Silicon Valley's largest IPOs at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan
Facing outside criticism and investor concern over its all-male board, WeWork amended its IPO registration on Wednesday to include a new female board member, Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei.
But behind the scenes, much of the heavy lifting of the controversial initial public offering is being handled by two female bankers, Alice Takhtajan at JPMorgan, and Kim-Thu Posnett at Goldman Sachs, sources told Business Insider.
In the world of IPOs, much like the rest of banking and much of tech, high-profile male leaders are front and center of nearly every deal. But there's an influential rank of female bankers, each with more than a decade of experience behind them, quietly guiding some of the biggest deals in the industry.
PE firms are hiring more undergrads and casting a wider net — here's the new schools where top shops like KKR and Blackstone are scouting future stars
Private-equity firms have been casting a wider net for undergraduates. Through recruiters, academic advisers, and PE hiring executives, as well as public sources like LinkedIn, Business Insider gathered some of the schools outside the Ivy League where private equity is scouting future stars.
That push into undergrad outreach and recruiting reflects a battle for talent at the associate level — and marks a pivot from the more traditional route of private-equity firms hiring young people only after they do a stint in investment banking.
The CEO behind a tech-led turnaround at Domino's Pizza now wants to land huge private-equity deals. He told us the areas he's targeting and why he's excited about voice technology.
The Carlyle Group is partnering with Patrick Doyle, the former CEO of Domino's Pizza known for turning around its business by overhauling its recipe and implementing new technology like online ordering.
Doyle, 56, is now a private-equity investor and will help Carlyle identify multibillion-dollar deals in the consumer and retail sectors.
Doyle spoke with Business Insider about how companies could improve operations and said they would increasingly benefit from the use of voice technology.
Barclays insiders say a hiring freeze is afoot as roles stay unfilled, bonuses get slashed, and senior staff flee
Barclays has raised the bar for hiring outsiders, and it isn't filling vacancies after people leave, according to five sources familiar with the situation. Some of those sources described it as an ongoing informal hiring freeze that's hitting areas including investment banking and FICC trading.
The UK-based bank shed 3,000 jobs company-wide in the second quarter and has upped its 2019 cost-cut outlook. Barclays is pushing to hit a return target set by CEO Jes Staley, and its bonus pool shrank in the first half.
Bloomberg is investing in ways to make complex alternative data sets easier to use for hedge funds
One of the largest data providers in the world wants to make it easier for investors to digest complex, unique data sets.
Bloomberg LP is working to help investment firms, such as hedge funds, use alternative data despite lacking the resources or experience often required to digest it. The efforts come just over six months after Bloomberg announced a move into the booming market for data such as stats on drug approvals, retail foot traffic tracked through cellphones, and construction permits.
Wall Street move of the week:
In tech news:
- Amazon is rolling out a tool that shows just how much Google and Facebook ads drive people to do their shopping on the e-commerce site
- Wall Street plans to spend nearly half its IT budget on the public cloud in 2020. Here's where firms see the biggest benefits, and what's still holding them back.
- Comcast's investment arm is launching an incubator to find the next direct-to-consumer unicorn
- Private-equity giant Carlyle is taking a majority stake in a startup that uses AI to judge how much you smile in interviews — and it could be the future of recruiting
Other good stories from around the newsroom:
- The founders of a billion-dollar Israeli spyware startup accused of helping Saudi Arabia attack dissidents are funding a web of new companies that hack into smart speakers, routers, and other devices
- Furious Peloton members are skewering the company's delivery partner over broken $2,000 bikes and scratched hardwood floors — and the company is starting to take note
- We spoke to the top recruiters in the booming cannabis business. Here are their 3 best tips for landing your dream job in the industry.

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BRITS have been left baffled as winter clothes, stationery for home-workers and even cleaning supplies have been deemed 'non-essential' under the new Welsh lockdown.
Wales went into a 17-day firebreak shutdown at 6pm on Friday - and under the measures, stores are now unable to sell a range of items to customers.
⚠ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
But the decision to tape off items including kettles, children's clothes, warm jumpers, birthday cards, duvets and mops has sparked fury.
It comes as:
- Sky New's Kay Burley clashed with a Welsh minister over essential items
- Revellers in Cardiff hit the town for one last night before the 'firebreak'
- Nicola Sturgeon revealed a strict five-tiered coronavirus system for Scotland
- Warrington is set to join Tier 3 next week with the toughest restrictions
- All areas of Britain have got an R rate above 1
Major supermarkets including Tesco, Lidl and Sainsbury's have used barriers to block aisles and tape to mark off unavailable items.
The terms of the new measures are far harsher than the original March lockdown - when supermarkets weren't banned from selling any items.
And many in the country have now lashed out at Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford.
Hundreds of people have taken to social media to voice their fury.
So, what does count as 'essential' in Wales?
Welsh people can buy products that would normally sold in:
- Food and drink retailers (including off licences)
- Building supplies and hardware stores
- Pharmacies and chemists
- Bicycle shops
- Petrol stations
- Garages and vehicle hire businesses
- Post offices, banks, building societies and similar
- Pet shops
- Agricultural and aquacultural supplies shops
- Livestock markets and auctions
- Batteries, light bulbs and rubber gloves may continue to be sold.
The rules state: "Businesses which would normally sell a range of products in their stores may only sell those items which fall into the categories above.
"This is likely to mean some areas of stores should be closed to customer access. It will be important though for such stores to manage access to different categories of goods in a way that ensures customers and staff can circulate safely within the store.
"Some products may need to remain available to avoid creating unnecessary constraints on a mixed product aisle to the safe circulation of customers."
Town councillor Stephen Ellis, who represents Cheadle West, said: "If you're already buying 'essential' things in the same shop, what difference does it make if you buy a 'non-essential' item - especially as you've forced all other shops to close?
One social media user tweeted Mr Drakeford directly, writing: "You make wine/alcohol essential, but clothes and kettles that are used everyday non-essential."
He accused the official of going "power mad".
One mum shared a photo of taped-off mops, adding: "Welcome to Wales, the only place where in the midst of a pandemic, cleaning supplies can be deemed a non essential purchase.
"Madness. Someone, somewhere surely has the ability to stop this now, please?"
Jessica Tilley wrote: "The photos of supermarkets in Wales covering up 'non essential' items is giving me the creeps.
"So you can't buy stationery if you're working from home. You can't pick up a book, or a winter coat.
"You can't pick up a birthday card to post to family that you're not allowed to visit."
Another said: "Words fail me.
"How is a microwave not essential for someone if theirs breaks?
"Same with a kettle? Or a duvet/blanket with the weather getting colder?
"Yet again it's the people struggling financially that are hit the hardest... definitely not 'in this together' in Wales!"
All non-essential shops, pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels must shut altogether during the restrictions, which come into force today at 6pm.
Food shops, off-licences, pharmacies, banks and post offices are allowed to remain open.
Mr Drakeford has attempted to defend the strict measures.
He said: "It is a straightforward matter of fairness - we are in this together here in Wales.
"No individual and no organisation is above the effort that we are all required to make.
"That includes people who may believe that they themselves are beyond the law, and includes those organisations that are large and powerful."
What are the rules in Wales?
People living in Wales will now have to:
- Follow strict stay at home orders
- Pubs, restaurants and all non-essential retail will be closed
- No meeting with anyone outside your household
- No alcohol sales after 10pm
- Leisure centres and services, including gyms, will have to close
- Professional sports will be able to continue
- Hairdressers and beauty services will have to close
- No gatherings will be allowed outdoors including Halloween and fireworks on Bonfire night
He told a press conference in Cardiff that any suggestion that the ban, which was announced on Thursday, was based on his own politics was "nonsensical".
He said: "We are requiring many hundreds of small businesses to close on the high street right across Wales.
"We cannot do that and then allow supermarkets to sell goods that those people are unable to sell.
"And we are looking to minimise the amount of time that people spend out of their homes during this two-week period.
"This is not the time to be browsing around supermarkets looking for non-essential goods."
The lockdown falls over the half-term holiday and extend for a week beyond that.
Most read in News
Primary schools will reopen as normal after the break and kids in secondary school in Year 7 and 8 will be able to go to school.
All other students will have to go back to home learning.
Mr Drakeford stressed that children were the "top priority" and childcare centres would be able to stay open throughout.
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Crypto.com, a leading cryptocurrency platform, has received regulatory approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to operate as a licensed payment institution. This is a significant milestone for Crypto.com, as it becomes one of the few cryptocurrency companies to receive such a license in the country. With this move, Singapore is positioning itself as a crypto-friendly country and creating a more favorable environment for cryptocurrency-related businesses to operate.
Singapore grants Crypto.com license to operate as payment institution
The approval from MAS allows Crypto.com to issue and provide e-money services and facilitate cross-border payment transactions in Singapore. The license will enable Crypto.com to offer a more extensive range of payment solutions to its customers, including debit and credit card services, bank transfers, and cryptocurrency payments. The company will also be able to expand its operations in Singapore and further its mission to accelerate the world’s transition to cryptocurrency.
The licensing process in Singapore is rigorous and requires businesses to meet strict regulatory requirements. However, Crypto.com was able to secure its license due to its robust compliance measures, strong financial position, and commitment to customer protection and security. The license is a testament to Crypto.com’s dedication to providing safe and secure payment solutions to its customers.
What does Crypto.com’s licensing as payment institution in Singapore mean for the crypto industry?
Crypto.com’s licensing as a payment institution in Singapore is a significant development for the cryptocurrency industry. It demonstrates that Singapore is taking a proactive approach to regulating cryptocurrency-related businesses and creating a more supportive environment for them to operate in. This move will likely attract more crypto businesses to Singapore, which will contribute to the country’s overall economic growth.
Moreover, the licensing of Crypto.com as a payment institution signifies a growing acceptance of cryptocurrencies as a legitimate payment method. It could encourage more people to use cryptocurrencies in their daily lives, further pushing the adoption of cryptocurrencies. As more businesses start accepting cryptocurrencies, their value will likely increase, creating more opportunities for investors and traders in the crypto market.
Crypto.com’s licensing as a payment institution in Singapore is a significant development for the cryptocurrency industry. It shows that Singapore is committed to creating a more supportive environment for crypto businesses and promoting the adoption of cryptocurrencies. As more countries follow suit, we can expect to see greater mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies and an acceleration of the world’s transition to a more decentralized financial system.


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- The federal government will look at an acquiring company's contracting practices to see if a proposed merger would lower prices for consumers, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) said in antitrust guidelines issued jointly last week.
- The guidelines apply to mergers between companies competing in the same market, known as vertical mergers, and include guidance on assessing harms from diagonal mergers — those that combine firms or assets at different stages of competing supply chains — and mergers of complements.
- The rules leave out a guideline in the proposed version that would have given a pass to companies whose combined market share in the vertical would be 20% or less.
The guidelines give business executives a window into how a proposed merger would be viewed by the antitrust divisions in the two agencies.
"These new Vertical Merger Guidelines are an important step forward in maintaining vigorous antitrust enforcement, and reaffirm our commitment to challenge vertical mergers that are anticompetitive and would harm American consumers," FTC Chairman Joe Simons said.
The guidelines detail the techniques and main types of evidence the agencies use to predict whether vertical mergers will substantially lessen competition.
"They identify harm that may arise from full or partial foreclosure, through input foreclosure, customer foreclosure, and enhanced bargaining leverage that may result from a merger," Simons and FTC Commissioners Noah Phillips and Christine Wilson said in a statement.
Opposing the action, Commissioner Rohit Chopra warned the guidelines don’t directly address the many ways that vertical transactions may suppress new entry or otherwise present barriers to entry and make assumptions based on contested and economic theories and ideology rather than historical, real-world facts and empirical data in line with modern market realities.
He contended they support the status-quo ideological belief that vertical mergers are presumptively benign, and even beneficial.
“Immeasurable innovation has been lost because the government stopped preventing dominance from blocking disruption,” Chopra, who served as Student Loan Ombudsman for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) under Obama, said.
Double marginization, 20% screen
On a key point, the guideline recommends analysts look at a company's contracting practices to see if consumers would benefit from a merger through the elimination of what is known as double marginization.
"The merging parties' evidence about existing contracting practices is often the best evidence of the price the downstream firm would likely pay for inputs absent the merger," the guideline says.
In dropping the use of 20% as a market share threshold, the guidelines are silent on any type of safe harbor that would constitute an okay merger.
"The agencies removed this provision following widespread criticism," a Gibson Dunn analysis said. "Now, the Guidelines state that, though levels of concentration may be relevant to assessing a deal’s competitive effects, the agencies will not rely exclusively on market shares or concentration statistics as screens for competitive harm."


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|By PR Newswire||
|January 31, 2014 06:00 AM EST||
OTTAWA, Ontario, Jan. 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Kinaxis®, provider of RapidResponse®, delivering cloud-based supply chain management (SCM) and sales and operations planning (S&OP) solutions, today announced that it will host a free session based on recent Supply Chain Insights research that discusses the increasing need to change mental models regarding S&OP approaches when it comes to process and technology.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM ET
Globalization and off-shoring... Demand and supply volatility... Product portfolio explosion... Partner collaboration and visibility…Acceleration of market changes…Revenue and profit considerations…
As market challenges become ever more acute, S&OP has become ever more critical. Yet, most organizations are stuck. Their technologies and processes are no longer working for them. Simply put, their needs have evolved past what their current approach to S&OP can deliver. And they are not quite sure what to do next. Technologies have improved and there is ample opportunity to fully leverage them to gain performance improvements, but it requires the organization to change their view on how to approach both the process challenge and the technology solution.
Lora Cecere, Founder of Supply Chain Insights
Jessie Chimni, Vice President of Consulting Services, Bristlecone
Trevor Miles, Vice President, Thought Leadership, Kinaxis
Reserve your spot for this complimentary webcast to gain insights on how changing mental models can open up new opportunities.
Kinaxis delivers cloud-based S&OP and supply chain solutions for discrete manufacturers and brand owners with complex supply chain networks and volatile business environments. Leaders across multiple industry verticals, including A&D, Automotive, High Tech, Industrial and Life Sciences rely on RapidResponse for concurrent planning, continuous performance monitoring, and coordinated responses to plan variances across multiple areas of the business. RapidResponse's configurable service solutions encompass a full spectrum of supply chain related business processes, including such functions as: S&OP, supply planning, capacity planning, demand planning, inventory management, MPS and order fulfillment. As a result, Kinaxis customers have replaced disparate planning and performance management tools and are realizing significant operations performance breakthroughs in planning cycles, supply chain response times and decision accuracy. From a single product, customers are able to easily model varying supply chain conditions to make both long-term and real-time demand and supply balancing decisions quickly, collaboratively, and in line with the shared business objectives of multiple stakeholders.
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SYS-CON Events announced today that MathFreeOn will exhibit at the 19th International Cloud Expo, which will take place on November 1–3, 2016, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA. MathFreeOn is Software as a Service (SaaS) used in Engineering and Math education. Write scripts and solve math problems online. MathFreeOn provides online courses for beginners or amateurs who have difficulties in writing scripts. In accordance with various mathematical topics, there are more tha...
Oct. 23, 2016 12:45 PM EDT Reads: 972
The best way to leverage your Cloud Expo presence as a sponsor and exhibitor is to plan your news announcements around our events. The press covering Cloud Expo and @ThingsExpo will have access to these releases and will amplify your news announcements. More than two dozen Cloud companies either set deals at our shows or have announced their mergers and acquisitions at Cloud Expo. Product announcements during our show provide your company with the most reach through our targeted audiences.
Oct. 23, 2016 12:30 PM EDT Reads: 4,514
@ThingsExpo has been named the Top 5 Most Influential Internet of Things Brand by Onalytica in the ‘The Internet of Things Landscape 2015: Top 100 Individuals and Brands.' Onalytica analyzed Twitter conversations around the #IoT debate to uncover the most influential brands and individuals driving the conversation. Onalytica captured data from 56,224 users. The PageRank based methodology they use to extract influencers on a particular topic (tweets mentioning #InternetofThings or #IoT in this ...
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The pandemic’s impact on the economy is the equivalent of scrambling the pieces of a puzzle and then trying to put it back together in a new shape.
But one thing is clear: the U.S. economy needs shorter supply chains that can react more quickly in crisis situations. Our inability to generate enough personal protective equipment (PPE) and enough testing swabs, months into the pandemic, is simply unacceptable. Better resilience and flexibility are achievable goals.
Shorter, simpler supply chains also help with sustainable production. Long and complicated supply chains require more air and water transportation, generating more greenhouse gases. International shipping alone, especially container ships, accounts for about 2 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions, about the same as Germany. China alone has more than 30 major ports, including Qingdao (shown above).
Beyond that, the more links in the supply chain, the more difficult it is for end producers to get a full picture of their carbon emissions. Faced with a policy change such as a carbon tax, executives may make decisions that have perverse effects on emissions on the other side of the globe. (My colleague at the Progressive Policy Institute, Paul Bledsoe, is about to release a terrific new paper on clean energy manufacturing policy).
The growing role of digital manufacturing is crucial. “You've got to be thinking about sustainability at the design stage,” says Joseph DeSimone, co-founder and executive chairman of manufacturing startup Carbon. New production technologies, such as the light-based 3D printing that Carbon has pioneered, make it possible to combine multiple parts into one part, using less material and requiring fewer suppliers.
In addition, focusing on sustainability allows a tighter and more effective recycling loop. “Carbon is committed to biobased feedstocks” says DeSimone. The key, he says, is develop chemistries and business models that encourage products to be more easily recycled.
Such an approach would benefit the European Union, which is aiming for a “green recovery” from the coronavirus recession. One problem the EU is facing is that tightening up emission requirements may push manufacturing and energy production overseas to countries with laxer standards. To dissuade such carbon leakage, the EU is considering a carbon border tax, otherwise known as a carbon border adjustment mechanism, which would impose additional fees on imports based on their greenhouse gas footprint.
Assessing the greenhouse gas emissions of a good or service produced in a different country is a difficult question. Detailed data is needed. Without such data, it becomes necessary to use averages from either the exporting or the importing country.
But assigning a greenhouse gas emission to an imported product gets almost impossible with complicated supply chains that cross multiple national borders. Cotton is grown in one country, shipped to another country to make fabric, which is then shipped to another country to make clothes, which is then shipped to the end consumer in another country. Parts are made in one country, shipped to another country for assembly, and then shipped back to the original country.
A recent study has estimated that such “carbon in transit” accounts for about 10% of global emissions. With such complicated supply chains, it becomes difficult to fully assess the actual carbon footprint of a product.
As Steve Jobs once said, simpler is harder than complex. That’s something the global trading economy needs to learn as well.


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Ranbaxy, Pfizer Sued In U.S. For Delaying Lipitor Generic 20 Months
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Ranbaxy Laboratories and Pfizer have been sued by some of the largest drug stores in the U.S. for their "anti-competitive" marketing arrangement for the blockbuster Lipitor (atorvastatin) for treating cholesterol.
You may also be interested in...
Abbott is launching a second test to detect COVID-19. The diagnostics giant announced on 27 March the release of a rapid, point-of-care test that can deliver results within five minutes.
President Trump on 27 March finally pulled the trigger on using his powers under the Defense Production Act, forcing General Motors Co. to manufacture medical ventilators. The only thing is, GM is already doing that.
Theradaptive's “paint-like” regenerative therapeutic can be applied to any device to promote bone regrowth or regenerate tissue.


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Cruise America, the nation’s leader in RV rentals and sales, is pleased to announce a grand giveaway in conjunction with their upcoming 40th Anniversary to be celebrated in July of 2012. Each week from July 1 through December of 2012, Cruise America will be giving away a $500 gift certificate to one lucky weekly winner, which can be used towards the rental of one of Cruise America’s top-of-the-line recreational vehicles.…
Added by Cruise America on June 28, 2012 at 4:00pm — No Comments
Cruise America, the nation’s leaders in RV rentals and sales, is preparing to celebrate their fortieth year in business in July of 2012. The company has emerged from humble beginnings, and now flourishes as the leader of the RV rental industry.
According to President, Bob Smalley Jr., “The strong business ethics and service commitments of Cruise America come…Continue
Added by Cruise America on June 12, 2012 at 2:30pm — No Comments


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(The Hosting News) – The controversial legislation known as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) has experienced increased opposition in recent weeks. Now the act appears to have taken one of its biggest blows yet.
On Friday, top web host and domain registrar Go Daddy announced that it was pulling support for the bill.
Discussing the matter in a press release, company CEO Warren Adelman stated, “Fighting online piracy is of the utmost importance, which is why Go Daddy has been working to help craft revisions to this legislation – but we can clearly do better.”
“It’s very important that all Internet stakeholders work together on this. Getting it right is worth the wait. Go Daddy will support it when and if the Internet community supports it,” Adelman continued.
Other opponents of the bill have long argued that SOPA would harm innovation on the web by placing an unfair burden on both providers and startup tech innovators.
Meanwhile, Go Daddy emphasized that it had collaborated with congress in the past “to help craft revisions to legislation first introduced some three years ago.”
Such concerns by the company have included matters regarding free speech, filtering DNS limitations, and frivolous claims.
Go Daddy’s previous lack of opposition to SOPA may have cost the company customers, according to some reports. On Friday, tech site CNET reported on 21,000 domain transfers away from the domain registrar during one day, as statistically tracked by dailychanges.com.
However, the company’s recent announcement will likely play well with the Internet community, where SOPA remains highly unpopular.
SOPA was originally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives back in October while a similar bill known as the Protect IP Act was unveiled in the U.S. Senate in May. For further information regarding Go Daddy’s announcement, view a press release by the company here (godaddy.com).


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Thailand’s Horizon Plus in talks to make EVs for Chinese, European brands
Horizon Plus, a joint venture between PTT subsidiary Arun Plus and Taiwan-based Hon Hai (Foxconn), has announced plans to manufacture electric vehicles (EVs) in Thailand for Chinese and European brands.
Horizon Plus's Chonburi plant aims to open in 2024 with production capacity of 50,000 EVs per year to drive Thailand’s ambition to become an Asian hub of EV manufacturing. Capacity will rise to 150,000 EVs by 2030 to meet growing demand from Asean consumers, the company says.
On Monday, Arun Plus managing director Ekachai Yimsakul revealed Horizon Plus is currently negotiating to produce EVs for several partner brands from Europe and China.
"Deals with two partners are expected to be completed by the first quarter of this year," he said.
China’s Hozon Auto, which makes the Neta V model, is reportedly among the EV brands planning to produce cars at the Horizon Plus plant in Rojana Nong Yai Industrial Estate, Chonburi.
Meanwhile, Horizon Plus has invested US$1 billion (36.1 billion baht) to build a full EV manufacturing cycle in Thailand, promote domestically manufactured EVs, and recruit more than 2,000 skilled workers, Ekachai said.
Developing an EV ecosystem is part of PTT's mission to create energy sustainability in Thailand, he explained.
PTT president and CEO Auttapol Rerkpiboon said the joint venture with Foxconn will push Thailand towards becoming a low-carbon society.
"This move is also seen as an important strategy to help PTT achieve its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050," he added.


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Amy's Kitchen - a frozen food company already well-known for its line of vegetarian and organic hamburgers, pizzas, and pastas - has announced this week that they will be opening the very first vegetarian fast food chain later this month.
Starting in the Bay Area's Rohnert Park, Amy's Drive-Thru will offer vegetarian pizzas, burritos, veggie burgers, and even milkshakes that can all be easily customized for vegan and gluten-free patrons. (A lot of you Gluten-Free Vinglers can probably vouch that the company already knows their way around a tasty rice-based pastas and pizza crusts.)
The best part is that - despite using vegan, organic, and GMO-free ingredients - prices are still extremely reasonable and can be easily likened to that of 'normal' fast food chains. Burgers will cost $2.99 (doubles will be $4.29), while cheese pizzas will go for $5.89, burritos for $4.69 and salads from $3.99 to $7.99.
The founders behind Amy's Kitchen have promised that if the Rohnert Park location does well, they will certainly be continuing to open Amy's Drive-Thru locations in several other cities across the US.
With that being said: Bay Area, we're counting on you.
(Seriously. I'm not kidding. I want to be able to eat Amy's Drive-Thru chili fries too.)


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Samsung Just Launched An Awesome App For Android: Whenever we talk about smartphone brands, Samsung is the first one that hits our mind. Samsung is known for producing mid to high-end smartphone. It looks like Samsung is joining the app section.
Recently, the South Korean giant Samsung launched a new Android app for its line of Galaxy Smartphones known as Samsung Max. Well, the app does the same thing what Opera Max used to do.
The new app from Samsung is known as Samsung Max and it compresses the data received by the web. Compressing the data help users to save some extra data.
As we already mentioned, Samsung Max is nothing more than a reprint of the Opera Max application. So, it also works the way Opera Max does. Samsung Max creates a VPN on the smartphone to compress images, music, and videos.
Moreover, Samsung Max also has WiFi data encryption feature and “Anonymous Mode”. Anonymous mode on Samsung max prevents web crawling. However, its worth to note that the app is developed by Samsung, so, it will only work on Galaxy Smartphones.
If you hold a Samsung Galaxy Device, then you need to head over to the Google Play Store to download. If you are running Opera Max then you will about to receive the update for Samsung Max soon.
What’re your views on Samsung Max? Discuss with us in the comments.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Shares of Qihoo 360 Technology more than doubled Wednesday in a strong debut for the Internet company and what analysts see as one of the biggest IPOs from China this year.
Qihoo QIHU soared 134.5% to close at $34 as the stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The Beijing-based firm offered to sell 12.1 million shares at a price of $14.50, above its initial range of $10.50 to $12.50.
Qihoo offers free Internet browsing and security products, and has more than 300 million monthly users in China, where it runs the second most popular browser after Microsoft Corp.’s
For the year ended Dec. 31, 2010, the company reported net income attributable to shareholders of $5.5 million, on revenue of $57.7 million, according to the company’s filing. That compares with a net income of $2.1 million, on revenue of $32.3 million, for the year-earlier period.
The Qihoo IPO follows the recent debut of two other China-based Internet companies. Youku.com Inc. YOKU , an online television site, and E-Commerce China Dangdang Inc. DANG each saw their shares post robust gains when they debuted in December 2010.


text: b'ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTCONTRIBUTEDSouth Georgiais creating the perfect spot for food and says Mahan. It came at a time when society was shifting beverage industries toto understand the process. Consumers want food that isnt processed, and local businesses are offering a tastier and often thrive. healthier options.Mahan credits Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black with Rich Agricultural Base the surge in the Georgia Grown program. When Commissioner Black was first elected, he announced the expansion of the Abundance of Georgia Grown logo to include a marketing campaign through Natural Resources the department of agriculture that promotes local Georgia producers to consumers and through supermarket campaigns. Exceptional LogisticalThe Georgia Grown program helps small to mid-size agribusiness bring their products to market. Commissioner Blacks expanded Infrastructure vision has created a great marketing campaign and team that has been the basis for many Georgia Grown members beyond Highly Skilled & traditional produce to realize dreams and great profitable success, says Mahan, who specializes in working with small and Affordable Workforce boutique agribusinesses. 26 SG MAGAZINE| WINTER 2022 BUSINESS + CULTURE27'


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“Twitter’s data business has rippled across the economy…serving up putative insights to product developers, Hollywood studios, major retailers and—potentially most profitably—hedge funds and other investors.”
— “Twitter’s Data Business Proves Lucrative,” The Wall Street Journal, 6 October 2013.
It’s not the $47.5 million in revenue to Twitter that’s the prize — it’s what brands can do with the data to create business outcomes. For example, earlier this year one tweet caused a $136.5 billion market drop while another drove oil prices higher. Twitter is moving to capture market value for itself but it has already been creating value for many others at a larger scale.


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Rise of the Super Rich are quite possibly today’s Gilded Age Robber Barons.
Much like Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Rockefeller and JP Morgan, today’s tech giants like Amazon, Facebook, Apple, & Google have amassed incredible wealth and we look upon them, for the most part, favorably. Yet, their growing dominance is giving rise to a trend we should be wary of. For instance, Facebook has a mountain of data on our personal lives, and while it doesn’t produce any news, news organizations are very dependent on social platforms like it and Twitter. Amazon has acquired Whole Foods and dominates the book market. Apple doesn’t produce music, but the the music industry is highly depend on Apple.
Most of us are happily dependent on these platforms as well, but the question is: Should we be? An old proverb states: The way the arrow is bent, is how it flies.


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After much anticipation and hard work from organizer Tim Christie, the first-ever Atlanta Pin Swap went off without a hitch April 23, 2011. Without an-easily accessible show here in the Southeast and very little local get-togethers in recent memory, Tim generously offered up the warehouse he uses for his business to house the swap-meet-style event. Originally anticipating approximately 70 participants, a whopping 150 actually showed up to play pinball, purchase parts, and catch up with fellow pinball enthusiasts.
In addition to the guests, several parts suppliers showed up to the event including Marco Specialties, James Louflin and Pinball Inc, and Rottendog Amusements. Al Warner and Paul Kiefert of Pins and Vids fame were on hand as well as yours truly, Preston and Patrick of Gameroom Junkies, to promote our respective shows and hopefully sell some parts or a pinball machine or two along the way.
Nearly every era of pinball machine was represented and there were many highlights to the show including a prototype Twilight Zone, a custom Space Paranoids arcade game, a Visual Pin, and my favorite – a pristine Williams Shadow. Many deals ended up taking place with proud new owners grinning ear-to-ear loading up their new toys while happy sellers dreamt of what new machine could now fill the void. A full list of pinball machines on at the swap meet can be found at the end of this post.
This being an open-air environment, Tim said not to expect a summer swap event due to the Georgia heat, but be on the lookout for one in the fall. Be sure to check out an exclusive interview with organizer Tim Christie and pinball tech James Lunceford that was recorded live at the event on our next Gameroom Junkies Podcast. I’d like to personally thank Tim for throwing an awesome get-together and starting something that can only continue to increase the love of the silverball.
Be sure to check out even more pictures at the Atlanta Pin Swap website.
Pinball Machines at the event:
High Roller Casino
Playchoice 10 Countertop Arcade
Bride of Pinbot
Tri Zone (prototype)
Tri Zone (production model)
Hyperpin (Virtual Pinball Machine)
Space Paranoids Video Game (Recreation from the Tron movie)
Bally Flip Flop
Star Wars Episode 1
Sample Twilight Zone
Back to the Future
Dungeons and Dragons


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In fall 2009, Columbus Foundry appeared to be on its death bed, with bankrupt owner Intermet Corp. delivering a letter to the Georgia Department of Labor -- its final 169 workers were being laid off.
Behind the scenes, a Wixom, Mich.-based company called Diversified Machine Inc. was making a deal to pull the auto parts foundry out of the fire, then build production back to profitability.
"It's going to grow quite a bit," said then-DMI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bruce Swift. "The business that's in there right now we'll be doubling over the next 12 months. So the plant's going to get pretty busy pretty quickly."
In hindsight, that projection is certainly on target, if not a bit understated. The 350,000-square-foot foundry at 1600 Northside Industrial Blvd., just south of the Bradley Park Drive shopping area, has not only grown to 590 employees, but it has also hitched its wagon to a company that ultimately is the property of Tom Gores, billionaire owner of NBA's Detroit Pistons.
Los Angeles-based Platinum Equity -- which specializes in buying, selling and operating businesses -- is headed by Gores, whose company bought DMI in December 2011, quickly followed by the purchase of Troy, Mich.-based SMW Automotive Inc. in January 2012.
Platinum Equity and Gores -- whose personal website has the quote, "You can't control the market. You can control your company." -- combined the two auto parts companies last April. Chassix, a play on the fact that the firm manufactures vehicle "chassis" parts, became the umbrella name.
Hired to run Chassix was Robert Remenar, an auto industry veteran and top executive with Delphi Corp., Delphi Steering and Nexteer Automotive. The global company is now headquartered in Southfield, Mich., a suburb of Detroit.
At the time of their union, DMI and SMW were pulling in a combined $1.2 billion in annual sales, according to Chassix and Platinum Equity. Remenar and his management team have spent the last several months improving their plant sites and looking for additional customers to ramp up production.
'We've fixed up the house'
In a recent conference call at Chassix offices in Columbus, Remenar said the local foundry and a sister machining plant set up in a portion of the Char-Broil space in the industrial park is critical to his company's growth plans.
"We are proud of what we've done in the factory. We've fixed up the house, if you will," he said of the Columbus operation, in which Chassix has invested more than $10 million after finding the foundry property less than well-maintained. "We're seeking more business. Because of the dedicated workforce we have down there -- and that's management and labor -- we want to place more business in that location."
A recent tour of the foundry, apparently built on the site in the mid-1960s, found workers turning scrap metal -- magnesium, manganese and copper alloys -- into various "safety critical" parts, such as steering knuckles and brake components used to steer and stop cars and pickup trucks.
Furnaces are used to heat the metals up to a lava-like 2,700 degrees before it's poured into vat-like containers bound for an area where workers rake "slag" off the top, ridding the eventual ductile iron of impurities.
"The melting process is automated, but the slagging and the temperature checks are all manual," said foundry general manager Robert Bridges during the tour, a distinct smoke wafting through the facility that he said is within federal safety requirements.
When the iron is brought to exact specifications, it is then poured by hand levers into casting molds. Sand also is used to help form the shape of the parts, with a four-piece mold making brake parts every 9.7 seconds on one of the production lines.
Toward the end of the process, workers separate some of the completed castings from the sand using hammers. Bridges said those employees receive a salary premium and additional breaks because of the rigorous nature of the chore.
The iron auto parts are then loaded into boxes. Some will be trucked next door to the machining plant that opened in November, while others will be shipped to other Chassix plants or customers' own facilities for additional assembly. Machining itself smooths the rough edges and any imperfections from the parts.
The opening of the 96,000-square-foot machining operation in Columbus is aimed at streamlining the production process, said Tom Bane, vice president of operations over machining at Chassix. It currently employs 47, with plans to increase that to 60 before the year ends.
"The opportunity here is that as the foundry grows new business or the machining grows new business, they share in the rewards," said Bane, pointing out the company intends for the Columbus site to be "our state-of-the-art facility."
The machining operation, which is a combination of manual and automated work, could top out at about 130 employees, depending on what types of new business Chassix lands down the road, he said. High-volume contracts will require more automation, while lower-volume ones will use human operators much of the time.
Mark LeForge, general manager of the Columbus machining plant, said he has found good talent in the local area in the early months of his facility's operation. He hopes to work with Columbus Technical College at some point to develop some type of training program.
"There's a fair level of talent that we've been able to pull in. If not, we would have had to do a lot of retraining. So we've got some good people, good experience and good operators," said LeForge, noting Chassix has picked up some workers from Goldens' Foundry, some former Cessna Aircraft employees, and a few from the South Korean auto-parts companies in West Point, Ga., where Kia Motors operates a major auto assembly plant.
Supplying major automakers
Bane stressed that Chassix is the largest manufacturer in the world that makes both aluminum and cast iron safety critical parts that large auto companies -- known as original equipment manufacturers or OEMs -- must have in the assembly pipeline on a steady and reliable basis.
"We don't go out and drum up business," he said. "It knocks on our door because we are one of the few that have that (capability)."
Chassix parts, he said, can be found on vehicles assembled by the major U.S. automakers, including General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler, as well as Nissan and Mercedes-Benz. It has yet to do any business with Honda and Toyota, which have their own supply network.
Foundry manager Bridges said this is his second stint with the Columbus plant, the first time with Intermet before leaving in 2000. He returned last year as Chassix was being created from DMI and SMW and is pleased at the progress being made by the company that once had one foot in the grave.
"We still have a way to go, but it's coming along with blood, sweat and tears and being frugal with the money and spending it on the right things," said Bridges, recalling the heyday of the foundry, when it employed more than 1,100 people in the Columbus area.
"I think it all goes back to the people. At Columbus Foundry, there's a lot of people with a lot of seniority and a lot of heart," said the GM, who knows of some employees with more than three decades of experience at the plant, meaning they've lived and worked through several up-and-down business cycles and -- like the foundry -- have survived.
Playing a 'game of pennies'
It's that fortitude and talent of the employees, along with smart financial practices, that Chassix CEO Remenar is counting on moving forward. He describes the competition in the automotive industry as "very ruthless" and a "game of pennies," particularly with the major automakers looking to pinch expenses and get any kind of edge they can find on their rivals.
"The auto industry is one of the thinnest margin businesses there is," he said of the car companies' dealings with parts suppliers such as Chassix. "They are not willing or able to pay a penny more than their next best deal."
That factor, stressed the CEO, means the Columbus operation, like its parent company, must remain a stickler on overhead costs and infrastructure. Remenar even answered his own phone recently when contacted by a reporter.
He said the company wants to offer competitive pay to employees, make certain they have a safe work environment, and be good corporate citizens and members of the local community.
"We're proud that we could come in and rescue it and bring it back to life," he said of the Columbus Foundry. "But it's a tough journey and our margins are still not where they need to be to sustain the growth we would like to have there. So we've got to get better at what we do."
Not that there won't be growing pains along the way, possibly locally, but certainly within Chassix as a whole. For instance, the company is closing a casting foundry in the Milwaukee area early this year, eliminating 218 jobs, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal. Another facility in the northwestern Ohio community of Edon will be shuttered by the end March, cutting 82 jobs, reported the Toledo Blade.
Those moves come with the auto industry now hovering around 16 million light-duty vehicle sales per year, which is dramatically higher than the 8.5 million units sold annually entering the Great Recession, Remenar said.
That dip during the economic downturn also shook out auto-parts manufacturers operating on the edge financially, he said. Those suppliers without enough production volume to justify their overhead expenses collapsed. That left stronger survivors in better position to rebound, but not without plenty of healthy caution.
"I'm optimistic, but at the same time I've very cautious," the CEO said. "We cannot make the same mistakes that were made in the past, and we cannot afford to be careless in any way, shape or form with regard to economics."
Remenar said he would love nothing more than to see the Columbus Foundry and the machining plant grow to more than 1,000 employees combined. After all, both now have open production capacity.
"I have ovens and furnaces on, and infrastructure there," he said. "We would like nothing more than to fill it. But to fill it, we have to do it at pricing that's attractive to our customers, yet still covers our cost of capital and allows us to earn a fair return."
And contrary to the plant closings in Wisconsin and Ohio, Remenar said he enjoys resuscitating businesses that are moving toward their death throes. He likes to see them thriving and growing again, and that certainly includes Columbus. But, again, the overriding caveat is that there is no room for waste and error.
"We like preserving jobs in the U.S. We like preserving manufacturing capacity in the U.S.," the CEO said. "Nothing pleases me more personally. I can sleep great at night because I like to say, 'Hey, here were jobs lost. Here was a shuttered factory. You know what? We've brought it back to life.'"


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There’s talk of a new player in the OLED TV market, Seiko Epson. With partner Tokyo Electron they teamed up last fall to develop inkjet-printed OLED displays. The latest news is a $30-40 million dolar investment in production facilities to print OLED TV panels.
Production is expected to start in 2013. It’s great to see another manufacturer with innovative OLED TV panel printing technology.
More at: www.oled-info.com


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Tesla has leaked its ‘Powershare Mobile Connector’ through its user manual, but it’s so far unclear how it’s different from Tesla’s regular mobile connector.
With the launch of Cybertruck, Tesla announced its new Powershare bidirectional charging system.
The new feature will enable Tesla vehicles, starting with Cybertruck, to share power with other vehicles, your home, and more.
This is a feature that has become increasingly popular with electric vehicles in recent years. While more EVs are now capable of the feature, the hardware required to make it work has yet to become very popular.
Tesla, with its extensive experience with power electronics, has the potential to make things a lot easier for its customers.
The company says that Powerwall owners already have the required hardware and if not, you can use Tesla’s Universal Wall Connector ($595) and Gateway ($1,800).
But now, it looks like Tesla is also planning hardware specifically for Powershare.
Tesla released a user manual for something called ‘Powershare Mobile Connector’:
The design of the charger is definitely different than Tesla’s regular mobile connector, but other than the design, the user manual doesn’t explain what’s different with the “Powershare” version.
The name would imply that it enables bidirectional charging, but it’s possible that this feature hasn’t been enabled yet.
Either way, the ‘Powershare Mobile Connector’ is not even available on Tesla’s website yet.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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Several new webpages and marketing materials translated in Spanish
July 18, 2016
Thermostat Recycling Corp. (TRC) announced it has launched four pages on its website in the Spanish language. TRC said the webpages, which can all be found at www.thermostat-recycle.org/es, have been developed to enable Spanish-speaking users to learn more about its mercury thermostat recycling program.
Honeywell is partnering with distributors and contractors to collect thermostats nationwide to support the Thermostat Recycling Corp.’s (TRC) efforts to recover and properly dispose of mercury thermostats.


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This article is more than 1 year old
Schneider Electric asks users to patch Heartbleed again
We'd have gotten away with it if it weren't for those meddling kids and their plug-ins
Industrial controller vendor Schneider Electric has found that while its own kit wasn't affected by the Heartbleed OpenSSL bug, there are some third party components that need work.
In an advisory published here (PDF), the company says a third-party software component, Tableau from Wonderware, could re-introduce a Heartbleed vulnerability into its systems.
It affects “Tableau Server, versions 8.0.6 through 8.0.9 or 8.1.0 through 8.1.5. This software is provided as a component of our Wonderware Intelligence and Avantis.DSS products”, the advisory states. “Any installations that did not apply the available Tableau Server updates from Wonderware Development Network (WDN) would not be impacted by HeartBleed vulnerability”
Tableau is an analytical data visualisation suite. The vulnerable server component has now been upgraded by Tableau Software, but users that applied a recent update from Schneider may have reverted to an older version of the server.
The company continues to review its own products, and says that “no evidence of the vulnerable versions of OpenSSL were identified”.
Schneider's advisory also says the version of McAfee ePO (the policy orchestrator) that ships with its Invensys control systems is vulnerable. McAfee released patches for its vulnerable products in April. ®


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The container ship “Sparta-3” got stuck in the ice in the Yenisei Bay during a commercial flight. TASS writes about this on Thursday, December 17, citing a source in the shipping industry.
“The motor ship“ Sparta-3 ”, the flagship of Oboronlogistics, <…> performing a commercial voyage, following from the port of Dudinka to Arkhangelsk with commercial cargo, got up in the ice on December 13. On board, fuel and water supplies are limited or are running out, the crew is struggling with icing. <…> The devices are frozen, ”said the agency’s interlocutor.
According to him, attempts to chop the ice around the ship and free it were unsuccessful. The crew is waiting for approval and the arrival of a large icebreaker, the source said.
The Oboronlogistics company, which is the operator of the ship, clarified that there is no question of a threat to the life of the crew members.
“As of 18:00 on December 17, 2020, due to the deteriorating ice conditions, the vessel is drifting in the Yenisei Gulf. The company’s management has established interaction with FSUE Atomflot. In the coming days, a nuclear icebreaker will be dispatched to escort the vessel to a safe for navigation area, ”the company said.
According to the operator, the vessel has the necessary supplies of food and fuel and lubricants. The logistics center specialists keep in touch with the captain on an hourly basis.
In early September 2019, the Swedish ship Malmö fell into the ice near the Spitsbergen archipelago and could not get out. 16 passengers were evacuated by helicopter.


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Toyota reports sales exceed expectations
by Associated Press
Published: March 10,2010
TOKYO — A high-ranking Toyota executive says the automaker’s North American sales spiked around 50 percent the first eight days of March as incentives helped lure customers after a series of embarrassing safety recalls.
Don Esmond, senior vice president of automotive operation for Toyota Motor Sales, says that the early numbers surpassed the company’s expectations.
Esmond says there is pent-up demand from buyers who didn’t shop for cars during last year’s economic downturn. He also credits new sales incentives enacted this month, including 0 percent financing offers for eight Toyota models.
Earlier Tuesday, he addressed about 800 officials from Toyota supply companies attending an annual business meeting.
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VF Corp., the parent of The North Face, Vans, Reef, Jansport and other outdoor brands, ranked 89th on this year's InformationWeek 500 – a list of the top technology innovators in the U.S. The annual list was revealed on Tuesday at a gala awards ceremony at the exclusive InformationWeek 500 Conference taking place at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, CA.
VF ranked 89th overall, marking the highest ranking the company has achieved on the annual list. VF also received recognition as an industry finalist in the consumer goods category and will be profiled in an upcoming InformationWeek magazine issue highlighting this year's InformationWeek 500.
“Technology plays an important role in enabling VF's success. Our team has made it a key priority to further this role by implementing robust processes that align with VF's growth strategies and developing innovative solutions to meet business requirements,” said Martin Schneider, VF vice president and chief information officer. “Gaining recognition as part of the InformationWeek 500 is an acknowledgment of our strong teamwork and the progress we”ve made. We are honored to be among this yearâ€s InformationWeek 500 recipients.”
Over the past year, VF said its Information Technology group has collaborated with business partners across the company on key initiatives to position the company for future growth. Key projects included new e-commerce sites and retail systems to enhance consumers' online and in-store experiences and supply chain-related efficiency and cost-reduction initiatives.
“For 22 years, the InformationWeek 500 has honored the most innovative users of business technology,” said InformationWeek Editor In Chief Rob Preston. “As we start to emerge from the worst recession in decades, the IT focus is now on driving growth-new sources of revenue, new relationships with customers, even new business models. This yearâ€s ranking placed special emphasis on those companies and business technology executives leading that charge.”
InformationWeek identifies and honors the nation's most innovative users of information technology with its annual 500 listing across industries. Top winners have included: CME Group, Conway, National Semiconductor, Kimberly-Clark, Hilton Hotels and Unum.


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Roanoke city officials and some of its businesses unveiled a $66 million cooperative effort yesterday to build up the city's declining downtown area.
The plan, scheduled to be aired on a Roanoke television station last night, combines the city's resources and businesses' finances to renovate old storefronts and a hotel, plant elaborate gardens, and build pedestrian walkways, stores and about 2,500 new parking spaces to attract people with the 60-block area's proposed new ambience.
Countrary to past piecemeal efforts to revitalize the downtown area, Roanoke officials and businessmen decided to devise a major plan funded by the city and businesses, Assistant City Manager Sam McGhee said.
Businesses will contribute $50 million, and the city will provide about $16 million. Citizens contributed comments during the past four months at a downtown storefront manned especially for that purpose and they also telephoned in suggestions on three hour-long television shows in which various plans were presented, McGhee said.
"We said you've got to have people involved," he said.
City officials envision the renovation of a string of deteriorating storefront facades and the construction of a parking garage accommodating 233 to 377 parking spaces behind it. The now-vacant Leggett's department store will be rehabilitated and a new bank building will be built, McGhee said.
A pedestrian walkway is planned to connect two existing major stores, and colorful canopies will be provided over the string of storefronts, McGhee said.
In the city's 100-year-old market district, where meat, fruit and vegetable merchants once flourished, the plan calls for renovation of the existing 50-year-old structure to attract more businesses, McGhee said. There is an interest in selling the rehabilitated market as well as the city's historical fire station, which is also planned for improvement.
Another vacant store will be converted into a mini-mall and local arts groups have said they will build a cultural arts center in the area, McGhee said.
Some developers have proposed the construction of $6 million in "quality" residential townhouses, McGhee said.
Although few businesses have made firm commitments to occupy all the proposed retail and business space, Blue Cross-Blue Shield health insurers and the Colonial American National Bank have made firm commitments to the construction of new offices, McGhee said.
"We're still in the negotiating stage with the majority of companies," McGhee said. The city is also trying to get a federal grant for the project, he said.


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The global launch of the 2020 Nissan Patrol was probably the biggest car launch the Middle East has ever seen. While the model is sold in only a handful of countries, it is clearly one of the best-selling premium cars ever in the UAE. The new model is more of an extensive update than a full redesign, but there’s no one better to review the changes, considering we actually own the outgoing model.
Lamborghini has been known for extreme performance machines with even more extreme designs. All their products follow this norm and their newest reveal is no exception, especially since they started churning out quickly slapped-together “special editions” to make a quick buck from collectors. The Lamborghini Sian breaks no norms when it comes to performance and design. But, it strays way out of Lamborghini’s method for its powertrain. Here it is, the very first electrified production Lamborghini.
A new model making its sales debut in the Middle East is not a common occurrence. But when it comes to the debut of the updated 2020 Nissan Patrol, where else is better than the land that accepted this massive barge of an SUV with all its heart?
BMW is toying around with the idea of fitting extreme grilles to its new cars in a bid to make their cars look more distinctive and somehow more premium, starting with the large kidney grille on the X7 and 7-series. For those who did not like it, there’s more bad news. The BMW Concept 4 gets unveiled at the 2019 Frankfurt Motors show which hints at the design of the next gen 4-Series and M4 coupes. And guess what, it’s got a large grille too.
We flew from Dubai all the way to South Korea to drive the GCC-spec 2020 Hyundai Palisade midsize SUV and see if it has what it takes to compete in this hotly-contested segment.
We love grand tourers. They have the perfect balance of excitement and practicality. We owned a big brash third-generation Toyota Supra (the one before the Farce & Furious hero car) about a decade ago, and it had immense road presence as well as the ability to carry four people in a pinch. From that we moved on to a Jaguar XK, and even considered an old Bentley Continental GT at some point. But the 2020 Toyota Supra is not a grand tourer. It’s a full-blown sports car.
Since Geely acquired them, Lotus has been churning out special editions of their existing models, but not a single new model. After this long interval, a new Lotus car is here, albeit still in display-piece form. Lotus rolled up the curtains for Lotus Evija, the brand-new electric hypercar from the British brand which rolls in with 1,973 horsepower. The car is currently being shown around the world and was in the Dubai showroom recently.
A V12 Convertible Grand Tourer is revered as the best option to snake some scenic mountain roads while listening to the glorious wail of the 12-pot petrol burner. Ferrari V12s are celebrated for their legendary exhaust noises, but without a mainstream V12 convertible in their lineup for the last 50 years, Ferrari has never offered the full Grand Tourer package unless it was an even-more-overpriced special edition. The new 2020 Ferrari 812 GTS changes that.
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Mixed-use project set for Midtown
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An Atlanta developer is planning an $85 million mixed-use project, including 350 apartment units, by the Midtown MARTA station.
The luxury project features a 19-story residential tower and includes 20,000 square feet of retail space.
Wood Partners is calling the project “33 Peachtree Place” for now. It would be built just steps from a busy MARTA station. Like other developers, it’s betting that young professionals prefer taking transit to work, rather than driving a car.
Its prime location is one reason that local planners see the project as a smart play.
The residences are being built as developers are rushing to build new apartment towers, lured by rents that are fetching well over $2 per square foot.
However, other developers have gotten the jump on Wood Partners. For the past year, they’ve been delivering units into a market that’s experiencing surging rental growth. It’s not certain that same pace will continue, now that many of the projects are wrapping up construction and more apartments units are being delivered.
Wood Partners has enlisted a veteran team focused on building a luxury development that echoes others nearby.
If a deal comes together, it would bring more luxury residences and trendy restaurants to a historic side street off the Midtown Mile.
Today, it’s a massive surface parking lot that encompasses an entire city block. It mostly serves 500 or so employees of the 20-story Ten Peachtree Place building, which is anchored by AGL Resources Inc. (NYSE: AGL). The new development likely would dedicate about half of its 1,000-car parking deck to AGL.
Amy Wenk covers hospitality, retail and restaurants.
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The International Rotating Equipment Conference – Pumps, Compressors and Vacuum Technology held in Wiesbaden, Germany, on September 24 to 25, 2019, will offer state-of-the-art technical papers by experts and special possibilities for networking. It will focus on how digitisation is changing pump, compressor and vacuum technology.
The Conference unites the 12th Pump Users International Forum and the 5th Compressor Users International Forum including Vacuum Technology. It is for users coming from oil & gas, refinery, chemical and pharmaceutical industry, water supply, sewage, building services, energy supply, energy generation, heating and cooling, mining, energy storage, renewable, power to X.
Most recent developments in pump an compressor technology
Industry has been undergoing drastic changes worldwide for several years. Industrie 4.0, predictive maintenance, additive manufacturing, and energy efficiency are just a few of the keywords in this fourth industrial revolution. Pump, compressor and vacuum manufacturers have helped to shape these changes from the start. At this year’s International Rotating Equipment Conference (IntRoEquipCon), they will once again present and discuss numerous innovations and new developments in these up-to- the-minute topics, with specialist contributions from users as well. “The conference has become the most important meeting of top-class specialists and visionaries in our industry. It is the ideal place to learn about the most recent developments, research results, and trends first hand,” says Christoph Singrün, Executive Director of VDMA’s Pumps + Systems and Compressors, Compressed Air and Vacuum Technology associations.
The conference is now the world’s largest sector network for technical innovations. It is geared not only towards manufacturers of pumps and compressors, but also at system designers and operators, component suppliers, representatives from research and development, and scientists. It is also an indispensable platform for young engineers to gain information on the sector and its future prospects. The two-day conference will also be accompanied by a trade exhibition.
Focus on digitisation
Plenary lecturer Dr. Matthias Fankhänel, former senior vice president, Centers of Technical Expertise at BASF SE, will explain how manufacturers and users of pumps, compressors and vacuum technology can jointly master the challenges posed by digitisation.
Those interested can find an overview of the program at www.introequipcon.com, where they can also register for the event. Information on renting a booth is available at www.introequipcon.com/exhibition. On the first evening of the conference, a dinner cruise on the Rhine will give all participants the opportunity to meet new contacts and reconnect with existing ones. The conference is held every three years. 750 experts from more than 30 countries participated in the last sector meeting in 2016.


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Juul Labs has agreed to pay $14.5 million to settle a lawsuit by Arizona accusing it of fueling a vaping epidemic by marketing its products to minors.
The settlement, announced Nov. 23 by the office of Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, provides for $12.5 million to be set aside for anti-addiction programs. The remaining $2 million will go to a general consumer protection fund and litigation expenses.
As part of the consent judgment, pending court approval, Juul has committed to company-wide changes to its business practices to ensure that its products will not be marketed or sold to Arizona’s youth.
“Today’s settlement holds Juul accountable for its irresponsible marketing efforts that pushed Arizona minors toward nicotine and the addiction that follows,” said Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich in a statement. “Combatting the youth vaping epidemic remains a priority for our office with both our undercover Counter Strike program and zero tolerance for vaping companies that mislead or deceive.”
Juul said the settlement is another step in its ongoing effort to “reset” its company and applauded the Attorney General’s plan to deploy resources to address underage use. “We will continue working with federal and state stakeholders to advance a fully regulated, science-based marketplace for vapor products,” the company wrote in a statement. “As part of that process, we will continue to support Tobacco 21 and enforcement against illicit and illegally marketed products, such as certain disposables, that jeopardize the harm reduction potential of alternative vapor products.”
The company said it remains in discussions with other key stakeholders about litigation related to its past as part of its commitment to earn trust.
In June, Juul settled a similar case brought by North Carolina.
The company still faces more than 2,000 lawsuits, including from state and local governments, accusing the company of creating a spike in nicotine addiction among teens by using fruit-flavored liquid pods, social media campaigns and free giveaways.
Altria Group, which in 2018 acquired a 35 percent stake in Juul, is also named as a defendant in many of the lawsuits.


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TeamKill Media’s Quantum Error looks and sounds frightfully awesome with its cosmic horror. But with the game apparently coming out later this year, we need some info on Quantum Error‘s story. Luckily, TeamKill has dropped a new trailer that teases a bit of that.
The story that we have so far for Quantum Error sees the player, firefighter Captain Jacob Thomas, assigned to save those trapped at the Monad Quantum Research Facility, which is currently on fire after being attacked by an unknown entity. However, what starts off as a rescue mission turns into something otherworldly and dark.
Quantum Error is scheduled to be released in 2022 the Xbox Series, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.


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Started by metmike - Nov. 17, 2020, 12:23 a.m.
By metmike - Nov. 17, 2020, 12:25 a.m.
U.S. export inspections last week were in line with expectations. Some 76% of all #soybeans and 34% of #corn inspected were for #China. YTD #wheat inspections barely have an edge over the year-ago total.
By metmike - Nov. 19, 2020, 1:47 p.m.
By metmike - Nov. 19, 2020, 1:49 p.m.
Export sales for U.S. #corn, #soybeans, and soyoil were a bit better than expectations last week. #China was the main buyer of beans, and they also bought 175kt corn and 131kt of #sorghum. #Wheat sales were meh.


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It wasn’t too long ago that Instagram more or less confirmed that they were a no-show for Windows Phone devices at least for now, and this is despite evidence that Instagram have registered themselves as developers on the Windows Phone store. Well the good news is that while Instagram has yet to make its way onto Windows Phone, it does not mean that it won’t, and during an interview with TechCrunch, Nokia’s Brian Biniak (Vice President and General Manager of App Development at Nokia), Nokia is working very hard on bringing Instagram to Windows Phone.
Given that this is Nokia we’re talking about, and not Microsoft in general, we have to wonder if Nokia is more interested in bringing Instagram as a Nokia-exclusive, or if they are working to bring Instagram to Windows Phone in general which we guess is looking at the bigger picture. According to Biniak, “We are working… very hard on Instagram. We’re working closely with Facebook — as you know, we work with them across all kinds of devices. Microsoft has a close relationship with Facebook, which you can see from the Bing decision, and… for Instagram. We’re working on that.” So there you have it, we guess it’s just a matter of waiting for the app to launch now.


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08:54 AM - April 20, 2005 by Steve_OS
Team Fremont has posted a short preview of Nintendo Pennant Chase Baseball. The article has quite a few previews, but if you scroll down, you'll find what you're looking for.
"Baseball games, virtual and otherwise, are notoriously long, making season and franchise modes next to impossible to finish. With that in mind, Nintendo has implemented a Speedplay option allowing gamers to skip the tedium of fielding and focus on hitting and pitching."


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Stocks are mixed in mid-day trading as investors parse apart
disappointing employment figures from the government this morning
and another deluge of earnings news. Adding to the mix was a
decline in durable goods orders last month.
New applications for unemployment benefits jumped last week by
51,000 to 454,000, due in part to poor weather causing
administrative backlogs in four Southern states, the Labor
Department was reporting Thursday. Economists polled by MarketWatch
had expected initial claims in the week ended Jan. 22 to rise to a
seasonally adjusted 408,000 from a revised 403,000 the week
Continuing claims, which reflect the number of people already
receiving unemployment compensation, rose 94,000 to a seasonally
adjusted 3.99 million in the week ended Jan. 15. About 9.41 million
Americans were getting some kind of state or federal benefit in the
week ended Jan. 8, down 223,826 from the prior week.
Also reported, orders for U.S.-made durable goods sank in
December, falling 2.5% on weaker demand for airplanes, vehicles,
and computers, machinery, the Commerce Department reported
Thursday. Excluding transportation, orders rose 0.5%. The decrease
was unexpected. Economists polled by MarketWatch expected a 1.0%
rise in durables. This is the fourth drop in durables in the last
five months. Transportation orders had the largest decline, falling
12.8%. Shipments rose 1.4% in December. Orders for core capital
goods rose 1.4% in the month.
In company news:
Shares of Citigroup (
) are higher as the bank's Chief Executive Vikram Pandit said
conditions in capital markets are very robust and the the euro has
support in Europe, according to a Bloomberg note. The comments came
during an interview with the news outlet at the World Economic
Forum in Davos Switzerland.
ADRs of AstraZeneca (
) are higher as the company reportedly plans to buy as much as $4
billion in its stock in 2011, which is nearly twice as much as last
year. The buyback comes as the company's products have had
setbacks, Bloomberg notes in a report on the move. In total, the
buyback plan amounted to $2.1 billion last year. In the last seven
months, AstraZeneca has had regulatory roadblocks with experimental
products, the report notes.
Shares of Microsoft (
) are down as the software maker gears up to report its Q2 results
in tonight's after-hours session, and analysts polled by Thomson
Reuters are expecting the software giant to report a profit of
$0.68 per share on revenue of $19.14 billion.
General Motors (
) is withdrawing its $14.4 billion application for direct loans
from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). GM cites the significant
improvement in its business performance as the main reason for
withdrawing the loan, underscoring its confidence in its overall
progress and strong global business performance.
Shares of Exxon Mobil (
) are higher in morning trade as the company said before the
opening bell that it entered into an agreement with Russia's
Rosneft to develop oil and gas resources in the Black Sea. The deal
was announced by Exxon Mobil Chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson and
Rosneft Chairman Igor Sechin, who is also Russia's deputy prime
minister, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Shares of Sara Lee are flat as the company's board begins
meeting to review strategic options without new bids from JBS or a
group of private equity firms led by Apollo Global, Bloomberg
reports, citing two people with knowledge of the matter. JBS is
reportedly trying to line up financing for an offer. Apollo hasn;t
yet raised its offer after its bid of $19 a share was declined as
TNK-BP shareholders are moving to halt a share swap deal between
BP (BP) and Russia's OAO Rosneft, according to a Bloomberg report.
TNK-BP is demanding that BP show the deal to TNK-BP because the
venture--to which BP is party--grants Russia's third-largest oil
producer exclusive rights to pursue new opportunities in Russia,
Netflix (NFLX) shares are sharply higher as the company issued a
first-quarter forecast that bested analysts' estimates for the
firm. The company said that one-third of its new customers are
signing up for the $7.99 a month streaming-only plan, which the
company introduced in November,
In other earnings news:
--Eli Lilly (LLY) reports Q4 EPS of $1.11 per share, a penny
better than the analyst consensus on Thomson Reuters. Revenue was
$6.187 billion, vs. expectations of $6 billion. For 2011, the
company is guiding for EPS of $4.15 to $4.30 per share. The Street
view is $4.29 per share.
--Altria (MO) reports Q4 EPS of $0.44 compared to $0.35 a year
earlier and in line with the Thomson Reuters mean analyst estimate.
Revenue falls to $5.93 billion from $6.01 billion. The Street
looked for $4.27 billion. Altria also announced an additional $1
billion share buyback.
--Procter & Gamble (PG) reports Q2 core EPS of $1.13 per
share, better than the analyst consensus of $1.10 per share on
Thomson Reuters. Sales were $21.3 billion, in line to just below
the Street view of $21.58 billion.
--Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) reports Q4 EPS of $1.47 compared to
$0.36 a year earlier and topping the Thomson Reuters mean analyst
estimate for $1.27. Q4 sales and revenues were $12.807 billion, an
increase of 62 percent compared with $7.898 billion in the fourth
quarter of 2009. The Street expected $11.6 billion.
--Bristol-Myers (BMY) reports Q4 sales of $5.1 billion, ahead of
the analyst consensus of $5.06 billion on Thomson Reuters. EPS was
$0.47, a penny shy of the Street view.
--Royal Caribbean (RCL) says Q4 EPS were $0.20, better than the
Thomson Reuters mean for $0.13. Sales were $1.6 billion, compared
with estimates for $1.6352 billion.
--Potash (POT) says it earned an adjusted $1.77 per share in Q4
on sales of $1.81 billion. The Thomson Reuters mean was for $1.65
per share on sales of $1.62 billion.
--JetBlue (JBLU) reports Q4 earnings of $0.03 per share, vs.
$0.04 per share in the year ago quarter. Revenue was $940 million,
up from $833 million last year. The Street view was earnings of
$0.05 per share on revenue of $961 million.
--Under Armour (UA) reports Q4 revenue of $301.2 million, better
than the analyst consensus of $275 million on Thomson Reuters. EPS
was $0.44 per share, including a $0.04 per share tax benefit. The
Street was at $0.37 per share, ex items.
Commodities are lower as February gold contracts--still the most
active--are down $13, or 1%, to $1,321 an ounce while March crude
oil contacts are down 1.64%, or $1.47, at $85.89 a barrel.
In energy ETFs, the United States Oil Fund (USO) is down 1.93%
to $36.14 and the United States Natural Gas fund (UNG) is down
03.1% to $5.91.
In precious metal ETFs, the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) is down 1.83%
to $128.76. Market Vectors Gold Miners (GDX) is down 2.6% to
$53.67. iShares Silver Trust (SLV) is down 2.31% to $26.26.


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“Specialty bacon dishes will always be a staple of good restaurant menus,” says chef Hari Nayak, who opened New York City Indian restaurant SONA in March 2021. Because of its popularity, bacon was an obvious choice for his brunch menu. Slices of thick-cut bacon get drenched in maple syrup and a blend of chiles and aromatic spices like roasted cumin, coriander, and fennel before being smoked in a high-heat charcoal oven. “It’s the best combination of sweet and spice,” Nayak says. About 30 portions of bacon go out each brunch service, typically as add-ons to breakfast sandwiches and eggs.
Some of the more gimmicky bacon items out there, however, have lost their luster. At Hypnotic Donuts in Dallas, owner Joshua Griffin regularly cooked about 45 pounds of bacon per week for doughnut toppings about six years ago. “Now we cook about 30 pounds,” he says. At Blue Dot Donuts in New Orleans, it’s the same story. Chef-owner Zachary Menicucci-Foster makes about a quarter of the sweet-savory bacon doughnuts he did 11 years ago, when they first landed on the menu. Part of that, he guesses, is due to bacon’s lower profile. In the 2010s, bacon “was more in the public eye,” he says.
By the late 2010s, ordering any novelty bacon dish felt kind of embarrassing—like accidentally wearing your Teenage Dirtbag tee on a coffee run or unironically writing “loves a Cronut” in your Hinge profile. Did people still eat bacon post-mania? Of course. But did they want to be seen scarfing a maple bacon sundae from Denny’s? Probably not. That’s in part because, when big brands jump on any trend, it can begin to feel icky and lose its “cool” status. Meat evangelism was also becoming culturally taboo, juxtaposed with increasingly urgent climate change.
Outrageous bacon creations are no longer blowing up on social media or inspiring entire news websites for pork enthusiasts, either (see: Bacon Today). Their demise offers proof that bacon has (mostly) grown out of its screamy teen phase. Though the sale of gimmicky bacon might have slowed over the years—at least outside of flashy, time-warp towns like Vegas—pared back dishes using quality cuts and interesting preparations have continued to thrive around the country, where bacon sales are stronger than ever.
At Elizabeth’s Restaurant in New Orleans, 90% of customers order a side of crunchy Praline Bacon with their meals. The bacon, coated in a caramelized dusting of pecans and sugar, has only become more popular since it hit the menu in 2000. “Just last Sunday, we sold 440 orders,” says chef-owner Bryon Peck. He concedes that Elizabeth’s might have benefited from “the maple bacon moment,” but doesn’t think his long-running dish is a fad. This kind of bacon “is part of America,” says Peck.
In 2014, Chicago beer garden Kaiser Tiger was renowned for its Whole Bomb—a five-pound spicy beef and pork meatloaf stuffed with pepper bacon, wrapped in a bacon weave, and slow-smoked for four hours. “It’s still popular as a sandwich but is rarely ordered whole anymore,” says owner Patrick Berger. Interest in the Bomb might have fizzled out, but the Bacon Board—featuring four different cuts of artisanal bacon, along with condiments and pickles—is by far the top appetizer now. “People love the fact that it’s just simple bacon goodness,” says Berger.


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China's auto exports grew at a slower pace in the first half, due partly to the U.S. credit crunch, rising oil prices, mounting production costs at home and appreciation of the Chinese currency, the General Administration of Customs said on Tuesday.
More difficult access to some target markets, including Russia and Venezuela, also accounted for the slowdown, the administration added.
From January to June, China exported 361,000 motor vehicles, a growth of 58.5 percent on the same period of last year. However, the growth rate was 17.1 percentage points lower than the year-earlier level.
The exports were valued at 4.62 billion U.S. dollars, up 89 percent. The growth rate was 28.2 percentage points lower.
Of the total, 48,000 motor vehicles were sold to Russia, up 26.2 percent, compared with the 300-percent growth rate a year earlier.
However, sales to ASEAN member nations soared 270 percent to 54,000 units, including 46,000 to Vietnam, up 300 percent.
Domestic automakers accounted for 73.2 percent, or 264,000 of the total vehicle exports, up 72.4 percent. Of these, 176,000 were produced by state-owned enterprises, up 58.3 percent, and 75,000 by private companies, up 89.2 percent. The growth rates were 29.2 percentage points and 9.5 percentage points, respectively, lower than the year-earlier level.
(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2008)


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Energy giants SSE and Npower are to be merged, bringing the big 6 energy companies in the UK down to 5.
The two companies will now have 11.5 million customer accounts, which had raised concerns of a “stranglehold” of the largest operators in the market.
“We are very proud of what we’ve delivered over many years,” said SSE chief executive Alistair Phillips-Davies.
Alistair also said that the merger would help both companies “focus more acutely on pursuing their own dedicated strategies”.
SSE COO Tony Keeling spoke to BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme arguing that the merger is not, as has been suggested, a response to the government’s drafted energy tariff price cap.
He said: “We’ve listened to government regulators and customers and understand that the market needs to transform and we’re absolutely committed to doing that.
“By merging SSE’s retail business with Npower‘s retail business to form a new organisation, we think we can be more efficient, more agile and more innovative for customers.”
Peter Terium, chief executive officer of Npower’s parent company Innogy, also commented on a potential connection between new government legislation and the merger. He denied that price cap was the sole reason for the merger, but admitted that it might have affected the speed of the deal.
“In the light of the tense market situation it would have been difficult for Npower to play a strong role in the UK electricity market for the foreseeable future,” he said.
There have been some concerns over the move, with shadow secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey and consumer group Which? both calling for scrutiny by fair trade authorities. Kevin Coyne, who is national officer for energy at the Unite Union shared these concerns, claiming it would further help the larger energy company’s stranglehold on the market.
The deal could indeed fall into investigation by the Competition and Market’s authority, but Mr Keeling added “We think it is very good for competition and customers. There are over 60 people competing in the market and if you look back to 2011, there were only eight.”
Although it is true that there have a huge number of entrants into the energy market over the past few years, the big six energy companies still dominate over 80% of the market.
SSE said the move, which should be completed by the end of next year, would create significant savings for the company, somewhere in the region of at least £100m. The new merger would also create a new and more agile supplier, one which would be better suited to competing with the newer challenger energy companies which use lower costs to provide cheaper energy to consumers, they argued.
Mr Keeling added: “We’re proud of our track record in customer service and have plenty to build on.
“But there is a huge amount of competition and we need to do more than ever to compete by providing value for money and excellent experiences for customers.
“We have an exciting opportunity to create a major new independent supplier with a single-minded focus on customers.”


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July’s retail spending increased 2.7% year-on-year following an unexpected 3.1% rise in June.
Dealings in the H Shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange is expected to commence on Aug 25.
Fliggy data showed that over the past 30 days, bookings for skiing products placed on the platform increased by more than 15% month-on-month.
Allowing this kind of mobility can be a real selling point for employees.
This is the resort’s first online shopping destination.
Travelers can enjoy great returns in countries and regions like China Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Thailand.
Newly appointed CEO Matt Goldberg says all segments "continued to see robust improvement due to the strong demand in leisure travel."
Financial services companies have the most to gain by upping the value proposition of their travel rewards programs.
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