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August 11, 2006 10:00 AM PDT
Speedier wireless on the way via 4G
(continued from previous page)
"The WiMax performance is astounding," Barry West, chief technology officer for Sprint Nextel, told reporters and analysts at the press conference in New York earlier this week. "But that's all meaningless unless you offer a service at a price that people can afford or are willing to pay."
Today Sprint offers an unlimited bandwidth wireless broadband service using its EV-DO network for $80 per month. The service has proven popular among some business travelers because it's more reliable and more ubiquitous than using Wi-Fi hot spots to access the Internet. But the cost, which includes the purchase of a $100 network card, is still too high for most casual consumers.
"Studies indicate that the average consumer is willing to spend about $40 a month for their cell phone," Mathias said. "So $60 to $80 for a data package is definitely more in the price range of the business user and not the consumer."
There are several reasons why Sprint and other 3G wireless broadband providers haven't lowered their prices or haven't yet embedded EV-DO in more devices including consumer electronics products. One reason is the fact that EV-DO chipsets are still expensive to make. Unlike Wi-Fi chipsets, which equipment makers can get for about $10 a piece, EV-DO chips are much more expensive, thus driving up the cost of the service.
Indeed, this is what Sprint and its suppliers, Motorola, Intel and Samsung, say is WiMax's main selling point. These companies claim the chipsets that will be used in the devices and to build the infrastructure equipment will cost about a 10th the price of existing 3G chipsets.
Mobile WiMax also was recently standardized, a designation not yet bestowed on competing technologies. The fact that mobile WiMax has been standardized will help further reduce costs by allowing more suppliers to easily enter the market.
This, coupled with the fact that Intel, which essentially built the Wi-Fi network, is a big backer of the technology, could eventually spur greater adoption and higher supply volumes, making WiMax even cheaper. Many backers of WiMax are hopeful that these factors will help the technology follow a similar path as Wi-Fi, which is so cheap today that it's embedded as a standard practice in most laptops and is even making its way into other devices such as dual-mode handsets and some consumer electronics products.
"Embedding Wi-Fi chips into devices is a lot more cost-effective than doing it with EV-DO Revision A chips," said Samsung's Barton. "Most consumers aren't going to pay a heavy premium for wireless access, but they may be willing to pay a little more for the functionality."
But Sprint's executives say they aren't abandoning their existing 3G network. In fact, the company said last week that it plans to expand and upgrade its existing EV-DO network to a faster version of the technology called EV-DO Revision A.
"We will continue to grow our current EV-DO revenue streams," West said during the press conference. "But with WiMax we're creating a new market. We see revenue streams that don't exist today in Sprint's profile, and this gives us a significant advantage."
Sprint is convinced that by using WiMax it can offer customers a much faster service that will allow them to access and share richer content such as videos, music and pictures over a multitude of devices. And the company expects to do this at a price consumers can afford.
"My belief is that mobile broadband will completely change our lives," West said. "And Sprint will be there to make it happen."
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BETTENDORF, Iowa -- The economic downturn has a silver lining for manufacturers whose sales haven't plummeted: a flood of highly qualified candidates even for tough-to-fill jobs like electricians and mechanics.
In December, Schebler Co., a metal fabricator specializing in industrial chimneys with 165 employees in this Mississippi River manufacturing hub, placed an ad for welders and other jobs. With the economic slowdown just settling in, Chief Executive Jim Anderson said he got 11 applicants, many with little experience.
In March, he placed another ad and netted 154 applicants, many with more than 10 years of experience. "The volume was up," Mr. Anderson said, "but the quality really ratcheted up."
He has hired six welders in recent months as business at the $30 million-a-year company has held fairly steady, including a recent order for a chimney at the new Yankee Stadium in New York. Now Mr. Anderson worries what will happen when large area manufacturers such as Deere & Co. and Alcoa Inc. start hiring again.
"It'll be interesting to see if we can hold on to [workers], but I think we will," he said.
Manufacturers have been complaining for more than a decade about how the aging of the worker population and young people's aversion to the factory floor have created a lack of skilled workers, especially welders, machinists and mechanics. In a study by Manpower Inc. released Thursday, employers said skilled/manual trades are the third-hardest jobs to fill after engineers and nurses.
Still, with steep slowdowns in areas such as auto making, mining and construction, manufacturers that supply those industries have been laying off workers in droves, shedding about 1.2 million jobs from September to April, according to the U.S. Labor Department. That is freeing up workers for manufacturers in areas that are still faring decently, such as food production, specialty metal work and other sectors.
"Some of the smaller companies are more versatile and can hop around and fill niches" that hold up better than the big areas where the major manufacturers dominate, said Hank Cox, a spokesman for the National Association of Manufacturers in Washington.
In Baltimore, Marlin Steel Wire Products, a maker of wire baskets for industrial applications, expects revenue of $4.5 million this year, up from a record $3.5 million last year, said President Drew Greenblatt. The company has been steadily adding workers, bringing the payroll to 27 from 17 at the start of 2008.
Eighteen months ago, as the economy chugged along, finding welders or other skilled workers "was murder," Mr. Greenblatt said. "The only people that were available were people that you didn't want working for you, because they weren't very productive or they had all kinds of drama. Now, we're getting great talent."
At Phoenix Closures Inc., a maker of plastic tops for food containers in Naperville, Ill., sales are down only about 1% so far this year, said President Bert Miller. The company has hired about six people since November and has been pleased with the choices available, he said.
Jeff Zimmerman, a 33-year-old with 14 years of factory experience, is one. He was laid off last summer from a job with a plastic-mold company that supplied a car maker. Hired in November as the night production supervisor for the Phoenix plant, he has already transferred his experience, instituting a system for tracking and communicating production issues that has reduced downtime for certain machines, he said. "They've treated me very well and they're still working seven days a week," he said.
Specialized welders can still be tough to find. Ace Clearwater Enterprises in Torrance, Calif., has grown to 244 employees from 166 a year ago, and is still on the hunt for people who know how to weld the thin aluminum parts it builds for the aerospace industry, said Gary Johnson, vice president. "We could hire another 30 people if we could find them," he said.
But for Jeff Manor, manager of a Kraft Foods Inc. Oscar Mayer meat-processing plant just down the river from Bettendorf in Davenport, Iowa, the slowdown has been a boon. In the past few years, the plant has added hundreds of jobs, including 50 this year, as Kraft has ramped up production of its Deli Shaved meats line and other products.
Last year, the company spent $3,000 to $4,000 a month to advertise jobs and held regular job fairs to fill openings. This year, it has been filling positions with no advertising or fairs. "And we're hiring some very qualified candidates," Mr. Manor said, some with five to 10 years of experience and college degrees.
Tough times have even made it easier to keep some workers. In recent years, turnover at the Oscar Mayer plant -- essentially a giant refrigerator with few windows -- has been as high as 40% of new hires, Mr. Manor said. But in today's tough economy it is down to about 10%. "The entire plant is kept at 40 to 45 degrees," he said. "Some folks don't like that."
Write to Joe Barrett at email@example.com

domain: news


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HP’s TouchPad and Palm phones are dead, but webOS continues to enjoy some kind of existence as open-source technology. Following an initial beta release back at the end of August, Open webOS graduates to a 1.0 release today.
Announced via blog post, the new release offers some changes that the Open webOS team hopes will usher in major new capabilities for developers.
Open webOS 1.0 was released yesterday. And no, that is not an edition you can just download and install on anything. It is for developers, not for everybody – at least not yet. This is a milestone release in the short history of Open webOS, the open source edition of what used to be webOS, the operating system for the HP Touchpad and Pre and Pixi smartphones.
From LinuxBSDos.com.News flash: LG Acquires webOS from HP to enhance its line of Smart TVs.
Now we can ad LG to the list of companies that have been associated with the webOS, one of the more promising, but, so far, disappointing cross-platform operating systems.
Most of HP's webOS team, including Matt McNulty, head of the project, is moving to Google according to a report by The Verge citing several unnamed sources. The departing team is said to be almost wholly responsible for Enyo's code. Enyo replaced Mojo as webOS's software development kit in 2011. It is unclear what this move will mean to HP.
My ideal dream for this is to have WebOS running on my touchpad but able to run android software. I love how well WebOS runs but hate that there is no software and I haven't really been happy with my multi-boot android situation.
I wasn’t always the Android fanatic that I am today, I originally started as a strong supporter of webOS. When webOS died about a year ago, I was a little sad to see the card based OS go. Now it seems that webOS has found a comfortable home as an open source community project.
At Hewlett-Packard’s (NYSE: HPQ) Partner Conference last February, chief executive Meg Whitman didn’t directly defend the vendor’s addled WebOS, yet pointedly said she believed there was room for another, albeit open OS, on the mobile market.


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BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 24
By Klavdiya Romakayeva - Trend:
The production of textile products in Uzbekistan from January through September increased by 11,8 percent compared to the same period in 2019, Trend reports with reference to the State Statistics Committee.
Some 4806 operating enterprises for the production of textile products in Uzbekistan manufactured goods worth 23.8 trillion ($2.30 billion), while the physical volume index compared to the same reported period increased by 11.8 percent.
According to the State Statistics Committee, the largest share in the total volume of products produced by textile enterprises of the country fell on the Fergana region - 14.8 percent (712 operating textile enterprises), Tashkent region - 10.6 percent (788), Samarkand region - 9.6 percent (359) and Tashkent city - 8.8 percent (388).
In addition, the export of textile products for 9M2020 amounted to $1.3 billion, which amounted to 10.8 percent of the total export of the country and increased by 14.6 percent compared to the corresponding period of last year.
Since the beginning of the year, 455 types of textile products have been exported to 60 countries of the world.
The Government of Uzbekistan is working on obtaining the status of a beneficiary country of European Union's system of preferences (GSP+) for Uzbek textile products, which will allow exporting the products to the EU market without duties.
Follow the author on Twitter: @romakayeva


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After a long Cold War, Amazon Prime Video finally arrived on Apple TV yesterday. But the streaming-platform wars are heating up elsewhere — a similar skirmish is brewing between Amazon and Alphabet, the holding company that owns Google and YouTube. Google’s Chromecast device doesn’t support Amazon Prime Video, and Amazon’s Fire TV streaming device doesn’t support Google Play. [Jake Swearingen / Vulture]
For the past year, Oracle has conducted a cloak-and-dagger lobbying campaign against Google while the two tech giants are battling in federal court over allegations of stolen computer code. Since 2010, Oracle has accused Google of copying Java and using key portions of it in the making of Android; Oracle’s tactics include seeding negative stories to reporters, seeking penalties against Google in Europe and buying billboard ads to antagonize its tech peer. [Tony Romm / Recode]
Nearly 80 percent of U.S. women founders have experienced sexual harassment at work or know someone who has, according to a new survey of 869 venture-backed tech startup founders; almost half of male founders reported having an experience of harassment. Meanwhile, Time magazine chose “the silence breakers” — including former Uber engineer Susan Fowler, whose essay about sexism and harassment at Uber helped start a cultural ripple that turned into a wave — as its Person of the Year. Bad behavior doesn’t happen in a silo — are corporate boards complicit in sexual harassment? [Rani Molla / Recode]
Democratic Sen. Al Franken may resign from his Minnesota Senate seat. Franken is under enormous pressure from his Senate colleagues — at first a series of women, who were later joined by men, including party leader Chuck Schumer — who are calling for Franken to leave office after seven separate allegations of sexual harassment and/or inappropriate behavior toward women. [Brian Bakst / MPR News]
Bots are snapping up the hottest Christmas toys for resale on eBay and Amazon, where they go for up to quadruple their original price. The bots work by constantly pinging retail websites, searching for sales, analyzing URLs and checking out at a speed that is “completely inhuman.” This year’s stampede-causing toy — the Tickle Me Elmo and BB-8 droid of 2017 — is Fingerlings, chirping monkeys, sloths and unicorns that wrap around your finger. [Christina Caron / The New York Times]
It’s here: The Recode 100, our first annual list of the people in tech and business who actually made the biggest impact this year. Our goal was to find the people who kicked the most ass in 2017 — the leaders, movement-starters, engineers, negotiators and creatives who have been the most productive and innovative in the industries we cover — primarily in tech, media and commerce, but also some of our new focus areas like transportation, policy and robotics. And we think we did! The package is capped off by Kara Swisher’s not-to-be-missed handpicked list of The Terrible 10.
Recode Presents ...
The Code Media agenda for February is packed with fascinating leaders from the intersection of technology and media. Here are four more of them:
- Nancy Dubuc, President and CEO, A+E Networks
- Tim Armstrong, CEO, Oath
- Lydia Polgreen, Editor in Chief, HuffPost
- Yaron Galai, co-founder and CEO, Outbrain
You can join them, along with Kara Swisher and Peter Kafka, at the Paséa Hotel and Resort in Huntington Beach, California, next February 12 and 13 by registering here.
Top stories on Recode
The app is getting looks from all of Silicon Valley’s most popular VCs.
A suit and countersuit are related to a problematic agreement that CEO Marissa Mayer crafted (badly).
An attempt to crack down on spammy, duplicative apps has Apple at war with ChowNow, which aids restaurants.
Uygur rages against the cable news establishment on the latest episode of Recode Media.
This is cool
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.


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Yatra raises the largest venture debt in India with Rs 100cr from InnoVen Capital
In what is claimed to be the largest cross-border venture debt deal to an Indian business, online travel company Yatra has raised $15.4 million (Rs 100 crore) from InnoVen Capital. The Asian venture debt firm had previously extended a $4 million venture debt facility to Yatra in 2013. This was fully paid off when the company was listed.
In a press release, Alok Vaish, Yatra’s Group CFO, said,
“After having raised $92 million through our Nasdaq listing in December 2016, this debt funding provides us additional capital for our growth needs. InnoVen is a market leader in venture debt funding in India and their credit exposure to Yatra is another strong reaffirmation of our leadership position in the Indian online travel space and strong business fundamentals”.
NASDAQ-listed Yatra provides travel-related services such as domestic and international air ticketing, hotel booking, homestays, holiday packages, bus ticketing, rail ticketing, activities, attractions and ancillary services. Yatra recently acquired corporate travel services provider Air Travel Bureau Ltd, making the combination the largest corporate travel services platform in India.
Founded in 2006 by Sabina Chopra and Manish Amin, Yatra went public last year. The new debt capital will be utilised to meet the growth and diversification needs of Yatra and to add to its list of unique services to enrich travel offerings.
Started in 2008 as the first dedicated venture debt provider in India, InnoVen Capital offers multiple debt capital solutions, including venture debt, acquisition finance, growth loans, and syndication. The firm has since then expanded to South East Asia and China. InnoVen is also an investor in Oyo Rooms, Swiggy, Pepperfry, Shopclues, Byju’s, Freecharge, Myntra, Firstcry, Capillary and Practo in India.
In a telephonic interaction, Chin Chao, Interim CEO for Innoven Capital, told YourStory that he is hopeful about the future of online travel market in India. “Online channels are under-represented in domestic and international travel. But the industry is big – there is space for multiple players,” he said, adding that the venture debt firm is keen on exploring possibilities with larger cheque sizes.
According to a recent Google-BCG report, the Indian travel market will be worth $48 billion by 2020 and is growing at a CAGR of 11 percent. Online travel alone will contribute more than 40 percent by then, as per IBEF data. Yatra competes with MakeMyTrip (which recently acquired Goibibo) and Cleartrip. The former, which has raised more than $500 million, also went the IPO way in 2010.


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The UK government has set measures to “effectively” ban the sale of all new internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles from 2035 onwards to support the UK’s target to achieve net zero by 2050. It is expected that electric vehicles (EVs) will replace petrol and diesel as the primary mode of transport.
The findings of the joint research paper Leading the charge! Fleet Charging – a catalyst for the EV revolution, co-authored by Cornwall-Insight and PwC, indicate that fleets will play an important role as a catalyst for the EV revolution. It is expected that fleet electrification will enable EV adoption by private consumers.


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Last-minute Christmas shopping, post-Christmas bargain hunting and gift-card redemptions helped to pace national retail sales to an increase last week, according to the International Council of Shopping Center's weekly chain-store report.
Sales for the week ended Dec. 29 increased by 0.6 percent compared with the previous week and saw a 2.7 percent gain compared with the same time last year.
The council reported that a "calendar shift" created a favorable comparison week. Christmas Eve fell on a Monday, which gave the week some pre-Christmas sales as well as post-holiday sales.
The council is forecasting that sales will increase by 4 percent to 4.5 percent for December. That's in keeping with the council's holiday forecast for a 3 percent gain for the combined November-December period.
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It’s the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Apple Store app, and Apple has included a celebratory easter egg in the app.
Users who search for the term “10 years” in the app’s search function are rewarded with two numerical balloons floating up from the bottom of the screen, as seen below.
Apple celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Apple Store app with balloons. Happy Birthday Apple Store! pic.twitter.com/VILeSDrfdM
— Chris Hauk (@CLHauk) August 5, 2020
The balloons bounce around for a few moments, and if you tap and pop them individually if you wish. Left alone, they’ll simply float away.
The Apple Store app has become an important piece of Apple’s business, even more so after the Cupertino firm was forced to close its physical stores during this ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Apple last week pushed out an update for the app, adding a “For You” tab that gathers useful customer information in one place, as well as a new iPhone comparison tool.


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The lab-grown meat industry has gained a major victory.
On Wednesday, U.S. regulators greenlighted the sale of chicken cultivated in labs using animal cells, with these products set to soon appear in restaurants.
Upside Foods and Good Meats were the two firms to be cleared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for sale of their “cell-cultivated meat.”
These companies assert that their meat eliminates the harming of animals while reducing the environmental effects of meat production, such as land use and animal waste.
Josh Tetrick, co-founder and chief executive of Eat Just, of which Good Meats is a subsidiary, told the Associated Press: “Instead of all of that land and all of that water that’s used to feed all of these animals that are slaughtered, we can do it in a different way.”
The lab-made meat will not be arriving in supermarkets in the immediate future. For the moment, cultivated chicken is pricier than regular chicken, and it cannot yet be produced on a mass scale. The two firms currently plan to make their chicken available to the public through partnerships with restaurants; Upside is working with a San Francisco restaurant called Bar Crenn, and Good Meat’s products will be prepared at a D.C.-based restaurant owned by chef Jose Andrés.
The Good Meat chicken will arrive at the restaurant precooked, needing only to be heated. AP, which looked at Upside’s chicken, reported that it “was slightly paler than the grocery store version,” but otherwise tasted like regular poultry.
AP described the process by which the meat is grown:
Cultivated meat begins with cells. Upside experts take cells from live animals, choosing those most likely to taste good and to reproduce quickly and consistently, forming high-quality meat, [Upside’s chief operating officer Amy] Chen said. Good Meat products are created from a master cell bank formed from a commercially available chicken cell line.
Once the cell lines are selected, they’re combined with a broth-like mixture that includes the amino acids, fatty acids, sugars, salts, vitamins and other elements cells need to grow. Inside the tanks, called cultivators, the cells grow, proliferating quickly. At Upside, muscle and connective tissue cells grow together, forming large sheets. After about three weeks, the sheets of poultry cells are removed from the tanks and formed into cutlets, sausages or other foods. Good Meat cells grow into large masses, which are shaped into a range of meat products.
AP teamed up with NORC Center for Public Affairs Research to conduct a poll to gauge Americans’ feelings about lab-grown meat. Half of adults in the country say they’re not likely to eat cultivated meat products. Most said they resist it because “it just sounds weird,” while some believe it isn’t safe.
Vast amounts of money have already been invested in the lab-grown meat processes that proponents claim is the future of food. The “Big Three” in the industry — Believer Meat, Eat Just, and Upside Foods — are collectively the recipients of $1.2 billion in venture funding to get their products ready to sell in stores.
These companies are also supported by globalist outfits such as the World Economic Forum, which famously published a “Planetary Health Diet” that uses alternative and plant-based protein sources.
Liberal celebrities have jumped on the bandwagon. In 2021, actor Leonardo DiCaprio bought an unspecified stake in the companies Mosa Meat and Aleph Farms, both of which make lab-grown meat.
As The New American previously reported, one concern surrounding lab-grown meat is that it might cause cancer.
This is because the materials used in many lab-grown meat products — immortalized cell lines — replicate eternally as cancer cells do, and are technically “precancerous.” While these cell lines have previously been used to perform scientific research, never have they been employed in food for human consumption.
Cancer researchers told Bloomberg News that “because the cells aren’t human, it’s essentially impossible for people who eat them to get cancer from them.” But, as of yet, there is no long-term safety data for “meat” that comes from these immortalized cell lines.
Earlier this year, Impossible Foods, one of the most well-known manufacturers of meat alternatives, cut 20 percent of its workforce. That marked the company’s third wave of layoffs within the last year.
Other fake-meat companies find themselves in a similar predicament. Beyond Meat Inc., a major competitor to Impossible Foods, also found itself forced to slash 20 percent of its workforce — amounting to about 200 jobs — shortly before Impossible Foods’ cuts.
In the case of fake meat, the bubble seems to have burst, as people are apparently not thrilled to consume alternatives to meat when they can have the real thing.
Will lab-grown meat suffer the same fate, or will it pull off an entry into the mainstream? The difference is that lab-grown meat, technically speaking, is meat (as it comes from animal cells) and reportedly has the taste of regular meat. But it remains to be seen whether it will overcome the concerns and discomfort it provokes in would-be consumers.


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Longhorn Steakhouse delays opening until Tuesday
Due to Wednesday's blizzard, Longhorn Steakhouse has delayed its official opening until 4 p.m. Tuesday.
The restaurant at the redeveloped Foothills Mall had planned to open Monday.
The restaurant at the corner of East Monroe and South College avenues has been in the works for more than a year as Foothills owners Alberta Development Partners razed The Commons at Foothills to make room for the new 5,825-square-foot building.
Longhorn has seating for more than 200 customers and will employ about 75 workers.
FORT COLLINS: 7 new restaurants to try
Managing Partner Richard Kerr has been with Longhorn for 10 years and moved from Arizona to run the Fort Collins store. Longhorn's goal, he said, is "to become Fort Collins' favorite steakhouse."
Longhorn Steakhouse is part of Darden Restaurants Inc., which owns and operates more than 1,500 restaurants, including Olive Garden.
Regular hours will be 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.


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by Christopher Freeburn | September 16, 2013 8:58 am
Shares of Packaging Corp. (PKG) jumped almost 13% in pre-market trading on Monday after the company announced that it will purchase a rival containerboard-maker.
Under the deal, which is expected to close during the fourth quarter, Packaging Corp. will pay $12.55 a share, or $1.27 billion, for Boise (BZ). That represents a 26% premium over the target’s last closing price, the Associated Press noted.
Not surprisingly, shares of Boise surged about 26% in pre-market trading. The company has roughly 100.9 million shares outstanding.
The combined company will have a total containerboard production capacity of 3.7 million tons. The deal will also boost Packaging Corp.’s corrugated products manufacturing by around 30%.
Including $714 million in Boise debt, the total deal is worth about $2 billion.
Source URL: http://investorplace.com/2013/09/packaging-corp-to-acquire-boise-for-1-27b/
Short URL: http://invstplc.com/1ft67UM
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Arbor Pointe Project Nears Completion
Rottlund Homes selling remaining 40 acres
- Jim Martyka
- Staff Reporter
A massive Inver Grove Heights housing and commercial project that developers began in the early 1990s is about to enter its final phase.
Roseville-based Rottlund Homes is selling the final 40 acres on the Arbor Pointe site to be used for commercial development. The property, which is priced at around $9 million, sits adjacent to what will be a Rainbow Foods, two multitenant buildings and 1,000 to 1,100 housing units of various types.
"This is a substantial development," said Bill Turnblad, Inver Grove Heights city planner. "This has created a complete community within the city."
The project, off of Highway 55 and Concord Boulevard, spans 425 acres of mostly single-family, town home and apartment-type housing. About 725 units have been built.
Rottlund Homes, which constructed a number of the housing units, set aside a total of 51 acres for commercial development.
Ryan Cos. Inc., Minneapolis, bought a 12-acre parcel and is building a 57,000-square-foot Rainbow Foods on the site. The store is expected to open in October. A Holiday gas station and two multitenant commercial buildings will also go on the Ryan site.
The remaining 40 acres has drawn heavy interest from developers, said Chris Simmons, a senior associate with Bloomington-based Welsh Cos. who is shopping the property. The property could be sold as one piece or two parcels, Simmons said.
A major draw for developers is the property's location, industry observers said. A city effort to realign Concord Boulevard also will help with accessibility.
"A large grocery store or hardware store guarantees a lot of traffic," said Greg Miller, vice president and regional director of Wispark Corp., a real estate subsidiary of Milwaukee-based Wisconsin Energy Corp. "That steady flow of customers attracts other businesses to the area. That's why those types of developments are important."
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VSA Warns of Violin Theft Ring in the Southeast United States
Written by Laurie Niles
EDITOR'S NOTE: The remaining two suspects were arrested Thursday morning by the Roswell, Ga. police department, according to Atlanta Violins owner Bill McClain. See his comment below for more details.
Published: June 11, 2015 at 5:50 AM [UTC]
Lori Kirr, president of the Violin Society of America, issued an alert on the VSA's Facebook page late Tuesday about an "organized violin theft ring" operating in the southeast United States.
According to violin maker John Montgomery, who runs a violin shop in Raleigh, North Carolina, "criminals have been moving violins between the Atlanta area, Nashville and Raleigh, and may be branching further afield now." One suspected thief going by the name "Steve Sincere" was arrested Monday in Pablo Alfaro’s Atlanta-area shop. Two other suspects remain at large: “Gary Crouse,” age 61, 5’ 10” tall, 185 lbs., Caucasian; and “Edward Fields”, 40’s, 5’11” tall, heavy-set, African-American; both claiming to be from Atlanta.
According to the report, “Fields” steals the violins and hides them under his suit coat, and then travels to other shops to sell the violins. So far, the ring is suspected in the thefts of instruments from Atlanta Violins and from Ron Sachs’ Atlanta-area violin shop, having begun their operation in April or earlier.
Montgomery said he first saw “Gary Crouse” in his Raleigh shop on April 24th, followed by “Edward Fields” on May 21st and again Monday afternoon, after “Fields” had been in Nashville that morning. He also said these men are not "violin-people."
Montgomery said that shop owners should be on the lookout for at least three violins stolen by the ring, including:
- Landolfi label violin
- “Lawrence Lamay” violin, circa 1977
- “Angelo Marin” violin, circa 2006
The VSA advised shop owners to be on the lookout for the at-large individuals and to call police if they come into their shop.
This happened in my area in the UK 10-15 years ago. Now, if a customer wants to visit either of the two major violin dealers/repairers in my town the he has to ring a doorbell and a member of staff will unlock the door and admit him if he is identified as a genuine customer - as the vast majority are, of course.
Posted on June 11, 2015 at 8:02 PM
The thieves were arrested this morning by the Roswell, Ga police department. One of the culprits (Crouse) actually came back to Atlanta violins yesterday morning to see if we would "donate" some cases to their "children's orchestra". We recognized the name- John Montgomery had sent us a copy of his drivers license- and called the police, who soon showed up. He was not arrested, but was followed when he left our shop, later arrested with Fields. In addition ot our violins, a Landolfi violin from Ronald Sachs was recoveered, along with many horns, woodwinds, etc. We have the highest regard for the Roswell, Ga police department and Detective David Farabaugh, who worked tirelessly for thirty hours straight on this case. Thanks also to John Montgomery for realizing the instruments were not what they were presented as, and searching the internet until he found them listed on our website. Thanks also to all who contacted us about this theft. It is only in times like this that we realize that we are a community. Bill McClain, owner, Atlanta Violins
From Paul Deck
Posted on June 12, 2015 at 2:34 AM
The idea that thieves tucked away violins under their suit jackets ... seriously?
More on this story from ABC News
: "Suspects in the case had sold violins to a store in Raleigh, North Carolina, in recent months until the store owner became suspicious, Roswell police Officer Lisa Holland said Friday. The owner began to research the violins, which are hand-crafted and have unique characteristics, and determined they were stolen from a Roswell store, which he contacted.
Gary Donald Crouse, 60, and Leslie Edwards Fields, 52, were apprehended Wednesday and the hotel room was searched after one of the suspects showed up at the Roswell store seeking violin cases, Holland said in a release. Both men are charged with theft by receiving stolen property.
Investigators found two oboes, two trumpets and a clarinet inside the hotel room and are looking for the owners of the instruments, Holland said. Investigators said the stolen instruments are worth more than $100,000."
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Hundreds of Tesla drivers were locked out of their cars on Saturday 20 November due to a server outage.
The issue affected users across the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia. It meant that drivers could not use the Tesla phone app to unlock their car, or control certain features of the vehicle, but could still access their vehicle if they were carrying their keycard.
"Should be coming back online now. Looks like we may have accidentally increased verbosity of network traffic," CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter later that day.
"Apologies, we will take measures to ensure this doesn’t happen again."
In 2020, Tesla experienced a significant outage that took out app connectivity, online orders, customer communication, and more.
The issue followed a smaller outage four years earlier, when an AT&T outage impacted the Tesla Nav internal navigation software and various other in-car services, including music and remotely activated air conditioning.


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Community-focused esports company Mission Control and broadband provider Xfinity have announced a new esports tournament called the Xfinity City Series.
The $50,000 (~£37,000) tournament will take place in five cities in the United States — Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington DC — this year across a period of three months.
The tournament series will feature Fortnite, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Moreover, the Xfinity City Series will feature month-long events.
Austin Smith, CEO of Mission Control, said: “Recreational gaming is about community. Similar to a summer softball or intramural volleyball league, we’re committed to helping brands create communities where gamers could connect in an engaging way while competing in their favorite games alongside friends.”
Each event will have four regular-season games, with finalists advancing to the playoffs. Xfinity and Mission Control announced that all monthly event winners will receive custom controllers. In addition, the best players will take home a PS5 or a Nintendo Switch, depending on the game they participate in.
Xfinity is a known partner of esports brands and teams, having partnered with the Overwatch League and a number of other esports entities in the past.
Megan Wallace, Vice President of Marketing for Comcast’s Northeast Division, added: ” Today’s gamers require the speed, personalised tools and controls, and advanced cybersecurity protection that Xfinity is uniquely suited to offer, including faster-than-Gig speeds over WiFi. We’re thrilled to welcome gamers as they put their skills to the test and can’t wait to celebrate each city’s best.”
Esports Insider says: Xfinity is starting off 2022 with an interesting partnership with Mission Control, a company known for its community projects based on esports. Xfinity has been relatively quiet on the esports front in 2021, and it’s good to see the brand investing in tournaments again.


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Combustion-vehicle gross sales peaked in 2017, peak oil due in 2027
The worldwide marketplace for internal-combustion automobiles peaked in 2017 and is now in “structural decline,” Bloomberg New Energy Finance declared in a current report.
Combustion-vehicle gross sales in 2022 had been down virtually 20% from the 2017 peak, in response to BNEF. In 2017, 86 million inner combustion passenger automobiles had been offered globally—together with hybrids—however that was all the way down to 69 million in 2022. Analysts argue that it will likely be troublesome to get better that misplaced quantity, even with tendencies probably boosting gross sales, resembling elevated automotive possession in rising markets.
BMW iX manufacturing – Dingolfing
Gross sales of plug-in hybrids did enhance to 10.4 million vehicles in 2022, however even counting them towards the internal-combustion complete would not change issues a lot, in response to BNEF. Combustion-vehicle gross sales would nonetheless have peaked in 2017, and world gross sales in 2022 would have been 72 million automobiles, nonetheless representing a 16% decline from 2017.
This development is much more pronounced in China, the world’s largest automotive market, in response to BNEF. Plug-in vehicles made up 26% of auto gross sales in China in 2022, whereas internal-combustion car gross sales had been down 28% from 2017. European gross sales of internal-combustion automobiles have decreased considerably from their peak as nicely, the report mentioned, including that U.S. plug-in car gross sales will quickly profit from Inflation Discount Act incentives.
BNEF reported in 2021 that world internal-combustion automotive gross sales had already peaked, however did not mark that peak with a exact 12 months. It now additionally predicts that oil demand for transportation will peak in 2027, because of shifts in business vans gross sales towards zero-emission automobiles. Even oil giants like Shell have admitted that the worldwide financial system is previous peak oil and are investing in renewables.
Nonetheless, it is the turnover of the fleet that issues for oil demand—and that is why a peak will observe later, round 2027. That is far sooner than what was predicted as lately as 2016, when stories predicted 2036 because the 12 months of peak oil consumption, though extra lately the Worldwide Power Company has mentioned world fossil gas demand will peak this decade.


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BACOLOD CITY – The agriculture industry in Negros Occidental, particularly the rice and livestock sectors, is seen to perform well this year, its officials said.
In an interview Monday, Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said since the implementation of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) program that is now on its third year, the province is expected to receive more interventions from the national government such as quality seeds, farm machineries, crop insurance, and trainings for farmers.
“It is our hope that with these interventions, our farmers would become more competitive in terms of production and marketing,” he said.
Masculino said the province’s ultimate goal this year is to attain rice sufficiency as the level is now at only 85 to 92 percent.
With a higher average production per hectare last year, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) expects a higher sufficiency level in 2021.
“Our prayer is for a kinder 2021, where there is less natural calamities, and less infestation of pests and diseases,” Masculino said.
The RCEF, or Rice Fund, created under the Republic Act 11203, or the Trade Liberalization Law, is taken from the tariff revenues of the rice being imported by the country.
The RCEF has an annual appropriation of PHP10 billion for six years, 50 percent of which is allotted for rice farm machinery and equipment; 30 percent for rice seed development, propagation and promotion; 10 percent for expanded rice credit assistance; and 10 percent for rice extension services.
For the livestock sector, Provincial Veterinarian Renante Decena said Negros Occidental is pushing for a sustainable backyard raising-based industry this year.
He said farmer-raisers have already adopted the production methodology and animal health strategies, and started marketing their products through strong associations.
“The province shall remain a catalyst for the economic development of the local livestock and poultry raisers,” Decena said in a separate interview.
With a PHP6-billion swine industry, Negros Occidental has also maintained its African swine fever (ASF)-free status mainly through strict inspection and monitoring measures in ports and borders. (PNA)
Credit belongs to : www.pna.gov.ph


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The Cleveland Indians are trying to change the way you buy baseball tickets — and they are succeeding, to an extent, though the effort has yet to translate into bigger crowds at Progressive Field. The days of relying on walk-up purchases at the box office on game day have gone the way of the $9 bleacher seat. Instead, dynamic pricing — where the price of a game varies depending on such factors as when the ticket is bought, the opponent, the day of the week and the month in which the game takes place — is becoming the norm in professional sports, and is in its second season with the Tribe. It's a pricing model that has been employed for decades by the airline industry. For the Indians, dynamic pricing has coincided this season with a “buy early and save” marketing campaign that promotes the benefits of purchasing tickets weeks in advance. The price difference between buying early and late can be significant for popular dates. For example, bleacher seats for the Saturday, July 27, game against the Texas Rangers — which also features post-game fireworks and a giveaway of a Michael Brantley replica home jersey — were selling last week at prices ranging from $30.25 to $36 apiece. Those bleacher seats sold in a range of $10 (tickets for the upper bleachers, which are sold out for the Texas game) to $26 each (tickets for the lower bleachers, which are dynamically priced) at the start of the season. Indians president Mark Shapiro said dynamic pricing, “when you look at it on a macro level, is nothing new.” “When you go to the grocery store and buy a loaf of bread, do you even remember what you paid for the bread the last time you were there?” Mr. Shapiro said. “When you go to the gas pump and buy gas, it changes every day. “The sports and entertainment world is moving to a model that the rest of our commercial markets operate under,” Mr. Shapiro continued. “It was the biggest lever that we had not yet pulled.” But it isn't the only lever the Tribe is using as it looks to boost revenues from ticket sales. This season, the Indians only are opening certain upper reserve sections of Progressive Field as demand dictates, thus concentrating smaller crowds in the higher-priced seats of the ballpark's lower levels. And even when those upper reserve seats do become available, they no longer are sold for a single-digit price. Curtis Danburg, the Tribe's senior director of communications, acknowledges the change isn't welcome by some patrons. “People are used to walking up and asking for the cheapest tickets,” Mr. Danburg said. “They're shocked to see the upper reserve section is $21 because it used to be $9. Part of our education (of fans) is it's abnormal that the price was $9 in the first place. All of our peers are charging $24 and $27.”
Indians are pushing the dynamics of buying tickets early
Team is encouraging fans to purchase in advance, and
it's a move that has been met with some resistance
The Indians' new model has produced a change — albeit a modest one — in ticket buyers' behavior to this point. The Tribe's attendance remains among the worst in baseball — the Indians' per-game average of 18,923 as of last Friday, July 12, ranked 27th among the 30 teams in Major League Baseball — but purchases made in advance are up. As of late June, the Indians' single-game advance sales had increased 7% compared to the same point in 2012, while walk-up sales were down 6%. The advance-sale push hasn't been made without some pushback from a fan base that still seems slow to buy into the team, even after an offseason in which the Indians spent $117 million in free agency to acquire players such as Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn. “You always have a few vocal fans,” Mr. Shapiro said. “The biggest shift we've had is the few fans who are used to the $8 or $9 tickets. The response we have is there are still $10 tickets. But for those tickets, you have to get online and buy them in advance. “Instead of apologizing for that, we're telling them it is us running our business more effectively,” Mr. Shapiro continued. He said the reality of the $8 and $9 seats of the past “is it creates a big gap in ticket revenue, and we're really trying to get our ticket revenue back in line — not with the largest markets, but markets that are similar to us.” The available data indicate the Indians have some catching up to do in that regard.
According to research done by Major League Baseball, the Indians' season-ticket prices are the lowest in the majors, and their season-ticket costs prior to this season were 36% below teams in comparable markets such as Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Milwaukee. Season tickets, on average, cost 40% less than comparable single-game purchases for the Tribe's 81 dates at Progressive Field — the incentive, of course, being that the early bird gets the best seat at the cheapest price. In the Team Marketing Report released annually by Fan Cost Experience (www.fancostexperience.com), the Indians' average ticket price of $19.59 in 2013 is the fifth-cheapest in baseball, and the Tribe's 4.1% decrease in average ticket cost from 2012 to 2013 was the fourth-largest drop in the majors. Likewise, the Tribe's Fan Cost Index — the combined cost of four average adult tickets, two small draft beers, four small soft drinks, four hot dogs, parking, two programs and a pair of the cheapest adult adjustable caps — fell 9.1% in 2013 from 2012, which was the biggest decline in baseball, according to the Team Marketing Report. TicketCity ranked the Indians fifth in a recent study in which the Texas-based ticket reseller analyzed Major League Baseball teams that provide fans the biggest “bang for your buck.” The rankings were based on the median price on the resale market, winning percentages and the records of opponents during the games that have been played. “When we sat down, we wanted to figure out if I'm a fan, what provides value to me?” said Meredith Owen, TicketCity's director of communications. “I want to see my team win, and I want to see them beat great opponents.” Mr. Shapiro said he believes by turning last-minute sales into online purchases made weeks in advance, the Indians can serve their fans better, in part by better allocating the team's concession, security and cleaning staffs. “No business is meant to be able to handle 5,000 people walking up and getting a ticket at the last minute,” Mr. Shapiro said. “That creates confusion, and that isn't good for our fans. Even if it's just buying earlier in the day, those are the behaviors we are trying to incent.”


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Axiom Product Development, the Chichester-based specialist machining and tooling business, has invested in the purchase of two new plastic injection moulding machines, which will significantly broaden the specialist engineering services that the company can offer both existing and new customers.
The two Negri Bossi plastic injection moulding machines - one 180 tonne and the other 90 tonne - will be used to prove out tools which have been designed and made in-house by the highly skilled CAD design team at Axiom. The new, high-tech injection moulding machines will enable the company to manufacture complex plastic components for its automotive and general industrial customers. One of the machines will be dedicated to the production of clear plastics.
The investment of around £160,000 in the new machines is part of the long-term strategy of Axiom Product Development to grow both its existing tooling and machining business as well expand the capabilities of the company into high-tech plastic injection moulding.
A number of key new appointments over the past six months have strengthened the skills and experience of the engineering and design team at Axiom Product Development and the addition of these new machines will broaden the range of specialist services that the company can offer its world-class engineering customers.
Commenting on the new investment, Alan Rendle-Eames, Managing Director, noted, 'The investment in these new plastic injection moulding machines marks an extremely exciting time for the Axiom business. Following some key new staff appointments and double digit growth over the past six months, the time is right to expand our specialist engineering skills and capabilities.'
'These new plastic injection moulding machines enable us to offer a comprehensive, in-house design, tooling and moulding service. The combination of our highly experienced team and these new machines mean we can offer a very broad range of specialist engineering services for our high tech customers.'


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Samsung will win in the folds, whether you buy a Galaxy Z or not, as its best flexible OLED LTPO panels will be in practically all of the folds of 2021.
It seems that 2021 will effectively be the year of the folding phones, or at least that’s clearly over the enormous amount of news about this type of device We are seeing Samsung’s Unpacked already in the making and confirmation lately that South Koreans will be the largest flexible panel supplier in the entire industry.
And these are not statements that we simply put on the air like the most reputable sources in the cellular sector talk about new folding smartphones from Samsung, Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo and even Google itself for this second half of 2021as Samsung’s sales have increased and it has been shown that users are genuinely interested in these devices.
We know that today too Samsung will keep winning whether your Galaxy Fold3 and Galaxy Flip3 will be sold, depending on Ross Young the folding market will be dominated by the giant from Seoul in a key sectionwhich is nothing other than that of flexible panels and their protection Ultra thin glass which is finally being opened to other manufacturers.
Cellular experts say Samsung will become a “partner” and supplier to virtually all manufacturers who prepare a foldable cell phone, making its flexible panels and “ultra thin glass” a de facto standard.
The truth is that the aforementioned analyst and CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants was pretty clear on his Twitter account who also said that Samsung won’t keep the best of its technology to itself, also hers partner one of the best flexible board it can make.
So we can hope so Xiaomi, OPPO, vivo or Google have at least a similar quality as the Galaxy Fold in their flexible screens, with OLED LTPO panels up to 120 Hz with variable refresh rate, protected by this layer of ultra-thin glass, which Samsung implemented last year, greatly improves the feel of the Galaxy Z, despite the fact that it comes with a plastic protector that is also attached to the factory.
Today’s Leak – All 2021 foldable devices using Samsung Display panels will have 120 Hz and LTPO. This of course includes the 6.70 “Z Flip 3, 7.55” Z Fold 3 as well as the 7.57 “foldable from Google, 7.11” from Oppo, 8.2 “from Vivo and 8.1” from Xiaomi.
– Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) July 19, 2021
It should be remembered that this type of LTPO panel is capable of Change the refresh rate between 1 and 120 Hertz as needed to save energy, not like the previous AMOLED set in predefined intervals of 60, 90 or 120 Hertz. This is one of the most important improvements, and it seems that fortunately Samsung won’t keep it exclusively.
We also know that we are talking about 7.11 inches for the OPPO mobile phone, 8.2 for vivo, 8.1 inches for the Xiaomi folding device and 7.57 inches for the Google Pixel Fold, so the South Korean giant will adjust the diagonals to the needs of the manufacturerwithout specifically focusing on the 6.7 inches portrait format of its Z Flip3 or the 7.5 inches rumored to be on the Fold3.
Google should be one of the manufacturers with its most advanced folding phone that inherits the experience of the Galaxy Z Fold2 and is on the horizon with possible agreements with Samsung to bring software improvements natively to Android.
For now It was Samsung with its Galaxy Z that reopened the bowler hat of a new market, in this case the one that has advanced the furthest and can bring in the most experience. It’s a similar case to smartwatches, so it’s possible that the arrangements we saw with Wear OS and the new Galaxy Watch4 are reproduced with the Pixel Fold.
Unsurprisingly, previous news revealed that both the panel and UTG glass were in The foldable phone from Google that will adopt a similar format to the Samsung Galaxy Fold2 on Android native the Software improvements that enable advanced multitasking and productivity in the large format of these screens.
We’ll have to wait, but we’ll be vigilant to see if there’s another Google-Samsung marriage that is now collapsing.
Related topics: Cell Phones, Foldable and Flexible Cell Phones, Technology
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Recently I was wondering whether smartphones and tablets had made screens set into the backs of car seats a thing of the past. Why need to implant a screen when so many consumers bring their own screen with them? Ford is way ahead with a patent for a screen that covers the windshield, suitable for an autonomous car.
It does a lot of other things, too: screens set into the dashboard, instrument cluster, or rearview mirror can be used to display media while the driver is manually controlling the car. When an autonomous mode is engaged, a second system controller activates a second display, which passes a screen over the windshield and lowers a projector from the ceiling.
This could that the company is angling for the day when autonomous cars won’t need human drivers most of the time. These would still be passenger cars, with a driver required for operation, but contribution from that driver would be minimal – and allow time to turn the car into a mobile theater or an office with shifting screens.
Ford representative Alan Hall told Forbes that patents are filed to protect ideas in the normal course of business and “aren’t necessarily an indication of new business or product plans.”
Ford is working on self-driving vehicles at present, but so far the technology exists only for the cars to be fully autonomous in areas with good visibility and clearly defined lanes, such as highways. The adoption of smart technology in “connected” cities could also provide more of a framework in which autonomous cars could navigate between digital waypoints.


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Vespa looks good for 70!
Vespa are celebrating their 70th anniversary this year, and with over 18 million scoots sold since 1946, they must be doing something right. So what makes them so great?
The stylish Italian scooter brand is still going strong after 70 years and is famous for mobilising the Mods, being used as a blank canvas by Salvador Dali and being the vehcile of choice for hundreds of A-list celebs. Join us as we delve into a rich and intrigiuing history of the world’s most iconic scooter builders.
To this day a scooter is about the easiest, cheapest, and most convenient mode of powered transport there is, certainly for town riding. You can nip through the tightest of gaps in traffic, park them in the smallest of spaces, they’re mega efficient on fuel, boast decent storage space so you can leave your helmet with the bike, they’re clean (because the Vespa bodywork encloses all the dirty stuff) and they’re the easiest things in the world to ride; no gears, no clutch, just twist and go. Oh, and they’re fun, too.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the first Vespa 98cc rolling off the production line – and here are 10 more things you should know about the world’s most famous scooter brand.


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The Ebike Summit is partnering with Raleigh UK for the Research Panel at the 2020 event.
The panel is focused on the “cutting edge” of e-bike innovation. It will feature the following speakers:
Jillian Anable, professor of transport and energy, University of Leeds
Nick Chamberlin, policy manager, British Cycling
Ben Spencer, research fellow in healthy ageing, Oxford Brookes University
Edward Pegram, marketing manager, parts and accessories, Raleigh UK
The 2020 Ebike Summit will take place on the 16th April at Wolfson College, Oxford University.
Alongside the panel discussions and business development, there will be e-bikes available to test ride around the grounds. This year’s panels cover OEMs, e-cargo bikes, research, investment and sustainability.


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The global cashew industry has grown rapidly over the last decade, driven by increasing consumption of cashew nuts around the world. And the market for raw cashews is forecast to continue growing at an annual rate of 4.27% between 2020 and 2025. It is expected to reach almost US$7 billion by 2025.
The growing demand for cashew nuts around the world, particularly in developed and emerging economies, is driven by a number of factors. They include recognition of their health and nutritional benefits and the growth in plant based diets. Cashew nuts are also considered a substitute for dairy products and they represent a popular savoury snack. They are also a substitute for the ever popular peanut butter.
African countries are at the forefront in responding to this growing demand. They have increased production.
Demonstrating this, the African continent now accounts for over 50% of raw cashew nut. About 90% of all Africa’s production is exported, mainly to Vietnam and India. These two countries account for 98% of the world’s raw cashew nut imports. Vietnam and India deshell and process cashews before re-exporting them to the US, Europe, the Middle East, China and Australia, where they are in turn roasted, salted and packaged prior to consumption.
The low rates of cashew nut processing in Africa’s cashew producing nations is driven by a number of factors. These include limited infrastructure and local processors. But a number of African governments have recently put in place policies and measures to address these shortfalls. There are still gaps though. Research is needed to understand better the structural challenges that constrain local processors.
Ghana is among Africa’s major producers of cashew nuts. Ghana currently produces around 85,000 metric tonnes of raw cashew nuts each year, which accounts for about one percent of the worlds’ total production. Of this, over 90% is exported to India and Vietnam by Asian exporters and processors.
Cashew production in Ghana dates back to the 1960s, with production for export markets expanding significantly in the last decade.
Our research focused on the Brong Ahafo Region – now Bono East, Bono and the Ahafo regions. Here we sought to better understand dynamics and issues associated with Ghana’s growing cashew nut sector, including the particular challenges facing local processors.
Local processors face many challenges
Ghana has 14 cashew processing plants, with a total annual capacity of 65,000 metric tonnes of raw cashews. While 10 of these plants are active, they process less than 10% of total annual cashew production. The remaining processing plants have either ceased operation, or have completely shut down.
There are a number of challenges that hinder local processing of cashew nuts in Ghana. Key amongst these is a lack of capital to maintain operations, alongside the inability of local processors to access raw cashew nuts from farmers – the latter of which is exacerbated by poor transport infrastructure. Although local processors are able to access loan and credit facilities from commercial banks, high interest rates leave this an unviable option, especially for small domestic operators.
Shortfalls in capital also limit the ability of local processors to purchase raw cashew nuts from farmers. Local processors also face intense competition from foreign processors and exporters – most notably from Asia – who drive up cashew nut prices. While Asian processors and exporters are able to afford high farmgate prices due to their access to preferential interest rates in their home countries, local processors are unable to compete, leaving them simply unable to afford to purchase raw cashew nuts.
Cashew farmers also demonstrate a preference for selling their nuts to Asian processors and exporters who pay them immediately in cash. Local processors, in contrast, often purchase cashew nuts on credit.
These conditions leave Ghana off the field, thereby missing out on the significant opportunities for jobs and revenue generation via the booming global cashew industry. Recent estimates indicate this loss at about $100 million each year. This loss is primarily tied to Ghana’s inability to process – and thereby add value to – its raw cashew nuts.
The way forward: Ghana should learn from other countries
Governments in key cashew producing countries across Africa are increasingly rolling out strategies to increase both the production and processing of raw cashew nuts. For example, in Cote d’Ivoire, the largest exporter of raw cashew nuts in the world, an export tax of FCFA 30 per kg of raw cashew nuts has recently been introduced. Revenue from this tax is then used to subsidise and support local processors. This has incentivised local processing, making Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana’s neighbour, the largest cashew processor in Africa, with a capacity of 70,000 metric tonnes annually.
Similarly, Mozambique and Tanzania have adopted a range of measures to protect and incentivise local cashew processors. These include granting local processors preferential access to raw cashew nuts. It also includes imposing export duties on raw cashew nuts. Meanwhile, since 2009 Kenya has introduced a ban on the export of raw cashew nuts, a strategy which has increased local processing from 30% in 2009 to 80%in 2012.
The Ghana Export Promotion Authority is currently working with Cashew Industry Association of Ghana to increase local processing. This collaboration may benefit by drawing from the experiences of other African countries, including to guide a national cashew processing strategy.
Importantly, local processors must be protected against Asian competitors who come to Ghana to buy cashew nuts during cashew harvesting season. They also need tax incentives, affordable credit facilities and modern technology to thrive.
With appropriate support, Ghana may be able to take advantage of the growing demand and consumption of cashew nuts in the developed and emerging economies, with outcomes that will generate jobs and revenue.
James Boafo, Lecturer in Geography and Sustainable Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Kristen Lyons, Professor Environment and Development Sociology, The University of Queensland


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Want to give Georgetown commerce a boost? What could be more productive than supporting our local small businesses on Small Business Saturday this November 26? And a boost to local […]
Nov. 18 – Dec. 23, 12-8:00 p.m., Downtown Holiday Market, Downtown BID, F Street NW, from 7th to 9th Streets NW. The beloved outdoor market continues to support small businesses […]
Happy Thanksgiving! For those staying in town this weekend, we put together a smorgasbord of great options for the whole family, close friends or just for a solo jaunt. Whether […]
By Robert Devaney and Peggy Sands At the start of the 2021 holiday shopping season, The Georgetowner asked a few select businesses about themselves and what they think about their vocation and […]
With so many highly commercialized holiday shopping days popping up in recent years — from Black Friday to Cyber Monday to Super Saturday — it’s easy to become a grinch. […]
The most wonderful time of the year is here! Shopping, hot chocolate, home for the holidays…. Thanksgiving starts the holiday season and it’s right around the corner. Join us to celebrate […]
Need a spot for Thanksgiving dinner? Check out the Mansion on O. The day after, you can tuck into a Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwich at Brasserie Liberté.
This weekend, the National Symphony Orchestra will play along with clips from “Frozen” and other Disney Animation favorites.
Georgetown is one of the best places to spend Small Business Saturday, Nov. 25. The shopping holiday was begun by American Express and others in 2010.


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October's wet weather dampens managed growth
Britain’s leading hospitality groups saw year-on-year growth slow to 3.2%.
Britain's leading hospitality groups saw year-on-year growth slow to 3.2% in October amid widespread poor weather.
According to the latest CGA RSM Hospitality Business Tracker, which looks at sales figures directly from 94 managed groups, while this is the 13th consecutive month of like-for-like growth for managed restaurants, pubs and bars, it represents a slowdown from a 5.9% rise in September when brighter weather encouraged consumers out to eat and drink.
By contrast, Storm Babet and the early stages of Storm Ciarán kept some diners and drinkers at home for some periods in October.
The tracker, which sees sales from the likes of Adventure Bars, BrewDog, Fuller's, New World Trading Company (pictured) and many more, shows a brighter month for pubs, with fans visiting venues to watch the Rugby World Cup, lifting sales by 5% on numbers from October 2022. Managed restaurants had a softer month, with growth of just 2.7%, while the bar segment endured yet another difficult month, with sales down 7.8%.
"Thirteen successive months of year-on-year growth amid a cost of living crisis is encouraging, but there is no escaping the fact that rises are being driven by price rises and remain below inflation," says Karl Chessell, director of hospitality operators and food at CGA by NIQ. "The weather made for challenging trading conditions in many parts of the country, offsetting boosts from occasions like the Rugby World Cup and Halloween. Consumer demand for hospitality remains high, but venues will have to be at the top of their game to achieve real-terms growth over the crucial run-in to Christmas."
For the 18th month in a row, groups achieved better growth in London than elsewhere in the country. Like-for-like sales within the M25 rose by 4.8% compared to 2.7% elsewhere.


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Scott Disick is celebrating a major milestone for his company, Talentless, and has taken to Instagram with a heartfelt video.
Just like the rest of the Kardashian-Jenner family, Scott Disick is a real hustler. Lord Disick’s peers own some of the biggest brands in the world; so we’re certain he receives the best advice out there.
It may have taken some time for the Keeping Up With The Kardashians party animal to retire from his “bad-boy” phase. Although, nowadays the New York native is a lot more family and business orientated.
Scott Disick Celebrates Talentless’ four year anniversary
In August 2018, Scott launched a clothing brand called Talentless. It is now coming up to four years since the idea was first born. Therefore, the company is celebrating a major milestone with a big sale.
Disick’s business venture came about when he decided to build a brand that wasn’t trying to take itself too seriously. He wanted to show people that ‘talentless’ didn’t need to be a negative term. In fact, some of the most ‘talentless’ people are also some of the most successful entrepreneurs.
Disick told GQ magazine in a May 2019 interview: “I think it’s a big F-U to everybody in the world that basically said that anybody that was in the reality business 10, 15 years ago didn’t have talent.”
Scott shares heartfelt Instagram marking a major milestone
Scott Disick posted an Instagram video addressing his fans and thanking them for their “support and loyalty” through the years.
Part of the caption reads: “We wouldn’t have been able to create all of this without you. Now it’s our time to thank YOU by kicking off the celebration of 4 years together by inviting everyone to shop 40% off the entire site!”
Skims fans slam Scott Disick for ‘copying’ color palette
Kim Kardashian’s Skims line has become the ultimate shapewear and Kardashian fans are always jumping to defend not only the reality star but her business as well.
In the past, fans have slammed Scott after noticing similarities between his Talentless clothing line and Kim’s shapewear range.
Scott posted a preview of his new collection and fans noticed that the earth-toned color palette is similar to Skims. The Talentless Nudes Collection comes in “Cumin, Nutmeg & Cinnamon” colors which are alike Yeezy products too.
Thankfully, this is mere speculation and there’s no bad blood. Scott continues to comment on Kim’s Dolce and Gabbana Instagram photos and the duo continues to hang out with each other.


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A news item in a daily quoted the President of South India Publishers Association saying that 80% of the visitors to the book fair held in Chennai consisted of youth. According to the report 60% of the annual sales of small publishers come from such fairs. No wonder that such fairs are becoming popular even in smaller towns in India.
In the last few months I have attended Literary Festivals in Bangalore & Chennai. I was pleasantly surprised to see the huge turnout of visitors, consisting mainly of youngsters in the age group 18-35. A large number of them were attending the three parallel sessions being held at the fairs. During the breaks there were long queues of youngsters waiting to get the books of their favorite authors signed by them.
I wondered what has triggered this great enthusiasm among the youth for books; disproving the theory that reading habits among the younger generation is going down. I am inclined to give credit for this to the success of Mrs. Rowling and her Harry Potter series of Fantasy fiction and our own banker turned author and a youth icon- Chetan Bhagat. Chetan has literally re written the way the publishing industry has been functioning in India. For a long time a book was considered a big success if it sold 5000 to 10000 copies. But today the new age authors like Chetan Bagat, Amish Tripathy, Ashwin Sanghi, etc are claiming sales of lakhs copies for each of their books. It is interesting to learn that all the famous authors of today had their first manuscripts rejected by several publishers and had to resort to self- publishing their first book and market them using innovative marketing strategies. Listening to many of these successful authors at Literary Festivals, it is clear that if an author wants to be on the best seller list he has to market his book `shamelessly`. It is imperative that such authors must be active on social media. Self publishing & Print on demand have brought about a sea change in the publishing industry.
Another reason for the huge sale of books is the facility to order the books online and get them delivered at your door step- very often at a discounted price! Amazon & Flipcart have been hugely responsible for this phenomenon and are very popular with the young generation who order everything-` from pin to elephant` including books, online.
No wonder that the number of Indian authors is growing by leaps and bounds. People from diverse fields, including school students are trying their hands at writing. Recently I attended a function organized by TIE in Chennai at which books of 9 first time authors were released. They had participated in a Book Authoring workshop conducted by Kirubha Shanker considered as the Czar of social media. The nine successful authors who had accepted the 100 day challenge of Kirubha included an 8 year old girl and a 12 year old boy. I was also happy to note that 80% of the audience at the function consisted of youngsters who were keen to participate in such workshops.


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During a two day exploratory mission, 61 Canadian firms visited Colombia to meet with new potential suppliers of goods and services across major urban centers, including Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Armenia and Pereira. The event is part of a strategy to present new business opportunities for Canadian companies under the umbrella of the Free Trade Agreement between Canada and Colombia.
The event “Discover Colombia” organized by Proexport Colombia, included site visits and inspections to over 70 facilities in Colombia. These facilities have the capacity to export non-traditional products and services such as the agribusiness, apparel, services and manufacturing sectors.
“This event positions Colombia as the number one supplier of goods and services in the region, upholding the advantages of the FTA between Canada and Colombia. Colombia relies on an industry that has flexibility in quantity, top quality and competitive prices. Our qualified labour and strategic geographic location are some of the highlights that Canadian companies have discovered during this visit,” stated Maria Claudia Lacouture, President of Proexport Colombia.
Canadian firms had the opportunity of inspecting an array of products geared towards their specific needs. For instance, in Bogota, attendees visited suppliers of uniforms, auto parts, building materials, packaging, fruits and legumes, animation services, video games and mobile applications. In Medellin, site visits focused on well-known textiles companies; in Cali, emphasis was made on bakery and confectionary products, as well as processed fruits and herbs; lastly, in Armenia and Pereira, specialized coffee suppliers had the opportunity of showcasing their products.
Discover Colombia promotes the advantages of free trade between Colombia and Canada which continues to generate significant trade opportunities between the two nations. According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Tourism of Colombia, non-mining related exports from Colombia to Canada reached US$224.4 million, equalling an increase of 19% compared to previous years.
The South American nation continues to generate interest from Canadian companies, who are now looking to that region to fulfill their needs for high quality and innovative products and services, all with a flexible and fast turnaround. Discover Colombia isn’t the only platform to learn more about the business opportunities, Proexport Colombia will present the country’s business opportunities in the upcoming Macrorueda 50 from February 19th& 20th, 2014, gathering over 2000 suppliers in a variety of sectors.
About Proexport Colombia:
Proexport Colombia is the governmental entity in charge of supporting non-traditional exports (non-mining/energy related) as well as the promotion of Colombia as an international investment and tourism destination. Proexport Colombia offers free support and consultancy for business enterprises through its regional, national and international offices, located in more than 30 countries worldwide.
For more information on the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement visit: www.proexport.com.co
The post A Delegation of 61 Major Canadian Companies “Discover Colombia” appeared first on News Colombia.


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BENETTON NET DOWN
Byline: Luisa Zargani
MILAN — The accelerated rollout of Benetton megastores helped drive up the company’s sales in 2001, but couldn’t bring its bottom line up to its 2000 levels.
Net profits declined 6.5 percent to $142.1 million in 2001 as sales increased 3.9 percent to $1.82 billion. Benetton said in a statement that its apparel division grew 9.5 percent in sales and 8 percent in units. Benetton reported operating profits of $249.3 million, down 7.6 percent from 2000.
The Veneto, Italy-based group’s debt for 2001 rose to $559.5 million against $467.8 million the previous year, generated by investments of $271.4 million in retailing and production. Dollar figures were converted from the euro at current exchange rate.
Despite the events of Sept. 11 and a slowing of the world economy, Western Europe’s sales were up 10 percent and the apparel division’s sales in those markets were up 13 percent. Double-digit sales gains were registered in the U.S., Korea and Eastern Europe.
In 2001, Benetton’s network of megastores, which offer a complete range of products under the Benetton brand, grew “above expectations,” the firm said. At the end of the year, the group counted more than 100 units in the world, a target originally set for 2002. Last year, Benetton opened megastores in cities including Paris, Rome, Kobe, Osaka, New York, London, Moscow and Lisbon.
As a complement to the UCB and Sisley brands, Benetton last year introduced The Hip Site, aimed at a younger customer than the Benetton label.


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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Another shutdown of indoor dining is a big blow to restaurants struggling to stay afloat in Philadelphia. Restaurant owners are in the fight of their lives, and many are in a full-out blitz trying to save their businesses during the upcoming winter months.
The owner of Taqueria Amor in Manayunk is hoping thousands of holiday lights, big outside heaters and a Grinch-themed menu will keep his 7-year-old restaurant afloat.
"We're doing a Christmas takeover," owner and chef Tim Spinner said.
Spinner is working to attract hungry customers who are willing to bundle up and eat outside after Philadelphia city leaders banned indoor dining again.
"This country is built on the backbone of small business and it feels like some city officials have turned their back on small businesses," Spinner said. "Gyms and restaurants are going to close and the lack of empathy there is very disappointing."
The city initially OK'd indoor dining amid the pandemic back in September, and many restaurants made changes.
"We have barriers up and masks are required," Spinner said.
But Philly leaders are reversing that decision. Its new ban on indoor dining will last through at least the end of the year.
"It's quite disappointing," Spinner said.
On top of the indoor restrictions, outdoor dining has new rules, too. Now, only groups of four people who live in the same household will be allowed to drink and eat outside together.
"I think I should be able to make that decision and not be told that I have to," Melissa Russo said.
"I feel very upset for my friends who own restaurants who are losing money and could lose their business," Donna Grasso said.
Many restaurant workers in Philadelphia are bracing for more layoffs.
Over at Rouge in Rittenhouse Square, owner Robert Wasserman is pleading with federal leaders to come up with a financial package for struggling restaurants.
"Sadly, I'm not going to be able to keep everyone. No one's working together," Wasserman said. "And because of that, it's causing such a big issue in the sense of how it falls on the burden of us and our staff. There's going to be a lot of people out of work starting today."
The Restaurant Act of 2020 could offer relief for restaurants, but it's currently stalled in Congress. A federal court denied restaurant owners' request for an injunction that tried to stop the city's indoor ban.
MORE ON CBSPHILLY.COM


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Leading Mobility as a Service platform Mobilleo has announced its adoption of innovative global addressing system what3words to help its users identify their precise location and destination more easily.
what3words has divided the world into a grid of 3 metre squares and assigned each square a unique combination of three words, known as a what3words address. For example, the precise location of the front door at Mobilleo’s head office can be found at ///client.memo.natively.
what3words addresses are more accurate than regular street addresses as they allow people to communicate a particular part of an address – accurate to 3 metres. In comparison, a traditional address will drop a pin in the centre of it – leaving buildings like large offices or shopping centres difficult to navigate. what3words addresses also make communicating places with no street addresses – such as beaches, parks and remote locations easy.
The addition of what3words will enable Mobilleo users to search for the most accurate locations of nearby mobility options and services, wherever they are in the world. The new feature will also benefit Mobilleo’s expansive network of mobility partners, including taxi and DRT providers, allowing them to pinpoint the exact pick-up location of customers.
Dr Richard Fairchild, Chief Product Officer at FOD Mobility Group commented, “Mobilleo is the leading MaaS platform on the market and it now comes with the easiest way for users to find their exact location and search for the nearest mobility options to them. The what3words integration is just one of the many new product innovation features that the Mobilleo team have been developing this year to enhance the user experience.”
what3words has been adopted by a number of mobility apps, travel providers and automotive companies around the world, including Addison Lee, Cabify, the AA, Network Rail, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Ford and Tata Motors.
Patrick Arbuthnott, Partnerships Lead at what3words added: “We’re delighted to have partnered with Mobilleo. The integration of what3words is a clear demonstration of their commitment to introduce best-in-class technology for their customers.”
For more information about Mobilleo, visit www.mobilleo.com.


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We are pleased to provide you with our Group’s newsletter for December, featuring leading Cyber, Privacy and Copyright regulation, case-law and related developments in the United States, Europe and Israel.
This edition features the following items:
- United Kingdom Makes Data Protection Plans for ‘No Deal’ Brexit
- New York Attorney General Imposes Unprecedented Fine for COPPA Violations
- EU Commission Sets Deadline for the U.S. to Cure Privacy Shield Deficiencies
- Israeli Privacy Authority Publishes Draft Guidelines on the Use of Drones and Smart City Guidance
- Second Circuit Prohibits a Company’s Marketplace for Resale of Digital Music
- Law.co.il is on Telegram!
We also take this opportunity to wish everyone a terrific new year in 2019!
December 13, 2018
UNITED KINGDOM MAKES DATA PROTECTION PLANS FOR ‘NO DEAL’ BREXIT
The Government of the United Kingdom has published guidance discussing the impact on UK data protection law if the UK leaves the EU without a deal on Brexit Day – March 29, 2019. At the outset, the EU’s GDPR will cease to apply in the UK on Brexit Day. Therefore, the UK plans that its EU (Withdrawal) Act of 2018 will include provisions that retain the GDPR in UK law.
In order to allow for seamless transfers of personal data from the UK to Europe, the UK will recognize the EU member states, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland and Gibraltar as ‘adequate’. Contrarily, allowing personal data from the EU to flow to the UK requires a formal EU driven procedure, which the UK cannot control.
In order to preserve the other permissible data flows into the UK as they currently exist under the GDPR, the UK will also recognize the same territories that the EU Commission has recognized as adequate for data flows: Andorra, Argentina, Canada, Faroe Islands, Guernsey, Israel, Isle of Man, Jersey, New Zealand, Switzerland, Uruguay and the Privacy Shield certified organizations in the U.S. The UK will similarly recognize the EU’s Standard Contractual Clauses as well as Binding Corporate Rules that have already been approved prior to Brexit Day, so that UK organizations that transfer personal data on the basis of these EU recognized mechanisms, can continue to rely on them.
Finally, the UK’s version of the GDPR will require that non-UK organizations that are subject to the UK GDPR appoint a local UK representative, similar to the EU’s GDPR requirement for non-EU organizations to appoint an EU representative.
CLICK HERE to read the UK Government’s Guidance on the data protection implications of a ‘No Deal’ Brexit.
December 4, 2018
NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL IMPOSES UNPRECEDENTED FINE FOR COPPA VIOLATIONS
The Attorney General (AG) for the State of New York imposed the largest-ever penalty for violations of the U.S. federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) – 4.95 million dollars – in a settlement reached with Oath, Inc., the successor of AOL.
The AG alleged that AOL knowingly provided online advertising services to a website directed to children under the age of 13, which services involved the collection of personally identifying information from those underaged children using cookies. The information collected was also shared onward with other companies in the online advertising chain.
The AG found evidence that AOL intentionally ignored notices it received from a dozen websites that informed AOL that they are subject to COPPA and its restrictions. AOL allegedly continued to collect and process personal information from children visiting those websites, despite the notifications.
The AG also found that AOL itself had reviewed hundreds of websites and concluded that they were directed to children yet continued to collect and process information from children visiting those websites.
The settlement also required Oath to destroy the personal information of children in its possession, establish, maintain and implement a rigorous COPPA compliance program and designate an officer to oversee the program.
CLICK HERE to read the New York AG’s press release.
December 19, 2018
EU COMMISSION SETS DEADLINE FOR THE U.S. TO CURE PRIVACY SHIELD DEFICIENCY
The EU Commission published its second annual review of the EU-US Privacy Shield program which is designed to allow personal data flows from the EU to organizations in the U.S. that are certified under the Privacy Shield program.
The review found that the U.S. Department of Commerce, which administers the Privacy Shield program, has further strengthened the Privacy Shield certification process and introduced new oversight procedures, such as random spot-checks for certified organizations. The report also found that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which is primarily responsible for regulatory enforcement of the Privacy Shield program, has been taking more a proactive approach to compliance monitoring.
On the basis of the annual review, the EU Commission concluded that the United States continues to ensure an adequate level of protection for personal data transferred under the Privacy Shield, but that there are a number of gaps that the EU Commission will closely monitor.
The highest priority gap that the EU Commission has highlighted in the report is the appointment of a permanent U.S. Privacy Shield Ombudsperson, which is tasked with investigating complaints by EU data subjects on alleged privacy violations by U.S. law enforcement, security and intelligence agencies. One such complaint from a Croatian data subject is pending and the Commission’s report states that it expects the U.S. government to identify a nominee to permanently fill the Ombudsperson position by February 28, 2019. The report threatens that if the U.S. does not comply, “the Commission will then consider taking appropriate measures”, although it did not explain what those measure might entail.
CLICK HERE to read the EU Commission’s Report.
ISRAELI PRIVACY AUTHORITY PUBLISHES DRAFT GUIDELINES ON THE USE OF DRONES AND SMART CITY GUIDANCE
The Privacy Protection Authority (PPA) – Israel’s regulatory and enforcement authority for personal data – has published draft guidelines on the use of drones and guidance for municipalities on privacy aspects of smart cities.
The draft guidelines, which do not apply to drones that collect information “for personal use that is not for business purposes”, establish the following principles:
- Preconditions for the use of drones. Use of drones should be made based on an informed decision, following examination of the need for and possible alternatives to the use of drones.
- Proportionality. Drones must be operated in a proportionate manner that minimizes the scope of personal information collected, in accordance with the specific purpose for its use.
- Transparency. The public must be informed of the use of drones. This may be done, for example, by informing individuals in geographically covered areas on the use of droned by means of online advertising.
- Information security. The data security obligations set out in the Privacy Protection (Data Security) Regulations apply to the collection and processing of information through drones.
The PPA also issued guidance for local authorities on protection of privacy in smart cities. The guidance clarifies the obligations of local authorities in this context, including the following principles:
- Purpose of processing. Local authorities must process residents’ information only for the purpose for which the information was collected.
- Notification. Local authorities must inform residents, prior to collecting their information, whether they have a legal duty to provide the information, the purpose for which the information was collected, to whom the information will be provided and for what purpose.
- Right to access. Local authorities are obligated to allow residents to review the information collected about them and rectify such information if it is not up-to-date or inaccurate.
- Confidentiality. Local authorities and their employees must maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed in the course of their work.
- Information Security. Local authorities have an obligation to protect their databases and to comply with the Privacy Protection (Data Security) Regulations.
The guidelines focus on the use of surveillance and security cameras in the smart cities. Local authorities are required to, among others, explicitly define the purpose for placing surveillance cameras, ensure that the surveillance cameras’ footage is used solely for the purpose it was collected and inform the public about the placement of the surveillance cameras. The guidelines also prohibit transferring the surveillance cameras’ footage to third parties and the continued retention of such footage when it is no longer needed.
CLICK HERE to read the Israeli Protection of Privacy Authority’s Draft Guidelines on Drones (in Hebrew)
CLICK HERE to read the Israeli Protection of Privacy Authority’s Smart Cities Guidance (in Hebrew)
December 12, 2018
SECOND CIRCUIT PROHIBITS A COMPANY’S MARKETPLACE FOR RESALE OF DIGITAL MUSIC
The United States Federal Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed a prior ruling by the district court, holding that ReDigi, an online platform for the resale of lawfully purchased digital music files, infringes copyrighted music.
ReDigi sought to create a technology and marketplace for resale of music files. A ReDigi user seeking to resell music would use the ReDigi technology to transfer the music files to ReDigi’s server. The technology was designed so that once the file is transferred to ReDigi’s server, the copy on the user’s device is deleted. However, ReDigi’s technology allows the new purchaser of the music files to store the purchased file on ReDigi’s server and also subsequently receive and store a copy on the new purchaser’s device.
The Second Circuit found that ReDigi’s technology involved a reproduction of music files. Since such reproduction of copies is not authorized by the copyright owners, ReDigi’s technology was found to be infringing. The Court also dismissed ReDigi’s argument that the copies made are permissible under the fair use doctrine, because it lacks any ‘transformative’ objective that is different in meaning, context or character from the original music file, and because it directly competes with the copyright owners in their primary market.
The Court’s decision noted, as an aside, that a legally viable secondary market can be imagined for “those who cost‐effectively place 50 or 100 (or more) songs on an inexpensive device such as a thumb drive and sell it”, and that “other technology may exist or be developed that could lawfully effectuate a digital first sale”.
CLICK HERE to read the Second Circuit’s Decision in Capitol Records LLC v. ReDigi, Inc.
December 18, 2018
ISRAELI REGULATORS LAUNCH AN INTER-REGULATORY PANEL ON VIRTUAL ASSETS
The Bank of Israel announced the establishment of an inter-regulatory panel for the purpose of strengthening the cooperation on the regulation of cryptocurrencies and virtual assets. The panel includes representatives from the Capital Market Authority, the Securities Authority, the Ministry of Finance, the National Economic Council, the Tax Authority, the Ministry of Justice, the Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Prohibition Authority, the National Cyber Directorate and the Bank of Israel. The panel will examine issues relating to the application of regulation on uses of technology relating to virtual assets and their implications on economic activity, financial markets and financial stability.
The panel is seeking public comments on what issues ought to be considered when developing a regulatory framework for virtual assets. Among other issues, the panel intends to examine the following: the main barriers Israeli stakeholders face when they use virtual assets – in general, and in investments and fundraising activities; the risks inherent to the use of virtual assets; the opportunities for the financial sector with this technology; and how technology can help address challenges in the prevention of money laundering and terrorism financing.
CLICK HERE to read the Bank of Israel press release (in Hebrew)
Law.co.il is on Telegram
We are pleased to announce that all updates (in Hebrew) from Law.co.il – our Group’s legal portal for Internet, Cyber and Information Technologies – are now available on a dedicated Telegram channel. To connect to the channel, click on http://t.me/cyberlaw1 from your smartphone or search for law.co.il on Telegram.
Please feel free to forward and distribute this newsletter “AS IS”.
For more information, please contact Haim Ravia – Senior Partner and Chair of the Internet, Cyber and Copyright Group. firstname.lastname@example.org