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Orla Kiely to exhibit 20 years of designs at London’s Fashion and Textile Museum
It takes several emails and as many missed calls before I get to chat with Irish designer Orla Kiely about her retrospective, Orla Kiely: A Life in Pattern, which opens at the London Fashion and Textile Museum on May 25. This is not the erratic or inconsiderate behaviour of a fashion diva, however, but the pressures of managing what is, after 20 years, a global fashion and lifestyle empire. When we finally do make contact, Kiely, who speaks in soft, lucid London tones that reveal little of her Dublin, Galway and Tipperary heritage, is generous with her time and appreciative of our interest.
Yes, we’re interested. Who among us doesn’t love to revel in an Irish success story? But more than that, which one of us hasn’t bought an Orla Kiely item at one time or another? I remember vividly buying a Stem wallet for my sister’s birthday in the early noughties. It was the first “designer” item I could afford (I’m pretty sure it cost £99 Irish pounds back then), and I felt terribly grown up walking along Grafton Street with my Brown Thomas shopping bag. Almost 20 years later, Kiely’s bags and wallets accessorise the arms of women on high streets all over the world, and no more so than in the suburbs of this city in which she was born.
Kiely has enjoyed enormous support from her home country over the past two decades, and she reveals that one of her ambitions is to eventually take this exhibition to Dublin (it’s already scheduled for Edinburgh). “So much of the inspiration behind my work has come from Ireland,” she says. “ The colours of the Irish landscape are my colours.” Indeed, the designer’s palette is firmly anchored in the earthy and forlorn shades of our muddy mountain ranges and shingly shore lines. Her fixation with pattern also dates back to her childhood in Ireland. “I loved the floral wallpaper in my childhood bedroom. I was fascinated by the repeat pattern. I loved the rhythm of it,” she reveals.
This London exhibition has given the designer a rare opportunity to look back at what she has built. “I have a low boredom threshold, so I have always pushed for newness and looked forward. I’ve always been open to fresh ideas,” explains the 55-year-old mother-of-two, who describes spending the past year working on a retrospective as an “overwhelming but lovely” process. “I have never looked back since I founded the label in 1997. I had no idea what designs we had held onto, but rummaging through stock in the warehouse brought back so many memories,” she says with fondness.
There was a lot more present than Kiely had anticipated, although there were several designs missing too. But in a serendipitous turn of events, the designer recently received a call from a gentleman who wanted to donate his late wife’s collection of 150 Orla Kiely bags to a charity of Kiely’s choice. Perhaps some of those missing designs exist in this private collection, I suggest. Wouldn’t it be lovely for such a fan of the brand to have some of her beloved bags featured in such a prestigious exhibition?
One design that is certain to take pride of place in the four-month retrospective is Stem – Kiely’s own favourite print from her archive. It adorns everything from tote bags to teacups and is the brand’s signature print, recognised worldwide. “The Stem print is so versatile, and there’s always newness in it,” explains Kiely. “It’s easy to love the latest thing, but the Stem has been very good to us.”
Kiely’s famous Stem print.
There will be more than 100 objects and over 30 head-to-toe ensembles on show from May through September. Kiely describes it as “a riot of colour and pattern”, while curator Dennis Nothdruft says that Kiely’s “pattern designs… transcend time and place. eir place in the pantheon of great designs is assured.” When I speak to Kiely, it’s about six weeks before the exhibition is due to open. She says the pressure she’s felt over the past ten months to make the exhibition great, to ensure that everything shown is worthy of its place has eased. “Looking at the work we’ve done over the past year, I’m less worried,” she says. How endearing that someone so successful can still fear failure. Kiely may have lost her Irish lilt, but not her Irish sensibility.
Orla Kiely: A Life in Pattern runs at the Fashion and Textile Museum, London, May 25 to September 23, ftmlondon.org.


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Belgian startup introduces Bitcoin payment for parking tickets
According to a report by DataNews on Thursday, the corporate is among the many corporations backed by Belgian accelerator Start it @KBC, which has launched crypto funds in Antwerp and Brussels.
Starting Thursday, safe customers will have the ability to use Bitcoin (BTC) to pay for parking tickets in areas in each city.
In addition to Bitcoin, clients also can use cryptocurrencies similar to Ether (ETH), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Dogecoin (DOGE), and Litecoin (LTC) in addition to stablecoins similar to Dai (DAI) and USD Coin (USDC).
Customers who wish to use crypto to pay for parking use “coins” to buy Seety credit on the corporate’s app platform. According to the report, using cryptocurrencies doesn’t incur any further charges on the part of the shopper.
The Sweety app reportedly has greater than 355,000 customers in Belgium and the Netherlands and is concentrating on annual gross sales of over € 2 million by 2022.
For the corporate, utilizing cryptocurrency to pay for parking is a sign of how crypto will ultimately discover its approach regularly microtransactions. Seety expects crypto adoption to extend as tokens develop into extra environmentally pleasant.
Related: Visa will facilitate funds in USDC because of a brand new partnership.
The use of Bitcoin to pay for parking tickets has been around since 2014 with the now not working Brawler app. Today, microtransaction cryptocurrency payment choices have gotten more and more in style, though vital boundaries stand in the best way of broader penetration.
Cryptocurrency bank cards and stablecoins also simplify the crypto issuance course and simplify it for retailers to offer crypto payment choices on their platforms.
As beforehand reported by Cointelegraph, Visa not too long ago introduced that its crypto-enabled playing cards processed over $ 1 billion in crypto spending within the first half of 2021.

domain: news


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Canaccord Genuity Reaffirms Buy Rating for Thor Industries, Inc. (THO)
Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Citigroup Inc. reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $118.00 price objective (up from $111.00) on shares of Thor Industries in a research report on Friday, June 9th. Zacks Investment Research raised Thor Industries from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $117.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Thursday, June 8th. Sidoti started coverage on Thor Industries in a research report on Friday, August 11th. They set a buy rating and a $133.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Thor Industries in a research report on Friday, September 8th. Finally, BidaskClub raised Thor Industries from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, August 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and eleven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. The company presently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $111.47.
Shares of Thor Industries (NYSE THO) opened at 114.94 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.94 and a beta of 1.38. Thor Industries has a 1-year low of $74.00 and a 1-year high of $116.34. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $107.11 and its 200-day moving average price is $100.92.
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY WARNING: This article was reported by Daily Political and is the property of of Daily Political. If you are reading this article on another domain, it was copied illegally and republished in violation of United States and international trademark and copyright law. The correct version of this article can be read at https://www.dailypolitical.com/2017/09/25/canaccord-genuity-reaffirms-buy-rating-for-thor-industries-inc-tho.html.
In related news, Chairman Peter Busch Orthwein sold 2,784 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $115.00, for a total transaction of $320,160.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 1,396,352 shares in the company, valued at $160,580,480. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Alan Siegel sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, June 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.45, for a total value of $109,450.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 4,988 shares in the company, valued at approximately $545,936.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 6.60% of the company’s stock.
A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in THO. Huntington National Bank raised its stake in Thor Industries by 82.0% in the second quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 983 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $103,000 after buying an additional 443 shares during the period. Penserra Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in Thor Industries in the second quarter valued at approximately $104,000. Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. bought a new stake in Thor Industries in the second quarter valued at approximately $105,000. Fiduciary Trust Co. bought a new stake in Thor Industries in the second quarter valued at approximately $133,000. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its stake in Thor Industries by 9.5% in the second quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 1,735 shares of the construction company’s stock valued at $181,000 after buying an additional 151 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.48% of the company’s stock.
About Thor Industries
Thor Industries, Inc manufactures a range of recreational vehicles (RVs) in the United States and sells those vehicles primarily in the United States and Canada. The Company’s segments include towable recreational vehicles, which consists of the operations of Airstream, Inc (Airstream) (towable); Heartland Recreational Vehicles, LLC (Heartland) (including Bison Coach, LLC (Bison), Cruiser RV, LLC (CRV) and DRV, LLC (DRV)); Jayco, Corp.
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Southeast Asia (SEA) is the next frontier for e-commerce, says Marc Woo, Google’s head of e-commerce.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has an estimated 32% e-commerce growth rate concentrated in six countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. (Google & Temasek, E-conomy SEA: Unlocking the $200 billion digital opportunity in Southeast Asia, 2016)
Called the ASEAN 6, the region’s business to consumer retail e-commerce gross national product is estimated at $88 billion by 2025. This does not include consumer to consumer and business to business. (Google & Temasek)
But when ASEAN’s growth is patterned after China’s e-commerce growth, instead of Temasek’s Western model, it is estimated to exceed $238 billion, wrote Sheiji Ho, CMO at ACommerce for ecommerce.iq.asia in 2016.
That’s an outstanding valuation given that ASEAN has a total population of only 644.1 million (compared to China’s 1.38 billion) and only an average of 53% have internet connection. But this region has the world’s fastest internet growth at the rate of 31% since 2016 or over 80 million a year.
“On the face of it, Southeast Asia would seem like an e-commerce wonderland. No place on Earth matches this region in digital adoption. The people in the Philippines send more texts than any other country. Jakarta is the world’s No. 1 city for tweets. Indeed, Southeast Asia’s population…may be diverse, but its inhabitants have one important thing in common: an eagerness to use mobile technology.” (Bain & Co., Can Southeast Asia Live Up to Its E-commerce Potential?, 2016)
Half of the world’s internet users are in Asia and SEA has a 133% rate of mobile users (more than 768 million) that exceed the 100% world average. (ASEAN Up, 2017)
In a move to position itself for the region’s e-commerce boom, China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba recently invested about $1 billion (83% interest) in ASEAN’s e-commerce leader Lazada, which is also number one in the Philippines.
ASEAN’s e-commerce potential lies in many factors unique to the region: its burgeoning middle class with lots of cash; a young population with 70% under age 40; a GDP growth rate of 5.3% over the next 10 years; a rapidly growing internet and mobile penetration; tech savviness; heavy internet, mobile, and social media users; alternative payment methods; and a variety of online retailers and sellers.
“Opportunities also abound in each market; rising labour costs in Singapore may be a boon for the online retail segment, while the non-traditional work hours of the Philippines’ business process outsourcing workforce has created a ready market for non-traditional retail.” (DBS, 2015)
Geography also matters since the lack of physical stores, especially in archipelagos like Indonesia and the Philippines, make online shopping the only option. But even in main cities where malls and stores are centralized, offline retailers can no longer ignore the looming internet market.
“While the impact of this acceleration in Southeast Asia is advantageous for start-ups and online brands, it is having a different and adverse effect on the real-world economy. From mall shopping to cinemas and taxis to travel agencies, it is clear that digital has taken a toll on certain industries.” (Bain & Co., May 2017 Press Release)
In Metro Manila, the capital of the Philippines, vacancy is rising in retail spaces at the rate of about 11%; while in its southern city Cebu, retail space vacancy fell from 12% (2015) to 9%. (Philippine Retailers Association)
“Throughout the region, some categories already are starting to score big. Fully 24% of all clothing and footwear and 18% of all travel is now purchased online.” (Bain & Co., 2016)
Much needs to be done
“Of course, Southeast Asia faces a host of challenges in its journey to becoming a flourishing e-commerce marketplace. For one thing, the region encompasses a broad range of ethnicities, languages, consumer preferences and regulations.” (Bain & Co., 2016)
So we cannot generalize the ASEAN 6. For instance, Singapore is an outlier. It has the smallest population (5.74 m) in the region and is one of the world’s most prosperous country; it has the highest internet penetration at 82%; the fastest download speed at 122.4 megabits per second (world average is 23.3 mbps); the most (98%) bank account holders; the most trust in online transactions (59% where the world average is 51%); and the highest payments online (50%). Despite all these markers for e-commerce vitality, only 62% bought online in the past month.
In contrast, Indonesia is ASEAN’s most populated (262 m and 3rd in the world) and the world’s largest archipelagic state; it has the world’s 2nd most forested area after the Amazon; its download speed is the second slowest (6.7 mbps); it has the lowest bank account holders (37%); has the 3rd highest distrust of online transactions (60%); with the consequent 3rd lowest online payments (4%). Only 41% bought online in the past month.
Singapore has the most mobile users in ASEAN but its mobile web traffic is a low 40% while Indonesia’s is one of the world’s highest at 70%. Yet ASEAN e-commerce growth rate is predicted to grow the most for Indonesia by 32% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) but the least for Singapore by 18% CAGR until 2025. (Google & Temasek)
Meanwhile, the Philippines is geographically similar to Indonesia as an archipelago of 103 m; its download speed is the slowest (3.4 mbps); it has the 2nd lowest bank account holders (36%); the highest distrust of online transactions (67%); and the lowest (.5%) online payments. Only 38% bought online in the past month. It’s e-commerce growth rate is set at 34% CAGR until 2025.
While Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim majority (87%) with 700 languages, the Philippines is largely Catholic (83%) with English as one of its official languages and only seven dialects. The median age in Indonesia is 29.9 years with about 64% under age 35, but the Philippines is younger with a median age of 23.4 years and about 70% under age 35.
“An in-depth analysis of the trends in five ASEAN markets shows that e-commerce is at a different stage in each country, with different sets of opportunities and challenges. Logistics remains a key impediment to be overcome in Indonesia and the Philippines, while Singapore—which faces no such infrastructure limitations–-still has relatively low online retail adoption rates because of the convenience of accessing traditional retailers.” (DBS, 2015)
Apart from Singapore, ASEAN needs to build the infrastructure to widen and speed up affordable internet connectivity. “[I]ncreased broadband access leads to accelerated economic growth as evidenced in the close link between information and communication technology (ICT) diffusion and firm-level productivity. Similarly, the World Economic Forum (2013) reported that digitization has created 6 million jobs globally and provided a $193 billion boost to world economic output in 2011….” (Asian Development Bank (ADB) Policy Brief No. 2016-2)
“Typically, most developing economies are plagued by inadequate ICT infrastructure and power supply, limited credit card usage as a payment option, underdeveloped financial systems, and a lack of purchasing power, which must first be addressed for an online economy to function well.” (ADB)
Only about 1% in ASEAN have credit cards. In the Philippines, 99% of electronic transactions are paid with cash or check that even the online ride service Uber accepts cash. Digital retailers adapt to the paper-based payments and allow cash on delivery or bank deposits.
“Also, Southeast Asia lacks a solid regional payment and logistics infrastructure, ingredients that have served as the foundation for China’s astounding growth in digital retail. In addition, surveyed consumers in the region say they don’t yet fully trust e-commerce platforms, are concerned about the lack of touch-and-feel inherent in digital commerce and report having trouble finding the products they want. These types of complaints about early-stage e-commerce markets are typical.” (Bain & Co., 2016)
The top ten countries most beset by cyber attacks include Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, and the worst is Indonesia (which overtook China). Thus, online shoppers are fearful when a website asks for personal information, especially credit card or payment data. ATKearney says 75% of Filipinos don’t want to share personal data online.
“Certain sociopolitical barriers must also be overcome, such as weak legal and regulatory frameworks relating to online transactions and cybercrime, cultural preferences for face-to-face interaction, and the society’s reliance on cash. Last, cognitive obstacles such as poor ICT literacy and lack of awareness and knowledge of e-commerce must also be addressed.” (ADB)
“Even as Asia’s developing countries further strengthen their capacity for e-commerce, most of them face institutional issues, such as complicated border clearance procedures and red tape, and disharmonized customs requirements between states hinder intra-regional trade. Market-related risks—such as fraud, costs of adaptation, and a risk of crowding out—also serve as barriers to entry.” (ADB)
With a mere 3% e-commerce penetration, ASEAN is still at its earliest stage. To set the foundation for its e-commerce boom will require an investment of about $40-50 billion until 2025. This assumes SEA maintains a GDP growth of 5.3% and CAGR growth of VC investment from 0.04% to 0.25% from 2014 to 2025. (Google & Temasek)
“Like in China ten years ago, those that invest in ecommerce early and take a long-term, strategic outlook will end up owning the biggest chunks of this $238 billion—not $88 billion—ecommerce goldmine in SEA.” (Sheiji Ho)


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Bord Bía has confirmed to Agriland that it is to join forces with the UK Potato Council in an attempt to secure €2.3 million of EU funding, which will be used to generically promote fresh potato consumption over a three year period in both countries. These monies would be topped on a 1:1 basis by national contributions, bringing the total budget available to €4.6 million.
Bord Bía’s Mike Neary explains “We hope to formally submit our application to Brussels later this autumn. Ireland’s allocation of the envisaged spend will amount to €1 million. Of this, 50% will come from Brussels with the rest made up in equal measure by Bord Bía; growers, through the IFA; packers, through the Irish Potato Federation, and the Department of Agriculture.”
He continued:“The origins of this project can be traced back to 2102 and the establishment of the Potato Promotions Group, under the aegis of Bord Bía. This work led to the setting up of the potato.ie website, which has done a tremendous job in making Irish consumers aware of the tremendous value represented by home grown potatoes.
“The Group was also the driving force behind last August’s very successful National Potato Day.”
But while there was general agreement that both initiatives had served a useful purpose Mike Neary went on to confirm the recognition within the potato industry that something more long term and strategic would be required to effectively promote the Irish ‘spud’.
“The reality is that Brussels will make money available to fund the generic promotion of fresh produce. The case to the European Commission becomes all the stronger when countries join forces to co-operate on matters of this nature, hence our tie up with the UK Potato Council.”
Sales of fresh potatoes have fallen by 20% in Ireland over the past decade. Research carried out by Bord Bía confirms that the decline is most acute within the younger age groups, particularly the category of young couples yet to have children.
Mike Neary commented:“Potatoes are wrongly perceived by some people as a traditional food with a high fat content. Misconceptions around the issue of convenience is another factor that ranks highly in consumer surveys, where potatoes are concerned.
“The reality, however, is very much the opposite. Potatoes are now regarded as an exciting food ingredient across many facets of international cuisine. Moreover, spuds contain zero levels of fat. From the point of view of processers, giant steps have been taken to improve the convenience and versatility of potatoes as a meal option.”
“Preparations regarding the submission of our funding application are developing apace. We hope to formally apply to Brussels in the autumn. Assuming we get the green light next Spring, this should allow us to officially launch our three year campaign before the end of 2015.”


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Philippines: Inflation increases in October
Consumer prices rose a seasonally-adjusted 0.32% over the previous month in October amid higher food prices, picking up from September’s 0.08% rise.
Inflation inched up to 2.5% in October from September’s 2.3%, but remained within the government’s target range of 2.0%–4.0%. Meanwhile, the trend pointed up mildly, with annual average inflation coming in at 2.4% in October (September: 2.2%). Core inflation fell to 3.0% from September’s 3.2%.
Mild price pressures provide scope for the Central Bank to continue to adopt a highly accommodative stance to combat the Covid-19 fallout. The Central Bank reiterated it judges risks to the inflation outlook to be skewed to the downside, due to possible further Covid-19-induced disruptions to domestic and foreign activity.


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Great news for Androids fans! Adobe Flash Player 10.1 will be coming to the platform in June! Based on recent leaks this appears to be a feature of Android's next major update to Froyo (Android 2.2). No information was shared as to which devices will receive this hightly anticipated feature but it's safe to say Motorola Droid, Nexus One, and HTC Incredible users will surely be reaping the benefits.
See for yourself here!


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Both Disney and Google previously had been reported to be interested in the social-media company. But now, neither one is expected to make an offer for Twitter, according to a pair of Recode reports, citing anonymous sources. Apple also is “unlikely” to make an offer for Twitter, per Recode.
Twitter’s stock was down more than 16% in premarket trading Thursday on the reports.
That leaves Salesforce.com as perhaps the leading candidate to pick up Twitter. The company, which provides customer-relationship and sales management tools, sees Twitter as a goldmine of data for enhancing marketing and sales products. CEO Marc Benioff views Twitter as an “unpolished jewel” with potential to boost advertising and ecommerce revenue for Salesforce.com, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Benioff “simply sees opportunities for Twitter if it were incubated in the right environment, and that synergies related to Salesforce.com’s historical focus on customer journeys may follow after the fact,” Pivotal Research analyst Brian Wieser wrote in a research note. Salesforce.com shares fell 5.8% Wednesday, on investor fears that such an acquisition would damage Salesforce’s valuation.
Twitter is looking to wrap up deal talks before its third-quarter 2016 earnings report, scheduled for Oct. 27 after market close, with “binding acquisition offers” due within two weeks, Reuters reported Wednesday.
Twitter has struggled to grow its user base in recent quarters. Facing declining ad-revenue momentum, it has launched a concerted video-streaming initiative, pegged around the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” games this season.
For Disney, if it had matched Twitter’s reported top-end $30 billion asking price, the acquisition would be about 19% dilutive to calendar year 2017 earnings, according to Nomura Securities managing director Anthony DiClemente. Other reports have said Twitter is seeking a $20 billion price tag. In any case, Disney would have had to raise debt and/or dilute its stock to pull off a deal for Twitter.
The strategic rationale for Disney was that Twitter would give it a younger, tech-savvy, mobile-first audience for content distribution. But it’s not clear that would be the best route for Disney to expand its digital footprint, according to DiClemente.
“My view is Disney would be better off pursuing content-oriented acquisitions,” DiClemente said. “Put simply, I think Disney is strategically complete.”
Meanwhile, rumors have swirled that Disney may be interested in buying Netflix, which would be an even more expensive deal — far bigger than any in Disney’s history.
Google was said to be interested in Twitter to jump-start its presence in the social-media landscape, after disappointing traction with Google+. Alphabet, Google’s parent, had $78.5 billion in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of the end of June, so it has the financial resources to snap up Twitter. But the search giant would face significant regulatory scrutiny if it tried to buy Twitter, while it has an existing deal with Twitter to include tweets in Google search results.


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For the longest time ever, WhatsApp was only available on smartphones, but it eventually expanded to desktops, but an iPad version has yet to be launched. However, according to WABetaInfo, it seems that could change soon because apparently WhatsApp is working on a universal app.
This universal app is said to be developed with Apple’s Project Catalyst which basically allows developers to build a single app that can then be run on both macOS and iPads. This means that in the future, WhatsApp users will be able to use the app on their iPads which might be handy for those who use their iPads as laptop replacements.
Users have been requesting a WhatsApp app for the iPad for the longest time ever, and earlier this year, WhatsApp CEO Will Cathcart said that the company was open to that idea. WABetaInfo later revealed that an iPad app is in the works, and now it appears that it will come as part of a new universal app for macOS and iPad.
The report claims that for the most part, the macOS app will look the same as its current version but with some slight UI tweaks to make it more optimized for desktop use. As it stands, the desktop version of WhatsApp is essentially a wrapper for the web version of WhatsApp, so it would be nice to see a native desktop app that’s more optimized for computers.


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BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Talks within the European Union broke down on Tuesday over how to deal with food from cloned animals, sending EU proposals on the sale of new types of foods back to the drawing board after three years of debate.
Following all-night negotiations in Brussels, EU lawmakers were ready to drop their demand for a ban on the sale of food from the conventionally bred offspring of cloned animals, in return for mandatory labeling for all such products.
But EU governments rejected the compromise and said it risked dragging the 27-nation bloc into a "full blown trade war" with countries that already export food products derived from the young of cloned animals, such as the United States.
"The European Parliament ... tried to push the (European) Council to accept a misleading, unfeasible 'solution' that in practice would have required drawing a family tree for each slice of cheese or salami," said Hungary's farm minister Sandor Fazakas.
Hungary, which chaired the showdown talks as holder of the EU's rotating presidency, said it had been ready to accept a ban on the use of cloning for food production inEurope and "the gradual introduction of labeling" for products from the offspring of clones.
But failure to reach an agreement means the proposals on regulating so-called "novel foods," which are defined as foodstuffs not consumed significantly in the EU before 1997, must be redrafted, and could take "several more years" to finalize, Hungary said.
The European Parliament's negotiators in the talks accused EU governments of ignoring public opinion, citing a 2008 consumer survey that showed that 58 percent of Europeans believed cloning should never be used for food production.
"We made a huge effort to compromise, but we were not willing to betray consumers on their right to know whether food comes from animals bred using clones," lawmakersGianni Pittella and Kartika Liotard said in a joint statement.
The use of cloning for food production is not currently widespread in Europe.
The United States is the most advanced country in terms of cloning for food production, with estimates provided by companies suggesting that "thousands of cattle" and "hundreds of pigs" have been cloned there so far.
The United States currently has a voluntary moratorium on the marketing of food from cloned animals but not from their offspring.
Animal cloning, which uses DNA transfer to create an exact genetic copy of an animal, currently has a success rate below 20 percent, with most cloned animals dying during or shortly after birth.
The technique is complex and costly, ensuring that cloned animals are unlikely to be used themselves as food, but they can be bred traditionally to produce offspring that share similar traits, such as high milk production or rapid growth.
The EU's executive -- the European Commission -- is now expected to propose separate regulation to control the use of cloning in Europe, as well as new proposals on novel foods, which includes the use of nanotechnology in food production.
(Editing by Rex Merrifield and Jane Baird)
Creative Commons image via flickr user bertoz.


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viagra (sildenafil) 100mg tablet (uk) The characters include a reverend, a “whoremonger”, a politician, a prospector, an opium trafficker, a fortune-teller, a jailer. Everyone is from somewhere else (almost – the novel has one Maori character); European prospectors and Chinese labourers remaking themselves in a new world at “the southernmost edge of the civilised earth”. Each knows at least one thing not at first disclosed to the others. Moody becomes privy to the mystery by “a most disjointed and multifarious report”, which the narrator smooths out for the reader’s benefit.
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The inflator mechanisms in the air bags can rupture, causing metal fragments to fly out when the bags are deployed in crashes.
Officials are trying to spread the word about dangerous airbags in recalled cars amid word that the U.S. government is adding more than 3 million vehicles to the warning about faulty air bags that have the potential to kill or injure drivers or passengers in a crash.
More than 20 million vehicles in the U.S. are on the road with defective air bags which could possibly kill or injure drivers or passengers if they are involved in a crash.
Lexus owners need to check if they’re on Toyota’s recall list for vehicles with a faulty gasket that can leak and possibly cause a fire.
General Motors, Toyota, and Honda have each indicated what the future holds for automobiles, announcing upcoming automated models of their vehicles.
Automaker lays out plans for “partnership” between the car and the driver.
Your car will soon do more to help avoid a crash. But as for leaving the driving to the vehicle while you relax, don’t get your hopes up. That’s the message from Toyota.
Electric Automaker Unveils Tesla Model 3 Sedan For $35,000
BMW is expanding a recall of its most popular models to fix an air bag problem that is hitting much of the global auto industry.
Consumers looking for a used vehicle aren’t shying away from GM models — even though more than 20 million GM cars and trucks have been recalled this year.


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Homewares specialist Dunelm has posted a fall in quarterly sales but described trading as “robust” and maintained profit forecasts in the face of tough trading conditions.
Dunelm’s sales fell 8% to £357m – up 36% on a three-year basis – in the first quarter. The retailer said the decline was “as expected” against a strong comparable period last year when there was pent-up demand in the wake of the pandemic.
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Verizon's Field Force Manager is a Web-based application that enables main offices to locate remote employees, as well as schedule and dispatch jobs on-the-go. The service also lets mobile workers clock in remotely, get turn-by-turn navigation, and create an audit trail to validate job information for customers.
The mobile operator has expanded this service to a number of handsets, including Motorola's Moto Q 9c, BlackBerry Curve, and the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition. Verizon said the managing tool will be available on more smartphones later this year.
"Our goal is to not only provide our business customers with the best solutions to keep their business going but to also offer them the most reliable device options," Rob Miller, Verizon Wireless' VP of marketing, said in a statement. "With Field Force Manager now available on numerous devices, our business customers now have a choice in how they stay connected with their workforce in and out of the office."
The remote managing service has three tiers of service, and it starts at $15 a month. It is available now on certain handsets with unlimited e-mail on BlackBerry Internet Service, or Windows Mobile 6.1.
Enterprises are seeing an uptick in mobile employees, with one recent support estimating nearly 75% of workers will need some form of mobile support by 2012. InformationWeek has published a report that showcases how companies are using smartphones and mobile devices to access business applications. The report can be downloaded here (registration required).


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CMA CGM said all the vessels it rerouted from the Red Sea would now pass through the Cape of Good Hope amid continued attacks in the region.
The French shipping line said the safety of its seafarers remains the company's priority at all times.
"CMA CGM informs its customers that as from February 1st, 2024 and until further notice, all services initially routed via the Red Sea passage will now follow the Cape of Good Hope routing," the announcement said.
In late December, CMA CGM implemented additional measures in its Red Sea operations amid increased attacks on commercial vessels in the waterway.
Aside from implementing a Red Sea charge, it also announced the re-routing of several vessels from their intended route through the Cape of Good Hope.


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Apple’s AirDrop has been providing extremely easy and handy way to share files among Apple devices, now, Google is reportedly working on a new file manager app called “Files Go.”
The search giant is testing the new Files Go App for Android that will feature wireless transfer. That means, the app will offer wireless transferring of files without an internet connection, much like Apple’s AirDrop tech.
The new app will partly work as a file manager. There’s a storage tab to show you how much space is being used and it also provides tools that you can use to clean up your phone’s files. You can make free spaces as the app also includes options to delete apps, clear app caches, and remove spam or duplicate images. There’s a files tab that groups content into different types, such as images, video, and audio.
According to rumors, file transfer will work via Bluetooth, but that’s not confirmed yet. The search giants believe that the app is very useful. Even Google Photos already has a way to clean up unwanted files but the new tool is not limited to photos and images.
Some theories reveal that the Files Go app will only run on the Android Go operating system. Some reports suggest that it will be available globally at the beginning of December.
Apple’s AirDrop might finally get some interesting competition from Google. It looks like, with this new Files Go app, Google is answering to Apple’s AirDrop.


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General Motors makes $328M investment
Flint, Mich. plant to keep or add 150 jobs: GM
FLINT, Mich.—General Motors is investing $328-million into its Flint, Mich. plant.
The investment is expected to sustain or create 150 jobs at the 2,047-employee facility, which currently builds the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.
The carmaker says it is gearing up to produce its next generation Chevrolet and GMC full-size pick-up trucks.
Tom Wickham, the plant’s communications manager, wouldn’t give a breakdown of how the $328 million would be spent, but said “it’s safe to say that when you redesign a vehicle you need to update equipment throughout an assembly plant, including the body shop.”
This is the most recent of a total $2 billion worth of investments that GM is making across 17 U.S. facilities over the next 18 months.
Altogether, the spending is expected to retain or add 4,000 jobs.
Michigan has been a major beneficiary in the current round of investments, designated for $744 million.
The Flint Engine, Bay City Powertrain, Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly, Lansing Grand River Assembly, Saginaw Powertrain and GM Components Holdings in Wyoming, Mich., all were designated for manufacturing investment along with a $130 million Data Center on its Warren, Mich. Technical Center campus.
GM’s retail share of the full-size pickup market was 40.4 per cent through May—up from 37.7 per cent in the first five months of 2010.
More GM coverage: GM and Westport team on natural gas engines


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UK new car registrations declined – 97.3% in April, according to figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. This marked a record low for the new car market as the coronavirus pandemic forced the nation into lockdown for the entire month, with showrooms closed and car buyers housebound.
Just 4,321 new cars were registered in the month, some 156,743 fewer than in April 2019, with many delivered to key workers and front line public services and companies. The decline was the steepest of modern times, and is in line with similar falls across Europe, with France -88.8% down and the Italian market falling -97.5% in April.
Fleet orders represented by far the bulk of the market, taking 71.5% market share, equivalent to 3,090 units, while private buyers registered just 871 cars – a year on year fall of –98.7%. The distortion was reflected across all segments and fuel types, with the numbers of new petrol and diesel cars joining UK roads down -98.5% and -97.6% respectively, as plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) declined -95.1% and hybrids (HEVs) -99.3%. Meanwhile, the niche battery electric vehicles sector saw a smaller percentage decrease of -9.7%, as some pre-ordered deliveries of the latest premium models were able to be fulfilled.
Despite showrooms being closed for the month of April, companies managed to support key workers, critical companies and frontline services. Meanwhile, the industry has continued to keep service and repair workshops open to maintain vehicles that are so crucial in keeping key services, goods and people moving safely across the country.
The news comes as SMMT releases its latest new car market forecast for 2020, downgrading previous expectations to just 1.68 million registrations. This puts the sector on course to record its worst performance since 1992’s 1.59 million units, below the levels seen during the financial crisis and some -27% lower than the 2.31 million new cars registered in 2019. Despite this, the BEV market is expected to double in 2020 to 77,300 units as new model introductions bolster the market.


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Tesla rival Lucid plans to launch in Europe this year
January 05, 2022 at 07:09 AM EST
Lucid has announced that it plans to start expanding into European markets this year as demand for electric vehicles soars.
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A gaggle of drivers claimed on Tuesday that Uber and Lyft are participating in anticompetitive practices by setting the costs prospects pay and limiting drivers’ skill to decide on which rides they settle for with out penalty.
The drivers, supported by the advocacy group Rideshare Drivers United, made the novel authorized argument in a state lawsuit that targets the long-running debate in regards to the job standing of gig financial system employees.
For years, Uber and Lyft have argued that their drivers must be thought of impartial contractors quite than staff beneath labor legal guidelines, that means they might be accountable for their very own bills and never sometimes eligible for unemployment insurance coverage or well being advantages. In alternate, the businesses argued, drivers might set their very own hours and keep extra independence than they may in the event that they had been staff.
However of their grievance, which was filed in Superior Courtroom in San Francisco and seeks class-action standing, three drivers declare that Uber and Lyft, whereas treating them as impartial contractors, haven’t actually given them independence and are attempting to keep away from giving drivers the advantages and protections of employment standing whereas setting restrictions on the best way they work.
“They’re making up the foundations as they go alongside. They’re not treating me as an impartial, they’re not treating me as an worker, ”mentioned one of many plaintiffs, Taje Gill, a Lyft and Uber driver in Orange County, Calif. “You are someplace in no man’s land,” he added.
In 2020, Uber and Lyft campaigned for drivers and voters to help a poll measure in California that will lock within the impartial contractor standing of drivers. The businesses mentioned such a measure would assist drivers by giving them flexibility, and Uber additionally started permitting drivers in California to set their very own charges after the state handed a legislation requiring corporations to deal with contract employees as staff. Drivers thought the brand new flexibility was an indication of what life could be like if voters permitted the poll measure, Proposition 22.
Drivers had been additionally given elevated visibility into the place passengers wished to journey earlier than they needed to settle for the trip. The poll measure handed, earlier than a choose overturned it.
Learn Extra In regards to the Gig Economic system
The subsequent 12 months, the brand new choices for drivers had been rolled again. Drivers mentioned they’d misplaced the flexibility to set their very own fares and now should meet necessities – like accepting 5 of each 10 rides – to see particulars about journeys earlier than accepting them.
The drivers mentioned now they lacked each the advantages of being an worker and people of being an impartial contractor. “I could not see this as truthful and affordable,” Mr. Gill mentioned.
The shortcoming to view a passenger’s vacation spot earlier than accepting the trip is especially onerous, the drivers mentioned. It generally results in unanticipated late-night journeys to faraway airports or out-of-the-way locations that aren’t value efficient.
“Hundreds of thousands of individuals select to earn on platforms like Uber due to the distinctive independence and adaptability it offers,” mentioned Noah Edwardsen, an Uber spokesman. “This grievance misconstrues each the details and the relevant legislation, and we intend to defend ourselves accordingly.”
A Lyft spokeswoman, Jodi Seth, mentioned in a press release, “Voters in California overwhelmingly supported a poll measure that delivers what drivers need and may’t get by conventional employment: flexibility and independence.” She added, “Lyft’s platform offers beneficial alternatives for drivers in California and throughout the nation to earn wages when and the way they need.”
Within the lawsuit, the drivers are asking that Uber and Lyft be barred from “fixing costs for ride-share providers” and “withholding fare and vacation spot information from drivers when presenting them with rides” and be required to offer drivers clear per-mile , per-minute or per-trip pay ”quite than utilizing“ hidden algorithms ”to find out compensation.
The drivers are suing on antitrust grounds, arguing that if they’re labeled as impartial contractors, then Uber and Lyft are interfering with an open market by limiting how they work and the way a lot their passengers are charged.
“Uber and Lyft are both employers accountable to their staff beneath labor requirements legal guidelines, or they’re sure by the legal guidelines that prohibit highly effective companies from utilizing their market energy to repair costs and have interaction in different conduct that restrains truthful competitors,” the lawsuit says.
Specialists mentioned the grievance could be a protracted shot in federal court docket, the place judges sometimes use a “rule of motive” to weigh antitrust claims in opposition to client welfare. Federal courts usually permit probably anticompetitive practices that arguably profit customers.
For instance, Uber and Lyft would possibly argue that the obvious restraints on competitors assist hold down wait occasions for purchasers by making certain an enough provide of drivers. The lawsuit argues that permitting drivers to set their very own costs would seemingly result in decrease fares for purchasers, as a result of Uber and Lyft hold a considerable portion of the fares, and what prospects pay sometimes bears little relationship to what drivers earn.
Regardless of the case, courts in California might be extra sympathetic to a minimum of among the claims within the grievance, the specialists mentioned.
“In case you apply among the legal guidelines mechanically, it’s extremely favorable to the plaintiff in a state court docket and beneath California legislation particularly,” mentioned Josh P. Davis, the pinnacle of the San Francisco Bay Space workplace of the Berger Montague agency.
“You would possibly get a choose who says: ‘This isn’t federal legislation. That is state legislation. And when you apply it in an easy approach, look again on all the gig financial system complexities and have a look at this factor, we have now a legislation that claims you may’t do that, ‘”Mr. Davis mentioned.
Peter Carstensen, an emeritus legislation professor on the College of Wisconsin, mentioned he was skeptical that drivers would get traction with their claims that Uber and Lyft had been illegally setting the value drivers might cost.
However Mr. Carstensen mentioned a state choose would possibly rule within the plaintiffs’ favor on different so-called vertical restraints, such because the incentives that assist tie drivers to one of many platforms by, for instance, guaranteeing them a minimum of $ 1,000 in the event that they full 70 rides between Monday and Friday. A choose might conclude that these incentives largely exist to cut back competitors between Uber and Lyft, he mentioned, as a result of they make drivers much less more likely to change platforms and make it more durable for a brand new gig platform to rent away drivers.
“You are making it extraordinarily tough for a 3rd get together to come back in,” Mr. Carstensen mentioned.
David Seligman, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, mentioned the lawsuit may gain advantage from growing scrutiny of anticompetitive practices.
“We predict that policymakers and advocates and courts throughout the nation are paying extra consideration and extra intently scrutinizing the methods wherein dominant corporations and companies are abusing their energy within the labor market,” Mr. Seligman mentioned.
The drivers say the rollback of choices like setting their very own costs has made it tougher to earn a residing as a gig employee, particularly in latest months as fuel costs have soared and as competitors amongst drivers has began to return to prepandemic ranges.
“It has been more and more tough to earn cash,” mentioned one other plaintiff, Ben Valdez, a driver in Los Angeles. “Sufficient is sufficient. There’s solely a lot an individual can take. ”


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VR arcade publisher Vertigo Arcades and INNERSPACE VR have announced their distribution partnership to bring Corsair’s Curse, a high-end, 4D free-roam multiplayer LB VR adventure for the whole family to VR locations worldwide via Vertigo’s LB VR distribution platform from Spring 2019.
“As the virtual gatekeepers of VR, arcades play an invaluable role in converting VR enthusiasts to VR customers,” said Richard Stitselaar, Managing Director at Vertigo Arcades. “Adding the spectacular Corsair’s Curse to our portfolio brings us another step closer to realizing our vision for making high-end free-roam multiplayer LB VR experiences available to arcades worldwide, arming them with the best that VR currently has to offer to attract customers, whether they are new to VR or own VR headsets at home.”
Experience Corsair’s Curse behind-closed-doors at GDC San Francisco, where it will be playable for the first time in North-America from Tuesday, 19 March until Thursday, 21 March.
Corsair’s Curse will be available through Vertigo’s LB VR platform from Spring 2019. For more information, please visit http://vertigo-arcades.com.


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BEIJING: Motivated by wildlife protection campaigns and Buddha's teachings, more than 50 million Chinese defied deep-rooted tradition of meat eating and turned vegetarians, making the Communist nation one of the fast emerging countries with vegan population.
Although there are no official statistics about China's vegetarian population, Public Radio International, an independent non-profit multi-media organisation, reported in July that China's vegan population has reached more than 50 million, state-run Xinhua news agency reported today.
According to the world vegetarian outfits, India where the vegetarianism was rooted in the religion and culture estimated to have over 500 million vegetarians, who shun meat in their meal, the Xinhua reported.
For the Chinese vegetarians, their traditional New Year currently being celebrated all over the country is perhaps the toughest time to maintain their eating habits when faced with the country's deep-rooted tradition of sharing meat dishes.
Chicken and fish are indispensable part of many Chinese families' feasts because they symbolise luck and abundance.
In Chinese, the words for chicken and fish sound like those for "auspicious" and "abundance," so people eat these proteins on Lunar New Year's Eve in the hope of luck.
However, the country's growing numbers of vegetarians, who are especially concentrated among the young skipped the ritual this year.
Chen Yuan, a 17-year-old high school student in Hefei, the capital of east China's Anhui Province
, is a vegetarian and has avoided eating meat for two years.
Chen decided to stop eating meat after seeing public- interest advertisements advocating the protection of wildlife.
The "message carried by those advertisements really made an impression on me," she said.
Xu Zihan, her classmate, said she was inspired by vegetarian celebrities from China and overseas, including singer Faye Wong, Kung fu star Jet Li and actress Natalie Portman.
"It is cool to be a vegetarian. You won't get fat and, most importantly, you are compassionate," Xu said, adding that some of her friends stopped having meat after rearing pets.
Unlike the two teenagers, Liu Haiyan represents another type of Chinese vegetarian
- those motivated by religion.
The 35-year-old Shanghai resident is a Buddhist. For her, eschewing meat and dairy allows her to follow the teachings of the Buddha.


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The details have not been revealed yet so, it is not for sure what all new arms and vehicles we will see in the game.
GAMING - page 3
The Pokemon GO developer said its policy seemed to be working - over 90 percent of users stopped cheating after receiving their first warning
Since Cyberpunk 2077’s unsuccessful release in December, CD Projekt has been working to improve the game in hopes of spinning a redemption story.
CD Projekt’s Cyberpunk 2077 announced on Wednesday that the big bug fix update also known as patch 1.2 would not be coming until “the second half of March”
Krafton’s India team has been developing PUBG Mobile 2 and it might release as early as next week, but there is no knowing if it might release in India.
It will also be providing users with a more immersive experience than the previous generation.
It's worth adding that Sony has been increasingly releasing new titles in its PS Plus universe, including Bugsnax and Destruction AllStars.
The Chinese developer of Genshin Impact doubled revenue to almost $800 million last year, riding one of the biggest video game hits of the pandemic era.


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The Luxembourg-American Chamber of Commerce (LACC), in collaboration with the American Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg (AMCHAM), will host a panel webinar event to celebrate International Women’s Month, on Wednesday 24 March 2021 at 17:00.
The event, entitled "Dynamic Business Leaders; Entrepreneurs & More", will feature an expansive panel of women across many disciplines representing the best of women in business in the United States (US) and Luxembourg.
- Moderator: Luxembourg-based Lisa Burke, who has over 20 years experience as a TV presenter, reporter and interviewer;
- Panelist: Liz Beuer, a multifaceted marketer who boasts a diverse professional background in both New York and Luxembourg within fashion, digital media, wholesale, production and e-commerce;
- Panelist: Natasha Franck, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Eon, a company which powers connected products and sustainable and circular business models across fashion retail;
- Panelist: Isabelle Steichen, who grew up in Luxembourg and moved to the US in 2013. Since moving to New York City, she has worked closely with founding teams for various early stage VC backed startups in the food and tech space;
- Panelist: Genna Elvin, Co-Founder and Chief Tada Office of Tadaweb, a growth stage technology company based in Luxembourg, with offices in Paris and London;
- Speaker: Susan Alexander, a native New Yorker who has lived in Luxembourg since 1989. She has had a non-linear career path that has included working as a professional musician, being ordained as a Presbyterian minister, heading derivative and fixed income research at a Wall Street firm and founding a web site and web application development company, among others;
- Speaker: Sylvie Schmit-Verbrugghen, an expatriate with over 28 years of experience working in the relocation industry. She established the privately-owned company European Relocation Services in March 2004.
Tickets for this online event (Zoom) are free but registration is required at www.amcham.lu/events/dynamic-business-leaders-entrepreneurs-more-24th-march-2021.


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Dairy co-operative Darigold has announced an expansion of its pool of organic farms in the northwest of the US and investment to grow its organic capabilities.
Darigold says that it is now making packaged organic products for the retail and foodservice channels, and working with manufacturing customers to produce custom organic ingredients.
This marks an expansion of the company’s activities in the organic category, which previously included processing organic milk and working with co-pack partners.
To support this shift, Darigold is adding organic segregation and processing capabilities to a fourth plant. Darigold says that the move will allow it to offer more organic ingredients, branded consumer products and co-packed products to meet increased customer demand for organic options.
The co-op has recently entered the branded organic segment with the launch of two new products: Darigold Northwest Organic Milk and Darigold FIT Organic Milk.
Both products are initially available at select Costco warehouses and will expand to other retailers over the coming year.
“Darigold is proud to offer a new local, organic milk option and is excited about the Fit brand extension,” said Duane Naluai, president of Darigold’s consumer products.
“Our customers not only expect superior quality nutrition and great taste from all our dairy products, but demand for locally sourced certified-organic products is growing. That is why we continue to expand our milk selections to now include Northwest Organic Milk and Fit Organic Milk from Darigold.”
Earlier this year, Darigold revealed that it had invested $67 million in its Boise, Idaho production facility, as it looked to meet the growing demand for its Fit Milk.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2021
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This week the commissioner of the FDA released a new update regarding the effects and response of the FDA in relation to the Coronavirus. The FDA has emphasized that they are taking a multi-faceted approach to this public health emergency. This approach includes facilitating efforts to diagnose, treat, and prevent the disease; surveilling the medical product supply chain for potential shortages and disruptions and helping to mitigate such impacts; and leveraging the full breath of their public health tools to stop any fraudulent activity to oversee the safety and quality of FDA-regulated products for American patients and consumers.
While the FDA is not able to conduct inspections in China at this moment, the FDA reiterates that this is not hindering their efforts to monitor medical products and food safety. At the moment, risk-based inspections in other parts of the world are being prioritized. As soon as the travel advisory is changed, the FDA is prepared to resume routine inspections as soon as feasible. Import screening, examinations, sampling, import alerts are currently being used to complement inspections in addition to relying on a firm’s previous compliance history. A wide variety of FDA-regulated products are imported from China, which is why the FDA is taking all measures possible to assure the public of the quality of these products.
The FDA will also utilize their authority to request records from firms “in advance or in lieu of” drug surveillance inspections in China. These records will help the agency when drug inspections in China resume by allowing the agency to take a risk-based approach to prioritizing inspections when they resume. In addition to records requests, the FDA will be continuing to work closely with the US Customs and Border Protection to target products intended to import into the US that may violate any applicable legal requirements for FDA regulated products. The FDA reserves the right to refuse admission of products that fail sample testing or may violate any other applicable legal requirements.
At this moment, the FDA has announced that they have not seen any significant impacts of this outbreak resulting in any increased public health risk for American consumers from imported products. There has also been no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with imported goods but this remains a dynamic situation and it will be continually assessed.
The FDA is also aggressively monitoring the market for any firms marketing products with fraudulent COVID-19 prevention and treatment claims. Any firms who are believed to deceive the public and take advantage of a crisis could be subject to warning letters, seizures, or injunctions against products on the market that are not in compliance with the law, or against firms who violate the law.
mdi has experienced FDA’s changes in plans for several of our Chinese clients concerning their upcoming inspections. The FDA postponed all FDA inspections with no rescheduling. WE have also seen and increase in foreign inspections in Canada, Europe and Israel. Though, some plans in the Europe may now be changed as well.
As more information is available, mdi will be closely monitoring the situation and will be posting more updates. If you have any specific questions regarding the coronavirus outbreak and how it may affect your company’s operations feel free to contact us via email at firstname.lastname@example.org RE: Coronavirus.


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In addition, “many CRM vendors are enriching their platforms with AI,” says Chris Matty, CEO, Versium. “CRM vendors are betting that with AI, businesses will be able to deliver more predictive and personalized customer experiences across sales, service, marketing, commerce and more. In 2017, AI will have a substantial impact on the CRM marketplace as a whole,” he predicts. “As customers start to examine each vendor’s specific AI and data analytics capabilities as part of their selection criteria, vendors are likely to win or lose customers and revenue based on their unique implementation of data analytics and machine learning.”
Embedded analytics. “In 2017, ERP applications will provide an embedded analytics engine to address the heavy lifting required to manage operational data,” says Colleen Smith, vice president & general manager, OpenEdge, Progress. “These engines must be able to parse data, present it clearly and include data from a multitude of sources. Many companies will need to add an embedded analytics engine to their existing infrastructure, as the ERP apps they’re using were likely built over a decade ago.”
[ Related: 8 ways to get the most out of your ERP system ]
Data visualization. “Visualization is becoming a more significant feature, as large ERP providers acquire or develop external hardware-software integrated systems that can visualize team analytics on dashboards,” says Monica Georgieff, head of marketing, Kanbanize.
More mobility.“The modern workplace has staff working remotely and outside of traditional work hours,” says Sheila Lindner, president,Octacom. As a result, “there will be a huge emphasis on implementing mobile capabilities for ERP solutions in 2017, [with] many ERP solutions decreasing in size, without compromising on output or storage capacity, to allow employees easy access to all information and functions through mobile devices.”
One solution to rule them all? “In 2017, through the help of embedded predictive and AI technologies, marketing automation will evolve into the self-driving car of the enterprise, anticipating buyer behaviors, automating outreach, prescribing for the business who to engage, when to engage and what to engage with,” says Andy MacMillan, CEO, Act-On Software.
[ Related: CIO's guide to marketing automation software ]
Because of that, he predicts that “marketing automation [software] will claim a bigger seat at the table, transforming the way companies communicate and engage all together with stakeholders (from press, analysts and employees, to buyers and prospects, to customers and partners) – and become enterprises’ de facto engagement database of record.”
This story, "What 2017 holds for enterprise software" was originally published by CIO.


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Tucked away in an old car repair shop in Lyndonville is a surprising tenant - California born company Sierra Biological. The company, now based in Orleans County, provides an alternative to chemical and pesticide dependence. Pesticides and chemicals can have negative effects on soil and water supply. Nematodes, the main Sierra Biological product, can manage damaging insects and organisms in your soil without having the negative side-effects.
“We put the cats in the barn to keep the mice away,” said Casey Decker, president of Sierra Biological.
Through natural selection, Sierra Biological can produce naturally beneficial nematodes for farmers, greenhouses, growers, and even homeowners looking for a better alternative to salvage their lawn. Sierra Biological develops four species, including praying mantis and lady bugs.
Jim Whipple of Orleans EDA (left) with Casey Decker (right)
Sierra Biological moved to Buffalo from Sierra Nevada, California. The potential of the Canadian market is large, and different chemical and pesticide laws, compared to the United States, open opportunity. When based in Sierra Nevada, the company was shipping to Buffalo anyways as a means to enter Canada. The logistics and large gap in affordability made Buffalo Niagara an obvious decision for his new business.
In Buffalo Niagara, Sierra Biological has seven employees. The company is coming off its best month yet.
Passing through Medina
On our visit to Orleans County, we spent the early afternoon walking through the village, visiting a recently renovated historic building that is now home to a coffee shop and boutique hotel along with a meadery. Medina’s Main Street has also seen some aesthetic changes, with new restaurants and stores getting face lifts to their exteriors.
The Medina Business Park is Western New York’s largest NYS certified shovel-ready business park. With acreage available on both the north and south side, and early resident Pride Pak up-and-running, the park is an attractive location for companies looking to expand in the region.


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COMMENTARY: AI-powered vehicle delivery unveiled
In the rapidly evolving landscape of the automotive industry, the integration of artificial intelligence in vehicle delivery is not just a futuristic concept but a present reality reshaping the Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) paradigm. This transformation, marked by advanced digital solutions, is setting new standards for efficiency, accuracy, and customer satisfaction.
In this article, we delve into the nuances of this significant shift, exploring the profound impact AI is having on the vehicle delivery process from OEMs to customers’ doorsteps.
Evolution of vehicle delivery: From traditional to digital
The journey of vehicle delivery has undergone a substantial transformation over the years, not least Hyundai’s recently announced collaboration with Amazon. Traditionally, the buying process involved several intermediaries, from manufacturers to dealerships, finally reaching the customer. This system, while functional, often lacked transparency and efficiency, leading to a disjointed customer experience.
Today, the rise of e-commerce and digital platforms has revolutionized this model. Consumers, empowered by technology, increasingly prefer direct interactions with manufacturers. This preference has paved the way for DTC models, where OEMs bypass traditional dealership networks to sell directly to customers. A report by McKinsey & Company highlights the growing inclination towards online car purchases: “Fewer than 3 percent of customers say they purchase vehicles fully online, but 29 percent of consumers indicate that they want to buy their next car entirely online.”
AI: The game-changer in car inspection and delivery
At the core of this DTC revolution is the critical role of car inspection and delivery. Ensuring that a vehicle is in pristine condition before it reaches the customer is paramount. Traditionally, this process was manual and time-consuming, susceptible to human error. The advent of AI has been a game-changer in this realm.
AI-powered inspection systems use advanced algorithms and machine learning to assess a vehicle’s condition with remarkable precision. These systems, often employing stationary cameras, can quickly identify even the minutest defects or inconsistencies, far surpassing the capabilities of manual inspections.
But the innovation doesn’t stop at pre-delivery checks. AI is equally transformative at the point of delivery. Mobile inspection apps, equipped with AI, are now used by delivery personnel to conduct real-time inspections upon vehicle drop-off. These tools not only streamline the process but also enhance transparency, allowing customers to view an accurate assessment of their vehicle’s condition upon arrival.
The digital trade-in: AI’s answer to an age-old challenge
Trade-ins are a vital component of the automotive sales process, yet they have traditionally been fraught with challenges, particularly in assessing the vehicle’s condition accurately. AI has provided a solution here as well. Using AI-powered assessment tools, OEMs can now offer fair and transparent evaluations of trade-in vehicles, simplifying the process for both the seller and the buyer.
These AI systems analyze extensive data points on the vehicle, from external body condition to internal mechanics, ensuring an objective evaluation. This digital approach not only saves time, but also enhances customer confidence in the trade-in process, an essential factor in the success of DTC sales.
AI’s role in enhancing sustainability and compliance
The integration of AI in vehicle delivery extends beyond efficiency and customer satisfaction. It also plays a crucial role in addressing environmental concerns and regulatory compliance. AI systems can optimize delivery routes, reducing carbon emissions associated with transportation.
Furthermore, by ensuring accurate vehicle inspections and minimizing the need for returns or repairs, AI contributes to reducing the environmental footprint of the delivery process.
From a regulatory standpoint, AI helps OEMs navigate the complex web of compliance requirements in different markets. By maintaining accurate digital records and ensuring adherence to quality standards, AI-powered systems aid in meeting regulatory obligations, an increasingly important consideration as the automotive industry faces stricter environmental and safety regulations.
We will delve deeper into the future implications of AI in vehicle delivery, exploring emerging technologies and their potential impact on the automotive industry, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Emerging technologies and future of AI in vehicle delivery
As we gaze into the future of vehicle delivery, it’s evident that AI is just the tip of the iceberg. Emerging technologies like blockchain, augmented reality (AR), and the Internet of Things (IoT) are set to further revolutionize this space. Blockchain, for instance, offers unparalleled security and transparency in transaction records, making it an ideal technology for managing vehicle sales and ownership histories. AR could transform customer experiences, allowing virtual inspections and interactive features for buyers. Meanwhile, IoT devices can provide real-time monitoring and diagnostics of vehicles during transit, ensuring they arrive in optimal condition.
These advancements are not mere speculations. Industry leaders and startups alike are investing heavily in these technologies, recognizing their potential to create a more efficient, transparent, and customer-centric delivery process. For instance, several OEMs are experimenting with AR to provide customers with immersive vehicle demonstrations and inspections remotely.
Challenges ahead: Balancing innovation with practicality
However, the road ahead is not without its challenges. One of the primary concerns is the balance between technological innovation and practical implementation. While AI and related technologies offer numerous benefits, they also require significant investment in terms of infrastructure, training, and development. The automotive industry must navigate these financial and logistical hurdles to fully leverage AI’s potential.
Another challenge is the integration of these technologies within the existing automotive ecosystem. Ensuring compatibility between new AI systems and legacy systems within OEMs and third-party vendors is crucial for a seamless transition. Moreover, as these technologies evolve, so must the regulatory frameworks governing them. The industry must work closely with regulatory bodies to ensure that advancements in vehicle delivery technology comply with evolving laws and regulations.
Opportunities for collaboration and growth
Despite these challenges, the opportunities for innovation and growth in vehicle delivery are immense. Collaborations between automotive companies, tech giants, and startups are likely to become more prevalent, driving forward technological advancements. These partnerships can harness the strengths of each sector – the automotive industry’s deep understanding of vehicles and customer needs, combined with the tech industry’s expertise in AI and digital solutions.
Furthermore, there’s a significant opportunity for AI to enhance customer personalization and engagement. By analyzing customer data, AI can offer tailored vehicle recommendations, personalized financing options, and customized delivery experiences. This level of personalization not only enhances customer satisfaction but also fosters brand loyalty and repeat business.
Sustainability and AI: Toward a greener future
An often-overlooked aspect of AI in vehicle delivery is its potential to drive sustainability. By optimizing delivery routes and schedules, AI can significantly reduce carbon emissions associated with vehicle transportation. Additionally, AI’s precision in vehicle inspections and maintenance predictions can lead to longer vehicle lifespans and reduced resource waste. As the world increasingly focuses on environmental sustainability, AI’s role in promoting greener practices in the automotive industry becomes more crucial.
Conclusion: Navigating the AI-driven road ahead
As we conclude our exploration of the AI-driven transformation in vehicle delivery, it’s clear that this is a pivotal moment for the automotive industry. AI and related technologies are not just altering how vehicles are delivered; they are redefining the very fabric of the industry’s relationship with its customers. The integration of AI promises a future of enhanced efficiency, increased transparency, and unparalleled customer experiences.
However, this future is not without its challenges. Balancing innovation with practical implementation, ensuring technological compatibility, and navigating evolving regulatory landscapes are hurdles that the industry must overcome. Yet, the opportunities for collaboration, growth, and sustainability are immense.
The automotive industry stands at the threshold of a new era, one where AI and technology lead the way. As manufacturers, dealers, and consumers navigate this changing landscape, the promise of a more efficient, transparent, and customer-centric approach to vehicle delivery shines brightly on the horizon. The journey ahead is exciting, and the industry must be ready to embrace the AI-driven transformation with open arms.
Ron Soreanu is general manager of international business at Ravin AI.


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Payment gateway and point of sales (PoS) provider Innoviti Technologies has raised Rs 40 crore in Series E round led by Bessemer Venture Partners and Patni Family Office. Several angel investors also joined the financing round.
The proceeds will be deployed towards driving the firm’s mid-market expansion and further growing the online business that has scaled 4X in the past 12 months, the company said in a press release.
According to Innoviti, this round is an ongoing one and it would raise more funds in the near future. Prior to this, the company raised funds from Bessemer, FMO, Patni and other investors in 2022.
Innoviti provides payment gateway and PoS devices to merchants to facilitate online and card-based payments. Service fees charged from these facilitations were the sole source of operating revenue for Innoviti in FY23.
According to the startup data intelligence platform TheKredible, Innoviti’s operating revenue grew to Rs 110.2 crore in FY23 while its losses grew 17.8% to Rs 86.5 crore in FY23.
Innoviti also received the final nod from RBI to operate as an online payment aggregator earlier this year. The company says it is also aiming to become profitable by September 2024.


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Chuck & Don's opening 20th Minnesota store
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Chuck & Don's Pet Food Outlet will open a Maple Grove location on Oct. 28.
The 4,282-square-foot store, located at 8115 N. Wedgewood Lane, will be the pet-supply chain's 20th location in Minnesota.
“The Maple Grove area is an extremely pet-friendly community and we believe the residents will really embrace Chuck & Don’s,” Chuck & Don’s District Manager Julie Simmons said in a statement. “We are looking forward to bringing a great selection of quality pet products to the area.”
In addition to its Minnesota stores, Mahtomedi-based Chuck & Don's also operates five locations in Colorado. The retailer entered that market in 2011.
I first wrote about the company's rapid growth in 2009, at which point the company was set to top $20 million in annual revenue for the first time. Revenue was approaching $40 million last year, according to an article in Twin Cities Business magazine.
John Vomhof Jr. covers retail, hotels, sports business, advertising, public relations and media. He's also on the air on WCCO-AM 830 with Dave Lee daily at 8:45 a.m. and on Fox 9 TV Fridays at 5:30 a.m. & 6:30 a.m.
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Market Update: 6/6/2022
Mixed economic signals continue to arrive each week and, accordingly, the markets are struggling to find direction. The best place to measure the state of the economy is the quarterlies and the numbers from Walmart, Amazon and Target show that some consumers are starting to buckle under the inflation pressure of gas and other necessities. But what’s challenging right now is that investors may cheer downbeat economic results as that means there may be less Fed tightening. The question remains as to when decreased consumer demand will drawdown inflation and the early data shows inflation is decelerating as the PCE has fallen for the last three months.
How do you invest during all this economic chaos? By being selective and avoiding as many mistakes as possible. Interest rates on bonds continue to yield less than inflation making them unattractive. Real-estate is also starting to show signs of cracking as mortgage rates are up 67% over the last year. In Charleston, inventory on the MLS has gone from 900 offerings to 1600 over the last few weeks, nearly doubling. That stands well below the average of 5000 listings, but rising fast. While we continue to avoid those asset classes, the stock market may have bottomed as the S&P 500 had a dramatic 6% rally in the last week of May. Under all the headlines, SOME stocks are going up after their tremendous drawdowns. If you look at why, you’ll find these companies are growing their sales and earnings faster than inflation and they warrant exposure. As always, I appreciate the continued trust and confidence.


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Motorola Mobility to leave South Korea, 600 people will soon be looking for work
Motorola Mobility, which Google officially took over in May of this year after a long approval process, will leave South Korea in early 2013 according to The Next Web. This decision will result in roughly 600 people losing their job. About 10% of the people working in the Research and Development Unit will be offered relocation packages. We’re going to interpret that as Google wanting these people to be closer to Motorola’s Chicago offices.
We’d like to remind you that HTC left South Korea as recently as this summer, so we’re not looking at an isolated incident here. This writer has several friends who have traveled to South Korea during the past few months, and all of them say Samsung and LG dominate the market, so it’s not too surprising to hear today’s news.
About the 600 people who will soon be looking for work, we think they’ll get snatched up rather quickly. Imagine if the team who designed the Motorola RAZR ended up in Samsung and convinced the company to stop making plastic phones? Imagine if the engineers who decided to put a 3300 mAh battery inside the RAZR MAXX ended up at LG? We can only hope.
Back to Motorola for a second, when are we really going to see what Google plans to do with the company? We’re confident that during the second half of 2013 we’re going to hear about something that’s mind blowing. Whether or not it’ll be called a Nexus device is a whole other topic of discussion that’s way too political to even bring up.
With news of 1080p screens and quad core processors becoming the norm for 2013 flagship devices, we hope Google uses Motorola’s vast resources to bring something to market that sets the standard for what a smartphone should be.


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Virgil Abloh, the Ghana born artist and creator who has been instrumental in Kanye’s success in the fashion world, has been named Louis Vuitton’s new Men’s Wear Designer.
Virgil will serve as the luxury brand’s artist director for men’s wear. With this, he also becomes their first African-American designer at the top level. “I feel elated,” Virgil told NY times on Sunday, adding that he has plans to relocate his family to Paris to take the
“Virgil is incredibly good at creating bridges between the classic and the zeitgeist of the moment,” said Michael Burke, chief executive of Louis Vuitton. The two first met about 12 years ago when Virgil spent six months interning at Fendi with Kanye West, where Mr. Burke was then the chief executive. “I paid them $500 a month!” Mr. Burke said. “I was really impressed with how they brought a whole new vibe to the studio and were disruptive in the best way. Virgil could create a metaphor and a new vocabulary to describe something as old-school as Fendi. I have been following his career ever since.”
Abloh first rose to fame when he took the responsibilities of creating merchandise and art direction behind Kanye and Jay-Z’s Watch The Throne album. He would later go on and get nominated for a Grammy and


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CAPE TOWN – Microsoft announced a new feature for Windows 10 that will allow Android phone users to view and use any app on their device from a Windows desktop.
(Image by Microsoft)
The announcement was made at the company’s Surface hardware October event in New York City.
The feature can be found on Windows as an app called Your Phone app.
Microsoft added that it will support phones running Android 7.0 or newer versions of Google's mobile operating system.
They did not mention when it would make the feature available to iOS users.
However, Microsoft did announce the ability to transfer web pages from an iPhone to a Windows 10 desktop so you can pick up where you left off on mobile.
"In today’s multi-device world, you should be able to pick the phone you want, the laptop you want and have best of a breed. With features like the Your Phone App and Windows Timeline, we will help you move seamlessly across all your devices and bridge the gap between your iOS and Android devices and your PC. No matter where you are, what device you are using, or where your content lives, you should always be ready to be productive," said Yusuf Mehdi the Corporate Vice President of Modern Life & Devices at Microsoft in a statement.
BUSINESS REPORT ONLINE


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Microsoft Addresses Controversial Office 2013 License Lock-In
Concerns persist after Microsoft tries to explain Office 2013's restrictive licensing policy, which ties each installation to specific hardware.Microsoft Office 2013, designed for the era of touch, mobility and the cloud, is coming under fire for a holdover of the PC age: software licensing. In a move that raised alarm among IT support staffers and frequent upgraders, Microsoft released Office 2013 with a licensing structure that effectively ties the software to a specific PC for the life of that system. Unlike some previous versions, transferring a license to another PC is prohibited, making it a pricey proposition for businesses and Office users who update their systems regularly or like riding the bleeding edge of personal technology. The news not only caused an uproar—the comments sections on sites such as Engadget and Slashdot are especially lively—it led industry watchers to openly accuse Microsoft of using the restrictive new licensing scheme to push customers to its Office 365 cloud-based subscription service. A Microsoft supply chain source told IT Pro's Caroline Donnelly that it's part of a plan to shift the Office user base to the cloud. "I know why Microsoft is doing it, because they want more people to move to the cloud, but I just wish they'd come out and openly admit that," said the source in Donnelly's report.
Now the company is officially addressing the matter. According to Microsoft spokesperson Jevon Fark, customers have been seeking answers after the Office 365 Home Premium launch.


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Microsoft Corporation has finally announced that it will make the new operating system, Windows Vista, available for sale by downloading online. This is a huge new step for the company since it has only sold Windows operating systems in stores on boxed discs or pre-installed on desktops and laptops. Windows operating systems that are sold in stores are under high security, which is logical since the program runs about 200 dollars.
Although this is a major leap for Microsoft, many technology experts predict that few people will download Windows Vista online, but instead buy online. Many consumers choose to buy Windows in a store because they are able to have a physical copy of the program in hand. Microsoft is aware of this prediction, but still praises its new distribution methods and being able to reach more consumers all over the world, or at least in North America, where downloads are expected to occur the most.
In addition to Windows Vista, consumers that decide to purchase online will get Office 2007 when both programs are released on January 30th 2007. New computer buyers do not have to worry about updating to Windows Vista either. Vista will already be installed on new PCs purchased online and in stores after January 30th.
Microsoft’s download program is mostly targeted at people who are currently running Windows XP or lower versions of windows and want to update without having to shell out the money to buy a new PC. The major problem with upgrading is that many Windows XP computers do not have the capability to run Windows Vista. Still, Microsoft states that it will help as many users as possible to upgrade to Vista.
This time, Microsoft Windows Vista comes in four different versions: Home Basic which costs $199, Home Premium $299, Business $299, and Ultimate $399. What is amazing is that consumers can choose which version they want when they go to purchase a PC after January 30th.
With higher versions of Vista embedded on PCs, users can simply click “Windows Upgrade” to go from Home Basic to Home Premium for an extra $79, Home Basic to Ultimate for an extra $199, and Business to Ultimate for $139. All of these upgrades can be done from the comfort of the home. Once the upgrade is purchased online, a special key code will be sent for installation of the new version.
Microsoft also plans a new promotion that will allow buys of Vista get $50 copies of Home Premium for up to two other PCs. It is unsure of how long this promotion will last. The purpose of Vista is to give users more options and a better navigating operating system.
Remember to keep your eyes out for more news about Windows Vista and Microsoft, especially after it comes out for purchase on January 30th.


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In a note to clients Monday, Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster reports that Apple “has assembled its own team of virtual and augmented reality engineers and is ‘exploring the [augmented reality] space,'” Philip Elmer-DeWitt reports for Fortune.
“His evidence: Apple spent $32 million in March to acquire the engineering team at Metaio, a software company with dozens of virtual reality patents,” P.E.D. reports. “In late 2013 Apple acquired PrimeSense for $345 million. Its engineers are best known for designing the first motion sensors for Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect. Apple has hired an unnamed expert that Munster describes as the lead audio engineer from Microsoft’s Hololens project, which alters the direction sounds seem to come from depending on how you turn your head.”
While augmented reality is likely 10 years away from broader consumer adoption, we believe it has the potential to be as profound a technology platform as the smartphone today. — Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster
Much more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: It only makes sense that Apple would be exploring this space and there are potential innumerable applications for virtual reality/augmented reality technology.
Apple exploring a new reality with purchase of Metaio – June 3, 2015
Apple patents perforated augmented reality display that you can see and hear through – May 29, 2015
Apple acquires augmented reality company Metaio – May 28, 2015
Apple granted U.S. patent for hybrid VR head-mounted display – February 18, 2015
Apple is working on VR user interfaces and gaming; looking for Oculus and Leap experts – February 10, 2015
Apple granted patent for display-based speakers for iOS devices – January 13, 2015
Apple granted a patent for devices with a transparent display – November 18, 2014
Apple patent application reveals personal display headset invention – May 8, 2014
Apple continues to tweak Apple TV video headset accessory – April 10, 2014
Apple patent application reveals sapphire flexible transparent display devices created with Liquidmetal – December 19, 2013
Apple granted knockout patent for head-mounted personal display – December 10, 2013
iGlasses: Apple granted patent for head-mounted augmented reality displays – July 5, 2012