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Premium American fashion retailer Ralph Lauren posted solid FY2021 second-quarter results.
Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL) posted a solid fiscal first quarter 2022 report, boosted by a fast pace of store reopenings in North America and Europe. After the report was posted shares jumped more than 6% and closed at $125.22 on August 3rd.
The retailer reported adjusted earnings of more than $2 per share, compared to a loss of $1.82 per share reported in the same period last year. The Street expected earnings of just $0.82 per share. Meanwhile, revenue for the quarter grew almost 200% from last year to $1.38B and beat all analyst estimates of $1.21B.
Also, when compared to the prior year period, RL posted a store sales growth of 108%
During this quarter, RL finalized the sale of Club Monaco to Regent. And it is also on the way to transition the Chaps brand to a licensed business model in the next quarter.
After the better-than-expected quarterly results, Patrice Louvet, CEO of Ralph Lauren said “Our timeless brand is resonating strongly with consumers around the world, and the breadth of our lifestyle portfolio is enabling us to deliver products that meet evolving consumer tastes and demand as we progressively emerge from the pandemic.”
For the second quarter of fiscal year 2022, RL expects constant currency revenue growth of 20% compared to the same quarter the year before.
After the results, Guggenheim analyst Robert Drbul assigned the stock a hold rating. According to the analyst, while he is positive on RL’s inventory management, cost discipline and digital growth, he believes the environment for the company remains uncertain in part due to the pandemic. The analyst is awaiting a return to sustainable growth in North America before becoming more constructive with his views.
The Street community is optimistic about the stock, giving it a Moderate Buy rating. The average RL price target of 137.62 implies a 9.8 upside potential to current prices. Shares have gained more than 80% over the last year.
How do you see the fashion industry going this year? Let us know in the comments. For more news on the investment and finance world browse FlexInvest Academy.


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The year 2022 is off to a terrific start for gamers, as the global supply of graphics cards is improving every day, and prices are gradually decreasing. It appears that 2022 may be the year for gamers, as there have been multiple reports of another significant drop in the prices of Nvidia’s earlier generation cards.
We all are well aware of the fact that Graphics card prices have recently plummeted across the board in many areas across the world. Not only the new RTX 30 series and RX 6000 series, but also the RTX 20 series, GTX 16 series, and RX 5000 series from the previous generation. Overall, a lot of graphic cards are affected by this price change which we speculated would happen, but the primary victim of the most recent price dip is the well-known GTX 1660 Super.
The GTX 1660 Super is without a doubt one of the most well-known graphic cards by Nvidia, which was heavily praised by the community. It used to be a mining star card which even led to its prices being almost triple of what it was originally released at, but the recent crash of crypto markets and mining popularity decreasing has completely changed the scenario, and it seems that this card is back at its almost original price.
According to information gathered by Bo Bantang, the wholesale price of the GTX 1660 Super is just around 2,000 yuan (313 USD), and some are even as low as 1,950 yuan (299 USD), based on recent distributor wholesale prices. Approximately it can be now easily found for around 2000-2200 yuan (excluding tax), which is between 300-345 in US dollars.
The GTX 1660 Super was originally announced at the end of October 2019, with a Turing architecture TU116 core, a high-end model of the non-optical tracking product line, 1408 CUDA cores 192-bit 6GB GDDR6 video memory, and total power consumption of 125W. The starting price at launch was 1799 yuan (282 USD) for GTX 1660 Super.
All of this is evidence of the fact that prices of graphic cards are gradually falling which was something nobody was expecting to happen this early in 2022 as the year 2021 year was an absolute nightmare for gamers despite many people predicting that prices will come down soon, which was never seen to reality until now.
It is safe to assume that we can expect other areas of the world to follow soon in the price dropping trend. In general, the gaming community is speculating more dips in prices and recommending fellow gamers to wait a bit more for prices to get normal before making any purchase. We truly do hope that gamers get rewarded for their patience.
Overall, we do believe that we can soon expect a normal market situation soon or even better than before as competition is still rising between AMD and Nvidia with other Chinese players entering the market could lead to some really attractive price tags for upcoming graphic cards.
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Now your Audi will come up with all the features of a smart phone along with roaming!
Audi has formulated a plan to provide customers with cars that can have the facility of having permanent SIM cards. Audi is also in talks with mobile companies in order to provide the best roaming to its customers with unlimited data.
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This means that the German customers of Audi will be able to use all the online features of Audi without needing to put their own SIM card for identification. Audi is trying to bring this facility in UK and central Europe as well.
Audi has finalized this deal in Germany with a Telecom Company named Cubic Telecom which is actually an Irish company by origin. This deal will be applicable for all the second generation modular infotainment packed models of Audi, according to AutoCar. These include A3, A4, and A5’s latest model. Q2 and Q7. The company has announced that more car models will get this facility in future as well.
This Audi connect system comes with GPS and standard navigation system with the help of Google Earth. It provides street view traffic and parking information. Other than that it lets you have access to Twitter, Email and other features such as Calendar.
After having access to these features the owners of Audi will be able to use unlimited data in Germany and most of the European countries. The fee would be taken in advance for three years which will be pretty easy to pay. A customer will be able to get extra features by paying additional money. This will certainly decrease cost of roaming for many customers and they will have any easy access to internet while they will drive.
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The details and cost of these packages are yet to be announced by Audi.


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Dealers that want rich opportunities to reach a broad base of classic-, exotic- and collectible-car buyers can list their inventory for free on Classic.com.
Sebastian Mora, pre-owned sales manager, Ferrari of Naples, FL, also uses the site, which boasts about 400,000 listings, as one of a number of tools to appraise cars that come into his store. And he believes the leads he receives from his postings are a higher quality than might come through more conventional online sites.
“Their audience is a little bit different than the broader audience,” Mora tells Wards. “That means you have fewer shoppers that (aren’t serious about buying).”
Juan Diego Calle, co-founder of the website likens it to Zillow for cars.
“Some of these cars are exotic, others are right off the production line,” says Calle. “Some of these cars are highly sought after by limited-production dealers that appreciate in value, but not all of them are. Many are modern-day classics. We want to help dealers get their inventory seen.”
Sure, Calle says, a “classic,” or collectible may be a ʼ29 Ford Model T or even a ʼ57 Chevrolet Bel Air. But a ʼ13 Chrysler 200 and a ʼ85 Chevrolet El Camino also fall into those categories.
Mora and several other car dealers say the classic- and exotic-car business is booming, a statement backed by The Hagerty Group, which operates as a lifestyle brand and provider of specialty automobile insurance. And dealers want to get the highest prices possible. To meet that goal, Mora uses the site as an appraisal tool for his own inventory.
Such appraisals may be more complicated now than in past years.
Consider that Hagerty reports that from 2014-2018 Ferraris going for between $50,000 to $250,000 were the hot items for online auction. Now Gen X and younger buyers – the buyers that Hagerty notes power the classic-car market — are most interested in a broader array of vehicles such as the BMW E30 3-series, Pontiac Firebirds and even vintage trucks. Hagerty expects online classic-car auctions to continue to boom, but cars priced at over $1 million and at $10,000 or lower are unlikely to be hot sellers.
“In the future we want to offer dealers the opportunity to promote their vehicles within our user base,” says Calle. “We now have about 70 different sellers on the site including auction houses. Now we plan to continue to add about five dealers a week, then increase it to 10 dealers per week.
“Our goal is to give users access all inventory out there,” he adds. “We have classic cars, exotic cars and even newer cars of interest.”


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Quits is an important measure of labor market confidence. You don't quit a job unless you think you've got good opportunities elsewhere and quits are at their highest rate in nearly 15 years. This is not an abstract measure of confidence. It's a practical measure that reflects how real people with real jobs feel about their prospects. It may be one of the most important leading indicators in economics, telling the story of people's optimism about better paying jobs or business ventures that justify striking out on their own.
Home prices are up 6.2% from a year ago, and the number of homes sold is up about 2 to 3%.
Gallup's measure of consumer spending remains stable - not really up or down significantly over the last couple of years.
But people are spending less on gas and energy, so if consumption is staying stable, it means that it is going up for things other than gas. In fact, the percentage of income that people spend on energy is the lowest it has been since the late 1950s and Bill McBride predicts it could hit an all-time low when the February numbers are reported. It is as if people are getting a raise in take-home pay when the price at the pump falls.
Incomes went up 2.5% in the last jobs report. Just as important from the perspective of the economy, total private sector wages are up 5% from a year ago and were up 6.3% the year before that. Total wages are up more than average wages because it measures the average raise everyone is getting AND the growth in the number employed (another year, another 2.7 million jobs created.) Meanwhile, net savings - which was up 30% through the end of 2014 - was actually down by 7% through the third quarter of 2015. This means that people are daring to spend again after years of paying down debt in the wake of the Great Recession. This is further evidence that the influence of the Great Recession is waning and that the economy will pick up.
Of course all of this data has still not spared Americans from an uneasy feeling. Among other things, they are made uneasy by China's apparent slowdown. (These being the same Americans made uneasy by China's economic acceleration.) Gallup's measure of economic confidence is down from a year ago. In spite of continued progress, Americans are worried. It might just be because they've got candidates coming on TV every week telling them how awful this economy is. And of course the stock market's spectacular fall of 10% to start the year has seemed like a harbinger of bad news. But stock prices might have less to do with the economy than with adjustments to fallen oil prices and raised Fed rates.
There are a few interesting theories to explain the fall in stock prices.
One is that oil money countries like the Saudis and Russians are having to sell off a chunk of stocks as oil prices fall.
Two is that as the dollar rises against foreign currencies, it lowers profits measured by dollars. Lets say that an American company has sales of $1 in Canada in early 2014 and those sales stay stable through late 2015. While the sales are stable in Canadian dollars, they've dropped a lot in American dollars. That Canadian dollar is worth about 70 cents, so from the perspective of an American firm, sales have dropped. A lot. Not all currencies have dropped as much relative to the US $ but by some estimates the dollar's rise equates to a drop of about 11% in international sales.
The third theory about why stock prices are falling is because the market is trying to adjust for the fact that interest rates have gone up. When interest rates go up, fixed interest investments are more attractive. A rise in interest rates typically leads to a shift of monies from stocks to bonds, triggering a fall (however small) in stock prices.
Personally, I think that these three theories all have some credibility and could account for a drop of 10% in stock prices to start the year. Once that adjustment is made, I think that economic realities will be reflected in stock prices and we'll see a steady uptick in stock prices (although still characterized by the volatility that is the modern market). After getting it wrong by predicting a rise starting last week, I'm doubling down and betting that stock prices will start rising this week. And whether it is this week or next, the real point I'm trying to make is that there seems like no good reason for an on-going fall in stock prices. Probably sooner than later, economic fundamentals will prevail over current turmoil.


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The Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Monday approved the Health Ministry's proposal to prohibit advertising tobacco products in newspapers and on the Internet.
The bill also forbids cigarette companies to sponsor various events as they do today, such as financing student days. The companies will not be allowed to mark tobacco products with fruit pictures, which could mislead people - especially teenagers - about the damage caused by smoking them.
The proposal stipulates that the dimensions of the warning regarding tobacco products will be 30 percent of the advertisement's size, in contrast to the five percent required today. The production and marketing of food products or toys resembling tobacco products will also be banned, among other things because of their influence on the image of smoking among teens.
Cigarette companies will be prohibited from distributing tobacco products free of charge, or for joining a mailing list and the like.
It will be forbidden to sell tobacco products to minors, and more responsibility will be placed on all-night kiosk venders to prevent them from selling tobacco to minors.
Cigarette companies will be required to report to the health minister and the public about tobacco products' content and the various ingredients' toxicity, as is customary in respect to food products.
Tobacco products in fruit flavors will be forbidden, because they attract teenagers and make it easier for them to start smoking and become addicted.
Last Wednesday the Knesset Labor, Welfare and Health Committee approved a proposal that bans smoking in public places, intended to protect people from passive smoking.
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This article from the BBC talks about the importance of putting air quality improvements at the forefront of a recovery following the CoCovid pandemic.
This article from The Guardian looks at the huge benefits around clean air, healthy diets and increased exercise that come with positive climate action.
This article from the Met Office discusses whether the UK is experiencing more heavy rainfall and flooding events and whether human activity and it's influence on the climate is increasing the chance of these events.
All too often climate change activism is seen as a white middle-class pursuit. This article sheds light on just a few of the climate activists within the BAME community working to change that.
This article by Greenpeace looks at the profiles of just some of the amazing young people from BAME backgrounds who are doing great things in the fight against climate change.
Fast fashion has a hugely negative impact on the environment. At one end of the industry it takes roughly 10,000 litres of water to grow just one kilogram of cotton and at the other end around 350,000 tonnes of used clothing goes to landfill in the UK every year.
This article looks at another compelling reason to turn your back on the fast fashion industry and start buying sustainably made and 2nd hand clothes instead:
The half a million people from ethnic minorities being forced to work in appalling conditions in China's cotton industry.
Happy Eco News was founded in January of 2018 as a personal project to help its creator find some nuggets of positivity in the vast sea of unpleasant environmental news stories.
If you want a reliable, unbiased source of information on the impact our eating habits have on the planet, this article in particular will be of interest to you.
This article discusses how vehicle tyres are a huge contributor to the microplastics that end up in our oceans.
Facing up to the climate crisis and not being overwhelmed by it are very difficult things to balance. This article has some interesting thoughts on how to strike that balance.
So many people have never even heard of microfibres, yet we all contribute to their presence in our oceans every time we do our laundry. This article looks at what needs to be done to change this.


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We have been haring rumors about an Android One Moto X4 over the last few weeks. The handset is now official and it is coming to Google’s Project Fi in the US.
The Android One Moto X4 will retail for $399 on Google’s Project Fi. The handset has the same specifications as the existing Moto X4, although it comes with different software. The device has Google’s Android One and the company has said that this will be updated to Android Oreo before the end of 2017.
Like all Android One phones, Android One moto x4 runs a pure Android experience, with a clean software design and a carefully curated set of preinstalled apps to give you just what you need. For example, it comes optimized for the Google Assistant to help you get more done, and offers high-quality video calling with Google Duo. You’ll also get access to the latest updates from Android, such as Android Oreo before the end of the year. Android One moto x4 will be among the first to receive an upgrade to Android P.
You can find out more details about the Android One Moto X4 smartphone over at Google at the link below.
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Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.


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New York, N.Y., June 6, 2018 – Screenvision Media, a national leader in cinema media and advertising, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement whereby Abry Partners, a leading media-focused private equity firm, will acquire a controlling stake in the company. As part of the agreement, the company’s existing owners, Shamrock Capital and AMC Entertainment, will maintain minority stakes. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Unlike most traditional advertising media, cinema advertising continues to be a growing, premium video offering with its stable and consistent audience delivery. Screenvision Media has dramatically grown the cinema advertising market, demonstrating 30% revenue growth and tripling profitability over the past three years.
“Abry’s investment in Screenvision Media is a true testament to the vitality of our company and the cinema advertising market,” said John Partilla, Screenvision Media CEO. “We’re excited to build on our recent growth with Abry Partners and look forward to all that we can achieve together. Thanks to its scale and unrivaled impact, cinema advertising is uniquely positioned to benefit from eroding audiences on alternative media platforms. We’re at an inflection point in the current media landscape, and the cinema advertising platform couldn’t be more well-positioned for sustained future growth.”
“We see a very bright future for Screenvision,” said John Hunt, Managing Partner of Abry Partners. “We look forward to partnering alongside and investing with their first-rate management team to help further unlock future growth for the company as well as their leading network of exhibitors.”
Screenvision Media’s unique storytelling, data and technology offerings deepen brand engagement and extend impact with audiences as their advertising platform goes beyond on-screen advertising. The company’s “Connected Cinema” solutions and advanced targeting platform, Cintel, enables advertisers to activate before, during and after the movies, while strategically targeting audiences beyond basic ratings and demographics. Furthermore, Screenvision Media recently announced technological innovations and strategic alliances around virtual reality and augmented reality to provide brands with additional high-impact engagement platforms.
“John Partilla and the driven Screenvision Media management team have done a stellar job transforming the company and setting an industry-leading example for the cinema media and advertising sector,” said Steve Royer, Partner at Shamrock Capital. “We are proud to support them and their initiatives and look forward to continuing our partnership with them during the next chapter of its growth.”
“Screenvision Media has been an excellent partner of ours, delivering extraordinary media solutions on-screen and in the lobbies,” added AMC Entertainment CEO Adam Aron. “We are thrilled that Abry has recognized the strength in the Screenvision Media platform and for the investment that they will be providing to continue the already-robust solution provided to ourselves and Screenvision Media’s other 170 exhibitor partners.”
Moelis & Company served as financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP as legal advisor to Shamrock Capital on the transaction. LionTree Advisors served as financial advisors and Kirkland & Ellis as legal advisor for Abry Partners. Deutsche Bank has committed to provide debt financing for the transaction on an exclusive basis and is acting as sole Lead Arranger and Bookrunner. The transaction is expected to be finalized this summer.


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London's Oyster cards are getting an app for easier top-ups
Online top-ups are now ready for collection in 30 minutes and from any station.
The only thing stopping 4G on the Tube is finding someone to deliver it
Bidding could start after the general election, the FT says.
Android Pay helps Brits keep track of their Tube spending
Daily travel summaries, incomplete journey notifications and more.
London Tube font redesigned for the internet age
The Johnston typeface has a new look for its 100th birthday.
Twitter and TfL team up for instant Tube disruption alerts
The service will send a direct message and won't require you to open the app.
Ride on the Tube for free using Apple Pay next week
Mastercard's bringing back its "Fare Free Mondays."
TfL is making it easier to beat traffic and find parking
The travel authority has opened up more of its data so app developers can bake more features in.
Mastercard gifts Apple Pay users with free London travel
Good news from Londoners with an iPhone or Apple Watch!
London Tube's 'regenerative braking' tech can power an entire station
A "state-of-the-art regenerative braking system" on the London Underground could save enough power to run Holborn station for two days every week.


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Top Five Natural Products 2013 —
This year at the Baltimore Natural Products Expo East, US Hemp Oil unveiled its Cibaderm line of products, along with CanChew Gum, Cibdex tinctures, and a very high strength “medical grade” hemp oil. The common thread? They all contain cannabidiol (CBD), derived from industrial hemp, that many may already know about from its use as a medicine dispensed at cannabis outlets, lawful in many states.
For those of us who live in less forward-thinking regions or who are not comfortable with existing outlets (whether for questions about purity, social reasons or whatever), these products offer the opportunity to experience the benefits of CBD over-the-counter. While no medical claims are made (don’t you just love the FDA, who seem to have a system that keeps us in the dark rather than allow information to flow freely?), there is an enormous amount of research showing the overwhelming benefits of CBD, especially for inflammation, pain, multiple sclerosis, chronic neuropathic pain, intractable nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, psychosis, epilepsy, addiction, metabolic disorders, and more. There is even research showing the ability to inhibit breast cancer.
Of course, cannabis use and benefits are nothing new. Ethan Russo, a cannabinologist, has documented just some of the ancient uses, as has noted ethnobotanist James Duke in his article Pot Shots, published June 2013 in Pathways magazine, where he describes evidence of cannabis use going back thousands of years in China and elsewhere. Mainstream publication Scientific American has reported on use of cannabis for modulating fear and Sanjay Gupta of CNN issued his mea culpa, now seeing the cannabis light. And, who could forget Jack Herer, who toiled on behalf of the maligned hemp until the end?
Clearly the time for CBD products has come. Lacking psychoactive effects (no, they don’t get you high), CBD works on our in-built endocannabinoid system, which plays a key role in diverse functions including immune response, food intake, cognition, emotion, perception, behavior, coordination, body temperature, wake/sleep cycle, bone formation and hormonal control. As we see in this video, according to Chris Boucher of US Hemp Oil, we are at the “third wave” of hemp – the one that will bring us greater health, naturally.
UPDATE (Jan 2015): While CBD still remains a constituent with great promise, we urge readers to do their homework when acquiring it for medical use. In particular, numerous questions have been raised about US Hemp Oil, including its purity and financing.
Something to cheer about!


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Bulgaria's Agriculture Ministry To Set Up Farmers' Markets
A project of Bulgaria's Agriculture Ministry will organise and oversee the opening of 15 farmers' markets across the country.
At those markets small producers will be able to sell their products – meat, milk, eggs, cheese, honey and processed foods – straight to the end consumers.
The current severe requirements for the small farms who want to sell their products directly to the consumers will be reduced, but food safety will nevertheless be strictly monitored, according to the Ministry.
It is expected that the prices at those markets will be lower, since the middlemen will be cut from the supply chain.
Currently there is a farmers' market each Saturday at the “Rimskata Stena” market in Sofia. It is being organised by the Hrancoop Sofia.
- » Bulgaria Interested in Turkish Stream, Russian Official Says
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- » Unrefunded VAT to Bulgarian Companies at BGN 113.6 M by end-May
- » Uber Gets Slammed with Fines in Bulgaria
- » Bulgaria's Energy Watchdog to Go On with Power Price Hike
- » Reuters: Europeans Switching to Destinations in Spain, Bulgaria Following Tunisia Terrorist Attacks


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GI.biz has crunched the numbers on last week’s UK physical game sales, revealing The Last of Us: Part II had a record-breaking launch.
Not only is it the fastest-selling game of 2020, beating Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but it’s also the fastest-selling PS4 game this generation. This means it had a stronger first week than God of War, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Horizon Zero Dawn and even Uncharted 4.
Considering the PS4 is about to enter the end of its lifecycle, it’s likely this record will remain unbroken. Next month’s Ghost of Tsushima would have to be something really special.
Nintendo’s Ring Fit Adventure held onto #2 while FIFA 20 remained at #3
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – last week’s surprise chart-topper – fell to #4, then at #5 it’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, up one position.
GTA V does the opposite and falls to #6, Minecraft re-enters at #7, while the recent mini-game suite 51 Worldwide Games climbs to #8.
At #10 it’s a re-entry for Pokémon Sword, clearly benefiting from last week’s new DLC. Pokémon Shield sits at #22, meanwhile.
DOOM Eternal re-surfaces at #21 – now that they’ve re-opened, retailer GAME are pushing the shooter with a new promotion.
A couple of 3DS games have shown up too, including WarioWare Gold at #29 and Disney Magical World 2 at #32. Both Amazon and Argos have been clearing out their 3DS stock over the past few months, with some games available for as little as £1.99.


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1. Ohhhh snap. Here’s a 1968 advertisement for a special offer from L&M cigarettes — blow-up pillows for only $1. And here you thought you were being so futuristic in 1997.
2. The concept of inflatable furniture has actually been around for quite some time. Here’s a woman in 1956 showing off a chair of her own invention.
Hulton Archive / Getty Images
3. But it was in the late ’60s that inflatable furniture really became big thanks to a designer named Quasar Khanh. This photo is from 1968.
4. And by 1970, Quasar furniture was apparently on display at the MoMA in NYC and the Louvre in Paris.
5. A groovy girl looks predictably uncomfortable on an inflatable ball chair in 1969.
Harold M. Lambert / Getty Images
6. In 1969, an Italian designer named Gaetano Pesce produced a line of furniture that was constructed mostly from vacuum-packed foam. When released from the box, the chair would let in air, expanding on its own.
7. Here’s a 1969 record cover with a groovy blow-up chair.
In The News Today
- 26 people, thought to be refugees and migrants, were discovered in the back of a truck in Austria. ›
- Thai police arrested a man alleged to have explosives in his possession, almost two weeks after a deadly bomb blast in Bangkok killed 20 people. ›
- Oliver Sacks, the famed neurologist and author, died Sunday from cancer. He was 82. ›


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News on Chevrolet continually updated from thousands of sources around the net.
29 min ago | MLive.com
The recall covers more than a dozen vehicle models from the 2011-2015 model years from all four of GM's brands, including some previously recalled vehicles.
Trending on the Topix Network
1 hr ago | Automobile Magazine
Before his departure as top dog at General Motors, Dan Akerson laid out plans for his company to develop lighter electric vehicles with at least 200 miles of range per charge.
4 hrs ago | Detroit Free Press
An Opel Ampera rolls off the assembly line at the GM Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant in 2011.
6 hrs ago | MotorAuthority
After a relatively quiet past 12 months, Buick is about to embark on a new model explosion that will see all-new crossover and convertible models added to its lineup.
General Motors has been hard at work over the last couple of years revamping its trucks and SUVs, which collectively represent its most lucrative profit generators across its vast lineup.
Following the announcement at this year's E3 conference a lot of Xbox owners were no doubt curious about the cars that would be included in the Forza Horizon 2 racing game.
Mark Phelan/Detroit Free Press The New 2015 Ford F-150 Ecoboost sits on a scale at the Ford Proving Grounds in Dearborn.
Ford Truck Group Marketing Manager Doug Scott stands next to the automaker's new aluminum-sided 2015 F-150 truck at the company's Development Center in Dearborn, Mich., Tuesday, July 22, 2014.
The company revealed details of the new truck Tuesday. The 2015 F-150 4x4 goes on sale this fall and is 732 pounds lighter than the outgoing model.
From The Car Connection : 2015 Chevrolet Volt Review The 2015 Chevrolet Volt, now in its fifth model year, remains the first-ever high-volume electric car from General Motors.
For many years, SUVs and crossovers have been strong sellers in the U.S. -- heck, they're one of the reasons that Volkswagen hasn't been able to keep up with its competitors.
European buyers may soon have one fewer plug-in vehicle to choose from, with news that the Opel Ampera--European cousin to the Chevrolet Volt--could be dropped due to slow sales.
It's a cold hard fact that projects involving classic Camaros commonly carry hidden secrets that lay quietly beneath that thick layer paint and clearcoat.
Robert Doan is the lucky ticket holder who now has his pick between a pair of vehicle packages or $75,000 cash.
That can be said of the 1986 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that Nick Deal has been working to customize at Auto Dynamix in downtown Kalamazoo.
Good news for fans of the Chevrolet SS; an update from General Motors has confirmed the inclusion of both a six-speed manual transmission and Magnetic Selective Ride Control on the 2015 SS options list.
Jay Leno gets low in his latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage by showing off two custom lowriders based on a pair of '60s Chevrolet Impala classics and talks to some experts in the field.
Updated: Wed Jul 23, 2014 01:17 pm
Copyright © 2014 Topix LLC


text: Conservative Swire Properties finally crossed Boundary Street in Kowloon for the first time in March when it teamed up with CITIC Pacific to buy the Yau Yat Tsuen site. BARRY PORTER reports it plans another massive MTR crossroads development but won't find this as easy as Quarry Bay and Taikoo because of the limited amount of space available. SWIRE Properties is now looking to turn Kowloon Tong into the third corner of a golden triangle. The hong has already helped turn the MTR crossroads of Admiralty and Quarry Bay-Taikoo Shing into gold mines for its listed parent Swire Pacific through the creation of thriving commercial hubs. It now intends to give Kowloon Tong similar treatment, following its $2.85 billion purchase of a 22,384 square foot commercial development site with CITIC Pacific in March. Like Admiralty and Quarry Bay-Taikoo Shing, the site is strategically located at a busy rail interchange, bordering Kowloon Tong Mass Transit Railway and Kowloon-Canton Railway stations. Like those other sites, Swire Properties will build a giant high quality shopping mall to serve as the nucleus of its development in Yau Yat Tseun. Swire Properties is well aware that Kowloon Tong, along with Admiralty and Quarry Bay, are among the busiest of all Hongkong's MTR stations, providing a ready army of shoppers for its retail tenants. The land will also provide for a relatively small amount of office space. Swire Properties is also now actively looking for opportunities in the immediate surrounding vicinity to develop the area as a whole. It won't find this as easy as it has with its projects in Quarry Bay and Taikoo because of the limited amount of available redevelopment space nearby. However, managing director Keith Kerr believes there is some scope for embarking on complementary office or residential schemes. He also hopes the joint venture between Swire Properties and CITIC Pacific for a shopping mall will act as a magnet for other developers. This ploy worked a treat for Swire Properties development of Pacific Place on the former Victoria Barracks site above Admiralty MTR, which is widely regarded as exceptional. The recent completion of the giant Citibank Plaza office block nearby, for instance, has provided a new hoard of customers for Pacific Place retail tenants to exploit. Over the past 10 years, Swire Properties has transformed Taikoo Shing from a dying dockland into one of Hongkong's largest and most successful shopping and residential hubs, with the Cityplaza shopping complexes at its heart. Recurrent earnings from the office, retail and residential components of Pacific Place along with the flow of rental income from the recently completed Cityplaza Three and Four office towers in Taikoo, have helped Swire Properties contribute substantially higher profits to the Swire group. Swire Pacific's net profit soared by 43.5 per cent in 1992 to slightly more than $4.4 billion, thanks largely to the property arm of the group. It was investor confidence in Swire Pacific's property arm that did much to protect the group's share price during Cathay Pacific's damaging flight attendants strike earlier this year. Group chairman Peter Sutch has forecast continuing growth in rental income for 1993. Mr Kerr said: ''We had been studying the retail sector in Kowloon for a long time and saw the Yau Yat Tseun site had great potential to start another investment hub. ''When it came to the Government land auction we were prepared to be bullish because we saw this as a long-term play.'' Swire Properties had been looking at buying the 280,510 square foot residential-retail Kowloon development site at Diamond Hill at the previous auction, but was heavily outbid by a consortium of Peter Woo's Wharf-World International family of companies which paid a record $3.53 billion for a piece of Crown land. The development of the Yau Yat Tsuen site is expected to cost Swire Properties and CITIC Pacific about $5 billion, taking into account the cost of the land, construction and interest payments. Swire Properties has now used up most of its substantial land bank and has been anxious to replenish it. Further more modest land purchases might be made where appropriate, Mr Kerr said, but the company would have to keep a close eye on cash flow and gearing. Swire Properties has committed itself to ploughing large sums of money into a number of other projects planned for the next few years and consequently is being cautious not to over-stretch itself. Mr Kerr said Swire Properties was a big believer in keeping a sizeable sum on reserve to allow for unforeseen circumstances. It's been an exceptionally expensive year for Swire Properties so far. Additions to its portfolio of redevelopment properties in Quarry Bay included the purchase of the Toppan Building for $750 million in April and the South China Morning Post building for $500 million. The two latest acquisitions should merge nicely with the completion of other Swire developments in the immediate area, Devon House and Dorset House on its Taikoo Place Trading Estate, the latter of which will incorporate the Hongkong Telecom Tower. Mr Kerr said further acquisitions may be made in the area, should the right opportunities arise, to continue its steady expansion. Swire is also gearing up for the launch of sales of residential units at Robinson Place in Robinson Road, Mid-Levels. It will be the company's first venture into the residential sales market since the launch of Park Vale back in 1989. This will be the first of a few residential development sales by Swire over the next few years. While most other property hongs are trying to increase the investment side of their businesses to boost recurring income, Swire Properties is doing the exact opposite. Swire already has a very healthy investment side to its property portfolio, and feels the trading side of its business needs to play catch-up. However, Mr Kerr said Swire Properties would still remain primarily an investment property company. Swire Properties has to date been approaching the booming China real estate market at a snail's pace. It finally crossed Boundary Street in Kowloon for the first time in March when it teamed up with CITIC Pacific to buy the Yau Yat Tsuen site. Up to now Swire Properties has been a pure Hongkong real estate play, and almost exclusively Hongkong Island at that. But times are changing and Swire Properties is well aware of the future opportunities China holds. Mr Kerr said the company had a team of researchers studying the market, but it could be perhaps another four years before Swire Properties moved into China in any force. He said that in the short-term the company had more than enough on its plate coping with the large number of projects lined up in Hongkong. However, in the medium and long-term, Swire Properties could become a star China player. ''No way have we missed out,'' insisted Mr Kerr. ''Their are still plenty of opportunities in China.'' He said Swire Properties was being cautious, both waiting for the China market to mature and taking great care that when it did make a move, it would be the right one. ''Developers traditionally don't travel very well,'' Mr Kerr said. ''Developers who stay local tend to do well. ''However, we do see the integration of Hongkong and China and therefore China will become local to us.''


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The hottest news to come with the latest peek into the upcoming open-worldPokemonRPG,Pokemon Legends: Arceus, involves a new species. The classic Kanto Pokemon Scyther is set to debut in the sequel to its release on January 28th, 2022. Fans may be certain that Scyther usually evolves into Scizor with a Metal Coat, but the ancient Hisui region, which is the region that will later become Sinnoh, provided Scyther with a different evolutionary form: Kleavor, a Bug/Rock-type. What fans of Pokemon TCG and Niantic’s mobile gamePokemon GO might be wondering is whether Kleavor will make its debut there.
Kleavor is a versatile design. Pokemon
In Pokemon GO, Kleavor is a character
When these were announced earlier this year, I first heard about the release of Hisuian Growlithe, Hisuian Braviary, and Basculegion. I’m still thinking about Kleavor’s comments about what I said then.
Looking at the release history of Niantic’s Pokemon GO releases, we’ve seen a pattern in which the Pokemon Company has utilized this popular mobile game to integrate with other industries. In honor of Let’s GO!, Meltan was released. Galarian Ponyta and Sirfetch were released in honor of the Crown Tundra DLC. Shiny Celebi was released as part of the as-of-youth-unreleased movie Secrets of the Jungle in addition to the movie. There’s a distinct pattern here, which makes me believe that at least one of these forms will be released as a promotional campaign when Legends: Arceus itself is released. In under a year, a small Hisui dex will be introduced to the Pokemon GO Pokedex. I’m a little nervous!
Kleavor in the Pokemon TCG
The same is true for theTCG. In the end, Japan will unveil an Arceus-themed set called Star Birth in January. This is forsure a tie-in toPokemon Legends: Arceus, and I believe it’s a good idea that we will be able to see hisuian species in there, such as Kleavor. We do not yet know when this set will be adapted to English, but it will likely be the basis for the set we get in the first quarter of the year. I’d wager that we’d get Kleavor on one of the pack arts as well.


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While a number of rumors pointed towards a new iMac lineup announcement today, not one touched upon just how remarkably thin the new iMacs would be. When Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller debuted the new all-in-one desktop Mac, I was utterly amazed. At just 5 mm thin around its edges, thanks to its tapered design, the new iMac is easily the sleekest and sexiest desktop computer that I have ever seen.
It is already widely known that Apple has one of the best engineering teams in the industry, but it’s still fascinating that the company was able to achieve an 80 percent reduction in the thickness of its new iMac. As the owner of a 24-inch iMac, the new ultra-thin model looks like a piece of paper next to the bulkier aluminum unibody chassis of my older generation iMac.
For this reason, I feel that the iMac stole the show from the iPad mini, which was expected to be the trademark device shown off at Apple’s special media event today. While the iPad mini is also an interesting and exciting device, we already knew its screen size, design and pricing based on rumors that proved to be accurate. The new iMac, on the other hand, caught everyone by surprise.
The upgrade path for me would likely involve purchasing a new 21.5-inch iMac, although its lack of expandable memory slots has me considering the larger 27-inch model instead. Having just recently purchased a new 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display and iPhone 5, however, I might have to be patient on this one before spending even more money on my Apple obsession. But the new iMac has won me over, that’s for sure.


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Logitech on Thursday expanded its G-Series gaming peripherals in India by launching the G603 Lightspeed wireless mouse and G613 Lightspeed mechanical keyboard. The G603 Lightspeed wireless gaming mouse is available with a price tag of Rs. 5,995, while the G613 Lightspeed wireless mechanical keyboard is priced at Rs. 8,495. Both the new gaming accessories will go on sale in the country through major retailers later this month.
As unveiled ahead of IFA 2017 back in August, the Logitech G603 Lightspeed wireless gaming mouse features an advanced optical sensor called HERO (High Efficiency Rated Optical) that is claimed to have precision with sensitivity up to 12,000 DPI. The new optical sensor also helps in reducing power consumption and delivering over 500 hours of non-stop gaming experience at maximum performance.
The Logitech G613 Lightspeed wireless mechanical keyboard, on the other hand, features six programmable G-keys, enabling custom macro sequences and handy in-app commands. There are Romer-G switches that are actuated at a distance of 1.5mm that is up to 25 percent shorter and faster than the leading competitor. The wireless technology powering the keyboard is touted to have 1ms report rate and Bluetooth connectivity for multi-device compatibility. Further, the mechanical keyboard is claimed to deliver up to 18 months of gaming on two AA batteries.
“The latest product from the Logitech G portfolio is an elegantly designed feature-packed product that is especially shaped for an audience who want impeccable gaming performance. Lightspeed and Powerplay will together provide the superlative performance that will untether and uncompromised wireless performance a reality,” said Ashok Jangra, cluster category head – India and SWA, Logitech, in a press statement.
Alongside the G603 Lightspeed wireless gaming mouse and the G613 mechanical gaming keyboard, Logitech also showcased its G840 XL gaming mouse pad that can house both the new peripherals. That mouse pad is yet to be launched in India.


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Kanaga Sundar, analyst with Gulf Baader Capital Markets, said that the lifting of Russia's export ban could see global wheat prices drop. “If Russia opens up its exports once again, that could see supply come up and maybe we will see prices fall in the short term.”
Ahmed al Dhahab, general manager of Salalah Mills, said prices in Oman will not immediately be affected by the lifting of the ban, but global prices could eventually drop if the drought conditions currently affecting parts of Europe begin to improve.
He said, “The government is subsidising the wheat price in the local market; therefore, the Russian decision to end the ban on the export of wheat will not affect flour prices in Oman. On the world level, the wheat prices could ease a little, but it depends on the weather in the coming weeks.”
Oman Flour Mills could not be reached for comment, but the introduction of the ban was keenly felt in the sultanate, with company chairperson Manal al Abdwani saying in a September 2010 report to shareholders that prices rose as a result.
She had said, “In the last three months wheat prices have increased sharply by over 50 per cent due to the drought conditions in some part of Europe resulting in the ban of export from Russia. With commodity prices continuing to remain at these high levels, the government has approved the re-introduction of the subsidy and a marginal price increase.”


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April 15, 2021
Tax scams strike every tax season, and they’re constantly changing. Here are some of the most prevalent scams facing members this year and how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud.
July 30, 2020
Shopping online has become an essential way of life. But with all this convenience, sometimes we forget to take the precautions necessary to protect our personal financial information from hackers and other fraudsters. As a way to protect your money and your identity, consider these nine security measures while shopping online.


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Kit Kat has found not only a good way to reduce their ecological footprint but also make us think twice about throwing away the wrapper! Each Kit Kat bar will be wrapped in a paper packaging and includes instructions on how to build the traditional origami crane - a symbol of hope and healing. This environmentally friendly packaging encourages customers to turn their trash into art.
The biggest market for Kit Kat is Japan, which sees a large variety of flavours that aren't present western countries like sweet potato and wasabi. The new packaging will see its debut with the three most popular Japanese flavours - original, matcha, and dark chocolate. While they still are miniature-sized, the impact on plastic production is considerable. Nestlé has estimated that this new initiative will help to reduce the brand’s plastic waste by approximately 380 tonnes per year.
The world’s biggest food company has vowed to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025, after facing increasing pressure from environmental groups.
'Plastic waste is one of the biggest sustainability issues the world is facing today,' Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider says. 'Tackling it requires a collective approach. We are committed to finding improved solutions to reduce, re-use and recycle.'
Whilst Nestle Japan is trying to rebuild its brand image after numerous scandals over their lack of ethical standards and social responsibility, Greenpeace Plastics Campaigner Kate Melges says that 'Nestlé has created a monster by producing endless quantities of throwaway plastics that persist in our environment for lifetimes.'
'People living along rivers and coastlines in Southeast Asia and in other communities around the world are among the most impacted by plastic pollution. Even though excessive production of single-use plastic for packaging is the real cause, these communities are often blamed for this crisis.'
Greenpeace suggests that even though Nestle reduces its plastic waste impact, this initiative too little too late. Here's to hoping this initiative is only a first step for many other environmentally conscious actions.


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Did The "Dash For Trash" Just End?
For almost three years there has been one recurring simple strategy to outperforming the market - find the worst company you can, and buy its stock with both hands and feet... As we have discussed numerous times, the massive outperformance of "weak balance sheet" companies over "strong balance sheet" companies - the absolute sign of a massive mal-investment boom - has been a straight line to profits with hardly a hiccup since the Fed unleashed QE2. However, the last week or so, as geopolitical risks rise and it appears ever more likely that the Fed's free money pipe will dry up, the dash-for-trash has reversed.
The last 5 days saw "strong" companies outperform "weak" companies by the most in 3 years - something appears to be changing.
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Avocado gelato? This San Antonio location sells it
Step aside, avocado toast: there's a sweeter avocado treat in town.
Paciugo San Antonio, a gelato shop known for its instagrammable spaghetti gelato and chocolate meatballs, expansive selection of flavors, and vegan offerings, is now offering avocado gelato -- in the shape of an avocado.
The avalato is made using actual avocados. The shells are preserved and frozen and the fruit itself is mixed with Paciugo's gelato base to make the entire treat avocado-flavored. The homemade pits, compared to an "all-vegan protein bar" by the location's owner, consist primarily of dates, peanut butter, almonds, and coconut.
The dish was inspired by a European restaurant with a similar offering, but the protein-ball pits were an added San Antonio twist.
"My friend showed me this place in London that had done them, and I'm always on the hunt for like new, cool ideas for food that looks like other food," owner Mo Shideed said. "I thought it would be fun to do. Everybody's into avocados."
The trendy treats were released earlier this week at 999 East Basse Road. Shideed said he hasn't decided yet whether or not they will be a permanent menu staple, a once-only offering, or a seasonal product, but the response so far has been positive.
Two people can share the large size for $6.89, or the single serving can be purchased for $6.09, according to Shideed.
The restaurant also recently released vegan gelato stuffed donuts, he said, and customers can most likely expect another unique dish in a few months. The ever-popular macaron gelato sandwiches and cookie dough gelato squares are still available, he added.
"We like things to look cool, taste good, and not be over the top with crazy amounts of stuff going on," Shideed said.


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The U.S. Department of Commerce grabbed big headlines when it slapped China with tariffs of as much as 227 percent on cold-rolled steel and 255.8 percent on corrosion-resistant steel over the last few weeks.
But though many in the industry say China is at the root of the current import crisis, analysts and steelmakers have questioned whether the tariffs against other countries are high enough to offer much relief.
Corrosion-resistant steel from India faces much more modest tariffs of 6.64 percent to 6.92 percent, according to the preliminary Department of Commerce ruling. Italian steelmakers are looking at duties of up to 3.11 percent, while Korean steel companies will get tariffs that range from 2.99 percent to 3.51 percent.
Taiwan escaped anti-dumping duties for corrosion-resistant steel altogether, while Korea only received bare minimum tariffs of 0.18 percent to 0.61 percent. Cold-rolled steel tariffs are 4.45 percent on India, 6.33 percent on Russia and 7.42 percent on Brazil.
Steel industry analyst Charles Bradford said the tariffs might not make that much of a difference.
"There's this whole idea that the industry is going to be the beneficiary of these trade cases," Bradford said. "The Chinese ruling (on cold-rolled steel) was a crock. They got hit with big tariffs after they stopped shipping coil two years ago."
During its economic boom, China had been producing a historically unprecedented 800 million tons of steel a year, or more than eight times as much as the United States. But China's economy eventually slowed, leaving it with an estimated 400 million to 500 million tons of overcapacity.
Steelmakers across the globe fault China for dumping the excess steel, which triggers a domino effect that leads other countries to dump their excess steel in the United States.
AK Steel, which filed trade cases along with ArcelorMittal and U.S. Steel, said tariffs aren't high enough against other countries that are dumping steel on American shores.
"We are disappointed that the preliminary dumping margins for India, Italy, South Korea, and Taiwan were not higher as they do not appear to adequately address the dumping that we believe is occurring in the U.S. market," AK Steel President and Chief Executive Officer James Wainscott said.
The tariffs are already being imposed by the U.S. Customs Department, but analysts have said other countries could still afford to send imports in.
The flow of imports, however, does appear to be slowing. Net steel imports fell by 23 percent in November and trail 2014 by 11 percent, according to the American Iron and Steel Institute.
Cheap imports have inflicted damage on U.S. steelmakers by taking away volume and also suppressing prices to the point where it's difficult to turn a profit. But domestic steelmakers have been raising prices, and the price hikes finally seem to be sticking, Bradford said.
"Hot-rolled was up by $10 and it was sticking," he said. "But a little turn doesn't mean a trend."


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The potential for digital health in the UK --- from 'Intellect' the, "go-to organisation for the UK tech industry. It is the trade association for the UK's tech sector, which represents developers and suppliers of digital technology and services"
Digital Health and Wellness summarized A Haiku Deck by Jessica DONOVAN Halloween costumes Halloween decorations Halloween food Halloween ideas Halloween costumes couples Halloween from brit + co Halloween
6 Easy Tips for Improving Physical and Mental Health
Will Workplace Wellness Screenings Under Obamacare Improve Health? | CVS Caremark (CVS) was widely criticized in March when word got out that its employees would have to submit to yearly health screenings or pay $50 more a month for insurance. The pharmacy chain isn’t exceptional: The Kaiser Family Foundation reports nearly half of U.S. companies with more than 200 employees have wellness programs that measure workers’ weight, blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol.


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In case you missed them, these are some of the most popular and newsworthy Tweets from the past week in the rubber manufacturing industry, compiled by Rubber & Plastics News.
Tweets you may have missed
The gavel has officially been passed on to our 2016 Chair - Leo Goss! pic.twitter.com/ywwFBIkX3L— Rubber Division, ACS (@RubberDivision) December 8, 2015
BREAKING: U.S. imposes $70 million civil penalty on Fiat Chrysler https://t.co/OgVpcgvC21— Bloomberg Business (@business) December 10, 2015
Check out this marketing magazine designed for manufacturers to stay lean while budgeting for 2016. https://t.co/NEGt6H7XJY— Fathom Manufacturing (@MFG_Marketing) November 5, 2015
@DowChemical CEO says deal represents a tectonic shift in the ag/chemical industry.— Matthew S. Dolan (@matthewsdolan) December 11, 2015
Rubber News wants to hear from its readers. If you want to express your opinion on a story or issue, email your letter to Editor Bruce Meyer at [email protected].


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Wall Street shrugged off Ben Bernanke’s latest move to keep a sizzling U.S. economy from overheating, but consumers could get hit harder in their wallets by next month.
The Federal Reserve chief carried out his expected quarter-point hike yesterday in the overnight interest rate to push it to the 5 percent level for the first time after five years of historic lows as cheap as 1 percent.
Analysts said Bernanke was more hawkish on keeping tighter control of cheap money than market-watchers expected.
Traders and investors were keyed in to Bernanke’s statement yesterday on behalf of the Fed’s policy committee, which many said was his clearest yet:
“The committee judges that some further policy firming may yet be needed to address inflation risks but emphasizes that the extent and timing of any such firming will depend importantly on the evolution of the economic outlook as implied by incoming information.”
Had Bernanke and his Fed cohorts signalled that this rate hike was the last in the forseeable future, many on Wall Street expected a rally that would carry the Dow Jones industrial average through its all-time highs.
First quarter economic growth of 4.8 percent, the fastest in two years, has the Fed focused on inflation risks.
The hike, designed to help slow consumer spending, will begin showing up in next month’s credit card bills, and also increase the monthly payments for people with home equity credit lines and adjustable rate mortgages, experts say.
A quarter-point hike in the federal funds rate forces consumers to shell out an additional $1.5 billion for higher interest in their monthly credit card payments alone, said Gail Hildebrand, an attorney for Consumers Union.
The rate hike gave Wall Street traders a brief jolt when Bernanke announced it at 2:15 p.m., saying he’s also leaving open the possibility of another quarter-point hike in June to keep inflation in check and cool any overheating in the economy.
The Dow Jones industrial average plunged sharply in just a single minute by nearly 41 points but bounced back within 15 minutes to a new high for the day of 11,670.42.
The Dow see-sawed up and down for the rest of the session to close 2.88 higher at 11,642.65, another new six-year high.
Federal fund rate target
May 10: 5%


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Woolies boss breaks ranks over GSTPUBLISHED: 25 Feb 2012 00:03:55 | UPDATED: 25 Feb 2012 12:30:42PUBLISHED: 25 Feb 2012 PRINT EDITION: 25 Feb 2012
Woolworths has broken ranks with other retailers, dismissing calls for the tax-free threshold on imported online purchases to be reduced and calling on retailers to cut prices to remain competitive.
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text: Golf enthusiasts across the Tennessee Valley are invited to grab their clubs and hit the links in an effort to raise money and awareness for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga. This event is one pillar of a multi-year partnership between Habitat for Humanity and the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors (GCAR). Golfers of all skill levels are invited to “Tee Up & Wine Down” at the Black Creek Club on Monday, April 11 for an afternoon of friendly competition on the greens. The day will conclude with a silent auction and wine tasting for golfers, spectators and everyone else interested in supporting the cause. The golf tournament will begin at 1:00 p.m., and the wine tasting and silent auction will be held from 5:30-8:30 p.m. For additional information, tournament registration forms and ticket prices, please visit the “Tee Up & Wine Down” event page on GCAR’s website.


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Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra spend quality time together at a popular restaurant in Mumbai
Actress Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra might be struggling as entrepreneurs, but that does not take away their opportunity of spending quality time with each other. The lovable couple was seen on a lunch date in Mumbai on May 9, 2017. Shilpa (as usual) looked trendy in a white top and blue denims while husband Raj was seen in a grey pull-over and a pair of denims.
The actress turned entrepreneur and Raj Kundra were recently in news when one of their suppliers had filed a case against the stars for non-payment of the goods delivered to them for their home shopping channel.
On the work front, Shilpa has taken a break from acting and is concentrating on building her yoga career. She has released various fitness DVDs featuring her and is a constant torch bearer of good health and fitness. While talking to a leading daily spoke about importance of Yoga and said, “You know what Yoga does to you is it gives you that confidence to achieve something which is on heights. It harnesses the energy and Yoga are also about giving you will-power and if you have will-power and control on your mind, it will make you reach to a higher target”.
Enjoy our exclusive gallery featuring Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra out on a date –
Photo Credits: Viral Bhayani


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GPS-loaded helmet offers easier trip for motorcyclists
Review: Amazon Fire TV Stick doesn't match Chromecast, Apple TV or Roku
Amazon is determined to be a player in the market for digital media devices, gadgets that allow users to stream movies, television shows and music from the Internet to their televisions and living room entertainment ...
Troy Wolverton: Fire TV needs work to reach potential
Consumers wanting to watch Internet videos on the big screen in their living room now have one more intriguing option: Amazon.com's new Fire TV digital media player.
Review: Fire TV device great, but not fully ready
Amazon's new Fire TV streaming device shows a lot of potential in bringing together the best features from competing devices and adding voice search on top of that.
Amazon steps up TV push with streaming video device (Update 2)
Amazon stepped up its battle for television viewers on Wednesday, unveiling a new media streaming device touted as simplifying the experience of watching video online.
Intel wants Jarvis to serve you answers without the cloud
Google wants to start a conversation
Search engine companies like Google, Microsoft and, to a lesser extent, Apple are trying their best to get users to stop typing in queries and to start using their voices to ask more conversational questions to perform searches ...
Microsoft touts Xbox One as all-in-one entertainment (Update 4)
Microsoft thinks it has the one. The company unveiled the Xbox One, an entertainment console that wants to be the one system households will need for games, television, movies and other entertainment. It ...
Google patent suggests Google-Glass-ish control of appliances
Intel's Perceptual Computing marks neo-desktop era
My offbeat wish list for the next iPhone
The flurry of rumors and reports surrounding Apple's upcoming iPhone launch have left little to the imagination about what Apple will actually announce Wednesday, but I'm still hoping for a few surprises.
Microsoft reaches into TV market with Xbox Live ads
Microsoft on Thursday unveiled ads for its popular Xbox Live online entertainment service that combine the interactivity of the Internet with old-school television viewing.
Amazon streams video to Xbox 360 consoles
Online retail powerhouse Amazon.com on Tuesday announced a collaboration with Microsoft to begin streaming films and television shows to Xbox 360 videogame consoles.
Remote control pushed aside by gesture-sensitive devices
The remote control has never been much beloved. If it's not getting lost or running out of batteries, the device - and its inscrutable buttons - is confusing some family member or acting as a totem in an argument about what ...


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Thursday, March 26, 2015
Blog Publisher’s Comment:
I received this, yesterday, from someone who regularly visits the Reprographics 101 Blog. My main problem, all along, with 3D printing (and with 3D printers) is that the 3D printing process is EXCRUATINGLY slow. Kind of like waiting for a turtle to finish a 100-yard dash. (Pack a breakfast, a lunch, and a dinner … x 3.)
Evidently, a company has come up with a way to substantially speed up the process. Watch this video and you’ll see what I mean.
An interesting article I saw from Design News with a new twist on 3D printing
Posted by Joel Salus at 12:02 PM


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For Immediate Release
U.S. PIRG Statement: Congress Should Pass FREE Act to Help Consumers after Equifax Breach
Statement by Mike Litt at U.S. PIRG, on the introduction of legislation making credit freezes free.
WASHINGTON - “It is outrageous that the credit bureaus charge us fees to prevent identity theft when we didn’t even give them permission to collect our information in the first place.
The Freedom from Equifax Exploitation (FREE) Act introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Senator Brian Schatz (Hawaii) and other Senators would finally correct this wrong and make credit freezes free to all consumers. Congress should pass the FREE Act immediately.
The best way to protect all consumers from new account identity theft would be a universal credit freeze that blocks access to credit reports by default. But making them free to all who take the step to opt-in to get freezes would be a big win for consumers.
We’re recommending that consumers get credit freezes with all three credit bureaus. We’ve called on Equifax to pay for all those freezes, but consumers shouldn’t wait for that. We know that the credit bureaus’ systems to request freezes have been crashing, but people should keep trying to get them.
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Credit freezes are currently only free in seven states (about to be eight in October). We are working to make them free in other places like Illinois and Massachusetts where state bills have been introduced. Regardless, only the freeze, not the credit monitoring products offered by Equifax and other firms that have been breached, protects your credit report from misuse.
Congress should lead and make credit freezes free for everyone in the country and pass the FREE Act immediately.
Our consumer tips and FAQ about the Equifax breach, including a how-to for getting credit freezes, are available here: http://www.uspirg.org/blogs/blog/usp/consumer-tips-and-faq-about-equifax-breach
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U.S. PIRG, the federation of state Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs), stands up to powerful special interests on behalf of the American public, working to win concrete results for our health and our well-being. With a strong network of researchers, advocates, organizers and students in state capitols across the country, we take on the special interests on issues, such as product safety,political corruption, prescription drugs and voting rights,where these interests stand in the way of reform and progress.


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Halfway through the year and in the week ending 22nd August 2015 there has been the worst week on the Stock Exchange yet. A drop of over 8% over the total week is a hefty drop by anyone’s standards.
In the past month there have been large drops in Chinese stock markets which the Chinese government has propped up, even daring to suggest that certain companies whose price had fallen the lowest were buying back their own shares. However this last week’s drop in share prices cannot simply be explained that it is because it is the holiday season, people aren’t buying because they are on holiday, and so on. This is a much more serious symptom of an already overstretched gambling system that has simply run out of steam.
The USA is simply bankrupt beyond being bankrupt. The European Union is being dragged down financially because of a lack of demand for its goods caused by Germany’s intransigence that everyone should be as financially efficient as they are, notwithstanding other countries have their own problems, sanctions against Russia that were ordered by the USA in 2014 as part of trying to get both the Ukranian president, President Putin of Russia, Presidents Hollande & Merkel to agree a ceasefire. That’s without the drama of the Greek Crisis whose embers still burn bright.
In the past few years we have witnessed a situation where clever capitalists have decided that if they pay the lowest price to have goods manufactured, shipped all over the globe and delivered to so-called “wealthy” Westerners, profits will still abound ad infinitum. However what has happened is that as wages/salaries have declined, so has the spending power of individuals, meaning there is less money to be made as profit. This is an ever decreasing circle that has only one place to go …. down.
The bottom has been reached, the banks of last resort and printing fake money are about to turn off the taps and raise interest rates in the next few months and it will be interesting to see how things turn out then.


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Adam Bosworth, VP, Amazon Web Services (Linkedin photo)
There’s a lot we still don’t know about the mysterious Amazon Web Services project that prompted the company to sue a former employee for breaching a non-compete agreement, but one interesting detail has emerged: Adam Bosworth appears to be leading the project.
Heavily-redacted court documents indicate that Bosworth, a well-known tech executive who made his mark at companies including Google and Microsoft, is the primary force behind the secretive AWS project at issue in the case. His involvement is notable in part because Bosworth himself was the target of a non-compete claim from Microsoft many years ago.
Amazon is claiming Gene Farrell, a former AWS executive, would have known the project competes with similar products developed by Bellevue, Wash.-based Smartsheet. For now, AWS has successfully prevented Farrell from working Smartsheet as vice president of product, after a judge granted a temporary restraining order based on an AWS suit claiming Farrell is in violation of his non-compete agreement.
Gene Farrell. (Smartsheet Photo)
In a response to the Amazon suit, Smartsheet filed a motion claiming that the redacted project at AWS was “nascent” and that Farrell was “three levels removed from the work” that was being …read more


text: The 7th Annual Santa Barbara Harbor Nautical Swap Meet will be held today, attracting hundreds of treasure-seekers to the Main Harbor Parking lot from 8 am to noon. Dozens of vendors sprawl out their tackle & gear, surfboards, fishing poles, inflatable boats, boat motors and other marine/nautical items ready to make a deal. Thanks to the Santa Barbara Harbor Merchants Associations free coffee & refreshments will be provided to the public. Event admission is always free. For information and details about this year’s event call (805) 564-5531.


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On one level, this is a shock: Consumers who are seeing smaller paychecks should, by all rights, be holding fast to their wallets. It was just a few weeks ago that we were all fretting over leaked internal Wal-Mart e-mails in which one executive pondered “Where are all the customers? And where’s their money?”
Well, it turns out (as Wal-Mart made clear in its earnings call shortly thereafter), they were just waiting a bit until they received their delayed tax refund checks. The underlying state of consumer spending seems to be strong.
But beyond what that tells us about the consumer, think about that in the context of other recent evidence. Friday’s jobs report was quite good, and it followed a series of solid jobs numbers. Employers didn’t sweat the fiscal cliff in December. They didn’t sweat the sequester in February. Housing market indicators—construction, prices, sales—are all pointing up.
We still don’t know what impact the sequestration that went into effect March 1 will have on the broader economy; particularly in areas heavily dependent on government spending (ahem, Virginia), it could depress incomes and overall economic activity.
But the retail sales numbers Wednesday are the latest piece of evidence that just maybe, the U.S. recovery has some hidden resilience that could bode better times ahead.


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It seems like in modern society we cannot go through life without electronic devices. Thanks to appliances, we have more time to ourselves, and carrying a smartphone is a necessity. China has moved smoothly from a low-cost sector and low technology to a value-added industry and high technology, becoming a global production base for electronics. Despite being a developing country, China export loads of devices such as mobile phones, notebook computers and electronic components. In 2017, the value of China’s electronics manufacturing services market reached around $300 billion, and in 2023, the value of it is supposed to break $500 billion. Do you want to import such goods from China? Check the current US import duty on electronics.
Despite the growing prices and labor costs, China will remain to be the most important manufacturing base for electronic equipment. Large, qualified workforce and perfect supply chain determine that for the following years most of the smartphones, tablets and other gadgets will be manufactured somewhere between Guangzhou and Shenzhen. But what should the importer keep in mind, if he is about to start importing? In our opinion, the whole process should be divided to several phases.


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Plymouth Gin unveils eco-friendly bottle
Pernod Ricard has revealed a more sustainable bottle design for Plymouth Gin.
The updated design has removed all single-use plastic and reduced the overall weight of the glass by 15% – saving 60 tonnes of carbon a year.
‘Significant improvements’ include the introduction of paper labels and swapping the PVC closure for recyclable PET.
The monk on the bottom of the bottle that was applied by a plastic label is now embossed into the glass.
Toni Ingram, global brand director for Plymouth Gin, said: “Consumer research highlighted a love for the iconic ‘sea green’ bottle and an opportunity to enhance our super-premium, craft credentials.
“We’ve also simplified the messaging on the bottle to communicate the most important messages that resonate with our consumers, such as the fact Plymouth Gin is still hand-crafted and batch-distilled, using 100% Dartmoor water.
“The new bottle design is just one of many new initiatives Plymouth Gin will unveil this year in its journey to ensuring sustainability is front and centre.
“Plymouth Gin has already made great strides in this area with the distillery using 100% renewable electricity and ensuring our gin botanicals are recycled via an anaerobic digestion power plant to turn waste into energy.”
The new design will be rolled out globally from October, spanning the entire Plymouth portfolio: Original Strength, Navy Strength, Sloe Gin, and Fruit Cup.
A campaign will support the launch in the US, airing across print, radio and in-store media.
Earlier in 2021, Plymouth Gin agreed a long-term partnership with the Ocean Conservation Trust to raise awareness of a healthy ocean.
Earlier this year, Pernod Ricard revealed a new bottle for Absolut vodka, which claimed to be the biggest refresh for the brand since it launched in 1979. The packaging refresh included the first paper label for the brand.
In other Pernod Ricard news, the company acquired The Whisky Exchange for an undisclosed sum last month. The deal included London Cocktail Week and Whisky.Auction.


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Officials of the European Union Funded Project; No Business As Usual (NBU) have exposed young entrepreneurs to how they can utilize a new mobile app to manage their finances in business.
Called “OZE”, the new mobile and web app helps business owners to track monies coming in and out of their business, record sales and expenses even offline, see business performance on dashboard, track who owes them and who they owe, send customers reminders to pay, send digital receipts and invoices etc.
On Tuesday 9th February 2021, officials of the project tutored participants on how they can register onto the app and go about its usage.
The training was held at the hub of the project at Asokore Mampong and was dubbed; “Financial Management”.
The presentation was done by the Training and Event Coordinator for NBU Abdul Rahman Ashraf.
Addressing the media, Abdul Rahman underscored that majority of start-ups are faced with a litany of challenges in business especially the management of their cash flow.
Through the utilisation of the new app, young entrepreneurs will be able to achieve a sound financial record.
He therefore advised all business owners to adopt the usage of the app for the progress of the finances.


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Trade Wars: Good and Easy to Win?
Please note this blog post was published over 12 months ago and so may not include the most up-to-date information, for example where regulation around investing has changed.
Donald Trump once tweeted that ‘trade wars are good and easy to win’, refuting most economists views that nobody wins in a trade war. The ‘Phase One’ deal signed by the US and China this week will take us a step toward to finding out if President Trump’s belief is correct.
Phase One is a noteworthy development because it forms part of the President’s overall strategy to revise US trading relationships with other nations. China has been particularly singled out by the President on trade and Trump has adopted a combative stance since coming to power. The value of Chinese goods sold into the US is four times greater than US goods sold to China, which the President believes is the result of ‘unfair’ Chinese trade practices.
In fact, the combined value of trade between the US and China trade is staggering. This makes the terms under which trade occurs a very big deal for the global economy. According to the US Census Bureau, by 2018 the total value of imports and exports climbed to over $660bn per annum. Trade values are projected to have fallen back last year, leaving the US as China’s 3rd largest trading partner, behind both the EU and the ASEAN trade bloc, neatly displaying the impacts of tariffs on business activity and confidence. However, trade has clearly soared over the last twenty years and supply chains have become highly interconnected. Realigning these supply chains would be a laborious process and a deal which brings some certainty to trading arrangements would be in both parties’ interests.
Graph 1: Total Trade between US and China
Source: United States Census Bureau, Data December 2019 (2019 figures projected)
Ironically, as the value and importance of the relationship has increased, so too have accusations of unfair practices and policies. The US side say that China undercuts US producers. These accusations are not new. They have been a source of on-going grievance for successive US administrations. What is different this time is a lack of belief that free-trade confers equal benefits. Prior to Trump’s election, direct confrontation was mainly avoided because US leaders were happy for firms to buy cheap Chinese goods and inputs, knowing this benefited the US consumer and believed connecting China with the West would precipitate political and economic liberalisation within the Asian country. President Trump’s ‘America First’ policies and scepticism of the benefits of free-trade represent a clear break from previous strategic theory, meaning he is willing to disrupt relationships by employing punitive protectionist measures such as tariffs, even if this negatively impacts upon the price of goods
Such measures come with consequences. Graph 2 below shows the effect of these policies. US firms are buying fewer Chinese goods, importing around $59 billion less in 2019 than the previous year, causing pain for Chinese exporters.
Graph 2: Value of Chinese Exports to US (USD)
Source: Bloomberg, data November 2019
So, what progress has been made with the Phase One deal?
- Enhanced Intellectual Property (IP) protections:
- It will be easier for US trade officials to identify and penalise Chinese firms for counterfeiting and stealing US IP, whether through patent violation or licensing terms;
- US firms will not be forced to enter joint-ventures with local businesses licensed to operate in the Chinese market – a covert method of handing technological expertise and trade secrets to Chinese companies, who then obtain a competitive advantage through subsidies, undercutting Western firms.
- Purchases and market access:
- Relaxing of Chinese inspection, registration and health standards which at present close the Chinese market to US animal products;
- Reciprocal relaxation of US rules, granting Chinese goods greater access to US markets;
- For two years, China commits to import $4 billion of US energy exports, $77.7 billion of manufactured goods, $37.9 billion of services and £32 billion of agricultural produce, specifically mentioning soybeans, meat and wheat.
- Currency manipulation
- The US alleges China intervenes in currency markets to devalue its currency, undercutting US industries and giving its exporters a competitive advantage;
- China has agreed not to competitively devalue its currency;
- In return the US Treasury Department has removed the designation of currency manipulator from China, representing a clear easing of tensions.
Tariffs and remaining issues
Despite progress, US officials have indicated there are no plans to reduce over $360 billion worth of tariffs slapped on Chinese goods since 2018. Likewise, tariffs remain on US exports to China, but temporary tariff exclusion has been granted for US agricultural goods which form the basis of China’s purchasing commitments.
Keeping some tariffs in place may be viewed by some as disappointing, but their continued existence serves a purpose. They act as an implicit threat to ensure China abides by the terms of the Phase One Agreement. Moreover, they incentivise China to enter talks for ‘Phase Two’ and resolve other issues not covered by Phase One. Namely, US complaints regarding market distorting subsidies granted by the Chinese government to domestic firms and the hacking of US companies.
It is fair to say the accord signed by the US and China is comparatively limited at this stage. The muted reaction of markets and the relative brevity of the official text testifies to this.
However, the very fact an agreement has been reached is a significant milestone. It eases tensions and uncertainty around global trade.
Attention can now turn to ‘Phase Two’ of the Agreement, where negotiators will tackle the outstanding issues outlined above.
President Trump will be relieved that Chinese retaliatory tariffs focussed on US agricultural goods are being rolled back, and the 2-year commitment to buy more goods represents a boost to farm incomes. We note that US farmers represent a politically influential lobby group. They will now be more favourably disposed to Trump in the 2020 US election year.
Other US economic sectors are also poised to reap some benefits as well, with reciprocal market access improving for both countries.
Only time will confirm whether Trump’s assertion that trade wars are easy to win bears true, but overall the deal creates opportunities for both nations’ producers and eases the tension that has dominated the recent relationship between the world’s two economic superpowers.


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Taiwan's CSC holds most steel prices for Q4 sales
Aug 23, 2019 18:30
See Full-size Table Here
Taiwan’s top steel producer, China Steel Corp (CSC), will keep its list prices of most steel products stable for local sales over October-December, a company official confirmed Friday. Though the Kaohsiung-based mill had clipped prices for Q3 sales, CSC remains very cautious about local steel market trends for the last quarter of this year, Mysteel Global notes.
For sales in
Q4, CSC will raise prices on its hot-dipped galvanized coil and electrical
steel coil by TWD 173/tonne ($5.5/t) and TWD 255/t respectively, while keeping
those of other major steel products stable compared from Q3, according to its
quarterly pricing policy released late on August 23.
economy and steel industry are expected to


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Standard Robots was founded in 2016 and focuses on autonomous mobile robot manufacturing and flexible logistics solutions.
(Image credit: Standard Robots)
Standard Robots, which specializes in the development and production of industrial mobile robots, announced today that it recently closed a Pre-C round of funding of several hundred million RMB.
The financing was led by Broad Vision Funds and followed by NIO Capital, with continued participation from previous shareholders Miracle Plus and Source Code Capital.
The funds will be used primarily for Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) product development, talent acquisition and global market expansion, the company said.
Standard Robots, founded in 2015, focuses on laser SLAM-driven AMR and flexible logistics solutions and has served customers in a variety of industries, including consumer electronics, auto parts, semiconductors, photovoltaics and healthcare, according to its official website.
The company is the largest in China's consumer electronics industry focused on developing laser AMR, with customers including Huawei, Foxconn, ZTE, Delta Electronics, and DJI, it says.
Standard Robots has thousands of AMRs deployed in smart factories located in China, the US and Japan, providing next-generation flexible logistics solutions for the consumer electronics, semiconductor and new energy industries, the company says.
Standard Robots will invest more in R&D in the future to accelerate automation, flexibility and digitalization upgrades to light up more smart factories around the world, it said.
This is one of NIO Capital's many investments, and it's not clear how this move will help NIO in the future, but it's certainly good to have more partners in the cutting-edge technology space.
Some of NIO Capital's previous investments are already supporting NIO's products.
When NIO unveiled the ET5 sedan at NIO Day 2021 on December 18, it announced the panoramic digital cockpit PanoCinema and will introduce AR devices for the first time.
The device was developed by Nreal, an augmented reality (AR) technology company invested by NIO Capital, in conjunction with NIO.


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KYIV (BLOOMBERG) - Around this time of year, Mr Yaroslav Andrushko would normally be overseeing the sowing of crops on his 1,000ha farm in the Vinnytsya region of central Ukraine.
Instead, he swopped his workwear for fatigues, joining the army a day after Russia invaded his country. "Once a farmer, always a farmer," said Mr Andrushko, the chief executive of a small agriculture company. "But circumstances required us to take up arms."
As Ukrainians resist Russian President Vladimir Putin's military machine, the 36-year-old is another example of the resilience shown by so many of his compatriots in protecting their nation's statehood. Yet Mr Andrushko and farmers like him are also defending a core component of the global food supply chain that is increasingly in peril.
Ukraine is the world's largest producer of sunflower oil and ranks among the top six exporters of wheat, corn, chicken and even honey. The money it earns from agriculture - US$28 billion (S$38 billion) last year - is now more vital because of the war effort, and the produce more critical for a world where record prices are raising concerns about food security.
Egypt and Turkey, which rely on Russian and Ukrainian grain, are grappling with skyrocketing inflation. The government in Cairo is considering raising the price of subsidised bread for the first time in four decades. Shortages of sunflower oil in Europe, meanwhile, are forcing suppliers to seek alternatives. Supermarkets across Britain are limiting how much cooking oil customers can buy.
That, in turn, is sending vegetable oil prices soaring in as far away as India, where street vendors are steaming food instead of frying it. There is also increased demand for palm oil, which has been blamed for causing deforestation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said Russia, itself a key agricultural exporter, is deliberately targeting farmland, placing landmines in fields and destroying equipment and storage facilities. Those claims were supported by European Union Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski, who said the bloc would seek to aid Ukraine's farmers.
Not only is the country increasingly unable to export because transit routes have been severed, but Ukraine also needs to keep its more limited supplies of produce to ensure its survival, Ukraine's agriculture minister said last month.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin echoed the warnings on April 20 after meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, who was en route to Washington.
"There is a clear objective to create a food crisis on top of the energy crisis, as well as waging an immoral and unjust war on Ukraine itself," Mr Martin said.
The Russian military has consistently said it is not targeting civilian facilities, despite widespread evidence to the contrary. Its limited pullback from Kyiv means that farmers can plant in previously occupied areas like Chernihiv, but harvests of some of Ukraine's most important crops could still be cut in half this year.
It is hard to overstate the importance of farming to Ukraine, nicknamed Europe's breadbasket because of its rich, black fertile soil that is ideal for cultivation. Agriculture accounted for more than 10 per cent of Ukraine's economy and 40 per cent of its sales of exported goods before the war. Farmers are exempted from serving in the military in order to ensure the industry keeps going.
A former conscript, Mr Andrushko decided to join up anyway, confident his workers can keep planting and harvesting. Indeed, he has been relatively lucky. His farm grows wheat, corn, sunflowers and apples in a region that has thus far been spared fighting, though money is running low and fuel supplies have been disrupted, he said.
The war has already destroyed some of the progress Ukraine has made in decades of scaling up its agriculture industry. Its wheat harvest in 2021 was the biggest since the collapse of the Soviet Union three decades earlier. Eventually, farmers will have to rebuild and rid their land of shells and chemical pollution.
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe warned of the "potentially disastrous" environmental impact, including causing poor drinking water, chemical leaks and flooding.
"You have to restore supply networks, you have to get back people and you have to get back necessary capital to restore production," said Assistant Professor Oleg Nivievskyi at the Kyiv School of Economics. "To get back to the previous export levels, I would say that it will take two to three years. This is what farmers are telling themselves."
For now, only small amounts of grain and other products are being transported out by rail after Russia blocked Ukraine's Black Sea ports and shelled vital infrastructure.
Ukraine is asking for Europe to provide river barges and trucks to keep the reduced exports flowing. Across the world, countries reliant on Ukraine's sunflower oil and animal feed are scrambling to find alternative supplies.
Companies are rushing to replace sunflower oil in recipes from cookies to potato chips. Some supermarkets and fish-and-chip shops in Britain are looking at replacing sunflower oil with palm oil, boosting prices to records.
Palm has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years for its role in deforestation, and has been blamed for playing a role in destroying the habitat of endangered species like orang utan, according to the World Wildlife Fund.
Farmers are running out of non-genetically modified animal feed, which usually came from Ukraine, and the EU is relaxing import rules to make it easier to import from South America. Then there is the disruption of deliveries of food aid to nations at risk of hunger. Somalia gets nearly 70 per cent of its wheat imports from Ukraine and the rest from Russia, and is currently threatened with the worst drought in years.
Tunisia and Libya also get more than a third of their wheat from Ukraine, according to United Nations trade data. Food aid deliveries of split peas and barley from Ukraine's port of Odessa to West Africa are being disrupted, according to the World Food Programme.
"Low-income, food-deficit countries are always most vulnerable," Ms Laura Wellesley, a senior research fellow at Chatham House in London, said at a talk on the impact of the conflict on April 13. "But low-income households, all economies around the world are already experiencing household economic insecurity and food insecurity."
Prices were already at record highs due to high energy prices and logistics issues as the global economy recovered from the pandemic, and now countries, including Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Moldova and Serbia, have brought in restrictions on exports of some foods.
Meanwhile, Russia is still exporting grain to some of its biggest customers, even as shipping costs soar and some traders seek to avoid Russian commodities. It may even get some new business. Israel, which often buys from Ukraine, bought some Russian wheat last month, according to Geneva-based crop data company Agflow.
In Europe, farmers used to moan about Ukraine's cheaper food imports coming into the market. The EU is now delaying rules intended to make farming more green, including pushing back planned curbs on pesticide use. It is also planning to free up almost four million hectares of fallow land to plant more cash crops.
"What is going on in Ukraine is going to change our whole approach, and our view on the future of agriculture," Mr Wojciechowski said on March 17. "We have to implement a policy that is going to guarantee food security."
For Mr Andrushko in central Ukraine, the challenge is more immediate. Even though his company's land has been untouched by war, the impact of severed supply chains is making it harder to keep farming. He urgently needs fuel to keep his business operating, he said by phone, declining to disclose his exact location because of military security.
The farm company used to send his apples via Russia to Uzbekistan, but now is trying to deliver them via a longer, more costly route through the Balkans and Turkey instead. And that is while serving his country: "I did as my honour requires."