text:
Tesla’s Autopilot is the most advanced autonomous vehicle technology available in a commercial car, but all it took was a single fatal crash to put it under a constant veil of scrutiny. The technology is technically in “beta,” according to CEO and founder Elon Musk, but the definition of that term is subject to interpretation (by Musk, that is).
In May, Joshua Brown, 40, died when his Autopiloted car hit a tractor-trailer. Tesla made the crash public on June 30, beginning a media frenzy of Tesla-takes, which Musk has made it his personal responsibility to respond to as the impromptu spokesman and public Twitter defender of Autopilot technology.
Most recently, Musk defended the “beta” classification of Autopilot, in the typical roundabout, tweet-off-the-cuff way he usually responds to criticism.
“Beta” for Tesla means “any system with less than one billion miles of real world driver,” Musk tweeted on July 10. He continued that Tesla uses “beta” “explicitly so that drivers don’t get comfortable. It is not beta software in the standard sense.”
In other words, Tesla isn’t ruled by the standard definition of beta. It exists in a world where beta is simply a cautionary word for technology that is not quite finished, not close to the stated number of miles it needs to be finished, but is still safe if used in the correct ways.
Musk’s beta definition arose after he retweeted an article posted on Fortune. Musk and Fortune have had a tense relationship since July 4, when the magazine published an article asserting that Tesla should have told its investors about the crash. Tesla is now under investigation by the SEC regarding the same claim.
It makes sense that Musk was on full alert regarding Fortune articles about Tesla — only this wasn’t a Fortune article, it was republished from Reuters.
Regardless of how it all started, the Twitter beef provides some insight into the timeline for autonomous cars (although a timeline for Musk does not necessarily mean a hard deadline). Tesla will reach 1 billion miles and be done with beta in “probably six months,” and it will continue to be called beta because the entire “point of calling it ‘beta’ was to emphasize to those who chose to use it that it wasn’t perfect.”
This is the first hard answer Musk has given to the question of how much autonomous driving data is enough. Each company working on autonomous cars has its own answer, but Tesla is the only one using car-buying customers to gather its data. So far, their method has worked: Tesla has gathered more data, faster than any other company in the race to a billion driverless miles.
Musk isn’t the only one who believes that it will take a 10-digit number before autonomous cars are complete. An April report from the Rand Institute reached a similar number, and senior Rand researcher Susan Paddock told Inverse that it all depends on how much risk companies and drivers are willing to take.
Here’s the math behind a billion from the Rand report:
“Although the total number of crashes, injuries and fatalities from human drivers is high, the rate of these failures is low in comparison with the number of miles that people drive. Americans drive nearly 3 trillion miles every year, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. In 2013, there were 2.3 million injuries reported, which is a failure rate of 77 injuries per 100 million miles driven. The related 32,719 fatalities correspond to a failure rate of about 1 fatality per 100 million miles driven.”
Despite the set billion-mile-mark, Musk clarified a few tweets later that he isn’t going to let Tesla be ruled by Autopilot’s odometer.
In other words, Autopilot’s “beta” classification is probably here to stay.


text:
ANAHEIM, CALIF. — Vermont-based GW Plastics is breaking into high-speed medical molding with the addition of two 240-ton injection molding machines, the company announced at the 30th annual MD&M West conference and trade show Feb. 10 in Anaheim.
The twin 48-cavity Nestal molders will operate in a new cell of the existing Class 8 cleanroom at GW's Bethel, Vt., headquarters. The company expects to have the new equipment validated by the middle of 2015, said Anthony T. Fleszar, North America sales manager.
The high-speed nature of the runs — sub-seven seconds officially, but eventually quicker, Fleszar said — presents new challenges for GW, not just in moving the resin but also the finished goods.
“It's caused us to rethink our overall manufacturing process,” he said.
Specially designed robotics plus end-of-arm tooling, automated packaging and 24/7 quality control are part of the $1.5 million investment the project for a new GW customer in the eye care market.
“We've crept up on this cavitation, but this is a big step, maintaining this speed,” Fleszar said. “The process doesn't stop; the parts just keep coming.”
A contract molder specializing in complex injection molded thermoplastics and silicones for the healthcare, automotive and consumer markets, GW Plastics was the 2009 Plastics News Processor of the Year award.

domain: news


text:
Petrol station giant EG Group has announced it is to acquire ultra-fast electric vehicle (EV) chargers from manufacturer Tesla.
EG, run by Asda owners Mohsin and Zuber Issa, said the chargers will be branded evpoint and will be available to all electric vehicle drivers. Tesla will provide the charging hardware and technology for EG to install.
The car maker’s so-called Superchargers are popular among EV drivers for their reliability and speed.
They could initially only be used to charge the company’s cars, but have been available to drivers of all-electric vehicle brands in the UK since a trial in November last year.
Zuber Issa said: “Securing this best-in-class equipment from Tesla marks another milestone for evpoint and is hugely exciting for us.
“It is the first deal of its kind entered into by Tesla with a third-party charge point operator in Europe and will transform how our customers charge their vehicles and how they interact with EG.
“Since installing our first EV charger back in 2012, we have continued to invest in the technology.
“This deal will accelerate the delivery of vital charging infrastructure for motorists to help power the transition to net zero.”
Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s senior director of charging infrastructure, said: “The rapid installation of reliable, easy-to-use EV charging infrastructure is the right step towards a sustainable future and a key area of focus for us at Tesla.
“For this reason, we’re excited to make our fast-charging hardware available for purchase to EG Group and other leaders in the space.”
As of August, there were more than 1,100 Tesla chargers across the UK in 115 locations, according to the RAC.


text:
Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Etsy adds Android Pay support to help you buy that homemade quilt faster
Etsy has grown into one of the most popular online stores, particularly for people who want something handmade, or with a quirky twist. Today, the store announced that Android devices in the US and UK can use Android Pay to purchase items on Etsy for the first time.
In order to use this new feature on Etsy, Android device owners need to have the Android Pay app installed, along with a supported card. This means that buying items via Etsy won’t require users to type in all their credit card details. They can just type in a PIN number or password, create a pattern, or even use their fingerprint if their device has the right scanner, to purchase products from the site.
If you are one of those many Etsy sellers who have hand crafted chairs, pocket books or other items on the site, and if you are set up to accept payments through Direct Checkout, you should be able to accept any payments for your products made via Android Pay.
Etsy is apparently rolling out Android Pay support in stages. Some users will be able to use it on the store starting today, and Etsy will extend it to everyone else in the US and UK in the coming weeks. This is obviously a big plus for people that use Android Pay in those markets, as Google’s payment system continues to gain support from more and more banks and credit unions.


text:
We live in challenging times. Everything is politicized.
At the same time, we know that 87% of people purchase a product because a company advocated for an issue they cared about.So the question is – how do companies engage in a values-based conversation without alienating half of their customers or client-base?
March 15, 2017
On March 8, millions around the world supported women’s issues through protests, demonstrations, and by donning the color red. International Women’s Day serves as a day to celebrate how far society has come and serves as a powerful reminder of all we have left to do to truly achieve equality for women around the globe.
February 07, 2017
Every year, brands get involved in politics during the Super Bowl. From 1984 to today, many of our most memorable ads have made a political statement. But predictably, those same ads generate a backlash. Stick to sports! Give me an escape, not a civics lesson! (Puppymonkeybaby, anyone?)
As this year proved again, though,“stick to sports” isn’t advice all brands want to take. So let’s say you’re a brand trying to make a political statement today. How do you create an ad that’s seen as relevant and impactful?
January 31, 2017
Everyone wants to be an achiever. It’s better to be a work-in-progress.
It can be tempting for companies to try building brand equity by proving to their audiences that they’ve met goals, hit targets, done good…or have committed to do so in the future. Here’s what their audiences think:
- We hit our goals
- We increased our service reliability
- We did...
- We will…
January 18, 2017
Whether you want to remember, or forget 2016…it was a big year for gut-busting, eye-misting, cringe/applaud worthy language. Being in the business of uncovering precisely the right language means we see everything through that lens. Given the polarizing nature of the election, this year’s selections were a particular challenge (which is why this comes a bit late!). But regardless of where you stand politically, we’ve tried to capture the moments that had the greatest impact. We hope our annual Language Moments will help you bring closure for 2016 and lift you up for 2017! Enjoy!
September 09, 2016
m+p CEO Michael Maslansky joins Mornings with Maria to discuss why American Airlines’ new ad campaign is upsetting potential customers. When starting a conversation about easing the flying experience, what messaging is most effective to quell traveler frustration? Already disgruntled travelers may not be receptive to an instructional tone, and at what point should a company reconsider their language strategy?


text:
27 Jan 2018.
YouTube ads hacked to mine cryptocurrency via visitors' CPUs.
While some websites do this intentionally as an alternate method of funding,
29 Jan 2018.
been targeting users of YouTube to mine cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin by attacking.
use YOUTUBE to target computers for bitcoin and ripple mining.
Starbucks to start accepting cryptocurrencies but will SNUB bitcoin.
Riot Blockchain, a US-based cryptocurrency mining firm, plans to almost double its hashrate following Bitcoin (BTC) halving.
31 Dec 2019.
After Youtube recently started taking down cryptocurrency videos, the.
bans the ability to mine cryptocurrency on mobile for Play Store apps and doesn't.
Yet, there should be more than that — starting with highlighting why.
Over 30 months from 2016 to 2018, the authors report, Bitcoin mining produced.
Storing Edvard Munch's masterpiece at low humidity will help to preserve its.
FTX, a Binance-backed crypto derivatives platform, is now offering futures contracts for Bitcoin hashrate, enabling miners to.
Bitcoin is big, but Wall Street’s finest still consider gold to be the premiere ‘safe-haven’ for when the Fed starts printing.
26 Jan 2018.
Hackers Invade YouTube Ads To Mine Cryptocurrency.
something in common: they've relied on a service called Coinhive to do the mining.
The Seven Network Effects Of Bitcoin user in the peer-to-peer Bitcoin network that can be used with a standard Internet connection; and it. tail of the block chain, miners are in effect “voting” on the correct record of Bitcoin transactions, and in that way. In March 2015, the seven. The sideways price trend is bad luck for Bitcoin. In recent years,
26 Nov 2019.
The botnet's cryptomining module is a highly modified version of the xmr-stak.
ESET says it alerted YouTube of this abuse; and all the channels.
isn't obfuscated, since obfuscation would significantly impair the speed of.
We saw recently that Bitcoin successfully went through its third halving this week, with the number of Bitcoin rewarded to.


text:
Consumers’ appetite for online grocery delivery during the COVID-19 shutdowns hasn’t always been matched by retailers’ ability to deliver, according to a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers conducted April 17-18.
While 38% of consumers went online to place orders for grocery delivery, only 68% of these transactions were successful, with 17% unable to secure a delivery window. More than half (54%) experienced a delayed delivery order, with 28% delayed by three or more days. Fewer than half (43%) of the shoppers were satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, although 39% of respondents said they were likely or very likely to use grocery delivery services in the future.
Learn more about how COVID-19 has impacted grocery delivery in this infographic from Blue Yonder.


text:
Social networking company Twitter Inc. (TWTR) has entered the digital goods business with its new non-fungible tokens (NFT) profile picture feature. Shares closed at $37.28 on January 20.
NFT Profile Pictures
Twitter announced that starting Thursday, Twitter Blue subscribers will be able to use NFTs owned by them as their profile pictures. The new feature is available only on Apple, Inc.’s (AAPL) iOS devices and in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, and Australia, where the Twitter Blue service is available for $2.99 per month.
Lately, NFTs have created a lot of buzz, with every company vying to enter the market and every individual trying to own a piece of it. Several people are still novices and trying to catch up with a slew of new terminologies such as blockchain technology, cryptocurrency, digital wallets, and NFTs.
Twitter’s attempt to enter the space has succeeded as several users have already changed their profile pictures with NFTs. These profile pictures will be easily identifiable as they will have a hexagonal frame instead of the typical circular frame pictures. Moreover, users can gain knowledge of the particular digital art by simply clicking on the picture.
The new feature is one of Twitter’s biggest steps to date into the digital assets space along with some of the best NFT stocks. Twitter also stated that through the feature it intends to create more awareness and knowledge around the buzzing digital technologies.
Twitter currently boasts 211 million monetizable daily active users. Last November, Twitter launched Twitter Crypto, a dedicated unit for crypto, blockchains, and other decentralized technologies.
Twitter’ Product Head, Esther Crawford, said, “Crypto is a key pillar of Twitter’s future. We want to support this growing interest among creators to use decentralized apps to manage virtual goods and currencies. This is just still very early days for us, but we wanted to build something that was a utility for this community that they could start interacting with right now.”
“We know that for many people their first experience of NFTs will happen on Twitter with this feature and with the conversations that are taking place on the platform,” Crawford added.
Recently, Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak lowered the price target on the stock to $57 (52.9% upside potential) from $62, while maintaining a Buy rating.
Overall, the stock has a Hold consensus rating based on 7 Buys, 16 Holds, and 2 Sells. The average Twitter price target of $63.17 implies 69.5% upside potential to current levels. Shares have lost 22.4% over the past year.
TipRanks’ Insider Trading Activity shows that Insider Confidence Signal is currently Positive on Twitter, with corporate insiders buying $93.5 million shares in the last quarter.
Download the TipRanks mobile app now
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Ford Discloses Special Items Impacting Q4 Results, $8.2B Gain from Rivian Stake
Alcoa Delivers Exceptional Q4 Earnings, In-Line Revenue
Bank of America Delivers Solid Q4 Earnings; Shares Up 5%


text:
Global payment provider Splitit Payments (ASX:SPT)
announces the global launch of Splitit In-Store, which is expected to occur in August. This new facility integrates Apple Pay and Google Pay, and multiple new merchants have signed on to the launch, including La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries, Gem Shopping Network, PROCAM, Faberge, KEF and Aftershock PC.
Splitit enables shoppers to use their credit cards to repay in instalments, with no interest, application, or fees.
Splitit InStore will provide the ability to initiate these instalment payments in person or via phone. Splitit suggests that this financing option will be useful for such items as home furnishings, jewellery, luxury retail and sporting goods, which shoppers may prefer to purchase offline.
The platform has been developed to meet growing merchant demand, and the new merchants are estimated to add over US$1 billion in combined addressable sales volume.
Splitit’s CEO, Brad Paterson, comments: “The recent shift to online has increased shopper expectations of flexible payment options at checkout. As we see a return to in-store spending in many countries, the number one request of our customers has been to provide an omnichannel experience.”
Shares in Splitit Payments (ASX:SPT)
closed at $0.58 yesterday.


text:
CAR dealer Lookers yesterday reported a “record trading performance” as profit surged by a third.
First-half pre-tax profit was £22.7m – 29 per cent up on the £17.6m it made in the same period a year earlier. Sales were £988.3m, compared with £870.4m.
New car sales increased by a quarter despite fears over consumer confidence and government cuts.
The parts division will help the firm weather these conditions, it added.
Chief executive Peter Jones said: “We have delivered a record trading performance in the first six months of 2010 and we are very encouraged by this result.’
He added: “The strong performance from both the parts and motor divisions, a reduced cost base together with significant positive operational cashflow which has strengthened the balance sheet, gives us confidence that we can continue to grow the business.”
Lookers operates 120 retail outlets covering 32 brands.
Earlier this month, industry figures showed monthly car sales fell in July for the first time in a year.
Much of that decline was put down to the end of the vehicle scrappage scheme in which consumers were encouraged via incentives to scrap their old vehicle to replace witha new car from the showroom, in a bid to boost the ailing industry.


text:
Kunal Shah news
Sequoia Capital’s maiden seed fund in India will intensify competition for early-stage deals.
Shah gets $25 million from Sequoia, Ribbit & others for his new venture.
Superapps which offer multiple set of services will become popular because people tend to follow known brands
FreeCharge was acquired by the now beleaguered e-tailer Snapdeal for $400 million in 2015, and was last year sold to Axis Bank for $60 million.
o-working space provider Innov8 has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from a clutch of investors, including Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Google's Rajan Anandan and FreeCharge founder Kunal Shah among others.
Shah, who is also chairman of the Snapdeal-owned digital payments platform, is expected to play an active role in mentoring Sequoia's large portfolio spread across India and South Asia.
Recently, Bahl took to Twitter to respond to rumours about the sale of his company with a verse or two -“Rumour rumour on the wall, which troll did you call
In February 2014, Zuckerberg had Koum hashed out terms of the deal over chocolate covered strawberries on Valentine's Day.
We are replicating the success of Meituan (China's largest offline deals company) in India. We will continue to scale using product innovation without the need of large capital, said Sameer Grover, Grownit.
Sachin Bansal, Vijay Shekhar Sharma and Kunal Shah join hands to back Unacademy, along with Blume ventures
Unacademy, which allows educators to create courses on the platform, has recorded close to 25 million views since inception.
Shah is among few Indian entrepreneurs who have had the foresight to let go of their CEO positions to attract top talent to their companies.
The focus of the week-long trip is to invite Chinese companies to set up businesses in India, seek investment opportunities in Indian start-ups.
Rajan joined Snapdeal in July last year, as its chief strategy officer, but was almost immediately tasked with running the day-to-day operations of Freecharge.
This Snapdeal-owned online recharge portal started off as recent as August 2010 and went on to be the biggest takeover in Indian e-commerce history and the biggest Venture Capital exit in India to date.
Consumers are being penalized for making digital payments in the name of convenience charges, which goes against the spirit of Digital India, says Kunal Shah.
The central bank wants to set up the integrated bill payment system to bring transactions under a single umbrella, consolidating the plethora of gateways that now exist.
With approximately 3,300 autos empanelled with the company, Jugnoo competes with its bigger rival Ola which has close to 75,000 autos on its platform.


text:
Indian logistics platform FarEye has received additional funding of $13 million from The Fundamentum Partnership and a fund managed by South Korea’s KB Investment.
Earlier in the year, the company announced a Series D round of $25 million led by M12, Microsoft’s corporate venture arm. Other FarEye investors include Eight Roads, Honeywell Ventures and SAIF Partners. Fundamentum...
Temasek Holdings, Cathay Capital Private Equity, and Haochen Capital have led a $55 million Series B round for WeNext Technology, a China-based 3D printing specialist.
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 has made a Series D investment of undisclosed size in Japan’s Soda, operator of sneaker reselling platform Snkr Dunk, at a valuation of JPY38 billion ($336 million).
Singapore’s LingoAce, a Chinese language learning app, has raised $105 million in Series C funding led by Sequoia Capital India. It comes within a year of a $55 million Series B.
CVC Capital Partners is supporting a proposed founder-led privatization of Hong Kong-listed gaming hardware and software provider Razer that values the business at HK$24.7 billion ($3.17 billion).


text:
Experts advise Irish food industry to target consumer demand for healthy innovative products
The Irish food industry has been urged to target consumer demand for healthy innovative products in order to sell more of its food worldwide.
Experts from Harvard Business School met Irish food bosses today at a Bord Bia seminar in how to expand Irish food exports at a time of huge volatility in world food prices.
Professor David Bell said a small country like Ireland must concentrate its efforts on specialist foodstuffs with added value rather than basic commodities which would always have low margins.
Harvard director of agri-business Mary Shelman highlighted recent success stories in the US such as Blue Apron foods which delivers full meal ingredients and healthy recipes to consumers down to the last teaspoon of spice needed.
The unprecedented interest of young people in food and quality ingredients showed the opportunities for small innovative companies to compete against global giants – as shown by the fact craft beers have now captured 14pc of the US beer market, she said.
New meat-substitutes such as “Beyond Beef” had also been developed while new lab-grown meat was being developed that consumers might one day “grow” in their own kitchen, she said.
The “holy grail of success is now the intersection of craft and mass” as shown by the David versus Goliath success of quality US yogurt company Chobani against established dairy giants, she said.
Some 90pc of Irish beef farms and virtually all dairy farms have now signed up to a system that measures their environmental credentials and carbon footprint, said Aidan Cotter of Bord Bia.
Some 700 farms a week are having their carbon footprint – ie greenhouse gas emissions – audited in order to bolster Irish claims to eco-friendly food production, he said.
This Origin Green label now covers around 85pc of Irish food exports and with 43,500 beef farms and 18,000 dairy farms already signed up, and Bord Bia is on target to get every food business and farm in the country signed up to sustainable food production.
Mr Cotter urged companies to also prioritise health and wellness, as those who could appeal to consumers on this would be the big winners.
“Obesity and its link to diabetes and heart disease attracts growing attention from the media, from government and from health professionals, bringing the food industry into ever more focus, with solutions sought in food labelling and sugar and fat taxes,” he said.
Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney said that Irish food exports were up 40pc to €10bn in four years with huge expansion opportunities for dairy, beef and prepared foods.
Despite the present ban on some exports to Russia, huge progress had been made in opening markets, he said.
China was now our sixth largest market for food, with exports trebling in the past three years.


text:
The increasing popularity of hi-tech goods is having a huge impact on the value of home contents, according to a new study.
Esure estimates that the value of hi-tech contents in UK homes will increase by 60 per cent in the next ten years.
For pensioner households the value of these products in the home will rise by a massive 400 per cent by 2015, as couples with grown up children, who are the biggest spenders on household goods and gadgets, retire.
As a result of satellite navigation systems, MP3 players and laptops increasingly becoming everyday household items, homeowners are urged to regularly review their home contents insurance policies to avoid the risk of being underinsured.
Nikki Sellers, head of home insurance at esure.com, said: "As the list of must-have gadgets lengthens, the value of what’s inside all our homes is rising fast. And in this age of minaturisation, it’s important for expensive gizmos to be tucked away into drawers, cupboards and handbags, out of sight of burglars.
"But the danger is for homeowners to overlook these items when estimating the value of their contents - which could leave them under-insured and vulnerable if a burglar does strike."
The likelihood of being burgled is one in 24, making adequate home contents insurance a priority.To read more about home insurance, click here.
© Adfero Ltd


text:
Volkswagen just opened a new manufacturing plant in Southern China. Continue Reading...
plant NewsAll News
Browse by News Category
- Alfa Romeo
- Aston Martin
- Land Rover
- Other Categories
- Concept Cars
- Recall Notice
- Spy Photos
- Compact Cars
- Diesel Cars
- Economy Cars
- Electric Cars
- Family Sedans
- Luxury Cars
- Sports Cars
- Auto Show News
Volkswagen could have a sub-compact SUV to debut in the U.S. as soon as 2016. Continue Reading...
Production is outpacing demand at Volkswagen’s first U.S. manufacturing plant since 1988, prompting the brand to cut 500 contract jobs. Continue Reading...
Nissan seems to be regretting what turned out to be an over-zealous sales strategy for the Leaf. Continue Reading...
In spite of rising Chevrolet Volt sales, General Motors will reportedly halt production at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant that assembles them from September 17 until October 15. Continue Reading...
Production screeched to a halt for several Italian automakers including Lamborghini after earthquakes shook the country starting May 20. Finally, Lamborghini is offering insight to how its line was actually affected by the disaster. Continue Reading...
Ford announced that they are investing $446 million into their Sao Bernardo do Campo plant near Sao Paulo, Brazil towards the production of a new global vehicle. Unfortunately Ford didn’t announce any more details in regards to the new model, but it will likely be something geared toward’s Brazil’s emerging middle class. The Sao Benardo… Continue Reading...
With sales of the Chevrolet Cruze slowing down, General Motors will idle their Lordstown, Ohio plant to help bring supply levels of the Cruze down. Dealers currently have a 73-day supply of the Cruze, higher than the industry average. GM hopes that demand will catch up with supply by closing the plant for a week…. Continue Reading...
As the European and U.S. suffer from an economy of alarming volatility, automakers are constantly seeking emerging markets to attain sustainable growth. Mazda, introducing its automobiles in Mexico only six years ago, have now established a new production facility, in joint venture with Sumitomo Corporation, in Salamanca, Mexico. According to Mazda CEO Takashi Yamanouchi, “Since… Continue Reading...
Volvo Cars plan to discontinue production of the Volvo C70 convertible at the Pininfarina Sverige AB plant of Uddevalla, Sweden, by 2013. Established as a joint venture between Italian design house Pininfarina and the Swedish Automaker since 2005, the plant is responsible of building only the C70 model and employs 600 workers for the task. Volvo… Continue Reading...
Jeep has scrapped plans to build a replacement for their Patriot and Compass SUVs in Italy, and will instead build a subcompact Jeep product in Italy that will also be badged as a Fiat in world markets. The car will replace the Fiat Sedici, which is itself based on the Suzuki SX4. Jeep will then… Continue Reading...
General Motors will idle its Fort Wayne, Indiana plant for one week in November to help bring pickup truck production in line with slowing demand. The plant will be idled for the week of November 7th, and no Chevrolet Silverado or GMC Sierra pickups will be produced at that time. GM has reported a 108… Continue Reading...
Today, Ford Motor Company announced the official end of the Panther Platform, which has served as the underpinning of numerous Ford products, including the Ford Crown Victoria and the Lincoln Town Car, since 1979. Arguably one of the most successful products in automotive history, sales amongst fleet buyers for the Town Car remained strong and… Continue Reading...
Chevrolet cranks up its production capacity for the fourth quarter as the Azia Avto plant in Kazakhstan agrees to support the production of three new Chevy models. As the largest automaker in Kazakhstan, the Azia Avto plant is responsible for more than 87 percent of all passenger cars in the country. GM considers Kazakhstan and areas… Continue Reading...
Today was a great day for MINI, as the two millionth Cooper rolled off the assembly line, ten years after the start of production. British Prime Minister David Cameron was even present at the Oxford plant to drive the car out of the factory. The MINI convertible was complete with special paintwork and extras. David Cameron declared… Continue Reading...
Mazda will shift production of their mid-size Mazda6 from the current AutoAlliance International plant (a joint venture with former owner Ford) to Mazda’s facility in Hofu, Japan. “Currently, production of the Mazda6 [known as Atenza in Japan] exists in three locations,” said Takashi Yamanouchi, Representative Director and Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of Mazda Motor… Continue Reading...
BMW will expand its Chinese joint venture with local automaker Brilliance, in an effort to build 300,000 cars per year in China. BMW’s joint venture near Beijing currently builds the 3-Series and 5-Series, and will add the X1 crossover in 2012. Plans call for new factories dedicated to vehicle assembly, stamping and a paint shop…. Continue Reading...
Chrysler announced an $843 million investment in its Indiana transmission plant as it prepares to build a 9-speed automatic transmission front front-drive vehicles. The announcement comes on the heels of General Motors announcement of a $2 billion infusion into a number of plants, including $200 million for upgrades to its Toledo, Ohio plant to build… Continue Reading...
Volkswagen‘s new Chattanooga, Tennessee plant built its first car destined for a customer Wednesday, a dark Blue Passat 2.5L equipped with an automatic transmission. The plant should reach full capacity in 2012, at which point it will produce 150,000 Passats annually. Volkswagen says that the plant will generate $12 billion in economic growth for the region,… Continue Reading...
General Motors will invest $2 billion across 17 plants, as the company retools existing plants to build new products and hire more workers. GM confirmed that their Toledo, Ohio plant would receive $250 million in improvements and create 250 new jobs. CEO Dan Akerson didn’t announced which plants would be infused with new capital, but the Detroit-Hamtramck… Continue Reading...
Lotus may build their next generation Esprit sports car outside of the United Kingdom after its request for a $50 million loan to build a new factory was rejected by an investment arm of the British government. The loan was intended for a new factory in the Norfolk area of Britain, which would employ 1200… Continue Reading...
General Motors will idle their Arlington, Texas plant due to a parts shortage, although details were not given as to what the specific issue was. The factory builds vehicles like the Chevrolet Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade. A UAW representative told Automotive News that two 10-hour overtime shifts would be cancelled. So far, the standard 10-hour… Continue Reading...
After a brief announcement on March 23rd stating that the natural disasters in Japan may affect North American production, Toyota has announced that it is still “too early to predict” whether plants in Canada and the United States, which build both Toyota and Lexus cars, will face shutdowns due to a shortage of parts from… Continue Reading...
A shortage of parts means that Subaru‘s Indiana plant will have its production cut in half through the end of the week, and the company will assess the situation on a day to day basis to examine whether a continuation is necessary. Each of the two shifts will have 4 hours cut from their length…. Continue Reading...


text:
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer gave members of the House Ways and Means Committee an update on trade talks with China. He said much remains to be done in order to get a trade deal, but also saying real progress is being made towards getting a deal.
He told committee members the administration is pressing for significant structural changes, especially when it comes to issues of intellectual property rights and technology transfers.
He said the issues between the two countries are too serious to be resolved with promises of additional purchases.
"If we can complete this effort, and again I say if, and can reach a satisfactory solution to the all-important outstanding issue of enforceability, as well as some other concerns, we might be able to have an agreement that helps us turn the corner in our economic relationship with China," Lighthizer told lawmakers.
He said an agreement won't need Congressional approval because it would be an executive accord.
Later on Wednesday, the U.S. Trade Representative's office filed papers to "suspend the scheduled tariff increase until further notice". That means the U.S. is abandoning, for now, its threat to raise tariffs to 25% on $200 billion of Chinese goods, but tariffs already in place have apparently hurt many Chinese manufacturers.
A new survey shows Chinese manufacturing activity fell to a three year low in February.
Meanwhile, a Chinese ambassador says aspects of a possible trade deal with the U.S. that require legislation could take up to 10 years to put in place.


text:
In the US, increases in consumer prices accelerated again in September. The annual inflation rate rose from 5.3 percent in the previous month to 5.4 percent, the Washington Department of Labor announced on Wednesday. Economists had been expecting a flat rate, unchanged on average. With the rise, US inflation returned to its summer months level in June and July, when the rate reached its highest level since 2008.
In the world’s largest economy, inflation remains well above the US Federal Reserve’s inflation target of 2%. However, the Fed mainly blames temporary factors for the rate hike. In particular, inflation is driving up energy prices. Here the department reported an annual increase of nearly 25 percent for the month of September.
The rate also increased more than expected compared to the previous month
Compared to the previous month, consumer prices rose 0.4 percent in September, which is also stronger than expected. Economists expected only 0.3 percent.
Core inflation, excluding often volatile components, such as energy and food, was 4.0 percent compared to the same month last year. Economists expected this. (dpa-AFX)
“Tv expert. Hardcore creator. Extreme music fan. Lifelong twitter geek. Certified travel enthusiast. Baconaholic. Pop culture nerd. Reader. Freelance student.”


text:
The Port of New Orleans set a record last year for the number of cruise ship passengers passing through its terminal. According to port officials, the terminal handled 987,860 boardings and departures in 2013, a growth of more than 1 percent over 2012.
The growth can be partly attributed to the addition of several new cruise ships at the port last year, including Norwegian Cruise Line's 2,376-passenger Norwegian Jewel.
In another boost for the local cruise industry, Porthole Cruise Magazine -- a bi-annual trade publication with its own television series, Porthole TV -- named the Port of New Orleans the "Friendliest Homeport" in its 2014 Editor-in-Chief awards, citing the city's diverse culture, music scene and local friendliness.
And yet, the port's 1 percent growth in 2013 represents a marked decline from the 32 percent rise reported in 2012. The drop mirrors an overall slowdown in global and national cruise ship passenger growth, which many blame on negative publicity surrounding recent high-profile cruiseship mishaps.
Last February, for example, the Carnival cruise ship Triumph was stranded in the Gulf of Mexico for five days after the engine room caught fire, leaving 4,200 passengers without power or working toilets. Less than a month later, the Carnival Dream stranded 4,000 passengers after experiencing power interruptions while docked on the island of St. Maarten.
A report issued in December by the market research firm PhoCusWright blamed the 1 percent rise in U.S. cruise ship passenger volume during 2012 on the Costa Concordia disaster that year, in which 32 people died, when the ship grounded off the coast of Italy. The ensuing image problems led cruise lines and travel agents to begin frantically upselling and recruiting skeptical travelers over the phone, PhoCusWright reported.
The latest round of negative publicity for the industry came last month, when a norovirus outbreak sickened nearly 700 people aboard Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas.
Still, cruise industry boosters remain optimistic. Cruise Lines International Association, which represents 95 percent of cruise capacity worldwide, has said that the introduction of 24 news ships this year, combined with the growing popularity of river cruising, will boost the total number of cruisers from 21.3 million in 2013 to 21.7 million in 2014.
Note: This story has been corrected to say that it was the Carnival Dream, not the Elation, that stranded 4,000 passengers due to power interruptions while docked on the island of St. Maarten.


text:
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) August 05, 2013
The Board of Directors for MyVacationBoat.com, the new self-service, peer-to-peer yacht charter listing and boat rental website, has announced that it has increased the numbers of capital shares to 3,000,000, at a price of $0.10 per share.
"In the short amount of time that we're been a live site we have seen solid and significant acceptance," said Paul Abraham, founder of MyVacationBoat.com. "This move to increase shares is to continue the completion of our mobile application and extend our aggressive marketing campaign. Our mission is to be the central website for all yacht and boat charters around the world."
We now feature vessels from California, Florida, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Caribbean and Mexico. MyVacationBoat.com launched its online service earlier this year to take advantage of the growing trend for “peer-to-peer” service websites. Recognizing that the yacht charter industry needed a central, online destination to facilitate boat rentals, MyVacationBoat.com provides charter listings with full details about the vessels, including boat specifications, location, rates, a visual daily/monthly calendar showing availability, and direct contact details. The listings also accommodate videos and make it easier to market boat rentals through online outlets and social media such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
An annual subscription allows users to list their vessel for $199 (USD), and $149 for each additional vessel. Discounts are available for volume yacht chartering inventories. As part of its service launch promotion, MyVacationBoat.com has waived its annual subscription fee for the first charter brokers and owners to list their vessels.


text:
Canopy Bets on U.S. Hemp Market With $330 Million Acquisition
CBy Kristine Owram
October 15, 2018 6:27 AM PDT
Deal is in ‘clear accordance’ with U.S. law, Canopy says
Ebbu has filed more than 40 patents for cannabinoid inventions
Canopy will pay C$25 million in cash and issue 6.22 million shares to acquire Ebbu. The shares are worth about C$404 million based on the Oct. 12 closing price. A further C$100 million could be paid if certain scientific milestones are achieved within two years of the deal’s close.
The Canadian cannabis company has said that it won’t enter the U.S. market until marijuana becomes legal at the federal level, and stressed Monday that the Ebbu acquisition is in “clear accordance with current U.S. federal law.”
Ebbu conducts research into cannabinoids, the chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant. It has filed more than 40 patents representing over 1,500 inventions, according to its website. Canopy will use Ebbu’s assets and personnel to conduct research and development and said there will be no production or sale of products in the U.S. unless it becomes federally legal to do so.
The deal will give Canopy intellectual property and research advancements that apply directly to hemp and cannabis genetic breeding programs, along with cannabis-infused beverage capabilities and its health research, the Smiths Falls, Ontario-based company said in a statement Monday.
Canopy owns a hemp operation in Saskatchewan and said Ebbu’s intellectual property will give it the potential “to vastly reduce the cost of CBD production, a sought-after cannabinoid in both the wellness and medical spaces.”
CBD, or cannabidiol, is found in both hemp and marijuana plants and has been the subject of much interest from outside players looking to get into the cannabis industry. Companies from Coca-Cola Co. to Walmart Inc.’s Canadian arm have been investigating the commercial possibilities of CBD, which doesn’t get you high but is thought to help with a wide range of ailments ranging from pain and inflammation to anxiety and sleeplessness.
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has introduced legislation that would legalize the production of industrial hemp.


text:
Info Service on Health Issues (Feb12/02)
Dr Unni Karunakara, International President of Médecins Sans Frontières, has written an open letter to Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, setting out MSF's concerns over remaining provisions in the EU/India Free Trade Agreement that would prove harmful for access to medicines:
Dr. Manmohan Singh
Geneva, 8 February 2012
Honourable Prime Minister,
Ahead of the India-Europe Summit on 10 February 2012, where a roadmap to conclude the EU-India free trade agreement (FTA) is set to be agreed, the international medical humanitarian organization Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) would like to draw your attention to specific harmful provisions in the proposed intellectual property (IP) and investment chapters, that if included would have serious implications for access to affordable medicines in India and throughout the developing world.
MSF today relies overwhelmingly on affordable generic HIV/AIDS medicines produced in India to treat nearly 180,000 people in 20 countries, as well as using medicines from India to treat other diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. India has played a pivotal role in supplying affordable generic versions of drugs used throughout the developing world. It is vital therefore that further barriers are not created that threaten the supply of affordable generic medicines from India.
As such, the March 2011 official statement by Minister Anand Sharma, against the introduction of Odata exclusivity¹ was welcomed by MSF and others given the harmful effect it would have on access to affordable medicines produced in India. We urge the Indian government to stand strong in this and in future free trade agreements, such as the one currently being negotiated with the European Free Trade Association countries of Switzerland, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
However the enforcement and investment provisions within the draft agreement are still a matter for serious concern as unchanged they will have significant negative implications for generic production critical for ensuring access to affordable medicines in India and throughout the developing world.
We therefore urge India to take a similarly strong stand in relation to the remaining harmful provisions, particularly:
– The European Commission’s proposed text is broad in scope and goes well beyond what has already been agreed and implemented by India under the TRIPS Agreement.
EC had reproduced some of the enforcement measures contained in the
Anti-counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) over which the Indian government
has raised serious concerns at the WTO, stating that the agreement will
‘impede legitimate competition and shift the escalated costs of enforcing
private commercial rights to governments, consumers and taxpayers’
The EU is proposing an ambitious enforcement agenda that:
Widens the enforcement net so that life-saving legitimate medicines, under alleged trademark infringement, could be detained or destroyed at the border when being exported, simply because their label appears similar to the originator product. Although this is often justified on the basis of protecting the public from fake medicines, this issue is entirely separate, and will do nothing to improve medicines safety. It would in fact have a negative impact on access to treatment, as is evident from the recent seizures of Indian generic medicines in EU countries. The impact of any such detentions will be felt directly by patients awaiting the arrival of crucial generic medicines in the many countries that do not have manufacturing capacity to produce medicines, and therefore rely on importing more affordable generics from India;
Substantially increases the penalties for alleged patent and trademark infringements. On a mere allegation - and not proof including allegations brought by a competitor, generic suppliers allegedly infringing a patent or a trademark may face a ban on production, delay or destruction of goods, disproportionate damages, and potential bankruptcy;
Limits the Indian courts’ ability to balance commercial and public health interests and the Indian Constitution¹s guarantee to the right to life, by making use of a variety of alternative remedies rather than as the EU proposes, routinely granting provisional injunctions; and
Extends liability to third parties, thereby putting at risk of injunctions and provisional measures a wide variety of public health stakeholders, including: suppliers of active pharmaceutical ingredients used for producing generic medicines; distributors and retailers who stock generic medicines; NGOs such as MSF who provide treatment; funders who support health programmes; and drug regulatory authorities who examine medicines. This could act as a significant deterrent to anyone involved in the production, sale or distribution of affordable generic medicines.
Investment Chapter: The European Commission is also pushing for the trade deal to be expanded in scope so that it covers investments, including intellectual property, and supports an ‘investor-to-state’ mechanism.
This would allow multinational drug companies to bypass the Indian judiciary and take the Indian government to private arbitration courts over investment disputes in relation to intellectual property, in order to seek to reverse domestic health policies like tobacco warnings and measures to reduce prices of medicines. Pharmaceutical companies must be given no additional avenues to pressure India on policies and laws that promote access to medicines. India is already reeling from multiple litigations filed by companies like Novartis and Bayer against health safeguards enshrined in India¹s patent law.
In order to ensure that the EU-India FTA does not undermine access to medicines, the additional threats posed by the enforcement and investment provisions must be addressed. At a minimum, we would urge the Indian Government to request the following safeguards are contained in the roadmap to ensure that damage caused to people¹s access to medicines is minimised:
The withdrawal of the IP enforcement measures, and as a minimum safeguard, the deletion of patents from the entire scope of the enforcement section;
The withdrawal of third party liability from the enforcement provisions;
The withdrawal of specific provisions dealing with injunctions from the enforcement provisions in order to preserve the existing flexibilities of the Indian judicial system;
Border enforcement should be limited to the requirements of the TRIPS Agreement and as such exclude exports and trademark infringements; and
The withdrawal of IP and the investor-to-state mechanisms from the scope of the investment chapter.
India has already shown that it¹s prepared to stand firm against harmful demands from the European Commission. As the negotiations are reaching their final stages we urge you to maintain your vigilance and commitment to preserving the space for continuation of the generic production of medicines that we and so many in India and beyond rely upon.
Dr Unni Karunakara
Médecins Sans Frontières
c.c. Honourable Minister of Commerce and Industry of India Shri Anand Sharma


text:
Extensive machinery investments made as company experiences significant growth period due to COVID-19 related demand for specialized packaging.
West specialises in packaging for injectible drugs. That includes stoppers for vials of Covid-19 vaccines. The company says it is involved with more than 90 per cent of the companies that have Covid-19 vaccines or vaccine candidates in phase-three trials.
That has seen the US group scale up operations and working schedules at the Waterford plant that it opened in 2018 in response to a surge in customer demand as a result of the pandemic. The plant normally specialises in packaging for insulin for use in pen injectors but it also works on the company’s range of stoppers that are used in Covid vaccine vials, among other things.
The Waterford factory, which has now doubled staff numbers to about 260, will supply millions of rubber vial stoppers to more than a dozen global customers that can be used to package more than a billion vaccine doses in multi-dose vials.
“We are committed to doing our part to provide for the large-scale manufacture of high-quality components required to serve customer needs for the delivery of a safe, effective Covid-19 vaccine,” said Don O’Callaghan, West’s vice-president of European Operations.
“This has resulted in growing our global workforce, expanding facility and equipment resources and shifting to 24-7 operating schedules at several sites to address the demand for components associated with Covid-19.”
Mr O’Callaghan said West’s NovaPure premium stoppers, as well as polymer-coated stoppers, meet the industry standards for packaging sensitive molecules.
Apart from its work with Covid vaccine developers, West has also been involved in supplying packaging components for medicines used to treat Covid-19, as well as critical components that are included in some of the testing kits used to detect the virus.
The additional jobs mean West now employs 900 people in Ireland. It has a contract manufacturing business in Dublin.
West invested upwards of $125 million in the Waterford facility, which is on a 44-acre site that allows for future expansion.
Building on its recent track record of breakthrough innovations to deliver recyclable packaging, Amcor is today announcing customer trials of the world’s first recyclable* Polyethylene-based thermoform blister packaging. The new packaging is designed to meet the stringent requirements of highly specialized and regulated pharmaceutical packaging and creates a more sustainable alternative for the most in-demand healthcare packaging type. This innovation also benefits from up to 70% reduction in its carbon footprint, when compared to packaging alternatives on the market today.
AmSky™ eliminates PVC (PolyVinyl Chloride) from the packaging by using a Polyethylene (PE) thermoform blister and lidding film. PVC can make packaging recycling more difficult or contaminate other materials if consumers attempt to recycle it. By removing PVC – whilst retaining all the benefits of pre-existing blister packaging – Amcor has created a new, recyclable solution that benefits the entire recycling process.
Amcor is currently working with several leading pharmaceutical companies to bring AmSky™ to market globally. The company expects AmSky™ to be available in the healthcare market by the second half of 2022.
Peter Konieczny, Amcor’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Amcor is deploying our unique innovation capabilities to solve the biggest and most significant issues in packaging today. With AmSky™ Amcor has signalled our commitment to breakthrough innovation in the healthcare space – this is why we remain the packaging partner of choice for our healthcare customers, generating close to $2bn in annual sales in this market. This new blister packaging solution will significantly enhance the ability of healthcare and pharmaceutical brands to put sustainability at the heart of their businesses.”
William Jackson, Amcor’s Chief Technology Officer for Flexibles, commented: “This exciting solution is a result of Amcor’s continued focus on advanced technology and growth, using the entire power of our global R&D network to bring recyclable solutions to our customers.”
Serialization is the provision of a unique serial number to each saleable unit of a product. This number provides information about the product’s origin, manufacturing, and expiration date and works as an identifier for tracking. Serialization codes are generated either randomly or sequentially.
Serialization is important (and obligatory in most countries), especially in the pharmaceutical industry, as it protects against counterfeit drugs.
AV Print Inspector offers whole-label inspection, including image matching, code reading and color detection, at speeds up to 75 meters/minute.
Travagliato, Italy – Antares Vision, a leading global provider of intelligent track & trace, inspection and smart data management solutions for the life science, food & beverage, nutraceuticals and cosmetics sectors, has introduced a dedicated high-resolution vision system providing comprehensive inline layout inspection for webs and labels.
Aptar CSP’s Technologies Activ-Film Technology Protects New At-Home Prescription & OTC COVID-19 Tests
Auburn, AL, April 28, 2021 – Aptar CSP Technologies, a leader in material science and active packaging solutions (part of AptarGroup, Inc.), announced its Activ-Film™ technology protects two new at-home COVID-19 tests that recently received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The tests were developed by a leading manufacturer of diagnostic healthcare solutions and offer prescription and OTC (Over the Counter) COVID-19 at-home testing options without the need to visit a doctor’s office
Next-generation solution opens door for recycle ready forming/non-forming packaging system
OSHKOSH, Wis. – AmPrima™ forming film from Amcor – the leading global developer and producer of responsible packaging – has received prequalification to carry the store drop-off label from the How2Recycle® program. The innovative technology paves the way for a true recycle ready forming/non-forming flexible solution for consumer packaging applications.
While many of us have been surprised at the speed with which the COVID-19 vaccine has been developed, we may not consider the additional complexity associated with safely transporting it. In the case of one of the available vaccines, Packaging Corporation of America collaborated with several companies to create the best possible solution.
Q How has the pandemic impacted the pharma packaging segment?
The pandemic situation was an exception to the conventional. It is easier to encounter an opponent or a situation when it is known and visible. Initially, during the outbreak, it was all about uncertainty. Within few months, the entire world was under its cover. Packaging being an integral part of the product and considering need of a global level coverage within a short time, it was a big challenge. The end-to-end supply chain from raw materials, packaging materials to the finished product was not equipped for this kind of emergency. There were many hurdles like the restricted movement of people, skeletal transportation system, scarcity of essential support systems, etc. Nevertheless, Packaging has a noble role to support product protection and distribution, irrespective of external situations. The only difference was quick optimization of the available resources and consolidate them to support the demand. R & D, Manufacturing, Packaging, Quality, Supply Chain, and all other major support functions got aligned to respond to the pandemic.
Q Can you tell us how the pandemic has promoted innovative packaging solutions and their future impact?
Innovation in Packaging has three distinct categories – Material innovation, Design Innovation, and Application innovation. Material innovation, particularly the primary packaging materials, is a long-term process, involving compatibility & stability study, extractable & leachable study, migration & permeation study, including clinical and bio equivalence studies of the product and transport worthiness of the finished product packaging. Considering the emergency, design, and application innovation got priority for development and adoption. However, the process of material innovation got momentum and many studies are continuing with different formulations at different parts of the world.
Q In pharma packaging can all single-use plastics be replaced with eco-friendly materials like agro-waste materials. Do you think this model is realistic?
In today’s world plastics, in various forms, are part of the product packaging system. It is not easy to replace them overnight without adequate backup study and appropriate backup data. However, its judicious use and controlled disposal can definitely improve the situation we are worried about. Replacing plastic with wood-based material will create another crisis, which we are already experiencing now.
Q In your assessment, how the segment is set to improve supply chain workflow?
When the right quantity of a product is delivered with the right quality at the right place at right time through a seamless end-to-end internal and external coordination and communication, then we can consider the supply chain is working efficiently. This is possible when automation & digitalization is adopted at each level of operations along with other hybrid technologies using track & trace, blockchain, wireless communication, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, etc. Connecting end-to-end material suppliers and solution providers is very crucial at this juncture to consolidate all the efforts to make the supply chain strong.
Q When it comes to sustainability in packaging what are the challenges faced? Elaborate.
Sustainability is mostly challenged by the timely availability of the input materials, manpower, and disruption due to the transport system at both ends. Else we have all resources and capabilities to meet the challenges, which we have already proved during the relaxed period before this pandemic 2nd wave started. The other part, availability of alternate formulation/material/design/ application is also in progress and they will be coming soon to support and sustain the business flow once study and data are available along with necessary regulatory approval. We are highly optimistic to prove our prowess.
Q How will a patient centric innovation help packaging? Can you tell us about the role of technology particularly AI, IoT, and Blockchain in patient centricity?
Most of the innovation happens only with the help of contemporary technologies. Hence natural expectation is the use of currently available technologies which can easily make a hybrid solution for a common cause. Automation, digitalization. Use of AI, IoT, Track & Trace, Block Chain, Interactive Packaging, Augmented reality, Wireless communication, Web portal services are many such tools that can enhance the intended end use of the product through its packaging.
- New AmSky™ blister system, the latest in Amcor’s recent innovation breakthroughs, has the potential to transform the sustainability of healthcare packaging
- Innovation eliminates PVC from blister packaging – enabling Amcor healthcare customers to improve the recyclability of their packaging
- Innovation will deliver the first child-resistant and senior-friendly (CRSF) recyclable solution for the most in-demand pharmaceutical packaging typ
Building on its recent track record of breakthrough innovations to deliver recyclable packaging, Amcor is today announcing c


text:
BEIJING - The Chinese mainland has banned its restaurants from selling or using beverages, food products and food additives from Taiwan, which are suspected to have been tainted with a cancer-causing plastic additive.
The State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) issued an urgent notice Thursday, ordering all restaurants not to purchase or use food and food additives that have been placed on the list publicized by quality supervision authorities.
Restaurants that have already purchased listed products should immediately stop the use and sale of those products and participate in a recall, the notice said.
The SFDA also asked local food safety authorities to give prompt notice to restaurants within their jurisdictions, intensify their inspections and report any problems to the local government.
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (GAQSIQ) on Wednesday published a list of Taiwanese food companies that are suspected of adding di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), an organic compound that is used by manufacturers to soften plastic, to their food products.
The GAQSIQ announced that it will suspend imports of listed products.
The food safety commission under the State Council, or China's cabinet, on Wednesday ordered increased inspections and instant recalls for beverages, food products and additives contaminated with DEHP if they are found in factories, stores, or restaurants.


text:
Reasons to Consider Upgrading to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3: Experts weigh in
Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 R3, the next major update to AX 2012, was released yesterday. The application boasts a number of new features aimed at helping businesses become more agile. The updated release has a specialized focus on manufacturing, distribution, retail, service industries, and the public sector.
One key question that customer might be asking now is why they might want to upgrade to Dynamics AX 2012 R3, especially if they are already on AX 2012 or even AX 2012 R2? We talked to several experts who have been watching the product closely, and it is the range of new capabilities that most believe will attract new customers and drive upgrades.


text:
German carmaker BMW debuted its new 7 Series in Korea on Wednesday, setting a goal of winning back the top post from Mercedes-Benz in the luxury large sedan market here.
Korea is the fourth-largest market in the world for BMW 7 Series. BMW’s flagship sedan, however, has fallen behind the Benz’s S-Class since 2013 mainly as the model was being phased out.
“We expect to gain growth momentum again (in the segment with the new 7 Series),” Ian Robertson, a board member and the head of sales and marketing at BMW AG said during the launching event, held at the BMW Driving Center on Yeongjongdo Island, off Incheon.
He expressed his satisfaction with the initial response from Korean customers. According to BMW Group Korea CEO Kim Hyo-joon, preorders for the new 7 Series sedans have reached around 1,000 units.
The company’s sales and marketing chief introduced the firm’s new luxury sedan as a car that carries the latest technologies and innovations of BMW.
He touted a number of world-first features inside and outside of the 6th generation of BMW 7 series, including the lightest weight in the segment using carbon core and the remote control-self parking system.
The price tag of the luxury sedan varies between 130 million won ($113,000) to 190 million won, depending on different engines and options.
Separately from the new car launch, Robertson assured that the ongoing “dieselgate,” triggered by Volkswagen’s emissions cheating scandal in September, does not apply to diesel-powered BMW cars.
“BMW cars are registered country by country and so our diesel engines are tested in line with a particular country’s requirements. … There are some car manufacturers having a problem, not BMW,” he said.


text:
With a purpose to lower its dependence on China and the US on semiconductors provide, the European Union (EU) on Tuesday unveiled its multi-billion-dollar plan to arrange chips factories within the bloc.
The choice by the European Fee, the manager arm of the EU, comes amid a worldwide scarcity of chip provides that has crippled automotive makers, healthcare suppliers, telecoms operators and others.
The extremely anticipated European Chips Act will “allow 15 billion euros ($17 billion) in further private and non-private funding by 2030,” Fee President Ursula von der Leyen stated in a press release.
“This can come on prime of 30 billion euros of public investments already deliberate from NextGenerationEU, Horizon Europe and nationwide budgets. And these funds are set to be matched by additional long-term personal investments,” she stated, referring to ongoing EU tasks.
Von der Leyen stated the bloc will ease its state help tips, which goal to forestall illegal and unfair subsidies granted by EU worldwide areas to corporations, for revolutionary chip factories.
“We’re, subsequently, adapting our state help tips, beneath strict circumstances. It would allow – for the first time – public assist for European ‘first-of-a-kind’ manufacturing facilities, which revenue all of Europe.”
These factories is also allowed to get additional state funding, EU digital chief Margrethe Vestager talked about, as a result of the bloc seeks to double its worldwide market share to 20per cent in 2030.
Notably, the EU Chips Act is equivalent to the US Chips Act which is geared toward growing its competitiveness with China and supporting the home chip business, together with $52 billion to subsidise semiconductor manufacturing and analysis.
The European Chips Act, which might require approval from EU worldwide areas and EU lawmakers sooner than it would turn into laws, moreover contains a toolbox allowing the Payment to demand corporations ship key chips all through a catastrophe, studies Reuters.
(With inputs from companies)


text:
It seems that with every new generation iPhone released by Apple, the more units they sell, so much so that according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the Cupertino company has reportedly asked their suppliers to make them as many as 90 million iPhone 6s units by the end of the year.
Now just like shipping numbers, there is no guarantee that these 90 million units will all be sold, but it is a good indication of the demand Apple is anticipating, and given how hard it is to get an iPhone during its first couple of weeks of launch, we suppose having extra units available would make the process a lot easier and smoother for customers.
So is this 90 million number a bit too optimistic for Apple? As noted by The Wall Street Journal, last year Apple ordered 70-80 million units and even then they had problems meeting demand. They then went on to sell a whopping 135.6 million iPhones in the first half of its fiscal year ending in September, a 43% increase from the same period from the previous year.
In any case many are expecting the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus to be huge technological improvements over its predecessor. Last we heard, it could sport Cat 6 LTE connectivity and Force Touch technology, just to name some of the potentially new features. Take it with a grain of salt for now, but how do you guys think Apple will fare this year in terms of iPhone sales? Will they sell more, or less?


text:
Capri Holdings Ltd (CPRI) shares were indicated sharply lower Wednesday after the luxury goods brand formerly known as Michael Kors slashed its current quarter outlook thanks to costs linked to its $2 billion acquisition of Versace.
Capri said earnings for the three months ending in March, its fiscal fourth quarter, came in at 63 cents per share, flat from last year but 2 cents ahead of the Street consensus forecast. Group sales, Capri said, rose 13.8% to $1.344 billion and again topped analysts' estimates.
The group said its 2018 purchase of Versace, however, would trim first quarter earnings by around 15 cents a share as it opens new stores and ramps-up its marketing expense, and issued a fresh forecast of between 85 cents and 90 cents for its fiscal first quarter. Sales of $1.36 billion for the three months ending in June also missed the Refinitiv forecast.
"Looking ahead, Fiscal 2020 will be an investment year for our group, and we believe our initiatives will deliver strong revenue growth for Capri Holdings. Longer term, our three brands position Capri Holdings to accelerate revenue from $6 billion to $8 billion dollars, which will be led by Versace and Jimmy Choo, with Michael Kors remaining a strong foundation for Capri Holdings," said CEO John Idol. "We expect to grow Versace from $900 million to $2 billion dollars in revenue, expand Jimmy Choo from nearly $600 million to $1 billion in revenue, while building Michael Kors from $4.5 billion to $5.0 billion in revenue."
"Taken together, we believe our three iconic, founder-led fashion brands position Capri Holdings to deliver multiple years of earnings growth." Idol added.
Capri shares were marked 10.13% lower following the earnings to change hands at $35.08 each, a move that would erase all of the stock's year-to-date gains.


text:
Mastercard Files Patent for Blockchain System to Secure Card Payments
Financial services provider Mastercard has filed a patent for a blockchain system to provide faster and more secure payments on their cards, according to US Patent and Trademark Office USPTO patent filing released June 7.
The patent application says “Method And System For Payment Card Verification Via Blockchain” describes a public blockchain-assisted conveyance and retrieval of payment processes to verify and secure users’ information.
In the document, Mastercard noted the vulnerability of existing means of “wireless transmission of payment credentials,” claiming that they can be “subject to intercept.” By implementing a blockchain, the company aims to enable a secure way of conveying payment credentials that also involves “minimal participation by the consumer.” The recent blockchain application from Mastercard intends to solve the technical challenge of providing both security and convenience.
Earlier this week, Mastercard’s vice chair Ann Cairns said at the Money20/20 conference that the company has “built a Blockchain that can run the whole [network].” She stated that the company decided to apply blockchain integration “at scale” while noting the need to identify “real use cases.” Cairns explained that firms cannot just “replace existing technology with blockchain because [they] may not create a better user experience.”


text:
In my continued search to save you time and money, the key to saving a lot of cash this Black Friday is knowing what retailers have planned for Cyber Monday.
1. Cyber Monday will be better than Black Friday this year for the first time ever. I’ve been hunting deals for more than a decade and while we saw the start of this trend last year, Cyber Monday will bring steeper discounts to the table this year.
2. More people will shop Cyber Monday which means bigger deals. Based on my deal lists last year, I saw a 105% increase on Cyber Monday over Black Friday. Last year, 92 million people shopped on Black Friday while 131 million people shopped on Cyber Monday. That trend is expected to continue this year.
3. Don’t fall for every ad-scan detail. Many stores advertise items they’ll barely have in stock.
4. Be patient and you may save more on Cyber Monday. Last year stronger, better, store-wide clothing sales appeared on Cyber Monday, for one of the first times beating out the Black Friday offerings. Stores that were offering 40% off site-wide Black Friday had 50% off Cyber Monday. Many other shopping categories will see similar discounts.
Source: USA Today | Matt Granite, WKYC


text:
The cut-throat, cut-price war in the package holiday sector has escalated, with complaints being made to the Advertising Standards Authority, the Independent Television Commission and trading standards officers around the UK.
Lunn Poly was reported to the ASA by Dennis Hart of Edinburgh travel agent Sibbald Travel. According to Hart, early advertising for Lunn Poly said consumers could get discounts off holidays from “operators”, when in fact discounts were available on packages for only one operator, Panorama Travel. Hart claims that Lunn Poly is now offering discounts on package holidays from two operators.
Hart has also complained to trading standards officers over Going Places’ discounting policy. He claims that guidelines issued by the Department of Trade and Industry, the Code of Practice for Traders on Price Indicators, say that terms such as “up to X per cent off” should not be used unless the maximum discount applies to at least ten per cent of the total number of holidays.
Hart claims that this cannot be the case with Going Places’ offers.


text:
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Christmas presents. AAAGHH! Every year, it just gets more difficult. And for those of us planning to take pressies back to Blighty, the news that Palma Airport is to come under the new hand-luggage restrictions as from 6 November means that choice gets that bit more tricky. For the sake of avoiding any hassle or carrying too big an item of hand-luggage, out really go the breakables that might otherwise have been taken on board. So, the only thing is to go small, go unbreakable and pack it in the suitcase. Some help is at hand - the Little Britain mini-market features Aurora’s soaps. Now, Aurora is taking a back-seat at Little Britain to concentrate on the soap business started by her daughter in Inca. Called Jabon Bon, the soaps are quite remarkable, so much so that they are getting orders to supply from across the island. But the packs of soaps make great gifts, and they are easily transportable. The mini-market each Saturday morning on the terrace in front of Little Britain in Puerto Alcúdia.


text:
Despite transforming itself into a successful online provisions store throughout lockdown, the long-term future of Gloucester Road favourite Bakers & Co. was looking a little uncertain until now
The good news is that it has just reopened as a sourdough bakery and coffee shop, with head baker Brett St Clair using a live sourdough starter in all breads, cakes and pastries.
Brett has been working for Bakers & Co for two years and he arrived in Bristol after stints at The Bertinet Bakery in Bath, Babington House in Somerset and spells at high-profile Michelin-star restaurants such as Le Gavroche and The Fat Duck.
Bread has long been Brett’s passion but it was the simple fact he couldn’t source fresh yeast during lockdown that inspired the decision to turn Bakers & Co into an entirely sourdough-driven bakery, with all loaves, croissants and even brownies using the starter instead of traditional flour.
Brett says: “We started using sourdough in the brownies to evolve the things we made before, so if we were going to continue making them then we were going to make them better than before. The sourdough starter results in a moister brownie and the sourness balances out the sweetness.”
Co-founder Kieran Waite said: “We managed to keep Bakers & Co. open throughout lockdown as a bakery and provisions store and it has seen many transitions over the last few months, helping keep some of our other brands alive like Bravas and Gambas before we could re-open them.
“At times we didn’t know if we’d be able to keep going but the local support has been a real lifeline.”
The new-look Bakers & Co. is open seven days a week, 8am-6pm Monday to Saturday and 10am-4pm on Sunday.
2 thoughts on “Starter’s orders for Bakers & Co.”
Brett’s bread is the bakery equivalent to Crack. Tried many different bakeries over lockdown and his wins hands down.
What an addiction to have though!


text:
Department chain Debenhams is launching a limited e-commerce service this week, just one day after it is due to unveil its year-end financial results.
The site, designed by new media agency USWeb/CKS, will offer a range of Christmas gifts, a wedding gift and flower delivery service.
Managing director Paul Kaursland unveiled the site on Wednesday (October 20) and announced plans for a further roll-out of its Interc@fés, which offer shoppers Internet access within Debenhams stores.
The move into online commerce by Debenhams follows hard on the heels of the roll out of e-commerce retailing “portal” site Zoom.co.uk by former sister company Arcadia in June.
Zoom.co.uk was scheduled to hold “the UK’s first virtual [fashion] shopping evening” this week, as Marketing Week went to press, giving site visitors the chance to preview and buy millennium party wear through its “Evans” shopping channel.


text:
This Uber Feature Is Causing Trans Drivers to Be Removed From the App
Uber — the ride-sharing platform known for aggressively breaking city laws, promising to harass journalists, fostering a corporate misogynist bro-culture, scamming riders via bogus “vomit fraud” charges and regularly kicking gay people out of their cars — has thrown another log onto their bonfire of disrepute by kicking trans Uber drivers off of their app if their profile photos don’t match their driver’s licenses.
The Uber system responsible for deactivating trans Uber drivers is a feature called Real-Time ID Check. It was rolled out to “protect both riders and drivers” on September 2016.
Here’s how it works: From time to time the Uber app will ask drivers to pull over and take an impromptu selfie. The app will them compare their selfie to past images using something called Microsoft Cognitive Services. If the selfie differs too much from past images, Uber will temporarily suspend a driver’s account while it “looks into the situation.”
While the system is meant to prevent unauthorized drivers from chauffeuring passengers under other drivers’ accounts, it unintentionally affects trans Uber drivers whose appearances have changed while transitioning.
Janey Webb is one of several trans Uber drivers affected by the system. She began driving for Uber in November 2017 and regularly uploaded new images of herself as she continued transitioning so that Uber would have a record of her changing appearance in case it ever wanted to verify her identity.
Then, on July 4, 2018, Uber’s Real-Time ID Check system deactivated her account when her selfie didn’t match her driver’s license photo. As a result, she was unable to drive during a big money-making holiday weekend.
She had to drive two hours away to a physical Uber office to eventually get the issue resolved. Getting it resolved took three days even though Uber claims Webb could’ve handled it over the phone.
One trans woman told CNBC that she has been forced by Uber to verify her identity over 100 times in the past year and a half.
Uber could fix this problem by consulting with trans organizations and tech developers. Until then though, more trans Uber drivers will likely get hassled by its Real-Time ID Check.


text:
The digital technology revolution, coupled with advances of the sharing economy, has led to impressive growth. For example, two European carpooling services, Carpooling and BlaBlaCar, have created the equivalent of a national rail network (in terms of passenger volume) without a dollar of new infrastructure.
And it is this kind of growth–and the associated consumer benefits–that have resulted in consumers transferring the responsibility of regulation to these private platforms. Whether it’s copyright management of music turned over to Apple, privacy and data mining for advertising over to Google, or ownership of written works to Amazon, it has been this combination of convenience and trust that has moved regulation away from the government.
Professor Arun Sundararajan implores consumers to think carefully about the implications of doing so, rather than allowing it simply as a byproduct of advances in digital technology.


text:
The Monetary Authority of Singapore has granted an “in-basic principle approval” beneath the Payment Providers Act to cryptocurrency exchange Independent Reserve, letting it to work as a controlled service provider for Electronic Payment Token solutions.
It’s just one of the very first digital asset provider vendors to receive an in-principle approval letter for a Significant Payment Establishment License in Singapore, according to a statement from the organization.
“To be a person of the initial cryptocurrency exchanges to be notified by MAS of our in-theory licensing acceptance is a reflection of the robustness of the insurance policies, strategies, and threat administration units that we have place in place to tutorial our day-to-day operations,” Adrian Przelozny, chief executive officer of Independent Reserve, mentioned in the assertion. “It delivers certainty for us as field participants and security for our prospects.”
Numerous applicants were in the ultimate levels of evaluate for having a license to work as digital payment token provider suppliers, Singapore’s Senior Minister and Chairman of the Financial Authority of Singapore, Tharman Shanmugaratnam reported in reply to a question in parliament on July 26.
All around 170 applicants have applied to offer digital payment token services due to the fact the commencement of the Payment Companies Act in January 2020, Tharman explained at the time, including that 30 purposes have been withdrawn soon after engagement with MAS although two had been rejected. Close to 90 company companies are running less than an exemption from keeping a license, he said.
Candidates will be “subject to shut scrutiny in the licensing system and ongoing supervision by MAS,” the regulator mentioned in reaction to queries from Bloomberg some weeks back.
Recognized in Australia in 2013, Independent Reserve embarked on its global expansion programs in late 2019, environment up its first abroad functions in Singapore to offer electronic asset exchange and OTC buying and selling services to persons and institutions in Singapore.
© 2021 Bloomberg LP


text:
M&A activity Headlines
News / Kerry confirms takeover of Turkish forwarder ASAV, and eyes more M&A
Cash-rich Kerry Logistics has taken another step in its ambitious growth plans, acquiring one of ...
Comment / Supply chain radar: Sleeping monster Dachser changes at the top but Simon likes his privacy
Often out of the limelight, Germany’s Dachser is a rather peculiar, fascinating and sizeable 3PL. Ranking ...
Recommends / DSV Panalpina targets further M&A activity in the road sector
DSV just can’t get enough M&A activity, apparently. Assuming the merger with Panalpina is “on ...
Comment / Market Insight: Q&A with Joe Bento – Radiant’s 'unique model’ is key as it keeps chasing growth
A market veteran with 25 years in the sales and operations environment, Joe Bento, (pictured) ...
Comment / Supply chain radar: Propelled by 'M&A upside', is Hapag-Lloyd's irrational rally unstoppable?
At a time when the management of AP Møller-Maersk (APMM) is pulling out all the ...
Comment / Market Insight: Q&A with Christian Stocker – Leman has M&A (and more) in its sights
A market veteran with over two decades of freight forwarding experience, Christian Stocker, the regional ...
News / Forget M&A, we know what pleases our customers, and it isn't that, says Dachser boss
Dachser has ruled itself out of the top-tier M&A market in logistics, questioning the value of major acquisitions to ...
News / Another box line bankruptcy looming as IMO 2020 costs mount up?
Rising demand and improved freight rates in the second half of last year enabled ocean ...
- 1.UPS major healthcare offensive aims to exploit current FedEx weakness
- 2.Analysis: CMA CGM's saving of Ceva is not by magic, there will be pain
- 3.Maersk’s OceanPro innovates in logistics industry through tech start-ups
- 4.Market Insight: The Toll Group horror show, one nasty piece at a time
- 5.Another step to becoming 'a global integrator': Maersk in 4PL contract with Syngenta
- 1. Campisa on US warehouse supply catches up with demand, but rates remain lofty
- 2. Alex Lennane on US cargo airlines face another legal push for tighter pilot work and rest rules
- 3. Bill Fostwick on US cargo airlines face another legal push for tighter pilot work and rest rules
- 4. Alex Lennane on US cargo airlines face another legal push for tighter pilot work and rest rules
- 5. John Q Publicus on US cargo airlines face another legal push for tighter pilot work and rest rules


text:
Some countries are trying to use Sri Lanka as a dumping ground for e-waste. Therefore an order to prevent Sri Lanka from becoming a dumping ground for e-waste, restrictions are to be imposed on the import of used computers and mobile phones, Environment and Renewable Energy Minsiter Susil Premajayantha said, says news.lk.
Let’s look at the context. Unnamed miscellaneous “some countries” aside, developing countries have often been indirectly used as e-waste dumps. Remember the booming secondhand PC market that abounded some years ago? Many foreign companies found it more profitable to ship their discarded PCs to Sri Lanka. But this was never a case of countries intentionally trying to use Sri Lanka as the Trash Can of the Indian Ocean – rather, it was a cycle in which everyone profited. Dealers found it profitable to bring down these secondhand PCs, refurbish and sell ‘em: customers found it cheaper to buy a branded, secondhand refurbished PC for cheap. When they died, they would be…tossed.
The problem is far larger than these words make it sounds. A 2009 report titled “Recycling – From e-waste to Resources” by the United Nations Environment Programme and released in July 2009 pointed out that around 40 million metric tons of e-waste are produced globally each year, and about 13 percent of that weight is recycled mostly in developing countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. About 9 million tons of this waste is produced by the European Union. That was then. This is now. The problem has only gotten worse.
Enter the government’s plan:
… to ban import of computers and mobile phones used for more than three years, a technical committee report would decide whether it should be three years or two years.
Discussions are being held with computer and mobile phone importers to obtain their cooperation and the Minister said that the decision would be gazetted within two months. He reiterated that this would be effectively implemented with the cooperation of customs who would be informed to prevent individuals from bringing in old items…
Finally. Solid progress. While two years might be cutting it a bit too close, a lot of systems inbound to Sri Lanka are very old. Very. We live in an era where Core i5s are the norm, and one still sees old Pentium IV computers being sold as “directly imported from Japan/Australia” on every edition of the HitAd classifieds. These systems are cheap. They work, for about six months to a year. Then, since they’re already so old, parts begin to die one after the other: the user either buys a new computer or replaces the dead parts one buy one. Either way, the junk piles up.
For once, I find myself applauding the government for realizing the truth of what’s building up. For years Sri Lankans – whether limited by budget, or by knowledge – have been buying the discarded leavings off other countries. Once upon a time this was almost essential. However, tech has gotten cheaper and faster, and large adoption has led to a sizeable second-hand market inside the country itself: we’re at a point where those 15,000 rupee systems aren’t needed anymore. They are, for lack of a better word, junk, and should be kept out of this country.
Have something interesting and IT related to share? email the [email protected]


text:
LOOK: Nadine Lustre Likes Her Body Now, But Here's Why She Still Won't Let the Shaming Pass|Read more »
Tag: grad show
Check out this new breed of promising local talents.
The School of Fashion and the Arts (SoFA) Design Institute is proud to present their latest roster of fresh talents who are poised to be the local fashion scene's future! The new Fashion Design graduates presented their collections that culminate their years of
The future of Philippine fashion is bright!
The University of The Philippines' Clothing Technology (UPCT) students just recently held their graduation show. Called Enigma, the presentation featured eight students and their respective final collections—a culmination of their growth and honed skills throughout the duration of the course.As part of


text:
The Thai government will distribute one million free cannabis plants when most legal restrictions on production and possession of the drug are lifted next month.
Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed a measure in February officially dropping cannabis, best known in the form of marijuana, from a list of controlled drugs.
Closely regulated use of cannabis was legalised in 2018, with several restrictions gradually eased since then.
Stream your local 7NEWS free on 7plus
Thai officials hope a major new cannabis industry will blossom, not only generating hundreds of millions of dollars directly each year but also attracting foreign tourists, who have begun returning in large numbers after being largely absent during the coronavirus pandemic.
When the measure becomes effective on June 9, possessing and using all parts of cannabis plants be allowed.
However, extracted content will remain illegal if it contains more than 0.2 per cent of psychoactive ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.
Anutin said on his Facebook page that individuals would no longer need to acquire a permit to grow cannabis at home, as long as it was declared to be for medicinal purposes and did not have THC content above the legal maximum.
Anutin said with little elaboration that one million cannabis plants would be handed out beginning in June, and people would be able to grow as many as they liked at home.
Large-scale enterprises will still need permission from the country's Food and Drug Administration to make cannabis products, which are seen as being used mainly for medicines and food additives.
Anutin's Bhumjai Thai Party, a major partner in the coalition government, campaigned in the 2019 general election for the legalisation of cannabis production, saying it would aid the country's farmers.


text:
Berlin, Germany, January 27, 2017 --(PR.com
)-- DISC_ARCHIVE announced today that it is raising funds via a rewards campaign on Indiegogo. The company set out to raise $5,000 on IGG to empower the independent music community by providing a reasonably priced method for artists to put out vinyl records in small quantities. The funds go towards an investment in the start-up equipment they need to begin their vinyl cutting service.
Recent advancements in technology have made producing and recording music accessible to people of all backgrounds. The outpouring of digital music over the last ten years has been a turning point for the music industry. However, the fact that vinyl record sales are at the highest they have been in decades reveals that the digital format lacks the distinct quality of holding an actual record.
Vinyl pressing plants have costly minimum requirements of 500 records and regularly take up to 8 months to complete orders. Often, it doesn't make sense for independent artists to drop thousands of dollars on 500 records. Recording to vinyl has yet to be made easily accessible for independent producers. DISC_ ARCHIVE is helping to change that.
The company produces direct-cut vinyl where records are cut individually, making each piece one-of-a-kind. Direct-cut vinyl opens up new, creative possibilities. Vinyl-only DJ's who are also producers can spin their own tracks or make a one-off record of DJ tools. Musicians can archive their sounds. Small labels can put out limited vinyl series on a regular basis without major expenses.
The company provides a comparable alternative to pressed vinyl, where musicians can order 1- 30 copies of a record with quick turnaround times around 1-3 weeks. On Indiegogo, DISC_ARCHIVE is offering custom rewards for labels and producers, a 12” one-off vinyl EP for $40 and a 10” one-off vinyl for $30. Visit https://igg.me/at/disc-archive to learn more about the campaign.
DISC_ARCHIVE is owned by Mikale De Graff, Joel Sagiv, and Kristen Lee Stokes. With 10 years of production and mastering experience, and have been signed to labels such as Thrill Jockey Records, K Records, and Captcha Records.
Contact: Kristen Lee Stokes, owner


text:
NEW YORK – May 13, 2020 – GroundTruth, the leading location technology company, today announced the results of its 2020 Location Accuracy Audit. The findings show GroundTruth’s ability to interpret physical location with 96.2% accuracy. Generated by Numerator, a third-party data and tech company serving the market research space, the findings further GroundTruth’s commitment towards creating and adhering to the highest accuracy standards in mobile advertising. GroundTruth is the only location company to publish the results of annual audits conducted by an outside partner to measure and confirm the accuracy levels of its visitation data.
Conducted in Q1 2020, the fourth annual Location Accuracy Audit compares GroundTruth’s in-store foot traffic data against Numerator’s confirmed purchase data for a sample of key retailers, as captured through shopper receipts. The Accuracy Audit analyzed 392,223 trips to key retailers where panelists submitted receipts to Numerator and where GroundTruth observed foot traffic via its location-based services. Numerator compared GroundTruth store visitation data with its own proprietary purchase data to generate the accuracy score. Trips that could not be confirmed via receipt were confirmed by surveying the panelists about the trip.
“In today’s environment, it’s more crucial than ever for marketers to ensure they are as optimally efficient and impactful as possible with their advertising. That is why we dedicate a majority of our focus and resources towards perfecting the precision of our platform,” said Dan Silver, VP of Marketing, GroundTruth. “The end result is the highest trusted quality data on the market, which is the driving force for delivering high-performing business outcomes for our customers.”
To learn more about the 2020 GroundTruth Location Accuracy Audit or to integrate location intelligence into your marketing plans, please contact us.
Numerator is a data and tech company serving the market research space. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, Numerator has 1,600 employees worldwide. The company blends proprietary data with advanced technology to create unique insights for the market research industry that has been slow to change. The majority of Fortune 100 companies are Numerator clients.
GroundTruth is the leading global location technology company for driving visits. Using its proprietary Blueprints technology, along with predictive targeting products, GroundTruth is able to precisely reach mobile users in the real world and influence business performance. Since 2009, GroundTruth’s focus on scale and accuracy has allowed it to capture 2 out of 3 smartphone users in the U.S. and more than 30 billion global physical visits annually. Learn more: www.groundtruth.com
Sunshine Sachs on behalf of GroundTruth


text:
Toshiba gets shareholder approval for sale
Toshiba’s shareholders approved the Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) previously entered into with K.K. Pangea, for the sale of Toshiba Memory Corporation (TMC).
SanDisk LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Digital Corporation, and certain of its subsidiaries have filed for arbitration before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Court of Arbitration regarding the sale. Despite SanDisk and Western Digital’s opposition, Toshiba remains fully determined to resolving the issue through the arbitration process, and looks forward to receiving the arbitrators’ decision. Since signing of the SPA on September 28, 2017, Toshiba and Pangea have been jointly working towards the closing of the transaction by the end of March 2018.