text:
The latest collectables range for Coles is targeted firmly at adults: six different wine glass ranges from Spiegelau.
For every $20 spent at Coles, First Choice or Liquorland, customers will be given one ‘glassware credit’ on their flybuys card, with 25 credits needed to receive two Spiegelau glasses.
Glassware credits will start being awarded to customers from October 30, as part of the launch of the supermarket’s new range of private-label Christmas products such as sloe gin mince pies, panettone, a plant-based roast for vegans and even turkey and gravy potato chips.
Coles aims for homebrand products to contribute 40% of sales within five years. It hopes the Christmas range has a “halo” effect and boosts sales of private label products year-round.
Coles chief executive Steven Cain posed with the glasses at the Coles Christmas launch this week.
Cain hopes the wine glass promotion will help boost Coles’ same-store sales in the December quarter.
“We believe it’s going to be very popular with customers, like all the other collectables schemes ranging from plastic storage containers to Stikees to Little Shop,” he told The Australian Financial Review. “We certainly think it will help.”
When customers spend $20 at Coles, Liquorland and First Choice, they score one ‘glassware credit’. Customers can then redeem them for a box of two Spiegelau glasses, starting from 25 credits. There are six sets to collect.
Coles chief marketing officer Lisa Ronson said Coles wanted to inspire Australians, using the wine glass promotion to launch the supermarket giant’s Christmas food range.


text:
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Cloned meat headed for EU menus as talks break down
Health campaigners have said enacting a ban just on cloned animals is useless because a cloned animal is so expensive to produce it would never be used for meat. The main purpose of cloned animals is to produce genetically superior babies, and it is the offspring that would be intended to end up in your sandwich. During negotiations the parliament offered a compromise to just have labelling of meat that comes from cloned animals or their offspring, but member states said they could only agree to such labels for beef. Beef is already heavily labelled and tracked because of previous mad cow scares. The parliament negotiators said no deal.
Member state governments and the European Commission have stressed that scientific studies have shown there is no difference between eating meat from a cloned animal and eating meat from a regular animal. But the campaigners say there has not been enough time to demonstrate the possible health hazards that can be present in the cloned animals and their offspring. There are also concerns about the consequences of reducing genetic diversity in farmed livestock, for example in resisting the outbreak of disease. Many members of the European parliament (MEPs) have objected to the practice on animal health and welfare grounds. Only 7% of cloned animals survive after 150 days and those that do often can't walk or are plagued with debilitating illnesses.
Had the novel foods regulation passed the EU would have been the first in the world to explicitly ban meat from cloned animals. In 2006 the US Food and Drug Administration approved the consumption of meat and dairy from cloned animals, saying that they are indistinguishable from products from non-cloned animals. They also ruled out any labelling scheme that would require companies to inform consumers when meat comes from a cloned animal. As of yet however there is only one instance in the world of a cloned animal being sold and eaten as meat - and that was largely for publicity purposes.
genetically modified crops and food safety. The EU tends to follow the 'precautionary principle' when it comes to consumer protection, restricting the use of products or food if they cannot be proven to be safe or healthy, even if no proof exists that they are harmful. It will be interesting to see what the Novel Foods Regulation looks like once the commission re-tables it. A 2008 Eurobarometer survey found that 58% of EU citizens think cloning for food production is "unjustified", while 83% said foods from cloned animals should be labelled. 63% said that it was "unlikely" they would buy such food if they saw from the label that it was cloned.
With such public sentiments, this issue is not likely to go away in the EU. But with no scientific evidence showing that food from cloned animals is harmful, would a ban just be cow-towing to an irrational fear from the public? In a debate where sound science is in short supply, there are plenty of opinions on either side.

domain: news


text:
Online sales for retailers are surging again, with the pace of growth in the second quarter of 2015 accelerating to double that of the first quarter.
Year-on-year revenues rose by 7% in the first quarter, but that growth doubled to 14% in the second quarter, according to the latest figures from the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.
June recorded the fastest growth, with sales up 18% on the same month in 2014 to £9.3 billion.
Sales of clothing in June recorded a YoY increase of 18% – its highest rate since November 2014.
The mobile commerce sector (sales via a smartphone or tablet device) recorded a 57% increase over June 2014.
Sales from smartphones rose twice as fast as sales from tablet devices.
The Index also revealed a growing disparity between online-only and multichannel retail with both an online and a physical presence. In June, growth for online-only sales reached just 13% YoY, compared to 21% for multichannel retailers.
Steve Hewett, head of retail customer engagement and loyalty, Capgemini Consulting, said: “The significant growth in the market will be very reassuring to UK retailers who have thus far experienced a fairly turbulent 2015. With a relatively settled post-election economy, consumer confidence should remain high and we can look forward to a solid H2.
“I’m particularly interested to see the impact click and collect services have had on the performance of multichannel retailers compared to their online only counterparts. Capturing their customer’s delivery needs has helped build a stronger connection between retailer and consumer, which is ultimately being reflected at the cash register. It will be key for the online community to capitalise on the current consumer confidence and find a way to build the same level of connection.”


text:
Fast-food giant McDonald's announced Friday that it has closed its three restaurants in Crimea following the territory's annexation by Russia, Reuters reported.
The U.S.-based chain is the first American company to take such action.
Urgent: Do You Approve Or Disapprove of President Obama's Job Performance? Vote Now in Urgent Poll
"Due to operational reasons beyond our control, McDonald's has taken the decision to temporarily close our three restaurants in Simferopol, Sevastopol and Yalta," a company spokeswoman told Reuters.
Though McDonald's didn't mention the political unrest in its announcement, many speculate that it has to do with growing tensions between the region and the Western world. The Crimean outlets are not franchises; they are owned and operated by McDonald's.
McDonald's said it hopes to reopen the restaurants soon and promised to take care of employees affected by the closures.
"The company has provided an opportunity to all employees ... to transfer to any other McDonald's restaurants in Ukraine preserving their positions, salaries and fees and paying to relocate employees and their families," McDonald's said in a statement, according to Reuters.
The move follows Thursday's announcement from Geneva-based Universal Postal Deutsche Post that letters bound for Crimea would no longer be accepted since delivery couldn't be guaranteed, according to Reuters.
According to their website, McDonald's
has more than 35,000 locations worldwide and serves about 70 million customers in more than 100 countries daily. In February, the company announced it was opening its first location in Vietnam.
Editor's Note: Do You Support Obamacare? Vote in Urgent National Poll
© 2016 Newsmax. All rights reserved.


text:
Joyce Farms introduces third generation of leadership
WINSTON-SALEM, NC. — Joyce Farms, a producer of grass-fed beef and heritage poultry products, announced that a third generation will be taking over the reins of the family business.
The company announced on Aug. 2 that Ryan Joyce was promoted to president and chief executive officer and Stuart Joyce moved up to executive vice president. Ryan previously worked as vice president of finance and Stuart was vice president of operations.
“Both of them grew up in the business,” said Ron Joyce. “They helped build Joyce Farms into a successful third-generation company. I am proud of them and what they have already accomplished. This will allow Joyce Farms to continue to grow as a family owned business long into the future.”
Joyce Farms was founded in 1962 by Ryan and Stuart’s grandfather Alvin Joyce. They are now succeeding their father Ron, who joined the business in 1971 and headed the growth from a small chicken wholesaler to a multi-species meat and poultry producer specializing in heritage breeds and regenerative farming practices.
“Ron leaves behind big shoes to fill,” said Ryan Joyce, “but thanks to his hard work, we have a strong foundation to build on as we lead Joyce Farms into the future.”
Ryan first worked for Joyce Farms in 2008 after graduating from NC State University with a degree in Business Management. In 2010, Ryan left the company to attend Wake Forest University, where he earned his JD/MBA, and passed the North Carolina Bar soon after. He returned to the company in 2014 as vice president of finance.
Stuart joined Joyce Farms after graduating from NC State in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business Management. He oversaw all poultry operations from plant and hatchery in Winston-Salem to the growing out of birds in the company’s Heritage Poultry line.


text:
Nissan's calling this a concept vehicle, but it's close to what the next Nissan Pathfinder SUV will look like. As a crossover SUV, it shares most of its engineering with the recently revealed Infiniti JX three-row luxury SUV.
Nissan expects the new Pathfinder to have 25% better fuel economy than the current truck-based SUV.
In case you haven't noticed, Detroit's been turning out some very good cars, lately. Here's a sampling.
|Where you live plays a big role in your total income tax bill|
|5 people you might not tip (but should)|
|Medicare pays doctors less than private insurance|
|Many recalled cars won't be repaired|
|Millions slip into Obamacare 'coverage gap'|


text:
A car that has carried the pope is worth four times as much as a car that has not carried the pope.
Bidding for the shiny, black Fiat 500L that carried Pope Francis around in September.
Auction site Charitybuzz sold the Fiat 500 Lounge hatchback that Pope Francis used during his visit to NYC and D.C. last year to a Jewish businessman named Miles Nadal for $300,000. The new owner Nadal says he wont drive the car, that instead it’ll go in his personal automotive museum along with the other 130 cars and motorcycles he’s got in there. See photos aftet the cut..


text:
Virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays (HMDs) are now just months away from finally hitting the consumer market. But, as excited as fans are getting for their arrival, they also know that the first iterations of the Oculus Rift and SteamVR kits will be far from the last. Palmer Luckey himself recently labelled the first generation of HMDs as ‘pretty expensive and relatively primitive’, referring to the high-powered PCs needed to run VR experiences and the current slate of components that present their own limitations.
It’s quite possibly that, while 2016 will see the birth of consumer VR, 2017 will see the iteration of it. It’s tough to say when the second Oculus Rift (CV2) will appear, although Oculus VR has hinted that it’s hoping to match the annualised smartphone release cycle. Also don’t forget that the Gear VR mobile HMD, co-created by Samsung, will soon be seeing its second iteration, which will serve as the true consumer release just a year on from the Innovator Edition’s launch.
But what will the second wave of HMDs need to improve on? Using the Oculus Rift as the prime example, VRFocus takes a look at what to expect from the future of VR hardware.
This is perhaps the most obvious aspect to improve upon in VR right now. The consumer Oculus Rift will boast two 2160 x 1200 OLED displays, reducing what’s known as the screen door effect (in which users can see the lines between a screen’s pixels) dramatically over previous development kits. But it’s still far from perfect; objects within VR can appear jagged and reading certain text can be harder with these lines in the way. Oculus VR’s Michael Abrash notes that 16K resolution displays are needed to be rid of this issue. We’re a long way off from that, but HMDs will keep needing to raise the bar until we get there. Could CV2, at the very least, support 4K?
Resolution is only half of the battle, however. The persistency of screens will also need to improve, further reducing any possible motion blur and supporting higher framerates. This can be as much of a software issue as it is a hardware one, but it’s essential to making VR experiences all the more believable and immersive.
The full limits of the Oculus Rift’s Constellation Tracking are yet to really be put to the test. Oculus VR has offered only very controlled demos of the consumer device, meaning press have been unable to find the limits of this tracking and stack it up to what’s generally regarded to be the current leader in this field, the HTC Vive. Hopefully the company will be looking to close that gap and even surpass it with later iterations of the HMD. Valve’s SteamVR system is coming to more than just the Vive, and could set a standard for VR software in the near future. If so, Oculus VR will need to keep up with that standard.
The accuracy and scale of tracking is something that could be improved across the industry. Not only will we hopefully expand beyond SteamVR’s 15 feet by 15 feet limit (if anyone can even support a space bigger than that), but we’ll be able to take greater details into account such as height and arm length. In-VR avatars will be able to mirror all of our individual movements and NPCs will be able to use that information to realistically interact with us. Although impressive, tracking in its current state is still primitive, and there’s a long way to go before VR takes full advantage of it.
You might not think that input has much to do with a HMD, but you’d be wrong. Oculus Touch is of course an impressive piece of technology as is the HTC Vive’s own position-tracked controllers, but they’re destined to be replaced. This likely won’t happen in the next generation of HMDs or even the generations after that, but VR will one day be an entirely independent system, and that will involve some form of on-board input, possible in the form of hand-tracking as suggested by some of Oculus VR’s recent acquisitions.
Controllers may well always play a part in the future of VR; perhaps Oculus Touch will live on as a means to pull the trigger on a gun or solve complex puzzles, but the VR dream involves putting on a HMD and being all you need to experience fully immersive content. Built-in input will be essential to this.
Price is a tricky aspect for VR. It obviously has to come down to attract a wider audience, but will this be possible with components and features constantly being added in new generations? Will this mean that, like smartphones, less enthusiastic VR users will be sticking with older HMDs that come down in price every few years as the latest models are released? Tradition suggests this will be the case, but VR runs the risk of becoming hugely fragmented if so. Developers will struggle with releasing content that accommodates multiple generations of HMD.
It may take a small miracle, but Oculus VR will need to look at driving down the price of consumer releases each year, no matter how incrementally.


text:
Effective Friday, December 30 the popular Toler"s Do-It-Best store on East Main Street in downtown Du Quoin will stop accepting parcels for shipment through the United Parcel Service (UPS) network.
Joan Toler said the store has provided the in-store package acceptance service since 2001. She says that between the frustrations of trying to reconcile delivery issues with outsourced overseas customer service representatives and UPS billing that doesn"t agree with the pricing in their software it is no longer worth the headaches.
"I figure that we have lost $500 so far this year providing the service," said Toler. The store receives a handling fee from UPS and Package Express, but she says that a lot of time UPS is billing the store for more than what the computer software says a package should be shipped for. There is also the cost of computer equipment, supplies and annual pricing upgrades. Toler"s was the only package pickup center in Perry County, leaving resident with the option of UPS driver pickup, which costs or the services provided by the U.S. Postal Service or Fed Ex.


text:
With Johnnie’s Foodmaster reportedly closing by Nov. 19, Charlestown residents are urging officials to come up with a plan for shuttling people to supermarkets in Somerville or Chelsea.
At the Charlestown Neighborhood Council meeting Thursday night, several people raised concerns about getting a transportation program up and running—especially with Thanksgiving exactly two weeks away.
One council member said the decision of what to do “should have been made yesterday.”
Danielle Fitzgerald, neighborhood coordinator with the Mayor’s Office, said that the mayor was working with City Councilor Sal LaMattina and the Boston Elderly Commission to come up with a plan to help residents get to a grocery store—likely either Market Basket in Chelsea or Stop and Shop in Somerville.
“We are very aware that this is a very serious concern for all in the community,” Fitzgerald said.
CNC vice chairman David Whelan said the council planned to invite interested partners—possibly representatives from one or both of the nearby supermarkets—to attend an upcoming meeting but that it likely wouldn’t happen until early to mid December.
But some people felt that meeting should happen sooner.
Charlestown resident Melissa Brennan, a former CNC member, said she thought the council should go ahead and post a meeting date for later in November and then work to get interested parties there.
“It’s a hot-button issue, and people need food,” she said.
The Thompson Square Johnnie’s is one of six locations in and around Boston that were recently transferred to Whole Foods. The company plans to remodel all six stores and reopen them in late summer or early fall of 2013.
In the official announcement from Whole Foods, a tentative closing date of Nov. 30 was given, but members of the CNC said Thursday that the store was expected to close earlier, by Nov. 19.
Shortly after the official announcement of the transfer was made in October, the Townie Association set up a petition requesting that transportation be provided to nearby supermarkets and temp jobs be offered to current Johnnie's Foodmaster employees. As of Nov. 8, the online petition had 288 signatures.
What do you think? Should a supermarket shuttle be provided as soon as possible for Charlestown residents? How urgent is the issue? And do you have a preference—Stop and Shop or Market Basket? Tell us in the comments.


text:
Shell backed smart EV startup, TresMoto has raised an undisclosed amount in seed funding from Angel Investor and professional CEO Mr. Raaj Kumar, who has led multinational companies like Asian Paints, GMR Energy, JSW Energy among others. “We have been working on our product offering and the software around it for about 4 years now. This round of funding will be utilized for final stages of product development and homologation of our flagship electric scooter,” said Shubham, the Founder of TresMoto.
TresMoto Founders display their product offerings at Shell e4 demo day
The company is working on a range of smart, electric two wheelers based on their in house developed platform ‘OXEN‘. Their flagship offering will be a sleek urban scooter with a top speed of 75 Km/h and an array of compact, ergonomic batteries that can be removed from the vehicle and charged at home for a range of upto 90 Kms which is more than enough for daily urban usage. For the weekend rider, the scooter can go further by carrying a range extender battery pack which fits snug into the boot of the vehicle.
TresMoto is designing their scooters to be functional and minimal to give them a modern and rugged look, along with performance to match the appearance. The founders believe that the traditional two wheeler offerings in the Indian market are outdated when it comes to technology, styling and optimization of design. The company is working on designing the scooters ground up with user experience in mind. The scooters are driven by software that can be updated over the air and the company claims that they will keep improving the range and performance of the vehicles with future updates. The scooters will come equipped with smart features like GPS navigation assist, remote locking and unlocking, keyless unlocking and telematics. The scooters will also come along with a companion app which will offer cutting edge features like AI-powered remote diagnosis, remote asset tracking, personalised rider profile and ride analytics. The app will also offer next gen security features like geofencing which will let you easily define the area of usage for your scooters, both for riding and when parked. Although electric scooters have far less service requirement than their petrol counterparts, you will be able to book a service whenever required right at your doorstep.
The secret sauce is their inhouse developed modular EV platform ‘OXEN‘, which lets the company design new products with a fraction of resource and time. This platform can be adapted for scooters ranging from 2 to 15 bhp. Moreover these scooters will be built in microfactories with a tiny footprint which will allow the company to scale to multiple locations much faster and at a fraction of the cost.
The company has previously been incubated and funded by Shell. The Shell E4 programme has brought refinement to the company’s development process and their product offerings. The company is focused on making their scooters more reliable and rugged than any other scooter in the market. The founder also mentioned that TresMoto is working on a simpler product optimized exclusively for fleet usage. The company will pilot with a small batch of these scooters with delivery and rental companies before offering their flagship product to the consumer market.
The next generation of smart scooter offerings that we are going to see this decade from upcoming players like TresMoto and others in this space are unlike the e-scooters we have seen on the Indian roads in the past. These come equipped with a new generation of motors, power electronics and batteries and are built to outperform their petrol counterparts in every aspect. Modern EVs are simply evolution that has been long due in automotive tech, this change can be compared to what we saw in the smartphone space 15 years ago.
For more information, please visit, www.tresmoto.in.


text:
Kiss Your Old TV Goodbye
I bet you were just going to throw your old TV away. Everyone has a garage, attic, or closet full of odds and ends that they’ll “get around” to doing something about, and among those boxes of worn out paperbacks and broken Christmas lights, you’ll probably find that first television set you ever bought—a massive cube offering a fuzzy picture and a missing remote that you “didn’t lose, you just misplaced” back in 1992.
It’s partly because those technological relics still inhabit a place in your house (and maybe even your heart) that Samsung hosted its first ever “Trade In and Trade Up” television recycling event on Saturday, June 11 at the Bergen Town Center Outlet Mall. From 9AM-1PM, there was finally an opportunity to free up some space in your house while simultaneously earning discounts for disposing your TV in an environmentally friendly way.
Lauren Tobin, the Senior Manager of TV Product Marketing, said it best: “We don’t want these to end up in a landfill. We want to encourage people to recycle their TVs and to be green, and that’s why Samsung is hosting this event.”
This is how the promotion worked: once you dug out that retired television set—regardless of its age—and drove it over to the event site, the Samsung staff would unload it from your car, responsibly recycle it, and present you with a 15% off coupon for your next Samsung TV. The voucher could be used onsite or on Samsung.com to purchase any new television, including their 4K SUHD TV with the latest in Quantum Dot technology. There was even a tent consumers could visit where a Samsung staff member would sit down with them and determine exactly which new television set would be the perfect fit for their home.
Brandt Varner, Senior Director of TV Product Marketing, said: “We’re very excited to be hear today and see the large number of people that have been coming out. The response has been very positive, very interactive, and a lot of folks that are coming out looking to recycle an old television purchase a brand new Samsung TV.”
And the consumers couldn’t agree more. One man told our crew, “I think that’s a win-win for everyone, right? So thank you very much and goodbye to my first TV.” He then leaned down to give his TV a heartfelt, farewell kiss.
And how did Kollins participate in this event? Our team recorded everything! We captured personal interviews with consumers and staff, dance moves in the 92.3 radio station tent, men and women wrapping up old television sets that were ready to be recycled, and most importantly: the enjoyment Samsung was able to bring to their customers. Click on the video above to see the “Trade In and Trade Up” event come to life.
If you need footage of your next event, call or email Kollins Communication and we will provide you with unbeatable content that you can display on your website or Facebook page.


text:
It seems like the year has not started on a good note for Nissan. The company is reportedly recalling more than 54,000 cars due to airbag installation problems, which could potentially hurt the passengers. The seat mounted airbags are found to unexpectedly deploy whenever someone slams the door, placing passengers at the risk of serious injury. These units have also been reported to face sensor problems.
Nissan North America said the recall particularly happened for the 2012 Nissan Versa cars. The unexpected deployments of airbags might have caused by the degradation of the side impact sensor connector pins, stated the car company.
According to CBS 12, Nissan has said that the dealers will install a new jumper and replace the side impact sensors for free of cost to compensate for the faulty car parts. Although, there have been only a few incidents reported where the airbags didn't deploy properly and there has not been any accident reported of the passengers, Nissan is recalling its units for safety purpose. Last year also the company had to recall millions of its cars due to the same problem.
Nissan group has assured the customers that it's working on the fix of airbag and sensor problems so that the users don't face any risk of physical injuries.
As per Fox 8, the car owners are being encouraged to contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 for queries regarding the product recall.


text:
In the wake of revealing ‘Dussehra Vijay’ Offer, BSNL is back with another offer around Diwali for its prepaid customers. The association has detailed ‘Laxmi restricted time’ offer for its prepaid customers across finished India. Under BSNL’s new Laxmi offer, customers will get 50 percent extra dialog time on top-ups of Rs. 290, Rs. 390, and Rs. 590.
Amazingly, the Laxmi offer is authentic just on these three best ups. Customers empowering with these best ups will get talk estimation of Rs. 435 with a resuscitate of Rs. 290, Rs. 585 talktime on Rs. 390 resuscitate, and Rs. 885 best up on resuscitate of Rs. 590. Fascinated customers can invigorate their BSNL prepaid numbers from October 16 to October 21 to benefit the preferred standpoint. This is the latest in a movement of BSNL offers released over the span of late months.
You may also like: Mi MIX 2 With Bezel-Less Display Launched in India
Detailing the new Laxmi offer, R.K. Mittal, Director (CM) BSNL Board expressed, “This offer is being given to our devoted prepaid compact customers so they can share their delight among their sidekicks and relatives in the midst of the ideal occasion of Diwali.”
BSNL moreover revealed ‘Dussehra Vijay’ offer a month prior where it offered cashback of 50 percent on voice restores. As a noteworthy part of the BSNL offer, customers who bought invigorate packs between September 25 and October 25 got 50 percent cashback for the resuscitate regard. The offer was applicable on talk time restores of Rs. 42, Rs. 44, Rs. 65, Rs. 69, Rs. 88, and Rs. 122.


text:
Acquisition organization Hydra companies Acquisition Corp. announced now it would acquire hot shot casino slots app London-based company of assistance for any betting industry motivated Gaming Group from funds maintained by personal assets firm Vitruvian couples LLP. Hydra would spend the amount of £200 million for your internationally known supplier.
The deal is expected become shut in Oct 2016. Upon conclusion, Lorne Weil, Chief Executive Officer of Hydra, will assume the government Chairman part at motivated Gaming. Luke Alvarez, creator and Chief Executive Officer of the London-headquartered carrier, will hold their CEO post and will be called hot slots online hot shot casino into the business’s Board of administrators.
Although the purchase package was authorized by the Boards of administrators of both Hydra and Inspired games, it’s still at the mercy of affirmation by Hydra shareholders and the pertinent regulating systems also to associated closing that is customary. Hydra revealed that once the purchase is done, the gaming would be changed by it dealer’s label to driven Entertainment, Inc.
Placing comments from the current statement, Lorne Weil, President of Hydra, said that free coins hot shot casino slots they are looking for a company that could use their own expertise in a bid to drive further development. Mr. Weil also mentioned they are passionate with all the possible opportunity to make use of motivated Gaming in order to grow their business that is digital by on ‘the deployment of brand new innovation and information.’Continue reading “Hydra Hot Shot Casino Slots App Businesses Purchase to purchase Inspired Gaming”


text:
Manoj Saxena, chairman and CEO of Webify Solutions Inc., is ready to take his company off "bread and water."
After starting the Web services software company two years ago during the depth of the downturn and keeping the staff small, he's expanding the company, which is graduating from the Austin Technology Incubator.
At the end of July, Webify's 31 local employees will move to 16,000 square feet at 5918 West Courtyard Drive in West Austin -- a building that will carry the Webify logo.
It's a far cry from the 2,800 square feet at the ATI, where an employee shares an office with two other people.
"We had to be pragmatic about how we built and grew the company, and made sacrifices during what was one of the toughest downturns," Saxena says. "But when our customers started leaving their jobs and joining us and the return on investment [was better than estimated], we moved out of our bread-and-water rationing phase."
Saxena is no stranger to startups. He sold his first startup, Austin-based Exterprise Inc., to Commerce One Inc. in 2001 for $78 million in stock.
Webify is opening an office in India with 10 employees this month and hopes to add about 30 more people to its U.S. operations.
Saxena says about $20 million in deals are in the company's sales pipeline, as well as a partnership agreement with IBM Corp. Saxena says the average customer spends about $700,000 on Webify's software and an additional $1 million to $3 million in maintenance fees over one to three years.
Saxena says the CEO of one of the Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers was so enthusiastic about Webify's product that, at a convention, he turned the floor over to Saxena to talk about Webify's software.
Webify is helping insurance companies automate many of their business processes using Web services.
The company markets to insurers in the health, property, casualty and life markets as well as to financial services companies.
Frank Gillett, principal analyst with Cambridge, Mass.-based research firm Forrester Research Inc., says the use of Web services will help spur the concept of on-demand computing, with software that can "talk" to other software programs within a company or between companies.
According to a Forrester report, the customers most interested in using Web services are in the business services, utility, government and financial services sectors.
"Because the tech industry has had its own flavors of software, it was like a tower of Babel with everyone saying things their own way," Gillett says. "The idea of Web services is to create a lowest common denominator everyone can speak."
Email STACEY HIGGINBOTHAM at (firstname.lastname@example.org).


text:
Chinese tech giant Tencent (TCEHY) generates most of its revenue from its home market. But in recent years it's expanded overseas to reduce its dependence on China, where its social media and gaming businesses face tougher censorship and playtime restrictions, respectively.
One of those markets is Japan, the world's third-largest gaming market after China and the United States. Let's see how its investments in Japan could strengthen its business and widen its moat.
Tencent's growing presence in Japan
Tencent bought a stake in Japanese game maker Aiming, the developer of the RPG Caravan Stories, in 2014. But it didn't invest in any other Japanese companies until this January when it bought an undisclosed stake in Platinum Games, the Japanese developer of Bayonetta and Nier: Automata.
Platinum Games nearly went bankrupt in 2017 after Microsoft abruptly canceled the Xbox One and PC game Scalebound, but it was saved by robust sales of Nier: Automata, which was published by Square Enix (SQNXF 0.48%), later that year. Platinum declared Tencent's investment would have "no effect" on its independence but could help it launch more self-published games.
In late May, Tencent bought a 20% stake in Japanese game maker Marvelous, best known for the farming simulation game Story of Seasons, for $65 million to become its top shareholder. Tencent previously licensed assets from Story of Seasons to develop a new mobile game, which has yet to be released.
Like Platinum, Marvelous was struggling financially when Tencent swooped in. Its online gaming and consumer gaming profits plunged 78% and 29%, respectively, last year, due to lower revenue from its older titles and the weakness of its newer games. Tencent will likely help Marvelous develop new titles and expand its aging franchises into new markets.
Partnerships and ecosystem expansions
Aiming, Platinum, and Marvelous mark Tencent's biggest Japanese investments to date, but it also recently partnered with two of the country's video game giants: Square Enix, the publisher of Final Fantasy and Tomb Raider, and Nintendo (NTDOY -0.66%).
In late 2018, Tencent formed a new joint venture with Square Enix to produce new games based on existing franchises and new IPs. In 2019, Tencent partnered with Nintendo to launch the Switch console in China.
Tencent invested $320 million in the Chinese digital media platform Bilibili (BILI -3.55%) in 2018 to increase its exposure to Japanese pop culture. Bilibili hosts a growing catalog of Japanese anime and comics, and it's been gradually increasing its investments in Japanese anime studios and game makers. Japanese conglomerate Sony also bought a $400 million stake in Bilibili earlier this year.
Why does Japan matter?
Japan's economy recently dipped into a recession as the COVID-19 crisis exacerbated its economic slowdown. However, it remains one of the world's top gaming markets, and the video game sector has been fairly resilient during macro slowdowns. Japan could also be considered a safe haven as the trade war between the U.S. and China escalates.
NetEase (NTES -0.30%), Tencent's biggest rival in China's gaming market, has also been expanding into Japan with hit games like Knives Out and Identity V. Tencent could curb that expansion with its investments and partnerships with Japanese game makers.
Tencent's investments in Japan won't move the needle for its gaming business on their own. But they will complement its other overseas subsidiaries, including League of Legends developer Riot Games, Clash of Clans developer Supercell, and Conan developer Funcom.
Tencent also owns stakes in Fortnite publisher Epic Games, PUBG maker Bluehole, Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft, and Glu Mobile. That sprawling portfolio makes Tencent the world's largest game publisher, and its recent investments in Japan will reinforce that position.
The key takeaway
Tencent is still heavily dependent on the Chinese market, but its development of international games like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty Mobile could plant the seeds for future growth beyond China. These investments could strengthen its gaming business, which generated 35% of its revenue last quarter, and insulate it from the unpredictable censorship, playtime, and licensing headwinds in its home market.


text:
11 September, 2019
The cryptocurrency trading platform Gemini run by well-known the Winklevoss twins has announced the launch of the custody service.
According to the report, Gemini Custody will enable users trade assets that are kept offline via prompt loans. The new service is run by the regulated Gemini Trust Company. It features multi-signature white address lists and option of additional accounts with a different access level.
Notably, Gemini Custody will be open for auditors.
The service supports 18 cryptocurrencies, including the major coins like Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum, Litecoin, Zcash and ERC-20.
At the same time, the exchange platform deals only with Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash and Zcash as well as Gemini Dollar.
As the company spokesperson stated, the announced custody solution is the only service that can cope with challenges set by organizations without losing protection level or support.
For reference, similar custody services are also offered by such giants as Coinbase, BitGo and Fidelity Digital Assets.


text:
Two local malls are pushing up their mandatory curfew for kids during the rest of the holiday shopping season.
The changes are happening at the Brass Mill Center in Waterbury and the Shoppes at Buckland Hills in Manchester.
The malls announced what they are calling the Parental Guidance Required Program last month. They said the effort would help ensure a family-friendly shopping experience.
The curfew, which begins at 1 p.m., requires anyone under the age of 18 to be with an adult until the mall closes.
Officials hope it will help eliminate disruptive behavior that has happened in the past. The curfew applies to the entirety of the shopping center including the parking lots and exterior sidewalks.
On this day last year, four teens were arrested after a fight broke out in front of one of the stores at the Shoppes at Buckland Hills in Manchester.
The curfew ends on December 30.


text:
It’s a manufacturer’s worst nightmare: Counterfeit versions of a product exactly theirs flood the market, drying up demand. But Petzl’s problem is more serious.
The climbing company has announced it has discovered Chinese, counterfeit versions of it’s popular climbing carabiners and ascenders. The knock-offs fail well before the authentic versions do, putting climbers who think they are using the real thing at serious risk. The worst part? The fake versions look almost exactly like the real versions, right down to sharing the same batch numbers imprinted in their metal.
“There is a significant risk that these counterfeit products could open or otherwise fail at low loads and under normal use,” the company Web release stated. “These counterfeit products do not meet UIAA or CE safety standards. These counterfeit products do not meet Petzl safety and quality requirements.”
While Petzl investigates the source of the bogus climbing equipment, it’s advising climbers to only buy gear through authorized dealers. It’s already a bad idea to buy used climbing gear that you don’t know the history off, and an even worse idea to pick up gear you found at the base of the crag. Add to that: shady guys selling carabiners on tables near Times Square.


text:
The chief executive said Morrisons' carbon footprint had reduced by 36% over the past three years and claimed the retailer's vertically integrated supply chain meant it made use of a far higher proportion of the fresh produce it bought. "Our whole crop purchasing enables us to sell far more of the fruit and veg we buy," he said. "We sell 20% more of the potatoes we buy than the industry average. We even use broken potatoes by passing them back through the chain for pigfeed."
In the Great Taste, Less Waste campaign, launched this week, Morrisons will put stickers on food to show how to store it. Every product had been tested to see if packaging could be reduced. Peppers are no longer packaged as a result.


text:
Vivo has formally announced its association with BCCI for title sponsorship of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In the coming two seasons (2016 and 2017), vivo and IPL will have extensive cooperation in terms of sports events, on-ground activations, media exposure and marketing campaigns. Cricket fans across India and around the world will enjoy IPL brought by BCCI and vivo.
Speaking on the occasion, Anurag Thakur, Honorary Secretary of BCCI, said, “We welcome vivo Mobile India on board to India’s most awaited event, the Indian Premier League. IPL is all about opportunities and exhibition of talent and with vivo coming in as the title sponsor it is yet another initiative to showcase a brand which is young, full of life and looking for a platform to showcase its talent. Just like the IPL, vivo in a very short span have created a niche and legacy in the smartphone market and I am sure this will be a long and enriching affiliation for both the stakeholders. ”
“I am excited that we got the title sponsorship of the tournament as vivo-IPL, thus cementing a two year partnership between two brands which enjoy an iconic status not only in India but globally.” Announcing this successful association, Alex Feng, CEO of vivo Mobile India said, “Vivo is the pioneer of Hi-Fi music smartphone, and we strive to create smartphones combined with artistic design and technological innovation.
Vivo’s spirit is to pursue excellence and create surprises. IPL, as the world’s premium cricket event, is also creating the ultimate sports experience to the world. It is this shared commitment to excellence that brought IPL and vivo together.”
Since 2011, vivo has become a premium global smartphone brand. As of 2014, vivo is the 5th top smartphone brand in China, and 10th top smartphone brand globally. This association is one essential part of vivo’s global expansion and Indian localization strategy. It is the first, and so far the largest brand association vivo launched in India. As 2015 is vivo’s 20th anniversary, and the first anniversary in India, vivo-IPL will make the throttle of vivo’s development even stronger.
Alex further commented that, “Vivo is an emerging brand in India, dedicated to offering quality products and services to music lovers, sports enthusiasts and fashion pursuers. We always believe in supporting new talents and associated ourselves only with premium events globally. This investment reiterates how important Indian market is for us, and we are confident that vivo will get returns from our investment in IPL, and this association will further advance our Love India, Love vivo initiative.”
Our typical marketing budget is usually 10 per cent of the topline spend
There are some forces impacting the way our business works. The IT/ITeS sector has changed tremendously. Platforms like Twitter have made everyone journalists. Smartphones have made everyone a photographer. The trend that we are seeing is one of hyperdigitalization, which is causing the lines between product and services to blur. For example, <a href=http://www.exchange4media.com/company/news/amaz...
The OOH sector is among the fastest growing, globally. Brands and marketers have realized its potential and impact and begun to craft medium-specific adverts. Self-regulation is not only necessary but also essential to growth of the sector. The industry needs to exercise a certain level of this self-restraint to prove its commitment to maintaining the best standards in advertising.
Clients are looking for experiential solutions beyond radio or print: Abraham Thomas, Radio City 91.1 FM

 From entering new markets to launching large format events, Radio City 91.1FM has been on a roll. The radio channel recently announced the launch of India’s biggest singing talent hunt-Radio City Super Singer Season 8. Earlier this year, the channel set up its own creative-cum...
The interesting animated rap music video encapsulates Droom’s ecosystem tools and their role in facilitating second-hand automobile transactions
Perfumes are invisible and these new ads from Skinn create a story out of this
New campaign aims at first-time users by providing ‘first-night free’ – a first-ever offering by the brand on online hotels booking


text:
Connecticut art dealer David Crespo is no stranger to legal entanglements. Before he recently pleaded guilty for selling fake Marc Chagall and Picasso works on the Internet, the owner of the Brandon Gallery in Madison was sued by a fellow art dealer in 2008.
Dealer Pleads Guilty To Sale Of Phony Lithograph
The Connecticut Law Tribune
September 6, 2013


text:
Casinos Turn to Virtual Reality
Casinos are always up for new ways to gain more visitors excited to casino games. The latest technology is the virtual reality or in other words, VR, which is tested by people that compete with each other in VR tournaments.
Virtual reality is a technology that is considered as the next frontier of online gambling. The tech is an interactive computer-generated experience that is taking place within a simulated environment. People can sit at a virtual table, or a virtual VIP lounge looking out at a window at a cityscape designed to look like the popular cities in the world, or anywhere the imagination takes you. Major video games companies like Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft are developing products for VR, and tech giants like Google and Samsung are joining in with their VR kit. So its pretty typical for the casinos to have a VR technology as well.
Gaming in a Virtual World
Think of a little skill-based game, like poker, but in VR. Boyd Gaming is the first company that created The Orleans, which is the first casino to have in the Virtual Zone. Virtual Zone is a place inside The Orleans Hotel and Casino, which features a game of single-player and multiplayer archery.
Casinos in Virtual Reality
Betting in casinos has already moved away from a traditional casino floor and virtual reality could be an extension of them. Casinos are now rolling games like poker, blackjack, slots and is adding additional digital casino games. Virtual reality could take the experience to a whole new level. Imagine playing poker against a few numbers of players from your room, or placing bets at a table with a virtual dealer. It could also be possible to bring casino-style gambling to those outside of it and it could be more desirable and interactive than playing a game on your computer.
VR Slot Games
The prospect of a VR slot game market could rival the online and mobile equivalent slots. Image playing slot games, like Sizzling Hot Deluxe, in a virtual reality casino. This kind of reality looks closer than we think. Developers have already launched a number of exciting games at VR casinos that give hope to slot fans out there. There is already a number of classic casino table games such as roulette, blackjack, craps, poker that have given players a taste of what is to come. In 2017 at ICE Gaming conference, a Scandinavian slots developer confirmed that they will develop a large number of creative VR slots that will be offered to the VR casinos.
Sooner or later, VR slot games are becoming a reality. Developers have already launched a number of appealing games for virtual reality casinos. These projects give hope to the slot fans out there.
Classic casino table games such as roulette, blackjack, craps, poker are so popular that players have already tasted a VR experience with these games. If VR slots can leave such a positive impression, imagine how beneficial it will be for the slot games. This company is at the forefront of VR slots. They are taking pieces of advice from the fans of the slot games and convert them into Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Google Cardboard is showing to other developers that existing titles can give a chance by allowing online and mobile slots transfer to the VR platform. There is already a speculation from the slot players, that online slots could be the next for the virtual reality.
Pushing the Limits
It makes sense that virtual reality would be an attractive fun alternative to its users. Tournaments are an interesting starting point, then we’ll see VR betting that will take its next place, while the companies will push the industry to develop more content. If the widespread idea of a virtual reality poker is an indication, gambling in VR could be a lucrative business for those who can build an base for the users and get some regulators for the game play. Maybe the virtual casinos is the future of gambling gaming.


text:
Fuel surcharges fall to lowest in a decade
Taipei, Jan. 5 (CNA) Fuel surcharges on airfares for short-range and long-haul travel will fall to their lowest level in more than a decade beginning on Jan. 10, the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said Monday.
(Full text of the story is now in CNA English news archive. To view the full story, you will need to be a subscribed member of the CNA archive. To subscribe, please read here.)
New Taipei Kings down Taoyuan Pauian Pilots 93-88, top PLG standings12/02/2022 10:58 PM
Christmas market featuring German food and goods opens in Taipei12/02/2022 10:30 PM
Taiwan, Slovakia sign MOUs to boost exchanges on trade, semiconductors12/02/2022 10:27 PM
NTU revokes Taoyuan mayor's master's degree for plagiarism12/02/2022 10:12 PM
Taiwan court grants Italian father visitation rights in int'l custody case12/02/2022 09:42 PM


text:
The number of Cisco devices hijacked through a newly discovered attack has risen to over 30,000, according to the latest findings from security researchers.
Security vendor Censys has been tracking the threat, and observed 34,140 Cisco devices that appear to have been compromised by a critical vulnerability in the company’s IOS XE software.
“The United States has the majority of compromises, with 4,659 devices having the backdoor installed, along with the Philippines close behind with over 3,200 compromised hosts,” Censys says in its report.
The IOS XE software is used across Cisco switches, routers, and wireless controller products, meaning a large swath of networking equipment has likely been hijacked. The vulnerability, dubbed CVE-2023-20198, is so powerful it can pave the way for a full takeover of a Cisco device, enabling a hacker to spy on traffic or serve users phishing pages loaded with malware.
Censys has been trying to identify which users could be affected. The company’s scans of the affected Cisco devices reveal many of them belong to “telecommunications companies offering internet services to both households and businesses.”
For example, 469 of the compromised Cisco devices were registered to AT&T. "While commonly linked with residential internet access, it (AT&T) also delivers business solutions, evident in its use of the enterprise-grade Cisco (XE) router. As a result, the primary targets of this vulnerability are not large corporations but smaller entities and individuals who are more susceptible,” Censys says.
Cisco has suggested that a single hacking group is behind the mass exploitation, which was first detected last month. It appears the group has since been abusing the flaw at a rapid rate when no patch exists to fix the problem. On Wednesday, nonprofit security group Shadowserver said it’s also detected over 32,800 devices compromised through the vulnerability.
However, Cisco tells PCMag it’s been scrambling to stamp out the threat. “We are working non-stop to provide a software fix and we strongly urge customers to take immediate action as outlined in the security advisory. Cisco will provide an update on the status of our investigation through the security advisory,” the company said in a statement.
How long it’ll take for Cisco to release the patch was left unsaid. In the meantime, the company is urging customers to scan whether their devices were compromised and to disable “the HTTP Server feature” on them.
Like What You're Reading?
Sign up for SecurityWatch newsletter for our top privacy and security stories delivered right to your inbox.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!Sign up for other newsletters


text:
The People’s Bank of China has temporarily suspended the use of virtual cards and payments based on Quick Response (QR) codes, as the government moves to put in stringent regulations on online financial products.
QR codes are bar code-like images, which a smartphone user scans with a downloaded application to to transmit web addresses, payment details, other information or track a shipment and verify a ticket stub.
The central bank stated that the latest decision has been taken over security concerns of the platforms.
The move comes just after the recent launch of virtual credit cards by Tencent and Alipay, an online payment subsidiary of e-commerce giant Alibaba. The parties have teamed up with China CITIC Bank to issue the online credit cards.
A Tencent spokesman was quoted by The Wall Street Journal as saying, "We continually review and take measures on suspicious cases of spam, violent, pornographic and illegal content."
Alipay users can have a minimum credit of CNY200 ($32.5) with the maximum limit based on their online credit records, while cards from Tencent can be availed by the users of WeChat, a mobile messaging app, with a minimum credit of CNY50 ($8.1) and a maximum limit of CNY5,000 ($814).


text:
Commerce minister Tipu Munshi on Tuesday said that the imposition of anti-dumping duty on jute goods had adversely affected Bangladesh’s exports to India as the country’s export items were very limited.
The minister urged the Indian government to look into the technical and legal aspects of such duty imposition on jute goods and other initiatives to impose anti-dumping duty on fishing nets and hydrogen peroxide while addressing the inaugural session of ‘India Bangladesh Digital Conference on Agriculture Sector’.
Tipu said that there was a historical background of cooperation in trade between the countries but there were also some challenges like no-tariff barriers, Para-tariff barriers and inadequate infrastructure.
‘We need to take appropriate measures to address those challenges,’ the commerce minister said.
In the event arranged by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Confederation of Indian Industry, Tipu said that India had initiated antidumping investigations on import of Bangladeshi fishing nets and hydrogen peroxide and also imposed anti-circumvention duty on Bangladeshi jute cloths.
Such measures would dampen confidence of businesspersons and adversely affect trade, he said.
‘Under the circumstances, we stand ready to consider bilateral consultation between the governments to look into certain technical and legal aspects of such imposition,’ the commerce minister said.
He also said that Bangladesh was dependent on supply of some essential commodities from India and the Indian government should not impose sudden bans on exports of such commodities without prior notice.
Tipu said that India had restricted the import of edible oil from Bangladesh and imposed a ban on import of air-conditioners.
‘This imposition had dealt a sudden blow to Bangladesh’s promising new air-conditioner sector and I would like to draw the Indian government’s attention to resolve this issue,’ the commerce minister said.
Agriculture minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque urged the Indian government to remove the barriers on the export of seeds saying that India had much expertise in quality seed production, processing, preservation and distribution.
‘Bangladesh will appreciate it if India removes barriers on seed export, especially for summer onion seeds and jute seeds,’ the agriculture minister said.
He also invited Indian businesses to set up agro-food processing industries in Bangladesh’s economic zones.
Indian commerce and industries minister Piyush Goyal said that the two countries could work together to expand their presence on the global market.
‘I do believe agriculture can have game-changing potential for both our countries,’ he said.
Regarding the sudden export ban on onion, the Indian minister said that they were working to address the problem through creating adequate buffer stocks and increasing the areas of cultivation.
FBCCI president Sheikh Fazle Fahim, CCI president designate TV Narendran, Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd managing director Pawan Goenka, among others, spoke at the virtual event.
‘No two nations are like ours in this world built on human ties that are bonded in our heritage, culture, anthropology which are to be cherished and honoured for generations to come,’ FBCCI president Sheikh Fazle Fahim said.
Bangladesh wants to jointly work towards building a sustainable trade balance through joint ventures, industry and market diversification, he said.
‘We are confident we can achieve any goals through stronger public private engagement beyond our borders,’ the FBCCI president said.
Want stories like this in your inbox?
Sign up to exclusive daily email
More Stories from Tax


text:
Florida lawmakers are introducing a bill called the Set Sail Safety Act, which was introduced last week by Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio. The bill would establish a Maritime Task Force with an advisory committee.
The cruise lines are still under a “no sail order” from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) until Sept. 30, 2020.
“Enough is enough,” Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings President and CEO Frank Del Rio said.
“The cruise industry is close to devastation. We’ve got to get back to work,” Del Rio added.
The Sebastian Daily cruise is still moving forward to sail on Dec. 5, 2020, out of Port Canaveral, unless the “no sail order” is extended. Several people from Sebastian are joining the cruise on the Norweigan Cruise Line.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the American Association of Port Authorities also support the new bill in Tallahassee.
Today, Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean have teamed up to create a “Healthy Sail” panel of experts to submit safety protocols to the CDC.
Carnival has already restarted its operations in Europe, which have been successful. MSC has restarted its cruises in the Mediterranean.
“Florida is a tourism state with thousands of jobs relying on the success of our ports, cruise lines, and maritime industries,” Sen. Rick Scott said.
“As we work to solve the coronavirus and safely reopen our economy, this legislation will support the development of guidelines needed to ensure the safe resumption of our cruise lines and port operations. I will continue to work with Floridians, industry, and federal leaders to safely bring back this industry, which is important to our state’s economic success,” Sen. Scott added.
The cruise lines may be ready to set sail in the next thirty days.
What is the Set Sail Safety Act?
The Set Sail Safety Act places the cruising industry into the hands of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, working closely with Customs and Border Protection, the Department of State, and the Federal Maritime Commission.
The CDC is absent from the list of federal agencies to be involved in the task force. The “no sail order” by the CDC has received scrutiny in the industry. Cruise lines say the measure is oppressively burdensome.
Future recommendations for resuming travel on cruise ships will then be up to the Maritime Task Force and its advisory committee.


text:
ANALYSIS: “Freight Growth Stagnating” While Class 8 Population Is Accelerating
Columbus, Indiana – ACT Research reports preliminary used Class 8 volumes (same dealer sales) jumped 25% month-over-month in March, following a modest decline in February.
However, the report indicated that longer-term comparisons yielded a 14% decline compared to March 2018.
Other data released in ACT’s preliminary report included year-over-year comparisons for March 2019, which showed that average prices rose 7%, while average miles contracted 2%, and average age was 8% higher.
According to Steve Tam, Vice President at ACT Research, “We continue to hear from dealers that the lack of inventory is a limiting factor inhibiting sales volumes, an observation corroborated by the current demand and pricing environment. Despite the impressive sequential increase, volumes remain well below last year’s year-to-date level.”
He continued, “It is important to note that slowing growth in the freight market is also a likely contributor to the lower sales. Truckers may be getting to the point where they have the trucks necessary to meet their needed freight demand.”
New Truck Sales Meet Analyst’s Expectations
According to ACT Research’s (ACT) latest State of the Industry: Classes 5-8 Report, March’s Class 8 metrics generally aligned with expectations, with the lone exception of cancellations, which continued to trend lower.
“Data continue to tell the same stories we have been reporting. First and foremost, the story remains one of current demand strength: Public truckload carriers’ profitability in Q4 shattered records, and while freight data metrics are fading, the fade is from best-ever levels,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT Research’s President and Senior Analyst.
He added, “The second story starts with those softening freight metrics, pivots on robust build and sales, and ends with the reality of a record new Class 8 inventory. In short, freight growth is stagnating, even as Class 8 population growth is accelerating.”
The report indicated that this is a supply-demand story that typically does not end well.
Regarding the medium duty markets, Vieth commented, “Medium duty metrics generally aligned with expectations in March, as well, but the front-end was soft, with orders dropping to a nine-month actual, and 20-month low volume on a seasonally adjusted basis. We believe the order slowdown was both attributable to very large backlogs as well as slowing activity in the construction and auto markets.”


text:
Chinese EV maker Nio to make a smartphone
Chinese electric car brand Nio is reportedly working on a smartphone. This comes at a time when several tech companies around the world that are stalwarts in the world of smartphones are aiming to grab a chunk of the bulging electric vehicle market. Nio CEO William Li previously confirmed that the company would enter the smartphone market. He even cited Apple Car as a motivation for entering the smartphone segment.
Now, a post on Weibo has revealed that Nio CEO has confirmed the previous announcement. He also reportedly said that the smartphone would be traditionally shaped, not curved or folding. It will reportedly cost marginally lower than an iPhone and could come equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.
The post has revealed that the Nio smartphone is likely to come to the market sometime next year. Nio also plans to launch an updated version on a yearly basis.
Also check these Cars
Meanwhile, Nio is also reportedly working on a sub-brand for electric vehicles. The automaker is claimed to be working on a range of affordable electric cars that would cost between $15,000-30,000. The sub-brand is internally codenamed ALPS. This development comes as the EV manufacturer is expanding in the European market after getting success in China.
Interestingly, an automaker venturing into the smartphone market is nothing new. Tesla too reportedly working on a smartphone that will compete with flagship models in the market like iPhone series.


text:
California approved bill AB10 late on Thursday, which will increase the state's minimum wage for the first time in six years. Under this bill, minimum wage will rise from $8 per hour to $10 per hour by 2016.
“California is experiencing the largest income gap in at least 30 years,” said Assemblymember Luis Alejo (D-Salinas), a sponsor of the bill. “Those at the lower end of the income spectrum are struggling with the rising cost of goods and services while many middle-class families continue to slip down the economic ladder.”
The State Assembly voted 50-to-25 in favor of the wage hike after the state Senate approved the bill 26-11.
The bill awaits signing by Gov. Jerry Brown, who has stated his intent to sign the bill and cited it as a long overdue piece of legislation.
Once in place, the bill would raise the minimum wage to $9 per hour on July 1, 2014, and then to $10 per hour on Jan. 1, 2016.
The bill comes amid an escalating national debate regarding low-wage workers and the minimum wage. Some small business owners have opposed the bill, citing a 25% wage increase as crippling to a company's ability to thrive and hire workers. Others point out that jobs are created through demand, which is bolstered by extra money in the pockets of consumers nationwide.
The California Budget Project recently found that inflation-adjusted earnings for the bottom fifth of California workers dropped by nearly 6% between 2006 and 2012.


text:
How delivery apps are driving restaurant sales
Ordering food for home delivery used to be reserved for the occasional pizza on a Friday night, but the once rare treat has become a much more common occurrence.
Mobile apps like UberEATS, Deliveroo, Menulog and Foodora have made it easier than ever for customers to have a wide variety of food delivered straight to their door, and restaurants are reaping the benefits.
IBISWorld recently reported that new ordering and delivery platforms are driving a two per cent revenue increase in Australia’s restaurant industry in 2017-18, to reach $21 billion.
And while delivery still makes up a small part of restaurants’ overall revenue today, that won’t always be the case, as consumer demand for choice and convenience – as exhibited in the rise of e-commerce – grows.
Bao Vuong, senior industry analyst at IBISWorld, tells IRW that delivery is becoming an increasingly important part of restaurants’ business.
“Those that don’t adapt may be missing out on a significant source of revenue,” he says.
Deliveroo’s country manager for ANZ, Levi Aron, says restaurants that start offering home delivery through the app typically see a 10-30 per cent increase in revenue.
Spokespeople for Menulog and Foodora declined to provide specific figures, saying it depends on the restaurant and their location, but they all agree that delivery tends to drive incremental sales increases, rather than a cannibalisation of restaurants’ existing customers.
As marketing consultant Anna Jones puts it: “The people who go into a Guzman y Gomez to eat and have a beer with friends are not going to choose to have it delivered instead. It’s a different eating occasion.”
Delivery apps also expose consumers to new restaurants they may never have seen or eaten at in real life.
In this way, apps act as a marketing channel, says Rory Murphy, commercial director at Menulog, a food ordering platform, which only offers delivery to a limited extent.
“The simple reality is that by dipping into Menulog’s consumer audience, you get exposure to many more people than previously. What you’re really buying from Menulog is marketing,” Murphy says.
Besides revenue growth, order and delivery platforms also collect a huge amount of data, which they say helps restaurants improve their overall business.
Foodora’s chief marketing officer for Australia, Charlotte Rijkenberg says that sharing data is central to their relationship with restaurants.
“We provide them with information about their shop as part of the relationship. We work very closely with them to make sure we both provide the best experience for the customer. When we see that cooking times can be shorter or the menu could be more efficient, we tell them,” she says.
Meanwhile, Deliveroo provides restaurants with information on the best packaging to delivery different types of food.
“We have over 25,000 restaurants on our system around the world and we know what the best packaging looks like for burgers or pastas. We do work with our suppliers to improve their packaging,” he says.
The advantages of home delivery are becoming clear to more players in Australia’s restaurant industry.
According to Murphy, “every single QSR business in the country is actively exploring their options [for delivery].”
One of those QSR players is Red Rooster, which this year launched its own online ordering and delivery platform, after having partnered with Menulog since 2014.
“We decided demand was big enough that we would build our own platform, which has been very strong for revenue growth,” says Red Rooster’s general manager of operations and delivery, Nathan Kelk.
This involved not only buying cars and hiring drivers, but also building an e-commerce website and linking in the new delivery team to marketing and operations.
Although Kelk says the investment was in the millions, a cost shared by the franchisor and franchisees, he believes it was worth it, citing double-digit growth in the order channel.
“Customers love coming to our site because it’s our own brand. They can sign up to our loyalty program, which allows us to market to them specifically when we have a new deal. From our perspective, we definitely think the loyalty and trust building is best placed in our hands,” he explains.
In November, Red Rooster will roll out GPS tracking capabilities, so customers can see where their order is in real time.
“We’ve seen the business of delivery start off really slow [in the industry] and it’s ramped up,” Kelk says.
Baby boomers hop on delivery
Besides the wider variety of restaurants offering delivery today, new consumer segments are also using delivery apps. Foodora’s Rijkenberg notes that the platform has seen a big increase in the 60-plus demographic in the past year.
“The convenience of home delivery – that trend is growing amongst all age groups at the moment,” she says.
Another indication of the maturing food delivery landscape is the recent launch of a B2B marketplace by FoodByUs, a new player in the food ordering and delivery space.
The platform aims to make it as easy for restaurants to get food delivered from suppliers, as it is for consumers to order dinner on UberEATS.
A version of this story first appeared in issue 2160 of sister publication, Inside Retail Weekly. To subscribe, click here.


text:
A more secure and convenient way to make payments
These days, most transactions don’t involve physical money, so why should they involve physical wallets? Thanks to new technologies like Samsung Pay, Android Pay (formerly Google Wallet) and Apple Pay, you can now use your smartphone to securely make transactions without ever having to take out your credit card.
According to the latest survey data from market research firm CMB, only about 15 percent of smartphone users actually utilize these technologies to pay for purchases, but usage nearly doubled from 2013 to 2015 and will likely continue to rise over the next few years as the benefits of mobile wallets are better understood.
If you are not sold on the idea of joining the new trend, here’s why you may want to reconsider:
Ease of use
A mobile wallet is an app that can be installed on a smartphone, or may even come pre-installed. Investopedia explains how they work: “Once the app is installed and the user inputs his payment information, the wallet stores this information by linking a personal identification format like a number or key, QR code or an image of the owner to each card that is stored.”
You may also have to contact your financial institution to allow the mobile wallet app to use the payment card. Once everything is set up, the mobile app uses a radio-based technology called Near-Field Communication (NFC) that communicates with the merchant’s point-of-service terminal. In other words, you only need to wave or hold your device over a store’s reader to make a payment.
Because mobile wallets use encrypted payment codes and never actually transmit your account number, they are much safer to use than credit cards. In addition, paying with a mobile wallet requires your fingerprint or personal identification number, so even if a thief managed to get their hands on your smartphone, they would have a much harder time spending your money than if they had stolen your credit card.
“Even if a thief bypassed all the security, the risk to you is low,” Jeff Blyskal writes in an October 2016 article for Consumer Reports. “Mobile wallets usually require an underlying credit or debit card to fund transactions, and those cards limit your liability for erroneous or fraudulent charges to little or nothing.”
Convenience and incentives
Mobile wallets can be used for more than just emulating credit and debit cards. “In addition to payment cards, the mobile wallet can also be used as a storage device for driver’s license, Social Security Number, health information cards, loyalty cards, hotel key cards and bus or train tickets,” Investopedia explains.
Thanks to mobile wallets, you can carry hundreds of rewards cards virtually, making it easier to keep track of the ones you own and to remember to use them. You can even use mobile wallets to make online payments, removing the need to tediously enter dozens of digits for each transaction.
You can also save money with various reward programs. For example, Android Pay offers rewards for using the app at selected partners, while Samsung Pay offers a tiered rewards system based on how many monthly purchases you make with it.
So far, the main obstacles faced by mobile wallets are the different payment methods. While almost all modern smartphones will support Samsung Pay, Android Pay, Apple Pay or a combination of these, all three of these apps may not necessarily work at all retailers.
“Samsung Pay can be used at more than 10 million U.S. stores, Apple Pay at more than 3 million stores, and Android Pay at more than 1 million stores,” Blyskal says. “The numbers will grow as retailers upgrade their payment card readers.”
Being able to use Samsung Pay at more than 10 million stores easily makes it the most attractive of all the mobile wallets, but you have to own a Samsung smartphone to use it. The upside is that it works everywhere: according to Ethan Wolff-Mann in an October 2015 article for the Time’s Money, “[Samsung Pay] works everywhere, since it can mimic a magnetic strip if NFC technology is unavailable; retailers don’t get your credit card info.”
This doesn’t mean that Samsung will continue to be the best option for smartphone owners interested in mobile wallets, as both Google and Apple are strongly invested in using this technology to sell smartphones and will continue to implement rewards for using them. Furthermore, using a mobile wallet speeds up transaction times, which gives retailers extra incentive to adopt NFC-capable card readers.
For the time being, mobile wallet adoption across retailers may still not be good enough to leave your credit card at home. In the future, however, it’s very likely you’ll never need to go out shopping with more than just your smartphone.Used with Permission. Published by IMN Bank Adviser Includes copyrighted material of IMakeNews, Inc. and its suppliers.


text:
Organic standard to boost confidence in industry
Standards Australia has today announced the publication of the first Australian Standard for organic and biodynamic products.
The standard (AS 6000-2009 Organic and biodynamic products) outlines the minimum requirements to be met by growers and manufacturers wishing to label their products ‘organic’ and ‘biodynamic’. It will establish an agreed set of procedures to be followed for the production, preparation, transportation, marketing and labelling of organic and biodynamic products including food and processed food.
The decision to develop the Australian Standard originated from the need to standardise practices within the organic industry because of the growing use of unsubstantiated claims on product labels. It was supported by a survey of organic growers, industry bodies, certifiers, associations, consumer groups, retailers and government organisations.
John Tucker, CEO of Standards Australia, said the publication was a significant step forward for Australia’s burgeoning organic industry.
“The Australian Standard establishes a uniform framework for how to grow, produce, distribute, market and label organic and biodynamic products. Consumers can be sure that products complying with this Standard have been produced following natural, sustainable, ethical and environmentally-responsible farming practices,” he explained.
“Consumers are currently faced with up to eight different organic certification schemes all of which impose different requirements on growers and producers, as well as many non-certified products that claim to be ‘organic’. It’s hardly surprising how difficult it is to know what is actually organic.”
Mr Tucker advised that the Australian Standard will require operators to keep thorough records of their farming and production practices throughout all stages and verify their organic claims through a process of independent, third party certification.
“This will help protect consumers and operators from unsubstantiated claims, misleading labelling and misinterpretation of organic agricultural practices.”
The Standard also requires:
• practices stipulated in the Standard be applied to the land for no less than three years before any products can be labelled organic or biodynamic;
• the almost absolute restriction of pesticides and fertilisers produced from the synthetic chemicals;
• a complete ban on the use of genetically modified products;
• operators have a farm biodiversity and landscape management plan as part of their organic management plan; and
• the use of organic and biodynamic livestock feed for livestock products labelled ‘organic’ or ‘biodynamic’.
The Australian Standard, which is currently voluntary, is based on the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) National Standard for Organic and Bio-dynamic Produce, Edition 3.3, which governs the export industry. Certifiers and operators are not expected to have difficulty aligning with the Australian Standard because of its close alignment to the AQIS Standard.
Iconic Western Australian company, D’Orsogna Limited, has commenced production at its $66 million s...
This article was originally written by Adian Fortune, GlobalMeatNews.com editor, on 25th June 2019....
The strategic and competitive challenges facing Woolies run way deeper than the packaging on a house...
Wine Australia will invest a record $79 million on behalf of the grape and wine sector in 2019–20, ...
Food Innovation Australia LTD, (FIAL) and Brisbane Marketing are collaborating to bring together the...
A picture speaks a thousand words but can also help sales soar for food produces, cafes and restaura...
Collins Food has acquired 28 Australian KFC stores from Yum! Brands.
Australian food exporters have the chance to seize market share as China and the United States incre...


text:
OAK BROOK, Ill. -- Dominick's Finer Foods here said it has reached tentative agreement with two locals of United Food and Commercial Workers International Union -- nearly three years after talks began.
The proposed three-year agreement will be sent to members of UFCW Locals 1546 and 881 within the next couple of weeks, with voting expected to follow.
Local 1546 represents approximately 4,000 grocery clerks and 2,000 meat, seafood and deli clerks; Local 881 represents approximately 2,000 grocery clerks. Dominick's operates 99 stores, down from 113 when negotiations began.
With the union's contracts set to expire on Nov. 8, 2002, Safeway gave the union its "last, best and final" offer -- an offer the members rejected by a vote of 90%. That proposed contract reportedly sought to increase employee contributions to the health care and pension funds, to slow the pace at which workers could advance and to seek early retirement for higher-paid employees so the chain could hire new employees at a lower pay tier.
After Dominick's employees had rejected Safeway's offer, they were preparing to conduct a "walk and work" strike, in which they would walk outside during breaks to voice their displeasure with the company, the union said. A day before that process was scheduled to begin, Safeway told the union it would put the chain up for sale and asked for a contract extension.
When the potential buyer -- reportedly Minneapolis-based Supervalu -- pulled out of a tentative agreement, Safeway decided to retain the chain and agreed to a day-to-day contract extension as it prepared to reopen negotiations.
However, talks stalled when Safeway was forced to focus on the strike in Southern California in late 2003 through February 2004.


text:
The row over Michael Matheson's £11,000 roaming charges being paid for out of the public purse threatens to claim the first major ministerial scalp of Humza Yousaf's ailing administration.
The SNP health secretary apparently failed to realise that his parliamentary iPad was still fitted with an outdated SIM card when he jetted off for a Christmas holiday to Morocco in December 2022. Holyrood had switched providers from EE to Vodafone, meaning that Mr Matheson's roaming charges were not included in the new deal.
As a result, he ran up a bill of £10,935.74 and when questioned about this eye-watering sum, he said he had been using the device for constituency business and not – for example – streaming movies or playing games. After EE refused to reduce the bill, the parliamentary authorities agreed to pay £7,935.74 with the remaining £3,000 coming from Mr Matheson's expenses.
This means the taxpayer is picking up the entire sum, despite growing calls for the veteran Falkirk MSP to offer a contribution from his own pocket. This now looks increasingly likely, especially as it has emerged that MSPs were repeatedly warned about the danger of incurring expensive roaming charges and told there was a £200 limit.
But Mr Matheson was not the only customer on Britain's biggest mobile network, which is part of BT, to be caught out by data charges while on holiday outside the EU in recent months – although he is the only one whose bill is currently being paid for by the public purse.
In February 2022, some EE customers complained about being charged thousands of pounds abroad despite purchasing roaming data packages. One customer told the Daily Telegraph he was facing a £25,000 bill after spending a month in the USA.
In August 2022, one aggrieved dad wrote to the Daily Mail to complain that EE had allowed his teenage daughter to rack up a bill of £9,226 while on a family holiday. Upon investigation, it turned out she had purchased 164 data packages costing £57.10 each and EE agreed to waive more than £8k.
And in April 2023, another parent complained that his 12-year-old daughter had been able to rack up an EE bill of more than £9,000 on holiday in Egypt.
Sally Hamilton from MoneyMail replied: "When your daughter fatefully clicked on the EE links, your bills started clocking up as much as £57.10 per 110MB of data she consumed. Uswitch figures show that streaming a one-hour show on Netflix, or similar, uses 644MB.
"If your daughter had binged a seven-episode series, for example, that would have racked up a bill of £2,340, or if she had streamed a two-hour movie in high definition, 4.2GB of data would have been consumed, costing about £2,394."
'Can I use my data in Morocco?'
Egypt, like Morocco, is among those countries where data can be used only if EE customers buy the expensive add-ons. And Mr Matheson's roaming bill would have been enough to purchase 21.1GB of data – enough to stream five high definition movies.
People have also been complaining to EE direct, with multiple threads on the firm's community chatroom about roaming charges. One person asked in April: "I'm going to Morocco this week and it's not very clear about using my data whilst there. The only info I can find is about call and text add ons. Can I use my data there, if so how much extra is it going to cost me please?"
They were given a link to the EE website, which clearly sets out the additional charges. Unfortunately, however, Mr Matheson apparently never realised how much it was going to cost him – or the taxpayer.
Never miss the latest top headlines from the Scottish Daily Express. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.


text:
Billions of pounds of sales ‘up for grabs’ over Christmas as a result of showrooming.
This story has also been featured on the BBC.
During the run up to Christmas we surveyed shoppers to uncover the true impact of the phenomenon known as showrooming, where consumers visit a physical store when shopping for a product, before checking to see if they can get a better price online.
Our research showed that around a quarter of all UK shoppers used their mobile in a store to compare prices elsewhere in the run-up to Christmas.
Unlike other recent studies on showrooming, we also gathered data on how consumers acted, once they’d compared prices by mobile, with 40% saying they bought elsewhere as a direct result of showrooming.
Research highlights included:
- 24% of all UK shoppers ‘showroomed’ in the lead-up to Xmas 2012.
- 40% of showroomers (or 1 in 10 of all shoppers) say they bought items from a competitor – either in-store or online – after comparing prices via their mobile when visiting a store.
- 39% of 18-39 year olds surveyed said that they actively engaged in showrooming over the Xmas period (compared to just 18% of shoppers over the age of 40).
- A 10% sales ‘leakage’ from showrooming activities would have meant that around £500m** of sales were switched between retailers in the final weekend before Xmas alone.
- Over 20% of people say they went into a store just to check out something they planned to buy online.
Our research uncovers the true impact of showrooming on the UK High Street over the Christmas period. It shows that 1 in 10 shoppers switched purchases from one retailer to another as a direct result of showrooming. Or put another way, half a billion pounds of business walked out of the door to a competitor.
The age profile data is especially interesting, with younger, more smart-phone savvy shoppers being far more active showroomers than the older generation. This suggests that showrooming is here to stay, and set to grow. The High Street needs to find ways of accommodating and embracing showrooming as part of the modern-day shopping process.
Actions can range from price-matching policies, offering a checkout and delivery experience that is slicker than going elsewhere, and better integration of their online and offline customer experiences.
**Based on British Retail Consortium, data of £5bn spent High Street spending over weekend before Xmas (“Estimated that £5bn will have been spent in Britain’s shops over the weekend, as millions of people stocked up on food, drink and presents.”


text:
KARACHI, January 11, 2019: Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) government has allowed phrama companies to increase medicine prices to support the industry.
According to a notification issued by the regulator the PTI government has recently announced the much awaited raise in drug prices by 9% to 15% to support the Pharmaceutical industry that has been under duress owing to rising input costs and currency devaluation.
A similar notification was also issued by Drug Regulatory of Pakistan (DRAP) last week where the regulator announced new retail prices for more than 800 drugs under hardship cases.
The issue of drug price was in pending for the last many years but PML-N not allowed increase in their tenure to facilitate the masess.
Analysts believed this is largely positive for the Pharmaceutical industry of Pakistan as it will not only address the long due demand of pharma industry to raise drug prices (given pending price approval for multiple hardship cases), but will also provide some respite to the industry’s margins which have lately come under pressure owing to PKR devaluation of more than 20% in 2018.
Note: Detailed story will be uploaded later.


text:
AMD will sell cut-down PS4 APU
PC builders can use the PS4 APU minus the Sony technology
From the PS4 announcement, we found out that the new console would have an eight-core AMD Jaguar APU. Details of the chip were thin on the ground, with only some AMD-specific information released.
What we do know is that the Jaguar, as with AMD's current A-series APUs, combines a processor and graphics chip in one. While the PC chips are all AMD technology, for the PS4 the Jaguar is a custom A-series APU using a mix of AMD and Sony technology.
AMD has opened up about its plans for the parts, telling The Inquirer that it plans to sell the same version of the chip, minus the Sony technology, to PC builders. AMD was also bullish about the performance and quality of the part.
"Everything that Sony has shared in that single chip is AMD [intellectual property], but we have not built an APU quite like that for anyone else in the market. It is by far the most powerful APU we have built to date," John Taylor, head of AMD's global business unit, told The Inquirer.
From this we can infer that AMD's next-generation APUs can be customisable, allowing partners to add their own technology into the mix. What we don't know yet is exactly what the Sony technology does and if it'll improve performance.
However, with AMD's third-generation APUs due out this year, we should be able to get an idea of what the chip is capable of in a PC before we get our hands on the PS4. After the launch of the console, it'll be evident exactly what Sony's proprietary technology does and how much AMD's hardware has been customised.


text:
- n a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
- There are reports this afternoon that an agreement has been reached to bailout the auto industry.
- I was in the audience at the Detroit auto show the day GM unveiled the Pontiac Aztek and I will never forget the gasp that audience made.
- Congressman John Dingell has been accused of being in bed with the auto industry.
News & Articles
- Auto forecast: Strong factory pace, but short of jobs boom
North American auto production growth tops other industries and, by 2015, will approach levels not seen since 2000, experts said. But manufacturing jobs, while continuing to recover, will fall short of pre-recession levels in the same time frame.
June 12, 2013 - Chicago Tribune
- Auto Hiring Up
Auto industry hiring expected to go up.
June 12, 2013 - WILX 10 Lansing
- Auto Loans Website Gives People A Chance To Get Bad Credit Auto Loans Through New Article
Auto loans provider getbadautoloans.net has published a new guide to getting bad credit auto loans. (PRWeb June 12, 2013) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/get-bad-credit-auto-loans/complete-auto-loans/prweb10824746.htm
June 12, 2013 - PRWeb
- President Bush in CNN
Allowing the US auto industry to collapse is not a responsible course of action,President Bush said Friday morning.
- Barack Obama in MarketWatch
Working with my Auto Task Force, GM and its stakeholders have produced a viable, achievable plan that will give this iconic American company a chance to rise again,Obama said.
- Timothy Geithner in Reuters India
The Supplier Support Program will stabilize a critical component of the American auto industry during the difficult period of restructuring that lies ahead,Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in a statement, adding that suppliers will...


text:
Dec 12, 2014
Should you get paid for standing in line? Workers at an Amazon warehouse thought they should. I kind of agreed. But the Supreme Court disagreed, holding 9-0 that the Amazon contractors could be forced to stand in line to clear security at the end of their workday.
Dec 5, 2014
If you're my age, you could be forgiven for thinking that $2 gasoline is the kind of nostalgic memory you'd be able to share with your children someday, like playgrounds with monkey bars or televisions that didn't even have a remote control. Suddenly, however, it's back.
Nov 26, 2014
The last couple of holiday seasons, I've been writing dire warnings about Best Buy, the big-box behemoth that was struggling mightily with Internet competition.
Nov 17, 2014
When I was a wee thing, just a slip of a girl launching herself into the mad and exciting world of economic policy reporting, you used to hear a lot of talk about Japan's Lost Decade. From World War II to about 1990, Japan posted the most miraculous economic transformation of the 20th century
Nov 11, 2014
A couple of economic mysteries marked last week's election. First of all, the jobs numbers came in on Friday about the same way they've been coming in for months: good, though not great.
Oct 30, 2014
America needs more low-down-payment loans. That seems to be the opinion of our government, anyway. The government agencies that drive most of the housing market are pushing for lower down-payment standards on mortgages.
Oct 23, 2014
If you're poor, you're rarely going to get a great deal on anything you buy. Bad credit, no down payment, no place to put a bulk purchase , all of these mean that you end up paying more for something than everyone else.
Oct 17, 2014
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Outside a few lonely hawks, no one cares about the budget deficit , at least, not as long as they have any chance of getting some tax cut, or some spending, that they favor.


text:
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Geely will make further deployment in NEV field and shape a product lineup with almost 40 NEV models by 2020. It will release 3 NEV models in 2018, including the Emgrand GSE (EV version of the Emgrand GS), the all-new Emgrand PHEV and a forward-engineering new model. With these new NEV models, Geely aims to challenge an annual NEV sales target of 50,000 units in 2018, according to Zhuge Huanhuan, general manager of Geely NEV Sales Company.
The Emgrand GSE is expected to hit the market in July, 2018. It features long and narrow headlights, which stretch to the front fenders. In addition, it features separated-structure tail lights, a roof with two optional colors and a silver luggage rack. Powered by a permanent magnet synchronous motor, the Geely Emgrand GSE can deliver a maximum power output of 120kW and a peak torque of 250Nm. Moreover, it boasts a range of 353km.
Hitting the market in November, 2017, the Geely Emgrand PHEV offers three variants. This year, Geely will release the upgraded version of the model, the all-new Emgrand PHEV. The new model features long and narrow headlights connected with the front intake grille. Powered by a hybrid system featuring a 1.5L naturally aspirated gasoline engine, an electric driving motor and a three-ternary lithium battery pack, mated with an E-CVT, the new model can deliver a peak torque of 339Nm. It can also deliver a maximum power output of 76kW and 114kW respectively by the respective gasoline engine and the electric motor.
Based on the PMA platform, Geely's pure electric vehicle models include A+ class CUV, A0 class crossover, A/B class sedan and B class SUV. The new model which is expected to hit the market by the end of this year is expected to be positioned as an A+ class urban crossover with a maximum range of 500km. With a price of less than RMB 150,000, Geely New Energy claims that the new model will take on the Tesla Model 3 after it hit the market.
Gasgoo not only offers timely news and profound insight about China auto industry, but also help with business connection and expansion for suppliers and purchasers via multiple channels and methods. Buyer service:email@example.comSeller Service:firstname.lastname@example.org


text:
The folks at Miracle-Gro are hoping its grow time for their medical pot business. From The Wall Street Journal:
Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. has long sold weed killer. Now, it's hoping to help people grow killer weed.
In an unlikely move for the head of a major company, Scotts Chief Executive Jim Hagedorn said he is exploring targeting medical marijuana as well as other niches to help boost sales at his lawn and garden company.
"I want to target the pot market," Mr. Hagedorn said in an interview. "There's no good reason we haven't."
Why the focus on the still small market for medical marijuana? Hagedorn says the slow economy is one reason why he'd like to target a relatively small sector for new business:
In the past, Scotts wouldn't have considered pursuing businesses or product lines that generated less than $10 million a year in revenue. But, Mr. Hagedorn said, "We can't operate our business like that anymore."