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Targets of car-component thieves can be as fleeting as Ed Hardy T-shirts and lower-back tattoos; they shift with cultural fixations and advancing technology. So, what car parts are trending for car thieves now?
Of course, there are the classics, like hubcaps and car stereos. A few years back, high intensity discharge headlights enjoyed their day in the sun among street-car enthusiasts and, more recently, marijuana growers. Lately, Honda Fit wheels have become a popular target, as one of Cars.com's own senior editors learned. Airbags and pickup trucks' tailgates are currently making headlines too.
While airbag thefts have been occurring for decades, they've continued to escalate during the years and are a growing concern for car owners, police and insurance companies. According to New York-based consumer-information agency the Insurance Information Institute, more than 75,000 airbags are stolen each year, while the National Insurance Crime Bureau reports that related losses top $50 million a year. State Farm estimates the cost of airbag thefts could eventually rise to between $127 million and $253 million.
Criminals steal airbags, and then resell them on the illegal market. A new airbag, which retails for around $1,000 at a dealership, costs between $50 and $200 on the black market, according to the NICB. Counterfeit — and potentially dangerous, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — airbags also have been sold over the internet to repair shops across the nation, according to reports.
"Because of their portability, airbags can be easily removed and installed as 'new' by unscrupulous collision repair shops," the NICB stated. "These dishonest operators will then charge the vehicle owner or their insurer the full price for the replacement, thus committing insurance fraud."
NICB recommends the following airbag-fraud prevention tips:
- Use a reputable collision repair shop that employs mechanics certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.
- Inspect the invoice to ensure the shop purchased the airbag from a manufacturer, dealer or recycler.
- If possible, inspect the airbag before installation and ensure it's packaged in a manufacturer-sealed container.
- Check to make sure the trim cover over the steering column is the same color as the remaining trim interior; if not, that's an indication the original airbag has been replaced.
Pickup truck tailgate thefts are trending lately, too. On Feb. 7, NICB released a new report examining tailgate theft. The study looked at 1,343 insurance claims from 45 states between 2006 and 2012. Thefts in Texas accounted for 34% of the total, followed by California and Arizona with 272 and 125 claims, respectively. The 2008 Ford F-250, 2010 Ford F-150 and 2007 Chevrolet Silverado were most frequently targeted.
Tailgate thefts have been occurring for many years but have increased sharply, NICB stated. From 2006 to 2009 only 23 tailgate-theft claims were processed. In 2010, that number spiked to 430, then again to 472 in 2011. Through Sept. 30, 2012, tailgate claims numbered 418, and were projected to reach 557 for 2012.
"Tailgates can be stolen in less than 30 seconds, making them prime targets of opportunity," the NICB stated. "With replacement costs reaching $1,000 or more, it makes sense for pickup owners to make their tailgates less attractive to thieves." The bureau offers the following prevention tips:
- If your pickup has an integrated lock, use it; if you don't have a lock, consider buying one.
- Park with the tailgate as close as you can to an object to prevent it from being opened.
- Etch the vehicle identification number into the tailgate.
Despite these theft increases, the FBI reports theft overall is on the decline. In 2011, there were fewer than 6.2 million "larceny-theft" incidents nationwide, a nearly 7% dip since 2007. Nearly a quarter of 2011 thefts were property taken from motor vehicles (not including vehicle accessories) while vehicle accessories accounted for more than 8% of all thefts.Related
NHTSA Warns of Counterfeit Airbags
How to Stop Tailgate Theft
Auto Theft Rate Fell 3% in 2011


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Bienvenido, Datadog! You have truly made it to the big leagues, as you join a growing list of reputable companies that have suffered an apparent data breach/security incident. Many people view this as a dreaded moment, one that should always be avoided. However, it’s almost as though nowadays it’s a rite of passage for a company to be hacked at some point in its lifespan. Call them growing pains, if you will.
Datadog is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that helps monitor and collect analytics for customers, which include the likes of Facebook, Spotify, Salesforce and Citrix.
As with any data breach, Datadog is recommending users change their credentials immediately—a common practice among down-on-their-luck dogs. This recommendation applies only to stored passwords; however, those enlightened few who use Google Auth or SAML should be OK. The notice also directs admin users to revoke or change credentials stored in the Datadog system to prevent fur-ther security breaches and unauthorized access.
Obviously, data breaches should be avoided at all costs, and can be seen as a hit to a company’s bottom line. But Datadog stands on solid ground here following the attack. Its ruff-and-tuff password storage method, bcrypt, which uses a unique salt, is one of the strongest ways to keep credentials and slow decryption efforts, according to Datadog Chief Security Officer Andrew Bechere.
Fur-tunately for Datadog, at least right now, its security procedures and bcrypt system have prevented what could have been a major disaster. The company has informed its customers that the “known” attack vectors used by the hackers have been patched.
It is my utmost opinion that we throw Datadog a bone here as we continue to see hacks and breaches become commonplace among tech companies. Not only has it become quite common, but Datadog cur-tailed the damage of the breach by implanting bcrypt security encryption.
Oh, you’re a stickler for your information remaining private? I hate to break it to you, but it’s the internet. Nothing is sacred and private once it goes online. However, you can take measures and increase security to make it extremely difficult and lengthy for hackers to obtain information. Still not good enough for you? Let’s just take a look at other companies that have suffered hacks.
Sony suf-fur-ed a tremendous hack last year that listed executive emails and personal information including addresses and salaries. Home Depot suffered a hack in September 2014 that compromised 53 million email addresses. And let’s not forget about the JP Morgan hack affecting 83 million customers, the eBay hack that compromised 145 million active users (including login credentials and physical addresses) and the 2013 hack of Target, which exposed personal and financial information of 110 million customers.
So enough pup-arazzi for Datadog, don’t terrier yourself up about it. Every once in a while a company suf-fur-s a data breach. What can I say? The puggle is real out here.
I’m sorry for all the puns. In related news, Datadog issued a press release, which you can find here.

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Edward Hines adds new location
Edward Hines Lumber, a Chicago-area LBM dealer, is opening a new location in Alsip, Ill., to serve Chicago’s southern suburban markets. The lumberyard formerly operated as Wille Lumber. Company principal Gerry Wille is staying with the business and will be a partner in the Alsip location.
Headquartered in Buffalo Grove, Ill., Edward Hines Lumber currently operates four locations throughout the state of Illinois. It is a subsidiary of U.S. LBM Holdings, which now includes 850 employees and 30 units spread throughout the East and Midwest.
Toro acquires assets of USPraxis
Bloomington, Minn.-based Toro has acquired certain assets from USPraxis, a manufacturer of outdoor power equipment. The acquisition adds a lineup of stump grinders, wood chippers and log splitters to the company’s product portfolio, strengthening its offering to the rental market.
“Toro has a rich history of offering innovative products for rental and landscape professionals …” said Rick Rodier, general manager of Toro’s Sitework Systems Business. “USPraxis is an established brand in the rental industry known for innovative, high-quality professional products. The addition of these products allows Toro to continue to broaden and strengthen its compact equipment solutions for the rental and landscape markets.”
Toro has also acquired a tip and blade sharpening service so rental stores can ensure their equipment is operating well.
USPraxis products will be marketed under the Toro brand and sold through Toro’s compact utility equipment distribution channel in the United States and international markets.
John Deere opens manufacturing facility in Russia
Deere & Co. has opened its new manufacturing and parts distribution facility — the company’s largest investment in Russia — south of Moscow in Domodedovo. The facility will manufacture agricultural, construction and forestry machinery, and distribute service parts in the region.
“Russia has a tradition of embracing advanced equipment and modern agricultural and forestry management practices,” said Deere chairman and CEO Samuel Allen at the grand opening ceremony. “These are critical to the health and development of large-scale farming and forestry. They also tend to be a good match for the capabilities of John Deere products.”
Allen also noted that Russia’s future holds “truly immense potential as a major provider of the renewable resources so vital to the world’s economic and social well-being.”
The Domodedovo facility will include a new EurAsia Parts Distribution Center and manufacture products for the company’s two major divisions, including large tractors and combines for use in agriculture and products for use in construction and forestry, according to the company. The parts distribution and manufacturing capabilities will help John Deere serve customers in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States and in nearby markets.


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The anniversary celebration for the line-smoothing, migraine-relieving medication is expected to last a year.
Endo gets a new president, Allergan settles a Botox case
An April 25 JAMA article said Botox does nothing for episodic migraine patients. Allergan brushed off the critique.
US District Court Judge Andrew Guilford slammed the breaks on Merz's foray into a market dominated by Botox, siding with Allergan in a case about stealing intellectual property and poaching sales reps.
Allergan removed some doctor-payment records from its website that the drugmaker had posted from 2010-2011 as a result of a Botox legal settlement.
Patient access to pharmaceuticals is a tale of two worlds—affordability has improved for the majority, while the minority is hampered by cost, distribution and red tape. To provide marketers with a well-rounded perspective, MM&M presents this e-book chock full of key insights. Click here to access it.


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New York City, New York (PRWEB) July 14, 2015 -- InVision, the design collaboration platform powering the creative process inside many of the world’s smartest companies, today announces it has raised $45M in Series C funding. Accel led the round, joined by existing investors FirstMark Capital and Tiger Global Management. InVision will use this financing to drive further product development of InVision’s design collaboration platform and to expand the company’s growing enterprise sales efforts.
InVision is also excited to announce that this financing round coincides with the company reaching one million registered users.
Accel partner Vas Natarajan will join the InVision Board.
"Design is becoming a critical function in today's technology organizations,” said Vas Natarajan, partner at Accel. “Having the systems in place to collaborate around creativity will drive great teams in the years to come. InVision is clearly the standard, in this regard."
Over the last few years, practices like prototyping have set a new stage where business problems are expressed, examined, solved collaboratively and socialized far beyond the traditional boundaries of the design department. The financing will bring to market a series of product enhancements the InVision team has been building to support this new stage including:
- new integrations and richer sharing tools to help organizations solicit feedback and socialize their web and mobile product design process
- tools to drive the core design collaboration process inside marketing departments
- features that bridge the gap between design and engineering teams
- higher fidelity web and mobile prototyping features for advanced animations
The funds will also be used to support InVision’s growing enterprise sales efforts. InVision currently has over 500 enterprise customers including teams at Twitter, Uber, Pinterest, Dropbox, Adobe, Hubspot, Salesforce, Razorfish—many of whom have deployed the InVision platform company-wide.
“Design has become widely recognized as a disruptive force in almost every category,” said CEO and Co-Founder of InVision, Clark Valberg. “Design is no longer an ingredient that gets added once everything else has been figured out. For the rising class of product-driven companies, design has become the new language of business."
Prior to today’s announcement, InVision had raised 35.2M to date in two rounds from institutional investors. The company has just passed 1 million registered users, including 50% of the Fortune 500 and 60% of Fortune 100 companies, and has grown its revenue more than 300% year over year since its start in 2011.
InVision is the world’s most powerful design collaboration platform. InVision gives teams the freedom to prototype, review, iterate, manage, and user test web and mobile products—without a single line of code and all in one place. Founded in 2011 and headquartered in New York City, InVision helps over one million designers at companies like Evernote, Adobe, Twitter, Salesforce unlock the power of design-driven product development.
Accel is a leading early and growth-stage venture capital firm, powering a global community of entrepreneurs. Accel backs entrepreneurs who have what it takes to build a world-class, category-defining business. Founded in 1983, Accel brings more than three decades of experience building and supporting hundreds of companies. Accel's vision for entrepreneurship and business enables it to identify and invest in the companies that will be responsible for the growth of next-generation industries. Accel has backed a number of iconic global platforms, which are powering new experiences for mobile consumers and the modern enterprise, including Atlassian, Braintree, Cloudera, Dropbox, Etsy, Facebook, Flipkart, Slack, Spotify, VSCO and others.
- InVision and Dribbble team up for design-inspired collaboration
- Adobe and InVision team up to support Photoshop artboards
- InVision V5: Better. Faster. Believe It.
Caitlin Epstein, InvisionApp, http://www.invisionapp.com, +1 (314) 952-1116, [email protected]


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Force Motors has announced that it will be opening a new engine manufacturing and testing facility in Tamil Nadu. With an investment of around Rs 100 crore, the plant will be set up in Anjur, Kancheepuram district in Tamil Nadu. The company’s Board of Directors approved the decision at a meeting held today and issubject to receipt of necessary permissions, approvals and sanctions.
Force Motors recently signed an agreement with an unnamed global car manufacturer to supply engines. The engines produced in this new facility will be supplied to this manufacturer, but Force hasn’t divulged any details about this deal. Production at the facility will commence from January 2015, though the Pune-based manufacturer refused to comment about the capacity of the facility.
The facility will be manufacturing only diesel engines for now, but it will be equipped to churn out petrol engines too. Force Motors has been assembling and testing Mercedes-Benz axles and engines at its Urse plant in Pune. It also has two SUVs on sale- the Force One and the Gurkha, though deliveries of the latter have not yet started.


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Gus Kenworthy witnessed 'malnourished and physically abused' dogs crammed into tiny cages
Mr Kenworthy, 26, who competed as a freestyle skier for Team USA, visited the farm with Humane Society International (HSI), describing the scenes as “heart wrenching”.
Selling or serving dog meat is considered a legal grey area in South Korea. Officially, the act is frowned upon but photo which emerged before the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, which came to a close yesterday, reveal the consumption of dogs is still tolerated due to huge public demand.
Mr Kenworthy and his boyfriend Matt Wilkas witnessed “malnourished and physically abused” dogs crammed into tiny cages.
The pair rescued a puppy from being slaughtered among dozens of other dogs who will now be re-homed in the US and Canada.
The puppy now-named ‘Beemo’ will have to vaccinated before he can join Mr Kenthworthy and his boyfriend in the US.
Sharing a post on social media, Mr Kenworthy said: “Matt and I had a heart wrenching visit to one to the 17,000 dog farms here in South Korea.
“Across the country there are 2.5million dogs being raised for food in some of the most disturbing conditions imaginable.
“I do agree that it’s not my place to impose western ideal on the people here.
“The way these animals are being treated, however, is completely inhumane and culture should never be a scapegoat for cruelty.
“The dogs here are malnourished and physically abused, crammed into tiny wire-floored pens and exposed to the freezing elements and scorching summer conditions.
Gus Kenworthy rescued dozens of other dogs who will now be re-homed in the US and Canada
“I was told that the dog on this particular farm were kept in ‘good conditions’ by comparison to other farms.”
The farmer reportedly told HSI he never intended to sell dogs for slaughter but had “no choice” when his collection of pet Jindo dogs kept producing puppies.
He accepted the HSI’s offer to buy out his farm.
It is believed one in three Koreans have eaten dog meat at least once, with one in 20 considered to be regular diners, according to a reports.
Gus Kenworthy and his boyfriend adopted a puppy who they named Beemo
Shocking scenes from squalid dog meat farm in South Korea
The way these animals are being treated is completely inhumane and culture should never be a scapegoat for cruelty
Just days before the Winter Olympics kicked-off earlier this month, photos emerged showing the Moran market in Seongnam, which was meant to cease its dog meat trade, still selling the animals.
Authorities claimed the dog meat trade was supposed to close in May last year – but the practice has just become more hidden.
At the time a Seongnam city official Kang Won-gu said: “Starting off with the removal of slaughtering facilities and cages in the market, we will ultimately stop the dog meat trade in Moran Market.”
However, new images revealed dog carcasses being sold in the market as well as traditional dog-meat soup.
Moran market in Seongnam was meant to cease its dog meat trade
In an apparent move to keep the dog meat trade hidden from the outside world, the market now bans visitors from taking photographs inside.
Up to 80,000 dogs are said to sold and slaughtered each year to be made into the £5 soup – which local folklore claims will boost the eater's sex drive when digested.
In one stall, three middle-aged women share the ancient recipe for the dog-meat Korean bosintang soup.
The carcass of a large adult dog sells for up to 200,000 South Korean won, $180 or £130, and about $18.00 per pound or £6.50 per kg - making the dog meat trade highly profitable.
Two-month-old puppies are reportedly sold for £6.50 out of metal crates and cardboard boxes, with some signs saying they can be eaten too.


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KUKA adjusts forecast for 2018 and passes immediate package
10. ledna 2019
Forecast for the fiscal year 2018 revised; targets for Vision 2020 are no longer realistic
Challenging market environment as a result of an economic slowdown in the key industries of automotive and electronics, weak growth in the important Chinese market as well as challenges in the project business
Immediate package passed to strengthen future viability
KUKA is adjusting its forecast for the past fiscal year 2018: The company expects a revenue of approximately € 3.2 billion and an EBIT margin before purchase price allocations, investments in growth and reorganization expenditure of approximately 3.0 percent. KUKA had already reduced its original forecast in October 2018 and had assumed then that it would generate a revenue of approximately € 3.3 billion and an EBIT margin of approximately 4.5 percent. In view of that, the Executive Board no longer regards the achievement of the targets for Vision 2020 formulated in 2015 as realistic. Those targets envisaged a revenue of between €4 billion and €4.5 billion and a target EBIT margin of more than 7.5 percent. KUKA will publish the 2018 financial statements, including the forecast for 2019, at its Annual Press Conference on March 28, 2019.
This development is mainly due to the following factors: the increasingly noticeable general economic slowdown since the fourth quarter of 2018. This slowdown impacts two important business segments: the electronics industry as well as the automotive sector, in which KUKA earns half of its revenue. There is also slower growth in China, one of the key markets for robotics. The current growth rates in China have not been so low since the financial crisis. In addition, there were unforeseeable risks from the project business.
To ensure the future viability and long-term sustained profitable growth of the company, KUKA’s Executive Board has passed a comprehensive immediate package covering four key areas: an efficiency program focusing on indirect areas such as administration, sourcing, sales and project management, a German-Chinese task force to ramp up the Chinese joint ventures and the development of specific products for the Asian market, the focusing of research & development (R&D) investments with shorter development cycles and a more customer-focused and less centralized organizational structure.
“The investor agreement with Midea guarantees KUKA’s independence until 2023. In the long term, however, it is above all our performance that secures us. In order to boost that, we are taking prompt action. That’s in the interests of our customers and our employees worldwide”, states KUKA’s CEO Peter Mohnen. “We are sticking to our ongoing investments because they form the basis of our innovative strength, on which our customers place their trust. Between 2018 and 2020, we will invest over €500 million – more than ever before.”
Efficiency program: Savings in indirect areas, among others
KUKA’s strong growth in the past years – from €900 million to €3.5 billion in revenue since 2009 – has caused a sharp increase in costs as well as some inefficiencies. In order to counter that, KUKA is launching an efficiency program that aims to save a total of more than €300 million in costs by 2021. A substantial part of these savings is to be achieved as early as 2019. Drivers include administration, sales, sourcing and project management. The efficiency program will also include personnel measures.
China: German-Chinese task force to ramp up production and specific products
In order to leverage the full potential of the cooperation with Midea, a new position has been created at both KUKA and Midea and filled with specialists who have intercultural experience. The joint task force will coordinate the joint ventures and promote product development. The task force reports directly to the KUKA CEO.
The Chinese robotics market remains a key growth driver for KUKA, despite the economic slowdown. KUKA therefore plans to expand the product portfolio and the production capacities in China to cater better for the specific needs of the Asian market. The focus is on smaller and simpler robot systems, such as Scara and Delta robots for the electronics market.
R&D: focusing of investments
KUKA will continue to invest strongly in R&D in the future, but will focus more strongly and accelerate the development cycle. As before, annual funds of around five percent of revenue are earmarked for that. In the future, however, these funds will be directed more towards focus projects, including mobile robots, cobots and Industrie-4.0-applications. Thanks to its equity interest in the Munich-based company Device Insight, an Internet of Things leader, KUKA has extensive experience in handling more than a million connected devices and analyzing the corresponding data. That experience will be applied to industrial processes to an even greater extent in the future.
Organizational structure: more customer-focused and less centralized
In order to cope with its strong international growth, KUKA has centralized numerous structures since 2012 – including IT, Human Resources, Finance and Marketing. This is to be maintained. KUKA is also sticking to its tried-and-tested principle of a central contact person for every customer. As part of service delivery itself, however, KUKA intends to rely on the decentralized areas of robotics, systems engineering and logistics. Many discussions with customers and an internal evaluation have revealed that such an approach makes sense.
“The state of the economy is not in our own hands,” says Peter Mohnen, “but we can adjust important internal levers. That’s exactly what we’re doing with our immediate package. We’re building on our strengths and working relentlessly on our weaknesses. In doing so, we focus on our customers; we save where necessary and invest in our innovativeness.”


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“While the significance of Congress passing the first stand-alone cannabis policy reform bill should not be overlooked, in truth, we don’t need more research to know definitively that prohibition is a misguided and disastrous policy.”
The House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties held a hearing entitled “Developments in State Cannabis Laws and Bipartisan Cannabis Reforms at the Federal Level.”
The House Committee on Appropriations voted today to approve an amendment that would prevent the Department of Justice from interfering with legal adult-use marijuana programs as part of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies appropriations legislation for Fiscal Year 2023.
Sixty-eight percent of Americans say that Congress should pass legislation so that marijuana businesses can “access banking services and products in states” where it is legal.
Legislation would incentivize state and local governments to expunge the criminal records of tens of millions of Americans who have previously been convicted of marijuana offenses.
Republican Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC) introduced the States Reform Act, a comprehensive bill that repeals the federal prohibition of marijuana, expunges federal non-violent marijuana crimes, promotes local ownership in the emerging regulated industry, and places certain restrictions on the advertising of regulated cannabis products, among other federal reforms.
The House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) will conduct a legislative hearing on Wednesday, October 13th, which will include consideration of the bipartisan VA Cannabis Research Act of 2021, HR 2916.
Members of the House Judiciary Committee just advanced the HR 3617: The Marijuana, Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2021. The Act repeals the long-standing federal prohibition of marijuana by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act — thereby ending the existing state/federal conflict in cannabis policies and providing state governments with greater authority to regulate marijuana-related activities, including retail sales.


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The United States Postal Service is a bustling hub of activity, processing and delivering a staggering 23.8m packages daily. However, amid this massive operation, a rising issue threatens the smooth flow of deliveries – porch piracy.
Package theft statistics: a closer look at the numbers
A recent 2023 survey conducted by Lombardo Homes sheds light on the alarming prevalence of package theft in the US.
Surprisingly, over a third of Americans admit to falling victim to porch pirates, with some unfortunate individuals experiencing multiple thefts.
On average, stolen packages cost victims $219, prompting 35% to install security systems or doorbell cameras to safeguard their deliveries.
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- 54% know someone: More than half of Americans (54%) personally know someone who has fallen prey to package theft, often within their circle of friends or family.
- Holiday season vulnerability: The holiday season proves to be a hotbed for porch pirates, with 3 in 5 thefts occurring during this festive period.
- Security measures: Following a theft incident, 35% of victims took preventive action by investing in security systems or doorbell cameras.
Porch theft during the holiday season: a cause for concern
During the 2023 holiday season, anxiety looms over the possibility of increased package thefts. A whopping 94% of Americans anticipate deliveries during this festive time, but half express concerns about the safety of their packages.
Heightened worries lead 39% to fear more thefts in 2023 compared to previous years, especially after the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
- Widespread concern: Nearly all Americans (94%) expect holiday deliveries, contributing to heightened anxiety about potential thefts.
- Post-sale vulnerability: A significant 78% anticipate porch pirates striking more frequently after the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
Package theft prevention: strategies adopted by Americans
Despite the prevalence of porch piracy, Americans actively take measures to thwart thieves.
The most popular preventive methods include tracking deliveries, staying home for package receipt, signing up for delivery alerts, installing security systems, or redirecting deliveries to secure locations.
- Tracking deliveries: The majority of Americans rely on tracking their packages to stay informed and prevent theft.
- Dissatisfaction with prevention: Over half believe delivery companies and retailers aren’t doing enough to prevent package theft.
Package thief hot spots: identifying vulnerable regions
Analysing Google searches reveals that certain states are more susceptible to package theft.
North Dakota, Rhode Island, Delaware, Vermont, and Nevada emerge as hot spots, while North Carolina, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida experience fewer incidents.
- High-risk states: States like North Dakota and Rhode Island are identified as having a higher incidence of package theft, based on Google search data.
- Legal consequences: Each state varies in its response to package theft, with potential penalties ranging from fines to jail time.
In the face of this escalating issue, taking proactive steps such as filing a police report and installing security systems becomes crucial for those who have fallen victim to porch piracy. During the holiday season, the spotlight is on delivery companies and retailers to enhance their efforts and curb the growing threat of package theft in the United States.


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ESKA is relaunching ESKA Sparkling using 100 per cent recycled plastic bottles.
This completes the elimination of all first use plastic in its production line.
ESKA will be the first Canadian brand to make carbonated water bottles using recycled plastic.
The recycled plastic is sourced from Quebec’s Blue Box recycling system.
“Preserving and protecting the environment is a core value for ESKA,” says Michel McArthur, chief operating officer of ESKA. “We are truly proud to have successfully converted 100% of our bottles to recycled plastic while maintaining a premium product from a glacial esker.”


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A number of state officials from North Dakota, South Carolina and Alabama publicly praised an unprecedented collaboration between Google and Apple that will help them produce a contact-tracing app automatically notifying people whether they have spent time near someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
These US states and some countries have already signalled that they will be willing to use the app, while France, Norway and India have remained sceptical regarding the initiative, giving preference to a more centralised approach, that allows the storing up and uploading of data via Bluetooth to a remote server, thus allegedly making it easier for health authorities to contain the virus.
So far, the UK’s NHS has been developing a contact tracing app built exactly using this approach, despite breach of privacy concerns and the possibility that this data will b overshared with the government. According to some reports, Britain is now also eyeing the integration of an Apple-Google API model to their app, but some fear that even a decentralised approach propelled by these two giants may not be as safe as initially suggested.
“It is possible this technology may be abused to collect more information other than data related to the virus,” says Fow Chee Kang, associate director and cyber security managing consultant at LGMS. “Although the statement released by the tech giants highlights the features of protecting user privacy and security, nevertheless, there are still possibilities of using such technology in conjunction with existing data that is already in the mobile device to profile the user.”
The companies have indeed stated that the version of their COVID-tracing app would protect its users with the help of encryption, and lack a centralised database, with the process being carried out only through the phones themselves, which would prevent the unnecessary storage of private information. However, following several scandals involving Google over potential breaches of privacy, the company has openly stated its cooperation with the White House “may negatively impact the trust of users” toward Apple as well, says Kang.
“It is certain that there will be data being shared to the government about its user, hence, it may affect the trust of Apple customers in this sense,” the expert notes.
According to Matthew Hickey, cyber security expert and co-founder of Hacker House, contact tracing applications as such “have been disputed by many as an unnecessary invasion of privacy,” as he argues that even the creators of NHS’s app “have expressly stated that they wish to retain the collected data after the pandemic ends for future study”.
“This opens up the prospect that this data could also be abused in the future and will make it easier for similar track and trace programs to be implemented by governments around the world,” Hickey argues. “It is my opinion that we should not sacrifice our personal privacy and liberty for a small amount of security from a Virus threat.”
There still might be an option for those users who are “concerned about the privacy and security of any information collected from smartphone tracing apps”, says associate professor at the School of Engineering at RMIT Mark A Gregory, which is “to factory reset their phones after the pandemic.” He does not specify, however, how to go about information that has already been collected by Google and Apple about its users.
The views and opinions expressed in the article do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.


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Monster Hunter Now, which is set for release in September, offers players ” an approachable hunting experience that can be enjoyed as part of everyday life”, according to Capcom.
As in Pokemon Go, the game will use data from the real world, using location-based technology and augmented reality to encourage players to explore their real-life surroundings.
“In the game, players take on the role of hunters and embark on an adventure during which they hunt vividly lifelike monsters that appear in the real world,” Capcom says.
Players will be able to team up with others for hunts, and can also choose to hunt monsters while the app was closed later in their spare time.
Although Monster Hunter Now is set to launch in Sepotember 2023, a closed beta will start on April 25. Players can register to participate on the game’s official website.
Monster Hunter Now isn’t the only mobile Monster Hunter game currently in development.
In November, Capcom announced that it was partnering with Tencent’s Timi studio to create a separate Monster Hunter game for mobile devices.
The pair said the in-development game will reproduce the hunting actions that define the Monster Hunter series while offering players a new game experience unique to mobile platforms.


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Elders reported an $18.2 million improvement in underlying earnings before interest and tax to $45.8 million for the 12 months to September 30, 2015, largely due to strong livestock agency performance, uplift in retail earnings and increases in feed and processing efficiencies.
Statutory net profit after tax was $38.3 million, up from $3 million last year.
The retail arm saw a $3.7 million improvement, due to increased winter crop demand and gains from strategic initiatives such as price book management and the consolidation of its supplier base.
A $16.3 million improvement in the agency services business was driven by an increase in livestock prices and an increase in cattle and wool volumes.
Improved efficiency and occupancy in Killara Feedlot, along with a refocused business model in China saw a further $3.1 million improvement in the feed and processing services business on last years results.


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Let’s just get this out of the way: for the past several years, I’ve contributed the “Best Gifts for Frequent Travelers” segment to TechCrunch’s annual gift guide. I love it. It was easily my favorite gift guide to write, and it was an audience favorite, as well. But I am no longer a frequent traveler. […]
The capital market boom might be temporary, but the emergence of a new economy in Brazil supported by new local investors and new players is a trend that has been building up for some time
Two large job search and recruiting platforms are coming together, with Vettery acquiring Hired. The news follows a report last week in The Information claiming that Hired had begun to sell off its assets and wind down the company. The report also stated that Hired CEO Mehul Patel “abruptly resigned” via Zoom in early October. […]
General Motors is changing sides in a battle over whether states — and specifically California — can set tailpipe emissions regulations and other rules meant to mitigate climate change that are stricter than the federal government. The automaker said Monday it will no longer back the Trump Administration’s lawsuit to prevent California from s
Lunewave, the Arizona-based startup developing a novel technology for radars for autonomous vehicles, has raised $7 million in financing as it gets ready for the commercial rollout of its systems. The company’s latest financing came from Proeza Ventures, Blue 9 Capital, Tsingyuan Ventures and Intact Ventures, the company said. With the latest fun
I wasn’t super impressed when I reviewed the Echo Buds around this time last year, but Amazon’s first shot at Alexa-powered fully wireless earbuds was passable. And while they’ve already been on the market for a while now, the company’s continuing to deliver some key updates, including today’s addition of new fitness features. Say “Alex
I believe we are seeing the downfall of ad tech as we know it with social media boycotts and data privacy leading the charge.
Sequoia Capital, the renowned Silicon Valley venture capital firm that has backed companies like Apple, Google, Dropbox, Airbnb and Stripe, recently disclosed that it had opened its first office in Europe. To staff up, it hired partner Luciana Lixandru away from rival Accel Partners. Even without an official European presence, Sequoia has quietly o
This holiday season, next-gen gamers, bless their hearts, will be hoping to receive next-gen gaming consoles. But confusing branding by the console makers could lead to disappointment.
Strong e-commerce sales are predicted to help lift overall holiday retail spending in the U.S., according to forecasts released today by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and eMarketer. Both firms expect to see overall retail sales growth during November and December, though the market may be impacted by slowing brick-and-mortar sales. Of the tw
“The Queen’s Gambit” is setting viewership records at Netflix, the streaming service said today. Like all the viewership data that Netflix has released this year, these new numbers reflect how many people “chose to watch” — in other words, how many people watched at least two minutes of a given show or movie. In the case […]
CEO and co-founder of music tech startup Stem Milana Lewis explains how she landed several superstar investors and raised a little under $22 million.
Watch live as SpaceX tests the limits of Falcon 9 reusability with sixteenth Starlink satellite launch
SpaceX is set to launch its sixteenth Starlink mission on Monday at 9:34 p.m. EST (6:34 p.m. PST). This launch will carry 60 of the company’s broadband internet satellites to low-Earth orbit, where they’ll join the existing constellation and contribute to its growing network of eventually global coverage. The launch is also significant because
The space industry, once dominated by government-funded programs and a small handful of corporations, has seen a surge in startups in recent years. And with startups aplenty, the venture firms can never be far behind. Venture capital has played an increasingly important role in rooting out the best and most promising of these startups. The […]
Uber has been refused permission to dismiss 11 people at its EMEA headquarters in Amsterdam by the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), the ride hailing company has confirmed. The affected individuals did not take up an earlier severance offer as part of wider Uber layoffs earlier this year. Uber announced major global layoffs of around […]
3D-printed rocket startup Relativity Space has closed $500 million in Series D funding (making official the earlier reported raise), the company announced today. This funding was led by Tiger Global Management, and included participation by a host of new investors, including Fidelity Management & Research Company, Baillie Gifford, Iconiq Capita
The EPA just released its findings on the Mustang Mach-E, and it’s a mixture of good news and bad news. Depending on the model, the EPA says the Mach-E is good for just 211 miles to 300 miles on a charge. On the one hand, the Mach-E matched Ford’s range target, with the EPA agreeing […]
A spate of startups focused on mental health recently made enough noise as a group that they caught the eye of the Equity podcast crew. Sadly, the segment we’d planned to discuss this topic was swept away by a blizzard of IPO filings that piled up like fresh snow. But in preparation, I reached out […]
Superpeer, a startup that helps experts share and monetize their knowledge online, is announcing that it has raised $8 million in additional funding. As I wrote in March, the Superpeer platform allows experts to promote, schedule and charge for one-on-one video calls with anyone who might want to ask for their advice. In addition to […]
Gatik, the autonomous vehicle startup focused on the “middle mile,” is already using its self-driving box trucks to deliver customer online grocery orders for Walmart. Now, the company — freshly stocked with $25 million in Series A funding — is expanding up into Canada with a partnership with retail giant Loblaw. Gatik said Monday that […


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The highly anticipated second season of Huda Kattan's popular Facebook series, Huda Boss has launched online and you can watch it now.
The makeup mogul's Facebook Watch series is rolling out, with its first two episodes live and Huda took to Instagram to celebrate the news.
So far, the show only features two episodes. But if you can't get enough, don't worry because new episodes air every Tuesday and Wednesday at 9am PT/12pm ET. Make sure your scheduele is cleared as viewers get to go behind-the-scenes and learn what it takes to be a true boss lady of a makeup empire.
You can watch it for free on the Huda Boss Facebook page.


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EghtesadOnline: Major Iranian steelmakers exported 5.11 million tons of semi-finished and finished steel products during the first nine months of the current fiscal year (March 21-Dec. 21), registering a 26% growth compared with last year’s corresponding period, the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization reported.
The export volume for Azar, the ninth month of the Iranian year (Nov. 22-Dec. 21), stood at 529,348 tons, up 10% year-on-year.
Exports have been continuously on the rise this year month-on-month except for Mehr and Ordibehesht, the seventh and second months of the Iranian year respectively.
> KSC Remains on Top
Khouzestan Steel Company exported a record high of 1.94 million tons of slab, bloom and billet during the nine-month period, registering a 46% rise YOY, to remain the biggest Iranian steel exporter, Financial Tribune reported.
Bloom exports had the lion’s share of KSC's shipments with 861,726 tons, going up 150% YOY. Billet exports came next with 613,242 tons up 16%, followed by slabs with 499,452 tons, up 5% YOY.
Despite having sustained double-digit growth each and every month this year, Azar was witness to KSC’s shipments that dropped 2% to reach 239,037 tons. The figure is up 41%, however, compared to the month before.
According to KSC Manager Mohammad Keshani, the company is targeting to export 2.2 million tons this year.
The steelmaker, located in the southwestern Khuzestan Province, exports to over a dozen countries. About half of the exports go to the Middle East and North Africa region, while other major export destinations are located in the Far East and Americas.
> Flat Shipments Drive ESCO Exports
Esfahan Steel Company was the second biggest exporter during the nine months with 805,434 tons of beam, rebar, coils and other products shipped overseas, up 87% YOY.
Rebar made up 115,451 tons of ESCO’s overall exports, rising 6% YOY. It was followed by beam and coil with 80,343 tons and 48,589 tons respectively. Beam shipments were down 25% YOY, while coil exports surged 999%. Steel products listed as "other" made up 561,051 tons of all the exports, up 167% YOY.
Azar shipments grew 146% on a YOY basis to reach 63,059 tons. All commodities’ exports were up in double digits, with coil surging 1,010% YOY to 8,626 tons.
> HOSCO Grows as MSC Sinks
Hormozgan Steel Company outperformed its parent company, Mobarakeh Steel Company, for the sixth consecutive month by shipping 851,138 tons of slabs, up 5% YOY. The steelmaker’s exports in the ninth month rose by 1% YOY to 73,241 tons.
Mobarakeh stood at fourth place, as it shipped a total of 784,612 tons of hot- and cold-rolled, acid-washed, tin-plated, coated, checkered and galvanized flat steel during the nine months, down 43% YOY.
MSC's Azar shipments sank 58% to 57,231 tons.
Together with its subsidiaries, Mobarakeh Steel is the largest flat producer in the Middle East and North Africa region, accounting for 1% of Iran’s GDP.
> Other Producers
South Kaveh Steel Company came next, as its billet exports stood at 548,000 tons. Its Azar shipments stood at 80,000 tons.
Khorasan Steel Company was next with 81,623 tons of rebar exports, up 59% YOY. Its exports during the ninth month surged 1,937% to 4,339 tons.
Iran Alloy Steel Company took the next rank with 58,712 tons of rebar shipments, up 91% YOY. Its exports during Azar grew 228% to 4,159 tons.
Khouzestan Oxin Steel Company was next with 7,469 tons of plates, down 54% YOY. It exported 3,282 tons in the ninth month, up 167% YOY.
As part of the 20-Year Vision Plan (2005-25), the Iranian steel industry aims to become the world’s sixth largest steelmaker by reaching an output capacity of 55 million tons per year by the deadline (2025).
Exports are expected to reach 8 million tons in the current fiscal year, which ends on March 20, 2018.


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The Benefits of Private Cloud - When Protection and Privacy Matter Most
You worked hard to build your business up to what it is today and you’re beginning...
Dec 22, 2021
It keeps happening all too often with the “big box brands” – unplanned server outages. In just the past few weeks these outages have made headlines as they’ve affected millions worldwide.
And of course the cost of this downtime is high. In 2020, 25 percent of respondents worldwide reported the average hourly downtime cost of their servers as being between 301,000 and 400,000 U.S. dollars.
While those numbers vary for each company and industry, the result is still the same: server downtime affects both the company and the end-user.
Just two months ago, we saw that Facebook experienced the dark horse of server outage. According to forbes.com, Facebook saw estimated total lost revenues of roughly $99.75 million after they were down for over 8 hours.
AWS’s latest outage earlier this month caused beloved services such as Disney+, Hulu, and Ring to be down for a few hours as well.
All these recent outages have set the stage for the big question: Why do all these businesses continue to trust their servers with companies showing that reliability and consistency are not part of their business model?
Maybe it’s because the smaller brands are seen as “too small” to be able to handle the server load. Or because they just aren’t as well known in the industry.
Whatever the reason, one thing is certain, the big guys aren’t worried about your downtime because they know they will keep your business regardless.
Here at Limestone Networks we work around the clock to keep your servers running because we know you deserve better.
So here’s our promise to you for 2022:
To help those in the industry as a whole realize that there are more than just 3 cloud providers.
If you’re looking for a provider that will treat you as a partner and will take your growth personally, then go with the little guys. After all, we’re not just here to treat you like another number, we’re here to grow and nurture the relationship.
In 2022, let’s stop throwing our money at hosting providers that don’t care and instead invest it in lifelong partnerships with companies dedicated to individual growth and success.


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#FashionCrisis is a series that kicks off Teen Vogue’s commitment to educating our readers about sustainability and fashion. We chat with experts, influencers, designers, beauty and fashion brands about what it really means to be sustainable in 2020. In this story, Alexandra Mondalek explores just how sustainable our undergarments can be.
When thinking about fashion and sustainability, you might consider shopping on a secondhand site or donating old clothes. But for most people, that thinking stops short at pre-loved boy shorts and bras.
Consumers are commonly encouraged to “refresh” their intimates every six months, if not sooner, a practice that’s easily repeated for certain segments of the population given the average price of underwear is $20 and under in the U.S. market. (Edited, a retail analytics platform that tracks how goods are sold across the world, found that major underwear brands, impacted by the growing fast-fashion market — which pushes prices down in favor of higher sales and promotes short-term purchasing behavior — sold their goods at lower prices to be more competitive.)
Luckily, the discussion about sustainability and undergarments isn’t limited to extending a product’s life cycle. As the larger conversation over sustainable fashion begins to take up more space, brands are responding to the need for underwear that makes you feel good about yourself and your impact on the environment.
While the sustainable lingerie market only makes up about 2.4 percent of sustainable apparel overall, according to 2019 research from Edited, the segment is ripe with opportunity. (Edited reported in 2020 that sustainable undergarments only account for 2 and 3 percent of products currently retailing at Everland and Reformation, respectively, while Topshop offers a small collection of bras using recycled lace.) That doesn’t mean you’ll be able to shop secondhand underwear on TheRealReal or Poshmark anytime soon, but it does mean that more disruptive brands are doubling down on efforts to use eco-friendly fibers and make recycling underwear easier.
Dr. Timo Rissanen, associate director of the Tishman Environment and Design Center at Parsons, who focuses on fashion design and sustainability, says that “most underwear is a mix of natural and synthetic fibers,” meaning that “at best it can be shredded for insulation—downcycling—or incinerated for energy recovery.” But he continues: “If material recovery was a goal for underwear, then it might make the most sense to keep to either fully compostable or biodegradable materials—for example, cotton with biodegradable elastic—or a single recyclable material that also provides stretch.” For reference, rayon and linen can degrade in a few weeks, making them more biodegradable than cotton, according to Vogue Business. Meanwhile, silk takes about four years to start to degrade, depending on the conditions of the soil and landfill where it’s dumped.
Some fashion brands — those known less for their underwear and more for their viral print dresses and basics — are heeding the call. Eco-forward names like Reformation and Everlane have already launched their own underwear lines, prioritizing the use of materials like tencel™, a plant-based fiber that’s used in lots of clothing, including intimates and activewear, and enhances a garment’s breathability, as well as recycled lace and eco-mesh in bras, bralettes, and underwear. \


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Think more in terms of hybrid, twin-turbo V6 instead of huge, supercharged V8.
The Dodge Challenger is getting pretty long in the tooth by now, and a replacement has been due for awhile. We’ve known it’s inevitably coming, but what we didn’t know with certainty was what sort of powertrain it’s going to have. Now, Fiat Chrysler boss Mike Manley said the next Challenger will not continue with its massive 6.2-liter, 717 horsepower V8.
As the whole industry is shifting toward electrification, the Challenger can’t hold out forever, Manley said at this year’s Detroit Auto Show. According to The Detroit News, he gave some clues to reporters what sort of powertrain the next Challenger will have. “The reality is those platforms and that technology we used does need to move on. They can’t exist as you get into the middle-2020s.” He elaborated further: “I think that electrification will certainly be part of the formula that says what is American muscle in the future. What it isn’t going to be is a V-8, supercharged, 700-horsepower engine.”
Death of the muscle car?
That sort of announcement is sure to incite old-school muscle car enthusiasts. Despite the Challenger’s 13-year-old LX platform and larger Hemi V8 engines, it still sold more than 66,000 examples in 2018. Currently, the lineup starts with FCA’s ubiquitous 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, then includes the 5.7-liter Hemi V8, 6.4-liter Hemi V8 and supercharged 6.2-liter V8.
Unlike the Camaro and Mustang, the Challenger has stuck closer to its old-school muscle car roots. While those two have taken steps to become more sophisticated in recent years, Dodge has stuck to the philosophy of monstering the quarter-mile. In the purest sense, that is what muscle cars are about after all.
Detroit News highlighted Karl Brauer, a Kelley Blue Book analyst who remains skeptical of electrifying muscle cars. “There’s a long-standing rule about what constitutes American muscle, but electrification is not part of it…I need something that gets my blood pumping.”
Rumors suggest the next Challenger will use a turbocharged V6 engine paired to an electric motor for the most power. The Camaro and Mustang have already gone the route of fitting smaller engines to base models. However, it’s unclear what may happen with the lower-end models. Base Challengers could use a four-cylinder turbo engine, while models higher up the chain could use a twin-turbo V6 with an electric motor.
Whatever route they take, it seems the V8 engine’s days in the Challenger are numbered. And with it, so may the days for the muscle car itself.
Should the next generation of muscle cars be electrified? We have that very argument in our latest episode of “No, You’re Wrong!” below:


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Lower car premiums and summer storm damage hit insurers Direct Line and Admiral
Shares at Direct Line Group dipped after its first set of results as a listed company showed premium income was falling, while rival Admiral's stock fared even worse as it suffered too.
Churchill and Green Flag owner Direct Line saw its gross turnover dip 5 per cent to £1billion in the three months to September 30.
Admiral's turnover weakened by 2 per cent to £570million as premium rates fell, and UK car insurance turnover dropped 5 per cent to £502million.
Direct Line: Its first set of results since it was spun off by Royal Bank of Scotland last month
Shares in Direct Line Group dipped 2.6p (1.3 per cent) to 196.4p, while Admiral's fell more sharply - 58p (5.1 per cent) to 1,084p.
They are two of the UK's biggest car insurers, and the figures add to evidence last week from the AA that car insurance premiums are coming down.
Commenting on the lower premiums, Admiral chief executive Henry Engelhardt said: 'The UK car insurance market is cyclical and we are in the softer part of the cycle with premium rates coming down.'.
After a miserable summer of storms and floods, Direct Line Group saw £100million worth of Home claims related to adverse weather in the first nine months of the year, which is more than twice the £50million expected.
Direct Line, which was spun off by Royal Bank of Scotland last month, reported a slight dip in operating profits for the quarter to £123.7million, from £128.3million a year earlier.
However, it said it was halfway towards achieving its £100million cost-cutting target, due in part to a previously-announced 900 job losses.
The number of motor policies fell to 4,094,000 from 4,135,000 it said.
The total number of policies were up to 20,066,000 from 20,033,000 as the number of rescue and commercial products helped offset the drop in motor policies and a flat home performance.
Within motor, Direct Line said it did see lower-than-expected claim costs for small claims on bodily injuries.
Admiral said the number of vehicles on its books rose 8 per cent to 3.55million in the year to date and that UK claims 'continue to be encouraging'.
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Microsoft’s Scroogled Campaign Hits New Low, Uses “Pawn Stars” Guys To Attack Chromebooks
“Wow. How sad.” That was my reaction to watching the latest in Microsoft’s Scroogled campaign against Google, this time using two of the stars from Pawn Stars to attack Chromebooks as not “real laptops” and part of Google’s overall plan to “Scroogle” people. I’m struggling to understand how the geniuses behind the Scroogled campaign thought […]
“Wow. How sad.” That was my reaction to watching the latest in Microsoft’s Scroogled campaign against Google, this time using two of the stars from Pawn Stars to attack Chromebooks as not “real laptops” and part of Google’s overall plan to “Scroogle” people.
I’m struggling to understand how the geniuses behind the Scroogled campaign thought going after Chromebooks as somehow Google misleading people was a great idea. But to me — and I’m a big Pawn Stars fan — it comes off as weak and even desperate.
“It’s Pretty Much A Brick”
The video features a woman who walks into the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop, where Pawn Stars is based, to sell her laptop to get enough money for a ticket to Hollywood. In the video posted to Bing/MSN Video, she starts saying it was a gift from her mother (while on YouTube, that intro has been cut in the short version; it remains in the extended one). Here’s the MSN version:
I assume she’s already been to Hollywood, because it’s clear to me that she, as well as the Pawn Star folks, have been hired to do this all as a promotion for Scroogled. But the ad never discloses that she’s an actress, or that this has all been pre-scripted.
“What makes you think it’s worth that much,” asks Rick Harrison, one of the owners of the shop. “It’s a laptop,” she replies, followed by a cut-away to Rick laughing behind-the-scenes, part of the Pawn Stars format where the owners & assistants discuss items they’ve been offered away from patrons.
He explains, in keeping with the usual Pawn Stars-style, the background of the item. A Google Chromebook, a “relatively new style device” that, because it uses web-based applications, “when you’re not connected, it’s pretty much a brick. That’s a major drawback.”
Sure. And maybe I’m too familiar with Chromebook, but I’ve never heard any horror stories of people who bought one (it’s a best selling item on Amazon) and failed to realize they couldn’t use it without an internet connection.
Real Laptops Have Windows & Office
Rick goes on to explain to the woman in the shop that the Chromebook is not a “real laptop” because “it doesn’t have Windows or Office.” Which, presumably, makes anyone who owns a Mac without buying Office not having a real laptop. Or, anyone buying a Windows computer without Office only owning half -a-laptop.
Chromebooks Designed To Track & Sell Ads
Rick continues that without wifi, the computer isn’t of much use “and when you are online, Google tracks what you do, so they can sell ads.”
Again, there haven’t been a lot of horror stories about Chromebook phoning home about everything you do. Certainly the Chrome browser will fetch ahead for certain types of content; I’m fairly sure that Internet Explorer does the same.
If we’re talking ads, Windows 8 has new giant “Hero Ads” that show up baked into the operating system, an extension of other ad options in Windows 8 that people can buy. You can’t buy ads baked into Chromebooks. You just get them the old-fashioned way — in your browser.
“That’s how you get Scroogled,” Rick continues, causing his father — who also owns the shop and who is known on the show as “The Old Man” — to ask what Scroogled means. Rick goes on to explain that Google’s always trying to make money off your personal information. “This Chromebook hardware makes it even easier for them.”
The companion site to the ad does nothing I can see to document this “Chromebook spies on you” claim. There’s an entire “Chrome OS Cons” section where that’s not even listed as a drawback:
Chromebook gets slammed for poor apps & needing wifi access, limited access to games and media, no way to play DVDs and CDs, printing woes and lack of peripheral support. But as Google’s spy machine? Nothing.
You have to dig, oddly, into the “Chromebook Can’ts” area to get to Microsoft’s accusations which, in terms of Chromebook being designed to gather more of people’s data, isn’t really backed up:
The Bad Reviews Turn Out To Be Not All Bad
The companion site also features five expert reviews of how terrible Chromebooks are:
Going through the five reviews, three of them pretty much see no point in the Chromebook, such as where Jeffrey Van Camp came away completely convinced there was nothing good there: “Many people will see low price tags on Chromebooks and consider purchasing, hoping Chrome can meet their light computing needs. But it still has a lot of issues at the moment that could, and should, be resolved.”
But two others that are positioned as if they’re anti-Chromebook actually see value.
Julie Bort wrote for Business Insider that paying for the expensive Chromebook Pixel didn’t seem worth it but also concluded: “The upshot is, at under $300, like for an HP ChromeBook ($279, no touchscreen) a ChromeBook is fine for home, or school, where WiFi is reliable…. That said, I’m going to miss this Pixel after I send it back. For working at home on stable WiFi, I’ve learned to prefer it.”
Jill Duffy found it just wasn’t the thing for working offline on a flight, but added at the end, “I still do see the appeal for some people. A Chromebook costs less than an iPad $499.99 at Amazon and has a keyboard. All your work backs up to the cloud automatically (provided you have an Internet connection, of course). I’m not giving up on the Chromebook just yet, but I don’t trust it and will proceed with extreme caution as I continue to look for apps that might make the experience, well, tolerable.”
I wouldn’t recommend anyone by a Chromebook Pixel, myself. I did, but that was for work reasons, so I could be familiar with Google’s top-of-the-line machine. It’s a great machine, but it’s also a $1,300 web browser. That’s just too much money.
But an inexpensive Chromebook might be an ideal option for many people who want to get on the web in the way a traditional laptop allows but who don’t need all the features that also come with those laptops, including the higher price of those traditional devices.
A Scroogled Too Far
Overall, if Microsoft wanted to run a campaign comparing how Windows laptops are more versatile than Chromebooks, that would have been fair — and perhaps powerful. Even the Pawn Stars segment would have been great, in many ways. But when it starts falling into this somehow being an attempt by Google to “Scroogle” people, what’s next? Is the iPad an attempt by Apple to Scroogle people because it, also, can’t do all the things that a traditional laptop can?
Bringing in the Scroogled message just cheapens the message, to me.
I’ll be interested to see the reaction to this all. If it’s like the other Scroogled campaigns, there won’t be much. In October, there were a wave of stories on how Scroogled was working based off a terrible Ad Age story — which really just got ad experts to rate how effective they thought the ads were, not whether the ads were converting anyone. My story, Is Microsoft’s Scroogled Campaign Working? Not If Gaining Consumers Is The Goal, explains more.
Meanwhile, Rick of Pawn Stars has shared the video and gained three “sell out” responses, two in favor of the commercial and one person who says they like Chromebooks, so far:
— Rick Harrison (@GoldSilverPawn) November 26, 2013
By the way, the Pawn Stars shop doesn’t have any inventory of Chromebooks for sale. Nor Macs. Nor Windows computers. The only computers that are apparently worth pawning are tablet computers made by Apple and Google — but not Microsoft:
Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily MarTech. Staff authors are listed here.


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We first heard of STALKER 2 a few years back, but since its surprisingly premature announcement, we haven’t heard or seen much of the game. Until now, that is. At the Xbox Games Showcase, we got our first proper look at the upcoming horror first person shooter.
The trailer looks suitably atmospheric and oppressive, showing plenty of spooky environments, like an unwelcoming forest, overgrown parts of Chernobyl, decaying structures, and more, while also teasing the sort of horrors fans of the STALKER games will demand, and be very used to. There isn’t a whole lot of gameplay in there, but after years of silence, fans of the STALKER series will be glad to see at least something. Check it out below.
Interestingly enough, this will be the first time a STALKER game will be releasing on an Xbox console. Or any console. Or any non-PC platform, actually. No release date has been announced for the shooter.


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Exports likely to grow at CAGR of 12%.
MUMBAI: Despite being battered by the rupee climb, Indian textiles and apparel industry continue to be a promising bet.
Textiles and apparel exports are expected to rise at a compound annual growth rate of 12% as international retailers are increasingly looking at India as the best alternative to China for apparel sourcing, according to the CII-Ernst & Young Textile & Apparel Report, 2007. Also, fuelled by rise in disposable incomes and consumers shift towards the branded apparel, the domestic textile and apparel market would grow at CAGR of 6.5%, the report said.
Ranjan Biswas, partner & national leader, retail & consumer practice, Ernst & Young India, said, “Globally, there are clear indications that textiles and apparel production is consolidating with production shifting towards Asian countries and exciting time for the sector.”
Textiles and apparel is a $49 billion industry in India, of which the domestic market’s share is 61% while 39% of the products are exported. Segmented by product category, textiles account for the dominant 59% share and apparel making up the remainder.
Most Indian textile companies are expanding capacities across the value chain in areas of design, yarn, fabric, garments and retail forays.
The CII-E&Y report identifies ‘sourcing’ as a huge opportunity and expects sourcing market size in 2008 to touch $22-25 billion, and rise to $35-37 billion in 2011.
India has several advantages in terms of abundant supply of cotton and man-made fiber, mature and well established production base, cheap and skilled labour and good design capabilities.
Besides this, government incentives to exporters and entry of foreign retailers into the Indian market would also act as a fillip to retail sourcing from India, the report said.
The textile ministry has recently moved a Cabinet note for limited amendment to the Industrial Disputes Act (IDA) for letting textile export units conditionally hire workers on a temporary basis.
The ministry proposes increasing the working hours from 48 to 60 per week and daily working hours from 9 to 12.
28 - 10 - 2007.
NEW DELHI: Billionaire Mukesh Ambani on Monday became the richest person in the world, surpassing American software czar Bill Gates, Mexican business tycoon Carlos Slim Helu and famous investment guru Warren Buffett, courtesy the bull run in the stock market.
Following a strong share price rally on in his three group company, India's most valued firm Reliance Industries, Reliance Petroleum and Reliance Industrial Infrastructure Ltd, the net worth of Mukesh Ambani rose to $63.2 billion (Rs 2,49,108 crore).
In comparison, the net worth of both Gates and Slim is estimated to be slightly lower at around $62.29 billion each, with Slim leading among the two by a narrow margin.
Warren Buffett, earlier the third richest in the world, also dropped one position with a net worth of about $56 billion.
Ambani's wealth of about Rs 2,49,000 crore includes about Rs 2,10,000 crore from RIL (50.98 per cent stake), Rs 37,500 crore from RPL (37.5 per cent) and Rs 2,100 crore from RIIL (46.23 per cent).
Slim's wealth has been calculated on the basis of his stake in companies like America Movil (30 per cent), Carso Global (82 per cent), Grupo Carso (75 per cent), Inbursa (67 per cent), IDEAL (30 per cent) and Saks Inc (10 per cent).
According to information available with the US and Mexican stock exchanges where these companies are listed, Slim currently holds shares worth a total of $62.2993 billion, with more than half coming from Latin American mobile major America Movil. Slim is closely followed by Gates with a net worth of $62.29 billion currently.
Earlier last month, US business magazine Forbes had named Gates as the richest American with a net worth of $59 billion, calculated as on August 30. The magazine had said that a movement of two dollars in the share price for Microsoft, the world's biggest software maker, could 'add or subtract a billion dollars' from his wealth.
Since August-end, Microsoft's share price has risen by $6.58 (based on Sunday's closing on Nasdaq at $35.03), which results into a gain of $3.29 billion in Gates' wealth based on Forbes assumption.
Besides a stake in Microsoft, Gates' wealth also includes the commission and license fees earned by him and gains through his shares in an investment holding company that invests across the market.
Gates is followed by Buffett at the fourth place in the league of the world's richest with a net worth of $55.9 billion through his holding in his investment vehicle Berkshire Hathaway and in other companies. At the end of August, Buffett's wealth stood at $52 billion, as per the Forbes magazine. Berkshire Hathaway's share price has gained by about 7.5 per cent since then.
Earlier on September 26, Ambani had overtaken steel czar Lakshmi Mittal to become the richest Indian in the world.
Mittal currently ranks as the fifth richest in the world with a net worth of 50.9 billion dollars through his 44.79 per cent stake in world's biggest steel maker ArcelorMittal.
Among the companies where Slim holds shares, Grupo Carso controls a diversified group of companies in Mexico including those in retail, industrial and consumer business.
Carso Global Telecom is a Mexico-based holding company and has investments in domestic and foreign telecom, radio network and a satellite TV projects.
America Movil is a leading wireless communications service provider in Latin America, Saks Inc is into the retail business and Grupo Financiero Inbursa is a Mexico-based financial services company with interests in investment funds, mortgages and commercial banking. Impulsora del Desarrollo yel Empleo en America Latina SA, also known as IDEAL, is into infrastructure development.


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Beware chameleon shares
Anyone who bought privatisation shares in the Eighties or early Nineties should check that the company has not changed beyond recognition.
The warning comes as BG, one of the two offshoots of British Gas, plans its third company restruc-turing in as many years.
Justin Urquhart Stewart, director of Barclays Stockbrokers, says: 'Many people put their privatisation shares in the bottom drawer for the future and don't think about them again.
'But the stock market doesn't stand still and several companies have changed form so often that many investors have no idea what is going on. They may not know exactly how many shares they now own, or what business their company does.
'If they haven't kept up, they may be missing out on dividends or holding shares that don't have as much potential as they thought.'
British Gas is a good example. It was one of the most popular privatisations in 1986 when armies of private investors, dubbed Sids in the advertising campaign, were encouraged to buy shares. But British Gas as a quoted company no longer exists. In 1997 its shares were replaced with alternatives in two break-off companies, Centrica, which runs the domestic supply business, and BG, which operates the pipelines.
Now BG wants the go-ahead from shareholders and regulators to change things again. Those with more than £10,000 of BG shares will have 10% of them replaced by bonds. Those with less will have 10% of their shares sold and be given the proceeds by cheque.
The cash payments will be treated as capital gains, so no tax should be due unless shareholders make other capital gains this tax year that push them over the annual exemption of £7,100.
Urquhart Stewart says: 'We will know more about the plans later in the year, though most smaller investors will have little choice. Fortunately, the idea behind the changes is to make the company better run, which should help shareholder returns for the future.'
HALIFAX carried out a similar restructuring in March when investors were given 37 new shares for every 40 held, plus a payment of £24.80 to make up the difference. Again, small shareholders simply had to accept the offer on the table.
Stockbrokers say that keeping track of the number of shares is one thing, but it is just as important to keep abreast of a firm's business direction.
Freedom of competition has transformed the utility companies. Gas firms sell electricity and electricity firms sell gas, for example. Regional water companies have taken over rivals and several home-grown firms now have big interests overseas.
National Power, for example, began expanding in America six years ago and aims to have investments worth £1.25 billion by 2001, so shareholders should keep an eye on the fortunes of the US economy.
Urquhart Stewart says: 'Many of these changes are good and reward loyal shareholders, but investors may now hold shares in a company that does business in an entirely different field.'
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Tumblin’ Tuesday – Monday’s Gains Quickly Reversed
So much for that "rally".
We call them "Meaningless" Mondays for a reason as nothing that happens on a Monday is any true indication of market direction – it's usually a low-volume affair that can be quickly reversed. Yesterday's volume on the S&P ETF (SPY) was 37.8M, less than what we usually have on a half-day of holiday trading. Volumes have been low for a long time as we topped out in the market and that's very scary as it indicates very weak support below the current prices.
Things are especially meaningless ahead of the Fed, which is geared up to disappoint the markets unless they give us a 0.5% rate cut, more than reversing December's 0.25% hike that sent the S&P down to 2,346, which is now 22% below our current level. If your stock is not earning 22% more than it was in November – then why would it not be able to fall back to that level just as quickly?
Beyond Meat (BYND) has been a market darling since its IPO in May at $25 and yesterday, at $222, they annouced earnings that were fairly ordinary and certainly not indicative of a 1,000% run but it wasn't the earnings that took them down 13% to $193 – it was the announcement that they would be selling 250,000 additional shares to raise $56.5M and that the CEO would be able to sell 1% of his 3,177,922 shares for $8M with lock-ups waived for some of the other big pre-IPO Investors (yes, it's optional, not mandatory – a lockup provision is there to protect the underwriters, not the ordinary shareholders, so it can be waived at the underwriter's discretion).
Keep in mind, despite their current valuation (not value!) of $13Bn, BYND's IPO only raised $240M by selling 9.6M (16.5%) of the 58.3M shares outstanding because they didn't know it was going to go to $240 in 3 months, did they? So it's very rational, with the stock above $200, to raise some more cash and it's very rational for the people who originally invested in the company to want to take a little off the table. It's not usual to change a lock-up period post-IPO, the lockup is sort of a promise made to new shareholders by original shareholders that they won't be dumping on the open market for, usually, 6 months.
Obviously, anyone paying $13Bn for a company with $67.3M in quarterly sales and a GAAP loss of $9.4M ($6.9M non-GAAP profit) does not deserve your sympathy but voiding the lockups is a drastic change of narrative on the stock and that's really screwing everyone who bought the stock above $150 for sure and possibly all the way back to $75 – if they were foolish enough to leave all those paper profits on the table ahead of earnings that could not possibly live up to the hype.
The question we have now is can the entire Market live up to the hype as many, many stocks are priced at ridiculous valuations that assume everything will be amazing going forward? So far, 218 of the S&P 500 companies have reported and earnings are up 4.8% from last year and the index is up about 10% but, then again, we were overpriced already last year and now we are just more so. Expectations, however, were for a decline in earnings and, so far, investors are relieved at the results.
A lot hangs on Apple (AAPL) this evening as their earnings are roughly 5% of the entire S&P 500's total net profit but none of that really matters until we get our rate decision tomorrow at 2pm and even that doesn't matter compared to what Powell has to say about it at 2:30.
Meanwhile, check your wallet while we wait as Capital One (COF) got hacked and 106M credit card holders and loan applicants now have all their personal data for sale on the Dark Web. How did this happen, well COF stores their data on Amazon's (AMZN) Cloud Service and a single, 33 year-old who used to work for Amazon's Web Services, was able to break COF's firewall and pull their client data off the server. The bulk of the exposed data involves information submitted by customers and small businesses that applied for Capital One credit cards between 2005 and early 2019.
Not that any of that matters as Equifax has already lost the information of 150M Amercians (essentally, all of us) and were recently fined $700M or about $4.666 per person who's entire financial history is now scattered across the Internet. We have a very broken system and it's exactly the sort of thing that Governments should step in and fix but, of course, that sounds like Socialism and it's better to have completely dysfunctional Capitalism than anything that even LOOKS like Socialism in this country!
And, of course, NONE of this is actually Socialism, which is defined as: "A system in which the means of production are owned by the state and there is no private property." That is not even remotely close to what's being proposed by Democrats in America or even in Europe – or pretty much anywhere since Marx. I know that definition sounds like Communism but Communism believes the Socialst system should be run under a Totalitarian Government – that's the difference.
So, in order to fight fake Socialism, the Conservative Capitalists in the US (who are actually Oligarchs) are scaring you into accepting a Totalitarian Regime run by the Top 0.1% that supports their vision, which is no closer to Capitalism than Socialism is. True Capitalism has FREE markets, which would mean no tariffs or protectionism and would mean equal opportunities for ALL citizens and ALL foreigners to compete in the marketplace on a level playing field that did not favor the entrenched corporate intersts. NO ONE is fighting for that, are they?


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Shares of biotechnology firm Gilead Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: GILD – $72.56) are falling about 5% in after hours trading following its report of first quarter sales and earnings that missed Wall Street’s expectations. Foster City, California-based Gilead reported a lower quarterly profit than last year as sales of its flagship hepatitis C drugs, fell by a greater-than-expected 59%. The company said it earned $1.48 a share in the first quarter excluding onetime items. Analysts, on average, expected an adjusted profit of $1.67 a share. Revenue fell 22% to $5.088 billion from last year’s $6.377 billion, and below the $5.4 billion consensus. Sales of other antiviral and HIV drugs rose slightly to $3.33 billion from $3.27 billion. Other product sales, which include Letairis®, Ranexa®, AmBisome® and Yescarta®, were $626 million for the first quarter compared to $536 million for the same period last year.
I am looking for the decline to continue through 2018, as competitors continue to take market share. By 2019, however, we ought to see the beneficial effects of the Kite acquisition rejuvenating top and bottom-line growth. Gilead spent $11.9 billion to acquire Kite for its chimeric antigen receptor t-cell (CAR-T) therapies. By 2021-2023, Gilead ought to be able to generate about $6 billion in sales from these therapies and should go a long way toward offsetting what is anticipated to be a reduction in sales from the antiviral franchise. Also, GILD has $32.1 billion of cash and cash equivalents on its books, ripe for another possible acquisition. For the year, Gilead reiterated its outlook, estimating revenue of $20 to $21 billion, while analysts expect revenue of $21.27 billion and full-year adjusted earnings of $6.47 per share. The company also maintained is $0.57 per share dividend, yielding 3.2%. For those investors willing to wait out the story, shares can be maintained for now.


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Japanese stocks retreated, with the Topix Index falling to a two-week low, after industrial production missed estimates, signaling a worsening outlook for manufacturers as the global slowdown deepens.
Machinery-maker Amada Co. slid 2.3 percent. Advantest Corp., the world’s biggest producer of memory-chip testers, sank 2.9 percent after semiconductor-manufacturer Micron Technology Inc. reported a wider loss. Nippon Yusen K.K. fell after Japan’s top shipping lines were downgraded to underperform by Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
The Topix lost 1.1 percent to 737.42 at the 3 p.m. close in Tokyo, the lowest close since Sept. 11. The Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell 0.9 percent to 8,870.16 after rising as much as 0.4 percent. The gauge slid 2.6 percent for the week, extending a 1.8 percent monthly decline. Shares also fell ahead of the Bank of Japan’s Tankan survey, which on Monday is expected to show declining confidence among manufacturers.
“Worse-than-expected industrial production is fueling negative sentiment,” said Kenichi Hirano, general manager and strategist at Tachibana Securities Co. in Tokyo. “Investors may be selling shares on worries the Tankan may be worse than the real economy because it’s based on a survey, and could reflect negative public sentiment from deteriorating relations with China.”
Manufacturers’ shares fell after the Trade Ministry today reported the nation’s industrial production in August fell 1.3 percent from the previous month. The median estimate of 26 economists surveyed by Bloomberg was for 0.5 percent decline.
The BOJ’s quarterly Tankan index of confidence among large manufacturers probably fell for a fourth quarter, according to the median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Japanese companies operating in China, its biggest trading partner, have shut factories amid violent protests spurred by a territorial dispute.
Amada fell 2.3 percent to 342 yen. Okuma Corp., a maker of machine tools and other industrial machinery, slipped 1.7 percent to 461 yen.
Futures on the Standard & Poor’s 500 were little changed today. The gauge advanced 1 percent yesterday, halting a five-day slump, after fewer Americans than forecast filed first-time claims for unemployment last week. Equities rose even after data showed that the U.S. economy grew 1.3 percent in the second quarter, less than previously estimated.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s government announced its fifth austerity package in what may be a move to head off tougher conditions as part of a potential European bailout. Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras clinched agreement with political leaders on the bulk of a 13.5 billion-euro ($17.4 billion) budget package that’s key to receiving international aid.
The Topix has dropped 4.2 percent this quarter on speculation a global wave of stimulus from the U.S., Europe, China and Japan won’t be enough to reverse a slowdown in growth.
Chip stocks declined after Micron Technology, the largest U.S. maker of memory chips, reported a wider fourth-quarter loss and lower revenue as lackluster demand for personal computers reduced sales of components.
Advantest lost 2.9 percent to 1,015 yen. The shares also declined after the company’s investment rating was cut to neutral from outperform at Macquarie Group Ltd., which cited a less favorable outlook for orders in the second half. Tokyo Electron Ltd. fell 2.2 percent to 3,325 yen.
Shipping companies led declines among the Topix’s 33 industry groups after Merrill Lynch recommended selling Japan’s top biggest shipping lines on balance sheet concerns.
Nippon Yusen K.K., Japan’s top shipper by sales, slid 3.5 percent to 138 yen. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., the second biggest, lost 3.2 percent to 182 yen. Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd slipped 2 percent to 98 yen.
Among companies that gained, Aozora Bank Ltd. climbed 3 percent to 239 yen after shareholders approved the lender’s plan to repay taxpayers’ money and buy back as much as 100 billion yen ($1.3 billion) in shares.
The stock fell 9 percent yesterday after announcing that Cerberus Capital Management LP, a private-equity firm that controls Aozora, plans to sell a stake in the bank.
-- With assistance from Toshiro Hasegawa in Tokyo. Editors: Jim Powell, Jason Clenfield


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In a Palestinian entrepreneurial scene gaining recognition for its globally minded tech startups, Ardy, a beverage company whose name means ‘my land’ in Arabic, is successfully serving up a hyperlocal product.
Walid and Souha Kuttab, a husband and wife team, started Ardy about a year and a half ago, with the idea was to carve out space in the Palestinian market for a beverage company producing and bottling juices from Palestinian fruit on Palestinian land.
The Palestinian juice market
The Palestinian Juice market is dominated by two large companies: Tapuzina and Cappy. Tapuzina is an Israeli company, and Cappy is a trademark of Coca-Cola. All of Tapuzina’s juices are made in Israel.
Cappy, on the other hand, bottles its products in Palestine, but the recipes and ingredients come from overseas. Only water and sugar are added during the bottling process, according to Walid.
Aside from Tapuzina and Cappy, there are only one or two small Palestinian beverage producers, and a small number of other brands from Arab countries.
In this sparsely populated market, Walid and Souha saw the opportunity to create a niche for themselves by making a local product that would also help bolster the Palestinian economy. “Our idea was to produce from natural [ingredients] and from fruit that comes directly from farmers,” Souha says.
Made in Palestine
The lemons that go into Ardy’s juices are from Ein Areek, a village close to Ramallah that regularly produces a surplus crop because it does not have enough buyers. The grapes for Ardy’s juice come from Hebron, and the oranges and grapefruits from Jericho.
Ardy’s factory is located in the basement of their house in Al-Bireh. The company is essentially a family operation, with multiple generations helping out with the production process.
Even Ardy’s labels are made in Palestine; Walid has them printed in Bethlehem.
While the couple would love to have their juices be entirely made-in-Palestine. there are certain essential pieces of equipment that go into juice production that are near-impossible to obtain in the Territories. Walid and Souha, however, developed ingenious solutions to the scarcity problem.
For a pasteurizer, which new can cost up to $100,000 from China, Europe, or Israel, the couple paid a visit to an Israeli factory, where Walid copied the design of a pasteurizing machine. He took the design to an engineer friend of his, and together they built the machine, which, he says, works very well.
Rather than buying a new filling machine, which is similarly expensive, Walid found a lightly used one for sale in Nablus, which, he claims, after some home repairs, works like new.
The biggest challenge Walid and Souha came across was procuring glass bottles for their juices, glass being the preference of Palestinian consumers, according to Souha. But, there are no Palestinian companies that make glass bottles.
Glass bottles were available in Israel, but they were expensive and irregular, as the best bottles were reserved for Israeli customers. When Walid and Souha looked to Egypt, they found that only packs of two millions bottles were available for sale – too expensive for a new startup. But when Walid and Souha explained their predicament with buying Israeli-produced glass bottles – and that they wanted to challenge Israeli juice in the Palestinian market – the Egyptian company decided to ship them glass bottles in smaller quantities.
Even then, the first shipment of glass bottles from Egypt took two months to arrive because of delays with Israeli customs. Subsequent shipments have arrived in a more timely fashion.
Despite the challenges, Ardy expects to produce between six and eight hundred thousand bottles of juice in its first year. They’ve already made a dent in this goal: in its first six months, the company produced more than 200,000 bottles.
At the moment, Ardy is producing eight different juices, all in individual-serving glass bottles. Their top seller is perennial Arab favorite lemon-mint. Their other offerings include staples like orange and grape, and flavors that are more off the beaten path, like almond and tamarind.
The company’s major buyers, for now, are universities, large Palestinian companies such as Jawal, and, increasingly, supermarkets and restaurants. As Ardy’s wholesale prices are slightly lower than Tapuzina’s, Walid and Souha are hoping to take some of the Israeli company’s market share. “We want to take a bit of this share to help some farmers, our family, and our work,” Souha emphasizes. “It’s not a war. It’s competition.”
For now, Ardy is focusing on making the highest quality product it can produce from local ingredients and their own recipes. “This is our point of strength,” Walid adds.
“Maybe after two to three years we can [become] much bigger,” he continues after being asked about exporting to Jordan or other Arab countries. “But, what is important is the roots.”


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Apple has begun airing new commercials in the United States prompting the iPhone 4S and Siri using actors Samuel L Jackson and Zooey Deschanel. Both commercials show the actors using Siri to manage their daily lives, including creating appointments, searching for restaurants, and pulling down conversions from Wolfram Alpha. Carrier logos from Verizon and AT&T are also attached at the end.
While the commercials feature various carrier logos, it looks like both have been produced by Apple and their advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day. It’s a strange move for Apple, typically focusing on what the device can do instead of using celebrity endorsements. While the tone of the commercials is still the same, we have to wonder how much famous actors are going to boost the popularity and sales of an already huge device.
The Samuel L Jackson commercial first aired during the Sportcenter show on ESPN, while the Zooey Deschanel commercial has been seen in various time slots, including during FOX’s prime time shows. The official YouTube channels for Verizon and AT&T haven’t been updated with the commercials as of writing, but eagle-eyed viewers have recorded them and thrown them on YouTube for your viewing pleasure. Check them out below.
[via The Next Web]