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The culture of GMOs has been piloted by Monsanto, the billion dollar super-company and the largest “agribusiness” behind genetic modification. Monsanto is continually attacked in the media because of its ruthless business practices. Its tight grasp on the market often makes GMOs appear less desirable than their organic counterparts in the public eye —many reject the idea of GMOs solely based on their opposition to the idea of encouraging monopolies. However, it’s important to realize that Monsanto’s monopoly over the industry is only transitory whereas a lasting solution to world hunger, which Monsanto has unarguably provided, is not.
As the World Health Organization estimates, nearly 805 million people suffer from starvation or malnourishment because of a lack of access to affordable food. Even worse, this problem is amplified in developing regions where the majority of people are poor, small farmers. Unfortunately for them, arid soil and unforgiving climates mean that traditional farming techniques just aren’t cutting it anymore.
Every year, large quantities of agricultural yield are lost at the hand of uncontrollable environmental factors. Be it saline land preventing growth or drought conditions lessening output, the threats imposed by faulty agricultural conditions are too great to be ignored. Fortunately, GMOs allow plants to withstand these harsh realities. Modifications enhance the vitality of plants, allowing them to retain water in drought conditions, survive in saline environments, and repel weeds and insects. Indeed, it is no surprise that Wilhelm Klumpner of the German Department of Agriculture found in an analysis of 147 studies that over the past decade global crop yields have increased by 22 percent and farmer profits by 68 percent as a result of GM technology.
But the introduction of GMOs hasn’t exactly been met with unilateral praise. In fact, there is a growing movement against GMOs because of the belief that they are associated with health risks. Because genetically engineered crops are resistant to herbicides, tenders can combat weeds year round as opposed to before the crop season. Consequently, consumers worry that the foods they eat are dangerous because pesticides have been sprayed on them directly. Thankfully, this is not the case—having looked at 1,783 studies over the last ten years, Alessandro Nicolia of Critical Reviews in Biotechnology concluded that there have been no traceable harms of GMO consumption.
Worse for the image of genetically engineered organisms is the conflation of increased pesticide use with herbicide resistance. Critics claim that, with time, GMOs will become more resistant to things like weed killers and will necessitate the increased application of toxic chemicals. Slight increases in herbicide use do occur, but these glyphosate-based herbicides are two-thirds less toxic than their organic counterparts, as they do not contain the more dangerous chemicals found in traditional pesticides. More importantly, this increase is offset by decreases in long-term insecticide use because of Bt-products, engineered to release deadly toxins to insects that try to eat them and thereby reducing the need for insecticides altogether. It is for this reason that the aforementioned Klumper finds that pesticide use has decreased on net by 37 percent because of genetically engineered crops.
The admittedly novel idea of GMOs can indeed be difficult to accept; never before have we seen the need to scientifically engineer our food. Consequently, developed countries like the U.S. are seeing an increasing movement to “eat locally” and organically. It’s important to remember, however, that while it is easy for us and the anti-GMO crowd to go to Trader Joe’s and buy food grown on organic farms merely 100 miles away, the majority of the world’s population simply can’t afford that luxury, and they’re going to need all the help they can get.


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Getting potential customers to test drive your car is half the battle in automotive advertising. But the odds of making even that happened looked pretty slim for Mitsubishi Motors as it launched its latest model, the Outlander Sport.
“Mitsubishi as a brand had fallen off the consideration set for all but 4 percent of all Americans, which is pretty bad,” said William Gelner, executive creative director for 180 L.A., Mitsubishi’s creative agency, “and our media spend was a fraction of all costs of what other auto manufacturers were spending.”
So rather than try to lure the customers to the dealership, 180 decided to take the dealership to the customers. From November 1 through November 11th, Mitsubishi offered online test drives of the Outlander Sport.
Billed as the “Mitsubishi Live Drive,” the program allowed consumers to operate a real-life Outlander from their home computers by using their keyboards. “This was not a simulation or a ‘virtual’ test drive,” said Gelner. “You actually got to drive a real car” around a closed course.
The idea wasn’t quite to replace a real-life test drive, but to convince people they should sign up for one. The agency was also hoping to make the link in consumers’ minds between hi-tech innovation and the Outlander Sport, which comes with various iPhone and iPod integration features. Indeed, creating the Internet test drive required the work of renowned robotics engineer Dr. James Brighton and software engineer Simon Cave from B-Reel. B-Reel created the Live Drive site and handled all the production.
180 also created a series of Web videos to promote the test drives (and the car). The 60-second version of the video has so far attracted more than 27,000 views on YouTube.
More than 40,000 people ultimately registered for an online test drive, though only 5,000 actually got the chance to take one during the 11-day promotion. (Of those 5,000 people, 38 spent their entire test drive doing donuts, and 11 drove in reverse the whole time, said 180.) Although 35,000 registrants never got to take the actual test drive, Mitsubishi nonetheless captured their e-mail addresses and will be following up with CRM efforts.
Perhaps the most important metric though is that 25 percent of those who took a test drive clicked the “find a dealer” button to sign up for a real test drive, “which was the real goal,” said Gelner.
Whether the campaign results in more Mitsubishi sales remains to be seen, but it did break one record so far: the longest distance ever driven by a remote-control car, 91 miles. The Guinness Book of World Record confirmed the record on November 19th.
Update and correction: Story has been updated to note B-Reel’s involvement. Also, an earlier version misidentified Simon Cave as Simon Archer.
Effective app marketing is not about generating app page traffic, but rather about ensuring your app is discovered by targeted and relevant ... read more
The use of psychology in marketing and sales is not new, but it may be more useful than ever in an attention economy where time is precious and focus is rare. How can you tap into a demanding consumer to check whether there is an actual interest in your product?
A recent rise in the need for higher scalability and agility has led people to start looking at deploying their CMS to the cloud. With the multitude of devices and platforms currently available, the headless architecture is being viewed as the modern answer to these problems.
Disney and YouTube are the latest victims of Shiny Object Syndrome in influencer marketing. Do they deserve the bad press over PewDiePie’s latest videos?

domain: news


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Spotify is all set to launch in Indonesia by the end of March, and it looks like the streaming service is set to continue its Asia expansion by debuting in Japan and India in the coming months.
According to TechCrunch, the music streaming service is looking to make its debut in the Japanese market shortly, with an exploratory interest in India.
The Indian market will be challenging to break into, as local offerings Saavn and Gaana lead the music streaming space. Apple Music also launched in the country last year, offering its paid subscription service for just ₹120 ($1.8) a month, albeit with a limited catalog of content. Saavn offers a wider selection of Bollywood music when compared to Spotify, but the latter wins out when it comes to international music. With Saavn Pro costing ₹99 ($1.5) a month, it will be interesting to see how Spotify prices its premium plan in India, as that'll determine its market update initially.


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The first Ford Shelby Mustang GT350R has been built and will soon make its way to its lucky owner. The car was produced at Ford’s Flat Rock assembly plant.
The new GT350R looks to be the most complete street legal yet track focused ‘Stang to be produced. With its advanced suspensions setup and high-revving flat-plane V8 the Shelby will be able to keep up with plenty of cars that cost much more.
“This is a special day for all Mustang enthusiasts,” said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. “We have taken the GT350 formula to the next level of innovation, style and performance. Today the legend continues.”
The GT350 has 526 horsepower on tap and with its independent rear suspension it will handle the toughest road course. Add in the MagnaRide that allows you to setup the car for your driving situation and you have what, at least on paper, looks to be the best Mustang yet.
With production starting, expect to see Shelby Mustang GT350s in showrooms later this year. But before then we are scheduled to drive the GT350 and GT350R very soon, so stay tuned.


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If the perpetually long line at your local Starbucks is starting to get to you, you'll be excited to know that the massive size of the coffee chain's newest location might come with enough baristas to alleviate that daily annoyance. On Wednesday, Starbucks announced its plan to open a new Reserve Roastery in an "iconic retail space" on Chicago's Magnificent Mile, on the corner of North Michigan Avenue and Erie Street. The "fully sensorial coffee environment" will be four stories tall and 43,000 square feet, offering a wide selection of brewing methods and beverages, as well as breakfast, lunch, dinner, and freshly baked goodies by Italian baker Rocco Princi. The Chicago Reserve Roastery is slated to open in 2019.
"Having opened our first Starbucks store in Chicago nearly 30 years ago, our first outside of Seattle, this is a very special city for me. At the time, it was a true test for Starbucks because the Chicago customer is so savvy and discerning about their coffee," Howard Schultz, Starbucks executive chairman, said in a statement. "Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, so we took our time to find an incredible space to match the unprecedented coffee experience our premium Roastery will offer. To be located on one of the best-known retail streets in the world is a proud moment for all of us and we can't wait to bring Chicago and the world a coffee experience worthy of their most premier real estate."
The Chicago location will be the third Roastery in the country when it opens in 2019—the first opened in Seattle in 2014, and the second is scheduled to open in New York City in 2018. International Roasteries are also on the way to Shanghai, Milan, and Tokyo, with plans to open 20 to 30 over time.


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Galery & News for Jeff Bezos Announces 2433 Million Scholarship Fund For 26aposdreamers 26apos
Jeff Bezos Announces $33 Million Scholarship Fund For 'Dreamers12 Jan 2018 Jeff Bezos, along with his wife MacKenzie, announced on Friday that they'd be donating a $33 million dollar grant to the country's largest scholarship program for “Dreamers,” a group of undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children. The Amazon CEO's donation to TheDream.
Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos to Fund 1,000 College Scholarships for12 Jan 2018 Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos to Fund 1,000 College Scholarships for Dreamers $33 million donation the largest ever for TheDream.US. TheDream.US, the nation's largest scholarship program for Dreamers, announced today a $33 million dollar scholarship grant from Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos. The grant
Jeff Bezos donates $33 million to scholarship fund for 'dreamers12 Jan 2018 Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos announced Friday that he is donating $33 million to a scholarship fund for young “dreamers,” immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children. The donation comes amid fresh pressure from business leaders as talks on Capitol Hill over how to resolve the legal
Jeff Bezos donates $33 million to scholarship fund for 'dreamers12 Jan 2018 Jeffrey P. Bezos, founder of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post, announced Friday that he is donating $33 million to a scholarship fund for young.
Jeff Bezos donates $33 million to fund college scholarships for12 Jan 2018 Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, are donating $33 million in the form of a scholarship grant to help 1,000 undocumented immigrant high school graduates with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status attend college. The Bezos grant comes through TheDream.US, a scholarship fund


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Developer Plans 700unit Condo Project In Brickell
By Marilyn Bowden
An Israeli investment and development firm is planning a two-tower residential complex
west of Miami’s Brickell Avenue.
"We think this is an exciting time for Miami," said Brack Capital Group partner Greg Altshuler, overseeing the firm’s first venture in Miami-Dade County. "We see Brickell as full of existing amenities, and it has proximity to centers of employment."
Axis at Brickell Village, with more than 700 units, is planned for a 2-acre lot on Southwest First Street between 11th and 12th streets.
Mr. Altshuler said that Brack, which purchased the site in July, plans to spend a little less than $200 million to develop it. He said the twin 40-story towers will be designed by Arquitectonica and will include about 20,000 square feet of retail fronting First Avenue.
"We are in a unique situation," Mr. Altshuler said, "because we are one block from Mary Brickell Village, which has national retailers going in. We hope there will be a great synergy with them."
Mr. Altshuler said the buyer profile is evenly split between international investors and local end users but "our ultimate goal is to create housing for the Brickell area."
Plans have been approved by the City of Miami.
According to Yami Roa of Miami’s Downtown Development Authority, about 3,100 new condo units are under construction in Brickell, with close to 4,000 more on the drawing board.
Mr. Altshuler said the area has not fulfilled its potential.
"We see Brickell as full of existing amenities and proximity to centers of employment," he said.
Brack has projects in New York, London, Budapest and China.
"This is our first venture in Miami-Dade, but so far, we like the market and are looking for more opportunities," Mr. Altshuler said.


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Reality TV star, Stephanie Matto, who made thousands of dollars selling her ‘farts in a jar’ is set to quit the practice after it landed her in the hospital.
Matto allegedly made $200,000 selling her farts in a jar to fans in just a matter of weeks.
But the foul-smelling business and the diet that made it possible came with a significant cost.
The 31-year-old self-proclaimed “fartpreneur,” who debuted on “90 Day Fiancé,” decided to retire from the lucrative venture recently after she landed in the hospital experiencing shooting pain in her chest.
Matto reportedly thought she was having a heart attack or stroke and believed she could face death at any moment.
However, after running blood tests and an EKG, the reality star noted the doctors informed her that her symptoms were not the result of cardiovascular trauma but excess gas.
“It was just a nasty two days that I felt AWFUL, but thankfully, it was not a heart attack.
“Just a very, very severe case of gas that made me feel like I was dying and having a heart attack,” the social media personality said.
On January 3, 2022, Stephanie Matto announced via her Instagram page that she’ll be launching her fart jar NFT’s.
She wrote: “Today we make history AGAIN! Weeks ago we grossed almost 200k in fart jar sales and today it is the official launch of my fart jar NFT’s!
“There has never been a more unique & iconic launch of digital fart art! We put the art in fart! 100 NFT’s unlock a REAL physical jar and so much more it’ll make you explode with excitement.
“Get your hands on a unique piece of fartastic excellence on …..each is a masterpiece you can proudly call your own or resell whenever you wish!”
Further addressing her ‘fart jar’ customers in a more recent post, she wrote: “So by now you may have ‘caught wind’ that I am retiring from the fart jar business soon and branching out into the digital world of NFT’s!
“My NFT fart jar collection has launched and is available to mint. Get your hands on a collectible work of fart.”


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Markus Lindblad, Head of Communications at Haypp Group, urges Helena Stjerna, Secretary General of the organization Non-Smoking Generation, not to focus “on taste regulations and marketing bans”. In a debate article in Dagens Opinion, Markus Lindblad responds to Helena Stjerna’s […]
Welcome to the Haypp Group
Right from the start we have been driven by a will to change the industry with our vision to inspire healthier enjoyment for millions. Through deep understanding of consumers across multiple markets and product segments, we have the right capabilities to generate real change.


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New To The Portal
For Walnut Lane Poly
Walnut Lane Poly has been added to the portal. Their products are now available for website and kiosk subscriptions.
E&I Woodworking has updated their 2024 catalog.
Interior Expressions has updated their pricelist for 2024.
Lehman's Lawn Furniture
Lehman's Lawn Furniture has updated their pricelist for 2024.
D&E Workshop has discontinued items. Oakland Supreme Slat Rocker Oakland Supreme Panel Rocker Oakland Supreme Slat Glider Oakland Supreme Panel....
Ashery Oak has updated their photo file and their pricelist. You can view this on their downloads page.
J&M Woodworking has new 2024 pricelists.


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50% REDUCTION ON COMMERCIAL FINES IN DUBAI
The Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection (CCCP) sector at the Department of Economic Development (DED) has declared a cutback in commercial fines by 50%. Although, only the first fine issued in a calendar year can conform to this.
It is now needless for traders to request for settlement. They will now receive an SMS notification informing them of the discount, once the commercial violation has been inputted into the system.
As stated by Ali Rashid Lootah(CEO of CCCP),
“The Department of Economic Development is proud to launch initiatives based on the vision and directives of our leadership, especially when 2019 begins as the ‘Year of Tolerance’. We want to provide the best quality services to as many businesses as possible in Dubai. The automatic fine settlement facility will contribute to enhancing happiness in Dubai and the emirate’s position across global competitiveness indicators.”
He also added that the net value of fines settled under the 50 percent reduction in 2017-2018 was Dhs. 23.4 million. The new automated system will automatically adjust fines, thus, benefitting more business owners.
The Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection also intend to come up with several other services. They aim to build a better working business environment in UAE. Various strategies have been implemented by the government of UAE to help evolve the country as a prime international business hub.


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An exclusive look inside House of Harlow 1960 and how Nicole Richie is expanding the brand across categories and around the world.
SmileyWorld has launched a new kids’ fashion line for Fall 2014, marking the brand’s first major release into the Chinese children’s apparel market.
SEGA announces the release dates for its upcoming Sonic Boom video game series.
To promote the Marvel film Guardians of the Galaxy, customization company CafePress launched an extensive line of fan-generated apparel and consumer products.
HBO and its official licensees have a slew of Game of Thrones exclusive at San Diego Comic-Con this week and weekend.
U.K. company Coolabi Group has secured six new licensees for CBeebies' long-running animation series, “Clangers.”
Temple Street Productions has brought on Striker Entertainment as the worldwide (excluding Canada) licensing agent for its hit TV series "Orphan Black."
Clothing line Her Universe, along with retailer Hot Topic and media company Nerdist Industries, will hold their debut fashion show at Comic-Con Thursday.
Sequential Brands Group has announced several initiatives for a global re-launch of the company’s recently acquired brand the Franklin Mint.
Pop icon Britney Spears is planning a line of sleepwear apparel called The Intimate Britney Spears with retail partner Change Lingerie.
Accessories Innovations is ready for the back-to-school season with themed backpacks for Nickelodeon, Hasbro, Disney and Mattel.
TV host and author Wendy Williams has launched a wig line in collaboration with Specialty Commerce Direct.
Tim Gunn has inked a deal with Indecor Home Design to create a homewares collection in the U.S. and Canada.
Sequential Brands Group has unveiled its plans for the global re-launch of the Heelys footwear brand.
Timeless Trésor has launched an exclusive line of The Wizard of Oz jewelry based on the books.
Loudmouth Golf has partnered with Molhimawk for a new line of golf bags in Australia.
Sparkle World, is making its first foray into licensing in partnership with the clothing brand Horses With Attitude.
Marvel Entertainment has expanded its partnership with Rubie’s Costume Company to develop a line of Marvel costumes for the U.S. and Canada.
Jennie Maizels has created a new line of iron-on patches featuring characters from DC Thomson’s classic comic “The Beano."
FAM Brands is growing its portfolio of owned and licensed brands with the acquisition of women’s and girls’ brand La Vie Jet Setter.
TVMania U.K. has signed on to create a new range of apparel and nightwear featuring the global conservation charity WWF-U.K.
©2014 ADVANSTAR COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserved.


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Apple pays tribute to visionary leader...
Steve Jobs, co-founder of tech giant Apple, has died at the age of 56.
The visionary technologist was twice CEO of Apple - the company he co-founded with Steve Wozniak and others in 1976 - leading it to its position as one of the highest valued in the world today.
Jobs had stepped down from his role as CEO in August, citing medical reasons.
Apple today paid tribute to Jobs.
"We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today," the board of directors said in a statement.
"Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.
"His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."
Under Jobs' leadership, Apple established itself as one of the world's most powerful consumer brands - turning technologies that its competitors had struggled to sell into must-have items, whether it was the iPod creating a market for MP3 players or the iPad creating a market for tablet PCs.
Jobs turned Apple into a disruptive company - changing the way music was bought and sold with the introduction of iTunes, and how software was created and delivered with the release of iOS App Store in 2008. By creating an ecosystem of content under Apple's control, Jobs established a new model that Apple's competitors in the consumer gadget space have struggled to match.
The extraordinary success that Jobs brought Apple was linked to his forceful and uncompromising attitude. Jobs was famously hands-on, taking to the stage in his trademark mock turtleneck to launch new products in highly anticipated presentations that became known as 'Stevenotes'. Jobs became so closely identified with Apple's products that he inspired an almost cultish devotion among Apple fans.
Jobs was born in San Francisco in 1955 and took his name from his adoptive parents, Paul and Clara Jobs. He grew up in Mountain View and Cupertino, the site of Apple's headquarters today.
Jobs attended Reed College in Oregon for a year but dropped out. After working at Atari making video games he took time out to...
...backpack around India, where he developed an interest in Buddhism.
It was upon Jobs' return to the States that Apple Computer was born. Jobs partnered with his friend Steve Wozniak to sell the Apple I, the computer that Wozniak had hand-built.
Working out of a garage, the pair sold a few hundred of the computers but it was with the Apple II that they found success. The machine would become one of the most successful computers of the 80s - shipping an estimated five million units by the time it was discontinued in 1993.
Four years after Apple went public in 1980, Apple unveiled the Apple Macintosh - with a bold marketing campaign showing how the Mac would smash its bland competitors. It established Apple's and Jobs' reputation for no-holds-barred marketing and brash claims for its products - the so-called 'reality distortion field' - which was just as evident in the company's more recent campaigns for its iPod, iPhone and iPad.
Unfortunately for Jobs in 1985, just a year after the Mac's release, he was effectively forced out of Apple by new CEO John Sculley and the management board. Jobs later told an audience of Stanford University graduates "what had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating."
The following years saw Jobs broaden his activities - founding the computer maker NeXT and buying the graphic arts division of Lucasfilm, Pixar, in 1986. Jobs helped Pixar become one of the most beloved and lauded animation studios. Jobs bought the studio in 1986 and under his ownership the studio earned four Oscar nominations for its films and became a household name.
Jobs rejoined Apple in 1996 as an advisor to Apple CEO Gil Amelio after Apple bought NeXT for $429m, and became interim CEO in September 1997.
Jobs faced an uphill battle to revive Apple's fortune. He axed struggling products such as the handheld Apple Newton computer and introduced new computers with striking designs and easy-to-use UIs such as the iMac and the portable iBook. The milestones to Apple's multibillion-dollar revival followed: the iPod digital music player and iTunes Music Store in 2001, the touchscreen Apple iPhone in 2007, the App Store in 2008 and the iPad in 2010.
And yet for Jobs, the last few years were marred by a series of health problems. He underwent surgery for a rare form of pancreatic cancer in August 2004, and had a liver transplant in 2009 during a six-month leave of absence. He returned to work until August of this year when he stepped down as Apple CEO telling employees: "I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come."
Read more here:


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- Mar 20 2022
- 8:00 am - 11:45 pm
« Since 1985 MeatOut has grown into the world’s largest annual grassroots educational campaign dedicated to removing meat, and more, from our plates. On March 20th, compassionate people from all over the world, including the U.S. and more than 20 countries, welcome spring by hosting events to honor the animals. Several countries have launched their own MeatOut websites with the purpose of helping consumers all over the world evolve to a more wholesome, non-violent, plant-based diet.
For more, visit MeatOut.org.»
Évènement de Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM)


text: On April 6, the FTC released its 2015 Annual Highlights report, which is comprised of four key sections: (i) enforcement; (ii) policy; (iii) education; and (iv) stats and data. Regarding enforcement highlights in 2015, the report covers a range of administrative and court actions related to, among other things, technological innovations that pose fraud and security risks, the security of consumers’ personal identifiable information, and alleged payday loan scams. Significant actions summarized in the enforcement section include the FTC’s (i) December settlement with a leading U.S.-based hotel and resort chain resolving charges that its data security practices were unfair and deceptive; (ii) Operation Ruse Control, a nationwide cross-border crackdown designed to protect consumers from alleged fraud within the auto industry; and (iii) Operation Collection Protection, a federal, state, and local initiative implemented to combat alleged abusive and deceptive debt collection practices. The policy and education sections of the report separately highlight the agency’s efforts to provide guidance and recommendations to government bodies and lawmakers at the state and federal levels regarding best practices for implementing competition principals into proposed laws, regulations, or policies, as well as its education outreach program, such as Start with Security, a conference designed to provide companies with tips for implementing effective data security. Notably, according to the stats and data section of the report, the FTC received more than three million consumer complaints in 2015, with debt collection, “other,” and identity theft leading the numbers at 897,655, 512,022, and 490,220 complaints, respectively.


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BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) - July 29, 2011 --
Brazil says the planned production of tablet computers will help spur technological innovation in Latin America's biggest country.Brazil has signed agreements with at least 10 companies that make tablets. One of them is with Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn, which is expected to start producing Apple Inc.'s iPads later this year in Brazil.
Science and Technology Minister Aloizio Mercadante said Thursday that the tablet production should lead to the production of touch-screen monitors and semiconductors.
Mercadante added that government tax breaks will attract semiconductor manufacturers to Brazil and make it the first nation in the Western Hemisphere to produce touch-screen monitors.


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Pot, kettle? Richfield Menards beefing with Taco Bell over "cheap" construction design
|Menards wants Taco Bell to class it up, but what do they expect from a restaurant that sells cheese roll-ups for 79 cents?|
SEE ALSO: Man arrested for drunkenly hitting on Lakeville Taco Bell drive-thru employee
Unless T-Bell plans to operate out of some sort of dilapidated trailer, we have our doubts about that, but in comments made last month to the Richfield City Council, Menards representative Tyler Edwards said, "the proposed Taco Bell plans incorporate very little of what the city emphasizes as upgraded facade treatments."
As the Sun Current reports, a letter from Menards management to City Manager Steve Devich characterized the panels Taco Bell wants to use for the exterior of its building as "fake rocks" that look "cheap and tacked on when they are used on buildings."
There could be something to those allegations. As the Current's report notes, the Taco Bell in question embodies new design plans the chain is rolling out. The new designs are "meant to save on construction costs and exhibit an appearance heavy on right angles and horizontal slatting, a departure from the stucco and arched windows that have been the hallmarks of Taco Bell restaurants," the Currant writes.
Still, it's not like the Richfield Mendards is the Taj Mahal in its own right.
In any event, Mendards's complaints about Taco Bell's design didn't end up persuading Richfield officials. According to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, the Richfield City Council approved the variances Border Foods needs to construct the controversial T-Bell during its most recent meeting.
-- Follow Aaron Rupar on Twitter at @atrupar. Got a tip? Drop him a line at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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By Dan Meyer for The South African
The City of Cape Town has given the go-ahead for the construction of a R4-billion mixed-use development to be occupied primarily by global retail giant Amazon, with some 19 000 jobs promised to those responsible for carrying out the project.
Executive mayor Dan Plato said in a statement on Monday 19 April that the 15-hectare parcel of land in the River Club has been approved for development by the Liesbeek Leisure Properties Trust, with development promising to provide “a significant boost to the Cape Town economy as the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown [continues]”.
Plato said that the 150 000 square metre mixed-use space will be divided into commercial and housing uses across two precincts, and said that heritage considerations have been accounted for.
“The city has carefully and thoroughly considered all of the submissions and concerns during the appeal process. We are acutely aware of the need to balance investment and job creation, along with heritage and planning considerations,” he said.
“It is clear that this development offers many economic, social and environmental benefits for the area. We are committed to driving investment to revitalise the economy, which is slowly recovering following the impact of COVID-19,” said Plato.
The proposed development will contain the following:
- 59 600 SQM office space;
- 20 700 SQM retail space;
- 8 200 SQM hotel;
- 4,100 SQM gym;
- Restaurants, conferencing, school and events space
The developers of the project have pledged to assign 20% of the residential floor space to affordable housing opportunities. A total of 31 900 SQM of the development is intended for residential purposes.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomed the announcement, saying that the potential job creation is vital.
“The DA welcomes the announcement that Amazon will establish its South African headquarters in the City of Cape Town. This project has the potential to create up 19 000 jobs – 5 239 during the construction phase alone – and will inject an estimated R4 billion into the local economy,” they said.
The DA said that the announcement highlights the City of Cape Town’s success in “setting itself at the forefront of investment and economic development in the country, while keeping local concerns front of mind”.
“The extended COVID-19 lockdown has caused devastation on the South African economy, with Cape Town not escaping this economic fall-out. This development that will serve to revitalise the local economy and increase the trust already placed in the competence of the Western Cape government, once again proving that the DA does it better.”


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A report released by the Labor Department on Friday showed a modest uptick in consumer prices in the U.S. in the month of July.
Dudley predicted such annual inflation readings could remain under pressure for six to 10 months. It's the fourth month in a row that the core CPI increased by 0.1%. Some blame the recent run of low figures on transitory factors - cheap airfares being the latest culprit cited - while others aren't so sure.
Speaking to a group of reporters, Evans added that he believes waiting until December to raise rates would give the Fed time to assess whether inflation is moving back toward the Fed's 2 percent annual target.
USA consumer prices rose slightly in July, indicating that muted inflation pressure might complicate Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rate. This compares with a 0.1% gain in June and was less than the 0.1% gain expected by Bloomberg. Overall consumer prices rose by 0.1% from June, putting them just 1.7% above their year-earlier level.
Interest rates have already had a big move lower this week, so are showing little reaction to this morning's numbers showing inflation continuing to come in below central planner expectations.
Investors will brace for a release of consumer-price inflation data (CPI) that could clarify how much the Federal Reserve will tighten monetary conditions. It also contains many components that feed into the Fed's preferred index. But it has since backtracked and in June registered a 12-month gain of just 1.4 percent.
A key gauge of underlying producer price pressures that excludes food, energy and trade services was unchanged last month.
Sheng said the price increase in the PPI accelerated in the steel and mineral industries while the price rise in the coal, non-ferrous, and oil sectors slowed.
Inflation is "weaker than the Fed would like, weaker than anyone would like, but not so weak that it calls the whole outlook into question", said Roberto Perli, partner at Cornerstone Macro LLC in Washington, and a former Fed official. But while the Fed could win the battle in the short-term, it seems likely to lose the war - as I suspect inflation will prove frustratingly low next year. Economists had expected another 0.1% uptick. It is expected to delay its next rate hike until December while it monitors inflation.
The tensions, since Trump's "fire and fury" comments on Tuesday, have wiped out almost US$1 trillion (RM4.2 trillion) from the global equity markets. "We've got a ways to go".
The index for dairy and related products also turned up in July, rising 0.3 percent after a 0.5-percent decrease in June.
At the time of the report, the Euro was down 0.17% against the Dollar at $1.1752, with the Euro aiming for $1.18 levels should Eurozone inflation figures impress and U.S numbers disappoint through the day. The yield on the two-year note, which is more sensitive to changes in interest-rates, fell to 1.294% from 1.335%.


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You know that GTA V is heading to thePS4, Xbox One and PCs.
But did you know that it will have a first person mode?
Rockstar Games have officially announced that the game will be playable in first person, and it’s not limited to driving cars or bikes. You can perform any action or pull off any stunt whilst in the said view.This will be the first game in the Grand Theft Auto series to have first person. Does that make it more cooler? I guess it kind of does.
Here is the official video trailer that Rockstar released to showcase the feature:
In case you didn’t know,the PC version GTA V is set to be released in January 2015, while the PS4 and Xbox One is launching on November 18. You can pre-order the game from Flipkart.


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Consumers are still eating pizza. Despite a year in which cooped-up Americans ordered a lot more pizza delivery, they have not shied away from the product as they’ve ventured out of their houses as the pandemic has eased.
But how they’re eating pizza is changing. They’ve been visiting pizza restaurants and going to them to get their pies again.
That, at least, is according to data from Zenreach, which analyzed foot traffic to pizza restaurants and found that it has increased 49% since the beginning of the year.
The data measures customers going to the restaurants either to dine in or carry out. So it doesn’t capture delivery that has dominated the pizza landscape for much of the past year. But the numbers should provide comfort to those companies hoping to get walk-in customers back as the economy normalizes.
“People are anxious to get back to some sense of normalcy,” Megan Wintersteen, vice president of marketing for Zenreach, said in an interview. “It’s good news for the category.”
The pizza category was hurt by the pandemic more than you’d imagine. While much of the attention has focused on strong sales among the biggest chains—notably Domino’s and Papa John’s, along with smaller chains such as Marco’s and Hungry Howie’s—the sub-sector as a whole didn’t perform as well as you’d think.
Sales among quick-service pizza concepts increased by $1.6 billion in 2020, led largely by the big pizza delivery chains like Domino’s, Papa John’s, Marco’s and Hungry Howie’s, according to Restaurant Business sister company Technomic.
Indeed, take away those four chains alone and the sector lost $300 million in total sales last year. In other words, consumers shifted their fast-food pizza business to the biggest concepts during the pandemic.
Outside of that group, the pizza business struggled like just about every other sector. Fast-casual pizza chains saw sales fall 6.5% last year, for instance. Consumers dined in a lot less often in 2020, and such concepts were built on their inside experience.
Casual-dining Italian and pizza chains, meanwhile, had the same problems as casual dining, with total sales in that sector falling by about $2 billion, or 22%.
Zenreach data suggests that consumers have returned to some of the smaller, casual-dining and fast-casual pizza players that they avoided during the pandemic.
Some markets have seen extreme increases as they’ve opened up. California as a whole has seen foot traffic to pizza restaurants increase almost 120%. In Chicago, foot traffic grew 85%, and in New York it grew 82% since the start of the year.
“There’s growing optimism with the vaccine rollout,” Wintersteen said. “A lot of the jumps we have seen in the last 30 days, in New York City and Los Angeles, a lot of that is attributed to restrictions lifting.”
The big question for the sector as a whole is whether consumers return to their entire pre-pandemic habits. That has yet to happen—most limited-service restaurant chains in particular have seen a slow return to things like dine-in service, and in general takeout sales have increased this year even alongside improvements in dine-in sales.
Wintersteen believes consumers stick with some of their pandemic habits, meaning they will continue to order pizza delivery at elevated rates even after they return to dine-in pizza.
“Humans are creatures of habit,” she said. “The pandemic erased all of these habits. We created new habits over the past year.
“With takeout and delivery skyrocketing over the course of 2020, as rates normalize, they will probably still remain higher than they were prepandemic. It opened up a whole world to customers that would have driven down the street to pick up their pizza.”
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March 30, 2017
New Delhi, March 30, 2017: Flipkart, the country’s leading online marketplace and Visa, the global leader in payments technology, today announced instant refunds on returns for online shoppers on Visa Debit card purchases.
Since the launch of Visa Developer Platform, an open platform to enable and support Visa’s clients and partners to create innovative commerce experiences, this is the first successful use case in India leveraging the power of the Visa Network to create a superior payment experience.
T.R. Ramachandran, Group Country Manager, India and South Asia, Visa, said, At Visa, we are committed to working with partners including financial institutions, merchants, startups and developers to develop innovative solutions specifically for Indian consumers. We are confident that the instant refund solution on Flipkart is a critical differentiator in India’s e-commerce industry and will drive consumer confidence leading to further acceleration in adoption of online commerce.
Commenting on the partnership, Kalyan Krishnamurthy, CEO, Flipkart said, At Flipkart, we have a rich legacy of introducing customer-centric innovations like No Cost EMI and Cash on Delivery, which have redefined online shopping for millions of Indians. Our partnership with Visa is a continuation of our efforts to innovate for our customers, and make online shopping a way of life for our audiences.
With the instant refund facility, online shoppers using their debit cards for purchases on Flipkart will get an immediate credit into their account in the event of a return, as compared to the usual 2–7 working days.
Debit cardholders of the following leading banks are eligible to receive funds instantly using Visa Direct, which include State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Bank of India, Bank of Maharashtra, Federal Bank, IDBI Bank, and The South India Bank.
The feature is now live on Flipkart and can be availed by customers.
About Visa Inc.:


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Spectrasonics is pleased to announce an ‘AAX Public Beta’ version of the company’s three popular virtual instruments Omnisphere, Trilian and Stylus RMX for Avid’s new Pro Tools™ 11. Registered users of the Spectrasonics instruments can log into their user accounts to download the Public Beta versions.
Spectrasonics has released Stylus RMX(r) version 1.9, the company’s first 64-bit native Mac software. The new version of the award-winning groove software is now compatible with Apple’s recently released ‘Snow Leopard’ 64 bit operating system and the emerging 64-bit native host applications for music production on the OSX platform. Since native Windows 64-bit compatibility has been available since version 1.7, Stylus RMX is now fully cross-platform 64-bit native software and is also compatible with 32-bit Mac and Windows systems and hosts. The new 1.9 version also includes various technical fixes and compatibility updates with other recent software releases such as Apple’s Logic 9.
Spectrasonics has released Stylus RMX version 1.7 featuring an innovative and completely new capability called Time Designer which intelligently transforms RMX audio loops into different time signatures and features the ability to Groove Lock the feel of any groove to another all in real time.
This week Spectrasonics is very excited to be at Winter NAMM introducing three major Spectrasonics Announcements for 2009.
Spectrasonics today announced to the public its new Educational Program designed to put its three award winning virtual instruments, Atmosphere(r), Trilogy(r) and Stylus RMX(r), into music technology classrooms around the world. The new program creates an efficient and easy way for educational institutions to apply for special software licenses for their classroom computers, at a significantly reduced price.
Spectrasonics has released a FREE support update for our best selling Stylus RMX, Realtime Groove Module on the Intel Mac platform.
Spectrasonics is fully committed to developing for the new Intel Macintosh platform. This is an exciting and major platform change for all music software hosts and plug-ins.
Spectrasonics has updated Stylus RMX to v1.5.1c for both Windows and Mac OS X. Stylus RMX is the groove-based virtual instrument plug-in for Macintosh and Windows.
Acclaimed Groove Software Gets Major Free Update with Enhanced Features and Sounds. Spectrasonics today announced the release of version 1.5 of its award-winning virtual instrument groove software, Stylus RMX.
The 1.5 update offers a completely new factory patch library, including 500 new Multi Grooves and 250 new Kits created by the acclaimed Spectrasonics sound design team, which take advantage of all the new features and effects that have been added since the original release of Stylus RMX. The complete patch library is now also organized by mood and genre.


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According to the recent report of the market research and technology analysis company Yole Developpement (YD), Russian “Monocrystal” is one of the few companies in the segment that have managed to show an operating profit by the end of 2014.
In July, the factory, based in the Russian city of Stavropol, grew a 300-pound sapphire crystal, a world’s first, using the kyropoulos method based on its own technology.
The company, with 30 years of experience in the production of sapphires, has previously grown sapphires weighing 100 kg and 140 kg.
By the end of the year, it plans to increase production capacity by more than 20% and take 30% of the global market of artificial industrial sapphires.
Monocrystal now holds 27% of the world market sapphire for optoelectronic applications and 11% of the world market of aluminum pastes for solar energy.
Due to the depreciation of the ruble, the Russian company’s products have become more competitive, enabling it to increase monthly the production of 2-inch wafers from 4 to 5 million units by the end of 2015.
According to the company’s website, 40 percent of its shipments are 2-inch wafers, and 60 percent — 4-inch. It also produces 8 and 10-inch sapphire wafers.
Sapphire, which is almost entirely scratch-proof, must have seemed like a perfect material for a smartphone screen. It has long been used as a cover for luxury watches, and Apple has used it to cover the cameras and fingerprint sensors in some iPhones since October 2013.
The only material that's harder than sapphire is diamond — it can't be scratched by any other substance.


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Alas, the dating that is online isn’t all flowers and moonlit walks. For organizations that offer dating services, it really is a competitive globe where each major business has got to one-up the other inside their claims — what number of users get communications, just how many of the communications result in times, and exactly how numerous marriages emerge from those unions. A page simply delivered by Match.com to competitor Plentyoffish reveals simply just how really these businesses use the figures.
The page is not very long — shortly, this is certainly, apart from a bullet-pointed selection of 18 stats from Plentyoffish’s advertising materials, which Match.com challenges its competitor to substantiate. Record includes claims that Plentyoffish creates over 500,000 brand new relationships and 18 million times every year, and 20,000 new signups daily. “According to my understanding of the industry, ” writes Match basic counsel Marshall Dye, “these claims can not be supported and tend to be deceptive and/or false. “
These types of letters are most likely fairly common; what exactly is uncommon is seeing them provided.
But Plentyoffish creator Markus Frind not merely posted the page, he additionally responded it having a article starting his or her own suspicions of exaggeration by Match. (The ellipses are personal):


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If there is any good news in this bleak economy, it's that people are learning creative ways to save money and even bring in new income.
Some people are cutting off traditional home phone service and saving money by using digital Internet phone service like Vonage and Verizon Voicewing. Cable companies are offering the service at discount rates in bundled packages (phone, Internet and cable). The bundles run about $100 a month.
Some readers are selling gold and jewelry on the Web with sites like Dollars4Gold.com, Goldfellow.com, Goldkit.com. Or by hawking stuff laying around the home (think golf clubs, electronics, bikes) on eBay or Craigslist.
What's your story?
I want to hear from South Florida folks who found new ways to cut bills, as well as from those who found a way to bring in a little extra cash.
Some of the best stories and lessons may just end up in my Your Money column.


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Qatar’s Regency Travel and Tours has partnered with global luxury hotel company Jumeirah Group to boost leisure business from the country to Jumeirah’s 22 hotels around the world.
Jumeirah Group, a member of Dubai Holding, has hotels and resorts in destinations including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Maldives, Turkey, China, Azerbaijan, London, Frankfurt and Mallorca.
“Regency Travel and Tours, which has over 40 branches across Doha, is responsible for providing over 30,000 room nights in Dubai annually,” chief executive officer Tareq Abdullatif Taha said yesterday while announcing the partnership.
“More than 25 travel agents in Qatar deal directly with Regency for their holiday business. We provide B2B and B2C online booking engines, widely used by major corporate, travel trade partners and direct customers,” he explained. Regency head office has a dedicated 24-hour call centre.
During 2014 – 2015, visitors from Qatar to Jumeirah hotels globally increased by 20% and room revenue increased by 11%. Qatar residents visiting Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts in the UAE can now take advantage of an exclusive 10% off best available rate. The Jumeirah Breaks package incorporates a number of benefits as well.
Regency Travel and Tours director of sales Rabie al-Ankar, leisure and MICE head Farooq Siddiqui, manager Jagannath Pothiraj, and Jumeirah Group global account director Rabih El Hayek and director of global sales (Middle East) Jad Doumet were also present at the announcement of the partnership.
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On Friday, Sega announced that the official mobile game of the Olympics, Sonic at the Olympic Games – Tokyo 2020 is heading to Android & iOS. Now, the game will officially be launching on mobile devices on May 7, 2020. However, fans of the franchise can pre-register now to obtain rewards; like most mobile games, the amount of the rewards depends on pre-registration goals. Thankfully, we also have the full list regarding the registration goals:
GAMEVIL®, a leading mobile games publisher and developer, announced that its highly-lauded game KAMI RETRO is now available for free on the Android Market.


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The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is forecasting the palm oil production growth in Indonesia, the world’s top producer of the commodity, to grow by 25 percent in the next decade, one of its experts said Tuesday (15/12.)
“Production growth in Indonesia is expected to be about 25 percent, productivity gains account for 75 percent,” said Holdger Matthey, Senior Economist/Team Leader, Markets and Trade Stream, Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).
Addressing the Future Proofed Palm Oil Conference 2020 held online about the outlook for palm oil by 2029, Matthey said that the world’s second largest palm oil producer, Malaysia, was expected to grow by 8 percent for the same period.
“In the 25 percent growth over the next ten years in Indonesia, five percent are still seen from area (expansion) and the remainder from productivity increases,” he said adding that for Malaysia, the low growth, was attributed to slower expansion of areas and rising labor costs.
Matthey said that Indonesia and Malaysia will also remain as the biggest palm oil producers, accounting for 83 percent of global production in 2029.
He added that emerging production was also expected to expand, mainly for domestic and regional markets.
Matthey said that globally, production growth was expected to come from productivity gains as land use is expected to be stable. But he also said that for example in Columbia a significant share in growth was contributed by area expansion.
Thailand, Columbia and Nigeria are the largest emerging palm oil producers although Matthey said that although the three had significant growth rates, in total volume their cumulative production was still far below the two major producers Indonesia and Malaysia.
FAO, he said, believed that palm oil will remain an important component of vegetable oil consumption in producing and importing countries and that demand for vegetable oils, including palm oil, would continue to rise as the global population grew.
Palm oil, he said, was an important source of calories, especially in lower income countries, and added that by 2029, it was forecast that palm oil would account for about 3.4 percent of calories in lower middle income and low-income countries.
Besides for food, palm oil was also use to produce biofuel, with palm oil estimated to maintain a stable share of about 30 percent of all biodiesel feedstock. It is also used in the cosmetic and personal care sector.
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The Connersville Athletic Department is hosting a mattress sale on Saturday, September 27th from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. This event will take place in the CHS cafeteria. This is a one day sale and you will have the opportunity to purchase from three different mattress brands.
Money raised will go directly to the individual sports to help purchase equipment for the teams.
Come out and help support Connersville Athletics.


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October 29th, 2019 | by Frugal Moogal
I published an article in my TSLA FUD series on October 23rd about what I was hoping to see from the Tesla 3rd quarter shareholder call. I stated before any earnings were released that I was far less concerned about the actual per-share earnings and much more interested in a set of bullet points regarding where Tesla was with various upcoming projects. Later that day, Tesla reported earnings and they were widely regarded as a home run by analysts
September 17th, 2019 | by Johnna Crider
Abita Springs Drive Electric Day was held on Sunday, September 15, and was a part of the nationwide celebration of EVs known as National Drive Electric Week. Abita is known for its wide range of local brews. One of my favorites is Purple Haze, another is the holiday edition, Creole Cream Ale (which can't get here quick enough!)
September 7th, 2019 | by Zachary Shahan
We write about Tesla a lot because it is pushing, pulling, and tickling the auto industry forward. It is a wild success story like we've never before seen in cleantech, have perhaps never really seen in the auto industry, and has been sorely needed in US manufacturing. Nonetheless, Tesla is one corner of a big puzzle on transportation electrification. The challenging question has been, who's going to follow Tesla's lead
June 24th, 2019 | by Barry A.F.
Last week I wrote about why Tesla should advertise. That stimulated plenty of discussion, some pro, some con, and a fair amount of pushback. This article is meant to address the many points raised by commenters and add extra perspective to the first article
June 17th, 2019 | by Barry A.F.
At this point, Tesla has awoken the giants to the need to transition to electric vehicles (EVs). They are slowly [&hellip
June 13th, 2019 | by Chanan Bos
Elon Musk appeared today at E3 (a video game conference) in a talk with Todd Howard and Geoff Keighley. While a lot of the conversation was about games and science topics, like faster than light travel and dark matter, some of it was about Tesla. Elon also answered some very interesting general questions
June 11th, 2019 | by Paul Fosse
Tesla just completed its annual shareholder meeting. Like in meetings past, it was fairly long and covered almost every Tesla topic under the sun. To make it easier for people who couldn't watch, wouldn't watch, or simply want to go back to some of the topics in the meeting, below is a timestamped summary from Paul, who kindly stayed up late in Florida (just not as late as me here in Poland) to put this together for the world
June 2nd, 2019 | by Dr. Maximilian Holland
Elon Musk revealed in an interview released today that the Tesla will aim for a base price of $49,000 for its coming pickup truck. The company also aspires for it to have better "truck-like capability" than a Ford F-150, whilst being a better sports car than a standard Porsche
May 29th, 2019 | by Steve Hanley
A recent article in the Detroit Free Press issues a broadside attack on electric pickup trucks. Here's how the story by Mark Phalen begins: "Who needs an electric pickup? Why? There’s no evidence consumers are clamoring for battery-powered pickups, but the auto industry and investment communities can’t stop talking about them."
May 19th, 2019 | by Zachary Shahan
In this episode of our CleanTech Talk podcast interview series, Chanan Bos and I sat down with Zac from the hugely popular YouTube show Now You Know. We talked almost entirely about Tesla, but also about the Now You Know show and a few other cleantech topics
April 19th, 2019 | by Zachary Shahan
The Tesla story is fascinating. Whether you love the company or hate it, it is easy to get pulled into the story like you're pulled into a good movie. This is surely one reason so many people so obsessively check for Tesla news and op-eds every day
March 24th, 2019 | by Paul Fosse
As I disclose in my bio, I do own some Tesla stock in one of my investment trusts. I own the stock because I believe the company is a promising avenue of speculation, with a lot of risk and a lot of potential reward.
February 20th, 2019 | by Zachary Shahan
I reported 11 days ago that the Tesla Model 3 was the best selling electric car in the world in 2018 (special thanks to Jose Pontes and EV Volumes for the data). What the data also showed, which I didn't specifically highlight, is that the Tesla Model 3 became the first passenger electric vehicle to cross 100,000 sales in a single year. At 145,846 sales, the car actually crushed that milestone
February 13th, 2019 | by Zachary Shahan
I published an article early this morning about a potential partnership between GM and Tesla in which GM would build electric trucks using Tesla powertrains. Tesla denied such a partnership and GM declined to comment on the story
January 31st, 2019 | by Matt Pressman
With back-to-back profitable quarters under its belt, Tesla is kicking off 2019 with an emphasis on financial discipline. As Engadget reports, "Tesla's 2018 fourth-quarter results showed the company still made a profit ($139.5 million), but it was smaller than that of the third quarter ($311.5 million). For the quarter, the company posted $7.23 billion in revenue. Last year's revenue was $3.29 billion. Overall for 2018 it reported $21.4 billion in revenue."
December 23rd, 2018 | by Michael Barnard
Tesla won’t see its sales plummet in 2019. Quite the opposite. It's very easy to see that demand will only increase in the USA and globally through
December 12th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
Good news, bad news for Tesla yesterday. China says it may soon lift the 40% tariff it imposed on cars imported from the US, and a judge in Connecticut has ruled the company is illegally selling cars at its store in Connecticut.
December 2nd, 2018 | by Zachary Shahan
There's a lot of excitement in the electric vehicle world these days. Tesla has come along and shown that you can produce a mass-market electric car that ranks #1 in its class (by far) and even ranks in the top 5 of all car models. This has created excitement about new frontiers — electric crossovers, electric pickup trucks, electric semi trucks, etc
November 8th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
Elon Musk has a lot to say to Kara Swisher of Recode recently. Two topics that stood out were the Tesla pickup truck and the financial prospects for Ford.
October 23rd, 2018 | by Chanan Bos
Tesla is moving its earnings call from the beginning of November to Wednesday, October 24. This is going to be a historic earnings call for Tesla for multiple reasons. During last quarter’s earnings call, CleanTechnica got the chance to ask some questions as well. While there is no guarantee that we will get that chance again, we are hopeful and this time we have been preparing
September 16th, 2018 | by Steve Hanley
Business Insider claims Tesla cannot make an electric pickup truck that people will buy in large quantities because it does not have the same cachet as the trucks from Ford, GM, and Chrysler. Does that make sense
June 27th, 2018 | by Kyle Field
Tesla CEO Elon Musk continued to unleash details about the eventual Tesla pickup truck as he started to process the flood of ideas coming in from TwitterNation. Below are the big rocks from the massive chain of comments, a chain that continues to grow as the public chimes in on what the core features of a Tesla Truck should be
May 21st, 2018 | by Kyle Field
Bullish billionaire Ron Baron sees such potential with Tesla that he expects his investment firm Baron Capital to make an absolute killing on TSLA stock


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The upcoming iPhone 13 (or iPhone 12S) series may finally see a design overhaul after four generations since the launch of iPhone X in 2017 if a new report citing supply chain insiders is to be believed.
One of the most significant changes expected in the design is the notch. Digitimes report claims that Apple will reduce the notch size after four generations. Apart from the notch size, there's no update on other changes on the design front as of now.
The report citing supply chain further adds that Apple may again launch four models in 2021, similar to 2020 iPhone 12 series which included the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. It claims that Apple may launch the new iPhones as iPhone 12S series. However, we haven't seen Apple launching S models since the launch of iPhone 6s in 2015.
The new report claiming smaller notches also corroborates with an earlier report from Japanese blog MacOtakara that claimed that the iPhone 13 might retain the chassis of iPhone 12 series while having smaller notches. It speculated that the smaller notch size could be achieved by moving the receiver on top of the display. It added that the Cupertino-based giant would adopt a design change and combined the dot pattern emitter and the receiver into a single unit. We saw a similar implementation on the LiDAR scanners on the iPhone 12 Pro models. The Japanese blog also said that new iPhones might be thicker than the current series.
The new report also hints that Apple may introduce the sensor-shift optical image stabilization (OIS) seen in 2020's iPhone 12 Pro Max to all four models' primary lens. This means that Apple may upgrade the camera with iPhone 12 Pro Max-like features. However, this seems too good to be true considering Apple kept the best camera tech limited to its top-of-the-line iPhone 12 Pro Max models last year. Based on the new leak, Apple may either move the lens element or the sensor to make up for the camera shake. However, this is just an assumption, and we will have to wait for more reports in the coming weeks to understand the camera changes Apple plans to bring to its iPhone 2021 series.
Recent rumours have hinted at some significant changes to the camera sensors on the upcoming iPhone 13 series. A recent report citing Ming-Chi Kuo, a reliable Apple analyst, said that Apple might change the aperture size from f/2.4 to f/1.8, meaning it would let in more light. At the same time, significantly improve low-light photography on the upcoming iPhones. Another report suggested that Apple may bump the number of elements in the lens from the current five to six.


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Holland America Line’s newest specialty restaurant, helmed by Chef Masaharu Morimoto, was recently launched.
Aboard Nieuw Amsterdam, Morimoto By Sea is the first stand-alone ship restaurant by Chef Masaharu, who doubles as HAL’s Fresh Fish Ambassador.
Helmed by HAL’s Fresh Fish Ambassador
The Chef presided over the launch on December 21, along with Holland America Line executives and ship guests. The event started with a traditional sake barrel ceremony, with Chef Morimoto cracking open the barrel and offering a celebration toast for all.
“We recently transformed space on Nieuw Amsterdam, and we are thrilled to be here to officially open the dining experience,” said Michael Stendebach, VP of the food, beverage, and rooms division. “Adding Morimoto By Sea both as a stand-alone venue and a pop-up is another way to elevate our culinary offerings.”
Morimoto By Sea pop-up experiences on each ship
Morimoto By Sea forms part of HAL’s global fresh fish program. This includes a pop-up Morimoto By Sea experience on each cruise across the fleet on either Pinnacle Grill or Tamarind restaurants.
Morimoto By Sea showcases seafood offerings sourced from 60 ports. Overall, it serves up to 80 types of fresh fish on board. Nieuw Amsterdam’s Morimoto By Sea is beside the Tamarind restaurant on the Observation Deck.
Guests enjoy multi-course dining with beef, chicken, vegetarian, vegan options, and fresh seafood. There is also a separate sushi menu.
“I am always excited to open a new restaurant, and this grand opening is very special as my first restaurant on a cruise ship,” said Chef Morimoto. The restaurant also features Chef’s exclusive alcoholic drinks, including Morimoto Dream Brut Rosé and Morimoto Junmai Daiginjo Sake.
The opening night was fully booked, with guests served varied dishes, including Hamachi Tacos, Ishiyaki Buri Bop, Japanese Vegetable Curry, Slow Cooked Alaskan King Salmon, and White Chocolate Lime Ganache.
Morimoto By Sea has a cover charge of $55 per person, plus 18% gratuity, with reservations available via HAL’s Navigator App or on board.


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Apart from iPhone, Apple Watch, iPads, and Macs, retailers are also heavily discounting various iPhone and iPad accessories for Black Friday. If you already own an iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you might want to consider picking up a few accessories for them this Black Friday especially since they are all heavily discounted.
Black Friday 2021 Deals
Sony’s excellent WH1000XM4 headphones, Bose QC 35 II, and the Series 700 headphones are currently heavily discounted on Amazon for Black Friday. Check out the best deals on these headphones for Black Friday below.
If you are looking to subscribe to a VPN service, Black Friday is a great time to do so as most VPN providers are offering some hefty discounts on their yearly subscription. Check out the best VPN deals for Black Friday 2020 below.
Black Friday is a great time to buy a new Apple Watch as plenty of retailers are offering heavy discounts on the wearable. This includes the latest Apple Watch Series 6 as well as the Apple Watch Series 3 that has dropped to its lowest ever price we have tracked so far. Check out the best Black Friday Apple Watch deals below.
Black Friday sales on Apple’s MacBook lineup is here, with some Macs being discounted to their lowest-ever price. If you have been looking to buy a Mac for a long time, this is the time to pull the trigger. Check out the best deals on MacBooks, iMac, Mac mini, and other Macs for Black Friday here.
Apple’s AirPods Pro has dropped to their lowest ever price of $169, a staggering $80 off of their retail price of $249 for Black Friday. The deal from Amazon is too good to miss and one that you should immediately pull the trigger on.
AirPods and AirPods Pro are expected to be in high demand this holiday season which also means that they are going to sell like hotcakes this Black Friday. Unlike the last couple of years, most retailers are also offering heavy discounts on the AirPods that make Black Friday the perfect time to pick them up.
We have seen some great deals on iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, and other Apple products this Black Friday from a bunch of retailers. In this article though, we are rounding up only the best deals on Apple products from all retailers.
Black Friday is almost here which means it is the perfect time to buy that new iPhone which you have been wanting to pull the trigger on for a long time now. iPhones are easily among the most popular products during Black Friday so it is not surprising that all retailers are running some great deals on it. Here’s a roundup of the best Black Friday 2019 deals on the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, and other older iPhones.
Black Friday is almost here, and we’ve already shared the best deals on iPhones, iPads, Macs, AirPods, and Apple’s Gift Cards. We also listed Black Friday deals on Mac apps in a previous article. If you own any of Apple’s smartphones or tablets, you might want to score discounts on some superb apps and games.


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Serial entrepreneur Jason Calacanis has finally lifted the veil on his newest product, Inside, which he says is the best thing he’s ever done.
It’s a newsreader app that gives users a condensed, 300 character summary of stories from around the Web. The app is powered by a team of freelancers that culls the news – ranging from breaking stories to features to human interest pieces – then writes up so-called “atomic units” of content.
Each story links to its original source at the end, fulfilling Calacanis’ wish that Inside be a gateway to original content rather than a mere aggregator. The app is available for iPhones, with an Android version in the works. (For the time being, non-iPhone owners can use the mobile Web version of the site at www.inside.com.)
Every time the app is launched readers are presented with a news stream, which they can customize by indicating which articles they like and want to see more of. There’s also a Top News tab that displays the day’s biggest events, as chosen by an editor. He said the site would be supported, eventually, though native advertising.
This endeavor brings Calacanis full circle as an entrepreneur. His initial success came from blog network Weblogs Inc., sold to AOL in 2005 for a reported $25 million. Since then he’s built the perpetually pivoting Mahalo.com in Culver City, which began as a human-powered search engine before moving to a “How To” site.
That entire category took a dive in 2011 when Google changed up its search algorithm to derank the factories of user generated content. Mahalo later switched to Web video, joining the YouTube original content initiative and transforming its warehouse-like office into a video production studio.
But Calacanis has remained publicly at odds with YouTube over money and abandoned the effort once he decided the margins were unfavorable and the commitment from the Google-owned video platform was lacking.
So, now, news. But what perhaps makes this effort the most promising for Calacanis is that for the first time he’s in no way dependent on the Internet-chomping search engine.
“I designed (Inside) in part because of my frustration with Google,” Calacanis said. “The best way around them is through the app ecosystem.”
There is also a moralistic drive behind what he’s doing. In keeping Inside summaries short, avoiding lists or misleading headlines, this app is supposed to reward good journalism and original reporting.
In the media world there’s no shortage of handwringing about the effects of news aggregators such as Business Insider or the more frivolous lists from BuzzFeed.
While both these sites tout serious works, and defend the banner content as necessary traffic bait to underwrite the real stuff, Calacanis is unimpressed.
Especially with the recent trend of faux-emotional headlines, popularized by Upworthy, that are engineered to appeal to social media streams. And are frequently misleading.
“That kind of stuff is so over the top that I think it’s ruining journalism,” he said. “I think we’re correcting what they overdid.”
With Inside, he says the focus is entirely on the original report. But unlike the crew that’s producing content for Circa, a competing newsreader app out of the Bay Area, Inside’s freelancers are not journalists. Rather they’re expert news readers and sourcers, led by Gabriel Snyder, a former editor at Gawker and most recently the editor in chief of the Wire (Atlantic Magazine’s online site).
The grand vision is to make Inside the starting point for news. It’s a gateway that leads people to the story without any of the modern Web trickery.
That isn’t to say Calacanis imagines Inside as an age where many of today’s most popular news sites don’t exist. It just tries to flip their script.
“We’re aggregating the aggregators,” Calacanis said. “BuzzFeed and Business Insider are doing a lot of the heavy lifting for us and we thank them.”


text: Cape Town - National carrier South African Airways (SAA) has warned its customers to be aware of a phishing scam attempting to get their credit card, voyager log-in details, as well as personal information.SAA sent out an email notification informing its customers that a phishing scam was doing the rounds. "The scam involves e-mails with the subject given as: Passenger Itinerary Receipt, “thanking” customers for their purchase, stating that their booking is confirmed, giving a booking reference number, as well as the credit card charge and then asking the customer to follow a link," the airline stated in the email notification."We would like to advise you that these emails are not from South African Airways (SAA), or our Customer Care department as is wrongfully stated in the email.""The email, supposedly from the airline, has a link to an Internet banking sign-on page, or a page requesting any personal or banking information, but it is not from SAA." The airline advised customers to delete the fake emails immediately and to not enter any personal information, irrespective of how authentic the emails may appear. Clicking on the link would take customers to a fraudulent website where banking details, including a PIN or customer selected PIN may be compromised, the airline warned. SAA confirmed in the email that it was not the only company being targeted by the phishing scam.


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China says economic recovery momentum slows, faces difficulties
BEIJING, Aug 15 (Reuters) - China's economic recovery momentum slowed in July, but the economy remains resilient despite facing difficulties, Fu Linghui, a spokesman for the National Bureau of Statistics, said at a news conference on Monday.
Fu expects the economy to continue to recover and the employment situation to be generally stable, although employment pressure still exists.
Even if consumer prices see sharp rises in some months, he expects consumer inflation to remain at a reasonable level this year.
The comments came after data showed China's economy unexpectedly slowed in July, with activity indicators from industrial output to retail sales missing forecasts by large margins, pointing to a shaky recovery as Beijing shows no sign of easing its zero-COVID policy.
(Reporting by Kevin Yao and Ellen Zhang; Editing by Kim Coghill)
© Copyright Thomson Reuters 2022. Click For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp


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Warner announces a new studio WB Games San Francisco
Warner Bros has revealed that they are opening up a new studio in the home of the GDC, San Fransisco.
The new studio is to be headed up by Warner's SVP of digital games Greg Ballard and will focus on building high quality social, mobile, free-to-play and browser based games. It will also oversee the publishing of all of Warner's other mobile games as well.
"The Bay Area is the home of social and mobile gaming and WB Games San Francisco is Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment's opportunity to expand our game development capabilities into the epicentre of the digital world. San Francisco is a hotbed of local talent and convenient access to major partners, and this will help us achieve our goal to bring our top entertainment and gaming brands, as well as original IP, to multiple mobile, social and emerging platforms," Ballard said of his new studio.
- Visuals are key to the PS4's success according to Nielsen's latest survey
- Sledgehammer considering revisiting classic multiplayer maps for Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare
- New ToeJam & Earl game comes to Kickstarter
- Free login campaign announced as Final Fantasy XIV tops 4 million registered users
- Fable Legends will be free-to-play on both PC and Xbox One
- Bastion will hit the PS4 in April
- Sierra bringing Velocity 2X to Xbox One and PC
- This month is a triple-A bonanza for Xbox gamers on Games With Gold
- New House Of Wolves leak shows a Reef social hub for Destiny


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Search CSP Daily News
Tobacco, cigarette and e-cig category news for the convenience-store retail industry
Product oversight, taxes and consumer trends light up sales from behind the counter
14 brands to go up 14 cents a pack
Zeller says FDA’s goal is to have proposed standards for cigarettes, cigars published by April
Proposed bill would require most entities that sell tobacco to offer 1 type of nicotine replacement therapy drug
Company is partnering with distributor H.T. Hackney
ITC ruling that claims the heated tobacco product infringes on 2 patents from R.J. Reynolds upheld
Flavored tobacco products may be sold in city pending the case’s outcome
Experts share consumer insights, legal updates and more
Retailers encouraged to submit plans to the FDA in next 4 months
Stein also launches investigation into Puff Bar, asks FDA commissioner nominee to protect children from e-cigarettes
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Peek inside new convenience stores to uncover the best in retail store design across North America.


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When it comes to creating a new cryptocurrency, there are several factors that contribute to its success. Yet, there is one we often take for granted. The logo. You may glance over these crypto logos without a second thought, but they are ingrained in your subconscious along with the other famous logos of the world. The team behind Bitcoin SV recognized this, which is why they recently reinvented themselves with a brand new logo. More than just an image, analysts are already saying this logo will help usher in a new wave of crypto adopters.
BITCOIN SV SHAKES UP THE CRYPTO SPACE WITH NEW LOGO
Just a mere two months after it came into existence, Bitcoin SV got right to work on rebranding themselves. With their new logo ready to showcase, BSV broke the record for “fastest rebrand for tainted coin,” a record previously held by Raiblocks. In a message to the press, the Bitcoin Commerce Association (bComm) expressed that the new logo “reflects Bitcoin SV’s roots while leading a new era for Bitcoin to professionalize.” At first glance, this is a rather vague quote but if you look into it deeper, you’ll see the true meaning.
BITCOIN SV WANTS YOU TO TAKE IT SERIOUSLY
Essentially what bComm was trying to say here was that they want you to take Bitcoin SV seriously now. The logo represents a monumental jump to maturity of the BSV protocol, which violently separated from Bitcoin Cash during the infamous “hash war” of November 2018. While many see this hard fork as the result of two childish billionaires who can’t get along, Bitcoin SV points out that they are ready to grow up and move on.
The logo itself features a capital B and the letters SV in “dragon gold.” Allegedly, this is to symbolize Bitcoin SV full node implementation as well as ambition, leadership, energy, good fortune and above all, independence. nChain CEO Jimmy Nguyen went on to say that “after too many years of wasteful diversions from the Satoshi Vision, we can now finally celebrate Bitcoin’s rebirth.”
BITCOIN SV AND THE ROAD TO MASS ADOPTION
Besides the new, memorable logo that is generating lots of hype on its own, Bitcoin SV is getting some help from friends. Coingeek founder Calvin Ayre is issuing commemorative silver coins that mark the mining of the genesis Bitcoin block. These sixty-gram coins will be auctioned to the public over the next month.
While this is all promising news for BSV, it’s still a bit early before we see it’s price take off. So what do you do with all that free BSV sitting in your portfolio? Don’t sell it. Instead, take this suggestion. Go to crypto backed lending site like YouHodler and put up your BSV as collateral. You’ll then receive cash in return to use for your business expenses, portfolio diversification or more. Meanwhile, BSV can find it’s placed in the crypto ecosystem and start to rise.
When you pay back your loan, you get BSV back along with any additional profits it incurred during the process. It’s a quick and easy way to use BSV to your advantage now without waiting.


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UPDATE: The new LA Fitness has finally opened its doors.
Original story below…
NOTTINGHAM, MD—LA Fitness is coming to the Fullerton Square Shopping Center, Baltimore County Councilman David Marks announced on Wednesday.
Construction is expected to begin in the late fall.
The 34,000-square-foot fitness center is the latest improvement at the shopping center, one of the oldest in Baltimore County.
Weis Markets opened there in the fall of 2017.
“This is the latest improvement at this shopping center, and along with the upcoming resurfacing of Belair Road here, should continue the facelift that is sorely needed in this area,” said Councilman Marks.


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As per the latest statistics shared by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), UPI transactions crossed 800 million during the month, up from 754 million in June, after coming close in March with 799 million.
Along with UPI, interbank fund transfer mechanism IMPS (Immediate Payment Service) clocked rapid growth, up 10.5% month-on-month in July to 189 million transactions, from 171 million in June.
Both UPI and IMPS are interbank instant fund transfer mechanisms and they have seen increased adoption with the government’s push towards digitisation. UPI has grown almost 250% from 235 million transactions in July 2018 while IMPS has grown almost 50% since clocking 127 million transactions a year ago.
On the other hand, UPI payment application BHIM, which is run by NPCI, has continued its slow growth rate, clocking 16 million transactions in July, as against 15 million in the previous month.


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polympart :Quantifying the dangers of plastic pollution in the seas and nature, a team of researchers in a new study estimates that about half of the world’s seabirds have ingested plastic additives.
The researchers from Japan, the United States and other countries studied 145 seafowls of 32 species from 16 areas of the world.
They found brominated flame retardants and ultraviolet absorbers–the latter being used to prevent sunlight-induced degradation of plastics–in 76 of these, including in three streaked shearwaters from Awashima island in Niigata Prefecture, which were found polluted at mild concentrations.
Their findings appeared in the English-language journal of the Japan Society for Environmental Chemistry in October
In addition to the seabirds, plastic additives, or chemicals that are used in plastic products to prevent them from deteriorating or catching fire, have recently been found in the bodies of other wildlife, including hermit crabs, and some even in humans.
Experts are calling for closer studies to be conducted on, and countermeasures to be taken against, pollution by plastic additives, of which even very small quantities could have adverse health effects.
ENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS INCLUDED
Hideshige Takada, a professor of environmental science with Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT), who was part of the study, separately worked with his colleagues to study “Coenobita cavipes” land hermit crabs in Okinawa Prefecture.
The researcher found brominated flame retardants in their internal organs.
Their indoor experiments showed that plastic additives accumulate in the bodies of bivalves and saltwater fish when their food is admixed with plastic fragments.
Takada explained that plastic additives dissolve readily in oil and fat, although they are poorly soluble in water.
And there is fat and oil derived from food in the stomach and intestines of living creatures. A mechanism has been found wherein additives dissolve into that fat and oil in the body of a creature that has swallowed pieces of plastic by error, and end up partially absorbed.
Plastic additives, which include plasticizing agents for softening materials ahead of processing, account for about 7 percent of the raw materials of plastics.
Some of the plastic additives, such as bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalic esters (phthalates), are known as endocrine disruptors, which block the natural functions of hormones once they are in the bodies of living creatures, thereby causing abnormalities.
BPA, phthalates and other plastic additives abound as ingredients of products in our close surroundings, such as plastic containers and room wallpaper. They have also been found in human bodies.
Phthalates have short half-life periods–the time it takes until there is only half as much of them in the body as in the initial state–of only several hours to several days. Concerns have been raised, however, that constant exposure to the phthalates could still have unforeseen consequences.
‘IMPACT ON HUMANS COULD ALREADY BE THERE’
A group of researchers led by Reiko Kishi, a professor with the Hokkaido University Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, has been studying the content of chemicals in the blood of 20,000 mothers and their impact on the children of those subjects.
The research, titled the “Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children’s Health,” has been ongoing since 2001.
Their analysis of 250 or so mothers has so far indicated that the higher the concentrations of phthalates in the blood of mothers, the more prone their children are, until the age of 7, to develop food allergies and contract infectious diseases, such as middle ear inflammation and chicken pox.
Kishi and her coworkers’ study also showed that, the higher the blood concentrations of those substances in the mothers, the lower the concentration of leptin, a key hormone, tended to be in the cord blood.
The higher phthalate concentrations were also found correlated with lower concentrations at birth of a sex hormone that is secreted from the spermaries of boys.
“The impact of plastic additives on humans could already be there,” Kishi said. “That problem is less obvious than that of marine plastic litter, in which there is mounting interest, but it still deserves more attention.”
The problem of marine plastic litter has been drawing attention in recent years.
Broken down by ultraviolet rays and sea waves, plastic products crumble into microplastics, measuring 5 millimeters or less, which pollute the ocean. Apart from their content of additives, the microplastics could bind with dioxins and other toxic chemicals, which, in turn, could enter the human body through the food chain, and hence the concerns.
An “Osaka Blue Ocean Vision,” a plan that aims to reduce additional pollution by marine plastic litter to zero by 2050, was released during a Group of 20 Summit held in Osaka in 2019. The marine plastic litter issue is also expected to be discussed at a session of the U.N. Environment Assembly that will be held in Nairobi in 2022.
In Japan, retailers have been required since July 2020 to charge for plastic shopping bags. Disposable plastic products, such as throwaway spoons distributed at convenience stores, will also stop being free of charge next spring.
To reduce plastic waste, a plan is also being floated for making plastic products eligible for an existing recycling setup, which now only covers plastic containers and packaging.
Takada pointed out, however, that additives contained in plastic waste could volatilize when heated during the recycling process and thereby end up in the human body. Recycling could also make it unable to tell what additives are contained in given plastic products, he added.
“It is therefore essential to reduce the use of plastic products or to replace plastic additives with harmless ones,” Takada said.


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Hot trucks at the 2013 Mid-American Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky.
Freightliner this week announced an in-cab training system designed for installation onto already existing tether points in Freightliner Cascadia and Coronado models. The announcement came at the Mid-American Trucking Show in Louisville, Ky. Freightliner collaborated with ...
Martin Daum said during in an address to the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association that trucks getting 10 mpg "will definitely come during our professional lifetimes."
Rounding up commercial van market, hybrid truck, solar panel, natural gas powertrain and other news from the NTEA show in Indianapolis, which ended March 8.
Gemini Transport, a Love's sister company hauling fuel for the truck stop chain, will put the Freightliners in service in the Texas Triangle and Oklahoma City areas.
Owner-operator Jeff Clark, blogging as part of Freightliner's new Team Run Smart initiative, breaks down the driver shortage issue in a crafty way: "An economist and a driver recruiter walk into a bar" and...
In the past, heavy duty vocational trucks may have been spec'd with 550 hp and 1,950 lb.-ft. of torque to get the load rolling. Today, 470-hp engines with 1,850 lb.-ft. torque can do the job.
In a move that will leave 1,300 North American factory workers out of a job, Daimler Trucks North America is laying off 2,100 people worldwide, according to multiple reports.
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A designer line of commemorative Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wedding dolls have come in for criticism online.
The dolls, created by American designer Shirley Corsey via her online Etsy store, retail at around $181 (£131).
Critics pointed out some unusual design choices - such as Prince Harry's dummy bushy brown hair, rather than the Prince's well known short ginger crown.
Ms Markle's doll, by comparison, is said to be "better", in as much as it has dark hair and brown eyes.
One social media user, Michael Moran, said there was "everything" wrong with them.
The royal pair are set to marry next May at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
Ms Markle, who is to become a British citizen, is being both baptised and confirmed ahead of the religious ceremony.
The Queen will be there, as will the rest of the royal family, along with Ms Markle's parents Thomas Markle and Doria Ragland.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte look set take on the roles of pageboy and bridesmaid.


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Maffei “brings a keen business acumen and unique understanding of the business and financial markets to the table,” said Nick Hanauer, chairman of the Avenue A board.
Maffei currently oversees Microsoft’s worldwide financial and administrative activities. He is also responsible for corporate development and management of the company’s $17 billion cash and $14 billion strategic investment portfolio.
“My focus will be on helping the company achieve its goals and attain a leadership position in the emerging category of Internet media and data marketing,” said Maffei.
Avenue A clients include Eddie Bauer, Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch, Gateway, RealNetworks, Mountain Zone and uBid.com.
Businesses near ‘PokeStops’ are enjoying a huge surge in footfall due to the popularity of Pokémon Go, according to our first major ... read more
A new organization, The Coalition for Better Ads, has been launched to “leverage consumer insights and cross-industry expertise to develop and implement ... read more


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A new app makes it quick and easy for users to project content from an Android phone or tablet to a wide range of smart TVs and set-top boxes like the Apple TV, Roku devices, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. While still in beta, it offers a lot of flexibility and has the potential to be a presentation Swiss Army knife for mobile professionals.
Ryan Faas is a technology journalist and author who has been writing about Apple, business and enterprise IT topics, and the mobile industry for over a decade. He is author and/or editor of ten technology books. He is the business reporter for Cult of Mac and a prolific freelance writer whose work has been featured on Computerworld, Enterprise Mobile Today, InformIT, Peachpit Press, About.com, and Datamation. In 2008 he was awarded a Neal National Business Journalism award for his work featured in Computerworld's "Week of Leopard" series.
In addition to writing, Ryan has spent a large portion of the past fifteen years in the systems/network engineering and IT management fields as an IT director, systems administrator, trainer, and all round multi-platform and mobile device technology consultant. His client list ranges from human services agencies, small non-profits, and private schools to fortune 500 hundred companies and major media agencies.
A recent study from the Netherlands offers proof that coworking spaces deliver business and networking advantages to their members including jobs/contracts and business partnerships that might never occur otherwise. Here are three ways for larger organizations to capitalize on what makes coworking success stories.
Consumerization isn't just changing the technology at work at rapid speed. It's also changing the entire social contract between employees and the IT departments that serve them. That requires more emphasis on "soft" skills that IT workers typically didn't emphasize.
A decade ago, I built a modern IT infrastructure for a mental health and human services organization. Using the cloud and mobile technologies available today, I would've built it faster, better, and less expensively.
Apple has taken the wraps off its new enterprise licensing system for iOS and Mac apps. The long-awaited offering lets businesses and schools purchase apps, assign them to users, and revoke access and reassign them if necessary. Here's all the information you need to get started with it.
The uncertainty around BlackBerry is leading many companies to build mobile platform diversity into their transition plans so they don't face such a chaotic issue should any one platform fail in the future. The result is more companies supporting Android in addition to iOS. Responding to this trend, MobileIron is ramping up the security and functionality available to enterprise Android deployments.
A user's Apple ID is more than just an iTunes/App Store/iCloud account. It is a one-stop digital identity for every way in which a user interacts with Apple - to activate a device, buy apps and content, get support, communicate with others, sync content, and even apply for jobs with the company. Handled poorly, that ubiquity can severely complicate things in the workplace both for users and IT.
Apple's recent changes to the Mac versions of iWork have many longtime users up in arms with many threatening or planning to jump ship to other productivity suites. The challenge is finding one that meets your needs and the staying power to be a dependable solution. Even Microsoft's Office isn't a sure thing in some respects.
Apple focused on the consumer and end-user additions in Mavericks during its launch of the new desktop OS, but that doesn't mean that the company ignored its enterprise customers in the release. Here are ten enterprise-focused additions that improve Mac security, deployment, updates, software development, and enterprise integration that are included in Mavericks.