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DUNDALK, Md. (WJZ) — Baltimore County Police shut down a flea market in Dundalk. More than a dozen vendors are accused of selling fake merchandise.
Monique Griego reports police hauled away everything from clothes to electronics. There were truckloads of items.READ MORE: 6 Baltimore County First Responders Out Of Hospital After Monday's Explosion
A busy day at the North Point Plaza Flea Market in Dundalk suddenly comes to a halt when Baltimore County police officers swoop in for a raid.
“About nine guys, full raidable gear. Looked like SWAT came running in,” said vendor Mark Paul.
“Everybody was running, trying to get out the doors that had stuff. Yeah, they were trying to run but the cops already had the building surrounded,” said vendor Amie Argento.
Police forced shoppers out and shut down all business at the market as detectives served search warrants on 16 vendors–accused of selling fake goods. Detectives reportedly made undercover buys leading up to the bust.
“We’ve actually been investigating this case for a number of months. We received complaints regarding counterfeit merchandise that was being sold from certain vendor booths here at the flea market,” said Corp. Cathy Batton, Baltimore County Police.READ MORE: Late Faculty Member Leaves Over $1M To Stevenson University
Police combed through the merchandise, looking for rip offs of brands like Nike, Polo, North Face, Timberland and Ugg. Witnesses also reported seeing investigators take away Ravens related items.
“We are looking at CDs, DVDs, electronics, different types of clothing as well as shoes,” Batton said.
All the evidence was loaded up and hauled away so it can be checked by trademark experts.
As for the vendors who are selling goods legally, the raid was more than just a hassle–it was money out of their pockets.
“The normal legit people it’s hurting for the people who don’t want to do stuff right,” said Argento.
“Now we’re closed for the rest of the day and we’re cutting a loss here. We ain’t making no money,” Paul said.
No arrests were made and no charges were filed. Police say that won’t happen until after experts take a look at the merchandise.MORE NEWS: Up To $8K Reward Offered For Information On Death Of Baltimore Teen On Prom Night
Police are hoping to have the flea market back open sometime Sunday.


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The results of a new consumer survey have been used to categorise the six deadly customer service sins committed by businesses – with the research also revealing the cost of such poor customer experiences.
- Inactivity - customers complained of a receiving "lots of promises but no action".
- Poor communications - comments suggested issues associated with language barriers: "they struggled to communicate".
- Ineffectiveness - customers indicated a lack of help in resolving issues with comments like: "no help was given when requested", "no one offered assistance", "they did nothing well".
- Impersonal approach – a lack of personal attention was highlighted with comments including: "automatically assumed the worst and sent a threatening letter", "didn’t give the matter the urgent attention it required".
- Lack of responsibility – comments showed that customer service representatives not taking 'ownership' of issues: "they blamed the bank, the bank blamed them".
- Lack of cooperation – customers' comments pointed to a general sense of non-cooperation and disinterest: "they were dismissive", "they wouldn’t cooperate".
Neil Davey is the managing editor of MyCustomer. An experienced business journalist and editor, Neil has worked on a variety of newspapers, magazines and websites over the past 20 years, including Internet Works, CXO magazine and Business Management. He joined MyCustomer in 2007.

domain: news


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“2012 Erie County Amateur Championships” to be Held July 7th & 8th to Celebrate 100th Anniversary of 1912 U.S. Open Championship at Grover Cleveland Golf Course” ERIE COUNTY, NY— Today, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz announced that Erie County and the Western New York Section of the Professional Golfers Association (“WNYPGA”) will hold an …
Monthly Archive: March 2012
BEAVERTON, Ore. (March 30, 2012) – Nike Golf has led the way in ensuring that its athletes look and feel their best, especially in major championships. For the last 10 years, the global leader in golf apparel has “scripted” its athletes at major championships. “Scripting” is a process in which the Nike Golf Apparel team …
March 30, 2012 ERIE COUNTY, NY— On Saturday, March 31, 2012, at 10:30am, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz will announce the 2012 Erie County Amateur Golf Championships, an event being held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1912 U.S. Open, which was held at Grover Cleveland Golf Course. Representatives of the Western New York …
Tiger Woods won last week for the first time in over two years. His game, which has steadily been progressing over the past couple months, seems to be back at an elite level. That used to spell doom for fellow competitors, especially with a major championship on the near horizon. As we all know though, …
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Miura Golf has released its new SIT-460 driver, the Japanese company’s biggest driver yet. Its large volume offers the benefits of a big-headed driver while its careful design offers a compact look not often found in such clubs.
MAUMEE, OH – Henry-Griffitts – a pioneer in custom clubfitting and the originator of the clubfitting cart – is proud to introduce the new T12 Blades.
“Chasin’ down a hoodoo there.” Even though it reminds me of my golf game, I’m sure John Fogerty from the famed rock group Creedence Clearwater Revival never imagined that his song would be an inspiration for a golf article. His lyrics are more about living in Louisiana rather than chasing a little white ball, but …
PHOENIX (March 26, 2012) – PING today became the first major golf company to introduce a USGA-approved adjustable-length belly putter shaft. The adjustable putter shaft, offered exclusively with the Nome™ 405 putter, allows the player to self-adjust the length within a 9-inch range to optimize performance.
The 9th hole is an interesting place on the golf course. For stroke players, it often serves as the first “check point.” Because of that, scores are often added after the 8th green, placing a ”target” in mind on the 9th tee. Is there a chance to salvage a score with a strong finish? Or are you simply trying to …
Consumers can take the head-to-head distance challenge and experience the new Nike VR_S line of clubs BEAVERTON, Ore. (March 20, 2012) – In one of the most robust consumer trial programs Nike Golf has ever introduced, the company is conducting Speed Trials at hundreds of golf courses and retailers across the country.
Congratulations to Lockport Town & Country Club, the winner of our Best 8th Hole vote. The long and twisty par five garnered over 150 votes to outdistance its rival fairways.
We’ve reached the turn and we don’t yet have a par three winner in our Buffalo-Niagara’s Best series. That won’t change in week nine, as no hole has a par less than four. Eight unique and excellent courses have won our “Best Nth Hole” votes and eight more clubs have a chance to join the …
BuffaloGolfer.Com was fortunate to gain access to Scott Witter, golf course and landscape architect, for a sit-down email interview a few off-seasons ago. What is written below refers to Mr. Witter’s first complete 18-hole design, Ironwood Golf Club.
The Scrambler, Kevin Lynch, makes his daily bread getting up and down out of abandoned grain mills, wagon ruts and lunar craters. For fun, we asked him to interview one of the guys who makes him face these hazards. Kevin chose Jeff Bradley, the self-christened “Bunker Guru.” Jeff is THAT guy who makes natural-looking bunkers …
BuffaloGolfer.Com did an interview back in the day (that means, before web 2.0 and wordpress) with Toronto-based golf course architect Ian Andrew. Both Scrambler and Mo’ Golf contribute to (and glean from) Golf Club Atlas’ discussion forum, and have had the privilege of learning from Mr. Andrew. As such, we ReView the quick nine we …


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The team behind two of Bristol’s most successful restaurants are launching not one but TWO new openings in the city.
Cousins Dominic Borel, Ben Harvey and Joe Harvey, who run Pasta Loco and Pasta Ripiena , are opening a small Italian ‘cantina’ in the city centre and a new eatery in what used to be Bell's Diner, in Montpelier.
Called La Sorella: Food and Wine, it will be on the St Stephen’s Street site previously occupied by Hanoi Coffee Co, just two doors from Pasta Ripiena – which a Telegraph food critic said was so good it brought them 'tears of joy'.
La Sorella: Food and Wine will be stocking its own brand of homemade fresh, stuffed and cut pasta, along with selected cheeses and meats. Baker Frankie Parry Jones will make bread and cakes on site each day and Bristol roasters Brian Wogan is creating a bespoke coffee for the cantina.
Dominic Borel says: “The joy of a cantina is that you can eat in or take-away, so nobody misses out. Whether you have five minutes or a couple of hours, you’ll be met with the sort of welcome and produce that our team have built their reputation on at Pasta Loco and Pasta Ripiena.
“Customers dropping in for lunch or an after-work aperitivo, might choose to tailor their own antipasti board or sample a great glass of wine, expertly sourced for La Sorella by Bristol wine merchant Raj Soni of RS Wines."
La Sorella: Food and Wine will open in the spring and it’s the first of two openings planned by the family, who have recently acquired the Bell’s Diner site in Montpelier.
Bell’s Diner closed suddenly earlier this year after more than 40 years and the new owners plan to reopen it with a different name as an Italian trattoria.
Dominic says: “We couldn’t resist the site as Bell’s Diner was a legendary restaurant and we grew up nearby. We still have a lot to do there but we hope to open in the summer. Watch this space!”


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The new Razer Viper gaming mouse promises a threefold improvement in actuation speed over traditional mechanical mouse switches.
Razer has announced that their Chroma Connected Devices program now covers 25 third-party partners.
Razer has announced a significant price-drop for their second-gen smartphone alongside a software update that'll update the device to Android 9 Pie.
Razer have jumped into the PC case scene with two new designs: the Razer Tomahawk and Tomahawk Elite.
Following up on their tease earlier in the year, Razer has officially announced their first Xbox One mouse and keyboard bundle.
Razer have announced the BlackWidow Lite, a keyboard aimed at office workers.
Mere months after the delayed arrival of their first-gen Razer Phone, the gaming brand are set to launch their second smartphone for Australian customers.
We went hands on with the new Razer Phone 2.
Razer has announced the Razer Nari Ultimate wireless gaming headset with Razer HyperSense.
Microsoft has moved to add support for mouse and keyboard gaming to the Xbox One, inking a new partnership with Razer in the process.
Razer have announced the Razer Ifrit, a discreet headset for broadcasters.
Razer has announced the launch of the Razer Kraken Tournament Edition headset, the BlackWidow Elite keyboard and the Razer Mamba Wireless mouse.
Razer has announced Australian pricing and availability for the Razer Raiju Ultimate controller, the Raiju Tournament Edition controller and the Razer Thresher headset.
Razer have announced that the Nommo Pro speakers are available to purchase in Australia, exclusively from Razer.com.
Razer's gaming-focused smartphone, launched overseas last year, is finally coming to Australia.
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Barker Boatworks has prevailed in a three-year lawsuit filed against it in 2015 for “trade dress infringement.” Yellowfin Boats filed the initial complaint against Barker in April 2015, saying that Barker infringed on its hull shape and sheer line. The complaint said that Yellowfin’s sheer is a “distinctive appearance that creates an overall commercial impression that boaters have come to know and appreciate.”
The look of a product when it is immediately recognizable as a specific brand is described as its “trade dress.” A product’s trade dress is protected at the federal level by the Lanham Act, which is the primary trademark statute in the United States.
Yellowfin said in the lawsuit that Barker Boatworks, founded in 2014, had violated its trade dress rights with a new 25-foot model that Barker had commissioned naval architect Michael Peters to design. Yellowfin said was it too similar in design to its Yellowfin 25, providing the court with images of both boats and diagrams of its sheer line. Yellowfin also accused Kevin Barker, a former vice president, of stealing trade secrets while working for Yellowfin before launching Barker Boatworks. Attorneys for Barker denied the allegations.
The case was originally heard in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Barker Boatworks moved to dismiss Yellowfin’s complaint but that motion was rejected by the federal judge. Barker Boatworks then moved for summary judgment of all of Yellowfin’s claims. The District Court granted the motion, providing three reasons why Yellowfin’s claim for Lanham Act trade dress protection failed. The court wrote that Yellowfin did not adequately describe any distinctive feature of its sheer line, that the sheer line was functional and therefore not protectable as trade dress, and “no reasonable jury” could conclude that a potential buyer would confuse a Barker for a Yellowfin.
Yellowfin appealed the case, which was then heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11 circuit. The three judge-panel upheld the lower court’s decision, arguing that the lower court “did not err in holding that Yellowfin could not, as a matter of law, prove a likelihood of confusion between Barker Boatworks’ trade dress and its own.”
The appellate court also found that Kevin Barker, who had the names of Yellowfin clients and suppliers on his personal laptop cell phone when he left the company, had not stolen the company’s trade secrets. Barker had refused to sign a confidentiality agreement with Yellowfin and that was cited as being part of the reason for the decision.
Yellowfin president Wylie Nagler declined to comment on the case, citing ongoing litigation.
Barker told TradeOnlyToday that he is relieved that the case is over. “You can’t put a price tag on that,” he said.
Barker has filed a lawsuit against Yellowfin in a Florida state court, suing for what Barker says are $100,000 in back commissions as well as defamation and interference with his business. That case is ongoing.


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Maryland Could Be the First State to Ban Styrofoam Food Containers
The proposed law would prevent food service businesses and schools from providing or selling any foam food containers, plates, cups, trays, or egg cartons.
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business anniversaries and more – Loveland Reporter-Herald
The Human Bean is presenting Meals on Wheels of Loveland and Berthoud with a check for $384.81 following the coffee chain’s Guest Barista Day on March 9. Left to right: Jeffrey Pomranka (Meals on Wheels of Loveland and Berthoud Executive Director; Kelly Schuster, Cook; Jarita Webster, Volunteer Coordinator; Carrie Kaufman, Director of Communications and Development; Valerie Katalenic of Human Bean; Kate Klusman, Specialist Finance; and Stephanie Morris, Program Director). (Courtesy of Human Bean)
Friday’s Barbershop celebrates its 5th anniversary
Friday’s Barbershop at 509 N. Cleveland Ave. in downtown Loveland will celebrate its fifth anniversary of operation on April 3.
It’s a happy occasion for the company which celebrated its second anniversary during the pandemic shutdown in April 2020, when only essential businesses were allowed to open.
Co-owner Shawn Woodrum said the business “barely survived COVID with everyone cutting their hair, but we survived.”
He said he and store co-owner Allie Greggs, along with Gidget the store dog, were still working to get the barbershop back to the record month it had before the pandemic began.
The shop specializes in haircuts and beard trimming for men, and also offers facial waxing and hair coloring.
Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Contact details: 970-227-8443 or facebook.com/Fridays-Barbershop-354070411776631.
The Days Roll By bicycle shop celebrates its 15th anniversary
Days Roll By will celebrate its 15th anniversary with a Customer Appreciation Sale in April.
The refurbished bike and bike parts store is located at 285 E. 29th St. in the Orchards Mall.
The store is offering 15% off the cost of refurbished bikes to say “thank you” to customers, according to a press release.
According to the release, the store upcycles, recycles, restores and reuses bicycle components to rebuild modern and vintage bikes, and in doing so has saved thousands of bikes from landfill.
The staff also repairs and adjusts most brands of bicycles.
The store recently started offering e-bikes at the request of customers. It is now the Front Range transporter from Mokwheel.
The store is open from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Thursday to Saturday.
Contact: 970-481-4339 or facebook.com/DaysRollBy
Human Bean donates to Meals on Wheels; plans an upcoming food drive
Human Bean Northern Colorado dedicated its Guest Barista Day on March 9 to raising funds for Meals on Wheels of Loveland and Berthoud. Ten percent of all sales made at 6180 E. Crossroads Blvd. location in Loveland were donated, which gave $384.81 to the non-profit organization.
Meals on Wheels representatives served as guest baristas to support the effort and share information about the organization with customers.
Meals on Wheels of Loveland and Burgdorf seeks to nurture and enrich the lives of homebound seniors and people with disabilities in our communities with nutritious meals and daily contact by volunteers, according to a press release. To learn more about Loveland and Burgdorf’s Meals on Wheels, visit lovelandmealsonwheels.org.
Human Bean Northern Colorado has been locally owned and operated since 2004, and now has 10 locations across Northern Colorado and a mobile coffee truck.
Human Bean Northern Colorado is now encouraging the community to clean out their food pantries by donating all unopened and unexpired items to those in need.
All Human Bean locations in northern Colorado will be accepting donations April 16-30, and customers who donate five or more items will receive a free 20-ounce drink on the Human Bean app.
Donations will be distributed between Fort Collins Rescue Mission and Weld Food Bank. Most needed items include canned beans, canned meats, canned soups, canned fruits, canned vegetables, canned tomatoes, dried beans, grains, nut butters, cereals , pasta, applesauce, quinoa, honey, broths, oats, jelly and protein bars.
• Divine Feline, a cat grooming salon (no dogs allowed) plans to open April 8 at 685 E. Eisenhower Blvd., Loveland. Owner Danielle Virtue is a certified feline master groomer with 32 years of experience. The shop will offer services for cats, including “lion trims”, baths, combs and soft nail covers. Contact: 970-372-9329.
• The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Peraton Risk Decision Inc. of Loveland a $144,447,936 firm fixed price task order under a single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for construction services. field investigation.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 8 and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognize five Energy Star Partners from Colorado and Utah for their outstanding leadership in promoting energy efficiency and the fight against climate change, in particular EnergyLogic Inc. of Berthoud, Winner of sustained excellence for 12 consecutive years. A home energy rating company, EnergyLogic certified more than 1,800 Energy Star homes in 2022, bringing the total to nearly 40,000 since 2001, according to a news release.
• Micron Technology Inc. of Boise, Idaho has been awarded a patent (US No. 11609706 B2, originally filed July 10, 2019) developed by three inventors, including Bruce A. Liikanen of Burgdorf, for “Read sample offset placement “.
• Woodward Inc. of Fort Collins has been awarded a patent (US No. 11608789 B1, originally filed August 27, 2021) developed by four inventors, John Karspeck and Samuel James McCreery of Loveland and Domenico Chiera and Michael Ryan Buehner of Fort Collins, for “Asynchronous Rotary Fuel Valve”.
• Fort Collins Mortgage Officers Jen Ammerman and Shelley Rhoades have been named to FNBO’s Circle of Excellence, which recognizes top performers in its residential mortgage division.
Send us your business news
The Reporter-Herald strives to include newsworthy business news for its readers every Sunday. Trade briefings focus on Northern Colorado businesses, not trade promotions.
Items we consider for briefs include:
• New businesses.
• Business relocations.
• Business closures.
• New contracts.
• Birthdays (divisible by five).
• Mergers and Acquisitions.
• New owners, employees or promotions of employees.
• Manufacture of new products.
• Business organization meetings, workshops, seminars or courses intended for networking or education.
• Open days linked to current events (new business, anniversary, new owners, renovations, new management, etc.).
• Awards or other recognition.
• Charitable donations.
Press releases are welcome. The Reporter-Herald reserves the right to edit information submitted for publication. Photos of people involved in the event are welcome, but publication is not guaranteed.
The information is due out by noon Wednesday for publication in the following Sunday’s business section. Information can be emailed to [email protected]. For more information, contact the Reporter-Herald Newsroom, 970-635-3636, [email protected].
— Reporter-Herald staff


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Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hotel Okura Co., Ltd., has announced it will open the Hotel Okura Vladivostok, the first Japanese-run hotel in the Russian Pacific port city, in the second half of 2021. Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd. and Joint Stock Company «Mnogofunkcionalnii Gostinichnii Kompleks «Zolotoi Rog» signed an agreement covering the operation of the new property on December 29, 2020.
Hotel Okura Vladivostok will be located near the Golden Bridge, a popular tourist attraction from which visitors can enjoy beautiful views of the Zolotoy Rog, a sheltered horn-shaped bay on the Sea of Japan, and the surrounding scenery. It will offer 221 guest rooms each about 40 square meters in size, including 31 suite rooms. There will be a restaurant serving Japanese cuisine featuring a sushi counter and private dining rooms, as well as a teppanyaki restaurant and an all-day dining restaurant. The hotel will additionally offer a large banquet hall, an executive lounge and spa facilities.
Vladivostok, an important commercial port on the Pacific Ocean, is just a 2.5 hour flight from Tokyo. With its exotic landscape, the city is famous for being Russia’s gateway to Eurasia yet relatively close to Japan. Surrounded by the sea on three sides, it is a hub for railway, ocean and aviation traffic as well as the eastern starting point of the world-famous Trans-Siberian Railway.
Toshihiro Ogita, President, Okura Nikko Hotel Management Co., Ltd., commented, “Russia is a promising market and Vladivostok is a symbol of the economic cooperation between Japan and Russia. We are very pleased that Hotel Okura was selected to operate a hotel in the city, and it is a great honor for us to help provide a bridge between our two countries. We will offer the Okura’s signature hospitality, which is sure to satisfy the hotel’s guests and make it a favorite of local people as well as Russian and overseas visitors to the city.”
Since August 2017, Japanese citizens have been able to visit the Russian coastal region that includes Vladivostok with just an electronic visa. As a result, the number of visitors from Japan rose to more than 20,000 in 2018, and in 2019, visitor numbers were on the rise with 1.7 times or 35,000 more visitors than in 2018. Vladivostok is an important city in the development of the Russian Far East, which President Putin has made a key element of the country’s overall development. Following former Japanese Prime Minister Abe’s sharing of his proposed plan for economic cooperation between Russia and Japan with Russia’s President Putin in 2016, various business initiatives are underway in both countries.


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VICTORIA Beckham contacted the five star luxury Maldives resort the family are staying at in advance to demand a tailor-made 10 day menu.
The designer, 42, asked that staff at Japanese restaurant Feeling Koi prepare for her low-calorie diet of seafood, edamame and radishes.
And sources said she was adamant that each meal she consumed while at the resort must fall within her stated daily allowance and nutrition margins.
One told the Sun on Sunday: “Most people treat their holidays as a chance to let loose and eat and drink what they want, but not Victoria.
“The staff at Koi were contacted in advance to make sure they had all the ingredients for what she would want to eat each day during her stay with us.
“Her menu was mostly seafood – Maldivian yellow fun tuna, Australian king fish, tea smoked salmon and a lot of sashimi.
“To go with her meals, she wanted a very simple salad which is mainly white radishes and lettuce with lemon juice, and toasted edamame beans.
“She also asked for fruit, and her ‘treat’ item was Atlantic black cod, which is very rich and so a little more calorific than the other foods she asked for.
“It was a very healthy list by anyone’s standards, and it was clear she wasn’t prepared to settle for any deviation from her strict diet plan.
“Ice cream and cocktails were definitely off the menu for her.”
Victoria and David, 41, splashed out on a family New Year’s Eve break in the posh resort, which promises guests a “truly world class nu-luxury experience”.
And this week she posted a string of snaps on her Instagram of their kids enjoying themselves.
One showed Harper, five, scrawling “I love mummy and daddy” in the sand, while in a previous shot she dangled her legs from their villa balcony.
We revealed this week that Victoria is to be awarded an OBE for her services to fashion and charity.
The honour comes 13 years after David was named in the Queen’s Honours List.
A spokeswoman for Victoria was unavailable for comment.


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Exclusive: Delays Hit Apple's 'Retina' iPad Mini
Bad news for those waiting on Apple to update its popular iPad mini. Supply chain sources tell Reuters not to expect a high resolution 'Retina' version anytime soon. Jon Gordon reports.
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Homes north of Danforth Ave. and east of the Don has the shortest sale times in Toronto, according to TREB data.


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With the havoc it has wreaked on China and the world, the Covid-19 outbreak is turning out to be the largest “black swan” event of recent years.
Its sudden occurrence presents a crisis management challenge for everyone. It also makes the prospect of China decoupling from Western countries a very real scenario.
China enters “pre-decoupling stage”
Under the Trump administration, the world’s two largest economies have engaged in a trade war, with trade relations reaching new lows in the last two years.
China and the US have also locked horns on the technology front. Accused of using underhanded tactics and being a threat to national security, Chinese technology companies have been sanctioned and forced to spend more on research and development (R&D) and innovation.
Trade tensions between the two had eased somewhat after the signing of the phase one trade agreement, but the threat of decoupling still hung in the balance. Competition and conflicts intensified in the area of technology while on the international stage, geostrategic threats increased as China vied for a bigger role.
The Covid-19 outbreak has just escalated the situation, curtailing domestic economic activity and restricting social and economic exchanges between China and the outside world. One might say, the epidemic has plunged China into a “pre-decoupling stage” with the rest of the world.
Stress testing under extreme circumstances
The Chinese government has announced that the country is facing “wartime conditions” and will be imposing a system of political, economic, and social management. In light of these measures, temporary stagnation of the domestic market economy and a slowdown in foreign economic activity are expected. Externally, partial decoupling is possible, while internally, strict economic and social controls are likely to be enforced.
The decoupling effect of the crisis is not only stress testing China’s economy, but also its governance.
Undoubtedly, China faces a strong stress test. Already, the Chinese government has made the unusual move of postponing the release of its January trade data. Observers predict that this is because the country’s trade has been severely affected by the Covid-19 outbreak. Trade and economic figures for February are expected to be worse, given that China's visitor arrival and departure numbers plummeted after the Lunar New Year. From this perspective, China is decoupling from the rest of the world, albeit unwillingly.
The decoupling effect of the crisis is not only stress testing China’s economy, but also its governance. China has gradually opened its doors to the outside world and integrated its economy with the global market over 40 years of reform and opening up. This has made the country more fragile and vulnerable to external factors — a point that was underscored in its trade war and technology dispute with the US.
Manufacturing credentials aside, China’s top companies are suffering under a ban imposed by the US on sales of high technology components and software. From its trade and technology tussles with the US, China has learnt that even though countries usually focus on developing parts of the global value chains where they excel in, ideological, geopolitical, strategic differences with Western countries like the US could derail outcomes. China needs to know how to survive in the event of extreme economic decoupling. The ability to be self-reliant, to retain its R&D and innovation capabilities even as it becomes increasingly integrated with the global economy, is important for a big country like China.
Emerge stronger or fall
Even though China is a market economy and has implemented a policy of reform and opening up, self-reliance remains a key tenet of the Chinese Communist Party, seen through the country’s energy, agricultural, and technology policies.
If it passes the stress test, it would have levelled up in governance, and seized the initiative for subsequent rounds of trade talks and future competition with the US.
Economic interdependence is often used as a political lever by sovereign countries to exert pressure on their counterparts. This tactic gained popularity after economic globalisation took off in the 20th century, as detailed in Power and Interdependence: World Politics in Transition written in the 1970s by American international relations scholars, Robert Keohane and Joseph Nye. Some countries opt for a semi-isolationist policy of self-reliance and independent R&D so that they do not have to adopt a reactive approach when jostling with major powers. Although a country sacrifices efficiency in doing so, its security and sovereignty are enhanced.
From China’s perspective, passing the decoupling stress test brought on by the Covid-19 outbreak is critical in determining whether it will have the muscle to negotiate and compete with other major powers. It will also decide whether the country can continue developing and maintain an upward trajectory. If it passes the stress test, it would have levelled up in governance, and seized the initiative for subsequent rounds of trade talks and future competition with the US. Conversely, a stumble here would imply that the Chinese economy is very fragile and highly dependent on the rest of the world. This leaves China disadvantaged in the global economic arena.
Related Reading: Covid-19: Further split in China-US relationship?| Covid-19: Can the global economy operate without China? [Part One] | Covid-19: Can the global economy operate without China? [Part Two]


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This article provides an overview of a presentation made by one of New Zealand’s dairy giants at our annual investor conference last month – June, 2011 about the NZ dairy sector. The presentation was said to have been one of the most interesting of the day from the clients who attended.
The presentation began with the CFO, stating that NZ is a fantastic place for dairy farming, if not the best in the world. New Zealand’s abundance of water gives us a clear cost advantage compared to other countries around the world. Our rainfall averages two metres a year, more than double the world average of 0.8 metres, therefore offers a strong competitive advantage when it comes to our ability to provide pasture for grazing dairy cows. Other countries around the world have to supplement feed their stock to make up for the lack of grazing. NZ also has a stable political landscape and a reputation for safe, high quality food products in our favour.
This dairy giant is a co-operative owned by 10,500 farmer shareholders. Some other interesting facts about this company include:
– They are the world’s largest exporter of milk powders.
– They have revenue of $17bn and operating earnings of $1bn.
– They have 432 tankers across 17 depots
– They operate 86 plants in NZ
– They have the largest milk dryers in the world.
– They use 11 NZ ports to send 140,000 containers each year to its millions of customers around the world
– Recently, this company announced an increase in its forecast profitability for 2011
For a country that only accounts for approximately 2% of the world’s dairy production, NZ exports 95% of this offshore. This is in contrast to other dairy producing countries around the world where the vast majority is sold domestically.
China is a key export market for NZ agriculture that is continually growing as people in China migrate from rural areas to the cities – it forecasted that 350 million Chinese people will do this over the next 15 years. This movement leads to a growing middle class, which will see a rise in incomes, and an increase in demand for higher-value food products such as dairy produce and meat. The diary industry leader exported 31% of its dairy produce to China in 2010. China’s growing demand for high-value agricultural products bodes well for New Zealand.
The agriculture sector is a difficult investment theme for many New Zealanders to gain an exposure to. With the average dairy farm priced at$3.5m (according to the Real Estate Institute), most investors have limited options.
However, this may all change in the near future if the company is to be listed on the stock exchange. Owning a unit in this fund would not allow any voting rights, these would continue to be retained by farmers. Investors however would have access to distributions and changes in the market value of the units. It is not known exactly when such a move will happen, it could be as early as 2012, or it may not happen at all, should the company’s board decide not to proceed.
To you the investor, there are several reasons why you should keep a close eye on this dairy industry leader – it is one of the top six dairy companies in the world, accounts for ¼ of our export earnings and is accountable for 7% of our GDP.
In addition, agriculture is the backbone of New Zealand’s economy. Having this company as an investment option will provide many Kiwis the ability to invest in what really is ‘NZ Inc’.
With the long term growth potential for this dairy giant being huge – they are definitely worth watching.


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Internet.org brings free online access to Africa
Facebook is teaming up with mobile operators in Africa in order to bring the Internet to millions of people without online access.
The project, which is being headed up by an organization called Internet.org , is starting in Zambia and could bring benefits to millions who have no experience of the digital world, while also increasing Facebook's user base.
In an interview with the BBC, Guy Rosen from Internet.org explained that 85 percent of people who aren't connected to the Internet live in places with mobile phone coverage. Despite the widespread use of mobile phones in these areas, a lack of awareness and the relatively high cost of mobile data is preventing people from going online.
In Zambia, mobile operator Airtel has been offering a simple Facebook experience for free on mobile phones. Now it will offer an Internet.org app that will host Facebook along with various other web services, such as Wikipedia, job sites and weather and news updates all without charge.
Users can visit the Internet.org website to access the services, and will receive a warning when straying onto sites where data charges will apply. Only 15 per cent of Zambia's population of 15 million have used the Internet, but it is hoped that the new scheme will boost these figures. If successful, the project will be extended to other parts of Africa.
Airtel will forego revenue from the data in order to fund the scheme, although, perhaps surprisingly, it has been reported that Facebook will not be contributing to the cost of the data.
The scheme fits well with Facebook's long term business strategy, as it looks to grow its audience in Africa and other underdeveloped parts of the world. Already in some places on the continent, the words "Internet" and "Facebook" are said to be interchangeable and the new mobile data project is only going to cement this partnership.
Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.


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Facebook announced that you can now do a lot more with albums on the platform. You can add text posts, check-ins and videos to the same album, follow friends’ albums, as well as feature your albums on your profile.
Last week, Facebook added a host of new updates for albums on the platform. The first and most important of these, is the ability to add different post types to an album. So, for example, you could add a text update, a video, a few photos, and a location check-in to an album, to mark a specific event or important day.
A Facebook spokesperson provided an example.
[quote]Gone on a surf trip recently? Share videos of you tacking your waves, your check-in at the pier, a photo of your board and more – in a single album.[/quote]
Additionally, Facebook also included an option to follow or unfollow friends’ albums (for which you can turn notifications on or off), as well as an easier way to collaborate on albums with your friends or family. Facebook had also provided the ability to collaborate on albums four years ago, but the process of adding collaborators has now been simplified.
Finally, there is also the option to showcase “featured” albums on your profile. The idea behind this is that users can create collections of posts on a specific theme, and have friends follow updates on them. The new album features are coming to Android first, and will be coming to iOS soon.
With this update, Facebook hopes to give users something more valuable than just photo albums – the ability to organise the content they generate on specific ideas or topics. By also inluding more robust collaboration features, Facebook is also encouraging users to get others involved in this process. Finally, the ability to showcase “featured and that to follow albums, allows people to spread their ideas, and to check out others’, too. This allows users to do a lot more on the platform, ensuring better platform retention rates – we all know that this is exactly what it wants.
For some time, Facebook has been pushing its photo sharing app Moments, which may not have had the success the company was hoping for. These new features bring a little bit of Moments’ logic onto the main platform. So, if we were to guess what the next step is, it would be that Facebook could eventually shut down Moments, bringing its features onto its flagship app. What do you think?
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GTPL Hathway, one of India’s top five wired broadband providers, said it will start distributing its high-speed broadband service through local cable operators in the next two months.
The company, whose broadband service is currently restricted to towns and cities, will also make the service available in thousands of gram panchayats across Gujarat by leveraging government’s optical fiber backbone in the coming months.
TIME TO MARKET
At present, GTPL Hathway has 6.35 lakh high-speed broadband subscribers, out of which around 2.35 lakh were added over the last one year alone.
However, with competition from associate firm Reliance Jio heating up, GTPL seems to have decided that it needs to cover the remaining distance faster, and that the best way to accelerate its roll out was to bring local cable operators on board as partners. This will help GTPL use their local expertise, customer relationships and financial muscle to supercharge its broadband expansion.
Anirudhsinh Jadeja, founder and MD, said the company is fully ready to do so: “The backend is ready, and the roll-out will start in the first quarter”.
GTPL is not the only operator to try to leverage the local cable operators to grow its wired internet service.
State-owned companies such as Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and RailTel have been pioneers in this business, and provide high-speed connectivity to lakhs of subscribers using the last mile infrastructure provided by local cable operators.
Private sector telecom operator Bharti Airtel too, last year, started tapping local cable players to act as last-mile providers for its broadband service — recognizing that this method could help it grow many times faster than trying to do the last mile in-house like Jio.
The collaborative approach also throws a lifeline to lakhs of people employed in the cable TV sector in India. Without broadband, the cable TV industry was looking at slow decline as consumers are increasingly switching from linear TV and to on-demand media for their entertainment needs.
Meanwhile, the COVID-19 pandemic has added ‘pull’ to the ‘push’ as many households are now desperately searching for reliable and affordable ways to connect their children to their school’s e-learning platforms.
Separately, companies like GTPL Hathway are also starting to leverage various state governments’ fiber optic backbones set up over the last several years.
In case of GTPL, the company is eyeing the fiber backbone created by the Gujarat government, for which GTPL was one of the implementation agencies.
Jadeja said the backbone — which is around 95-98% ready — will be available in 3,700 gram panchayats and can be leveraged to take its internet service to the villages.
“We have a presence in around 90% of those gram panchayats via our CATV business. We just have to start the broadband business in those areas, which we are going to do in FY22,” he said.
He pointed out that the last mile networks of cable operators have to be upgraded if they are to support the delivery of high-speed broadband. “That project we have already started by upgrading infrastructure in various places, and very soon, we are going to start the rural broadband business.”
GTPL Hathway spent around Rs 174 crore in the year-ended March for expanding its broadband service, and expects to spend another Rs 225-230 cr in the current financial year on the broadband business.
Part of the reason for the frenetic expansion has to do with Reliance Jio, which is adding around 8,000-9000 new wired broadband users every month in Gujarat, which also happens to be GTPL’s primary broadband market.
For comparison, GTPL has been adding 15,000-20,000 new high-speed broadband users per month through last year, and needs to at least maintain that pace, if not exceed it.
Jio’s offerings are priced aggressively, and GTPL Hathway is eager to protect its turf, despite the fact that Jio is an indirect shareholder in GTPL Hathway via its acquisition of Hathway Datacom.
For now, the company maintains that Jio is not a competitor.
“Right now, there’s no such atmosphere of competition. Majorly, their market has been in Ahmedabad, Baroda and Surat in Gujarat. GTPL is in almost 100 towns in Gujarat, and in these places, our primary competitor is BSNL. There are no other competitors,” said Jadeja.
However, to truly compete with Jio, the company would need to add internet and video-on-demand support to its set-top boxes. However, GTPL’s Android set-top-box launch has been delayed by a year after its suppliers failed to stick to their production schedules due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, Jadeja said such problems are in the rear-view mirror, and he expects the Android box launch to take place next month or in June.


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So here it is Kgnston ft. Beenie Man with the new video ‘5 Cent’
Kgnston (Jacqui Edwards) from Kingston Jamaica is a graduate from Berkeley College New York where she still resides as a successful model with a true love of music.
I interviewed Kgnston at Caribbean Fashion Week in Jamaica last June, she filled me in on one of her projects with Beenie Man which was the creation of an uplifting party track called ‘5 Cent’ and now she has released her first video so she can “Spread the vibe”.
Kgnston told Beenie she wanted something different for this project, and she also recalled how this future hit was recorded within just 20 minutes. ‘5 Cent’ has a fresh island sound with a soul influence - Kgnston’s vocals are playful and fun alongside the “King of the Dancehall” Beenie Man, creating that perfect party vibe!
So check out the video above and click here to head over to her website Kgnston Online where you can find out more as well as a link to our original feature focus on Kgnston at Exist-Media.com
Post By Fashion & Beauty Editor Elca Jeffers
Video courtesy of Kgnston
Kgnston Edwards (Facebook)
Spread the vibe - One Love!
Caribbean Collections Showcase ‘In honour of Fashion and musical icon Grace Jones’ LONDON FASHION WEEK 17th-18th February 2012
The Caribbean’s leading fashion names are to showcase exceptional collections at London Fashion Week starting today…
Nell Robinson wearing Gavin Douglas (campaign image)
This season will celebrate the London Fashion Week debut of the Caribbean Collections exhibition, showcasing a selection of exceptional handpicked designers from fifteen islands across the Caribbean. The exhibition will feature collections from designers who have been influenced by a mixture of African, British, French and Spanish cultures and will culminate in a private dinner with leading Caribbean Supermodels Jeneil Williams and Jaunel McKenzie.
The exhibition honours some of the Caribbean’s most exceptional designers who have made great contributions to the fashion world. The diverse range of designs includes the classic cuts of Drenna Luna and Julan (Jamaica) to the avant-garde style of Posh Punk (Barbados) and the resort appeal of KAJ (Trinidad and Tobago).
Caribbean Collections also highlights designers who paved the way during the evolution of a regional design aesthetic including Meiling (Trinidad and Tobago) and Jenny Polanco (Dominican Republic). Jewellery from Peace-Is of Bianca (Jamaica) and handbags from Veve (Haiti) complete the showrooms collection.
2012 marks a significant year in Caribbean history as Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago celebrate their Golden Jubilee, marking 50 years of Independence. Caribbean Collections is proudly set against a rich backdrop of the region’s ancestry and culture.
Chairman of the Caribbean Fashion Industry Association,** Kingsley Cooper** said, “This exhibition is really about showing the fashion industry that we have design talent to compete in a global arena. The contribution which the islands can make to fashion has gone under the world’s fashion radar for too long. We are delighted to be a part of London Fashion Week and as organisers of Caribbean Fashion week, we see this as a big step for Caribbean fashion, as we continue to develop our industry and position our designers to take their place on the world stage – our time is now.”
The Caribbean Collections exhibition is endorsed by some of the world’s most beautiful women, all hailing from the islands. Jeneil Williams who followed Kate Moss on the cover of LOVE and I-D magazines, adorned the cover of Italian Vogue and has fronted campaigns for Vivienne Westwood, Lanvin and Louis Vuitton, will join former Victoria Secrets model Nell Robinson and her fellow Jamaican supermodel and American Vogue favourite Jaunel McKenzie in supporting the collection.
The fashion showcase will take place at the Cosmopolitan Charing Cross Hotel’s Regency suite on 17th-18th February 2012, from 10am to 5pm.
Posted by: Steph Hernandez - Exist Media Editor-in-Chief


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Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG) has passed another milestone by handling its five millionth deep sea container since its opening in September 2015.
In a statement, the RWG said its five millionth container was offloaded from the liquified natural gas (LNG) powered, 23,000 TEU CMA CGM Concorde on 3 July 2021; the vessel arrived on 1 July 2021.
Ronald Lugthart, CEO of RWG: “We are very proud of having achieved this milestone in RWG’s short history.
“It is a team effort of RWG as a whole and thanks to the trust of all our customers, partners and stakeholders.”
The vessel left RWG on 4 July 2021 towards Malta Free Port Terminal, where it will eventually journey towards the Westport Terminal at Port Klang, Malaysia.
The container move milestone is the latest to be reached by RWG. In August 2017 it handled its one millionth container and 2.5 millionth in April 2019.
The speed at which RWG has processed its five millionth container demonstrates how fast demand has grown since 2015 and its handling efficiency.
In April 2020, it delivery of two new deep sea quay cranes, as it continues its drive to optimise services and capacity.


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Uber’s rival Lyft resorts to mass lay off
Coronavirus pandemic has ensured that the year 2020 will be season of layoffs and while Uber (like many other companies) is still in the process of planning a layoff strategy, its less illustrious rival Lyft on Wednesday made a major announcement on this front. Lyft said that it will terminate 1,000 employees or almost 17% of its total workforce. The company also plans to furlough another 288 employees, taking the total layoff number to nearly 1,300.
Google Meet is now free…all you need is a Google account
Google is opening its video conferencing service ‘Meet’ in a big way, making it completely free for anyone and everyone who wants to use it. All you need to have is a Google account to access this freebie service offer. Google account holders can create free meetings of up to 100 people that can last any amount of time. However, this free service may be available only till 30th September, after which free meeting time will be restricted to 1 hour. With this free service, Google is taking a big push to take on its more illustrious rival Zoom app.
TikTok reaches 2 billion download mark
While everything is going down the barrel during the global pandemic, TikTok is thriving and how. The popular Chinese short video app has now reached 2 billion download mark, according to analytics platform Sensor Tower. The app was downloaded 315 million times this quarter alone in the App Store and Google Play combined. However, these numbers don’t include third party app stores that are quite popular in China. If those numbers are also included then TikTok’s download numbers will spire up even further.
Twitter unlocks its data to help COVID 19 researchers
Microblogging giant Twitter has made whole lot easier for developers and researchers to study tweets around coronavirus. The platform has rolled out new bunch of tools that will make available millions of daily public tweets around COVID 19 to site’s developers. The company believes that this will help developers and researchers to come with better ideas in how to respond better to the current pandemic crisis. This includes ideas like how to stop the spread of coronavirus, how to stop the misinformation so and so forth.
A piece of Moon is for sale and it costs only $2.5 million
A small piece of moon is all set to go under the hammer and will cost not more than $2.5 Mn or 2 Mn pounds. This unique auction is going to be held at Christie’s Science & Natural History Department, London. This small piece of moon rock, weighing approximately 13.5 kg, is believed to be the fifth largest piece of Lunar planet to be found on planet earth.


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Yahoo! Mesenger app updated, offers free voice and video calling
The Yahoo! Messenger app has received a pretty significant upgrade today -- the app now lets you make video and voice calls to Yahoo! Messenger friends. That has a few interesting outcomes, the first of which is that you can now make video calls from any iPhone running iOS 4.1 to anywhere with a Yahoo! Messenger account, including back to PCs running the client there. We haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but the app is a free download, so you can see for yourself if you want. You can also make free voice calls between friends, or for an extra fee, call out to phones around the world.
One caveat: the calls don't seem to work on the iPod touch 4G, according to reviewers on the App Store. We're not sure why that would be, but the app description clearly states that service is only for iPhone 3GS/4. Otherwise, here's one more solution to voice and even video chatting over 3G on your iPhone.
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- Automatic targets teen drivers with License+ service
- Dropbox adds support for TouchID
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- iOS 8.0.1 update now available (Updated -- Don't update!)


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Apple’s WWDC 2022 event is set to start on June 6th, and it looks like iOS 16 and watchOS 9 will be in for some major upgrades this year. According to reports, Apple will revamp both the operating systems in a big way at WWDC 2022. According to reports, iOS 16 will bring much-needed changes across the board, including updates to notifications and new health-tracking features." Although the report states that a complete redesign of the iOS interface is impossible, many new features and changes are expected. Apple’s new iOS 16 internally "Sydney" Name is given.
Apple Watch series may also get major changes with watchOS 9, including "Activity upgrade and health tracking" is included. Reports had earlier indicated the release of three new smartwatches in the Apple Watch series later this year.
The report states that Apple is unlikely to announce its Mixed Reality headset in June this year. The headset has been the subject of various leaks and rumors for over a year now and while a launch is nearing, reports suggest it is not there at this WWDC.
Apple may change this with iPadOS 16, which may or may not be announced during WWDC 2022. Expected changes include a software experience built around the performance of the M1 chip, which brings Apple’s tablet closer to the MacBook in terms of power.


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The people over at Pinterest recently determined what's hot in the world of weddings for 2016 by looking at the volume of weddings-related searches on the site and some of the top trending wedding pins. Here's what they concluded are among the top trends of the year:
1. Unplugged ceremonies. The site has seen a 600 percent increase in pins saved on this topic.
2. Mismatched bridesmaid dresses. Searches are up 50 percent.
3. Food trucks. Searches are up 30 percent this year.
4. Honeymoon funds. Searches are up 200 percent this year.
5. Toss bars -- such as confetti, glitter or popcorn. Pinterest has seen a 30 percent increase in the number of pins saved on this topic.
6. Circular ceremony seating. Searches are up 80 percent this year.


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The Road to World Car journey ended today with the declaration of a double win for Jaguar Land Rover. The Jaguar F-Pace won the 2017 World Car Design of the Year award as well as the overall 2017 World Car of the Year.
The winner was announced during a press conference hosted by the Bridgestone Corporation at the New York International Auto Show.
Dr Ralf Speth, CEO Jaguar Land Rover said: “The F-PACE was designed and engineered as a performance SUV with exceptional dynamics, everyday usability and bold design. Winning these two awards endorses the talent and great work of our teams that have delivered the world’s most practical sports car and Jaguar’s fastest selling vehicle.”
The Jaguar F-Pace was chosen from an initial entry list of 23 vehicles from all over the world, then a short list of ten, then three finalists as announced at Geneva Motor Show: the Audi Q5, the Jaguar F-PACE and the Volkswagen Tiguan
To be eligible for the overall World Car award, the candidates must become available for sale on at least two continents during the period beginning January 1, 2016 and ending May 31, 2017.
This year, vehicles were selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of 75 top-level automotive journalists from 23 countries around the world. The Irish juror is Eddie Cunningham, Motoring Editor of the Irish Independent.
Previous World Car of the Year winners were the Mazda MX-5 (2016), Mercedes-Benz C-Class (2015), Audi A3 (2014), Volkswagen Golf (2013), Volkswagen Up! (2012), Nissan Leaf (2011), Volkswagen Polo (2010, Volkswagen Golf (2009), Mazda2 (2008), Lexus LS460 (2007), BMW 3-Series (2006), and the Audi A6 (2005).


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New York -- J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson is taking over direct responsibility for marketing in the wake of the departure of Michael Francis, who left the company abruptly on Monday, Women’s Wear Daily reported.
Speculation has been raging about the reasons behind Francis’ sudden exit after just eight months on the job. In the article, Johnson blamed it on the fact that J.C. Penney’s marketing had not resonated with its core customer and that he “had to get involved.”
“My job as CEO is to really take responsibility for everything. I felt compelled to dive in and help with the new strategy. Michael and I both concluded we didn’t need two hands on the same steering wheel. The marketing I largely left to him. The fact that it hasn’t resonated [meant] I had to get involved,” Johnson said in the report.
The J.C. Penney CEO also said it was “mutually agreed” that Francis should leave.
“It’s really hard to see him go,” Johnson told WWD. “He’s really well liked. It was very tough.”
Johnson made it clear in the report that he will be overseeing marketing.
“At this point, I am going to take direct responsibility. I will not be searching for a replacement,” he said.
Industry analysts were surprised by the sudden departure of Francis, who was recruited from Target, where he served as chief marketing officer, and was credited with enhancing the retailer's fun and hip image. He brought a quirky style in J.C. Penney's marketing, although some critics complained it did not do a good job of communicating the chain’s new pricing strategy.
“What they were doing hasn't worked. [Francis] is the fall guy,” said Walter Loeb, New York-based retail consultant, in an Associated Press report.
Ultimately, Loeb said, people have to look at Johnson, who drove the new pricing plan. Loeb believes the plan is out of touch with shoppers' current mindset.


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The publisher of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy announced yesterday that its eBooks can now be found in the iBooks section of iTunes.
The London based Quercus Publishing had 15 titles in iBooks at launch, and it plans to add another 200 illustrated titles shortly. Among the tiles uploaded yesterday are the recent releases Dead Men Risen, An Epic Swindle and Born Liars. You can find the eBooks in the iBooks app on your iPad or iPhone as well as in iTunes.co.uk.
Mark Smith, Quercus CEO, said: “Quercus is a young and dynamic company and we are keen to embrace new opportunities. We are already the fastest growing publishers in the UK and we are sure that joining the iBookstore will lead to great things and a significant increase in sales.”


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A draft European VAT directive changing VAT liability rules which effectively
prevents Britons from shopping around for suppliers from low-VAT member states
is being debated in the Commons on Thursday. The directive proposes switching
‘business to business’ VAT liability from a supplier’s country to that of the
MPs on the European Scrutiny Committee demanded the move after the
government insisted the change in VAT liabiity rules was needed to safeguard
revenue and limit the threat of competition to British businesses from
firms in low VAT regimes – or the incentive to UK companies to relocate to
low VAT states.
The new compromise draft rule agreed in the Council of Finance Ministers
during the UK Presidency required services capable of beig supplied across
borders to be taxed in th country where they are consumed, and will apply to
telecommunications, broadcasting, electronic services and the long-term
hiring of vehicles.
But a proposal to apply the same rule to distance teaching services has been
scrapped. The majoroity are VAT exempt.
The directive will also apply a ‘country of departure’ rule to VAT liablity
for to catering and other services on board ships, aircraft and trains.
In a report, the committee recognised the government’s case, but ‘noted that
UK consumers would no longer be able to benefit from cheaper sources of
supply, being forced to pay a higher rate of tax, and that it could be
argued that in effect they would be deprived of the advantage that arises
from the single market’.
The committee said MPs should have the oportunity to examine the issue – a
u-turn for the Treasury, which has publicly opposed the harmonisation of EU
tax rules and rates on the ground that tax competition was preferable and in
the UK interest.
Does Darwin's theory apply to taxation? Colin ponders...
The UK tax gap fell in 2014-15 to its lowest-ever level of 6.5%, revealed official statistics published today
Changes to the tax system is urged to support the growth of entrepreneurs, found a report from the Grant Thornton UK, the Institute of Directors, and the Prelude Group
The EC has been instructed to draft a European Union (EU) directive authorising an EU financial transaction tax, which would apply to ten of the EU’s 28 member states


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Consumption spending has been the key gross domestic product growth driver for the United States. Prior to the novel coronavirus pandemic, real personal consumption expenditure touched $13.4 trillion (February 2020). However, with the pandemic depressing consumer confidence, the real personal consumption expenditure declined to $11.0 trillion by April 2020.
Summer brought some recovery, with that activity reaching $12.8 trillion in August. With the holiday season approaching, consumption spending is likely to increase further, which should bring retail stocks into focus.
According to Deloitte, “holiday retail sales this year are forecast to rise between 1% and 1.5%.” It’s also worth noting that the U.S. consumer confidence touched a seven-month high earlier this month.
Further improvement in consumer sentiment can potentially result in stronger-than-expected sales in the holiday season. So, let’s look at four retail stocks that are likely to witness positive momentum as retail sales gain traction.
Besides the seasonal factor, the S&P 500 index is trading at a price-to-earnings multiple of 35.3x. With valuations looking stretched and with U.S. elections round the corner, it makes sense to be invested in these low-beta retail stocks.
4 Retail Stocks Gearing Up for the Holidays: Walmart (WMT)
Walmart stock is certainly the top stock among the retail stocks for the holiday season. Recently, Jefferies issued a buy rating on WMT stock with a bullish cash price target of $180.
This would imply an upside of 24% from current levels of $145. Jefferies expects “WMT to command an increasingly larger share of customer spend through bolstered omnichannel capabilities, partnerships, & services.”
It’s important to note that Walmart has been ramping its e-commerce capabilities. For the holiday season, the company expects to hire 20,000 workers “who will help pack and ship online purchases at its fulfilment centers.” With the pandemic, online sales have surged and Walmart is well positioned deliver on that front.
WMT stock also has a beta of just 0.28. With market volatility likely to increase, the stock is worth holding through the next few quarters. An annual dividend of $2.16 is also attractive.
For year-to-date fiscal year 2020, WMT stock has already trended higher by 21.8%. I expect the positive momentum to continue as market enter the holiday season.
Costco Wholesale (COST)
Costco stock has also been trending higher in the current year. I believe that the stock is worth holding through the holiday season.
The warehouse retailer recently reported September 2020 sales and there are several positives to note. The company’s total sales increased by a robust 15.5%. Further, the company’s e-commerce sales surged by 90.3% on a year-on-year basis.
Clearly, the company is clocking stellar growth and I expect sales to be even better in the next three months. In addition, the company’s e-commerce sales growth is encouraging. It’s worth noting that for the fiscal year ended August 2020, e-commerce sales growth was 49.6%. Growth is likely to be higher in the coming quarters.
Besides the holiday season factor, COST stock is also worth holding in the core portfolio. With 105.5 million cardholders, the company generates an annual membership fees of $3.5 billion. The company is just starting to expand in China and I expect steady growth in membership fees.
COST stock also has a low beta of 0.69 and an annual dividend of $2.80. Given the potential for cash flow growth from membership fees, I expect dividend growth to continue in the coming years.
Among retail stocks with a focus on e-commerce sales, AMZN stock is the top name to consider.
If we go back to FY2019, Amazon reported record holiday sales with billions of items ordered worldwide. The company also reported strong sales for Amazon devices. Overall, the company’s Q4 2019 earnings exceeded analyst estimates and the stock trended higher.
Things are not likely to be any different this time. AMZN stock has been in a zone of consolidation and the holiday season sales can trigger renewed upside.
It’s worth noting that Amazon’s Prime Day sales (Oct. 13-14) YoY surged by 36%, possibly an early indication of strong sales as the holiday season approaches.
Considering the previously mentioned low beta stocks, AMZN stock sticks out, with a beta of 1.35. However, the company has strong seasonal tailwinds and can outperform even if broad markets are in a correction mode.
Amazon Web Services is also a key growth driver for the company if we look beyond the next quarter. Overall, I am bullish on AMZN stock and I would not be surprised if the stock re-tests all-time highs during the holiday season.
Target Corporation (TGT)
Target is another name among retail stocks that’s worth keeping on the radar for the holiday season. With a low beta of 0.85 and an annual dividend pay-out of $2.72, TGT stock is attractive in current market conditions.
Similar to last year, Target is planning to hire 130,000 holiday workers. However, the focus will remain on online orders.
Target has already been an outperformer. The company’s Q2 2020 results beat analyst estimates and same-store sales surged by 24.3%. I would not be surprised if the strong sales momentum sustains in the holiday season.
According to Deutsche Bank, the company “has a strategy that will resonate with consumers including Black Friday pricing throughout all of November.”
Therefore, the outlook is positive and TGT stock has already been discounting the likely growth. However, I believe that there is more juice in the rally with the stock trading at a forward P/E of 22.8x.
On the date of publication, Faisal Humayun did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article.
Faisal Humayun is a senior research analyst with 12 years of industry experience in the field of credit research, equity research and financial modeling. Faisal has authored over 1,500 stock specific articles with focus on the technology, energy and commodities sector. As of this writing, Faisal Humayun did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.


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Last month the executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), who many people would expect to support the United States government butting out of marijuana matters, was urging the US government to tightly regulate the marijuana market. On Wednesday, two major marijuana industry associations joined in, urging the US government to impose regulations on marijuana businesses.
National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) Executive Director Aaron Smith lamented in a statement released Wednesday by NCIA that US laws “prevent federal regulatory agencies from establishing safety guidelines” and called on the US Congress to remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and “sensibly regulate [marijuana] in a manner similar to alcohol and other consumables.” The Cannabis Trade Federation (CTF) also released a statement Wednesday calling for the US government to regulate marijuana. The CFT one-ups the NCIA in expressing adoration of such potential regulation, declaring in its statement:
The Cannabis Trade Federation supports strict regulation of the cannabis industry at both the state and federal level. Consumers and communities will benefit when all cannabis products are subject to rigorous production, safety, and testing standards at the federal level. We urge Congress to act now so that the federal government can serve its proper role in regulating cannabis as a consumer product.
What we are seeing here is apparently a preemptive effort at regulatory capture by big marijuana businesses before marijuana is legalized countrywide. In regulatory capture, regulations and enforcement actions that are supposedly undertaken to protect the public from dangers emanating from businesses are instead designed and directed in the interest of protecting certain businesses, whether from competition, from tort actions, or from other potential impediments.
Indeed, NCIA and CTF both in their statements extend an offer to help the US government set up regulations of the marijuana industry. The NCIA statement declares: “We stand ready to work with Congress and federal regulators on the long-term solution to this problem, which is replacing prohibition with sound regulations.” Similarly, the CTF statement declares: “Our industry seeks to be an active partner with the government in addressing this issue [(possible health dangers related to some vaping products)] and any others that may arise in the future.”
Unfortunately, political maneuvering often offers American businesses one of their best returns on investment. This could be true for businesses dealing with marijuana as it has been for many businesses dealing with other products and services. Watch out taxpayers and upstart marijuana business competitors: Big marijuana is on the march, and it is asking the US government to take it by the hand.
Reprinted with permission from the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.


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Thai Union purchases majority stake in Red Lobster
Thai Union, one of the Kingdom’s largest seafood companies, led a consortium last week that became the majority owners of Red Lobster, the American restaurant chain, after increasing its stake in the company by purchasing equities from Golden Gate Capital.
Thai Union’s vote of confidence in the American market comes at a time when many firms, both global and domestic, have been holding back investments because of the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. The purchase also demonstrates Thai Union’s resilience during the global slowdown.
“We are thrilled to deepen our relationship with Thai Union, a long-term strategic supplier to Red Lobster and an investment partner for the last four years,” said Kim Lopdrup, Chief Executive of Red Lobster. “Our organization will also benefit from the tremendous international restaurant and hospitality expertise brought by Seafood Alliance.”
Seafood Alliance is the newly formed consortium consisting of Thai Union and other Thai and international investors. In 2016, Thai Union invested $575-million in Red Lobster, making the Thai company the largest shareholder in the American chain.
“As an anchor investor in Red Lobster since 2016, we are excited to confirm our commitment to the business, which reflects our utmost confidence in management and the company’s strategy of serving top quality seafood for a great value,” said Thiraphong Chansiri, President and Chief Executive of Thai Union.
Thai Union is among the Kingdom’s most progressive corporations, winning global awards for sustainability. The company has long been implementing business reforms and formed alliances with other retailers and international agencies to improve traceability and clean up supply chains.
The World Benchmarking Alliance ranks Thai Union number one in its Seafood Stewardship Index.
Thai Union is known for canned tuna brands such as John West and Chicken of the Sea.
Photo courtesy of https://www.thaiunion.com/en/products-and-brands/our-brands


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Rihanna wears sunglasses from upcoming Dior collaboration
A year and a half after being named a brand ambassador for Dior, singer Rihanna has collaborated with the French fashion house once again for a new range of sunglasses. Called ‘Rihanna’, the shades will be sold solely at Dior stores in June, according to WWD.
For the official promotional images, who better but Rihanna herself to model the futuristic, visor inspired designs? Jean-Baptiste Mondino photographs the pop star modeling the collection while wearing a form-fitting bodysuit. In all, there are six colors with the option of a gold-plated version.
(Images via WWD)
Rihanna rocks one-piece and sunglasses from her Dior collaboration
Rihanna wears purple frames from Dior collaboration
Rihanna and Dior’s sunglasses collection hits stores in June 2016
Rihanna x Dior sunglasses


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In the year 2016, technology is working harder than ever to break down barriers between celebrities and us commoners. Sure, there’s Snapchat and Twitter, but we’re talking real intimacy—like Morgan Freeman riding shotgun in our cars as our own personal navigator. Now Entertainment Weekly reports that another app is offering an even more titillating prospect. For those who spend their late-afternoon hours daydreaming about what it would be like to wake up next to Dwayne Johnson every day, the opportunity of a lifetime is here—sort of. With his new alarm-clock app Rock Clock, The Rock promises to pop into bedrooms across America to wake us all up from our dreams of car chases and Jumanji remakes.
Let’s face it: waking up can be a soul-crushing exercise. But at least now, iPhone users can wake up to exclusive video dispatches from The Rock. For those scratching their heads wondering why The Rock would design an alarm-clock app—and for whom “because he can” is not an adequate answer—the man himself issued an explanation on his Instagram:
This is a historic day, indeed—it shall forever be remembered as the day The Rock became a classic Silicon Valley disrupter! In addition to listening to The Rock sing and play guitar (swoon), users can actually sync their phones to wake themselves up just as The Rock rises. So yes, now all of us can wake up with The Rock in every sense of the word. He’ll even shout out some lucky users on the app itself.
We’ll just leave you with one final thought from the soon-to-be circadian legend himself: “We’ll chase our greatness and kick some ass. Or get our asses kicked;) Either way, we'll do it together.”


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iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max Phones - Safest AKA Most Boring
iPhone 11 is the safest iPhone just yet. and by safest, critics meant boring.
According to those who tuned in to the recent Apple event for the launching of the iPhone 11, 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max phones, most of the features of these phones are not even new in the smartphone world. This means that even the most loyal fans might be questioning themselves whether to get the phones.
According to CNET, the features that come with Apple's iPhone 11 Pro are nothing new. Having three cameras is not that exciting, even if it is certainly new among iPhones. Other phones already have three cameras way earlier. Huawei Mate 20 already has this feature last year. The special low-light mode is not new as well. Owners of the Pixel 3 has already been enjoying Google's Night Sight for a year now.
These new phones might be a tad more exciting if they have 5G, but Apple has been silent about this technology on this event. In contrast, its staunch rivals, Samsung, Huawei, OnePlus and other brands are already said to be experimenting with this next generation of wireless technology and are not afraid to say so.
That said, some critics just might not see the point of buying these new iPhones. The upgrades are not that exciting. In fact, the critics claimed that the last time Apple has been exciting was still way back in 2008. "Apple has not really delivered a revolutionary iPhone since the first high-speed 3G version with App Store way back in 2008," shared Neil Mawston, an analyst at Strategy Analytics.
The heads of Apple though are singing a different tune, as they should. "These are the most powerful and stunning iPhones we've ever built," CEO Tim Cook said during his keynote presentation on stage while unveiling the newest iPhones.
"This is the first phone we've called Pro," Phil Schiller, head of the company's marketing also said. "That means it's a device that pros can count on." Whether or not this is true depends on the actual user experience of course, which is linked to whether or not they will even buy the phone.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak might be the most convincing supporter though because he has been critical of Apple's iPhone releases in the past. And yet, he is now telling CNET now that "the new phones exceeded my expectations, by far." Who knows?


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Duck Creek Technologies announced that New South Wales, Australia’s State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) has deployed its OnDemand Rating solution to promote competitive automobile insurance through online consumer portal.
Responsible for regulating Compulsory Third Party (CTP) auto insurance, SIRA launched their new portal, Green Slip Check, to encourage competition and transparency in the market, giving policy buyers in New South Wales real-time access to quote comparisons from multiple insurers.
With Duck Creek’s Rating OnDemand Software-as-a-Service, hosted in the Microsoft Azure cloud, SIRA can now validate changes to pricing and coverage options provided to consumers by the state’s major insurers and reject those not within price-setting rules.
New South Wales Minister for Finance, Services, and Property the Honourable Victor Dominello MP said the improvements to the Green Slip price comparison website had been warmly welcomed by customers.
Dominello said: “Over 95% of users have reported a positive experience after using the Green Slip Price Check website. The introduction of new technologies and innovations, such as the Duck Creek platform, are critical to the future success of our compulsory third-party insurance scheme.”
Dominello continued saying: “The Green Slip Price Check website is helping to drive competition in the CTP market by making it easier for motorists to compare prices and switch insurers if they find a better deal.
“Duck Creek’s platform helps to ensure that the premiums quoted to NSW motorists are accurate and reliable.”
Duck Creek Technologies Asia Pacific managing director Shaji Sethu said: “In the local market, it is refreshing to see a government agency taking innovative steps to digitize the entire supply chain (from insurer to consumer) in order to drive benefits for the citizens of NSW.”
Duck Creek also provides context-specific text and guidance for each user and calculates the exact amount that each insured would save due with a new policy. Of customers using the website, 97% gave it a ‘thumbs up’ rating.
Celent’s Property Casualty practice Americas head Karlyn Carnahan said: “SIRA’s next generation portal for coverage and price comparison is a great example of regulation working to provide cost transparency to citizens through the use of technology.
“The use of modern technology permits the kind of scalability that is needed for a consumer driven initiative, and, launching the project in the cloud not only enables that scalability, but also helped drive the speed of implementation.”
Duck Creek’s back-end Rating solution was integrated with an independent front-end user interface that offers pricing comparisons at up to 10,000 quotes per hour. Also, Duck Creek’s easy-to-use configuration and automated testing tools have enabled SIRA to process insurers’ new pricing filings more rapidly.
Duck Creek Technologies CEO Michael Jackowski said: “It’s fantastic to see SIRA using Duck Creek Rating OnDemand to power their new consumer portal. We’re very excited to see it applied in such a creative and important way, and pleased to see how quickly this project went live thanks to the power of SaaS.”
Source: Company Press Release


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Escalating fuel prices and concern over greenhouse gas emissions are pushing auto manufacturers to usher in a new generation of alternative fuel vehicles, either electricity or hydrogen.
The latest endeavor—to design the first mass-produced electric car with lithium-ion batteries—may have green cars on the road sooner than expected.
“If you want zero-emission cars, it’s the only way to go, said Louis Diemert, computer technician for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s College of Liberal Arts, of the electric car, which has been on hiatus since the General Motors EV1 of the late 1990s.
The EV1, manufactured from 1996-1999 and available only for lease, was taken off the streets by GM in 2002, citing lack of consumer interest. But GM is again trying its hand at the electric car with the Chevrolet Volt, set for availability in dealerships in 2010. With a projected price running up to $40,000, the car will run on a lithium-ion battery, with a small gasoline engine to charge the battery once it’s exhausted its 40-mile charge range.
Other companies have also joined the race, with the San Diego-based company Coda Automotive pledging to release its electric sedan by 2010, while Silicon Valley’s Tesla Motors plans to produce its own electric sedan, the Model S, by 2011.
Tesla motors has already released the Roadster, an all-electric sports car that’s been available since summer 2009. The price, however, runs more than $100,000 thus making it still financially inaccessible to the average American.
Is the electric car the vehicle of the future? Theodore Kozman, Ph.D., of UL Lafayette’s Engineering and Technology Management Program, voiced uncertainty about the electric car and the price of repairing its expensive machinery.
“I worry not on the battery so much, but on the reliability,” said Kozman, who worked several years in Detroit before entering academia. “A significant amount of weight in these vehicles is battery storage. What happens when you have to replace 1,000 pounds worth of batteries? How much is that going to cost?”
“The automobile industry has a long way to go,” agreed Daniel Amire, a graduate student in mechanical engineering. “If their goal is to better the environment and produce a reliable car, then they have a lot of improvements to make.”
With more than 200 lithium-ion cells in one 400-pound battery, lithium-ion batteries are some of the most energetic, rechargeable batteries on the market, and it seemingly makes sense for the automobile industry to further develop them. However, they have drawbacks that would hold them back if they were introduced on the market at this time, including the high price and the charging time.
“The Real problem with these batteries is the charging time,” said Diemert. “And the question that needs to be answered is how to make batteries charge fast enough. While lithium ion holds more charge, it still takes a while to recharge the battery. The ‘breakthrough’ battery will be the one that can be recharged in minutes as opposed to hours.”
As for the price tag: “As they make more lithium-ion batteries, hopefully we will see the price go down,” said Kozman. “The occurrence of that idea is probably one of the only ways this option could be affordable to average consumers.”
Diemert, however, added another cost-related factor to consider.
“The demand for raw materials, such as lithium, could keep the price up,” he said. “Since this material is used in so many batteries already today, you could actually see the cost of the batteries rise, perhaps to the point that it may no longer be cost-efficient.”
Another potential problem is the reliability of obtaining the necessary lithium, according to Robert Buckman, Ph.D., associate professor of mass communication and author of a reference book on Latin America.
“A lot of people don’t realize that just over half the world’s reserves of lithium are in Bolivia,” he explained. “Bolivia is one of the most unstable countries in the hemisphere. President Evo Morales is a close ally of (Venezuelan President) Hugo Chávez, and is not exactly friendly to the United States. He expelled the U.S. ambassador last fall, in fact. If he decides to, he could embargo lithium exports to the U.S. It’s the same old problem of relying on hostile or unstable foreign sources for our energy.”
Still another alternative fuel vehicle engineers are looking to is the hydrogen vehicle, but it doesn’t yet hold a place in the immediate future.
In May, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu called for eliminating the $100 million in his budget devoted to hydrogen technology, asserting that hydrogen vehicles are still years from practicality.
Diemert noted a downside with a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle as well.
“You’ll have a fuel cell that makes hydrogen and oxygen, which makes water, and in the process, creates energy,” he said. “But now you’ve got a problem, because now you’ve got water, and water vapor’s a greenhouse gas. You can’t just release it into the air.”
Amire agreed that despite all the drawbacks, lithium-ion batteries are still preferable to hydrogen.
“In my opinion, it’s at least a better opinion than hydrogen-powered cars,” he said. “It’s hard to tell what can happen when you have hydrogen under pressure in a moving object.”
“I personally don’t know if we’ll ever do what needs to be done with batteries along, but looking at more options will always lead to discoveries along the way,” predicted Kozman.
Thus, the pressure remains on automakers to create a cost-efficient, low-emissions vehicle to please budgeting families and environmentalists alike, and though a majority of the brainstorming is happening in Detroit and California, a new American car company is bringing Louisiana into the game as well.
Gov. Bobby Jindal announced in June that San Diego-based V-Vehicle Co. has chosen Monroe as the first site for its new manufacturing facility, which will produce a “high-quality, environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient car for the U.S. market,” according to a news release by Louisiana Economic Development.
No specific details about the vehicle’s design have been released, but Tom Matano, the esteemed creator of the Mazda Miata, will spearhead the design team. Production hiring is scheduled to begin in summer 2010.


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Why Isn't the FDA Stopping the Epidemic of Foodborne Illness?
The agency charged with overseeing the safety of our food is out to lunch. Here's why.
Mother Jones, 5 December 2012
The 2011 listeria outbreak was not an isolated case. The United States is experiencing what amounts to an epidemic of foodborne illnesses. According to the CDC, there are about 48 million cases of food poisoning a year, leading to more than 128,000 hospitalizations and more than 3,000 deaths. E. coli in spinach and fruit juice, salmonella in eggs and jalapeño peppers, listeria not only in cantaloupes but in cheese and bagged lettuce-the toll from foodborne bacteria is mind-numbing.


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Apple’s smallest iPad might not get quite as much attention as its bigger siblings, but today, Apple took the wraps off a completely redesigned iPad Mini. It’s got a bigger screen, a more powerful processor, and comes in a range of colors. The Mini is no longer the forgotten runt of the iPad family.
3 hours ago
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You're driving. You get pulled over or get into a fender bender. Instead of digging through the glove compartment for your registration and proof of insurance, you pull them up on your smart phone. That's the idea behind the bill by Democratic Assemblyman Mike Gatto. He says the DMV already has registration records online - and if the idea catches on, the DMV could create an opt-in system:
Gatto: "I would venture that probably, you know, anybody under the age of 60 would probably opt in to this - and that could save the DMV a significant amount of money when it comes to both printing and mailing registration forms."


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Former Id Software staffer John Romero has announced an interesting way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of first-person shooter Doom: the release, under his own company Romero Games, of a megawad expansion dubbed Sigil.
The release of Doom in 1993 was a watershed moment for the games industry. While there had been first-person shooters in the past - including Id Software's previous Wolfenstein 3D franchise - the game's ultra-violent and demonic setting, dynamic lighting, and floor-and-ceiling textures were new enough to ensure the game would be a best-seller. For years - through to the release of Id Software's true-3D follow-up Quake, in fact - first-person shooters became known as 'Doom clones', while the game's network functionality was single-handedly blamed for major drops in office and school productivity the world over.
Even 25 years on, Doom holds a special place in many gamer's hearts, including co-creator John Romero - and he's celebrating the occasion by releasing an add-on pack, dubbed Sigil, which brings nine single-player levels which continue the game's story, such as it was, along with nine multiplayer-oriented levels.
'People have been asking me to make an entire episode for many years now, and that picked up a lot after I released E1M8B and E1M4B in 2016,' Romero explains. 'Many messaged me to ask if I’d consider making a 5th episode for the 25th anniversary. So, back in 2016, that’s what I decided to do. After killing the Spiderdemon at the end of E4M8 (Unto the Cruel), your next stop is Earth — you must save it from hellspawn that is causing unimaginable carnage. But Baphomet glitched the final teleporter with his hidden sigil whose eldritch power brings you to even darker shores of Hell. You fight through this Stygian pocket of evil to confront the ultimate harbingers of Satan, then finally return to become Earth’s saviour. In summary, rip and tear!'
Although the mod itself - which is compatible with both the original Doom release and the horde of Doom-compatible engines which followed Id Software's release of the game's source code - will be free to download, Romero has confirmed that there will be two physical releases: A big-box release which includes a 16GB USB stick in the shape of a floppy disk containing the megawad pack and extras, a two-disc jewel case with the game and soundtrack, and two stickers; and a Beast Box, which adds an oversized box inspired by the Id Anthology collection and signed by Romero, an art print signed by illustrator Christopher Lovell, a coin, pewter statue of Romero's head on a spike inspired by the last level of Doom II, and a T-shirt.
Full details on the expansion pack, and its physical releases, can be found on the official website.
October 14 2021 | 15:04


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Tropicana Launches a Cereal Made to Be Doused in Orange Juice
Apparently, a surprising number of people prefer orange juice on their breakfast cereal.
When it comes to what to pair with cereal, milk, while classic, may be for the unimaginative. A surprising number of people prefer orange juice on their morning cereal, a recent survey underwritten by Tropicana (of course!) has found.
An estimated 15 million Americans have tried orange juice on their cereal, according to the survey, conducted online and via email by Wakefield Research. That’s “the total populations of New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago combined,” Tropicana notes.
The survey also concluded that millions more Americans are willing to try O.J. on their cereal and that “half of the adults who poured O.J. over their cereal did so because they thought it … would taste good.” (Anyone’s guess why the other half did – maybe because they ran out of milk?)
“Orange juice on cereal. Some call it weird. Some call it breakfast. We . . . didn't even know it was a thing,” Tropicana admitted. “But turns out, there are totally normal people amongst us juicing up their cereal bowls.”
Apparently sensing an opportunity, Tropicana, which last fall produced an O.J.-compatible toothpaste, is poised to introduce what it says is the first breakfast cereal ever made specifically to pair with orange juice — and, the brand wryly allows, “maybe the last.”
The new O.J.-friendly cereal, Tropicana Crunch, is made for the “cereal curious” with honey almond clusters that are “crispy and ready to get citrusy,” according to Tropicana.
The cereal will not be sold in stores, but will be available online while supplies last starting Wednesday, May 4. (That’s National Orange Juice Day, for those who don’t have it marked on their calendars.)
Sure, a cereal made to pair with orange juice may not hold universal appeal, Tropicana concedes, but “whether you hate it or love it, you won’t know until you try it.”
The brand is urging those who try the cereal to share their thoughts on social media — using #TropicanaCrunch and tagging @Tropicana_Juices on Instagram or @Tropicana on TikTok.
O.J.-optimized Tropicana Crunch is certain to make a splash. We’d be down to try it. Long term though — call us stodgy — we’ll probably stick to milk.