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Owners plan to offer outdoor seating
By Sabina Mollot
Carb fiends rejoice! Ess-a-Bagel’s new shop in Stuyvesant Town opened to a soft opening on Sunday, after multiple delays following an initially planned reopening date of February.
On Tuesday, following the Labor Day weekend, by noon, the line was already snaking around the back of the shop to 10 people and one of the owners, Mike Wenzelberg, reported business had so far been good.
Wenzelberg also sat down with a Town & Village reporter to discuss the reasons behind the delays, the controversial decision to install a toaster at the new shop and the company’s rabidly loyal fan base.
On Sunday, he recalled how a young woman outside, upon seeing Ess-a-Bagel was open, was “dancing and jumping.” Already, he’s seen quite a few regulars from the original location across First Avenue, which lost its lease nearly two years ago to Tal Bagels.
As for the new space, being closed all this time hasn’t killed the company financially, Wenzelberg explained, because Blackstone had “worked with us.”
He further praised the landlord, saying whenever Ess-a-Bagel’s owners had a question or some sort of infrastructure problem, “They were like Johnny on the spot. One plumbing guy gave me his home number. Without them it might have been longer (to open).”
Previously, other co-owners said the main reason for the delays was due to permits and how long the city was taking to crank them out. Since February, three permits have been approved by the city for work related to the new store’s renovation, for signage, sprinklers and floors.
However, there were other obstacles too. A bigger problem was that a gas meter had to have a new line drawn from the gas main. Other issues were related to the size of the oven and necessary duct work, as well as a new air conditioning unit on the roof and making sure the noise from it didn’t disturb neighbors. “We don’t want these tenants to be angry with us,” said Wenzelberg.
Asked what all this work cost, he responded, “A lot.” The amount however, he wouldn’t say. “I want to keep it a trade secret.”
As for the decision to start toasting bagels, the move has already been blasted by some bagel purists on social media. But according to Wenzelberg, the reason the original location didn’t have a toaster wasn’t due to any philosophical debate over whether to toast or not to toast a fresh bagel but because the owners just wanted to keep the line moving.
“The other store was so small; anyone who lives here knows how long the lines were on Saturday and Sunday,” said Wenzelberg. “Could you imagine if people waited for a toasted bagel? It would become dangerous. But there’s more space here.”
Additionally, customers could also be eating their bagels al fresco soon. The owners have already filed for permits for outdoor seating to accommodate around 24 people.
In other news, there are already a couple of new bagel varieties: 9-grain everything and whole wheat everything and Wenzelberg said soon he’ll be working on recipes for more with the employee who rolls the bagels.
Some things will remain the same however like Ess-a-Bagel’s tradition of giving all unserved bagels each night to City Harvest. There’s also, behind glass, a piece of the old shop, specifically a large chunk of the wood paneled wall that was signed by customers before the place closed. While installing wooden paneling in the new shop, it occurred to Wenzelberg that he at some point should alert customers that the new walls are verboten to taggers.
“I hope they don’t sign these walls yet,” he said.
One thing Wenzelberg regrets though is that not all of Ess-a-Bagel’s employees could rejoin the crew at the new location, since many of them had to move on to new jobs.
“Those guys worked for us for 20 years,” said Wenzelberg.
As for being located on First Avenue, where there are three other bagel shops between 14th and 23rd Streets alone, Wenzelberg said he isn’t worried. The reason, he explained, is that bagel lovers are very particular about what they want.
“People uptown say they have the best bagels and people here say we have the best bagels. It’s all about what you were brought up on.”
Later, one customer, Martha Markus, told T&V, “I’m very happy they reopened.” Though Markus, a longtime Stuy Town resident, thought the shop had some kinks to work out in terms of organization, she thought the new, larger space at 324 First Avenue “looked very nice.
“But,” she added, “I don’t know why it took them eight months to open.” Mainly, she said, she got embarrassed after seeing a sign that said the shop was “coming soon,” and had told friends she’d get them bagels, only to then not be able to deliver. “They have a big reputation,” Markus added, before tucking into her favorite order, a pumpernickel with walnut raisin cream cheese.
Meanwhile, another customer seated nearby could barely contain his glee as opened his wrapped bagel.
“I’m happy they’re open,” said Michael Pappas, a Gramercy resident as he ate a whole wheat everything with lox spread, tomato and onion. “When they closed their store I was devastated and we have more bagel places per capita than any other area.” Pappas said he favors Ess-a for the customer service and the store’s whitefish. At the old shop, he was a regular and would call ahead to see if there was a line before biking over.
“They’re toasting now so we’ll see how that works,” he added. Asked for his thoughts on this turn of events, Pappas indicated it was fine, “as long as it’s not messing up the line too much.”


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Hybrid Air Vehicles Resources
The development of a new generation of large commercial airships is creating interest worldwide, and air cargo demand has been growing rapidly for the past three decades, despite the rising costs of operating jet aircraft and the increasing recognition of adverse environmental impacts of jet aircraft.
Hybrid Air Vehicles in the News
The e-commerce giant has been awarded a patent that describes a logistics technology it calls "airborne fulfillment center" which essentially is an airship that's capable of flying at altitudes of 45,000 feet or more that would house items the company sells through its online marketplace.
(December 29, 2016)
Just a week after taking off for the very first time, the world's longest aircraft has come back down to earth with a bump, the Airlander 10, part plane, part airship, crashed during its second test flight in a field in Bedfordshire, U.K., a spokesman says the flight went really well - the only issue was when it landed!
(August 25, 2016)
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Hybrid Air Vehicles is pleased to announce the structural damage sustained by Airlander’s heavy landing this summer has now been repaired, an...
hybrid air vehicles put the 'airlander 10' through its paces in a test flight that lasted almost three hours and saw the organically-formed airship make it back to base.
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DriveClean.ca.gov. A guide to clean and efficient vehicle technology. Brought to you by California Air Resources Board.
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The Puerto Peñasco Convention and Visitors Bureau (OCV) detailed their office is busy with logistics, strategies, and promotional campaigns with goals set on at least matching 2022 tourism numbers. OCV Director Lizette Ibarra remarked, in coordination with the Sonora Ministry of Tourism, there are high expectations to meet and even top these goals.
Ibarra reported Puerto Peñasco welcomed 2.1 million tourists in 2022, sustaining ongoing post Covid-19 recovery by reaching numbers similar to 2019 – or rather “pre-Covid”.
She highlighted an average 45% occupancy rate at hotels and resorts, with a reported 2,105,000 number of visitors. This represents an 8% increase in relation to the 1,948,946 tourists in 2021 and economic revenue of $136,816,000 USD (about 2.7 billion pesos).
Work now, stressed Ibarra, is focused on keeping and improving these positive numbers. This goal has included promotion of events and holidays including the February 2023 “Peñascazo Dunas Fest”, the January relaunch of the Puerto Peñasco-Tijuana Calafia Airlines flight, Spring Break, among others.


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NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Wednesday's stock market debut of Shanghai-based chip manufacturer SMIC ranks near the top of the 2004 IPO shopping list for the Thornburg Core Growth Fund.
The $70 million fund
After investing in older initial public offerings such as Anthem
The fund is eyeing a piece of SMIC
The Santa Fe, N.M.-based Thornburg fund sees SMIC as a good bet in China's technology boom as it searches for IPOs to own for a while -- instead of selling them right away after pocketing a quick gain.
Thornburg Core Growth Fund manager Alexander M.V. Motola sees the IPO market rolling ahead at a cautious pace with anticipation building over a possible IPO from search engine Google.
Talk of the deal puts the size of the Google offering at up to $4 billion, with a lower valuation than rival Yahoo YHOO.
While speculation over Google's debut remains a favorite pastime in the IPO market, the company has yet to file a deal.
Meanwhile, the Internet sector continues selective rallies in stock, like Montreal-based Internet media and billing firm Mamma.com MAMA. The company saw its shares rocket after Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban bought into the firm.
Other Internet IPOs on the radar screen include Salesforce.com, which filed a $115 million IPO in December. See full story.
China's online gaming firm Shanda, which has yet to file its IPO, also holds promise, according to market watchers.
While the market's recent jitters may scare away some stock newcomers, Thornburg's Motola sees a string of high quality companies with earnings and proven operating models wading into the IPO market.
While the IPO from Google would kick up interest in the IPO market, Thornburg's associate portfolio manager Connor Browne doesn't think another "Netscape effect" will follow.
Case-by-case IPO market
Overall, a case-by-case approach appears to pervade the IPO market nowadays as a variety of deals -- big and small -- work their way through the pipeline.
There's some fear that the supply of companies with super-strong pedigrees may dwindle, but for now the IPO market seems to be on steady footing.


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After laying off 10,000 workers (5% of its workforce), Microsoft has announced that it will shut down AltspaceVR, the social virtual reality platform it acquired in 2017.
In a blog post, the Windows company stated that the move to axe its VR platform will help shift focus “to support immersive experiences powered by Microsoft Mesh.”
AltspaceVR was one of the first social virtual reality experiences in 2015 alongside other VR platforms like Rec Room and VRChat. Microsoft saved the platform from shutting down in 2017 when it acquired it as part of its efforts to build and grow its own mixed-reality ecosystem.
AltspaceVR writes in its announcement, “We look forward to what is to come, including our launch of Microsoft Mesh, a new platform for connection and collaboration, starting by enabling workplaces around the world. In the near-term, we are focusing our VR efforts on workplace experiences, learning from and alongside our early customers and partners, and ensuring we deliver a foundation that enables security, trust and compliance. Over time, we hope to extend to consumer experience a[s] well.”
Microsoft has also shared that users can download their data from AltspaceVR before it shuts down completely. The company is now working on Microsoft Mesh, a collaboration and communications platform it announced in 2021 which according to Tom Warren, “feels like the future of Microsoft Teams.”
After laying off 10,000 workers, Microsoft is now looking to scale back on its metaverse ambitions and make serious adjustments to its “hardware profile.” According to The Verge, employees working on Microsoft’s open-source Mixed Reality Toolkit say they’ve all been laid off, and a report from Windows Central shows that the behemoth company axed the entire AltspaceVR team as well.


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SAN DIEGO -- A grocery labor strike was averted Monday as Albertsons, Ralphs and Vons, and union officials representing Southern California grocery workers reached a tentative agreement on a labor contract.
Once the deal is finalized, both sides will have avoided the first grocery strike in Southern California since 2003.
Negotiators for the chains continued talking with union representatives after Sunday's strike deadline, eventually reaching a deal Monday morning.
"All we wanted was a contract that both sides could live with, and we think we have that," said Ellen Anreder, spokeswoman for Local 135 of the United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents supermarket workers in San Diego County.
The tentative agreement protects worker healthcare benefits, which was the main sticking point between the union and the supermarket chains, Anreder said.
Exact details on the tentative agreement won't be made available until union employees vote on the agreement."I can tell you this. The healthcare of the workers are protected, their pension benefits, their retirement benefits are protected, and that they're going to go back to work," said Lorena Gonzalez, secretary and treasurer of the San Diego Labor Council.
The deal will now be presented to union rank and file, and union officials will urge workers to ratify it, Anreder said. In the interim, union members will continue to work and the grocery stores will remain open, she said.
"We will be voting on it within the week. It'll probably be sometime on Friday. We will fully recommend it, and we expect them to accept it," said UFCW Local 135 President Mickey Kasparian.
About 62,000 employees of the chains throughout Southern California -- including those in San Diego -- have worked without a contract for six months.
Officials with the three grocery chains issued a joint statement saying the tentative deal "continues to preserve good wages, secure pensions and access to quality, affordable health care -- while allowing us to be competitive in the marketplace.
"We appreciate the hard work, support and patience that many different people have shown during the past eight months, and particularly the past few weeks.''
Loyal customers of the grocery stores seemed pleased there won't be a strike.
"I'm really happy because it's a win-win situation for both sides of the table," said Albertson's shopper Maria Sandoval, who came into the store on Monday just in case of a strike."I rushed out here, in case they went on strike, cause I don't want to cross the picket line," she said.
A 141-day grocery workers' strike in 2003-04 cost the stores an estimated $1.5 billion and forced many workers to seek different employment.


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LDC backs MBO at Lakeland holiday cottages company
Mid-market private equity investor LDC’s Manchester team has backed the management buyout of Lakelovers, a specialist in luxury holiday cottages in Cumbria.
Founded in 1977, Lakelovers is a property management and lettings agency specialising in premium holiday cottages across the Lake District.
Headquartered in Windermere, the business manages more than 500 holiday properties, providing an end-to-end property management service that includes marketing, maintenance and bookings support, alongside bespoke legal, financial and regulatory advice, through its network of high-street branches.
The management buyout was led by chief executive Paul Liddell who has overseen the growth of Lakelovers since acquiring the business in 2000.
Since then, Lakelovers says it has successfully built a reputation for managing and letting premium holiday cottages in sought-after locations across the Lake District, and now accommodates thousands of new and repeat customers every year.
LDC’s investment – the value of which is undisclosed – will help to drive the business forward, providing the capital to launch an acquisition trail that will drive scale across the Lakelovers portfolio and helping the business to capitalise on the growing trend for ‘staycations’.
In 2016 Visit England reported 6.9 million Britons were planning an overnight stay in the UK, up from 5.1 million in 2015, whilst the latest ONS statistics also show record levels of overseas tourism with 37.6 million overseas visitors spending a total of £22.5bn during 2016.
Liddell said: “Our business is founded on trust and a genuine understanding of the region’s tourism sector and it is the strength of our relationships with homeowners, combined with a focus on quality and service that has underpinned our growth journey to date.”
The deal was led by LDC investment directors Simon Braham, John Clarke and senior director Ged Gould.
Braham and Gould will join the board as non-executive directors alongside Gary Fletcher.
Fletcher, former chief executive of Forest Holidays, has more than 20 years’ experience supporting the growth of UK-focused travel businesses and is currently the non-executive chairman of LDC-backed holiday park operator Away Resorts and non-executive director of Forest Holidays.
Gould said: “With a focused proposition, a commitment to quality and service and a CEO that has more than 30 years’ experience in the local property market, Lakelovers has established itself as the pre-eminent provider of premium holiday cottages in the Lake District.
“Under Paul’s leadership, the business has developed a scalable business model that not only enables property owners to realise the full potential of their holiday home, but firmly lays foundations for future growth.”
The deal marks the fifth investment for LDC’s North West team in 2017, with more than £75m of equity invested during the period.
It follows the management buyout of construction, contracting and housebuilding software specialist Eque2, the management buyout of Hill Biscuits, the management buyout of Fishawack, the specialist provider of scientific communications service, and its multi-million-pound investment in ChargePoint Technology, the manufacturer of specialist high containment and sterile transfer valves for the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.
LDC was advised by Grant Thornton (Peter Terry, Matt Bryden-Smith, Joe Pollard and Brad Seekings) and DLA Piper (Chris Wilson and James Kerrigan), CIL (Liam McGuinness and James Cavanagh) provided commercial due diligence, with KPMG (Steve Heath and John Moth) providing financial due diligence and Javelin (Michael Fine and Humphrey Rose) providing digital due diligence.
Lakelovers was advised by KPMG (Jonathan Boyers, Richard Stark, Sarah Bannister and Harry Eastwood).
Boyers, head of M&A at KPMG and lead advisor to the shareholders, said: “This deal – our third in the holiday cottage agency market – highlights the continued interest from both PE and strategic trade consolidators in the sector, stemming from the fragmented nature of the market and the ever-growing trend in the UK towards staycations.
“The strong interest we received during the sale process is a testament to the brand’s reputation, the quality of its portfolio and the sound business operation that Paul and Andrew have built. Lakelovers represents a fantastic platform which I’m sure, with LDC’s support, will continue to go from strength to strength.”
Pinsent Masons (Helen Ridge, Vicky Jew and Francesca Heggie) advised the vendors.


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March 19, 2021
Due to restrictions and advice from the UK government in light of global health concerns regarding COVID-19 (coronavirus), it’s with heavy hearts that we have to announce the cancellation of Taste of London, 17-21 June 2020.
This decision was made after careful consideration and consultation with our key partners and Public Health England, as the health and safety of everyone involved in the festival remains our top priority.
We thank you and all our loyal Taste fans, restaurants, partners and staff for your ongoing support, and look forward to celebrating everyone coming together again at the festive edition of Taste of London, 19-22 November.
In the meantime, we’ll continue to shine a light on ways we can support the industry, including our amazing restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs and other food businesses during these unprecedented times.


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GENEVA – General Motors announced in February that it would create Cadillac Europe to manage import, distribution and marketing of the brand in Europe. At the Geneva auto show this week, the company elaborated on its plans, saying it was hoping to eventually sell only 3,000 cars a year through about 50 dealers.
General Motors had been using the Kroymans Group to handle the brand, but Kroymans entered bankruptcy last year.
Since previous attempts to sell Cadillacs in Europe had never reached targets, this time General Motors isn’t setting much of a target. “I guess we will have more positive press if we exceed our goals,” says Wolfgang Schubert, managing director for the brand in Europe.
Cadillac will sell only gasoline models, despite the fact that the luxury market of the European premium brands is dominated by diesels engines. Read more…
William Diem for The New York Times The highlight of the Bonhams auction at Retromobile was a 1925 Bugatti Type 22 Brescia that was salvaged from the bottom of Lake Maggiore. It sold for nearly $370,000.
PARIS — Retromobile may be Europe’s best old car show. Housed in a hall here at the Porte de Versailles, Retromobile officially celebrates the bicentennial of Peugeot and urban transportation. But the eclectic nature of the exhibits means there’s a little bit of everything spread around the immense pavilion.
The highlight was Saturday’s sale of 99 classic cars by Bonhams. And the star of the stand was a 1925 Bugatti Type 22 Brescia that was salvaged from a Lake Maggiore in Switzerland. The car ended up in the lake in 1936 and was recently recovered. It sold for around $370,000 — nearly three times its high estimate.
Then there was David Townend of Yorkshire, England, who makes and sells clothes for classic-car buffs. “They get the car, and we supply them with the clothes,” he explained. “People come and say, ‘This is the car, what should I wear?’ Bentley guys wear simple clothes, corduroy trousers and Harris tweed. Rolls-Royce owners wear suits.”
William Diem for The New York Times From top: a 1921 Peugeot Type 161 Quadrilette, a 1926 Talbot-Darracq 1.5-liter grand prix car, and a 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL prototype.
A few steps away from Mr. Townend were four vehicles that had been heavily modified for film production. These were “traveling cars,” the vehicles that carried cameramen, who filmed the actors in the car that was towed behind.
Laurent Tesseyre, who works as a set decorator, put together the exhibit with a few friends in the film industry. Mr. Tesseyre
Tessyre had bought an old traveling car based on a 1939 Cadillac. It was equipped with a Cadillac engine used in American tanks during World War II and was used in the filming of “La Nuit Américaine” by François Truffaut.
Alfa Romeo, celebrating its centennial this year, is also being honored at RetroMobile. Filippo Runcini, an Italian-Canadian who is displaying at Retromobile for the first time, worked 11 years for General Motors in Europe before quitting to follow his passion: buying old Alfa Romeo Giuletta Spider roadsters. Now he restores and sells them. “Life’s too short,” he said. “You’d better do what you like.”
DETROIT — Looking over the cars at the Ford display is passive learning, but driving the AdvanceTrac simulator is active.
Norman Mayersohn for The New York Times Ford’s simulator.
Last year, Ford had a simulator for the hot Raptor F-150 pickup to let ordinary people imagine that they were controlling a 320-horsepower pickup. This year, the machine — a driver’s seat on an articulated arm — was turned into a teaching device for stability-control programs. It is far more sophisticated than a video-game console, even one with feedback in the steering wheel and pedals.
One situation lets the driver haul a trailer down a country road with cross winds. With the stability control, no problem. Without, the winds can start a dangerous swaying.
A second simulation is set on a snowy country road, showing the difference between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. Aggressive driving with just the rear wheels engaged can result in a 180-degree spinout, accurately duplicated by the hydraulics in the machine.
At the show, Ford has eight learning stations, of which the simulator is the most exciting. At others, one can learn about technologies for quality, safety and driver interfaces. The automaker makes a game of it to keep people on the stand, giving visitors a passport to be stamped as they go through the stations. After four or five stamps, they qualify for a prize.
It is not just for fun. Dr. Stephen Rouhana, the senior technology leader for Ford’s safety department, says safety can be a competitive advantage, but people have to know about it.
The new Ford Mustang GT.
DETROIT – The 5.0 badge on the side of the Mustang on the Ford stand at the North American International Auto show is a symbol of something: the schizophrenic nature of the auto industry, or the range of automotive customers. While Bill Ford, Ford’s chairman, was at another part of the stand talking about how the company has finally united behind the idea of sustainability and fuel efficiency, Ford was introducing its latest V-8.
“People have been waiting a long time to see that badge come back,” said Dave Pericak, chief engineer on the Mustang. And for Mr. Pericak, the 5.0 V-8 making 412 horsepower “is not irresponsible,” because it does get 25 miles per gallon on the highway, but when you accelerate, “it feels like you left the sheet metal behind.”
He’s a happy engineer, working on a car made for old-fashioned customers. “They want a naturally aspirated engine,” he says. “It’s a grass-roots type of vehicle. They remember how it started.” Read more…
Update | 12:14 p.m.
Stan Honda/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Alan Mulally, president and chief executive of the Ford Motor Company, introduced the Focus Monday morning.
Introduced on Monday, Jan. 11: 2012 Ford Focus
What is it? The 2012 Ford Focus is for Ford what the K-car was for Chrysler during one of Chrysler’s previous down cycles: the hope for a rebirth. It is a compact sedan that will be a real world car, sold with the same parts in Europe, Asia and America.
Is it real? Very real, now and in the future. Late this year, manufacturing of the five-door hatchback and four-door sedan begins in Michigan and Germany, with sales starting in early 2011. By 2014, Ford expects to have 10 vehicles based on the Focus platform, combining for two million units a year.
For Ford, the Focus is an important bet on changing consumer preferences. One new version will be a battery driven electric car in 2011.
PARIS — Car-to-car communication is a dream of traffic researchers. Radar, video and other sensors in a car would understand the environment around it and communicate such information as sudden braking, rainfall and speed to the receptors in other cars, enabling other drivers to avoid accidents and congestion.
High-tech car-to-car communication is already here in France, but the object is avoiding fines of 90 euros ($140) or more for speeding. Several companies have introduced devices that will alert drivers to the presence of mobile radar units set up by the police. One such device is made by Coyote, a French company, which plans to bring its product to the United States early next year.
Coyote’s best-selling model is the Mini Coyote. It costs around $225, which includes three months of service. After that, there’s a monthly charge of $15.
GENEVA – Sure, there are electric cars here at the auto show, but many are the same ones we saw earlier in Detroit (Chrysler 200C) and Paris (Heuliez Friendly). But at Geneva, we are also seeing new approaches to internal combustion that promise to reduce CO2 emissions without sacrificing performance.
Volkswagen’s stand is peppered with cars painted dark blue to show that they are part of the company’s BlueMotion line — cars with diesel and gasoline engines tuned for better mileage. The best of them is a 1.4-liter gasoline engine that produces 150 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, employing both a supercharger and turbocharger (a twincharger!). In addition, it is connected to two fuel tanks, burning compressed natural gas for the first 124 miles, and gasoline for the next 372. And this small motor is being sold in Europe in the Passat and Touran, which are not small cars. Read more…
An electric Smart Fortwo on display in Detroit. (Rob Widdis/European Pressphoto Association)
DETROIT — Tesla Motors announced that it will supply electric battery packs and chargers to Daimler AG for an electric version of the Smart car.
The companies have been working together for more than a year, said Mike Donoughe, Tesla’s executive vice president for vehicle engineering. The initial contract is for 1,000 vehicles, but Tesla said the deal could grow to tens of thousands.
A fleet of 100 electric Smart Fortwos is currently being tested in London. Those cars are not using Tesla batteries, reports The Los Angeles Times.
As a supplier to Daimler, Tesla will achieve volumes considerably higher than what it is used to. Tesla’s lone model, the Roadster, is an exclusive $109,000 sports car. So far, only 115 Roadsters have been sold, said Tesla, and it has orders for about 1,500 more. Tesla says the Smart contract will help the company revive its five-passenger electric sedan project, as well as plans for a more affordable car.
Until then, Tesla will rely on its roadster line, which begins sales in Europe this spring. A $129,000 Roadster Sport arrives on the market in June. The Sport will go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than the standard model.
The Chrysler 200C has a touch screen interface. (Adam Bird for The New York Times)
DETROIT — Switches, buttons and keys will disappear, say the interior designers of two concept cars from Detroit.
Both the Cadillac Converj and the Chrysler 200c have touch screens in a console that flows forward and becomes the instrument panel. “Touch screens used to have to be a rectangular panel inserted in something else,” said David Leary, Cadillac’s interior designer, who works on human-machine interface projects. “Now there is a film we can use behind the surface.”
The Converj approach uses some raised chevrons on the console’s outer surface to help the driver’s fingers find some of the most used commands. On the 200c console the driver rotates a virtual command ball to choose the desired application.
The all-electric Cadillac uses the transparency of its console-instrument panel to display elements like the state of the battery charge, and presents a visual start-up routine that reminds the driver that the Cadillac is battery powered. The Chrysler can be started with a smartphone, and there is a separate screen that back-seat passengers can use to download music, watch movies or program a route to grandmother’s house and send it to the driver. Read more…
Volvo S60 Concept, featuring a new pedestrian protection system. (Rebecca Cook/Reuters)
DETROIT — The Volvo S60 concept car here at the auto show not only previews the S60 due in 2010, it also previews the next generation of Volvo’s advanced safety system, which includes pedestrian protection. The system stops the car harshly to avoid hitting a pedestrian if the driver does nothing.
When the car’s wide-angle radar spots something at the side of the road that could be a pedestrian, a camera sensor takes a look. If the image-analysis software identifies it as a person, the camera tracks the image. If the person moves into the path of the car, the car first warns the driver with a sound, then flashes something like a red brake light onto the windshield in front of the driver. If the driver does not steer out of the way or brake, the car will slam on the brakes.
There is a limitation. It is only effective — i.e., the pedestrian isn’t touched — if the car’s speed is under 12 miles an hour.
The image identification software is critical to the program, because “you don’t want to brake every time you pass a mailbox,” said Thomas Broberg, a senior technical safety adviser at Volvo’s Swedish headquarters. The car waits until the last second — well past the driver’s comfort zone — because Volvo doesn’t want drivers to rely on the car to do the braking.
Volvo will add the technology to the Adaptive Cruise Control package, which will also include a system preventing fender benders with the car ahead at speeds under nine miles an hour. That will increase to 16 miles an hour when the new system arrives in a year or two.
Slide Show: Highlights From Detroit
Times Topics: Detroit Auto Show
DETROIT — The griffin is a legendary beast with the head of a lion, wings of the eagle and a home in the Saab logo. And to help finish the lifetime of the 9-5 sedan, Saab has trimmed out a special edition called Griffin. It has a matte grille, a black instrument panel and fancy seats from the top-line Aero models. “Griffin” is spelled out on the fender.
When the Saab 9000 went out of business in 1998, it finished up with a version called Griffin. It attracted the attention of Saab enthusiasts, said Jan-Willem Vester, corporate communications manager for Saab, so the company is repeating the idea.
Mr. Vester said he believed the Griffin edition would account for as much as 20 percent of 9-5 sales, and Saab needs every sale. The brand is under the General Motors microscope and widely assumed to be for sale after years of unprofitable business. Penalized by the exchange rate, the economic crisis and the aging two-vehicle product line, Saab sales in the United States fell 34.7 percent last year to 21,368 units. A new Saab 9-5 should reach the United States next year.
Saab said it hopes that it has enough trumps in its hand to remain a G.M. brand. It attracts customers that don’t consider other G.M. brands, said Mr. Vester, it is the center of excellence at General Motors for turbocharging and ethanol fuels, and it has contributed expertise on turning front-wheel-drive cars into all-wheel drive.
Bill Ford introducing Ford’s new models on Sunday. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg News)
DETROIT — The bags under Bill Ford’s eyes disappeared during the press scrum after he announced Ford’s plans to build electric and hybrid vehicles.
“It’s incredibly exciting,” said Mr. Ford, the company’s executive chairman, an avowed environmentalist.
When he took the top job a decade ago, Mr. Ford promised fuel economy improvements and other green efforts, but he later had to back away from them. He eventually decided to give up the chief executive job, hiring Alan Mulally to run the company.
But his vision is coming to the market. On Sunday, Mr. Ford announced an “expanded electric-vehicle strategy in line with the nation’s growing interest in them.”
Within the next three years, Ford is planning to release two electric-vehicle projects, along with its next generation of hybrid vehicles (including a plug-in hybrid). Read more…
General Motors employees cheered at the company’s press conference on Sunday. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg News)
DETROIT — Some 600 General Motors workers accepted a company invitation to demonstrate as reporters walked to a G.M. press conference Sunday morning.
The workers chanted “Let’s go, G.M.! Let’s go!” and “We’re Number One!” in unison as they waved blue-and-green signs that read Charged Up and Game Changer.
“They are regular G.M. employees who want to show their enthusiasm,” said Gary Cowger, G.M.’s group vice president for manufacturing and labor relations.
But the demonstration was far from grass-roots. Employees received an e-mail message from public relations about two weeks ago asking for volunteers. They met at General Motors headquarters at 7 a.m. Sunday morning for a briefing. From there they were bused to the Cobo Center.
“I just felt compelled to come down and show support,” said Paul Gallo, a service engineer at the Warren, Mich., technology center, before joining the chants and holding up his sign, which read Charged Up.
Even Gov. Jennifer Granholm of Michigan joined in the act, walking down the aisle with a sign that read Here to Stay. Read more…
PARIS — Among the world premieres on smaller stands is the Izis by Wallyscar, the only Tunisian automaker at the show.
The car, to go on sale next spring in France for about $18,000, resembles the Army jeep of World War II. The company name, Wallyscar, is a “wink of the eye” toward Willys-Overland Motors of Toledo, Ohio, that made some of those 1940s jeeps, said Rene Boesch, sales manager.
The Izis, with a plastic body and corrosion-proof chassis, is powered by a 75-horsepower, 1.4-liter gasoline engine from PSA Peugeot-Citroën. Most parts will be imported to Tunisa.
The car is always open to the air, so it has no carpet and little soft trim. It rinses off with a hose or a hurricane.
“The idea is to fill a niche abandoned by the big companies,” Mr. Boesch said. “It is for the Mediterranean beaches, the tropics and villas.”
He expected to sell about 500 vehicles a year.
The car “will be approved for sale in Europe by the end of the year,” Mr. Boesch predicted. He also anticipated customers in Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.
Electric car test track outside the Paris Motor Show. More Photos (William Diem for The New York Times)
PARIS — At the previous two Paris auto shows, makers of sport-utility vehicles sponsored an outdoor 4×4 test track between the convention hall buildings. This year, that has been replaced by two smaller test tracks: one for eco driving and one for electric cars.
When I came to the tracks this afternoon, it was raining lightly and nearly everyone was at lunch. The Tesla Roadster, two Italian trucks and a tiny electric car were all parked quietly without their guardians. The electric Smart car was still on the stand inside Hall 1.
However, two Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric cars with lithium-ion batteries and a claimed range of about 100 miles were moving around the track, a strong hint that a new era is about to begin.
The i-MiEV is to go on sale next year in Japan and in 2010 in Europe. Some 100 electric Smart Fortwos are running around London already. Nissan promises a purpose-built electric car in Japan and the United States in 2010.
The French conglomerate Bolloré and the Italian designer Pininfarina have a joint venture to produce their Bo in 2009. A South African company, Optimal Energy, is here with a six-person electric minivan designed by former Jaguar designer Keith Helfet. A young French entrepreneur and father, Thierry and Daniel Moulène, are showing their Smera electric car that is as long as a Smart, but half as wide so that the passenger rides behind the driver, as on a motorcycle.
Outside the hall, it rained for a little while. Inside, the spotlight was shining on dozens of cars that will be powered by batteries.
Slide Show: 2008 Paris Motor Show


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Asda is the first of the ‘big four’ supermarkets to ban the sale of high caffeine energy drinks to people younger than 16 in all of its stores. This would apply to 84 products starting from Monday, the 5th of March and customers wishing to purchase one of these products will have to show an ID in-store and online. This decision followed a similar ban imposed by Waitrose.
“We have listened to our customers and want to take a leading position in this area to support parents and teachers in limiting young people’s’ access to high caffeine drinks,” said Andrew Murray, Chief Customer Officer at Asda.
Aldi also announced that anyone that will buy soft drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre will have to prove their age across all of its stores in the UK and Ireland, starting with 1st of March.
“We are introducing this age restriction in response to growing concern about the consumption of energy drinks among young people,” commented on this decision Oliver King, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi.
In 2010, The British Soft Drinks Association introduced a voluntary code of practice that suggested that high-caffeine soft drinks should not be promoted or marketed to those under 16. Following that, in 2013 Morrisons announced a similar ban on energy drinks in some of its stores.
The campaign group Action on Sugar (AoS) found out last month that the typical serving sizes for energy drinks were larger than other sugar-sweetened drinks, at an excessive 500 ml. Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine and AoS chairman described these drinks as ‘completely inappropriate’ to be consumed by children and that they should be banned for those under-16.


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“Halo 5: Guardians” Heading to Xbox One in Late 2015
May 16, 2014 9:06 AM
comment(s) - last by
Master Chief will return next year for an all-new installment
The latest reports show that Sony’s PlayStation 4 is still outselling Microsoft’s Xbox One. According to NPD analyst Liam Callahan, the PS4
remained the top hardware platform in April
, making its
winning streak four months in a row
However, Microsoft has some fresh ammunition to help turn the tides in its favor. Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it will offer a
$399 SKU of the Xbox One
that doesn’t include the Kinect camera — this puts the console at pricing parity with the PS4.
And today, Microsoft and 343 Industries announced that the next installment in the “Halo” gaming series, “Halo 5: Guardians,” will come to the Xbox One in Fall 2015. According to Microsoft, “Halo 5” will obviously be a more significant undertaking the “Halo 4” and will fully leverage the hardware capabilities of the Xbox One:
That applies to the content and scope of the game, as well as the technology in what’s now a brand new and more powerful engine. Certainly there are some core elements carried over from prior games, but we’ve invested a huge effort in retooling our tech to take full advantage of the Xbox One’s hardware and ecosystem to create worlds and experiences worthy of next-gen.
In addition to “Halo 5”, Microsoft also announced that the
new “Halo” television series
would also arrive in Fall 2015. The television series is being developed in conjunction with Steven Spielberg, so we have high hopes for the prospects of this venture.
Microsoft will give more details on “all things Halo” at its
Xbox E3 2014 Media Briefing
on June 9.
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
RE: dang it!
5/16/2014 7:54:12 PM
Damn it dude.
RE: dang it!
5/16/2014 9:02:50 PM
Not really a spoiler at this point. If you hadn't heard that by now, you live in a cave.
RE: dang it!
5/19/2014 3:20:01 PM
Sorry don't have time to keep up with you.
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Much has been written about the extreme heat and humidity conditions expected at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. For Canadian athletes, knowing how to stay cool during competition could be as simple as swallowing a pill.
An ingestible electronic device developed by a French company called Body Cap, which looks like a cold capsule, measures body temperature at 30-second intervals and will store the measurements for up to 16 hours. The data can be downloaded via bluetooth, using a handheld device held within a metre of the athlete’s stomach. According to sports scientist Trent Stellingwerff, Director of Performance Solutions at the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, such data is extremely useful in helping athletes know how to effectively cool themselves at the world championships in Doha this year and in Tokyo next year.
As race walker Evan Dunfee of Richmond, BC explains in the video, in very warm conditions athletes will pre-cool themselves with ice towels before they work out or race, as well as cooling with water and sponges during the race. The data from the device shows exactly how effective that is. (Dunfee is the 2019 national champion in the 20K race walk, and 2015 Pan Am Games gold medallist.)
— ECSS Seville 2020 (@ECSSCongress) July 3, 2019
For optimal measuring, the capsule needs to leave the stomach and move into the intestine, so the athlete swallows it four hours before the test begins. Dunfee tested the device three times during last year’s NACAC meet in Toronto, yielding many hours of data, and more test sessions will take place over the next few months.
The technology has been available since 2007, though the bluetooth capability is a more recent enhancement. Each pill costs $70, and not re-usable. (After a few hours, the athlete simply passes the pill in their stool.) Because it’s relatively expensive, the capsule is being tested on endurance athletes and those expected to medal at the world championships and Olympics.


text:
Samsung said to soon announce Galaxy S4 hitting 20 million
Wondering how many units of the Samsung Galaxy S4 have been sold around the world? A report is saying that the Korean tech giant will soon announce that their current flagship has hit 20 million.
The report comes from Android Beat. The site reports, “The Korean website iNews24 is reporting that Samsung will soon be holding a press conference to announce that GS4 unit sales have surpassed 20 million unit sales. Considering that the device started shipping in late April, that would mean it’s taken roughly two months to hit this milestone. For the sake of comparison, it took the GS3 100 days to hit the same figure.”
It adds, “When the GS4 hit 10 million units sold, it was at a growth rate of 2x the GS3. With this new figure, it’s more like 1.6x, which is still impressive, but not as impressive as analysts are expecting.”
Are you one of the millions of people who have gotten their hands on the Samsung Galaxy S4? Let us know through a comment on our Facebook page.
For more deals on the Samsung Galaxy S4 White, visit us here.


text:
May 19, 2004
Thrifty Car Rental unveils “Blue Chip Rewards” program
Tulsa, Oklahoma – Thrifty Car Rental has unveiled a frequent renter program entitled, Blue Chip Rewards. The program, an enhancement to the company’s Blue Chip Express Rental Program which provides expedited service, rewards Blue Chip members with credits that will earn them free days on qualifying rentals at participating Thrifty locations in the U.S. and Canada.
To celebrate the launch, Blue Chip Rewards members will earn double credits from now through September 30, 2004, when booking their reservation via Thrifty.com. (Single credits will be awarded for rentals made through other booking channels).
Blue Chip Rewards members are awarded one free day when a member earns 16 credits. Ordinarily, each rental day under the program equals one credit, with a rental day based on a 24-hour rental day starting at the time of rental. But through Sept. 30, 2004, members will have the opportunity to double their credits.
“The great thing about this program is its simplicity,” said Rainey Talbot, Director of Marketing Customer Retention for Thrifty. “When we set out to create our own program centered around our Blue Chip customers, we wanted something that was easy to understand, but of high value. Combined with the great service that customers already get with the Blue Chip Express Rental Program, the addition of a frequency-based component will add a lot of value for customers.”


text:
JOHOR BARU, Dec 15 — Johor must restrict the export of eggs to Singapore, as well as their distribution to other states, to overcome the current shortage in the state, said State Agriculture, Agro-Based Industry and Rural Development Committee chairman Datuk Zahari Sarip.
He said the state government has no authority to implement such restrictions as the export of eggs is under the jurisdiction of the federal government.
“The state government is expected to meet Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu next week to discuss the problem.
“If egg exports and supplies are restricted and regulated as was done to overcome the chicken issue, it is possible that Johor will not have a critical egg scarcity,” said Zahari to reporters after being presented with the first batch of MD2 pineapples to be exported Germany at the Kulim Pineapple Farm in Ulu Tiram here today.
He was commenting on the inadequate supply of eggs in Johor that has been blamed on an increased demand from other states, as well as exports to Singapore.
Johor is one of the largest egg producers in the country.
Zahari said the egg shortage issue in Johor had caused the public to question the cause of the problem due to the state being the main producer in the country.
“According to data from the Veterinary Department, from January to September, egg production in Johor should be at 1.7 billion eggs.
“However, production declined and only reached 1.3 billion eggs, which is 0.4 billion eggs less,” he said.
Zahari said according to the Veterinary Department, among the reasons for the decline in egg production in Johor was due to producers reducing the output for egg-laying hens.
“This was not done on purpose, but rather to cover the increase in costs when the ringgit fell as well as the price of chicken feed.
“Supply shortage should not be a problem, but it becomes critical because our producers send their supplies to Singapore, Pahang, Negri Sembilan and Melaka due to various demand and contract factors,” he said.


text:
Checking in on Microsoft's demos of upcoming Xbox Live Arcade releases, titles on show included Braid, Bionic Commando Rearmed, Castle Crashers, Galaga Legions, and of course, the hugely anticipated Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2.
Even better, we'll all get to play these games by the end of August.
Microsoft has said that all of the XBLA games on display in their E3 booth would hit the online service within the next four to six weeks.
That pretty much guarantees that every week from now until the end of summer will feature a quality downloadable release. Time to stock up on Microsoft Points.
Image: The Behemoth


text:
Manchester Electric Car Company opens for business
8th July 2011. Greater Manchester is the latest ‘Plugged-In Place’ to start installing electric car charging points.
A consortium from Greater Manchester, led by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities secured £3.6million of support through the Government funded ‘Plugged-In Places’ scheme.
But this is a scheme with a difference. The Government funds have been matched by a private consortium led by Manchester Electric Car Company, a new private sector company which will manage and deliver Manchester Electric along with its partners.
But it doesn’t stop there. Manchester Electric is not only a new network of charging points, there are also six larger Pod Centres - to be launched across Greater Manchester over the next two years starting this autumn.
The state-of-the-art Pod Centres are places where people can go to buy a range of electric vehicles including cars, vans, scooters and bikes. There will also be centres where drivers can lease, hire and charge EVs, as well as being able to join an electric car club, shop or buy a coffee. Domestic smart charging systems will also be available – enabling drivers to charge their vehicles at home.
Staff in the Pod Centres will be on hand to educate drivers about EVs as well as offering vehicle sales and hire, after sales care and retail facilities. The medium term plan is to establish around 25 Pod Centres around Greater Manchester.
Fast and rapid charging points
In addition there will be around 300 charge points across Greater Manchester where commuters can charge EVs through fast and rapid points. As a guide, a fast charge point (32amp) charges a vehicle in two-to-three hours and a rapid charge point takes around 30 minutes. The programme to establish the network of charging points will be delivered over a two-year period.
Ron Stratton Chief Executive Officer of Manchester Electric Car Company, said: ‘Electric vehicles, from family cars to scooters or fleet vehicles, are going to transform the way we live and work. With new vehicles being released by major manufacturers, and with the cost of motoring continuing to rise, now is the time to switch over. The future is electric. These charging points and Pod Centres are just the start. I expect to oversee a tenfold increase in the number of charging points over the next few years.’
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Currently, cardless cash withdrawal through ATMs is offered by a few banks for their customers at their own ATMs (also known as on-us basis).
"All banks, ATM networks and WLAOs (White Label ATM Operators) may provide the option of ICCW at their ATMs," the central bank said in a circular.
While UPI would be used for customer authorisation in such transactions, settlement would be through the National Financial Switch (NFS) / ATM networks.
"The on-us/off-us ICCW transactions shall be processed without levy of any charges other than those prescribed (on Interchange Fee and Customer Charges)," the RBI added.
Further, withdrawal limits for ICCW transactions will be in line with the limits for regular on-us/off-us ATM withdrawals.
The RBI said all other instructions related to harmonisation of turn around time (TAT) and customer compensation for failed transactions will continue to be applicable.
In April, the RBI had said the absence of need for a card to initiate cash withdrawal transactions would help in containing frauds like skimming, card cloning and device tampering.
To encourage cardless cash withdrawal facility across all banks and all ATM networks/operators, the RBI had proposed to enable customer authorisation through the use of UPI while settlement of such transactions would happen through the ATM networks.


text:
Collector Crypt Launches Collector Marketplace Vault Aggregator
This platform eliminates the fraud and high fees associated with traditional collector marketplaces
San Francisco, California, United States, 13th Sep 2022 – Collector Crypt has developed a collector marketplace vault aggregator to help collectors tackle fraud and other major issues endemic to online collectibles trading. By acting as a digital bridge across traditional collector marketplaces, Collector Crypt has created one global platform built for collectors by collectors. Thanks to Collector Crypt, collectors can digitize their collectibles, trade them, and even convert them into collateral for loans.
Trading collectibles online is risky business. Apart from the ever-present risk of fraud, the days – and even weeks – that valuable items often spend in transit are nerve wracking. Even if an item is insured in the post, the disappointment of receiving damaged or counterfeit goods – or not receiving the package at all – can be heartbreaking. If a collectible finally arrives in one piece, humidity, temperature and home disasters can cause irreparable damage to valuable collections.
Trading collectibles is also a time sink. For sellers, photographing an item, listing it, packaging it for shipment, and finally arranging the shipment itself can be arduous. This lengthy process needs to be repeated for each item that is sold. In illiquid and geographically isolated markets, even finding a buyer can be close to impossible.
“These days most online collectible transactions happen on marketplaces like eBay and TCGplayer,” says Collector Crypt Co-founder and CMO Micky Irons. “For simply facilitating a peer-to-peer sale, these marketplaces can charge fees of more than 10%, a haircut many collectors simply can’t afford. Additionally, platforms like eBay depend on a single vault located in the US, failing to solve the collectible problem on a global scale.”
“Earlier this year, eBay announced plans to construct a 31,000-square-foot vaulting facility capable of housing millions of collectibles. The massive building – situated on the east coast of the United States – is eBay’s response to the concerns everyday collectors are raising about the risks involved with trading collectibles online. While eBay has taken a step in the right direction, its approach and recent acquisitions are directed at further consolidating power away from the end user,” says Micky Irons. “Collector, on the other hand, plans to be community owned and governed in a few years’ time, with the community itself benefiting from our innovative business model.”
Collector Crypt has taken a different path to solving the problems faced by collectors by forming a partnership network with vaults around the world. Using Collector Crypt, collectors can ship their valuable collectibles to a nearby vault and tap into the global market. Collector also offers some of the lowest fees available – as little as 0.5% when users spend the platform’s native token, $COLL, on transaction fees.
Collector stores physical collectibles in industry-leading vaults around the world. In turn, collectors receive highly secure, decentralized physical NFTs (pNFTs) minted on the Solana blockchain as proof of ownership over a collectible. With these pNFTs, collectors can start trading in minutes while enjoying ultra-low trading fees, insurance coverage and access to DeFi derivatives. Moreover, a collector can redeem their pNFT at any time and have their collectible delivered straight to their doorstep.
Since Collector Crypt uses pNFTs, existing blockchain applications can interact with the collectibles by default. For example, since third-party platforms that enable fractionalization are already common for NFTs, many services will also be available to NFTs minted through Collector. While eBay is still planning to move into collectible derivatives like fractionalization, Collector’s users will be able to access these features from day one. Collector’s own collateralized lending platform will also focus exclusively on collectible cards to offer the most flexible and efficient way to borrow against these assets globally.
Given that Collector-issued NFTs are transferable and composable, collectors have more options when it comes to their vaulted collections. Traditionally, vaulted cards remain in one place – the collector owns the asset, but that’s about it. With pNFTs, collectors can trade off-market, create digital galleries, explore third-party applications, and even participate in virtual meetups and tournaments, all while the underlying collectible remains safely vaulted.
Thanks to blockchain-based payment rails, Collector also eliminates the problems that come with cross-border sales, further increasing market liquidity. Transactions can be settled in fiat or any major cryptocurrency, and the seller can choose how they want to withdraw the funds. While services already exist that can facilitate these types of transfers, it’s always at a higher cost than what is available today on the blockchain.
One of the most powerful aspects of the Solana blockchain is that app developers can build platforms that interact with each other autonomously. Collector has leveraged this feature of the blockchain to break down barriers between vaulting partners, brands, graders, and marketplaces to build a powerful network between them. In this way, the platform has created an integrated and transparent portfolio of solutions serving collectors across the globe.
The rise of NFTs has demonstrated that there is a better way to transact collectibles online. Rather than using the Internet to simply facilitate sales, NFTs have opened the door to a hybrid physical-digital asset class. This asset class offers further benefits in addition to already-valuable collectible assets.
As eBay’s plans have demonstrated, secure vaults with derivative products are a natural evolution for the collecting hobby in the 21st century. Collector is building a platform from the ground up to meet these needs, leveraging the latest in blockchain technology to deliver a stronger foundation for the future.
Collector is currently seeking testers for their upcoming beta. To try the platform and get your hands on early-access perks, register here today. Collectors can also join the Collector Crypt community on Twitter.
About Collector Crypt
Collector Crypt functions as a digital bridge between real-world collectibles with a network of vaults, brands, graders and marketplaces around the world. By drawing on Web 3.0 technology, Collector Crypt has connected trillions of dollars’ worth of physical collectibles to the blockchain. Collector Crypt aims to unite the fragmented and illiquid collector marketplaces of today while helping collectors digitize, trade and collateralize their physical collectibles seamlessly.
Social media contacts: Twitter / LinkedIn / Instagram
Organization: Collector Crypt
Contact Person: Micky Irons
Email: Send Email
City: SAN FRANCISCO
Country: United States
The post Collector Crypt Launches Collector Marketplace Vault Aggregator appeared first on King Newswire.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Finance Shogun journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.


text:
Target in another pot of hot water
Just before the holidays, Target confirmed that 40 million customers’ credit and debit card information was stolen, including pin numbers, causing a whirlwind of attention for the mega retailer.
Now, Target has confirmed that some gift cards sold during the holiday shopping season were not properly activated by the retailer, and while they will not confirm the number of cards with the problem, they have said they will honor the faulty cards at Target service desks or through calling 800-544-2943.
Next steps for Target
“It’s another black eye that makes you question the internal operating procedures of Target,” Brian Sozzi, CEO of Belus Capital Advisors tells the AP. “Target needs to be doing everything perfectly. It can’t afford to lose any more confidence among its guests.”
Although this is not provoking fear the way the credit card breach did, it is problematic and frustrating for customers. Again, the company has responded quickly and has not denied the problems, but it has not made clear that it is working to investigate the security breach alongside the Secret Service and the Department of Justice, and have apologized for the gift card problems.
While they’ve handled their problems through their public relations arm, it remains unclear exactly how the gift cards were improperly activated, how their systems were so broadly hacked, and what is to be done to avoid the problem in the future.
When small businesses have this problem, it is time consuming but only impacts a select number of people – when the second largest discount retailer in America have these types of problems, a massive amount of people are impacted, and it is so much more than a blip on the radar.
Target’s problems are substantial, and it remains to be seen what their next steps will be.


text:
What Happened with Uber Coming to Shreveport?
Ever since the news broke out back in February that Uber was making it's way to Shreveport, it has been a hot topic of discussion. However, No one has really said much about it in the past few months.
When is this going to happen? Is it ever going to happen?
Well according to KTBS, it is still a possibility. KTBS did reach out to both Uber and Lyft. Uber has yet to contact them back but Lyft said that they were in the process of getting permits.
So will we see Uber or Lyft in our area any time soon? Well the answer is still unknown. With all the legal obligations being settled first, who knows how long that is going to take. Nonetheless, I stay hopeful.


text: It’s the start of the year and every company out there is bullish about the year ahead of them, though some are already in dire straits. Following the news that Motorola is looking at some major shipments of its XOOM Android-powered tablet, word is going around that RIM could have as many as one million BlackBerry PlayBook tablets shipping for the March launch. The company behind the popular BlackBerry is hoping that a big launch will help it hit this milestone in just the first quarter of shipments and if it does, it will eclipse Motorola’s target of 800,000 XOOM tablets. When launched, the PlayBook will only be available with Wi-Fi, though a 3G version should be on the way. It’s also worth noting that Sprint will be offering a WiMAX-ready 4G PlayBook.


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SHANGHAI, Oct 30 (SMM) – This is a roundup of global macroeconomic news last night and what is expected in the day ahead.
The US dollar weakened as expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut rates was offset by a potential delay in a US-China trade deal.
A US administration official said on Tuesday that an interim trade agreement might not be completed in time for signing in Chile next month as expected, while adding that did not mean the accord is falling apart.
LME base metals rose across the board while the SHFE complex mostly fell with nickel the only metal to rise. LME copper gained 0.07%, aluminium increased 0.84%, zinc climbed 0.43%, nickel advanced 1.6%, lead went up 1.35%, and tin climbed 0.66%.
SHFE copper slipped 0.19%, aluminium shed 0.29%, tin lost 0.35%, lead dipped 0.29%, zinc went flat, while nickel advanced 0.42%. Rebar gained 0.63% and stainless steel ticked up.
US housing data showed that more consumers than expected committed to buying a home in September, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
The US Pending Home Sales were up 1.5% in September, the association said on Tuesday. Consensus forecasts were calling for a 0.9% increase.
The Pending Home Sales Index came in at 108.7 in September, down from August’s downwardly revised reading of 107.1.
US consumer confidence dipped slightly in October as worries over business conditions and employment prospects ticked up, according to data from the Conference Board released Tuesday.
The Conference Board’s consumer confidence index slipped to 125.9 this month from a September reading of 126.3. Economists polled by Dow Jones expected a print of 128.
Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators at The Conference Board, said in a statement that consumers feel good about present conditions, but future expectations lowered slightly “as consumers expressed some concerns about business conditions and job prospects.”
“However, confidence levels remain high and there are no indications that consumers will curtail their holiday spending,” Franco added.
A slew of economic data is slated for release today. The US will publish data on its gross domestic product and core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index for the third quarter, the ADP employment data, and its weekly crude oil change surveyed by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The eurozone will release data on its business climate index and consumer confidence index for October, and Germany will publish data on its unemployment rate and consumer price index (CPI) for October.


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Concept Amenities is one of the first companies in the guest amenity industry utilising sustainable palm oil. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil certificate has been presented to Concept Amenities in recognition of manufacturing soap products using only RSPO palm oil.
Concept Amenities ensures this by partnering with certified sustainable palm oil growers who adhere to RSPO social and environmental standards.
Established in 2004, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is a not-for-profit association developed to implement global standards for sustainable palm oil. Their objective is to promote the production and use of sustainable palm oil for People, Planet and Prosperity.
“We are proud to partner with responsible and certified sustainable palm oil growers,” said Natalie Bloom, innovation & sourcing manager of Concept Amenities. “In recent years, there has been a significant increase in consumer education relating to ingredients and sourcing practices.
This has fueled growing demand from guests to use ethically sourced and sustainable products. As a manufacturer and supplier, we respect our responsibility to assist with efforts to help relieve the plight of deforestation, to advocate fair wages for families, to improve working conditions, and to protect wildlife.”
Nearly 50% of products on supermarket shelves contain palm oil, from shampoo to beauty cosmetics, chocolate to butter, cleaning products, the list just goes on. Unfortunately, much of the palm oil used in our favorite brands is collected by destroying forests and precious habitats for animals and plants. People are also forced to relocate from their land all while corporations reap millions in profit.
There is good news, 50 per cent of palm oil producers are RSPO members and have shown that you don’t have to cut down trees to produce palm oil. The collection of palm oil can be both profitable and sustainable.
As consumers, we should insist that brands use sustainable palm oil in their products. By using RSPO products, we can do our part to help save the environment, prevent massive deforestation and pollution, and help indigenous communities thrive while sparing Orangutans and other wildlife from being killed.


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Sullivan’s Equipment Sales and Service Opens Training Center
The 13,000-square-foot facility includes a remodeled training area that will feature live repairs, OEM training, proper sectioning processes, and more. The center will be in line with I-CAR and OEM training.
“Rather than telling a technician that there is a book or website they can go to in order to find this information, we are going to show them how to actually do the repairs,” Craig Sullivan, owner and president of Sullivan’s Equipement, said. “The industry is changing so quickly that we need to make sure these cars are repaired correctly so we can benefit the user and get a better, safer product back into the community.”


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This year’s Waikīkī Spam Jam took place on Saturday, April 29. The annual street festival celebrates Hawai‘i’s love for Spam and features food from some of the Island’s top restaurants, two stages with free entertainment and goods from a variety of Hawaiian retailers.
The 8th annual Hawai‘i European Cinema Awards Gala kicked off with a red-carpet reception at the Moana Surfrider on Friday, March 31. Distinguished guests included Pierce and Keely Shaye Brosnan, Shep Gordon, Ludi Lin and more.
University of Hawai‘i’s Shidler College of Business Alumni Association hosted its 2017 Executive Vineyards wine-tasting at The Royal Hawaiian on March 16. The event featured food from Alan Wong’s, The Pig & The Lady, Sweet Creams and more.
Pow Wow! Hawai‘i’s opening block party on Saturday, Feb. 11 was presented in collaboration with Honolulu Night Market and featured art, shopping, food trucks, a fashion show by Rance China and music by DJ Cipha Sounds.


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Microsoft layoffs; QVC merges with HSN; Baskin-Robbins delivers
Updated 3:12 pm, Thursday, July 6, 2017
Number of the day
That’s how much QVC is spending to merge with its longtime rival, the Home Shopping Network, in an all-stock deal. Liberty Interactive Corp., which owns QVC, is buying the 62 percent of HSN that it does not already own. The two will remain as stand-alone brands after the merger. Shopping by phone was once seen as innovative, but sales have weakened at many traditional retailers as more consumers turn to the Web for purchases. HSN’s sales declined 3 percent last year.
Layoffs at Microsoft
Microsoft is cutting more than 3,000 jobs, mostly outside the United States, as it overhauls its sales and marketing organization. The exact number is uncertain partly because in some countries, especially in Europe, labor laws require negotiations. Workers were notified Thursday if their current job was affected, and some will get other jobs within the company. Microsoft’s sales and marketing arm employs about 50,000 people worldwide.
I scream for delivery
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Now San Franciscans can get Baskin-Robbins milkshakes, sundaes and other goodies delivered to their homes, as the ice cream shop and DoorDash have expanded their service to 22 cities. DoorDash is using insulated carriers, and the only complication is that sundaes won’t have whipped cream — it can’t survive the delivery runs. People have to order through DoorDash’s app or website, and there are delivery fees, of course.


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Posted by Mark J. Miller on November 28, 2012 10:13 AM
Joel Thomas Zimmerman has a knack for drawing attention to himself. The house-music icon better known as deadmau5 sports a colorful and massive mouse head at live events, and dates the equally outrageous actress/model/tattoo artist Kat Von D has a way of helping the 31-year-old Canadian do such a thing.
And Nokia is happy to take advantage of his ability. Last November, he flew to London to rev up the crowds with a live music and 4D light projection show on London’s Millbank Tower to help promote the company’s Lumia 800. The show was projected onto big screens in six other English cities and live-streamed for those around the globe who wanted to pay attention. Now get ready for more deadmau5 x Nokia fun with another streaming show from London tonight.Continue reading...
Posted by Shirley Brady on November 19, 2012 03:04 PM
BMW on Saturday wrapped its BMW i global Born Electric Tour's New York City pit stop, which featured a digital window that turned the reflection of cars passing by into its own electric vehicles, the all-electric BMW i3 and plug-in hybrid BMW i8 concept vehicles. Find out more below, along with interviews from the automaker's execs who turned up to the Big Apple.Continue reading...
Posted by Dale Buss on November 14, 2012 04:18 PM
Buying a car has never been a walk in the park. But in New York this week, at least looking at BMWs can be that simple.
BMW is displaying its brand in all sorts of new ways these days, including its retail store in Paris and new licensed goods ranging from baby strollers to watches. And now, BMW is bringing its brand to a pop-up experience near you — at least if you live in New York, Rome, Dusseldorf, Tokyo, London, Paris or Shanghai.
The Born Electric Tour, on behalf of the BMW i sub-brand of electric cars announced last year, and featuring glimpses of the brand's future, opens today at Bryant Park in New York, through Saturday. Vehicles on display include the BMW i3 Concept, the BMW i8 Concept Spyder, and its "future mobility services" that reflect the company's vision for urban transportation.
It's the latest stop on a year-long global tour that kicked off in Rome in June. The goal is showcase the BMW i series in a series of pop-up events in seven cities, including Dusseldorf, Tokyo, London, Paris and Shanghai. It's no accident that the tour is visiting only a handful of the largest and most important metropolitan areas in the world's most significant and populous markets.Continue reading...
sip on this
Posted by Sheila Shayon on November 13, 2012 06:17 PM
Cheerwine is the last soft drink brand in America still owned by its founding family after four generations. The bubbly, wild cherry-flavored soft drink has a cult following and a distribution deal with Pepsi Beverages to be available in all 50 states by their 100th anniversary in 2017.
It’s known as the “Nectar of the South” by loyal fans, including indie rockers, The Avett Brothers, who performed a charity concert in October called Legendary Giveback: Tour of Duty, to benefit three family aid organizations: Big Brothers Big Sisters, Operation Homefront and the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital, as part of an overall campaign called “Legend” created by NY-based agency Woods Witt Dealy & Sons.
The marketing objective of “Legend” is to leverage an existing fan base and grow brand awareness from the regional to the national level. Fans unable to attend the sold-out concert in person were invited to go online and pledge their time to volunteer with any charity or community organization through Cheerwine's website or Facebook page in return for an access code to view a livestream of the concert.
Nearly 28,000 entered a related sweepstakes offering a grand prize of a VIP trip to the concert and a meet-and-greet with the Avett Brothers, as well as other prizes including pairs of tickets, Giveback T-shirts, posters and Cheerwine coupons. In addition, the town that pledged the most hours (Bristol, Tennessee) was awarded Cheerwine merchandise and cash to host live Legendary Giveback viewing parties, and more than 2,000 people pledged to give back over 30,000 hours to their local community.Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on October 24, 2012 11:12 AM
BMW is taking its Guggenheim Lab cultural collaboration to Mumbai after stops in New York, and Berlin.
The six-year collaboration between the blue chip automaker and the prestigious museum kicked off this past summer in New York. Now the global road show is heading to India to examine the relationship between social behavior and art and cutting to the heart of pressing urban challenges worldwide.
Running from December 9 through January 20, the Mumbai installation — which will be based in the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum — will offer “design projects, participatory studies, tours, talks, workshops, film screenings and cultural activities [that] will address challenges and opportunities related to public space and the choices Mumbaikars make to balance individual and community needs.”Continue reading...
what girls want
Posted by Mark J. Miller on October 18, 2012 10:23 AM
In a world that is constantly shoving the idea of a woman only being beautiful if she looks like Kate Upton or Kate Hudson or … well, whoever the latest aesthetic ideal is, it can be hard for a preteen girl to figure out how to own the fact that she’s beautiful, too, no matter how different her body is from the supermodel du jour.
Along with most of American society, Unilever’s Dove soap has girls becoming more anxious, instead of more confident. And rather than prey on that lack of confidence by offering beauty "solutions" and use that info to their marketing advantage, Dove is actually trying to get at the root of the problem and boost girls' confidence and self-esteem.
For three years, Dove has been hosting events for preteen girls across the globe to help them feel better about themselves, according to Cincinatti.com. The aim is to reach 15 million young women globally by 2015, thanks to Dove's Self-Esteem Fund, with an empowering message that takes the brand's highly praised Real Beauty campaign to a critical age.Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on October 2, 2012 11:31 AM
More than 80% of adult smokers in the U.S. tried smoking by age 18, up to 90% by age 20, so the truth, the largest American youth smoking prevention campaign (and the only national campaign not directed by the tobacco industry) is launching truthlive this week, kicking off a series of five free concerts featuring musicians Cobra Starship and Outasight at East Coast and southern universities in a bid to stop the next generation of tobacco addicts.
“truth’s success stems from offering facts and information about tobacco use and tobacco industry marketing practices in channels and through media that are relevant with teens and young people – then allowing them to spread the message themselves with their peers and friend groups,” stated Cheryl G. Healton, DrPH, president and CEO of Legacy, the national public health foundation that directs and funds the truth campaign.
Using music as a ‘passion point’ to connect with students, on-campus activities feature the iconic orange truth truck and truth tour riders, young adults armed with games, interactive activities, dancing, contests and mucho swag, educating their peers on the truth about smoking.Continue reading...
Posted by Sheila Shayon on September 21, 2012 05:01 PM
Menopause is a hot (flashes) topic, one that typically isn't publicly discussed let alone laughed about. Kimberly-Clark is looking to change that. In fact, it's seeking applause for menopause.
Its Poise brand is sponsoring a North American comedy tour with Sherri Shepherd (of The View and 30 Rock fame) and TV legend Cloris Leachman. The title: The Hot Flash Road Show. “I’m no stranger to talking about sensitive topics, so I jumped at the chance to partner with Poise brand," Shepherd comments.
“At 86 years young, I definitely have my share of menopause stories that I think every woman will eventually relate to,” says Leachman, a nine-time Emmy Award winning actress and star of FOX’s Raising Hope.Continue reading...


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Narrow your search
Apparently, acquiring just one online-video startup this week wasn't enough for Yahoo. The tech giant welcomes the folks at Evntlive, an online platform for live and on-demand concerts, to its video team.
The Internet portal shores up the technology behind its aggressive push into the online media scrum.
Yahoo, one of the latest tech companies trying to cash in on original TV programming, is banking on comedy with two series from the creator of "Freaks and Geeks" and a veteran of "The Office."
Looking to broaden and monetize its mobile audience, the Internet giant acquires a platform that lets users jump between apps on their smartphones.
In line with its focus on the stuff users read and view, the Internet giant acquires a "content delivery network" to help with its media efforts.
The company announces some small updates to Yahoo Screen, but the changes point to what Yahoo says it has recently been emphasizing: personalization.


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EA Motive Studio has announced that the Dead Space Remake New Game Plus mode will be available at launch tomorrow, and includes a number of extra goodies including a secret editing to unlock.
The studio revealed on Twitter that the New Game Plus mode will include the Level 6 Advanced Suit, Phantom Variant Necromorphs and a Secret Editing. The latter was revealed via the game’s Trophy listing earlier in the week, but it’s good to get confirmation nonetheless.
Dead Space Remake is scheduled for release on January 27, 2023 for PS5, PC and Xbox Series X/S. The game will feature extensive use of the DualSense controller, with each weapon offering a unique feel thanks to haptic feedback.
Related Content – Sony PS5 Complete Guide – Everything Explained About PlayStation 5 For New Owners In 2023
The original Dead Space was released for the PS3, PC and Xbox 360 back in 2008, and was developed by Visceral Games. The franchise spawned two full sequels and a rail shooter spin-off before being put on ice for the best part of a decade.
[Source – Dead Space on Twitter]
Dead Space Remake Guides powered by PowerPyx:


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Inflation rate drops by 0.86% in April
Again, Nigeria’s inflation rate measured by the Consumer Price Index, CPI, dropped by 0.86percent point in April 2018, the National Bureau of Statistics disclosed.
NBS in its CPI reports for April, suggest that the inflation rate stood at 12.48percent, away from the 13.34percent reported in March, making it the 15th consecutive decline recorded since the nation exited economic recession in January 2017.
According to the report, “The Consumer Price Index which measures inflation increased by 12.48 percent (year-on-year) in April 2018.
“This is 0.86 percent points less than the rate recorded in March 2018 (13.34) percent and represents the fifteenth consecutive disinflation since January 2017.
“On a month-on-month basis, the Headline index increased by 0.83 percent in April 2018, up by 0.01 percent points from the rate recorded in March.”
The bureau states that Kebbi and Bayelsa States recorded the highest food inflation rate of 18 percent in April even as nationwide headline inflation rate dropped to 12.48 percent in the same month from 13.34 per cent recorded in March, 2018.
However, food inflation remains higher than the headline inflation, an indication that food prices remain high.
The Composite Food Index rose by 14.80 percent in April 2018, being 2.32 percent higher than the headline inflation recorded in the same month.
“The rise in the index was caused by increases in prices of Potatoes, yam and other tubers, Fish, Bread and cereals, Oil and fats, Vegetables and Meat,” the report stated.
Analysis of the CPI shows that food inflation on a year on year basis was highest in Kebbi (17.92 percent), Bayelsa (17.85 percent) and Nasarawa (17.71 percent).
The Urban inflation rate eased by 12.89 percent (year-on-year) in April 2018 from 13.75 percent recorded in March, while the Rural inflation rate also eased by 12.13 percent in April 2018 from


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An Phat (AAA) green subsidiary sets profit target of $219m
An Phat Plastic & Green Environment Joint Stock Company (AAA – a member company of An Phat Holding Group, the largest exporter of thin-film packaging in Southeast Asia – has targeted earning revenue of VND10 trillion (US$431 million) and after-tax profit of VND510 billion ($219 million) this year.
These figures would represent 125 per cent and 283 per cent year-on-year increases, respectively.
The information was released at the companys annual shareholders meeting in the northern province of Hai Duong yesterday.
Last year, the company posted a revenue of more than VND8 trillion, exceeding its target by 35 per cent. Its after-tax profit was VND180 billion, meeting 55 per cent of its target.
Pham Anh Duong, the companys chairman, said its revenue in 2018 surged due to the expansion of its production and business activities. The main contribution to the high revenue was due to increased capacity at its two packaging plants and plant that produces stone powder and plastic additive CALBEST.
Duong said its profit in 2018 was lower than that of 2017 despite the higher revenue because some important trade contracts with local partners were delayed until 2019. In addition, the firm did not increase its products prices despite higher input costs because it hoped to expand to new markets and grow its customer network.
In 2018, the company also bought Viet Hoa-Kenmark Industrial Park (IP) from a Taiwanese investor after it sat uninhabited for 10 years. The 46-hectare IP was renamed An Phat Complex. An Phat poured nearly VND800 billion into the complex, temporarily cancelling out its profits in 2018.
“An Phat has been investing to prepare for a strong growth period both in revenue and profit in 2019,” Duong said.
The board of directors proposed deducting 75 per cent of profit in 2018 to compensate for previous production expansion loans. They also asked shareholders if they could not pay dividends in 2018.
The shareholders meeting also approved a plan to issue 8.5 million shares under the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) programme at a price of VND10,000. VND85 billion from ESOP issuance will be added to its working capital.
Shareholders also approved allowing An Phat Holdings Group to increase its ownership at AAA to a maximum of 51 per cent by issuing shares or buying shares from existing shareholders, without going through a public bid.
It would continue to invest in completing the An Phat Complex to reach an occupation rate of 40 per cent this year. It plans to build an environmentally friendly plastic and packaging factory in the US.
It plans to pay dividends of between 10 and 20 per cent in 2019 in cash.
Targeted green product development
The chairman said the company targeted making fully biodegradable plastic bags, polyethylene (PE) bags and other environmentally friendly plastic products a big portion of its revenue and profit.
“Currently there are not many businesses making this product line,” he said. “Most of them are small scale and not yet large. Production of fully biodegradable plastic bags accounts for 10 per cent of An Phat's structure but will increase when we expand our production in the domestic market.”
However, he said that to develop the products to replace traditional nylon bags, it would take many steps. These include improving technology to reduce costs and changing consumer awareness.
“This is our decision to match the worlds general trend, which is to use green eco-friendly products,” he said. “This is also a concern and highly recommended by the Government for use in Vietnamese consumer channels to limit the problem of plastic waste pollution”.
The company also decided to rename to AnPhat Bio Plastics Joint Stock Company to suit the trend with the aim of bringing sustainable value to customers and investors.


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Microsoft reveals Xbox One X, its most powerful console ever
The next version of the Xbox makes a giant splash at the world's biggest video game conference, E3 2017.
Ian SherrFormer Editor at Large / News
Ian Sherr (he/him/his) grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so he's always had a connection to the tech world. At CNET, he wrote about Apple, Microsoft, VR, video games and internet troubles. Aside from writing, he tinkers with tech at home, is a longtime fencer -- the kind with swords -- and began woodworking during the pandemic.
Mike Sorrentino is a Senior Editor for Mobile, covering phones, texting apps and smartwatches -- obsessing about how we can make the most of them. Mike also keeps an eye out on the movie and toy industry, and outside of work enjoys biking and pizza making.
ExpertisePhones, texting apps, iOS, Android, smartwatches, fitness trackers, mobile accessories, gaming phones, budget phones, toys, Star Wars, Marvel, Power Rangers, DC, mobile accessibility, iMessage, WhatsApp, Signal, RCS
The console, revealed by Microsoft at its E3 2017 conference on Sunday, is promising better graphics for players, whether or not they have a 4K television.
They do this by using a technique called "supersampling," where the computer creates images at a quality far higher than the TV can show, and then shrinks it down. This, Microsoft said, makes games look that much better.
The new console is one of the most important product releases from the Xbox team in years. The Xbox One, while highly regarded by many, is estimated to have undersold the Sony PlayStation 4, its biggest competitor, nearly two to one. For Microsoft, that not only knocks a sense of pride, but it also puts the company at a disadvantage when striking deals with game publishers and attempting to invest in new technology and groundbreaking new games.
Sony's been pushing its competition against Microsoft in other ways too. While Microsoft struck a partnership with Facebook's Oculus virtual reality goggle maker, Sony released a device it had been developing for more than three years, called the PlayStation VR. Having sold nearly 1 million units in less than six months, the device has beaten Sony's internal expectations.
Some of the games Microsoft showed off during the event are enhanced by the One X's more powerful chips, which were mostly revealed earlier this year. They include a custom microprocessing brain and a super potent chip to power the slick visuals the company showed on stage.
In techie speak, that's a custom eight-core x86 chip clocked at 2.3 Ghz, integrated AMD graphics with 6 teraflops of performance, 12 GB of GDDR5 memory, 1TB of storage, a 4K/HDR Blu-ray drive along with support for 4K and HDR television sets. This all translates to sharper looking games that can play on next-generation TVs and look even better on older ones too.
And in addition to being the most powerful video game console it's built, Microsoft says it's also the smallest the company's ever released (a crowd pleasing line, considering some of its previous devices have been rather bulky).
Microsoft has been building the hype for its Scorpio-code-named device slowly over the past year, discussing the technology behind it in dribs and drabs, but not sharing other details like what it looks like or its price until Sunday's press conference.