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Inderveer Singh attempted into the electric vehicle (EV) segment when it was still in its budding phase in India. Inderveer bootstrapped his investment on a shoestring budget and hunted for talent who speculated in his lofty ideals. He conceptualised EVage in 2014 and incorporated in 2019, an electric automobile startup, along with Pulkit Srivastava and Harnoor Kaur, with an emphasis on four-wheelers. It aims to lessen the suffering of manufacturing electric vehicles and giving rise to them within reach of the common man in India. It is classified as a Non-government company and is registered at Registrar of Companies, Chandigarh, and there were no players in the electric four-wheeler category then. After having assembled an electric four-wheeler from blotch, Inderveer determined to focus on creating endurable clean transportation.
Followed by 5 years of Research and Development (R&D) and Building over 20 patents.
Indeeveer Singh decided the four-wheeler would concentrate on the logistics portion and not so much on the passenger sector. According to data procured by the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV), the Indian EV market is nowadays overlooked by the two-wheeler section with passenger car sales operating into a couple of thousands a year. For FY20, the number of passenger EVs sold in India was just 3,400. From a solely B2B perspective, where the provision of vehicles is mainly for goods carriers, there is no reasonable EV choice.
It is this expanse that EVage is looking to replenish. There are no sufficient testing tracks specific for four-wheelers where this startup could assess the accomplishment of its vehicle. Also, there were no conventional webs on whom they reach out to for any kind of suggestions or advice. It was almost a unique journey for EVage.
“We thought if there was a way of looking at it differently and decided that we need to benchmark ourselves with the aerospace industry,” says Inderveer.
The Idea of Having an Exoskeleton was to make the Whole Manufacturing Process Extremely Easy
EVage’s squadron of specialists from aerospace, automotive design and battery manufacturing industries are focused on addressing the mobility needs of India’s rapidly growing logistics, and e-commerce segments. The Chandigarh-headquartered company has developed its four-wheeler EV, which has already withstood more than lakh kilometres of testing and is waiting to hit the market based on the ‘Made in India’ pattern.
EVage formulated an exoskeleton for manufacturing its four-wheeler, to develop the entire manufacturing process incredibly simple where the vehicles would be portable, highly modular, and a scalable platform.
Fundings and Plans Ahead
EVage Ventures Pvt. Ltd, which operates an electric vehicle and mobility-technology startup, has lifted funding in a round led by Ola Electric Mobility Pvt. Ltd co-founder and senior adviser Anand Shah. Other participants in the funding round include ByAir director Varun Pahwa and DMI Group partner Anmol Nayyar, the Chandigarh-based startup said in a statement. It didn’t publicise the amount it raised. EVage plans to manufacture the vehicle on its own and believes it can do it at half the cost compared to other existing manufacturers.


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The Apple Watch Edition went on sale at 53 Apple Stores worldwide on Monday with only two Canadian locations carrying them – Toronto and Montreal. Given the level of luxury spending in Vancouver, many are surprised to learn that Apple Watch Edition is not available for sale here at this time. As a consolation, to whet fans’ appetites for the newest high tech gadget, Apple has a selection on display at the Pacific Centre location but are reminding shoppers that the watches are not yet available for purchase in the store.
According to Fortune.com, drawing on data from a pool of two million online shoppers, an estimated 957,000 people in the U.S. pre-ordered an Apple Watch on Friday, spending an average of $503.83 per watch. By their count, 62 per cent chose the aluminum model. 9to5mac.com outlines some of the perks for the Apple Watch Edition includes 24/7 support, private one-hour appointments and no lineups.
For those seeking the ultimate arm candy, the Edition collection is priced from $13,000 and $22,000 and features eight designs, each crafted from 18-karat gold, which has been developed to be twice as hard as standard gold. The watch’s display is protected by polished sapphire crystal, and watch bands vary.
If Toronto and Montreal are too far for Vancouverites to jet off to, the watches are for sale in the Apple Store across the border in Seattle.

domain: news


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- Associated Press via Yahoo FinanceAug 30 20:28 PM
Motorized electric bicycles may soon be humming along serene trails in national parks and other public lands nationwide. It's part of a new Trump administration order — hotly opposed by many ...
- The Moab Times-Independent3 days ago
- The Salt Lake Tribune1 day ago
- Newsday4 days ago


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Food and beverage trends in 2015 continued the movement towards health and wellness. More event goers are demanding healthier food items that meet the needs of diets and food restrictions as well as have a local or sustainable element that’s good for the environment. Here are five food & beverage trends for the adventurous palate.
- New Age Asian: Reinterpreted Asian food is gaining in popularity, mainly because of the healthy options that come with lots of Asian staple dishes. Fermented vegetables such as kimchi in Korean foods, for instance, are said to contain natural probiotics that prevent bad bacteria from damaging one’s health.
- Protein Alternatives: The International Association of Conference Centres (IACC) named this trend No. 4 on its 2015 conference food trend list. Proteins such as quinoa, amaranth, tofu and beans are increasingly popular with attendees who are vegetarian or just simply looking to avoid fatty meats.
- Infused Tea Cocktails: This trend was named No. 10 on the IACC 2015 conference food trend list. As attendees are trying to shed caffeine from their diet, tea is definitely becoming an alternative choice, and a flavorful infusion makes it even easier to make the coffee-to-tea switch.
- Small-batch Sodas: While more attendees are veering away from sweet sodas, locally made soft drinks are gaining in popularity. At the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile, the culinary team works with a local soda maker to make the hotel’s signature cherry cola, using nearby Michigan cherries.
- Edible Insects: It may sound a bit too creepy-crawly for some, but the idea of insects as a sustainable food is becoming more mainstream. Last year Mexican street food restaurant Wahaca in London put grasshoppers on its menu. Cooked with onions and chili, they can make the ideal protein treat.


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A study published by Professor Dave Obvious (Chair of Conspicuous Evidence, Cambridge) seems to show a definite link between people's income and what they can afford to spend.
"There seems to be a marked correlation between the income level of a household and the goods and services they are able to purchase," said Prof Obvious earlier.
The survey shows that many middle income families cannot afford luxury 200ft ocean going yachts, and that almost nobody in the low income bracket has been able to purchase a Bentley Mulsanne or take month long holidays in Andorra (with the exception of Frank Dodgy of Cleckheaton who is currently under investigation by HMR&C and DI Steve Brutal of the Serious Crime Unit).
"This means something," commented Prof Obvious as he accepted yet another large wad of public money to carry out further research.
Professor Obvious' previous reports include It Looks Increasingly Likely That The Pope Is Not Protestant and Ursine Creatures May Indeed Defecate In Areas With Heavy Tree Growth.


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- Obama takes aim at ‘corporate deserters’
- Dick’s Sporting Goods lays off 478 PGA golf pros
- Senators: Cease-fire must allow Israel to defend against rockets, tunnels
- Sierra Leone doctor fighting Ebola catches disease
- Iraq welcomes Russian fighter jets, helicopter gunships into ISIL fight
- John McCain laments: Obama’s ‘self-pity … is really kind of sad’
- GOP offer to fix VA gives $10 billion in emergency funds
- Paul Ryan offers to repair U.S. economic safety net with a single grant stream
- Kim Jong-un builds bond with Putin: $250M Russia-backed addition to key port opens
- Pope Francis meets Meriam Ibrahim, a Sudanese woman sentenced to death
Verizon Wireless invites press to mystery event
Question of the Day
NEW YORK (AP) - Verizon Wireless said Friday it will hold a press conference on Jan. 11, reigniting rumors that it will become the second U.S. carrier to sell Apple Inc.'s iPhone.
At the International Consumer Electronics Show this week in Las Vegas, Verizon already made news with phones and tablets that will run on its high-speed, next-generation 4G wireless network. So it's significant that Verizon will still have an announcement big enough to warrant a press conference in New York a week later, with Lowell McAdam, president and chief operating officer of Verizon Communications Inc., in attendance.
Verizon would not give any further details as to what the event was about. Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said she could not comment on rumors and speculation.
Rumors that Verizon would carry the iPhone have been circulating since before Apple Inc. unveiled the smart phone in 2007. Those rumors lingered over the years, but have become louder in recent months, as AT&T Inc. is believed to be nearing the end of its exclusive hold on the iPhone.
Although the iPhone has long been the crown jewel of AT&T's smart phone portfolio, the carrier in recent months added more than a dozen phones that run Google Inc.'s Android software. Until now, Verizon made up for not having the iPhone by selling Android phones such as the Motorola Droid.
Apple, as usual, did not attend the gadget show in Las Vegas. The company tends to make big product announcements at its own press conferences.
Shares of New York-based Verizon Communications Inc., which owns Verizon Wireless in a joint venture with Vodafone Group PLC, closed on Friday at $35.93, down 30 cents. The company gained 10 cents in after-hours trading. Apple' stock closed at $336.12, up $2.39, and gained 67 cents in after-hours trading.
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City centre bosses are "delighted" at a move by London celebrity haunt, The Ivy, to open a Cambridge branch.
Cambridge BID chiefs have welcomed plans for a Cambridge branch of the WC2 restaurant - known as one of the capital’s top dining destinations.
Ian Sandison, chairman of Cambridge BID, said: “We’re delighted to hear that The Ivy is due to open a restaurant in Cambridge, as its presence will provide yet another reason for people to come and spend time in our beautiful city.
"Eateries are becoming increasingly important to high streets across the UK, as shoppers seek to make their visit into an ‘experience’, so we are keen to see a diverse range of restaurants, bistros and cafes represented across the city.
"Our recent success, in being named Britain’s healthiest retail centre in the HDH Vitality index, can only be further reinforced by The Ivy’s arrival.”
The former Jaeger store is owned by Trinity College and the restaurant will provide seating for 140 diners.
It will also boast a bar to seat eight people and could open seven days a week. The upper floor is to remain as student accommodation.
It will be called The Ivy Brasserie and has been designed by We Make It Happen.
The planning application was lodged on July 13 and will be decided by September this year.


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Palm oil futures ended their longest winning streak in 18 months after data showed Malaysia’s inventories swelling to their largest in nearly three years, as exporters lost out to Indonesian rivals.
Palm oil futures for December settled 3.8% lower in late deals in Kuala Lumpur at 3,692 ringgit a tonne, recording their first decline in eight sessions.
That represented the vegetable oil’s longest winning streak since March last year, on a benchmark contract basis, and had added 18.9% to prices.
Tuesday’s pullback followed data from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board showing that inventories of the vegetable oil in Malaysia – the second-ranked producer and exporter – swelled by nearly 221,000 tonnes last month to 2.32m tonnes, the largest since October 2019.
The figure was also above the 2.27m-tonne number investors had expected, according to a Reuters poll.
The expansion reflected a recovery in exports by Indonesia, the biggest palm oil producer and shipper, said Ivy Ng Lee Fang, regional head of agribusiness at CGS-CIMB Securities.
Indonesia’s temporary scrapping of export taxes, since July – in the face of an inventory surge caused by a short-lived ban on shipments, imposed in April – means that its exporters “are selling their palm oil at a good price” compared with that being offered from Malaysia, Ms Ng told GrainPriceNews.
“Indonesia’s government is doing a big favour to the country’s plantations.”
Separately on Tuesday, data from industry group Gapki showed Indonesia’s palm oil exports in August soaring by 60% month on month to 4.33m tonnes, the highest for any month in at least three years.
The shipment splurge enabled a drawdown in Indonesia’s inventories to 4.04m tonnes in August – shrinking by 32% for the month, and by 44% from the high of 7.23m tonnes reached in May following the country’s three-week export ban.
Malaysia’s exports, which shrank by 1.9% in August, staged some recovery last month, by 9.3% to 1.42m tonnes, the MPOB data showed.
However, they remained down 11.9% year on year, and indeed were at their second lowest for a September in 13 years.
September and October are typically big months for Malaysian exports, with supplies bolstered by the seasonal high in production.
It appeared that Malaysian exports were continuing to face strong competition, with Indonesia’s export tax likely lower for the first half of October, Ms Ng said.
Separately, cargo surveyor ITS reported Malaysia’s palm shipments tumbling by 17.3% month on month in the first 10 days of October to 350,767 tonnes, reflecting a particular decline in exports to India.
However, rival AmSpec Agri was more upbeat, reporting a 0.5% growth in exports for the period.
‘More than happy to keep stocks’
Malaysia’s palm oil production last month grew by 2.6% from August to 1.77m tonnes, to take cumulative output for 2022 narrowly back above the 2021 equivalent.
Ms Ng said that she expected data for the rest of 2022 to come in “flattish to better”, remaining constrained by a labour shortage which “Malaysia’s palm oil industry has not resolved”.
She added that producers “may be more than happy to keep stocks, if they think that prices will be better towards the end of the year”, when the seasonal downswing in output can offer support to values.
“Malaysia has storage up to 3m tonnes.”
However, she flagged too the “risks of recession, or the end of the Ukraine war, which would mean stocks drawing down less than had looked likely”.
While economic slowdown would undermine demand for palm oil, which is largely used in the manufacture of biodiesel, the end of Black Sea hostilities would stand to boost Ukraine’s shipments of sunflower oil, a key rival to palm oil.


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Former UN Special Rapporteur Olivier De Schutter on transforming business models and trade
Human rights thinker and former UN special Rapporteur Olivier De Schutter discusses with WFTO Chief Executive Erinch Sahan what an ambitious agenda for business and human rights would look like, how to transform business models and how trade can be made fair. This podcast is a special edition for the first anniversary of the Fair Trade Charter www.fair-trade.website.
23rd September 2019
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(NEXSTAR) – For Trader Joe’s customers, the Mandarin Orange Chicken has long been a hot item, ranking as a fan-favorite in the retailer’s Customer Choice Awards time and time again. The frozen dish held the title for the favorite product overall for two consecutive years, but this year the beloved chicken dish, and four other top items, have been unseated.
Trader Joe’s released its 14th annual Customer Choice Awards list Monday, showcasing the products its customers have ranked as top-notch across multiple categories, including beverages, cheese, bath and body, and produce.
If you’re a frequent Trader Joe’s shopper, you likely aren’t surprised by some of the items that regularly appear on the list.
This year, Trader Joe’s retired five repeat winners, “making room for some other products to shine.” Those items have instead been placed in the Product Hall of Fame: Mandarin Orange Chicken, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets, Unexpected Cheddar, and Soy Chorizo.
With those fan-favorite items out of the running for this year, Trader Joe’s fans crowned a new overall top item: Chili & Lime Flavored Corn Tortilla Chips, an improvement from runner-up status last year. Customers listed TJ’s Hashbrowns and Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings behind the “spicy little scrolls.” As it did last year, Everything but the Bagel Sesame Seasoning Blend also landed among the runner-ups for the top overall item.
Other beloved snacks – Organic Elote Corn Chip Dippers and Organic Corn Chip Dippers – retained their runner-up status, with new runner-up snacks joining the list: World’s Puffiest White Cheddar Corn Puffs and Crunchy Curls.
Considered a runner-up last year, the seasonal Sparkling Honeycrisp Apple Juice Beverage was declared the best beverage. Non-Dairy Oat Beverage, though ranked the best on 2022’s list, wasn’t even a runner-up this year. Sparkling Peach Black Tea with Peach Juice returned to the list after missing out last year, with Non-Dairy Brown Sugar Oat Creamer and seasonal drinks Triple Ginger Brew and Sparkling Cranberry & Ginger Beverage rounding out the category.
Without Unexpected Cheddar in the cheese category, Trader Joe’s customers ranked Cheddar with Caramelized Onions as the top choice. Syrah Soaked Toscano was a runner-up, yet again. And without Mandarin Orange Chicken, Butter Chicken with Basmati Rice was ranked as the best entree. Chicken Tikka Masala also landed among fan favorites in this category.
Maintaining their title as the best home, bath and body item were the Scented Candle Tins, which vary by season. Previous runner-up Ultra-Moisturizing Hand Cream was again, a runner-up. In the sweet/dessert category, Hold the Cone! Mini Ice Cream Cones stayed at the top, followed by other favorites – Danish Kringle, Sublime Ice Cream Sandwiches, and Brookie – with Chocolate Lava Cakes replacing Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.
When it comes to produce, Trader Joe’s customers remain certain about one thing – bananas and avocados are among the best. While Teeny Tiny Avocados won best produce last year, customers put bananas on top this year. Organic Carrots of Many Colors are a carry-over as well, with two other produce products landing as runner-ups: Honeycrisp Apples and Brussels sprouts.
Without previous favorite Soy Chorizo available, customers ranked Began Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto as their favorite in the vegan/vegetarian category. Beefless Bulgogi, Palak Paneer, and Cauliflower Gnocchi rounded out the category.
You can find out more about this year’s awards here on Trader Joe’s website.
KTLA contributed to this report.


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Samsung's 75-inch ES9000 LED Smart TV is making its way to the US of A. Samsung's 3D-capable, LED-backlit set flashed its goodies in New York as part of the Samsung-sponsored SpaceFest marking the Space Shuttle Enterprise's arrival at the Intrepid.
The ES9000's US debut is good news for those who have been holding their breath for a new 75-inch Samsung LED TV. Specs of the TV are not available, but the 75-inch TV bezel measures in at just 0.31 inches, with the frame sporting a rose-gold finish.
Samsung's 75-inch ES9000 also features a built-in web cam that retracts when not in use, and it also comes with four pairs of 3D glasses. The usual Smart Interaction is at play, giving gesture-based movements, as well as voice control to the TV. Samsung also announced a new Angry Birds app for its smart TVs, which allows users to play the game entirely from gesture controls. The app will be a free download, and will be available later this month.
Samsung's 75-inch ES9000 Smart TV will debut at $9,999 in August.


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(Reuters) - India’s IDFC Group said on Monday that talks to acquire some of Shriram Group’s financial services businesses have been called off.
“The companies were not been able to reach common ground on a mutually acceptable swap ratio for the merger,” IDFC Group said in a stock exchange filing.
The agreement was aimed at merging some of Shriram Group’s listed companies including consumer lender Shriram Group City Union Finance (SHCU.NS) and Shriram Transport Finance Company (SRTR.NS) with IDFC Group.
Shriram Group said the parties could not mutually agree on structure and valuation.
Reporting by Krishna V Kurup; Editing by Amrutha Gayathri


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Video game company Ubisoft has launched a Visa gift card to give to parents of children ages 12-16 who want to take a trip to the UK for school.
The Visa gift certificate, which has been designed to encourage parents to travel to the country with their children, will be available from 11am on Tuesday.
“The Visa Gift Card will give you a chance to experience the UK with your kids and will give them the chance to visit our amazing country and see our beautiful countryside,” reads the gift certificate.
“This is a great opportunity to get a taste of our amazing and unique country and explore our fantastic and multicultural culture.”
The Visa card is designed to give parents the opportunity to visit the UK to get their children up to date on their new country.
It also comes with an option to spend up to £10,000, up to a maximum of £1,000.
Ubisoft is hoping to reach a significant number of parents in the UK by the end of the year, but has not yet provided details of the number of students attending the schools, or the number who are taking the Visa giftcard.
In January, the UK government announced that it was cracking down on fake holiday travel vouchers to stop the use of these by young people who may be confused about where they are supposed to be and what they should do in the country.
On Wednesday, the Department for Education said it was increasing the number and scope of the fraud alerts, with the most-targeted fraud alerts being those from online ticketing services and the British Board of Film Classification.
It also introduced new rules to make it harder for young people to get visas, including a new rule that will make it more difficult for young applicants to enter the country without their parents’ consent.


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Brazil Analysts Forecast 7% Inflation in 2016 as Real Dropsby
Central bank to raise key rate this week, economists predict
Real seen weakening for two straight years to 4.3/dlr in 2017
Brazil’s consumer prices will rise 7 percent this year as the currency continues to depreciate, increasing pressure on the central bank to resume monetary tightening this week.
Economists surveyed by the central bank raised their 2016 inflation forecast for the third straight week and expect consumer price increases to exceed the 6.5 percent upper limit of the target range for a second straight year.
Finance Minister Nelson Barbosa wasn’t much more optimistic, telling reporters in Brasilia that the government expects inflation to slow more than 3 basis points in 2016. Brazil’s benchmark IPCA consumer price index hit 10.67 percent in 2015, the highest in 12 years, even as the economy faces its deepest recession in more than two decades.
Part of that pressure stemmed from the impact of weaker currency on prices of imported goods. Analysts surveyed by the central bank forecast the real, which lost the most among all major currencies last year, to further devalue to 4.25 per dollar by the end of this year and to 4.3 per dollar by end-2017. The real gained 0.4 percent to 4.03 per dollar at 4:35 p.m. local time.
The survey released on Monday marks the first time since June that economists’ 2017 currency forecast is weaker than that of this year.
With inflation seen above target again in 2016, the central bank is expected to resume this week a cycle of rate increases that could deepen the recession. Policy makers will increase the benchmark interest rate to 14.75 percent from 14.25 percent on Wednesday, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of 38 economists.
The central bank survey shows that inflation is expected to reach 5.4 percent in 2017 -- above the target range’s 4.5 percent mid-point, and up from analysts’ previous 5.2 percent forecast.
Latin America’s largest economy will shrink 2.99 percent in 2016, according to the survey.


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Shares in Taylor Wimpey were down on the FTSE 250 in morning trading after the housebuilder said yesterday it would be selling its North American business for $955 million.
Taylor Wimpey said it would be selling Taylor Woodrow Holdings (USA), Inc and Taylor Wimpey Holdings of Canada, Corporation, to TMM Holdings Limited Partnership.
The company said it wanted to focus on its core housing business in Great Britain and added that the sale of the North American business was at a premium of 3.4 per cent. The net cash from the sale will go on paying off the group's pension deficit and reducing its borrowings.
Pete Redfern, Chief Executive of Taylor Wimpey, said, "We are delighted to announce the sale of our North American Business, which is a significant step towards our goal of becoming a UK focused homebuilder. The sale will provide us with a strengthened balance sheet and increased financial capacity to invest in the UK and to pursue our strategic aims of focusing on margin growth.
"Following a competitive process, we are pleased to have achieved a price that reflects an attractive valuation for this business. I have been hugely impressed by our North American employees and would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their hard work, loyalty and commitment over many years and in relation to this transaction."
By 10:00 shares in Taylor Wimpey were down 2.76 per cent on the FTSE 250 to 39.50 pence per share.


text: Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) Stock Jumps As Winds of Change EmbracedAuthor: David GoldsteinLast Updated: May 29, 2020 Amazon.com Inc. shares hit their all time closing high on Monday afternoon after an apparent end to the crisis in Greece drove growth stocks higher on US markets. UBS added fuel to that fire on Tuesday morning. Analysts at the bank upgraded stock in Amazon from Neutral to Buy.Amazon sees winds of changeThis morning Amazon said that it will join with Iberdrola Renewables, LLC to construct and operate a 208 megawatt wind farm in North Carolina. The wind farm is being put together in order to power a data center for Amazon Web Services, the firm’s fast-growing cloud services business. Amazon is the second biggest firm in the space after Microsoft. The wind farm will be completed by December 2016 and will produce enough power in a year to keep more than 60,000 US homes going. Amazon Web Services says that it wants to become 100 percent reliant on renewable sources of energy, a move mirrored by other big data center builders like Apple and Google.Amazon has signed up for the Tesla Motors Powerpack in order to see a more constant supply of power from those energy sources to its data centers. One of the biggest problems with green energy sources is that supply tends to be difficult to predict and uncontrollable. Tesla’s battery tech eliminates some of those problems.The building of a new wind farm, though a positive for the firm and a reinforcement of the growth of Amazon Web Services, is not likely responsible for the growth in the value of Amazon on this morning’s pre-market.Amazon earnings incomingIn a new report, UBS put a $550 price target on shares in Amazon this morning. That’s much higher than the all time high of $455.57 that shares in the firm finished trading at on Monday afternoon. The firm’s stock benefited from rumors that it may be willing to book a larger profit in the coming year, putting an end to years of break even reports at the firm.On this morning’s early pre-market shares in the firm were up by another 1.3 percent to $461.50, but it’s no surety that that level will be maintained until markets open fully later on today. Amazon is set to reveal its earnings numbers for the three months through June on July 23 after the market closes on Wall Street. The firm isn’t expected to book a profit this time around. Wall Street is looking for the firm to show a loss of 17 cents per share according to consensus forecasts.For the full year analysts are looking for Amazon to earn a profit of around 41 cents per share. That’s much lower than what many might see as the firm’s earning potential, but unless Amazon’s policy has truly change, the firm is not looking to live up to that potential.Revenue is still the metric that Wall Street thinks it best to measure Amazon on. By consensus they’re looking for the firm to show revenue of $22.3bn for the June quarter. That’s up from $20.8bn in the same quarter of last year.


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Florida lawmakers file bill to legalize recreational marijuana
A Central Florida lawmaker has introduced legislation aimed at legalizing recreational marijuana in Florida.
Orlando Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith and Pinellas County Sen. Jeff Brandes this week introduced HB 343 and SB 710 which would legalize recreational marijuana in Florida.
The bills would “establish a robust and free-market regulatory approach to the governance of cultivation, processing, and retail sales of both medical and adult-use marijuana.”
The legislation would allow people 21 and older to purchase and use limited amounts of marijuana without a medical marijuana card.
Both lawmakers have introduced similar legislation in the past.
The bill would allow adults to purchase 2.5 ounces of cannabis or a product with up to 2 grams of THC.
Smoking marijuana in public would remain illegal.
“The need to end Florida’s prohibition of responsible adult use of cannabis is long overdue. This bill creates a sensible bipartisan framework for legalization that can earn the support needed to pass the Florida legislature. It doesn’t include everything I’d like to see, but it’s the fresh start Floridians deserve to finally move past the draconian cannabis prohibition era,” Guillermo Smith said.
Recreational sales nationally are predicted to top $32 billion by 2024. That number is double what big pharmaceutical companies are making on pain medications.
Industry leaders predict an economic boom.
"Once we have this passed, there will be jobs available. Training will be needed. It is a no brainer for me. I mean we have job creation. We have taxable revenue, so legalizing is the way to go," cannabis industry consultant Amit Raninga said.


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When will the US go bankrupt? Will it start the market crash unseen before? We have plenty to share with you, so let’s get started.
Trump imposes $50 billion tariffs on China’s goods
On Friday, American leader Donald Trump dared to impose hefty duties worth $50 billion on Chinese imports. In return the Chinese authorities pledged to adequately respond. So, it feels like a huge trader war between the world’s two leading powers is being actively ignited.
US President, whose tough stance on trade caused vigorous clashes with US allies, told that a 25% duty would be put on a list of crucial imports from China. Additionally, he considered further measures if the Chinese government struck again.
America and China started getting closer to a fierce trade conflict after several rounds of talks failed to tackle American complaints over Chinese industrial policy, market access as well as a $375 billion trade gap.
Trump's initial list contained up to 818 products worth $34 billion in China’s goods. As for the remainder of the $50 billion, it’s not determined yet.
US leader has triggered a trade conflict with other countries, including the European Union, Canada and Mexico over aluminum and steel. Moreover, Trump threatened to impose tariffs on EU vehicles.
The American government came up with a second list of probable duties on another $100 billion in China’s imports, expecting that China will most likely respond to the initial American duty list.
China has uncovered its own list of threatened duties on about $50 billion in American goods, including aircraft, cars and soybeans. The Asian country has told it would fight back if the US authorities came up with further measures.
China and America have held up to three rounds of high-level negotiations since early May that have yet to bring a long-awaited compromise. Trump has neglected China’s offer to purchase an extra $70 billion worth of American farm as well as energy products and also other goods, as sources familiar with the matter disclosed.
The US Consumer sentiment will shake the market today. We are back with more news for you to enjoy!
Today, the US Inflation release at 15:30 GMT+3 will determine the further destiny of the major pairs and gold. The event is highly impactful, as the Federal Reserve will make decisions regarding further rate hikes based on it. Also, we brought you some news about XAUUSD and GBPUSD. Stay tuned!
About 24% of global central banks intend to increase gold reserves in 2023. Rising inflation, geopolitical turmoil, and worries about interest rates are reasons to increase gold reserves.
Greetings to a brand new week full of events, economic releases and US debt frictions. We are here to tell you everything you need to know!
The US dollar index breaks one resistance after another. Read the report to learn the next target for the US dollar index!


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Is It Time to Buy Walgreen Company Stock?
Uncle Sam might be happy with Walgreen Company these days, but Wall Street isn't. After starting off 2014 with hefty gains of over 25%, Walgreen Company stock dropped 14% on Aug. 6 and is still seemingly stuck in the doldrums. Is this pullback a buying opportunity for investors?
Source: FoolEditorial on Flickr
Getting the boot
Walgreen's management hinted earlier this year that "step two" of its joint venture with Alliance Boots -- a full-blown merger of the companies -- could be on the way. Alliance Boots is headquartered in the United Kingdom but domiciled in Switzerland. Many investors expected the merger would include an inversion deal that would allow Walgreen to move its base to Europe and escape the relatively high U.S. corporate tax rates.
Few were surprised when Walgreen announced on Aug. 6 that "step two" was moving forward and that it would buy the remaining 55% of Alliance. However, many were taken aback that the giant pharmacy retailer opted to remain domiciled in the U.S. Walgreen got Alliance Boots, but in the process the market gave its stock the boot.
Walgreen paid $1.45 billion in income taxes in its last fiscal year. A tax inversion deal could have saved it around $4 billion over the next five years. However, the decision to forego that tax advantage made Walgreen Company stock lose over $9 billion in market cap overnight.
Of course, all of this assumes that Walgreen could have successfully navigated the hurdles for an inversion transaction. After an extensive review, the company's management and board concluded that it faced an uphill battle convincing the IRS that such a move met its requirements.
The risk of losing market share to competitors was another factor in Walgreen's decision. CVS Caremark counts over 7,700 stores -- a close second to Walgreen's almost 8,200 stores nationwide. Rite Aid lags behind but still boasts around 4,600 locations. Both CVS and Rite Aid would have likely jumped to capitalize on a potential backlash against Walgreen had it officially moved its headquarters outside of the U.S.
All of this discussion is a moot point now, though. Walgreen is staying in the U.S. The question of whether or not the stock is a buy doesn't hinge as much on its corporate tax rate as it does on how well Walgreen can compete against the likes of CVS and Rite Aid in winning consumers' business.
On that front, Walgreen appears to be doing just fine. Its July sales jumped 6.1% year-over-year with prescriptions filled at comparable stores increasing by 3.7%. By comparison, Rite Aid reported July sales were 4.6% higher versus a year ago with prescription count at comparable stores up 3.9%. CVS doesn't report monthly results.
All three big pharmacy chains are aggressively expanding their business models to provide more healthcare services. Walgreen's Take Care Health Systems subsidiary manages over 400 in-store care clinics. CVS operates over 800 healthcare clinics. Rite Aid is somewhat behind on this front, but the company bought RediClinic in April with plans to roll out clinics to its stores. Rite Aid also is in the process of renovating its stores with its Wellness model that supports offering more healthcare services.
Walgreen will certainly want to not get too far behind CVS in providing clinics in its stores. These clinics not only provide an additional avenue for revenue but can also drive increased prescription and retail sales. There's no need to worry that the company's management is asleep at the wheel with respect to this opportunity given Walgreen's continued expansion in this area.
Customers appear to like what Walgreen is doing. The company reported all-time high levels of its "customer delight" and "pharmacy delight" scores in the last quarter. Both metrics increased significantly compared to the same period in the prior year.
While Walgreen's headquarters is staying put, I suspect that its shares will be moving on up. The sell-off a couple of weeks ago seems a tad overdone in my view. It did, however, make the stock's valuation look more attractive than it's been in quite a while.
The acquisition of Alliance Boots should help boost the bottom line with its synergies of around $1 billion by fiscal 2017. An aging population and healthcare reform should continue to propel prescription volumes. Expanded services like healthcare clinics should push revenue higher.
This American company has been successful for over a century. It has paid dividends for more than 81 years -- and keeps hiking those dividends ever-higher. Walgreen isn't going anywhere, but, like the Energizer bunny, its returns to investors keep going, and going, and going...
Leaked: This coming blockbuster will make even Walgreen jealous
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The article Is It Time to Buy Walgreen Company Stock? originally appeared on Fool.com.
Keith Speights has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends CVS Caremark. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days . We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .
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House-Hasson Hardware has added sales staff in Pennsylvania, Florida and Louisiana to serve the company’s existing retailers and grow its business in those states.
The regional distributor is looking to strengthen its current customers and its presence in areas where it already operates, rather than expand through acquiring other distributors as it had in the past. For example, the company bought Long-Lewis Hardware in 2015.
So far, House-Hasson has added one new sales staffer in Florida, one in western Pennsylvania and three in western Louisiana.
“Hiring salesmen who know and understand the markets is a key ingredient to building business in every state,” company president Don Hasson says. “The number of our sales staff varies over time; today it’s about 70. They’re not order-takers. They’re consultants working with dealers to build their stores’ profitability.”
House-Hasson is headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and serves more than 2,000 dealers in 18 states and the Caribbean basin.


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Black Works Studio’s Boondock Saint, a cigar first announced last year and introduced in a limited fashion, then showcased at this year’s IPCPR Trade Show is finally en-route to retailers.
Produced at the company’s Fabrica Oveja Negra facility, the Boondock Saint features a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper, Nicaraguan Habano binder, and fillers from Nicaragua, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. It will be available in two sizes – Corona Larga and Robusto. Production is described as limited – which is consistent with Black Works Studio’s small batch philosophy.
Boondock Saint joins NBK, Rorschach, Killer Bee, Green Hornet, and Kato as offerings by Black Works Studio.
Image Credit: Black Works Studio


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Craft, Create, Earn: OpenAI's GPT Store Transforms AI Development!
OpenAI's latest breakthrough, the GPT Store, invites you to customise and monetise AI, no coding required. Unleash your creativity and earn from your ingenuity!
OpenAI has unveiled a groundbreaking initiative that could fundamentally transform the landscape of artificial intelligence applications: the GPT Store. This new platform allows individuals to create and publish their own custom versions of the generative pretrained transformer (GPT) models, often referred to as ChatGPT for their conversational abilities. With this move, is democratising AI development, providing tools that allow anyone to tailor GPTs to their specific needs, whether it be for personal assistance, professional tasks, or entertainment.
This new initiative was announced at OpenAI’s first developer day in San Francisco, marking a significant shift towards a more open AI marketplace. The GPT Store is designed to be accessible to all, requiring no coding experience. Users can simply converse with the AI to program and customise their GPT. For example, one could create a GPT trained on a personal recipe collection to provide cooking assistance, or develop one that can answer intricate questions about a fantasy book series. Moreover, developers and companies can use the platform to create GPTs that understand and work with proprietary code, offering a new level of interaction and utility.
One of the most compelling aspects of the GPT Store is its monetisation potential. Following the successful model of the Apple App Store, OpenAI will feature creations by verified builders on the GPT Store, making them searchable and ranking them on leaderboards. The builders of the most popular and useful GPTs will be compensated with a share of the revenue generated by their applications. This not only incentivises the creation of innovative and valuable GPTs but also opens a new revenue stream for creators. The exact monetisation strategy is expected to evolve, starting with revenue sharing and potentially leading to subscriptions for individual GPTs depending on demand.
However, the GPT Store also presents potential challenges and competition within the tech industry. As OpenAI establishes itself as an independent platform for AI applications, it could find itself at odds with established giants such as Apple and Microsoft, particularly in terms of app monetisation and distribution. The details of how OpenAI will navigate these relationships and the structure of the GPT Store are still developing, with updates anticipated as the platform evolves.
In essence, OpenAI's GPT Store represents an "AI App Store moment," a shift towards a community-driven AI marketplace where ingenuity is rewarded, and the possibilities are as varied as the creators themselves. With the promise of accessibility, customisation, and monetisation, the GPT Store could herald a new era of AI application development.


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Roku and Warner Bros. Discovery agree to add Discovery Plus to The Roku Channel.
Why it matters
An explosion in streaming-service options has complicated how consumers find something to watch and decide what's worth paying for.
What it means for you
The Roku Channel aims to simplify things for streaming viewers by offering a unified app for multiple streaming libraries and a single bill to manage them. Now, Discovery Plus will be part of that unified experience.
Roku is adding streaming service Discovery Plus to The Roku Channel, which is the device maker's app that brings together its own content -- both original programming and free stuff to watch that it licenses -- along with the libraries of other streaming services. The app also serves as a single place to sign up for multiple paid subscriptions.
Video streaming options have exploded in the last two and half years, with new services like Disney Plus, HBO Max, Peacock and Apple TV Plus taking on stalwarts like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in the hopes of shaping TV's streaming future. But all those new choices mean viewers like you face more complications figuring out what services you need -- and, often, must pay for -- to watch your favorite shows and movies online.
The Roku Channel pitches itself as one way you can simplify some of those complexities. It gives you a single monthly bill to manage your subscriptions. It also serves as a single app to browse multiple libraries and has a unified "continuing watching" row to pick up where you left off across multiple services.
The addition of Discovery Plus "really demonstrates our ability to bring large-scale [streaming services] and their massive libraries into The Roku Channel," Randy Ahn, The Roku Channel's head of on-demand subscription video services, said in an interview Monday.
The Roku Channel is one of Roku's most important businesses. Roku gets a cut of the subscriptions made through The Roku Channel, and advertising on The Roku Channel generates revenue too. But because joining The Roku Channel means sharing data and revenue with Roku, the biggest streaming services -- like Netflix, Disney Plus and HBO Max -- haven't participated. However, The Roku Channel does offer more than 50 services, including Starz, Showtime, Epix, AMC Plus and Cinemax.
Despite the new partnership, the future of Discovery Plus is hazy right now. Discovery Plus is owned by newly merged company Warner Bros. Discovery, and company leaders have said they intend to eventually combine Discovery Plus with HBO Max. Roku couldn't comment about what would happen to Discovery Plus subscriptions made through Roku should HBO Max and Discovery Plus merge.
Roku is one of the most popular devices for streaming video to TV screens, and The Roku Channel is one of the most-watched apps on its platform: The Roku Channel reached households with 80 million people in the last three months of last year, the company said in February. For context, Discovery had 24 million streaming subscribers worldwide at the end of March, although one subscription can reach multiple people.
The Roku Channel will allow US viewers to sign up for Discovery Plus at both an ad-supported subscription at $5 a month and an ad-free account at $7 a month. Previously, Roku users could sign up for either level of the service directly in the Discovery Plus app on Roku's platform itself.
Discovery Plus, as a service, has about 70,000 episodes across networks including HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, OWN, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and Magnolia Network, plus Discovery Plus original titles. The service also includes programming from A&E, The History Channel and Lifetime, as well as nature programming such as the largest collection of natural history from the BBC.


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Jarred Land posted today on REDUser about REDCODE (RED’s compressed RAW codec) withstaning the patent challenge by Apple.
In a surprise move, the affordable G9 will be getting a huge video upgrade. The new firmware bumps the 8bit 4K mode of the G9 up to 10bit 4:2:2 internal. There are also further AF improvements for the GH5 and G9, along with manual exposure control in high-speed movie mode on the S1, improvements to highlight rolloff in V-LOG and CFExpress card support – these cards offer up to 2000Mbps data rates, 300% faster than even XQD… Perfect for internal 4K RAW should Panasonic choose to implement this next.
How about a new kind of camera benchmark – Netflix. Their production guidelines for original 4K content have been updated to include the Panasonic S1H. According to Netflix the S1H’s image in DCI 4K mode at 400Mbit 10bit 4:2:2 ALL-I plays in the same ballpark as pro cinema cameras costing many times more.
The Canon 1D X Mark III marks a surprising turn-around for Canon’s video capabilities, at least at $6000.
Although you can already shoot full frame 4K RAW on the Sigma Fp for $2000 and full frame 10bit 4:2:2 LOG on the Panasonic S1, if you do have the extra $4000 going spare down the back of the sofa, and need worse ergonomics, fewer features, no EVF and potentially some cropping, the 1D X Mark III might be a tempting choice.
At IBC the Organic Sensor technology Panasonic is developing turned up in the camera above (with a rather nice choice of Cooke cinema lens). Along with the prototype camera, Panasonic had a wealth of information about what makes it such a big step for filmmaking and video.
I bought the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K recently and decided to take it on a shoot at Monza, to film last weekend’s Formula One race and famous old banking (where sequences for 1966’s John Frankenheimer film Grand Prix were shot). I also had a few stills cameras with me including the Canon EOS RP, and considerably more capable Fuji X-T30 and Samsung’s famous last camera, the NX1, the only good one they ever made. These are super-fast small bodies for travelling light and the NX1 in particular with it’s stunning 4K quality turned out to be perfect for sports photography with the 15fps continuous shooting rate.
With Canon debuting the C500 II today, demand for a full frame in a C-series body is clearly there but Fujifilm is looking further into to the future. Their X-Trans IV sensor technology has already debuted in the GFX 100 and X-T3 but I can reveal a leaked slide-show shows Fujifilm might be taking the technology much further than we believed…
A large format 44×33 camera optimised for open gate 4K3K RGB (perfect for an anamorphic mode).
A particularly strange virus has spread across the internet, which seems to infect people defending Canon’s latest cameras, shorn of the cinema frame rate 24p.


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Aspen Leaf Frozen Yogurt and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory on Broadway in Boise closed in January. In a Facebook post, the businesses cited the pandemic.
But even before Aspen Leaf shut down, plans for a new smoothie shop in the same location at 127 S. Broadway Ave. went into city planners.
Banano Classic Smoothies spent recent months remodeling the retail space for a new smoothie store.
Founded in 2017 in Billings, MT by the former franchisee of an Orange Julius store in the area, the smoothie joint boasts of the “world’s greatest smoothies.”
Banano (no, I didn’t mean banana, Google) says it offers an “expansive menu of fruit drinks, with optional lite, protein-enriched, or dairy-free varieties.”
The menu in Billings features creations like Raspberry Cream, Tropical Tornado and Caribbean Cruiser. Boosts include spinach, energy, vitamin C, and even cayenne pepper or fresh jalapeño.
Work on the shop appears done. We reached out to owners about an opening date and will update this story if we hear back.


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The Korean car manufacturer Kia is launching a new sub-brand to help consumers identify its most fuel efficient vehicles. With this brand Kia is answering to the go green plea.
The EcoDynamics brand was unveiled this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show and said this brand will be applied to the eco-friendly car within each Kia model range. During the Motor Show Kia has unveiled three new hybrid models:- the Kia Forte LPI Hybrid, the Kia cee'd Hybrid and the diesel Kia Sorento Hybrid. The usual badges will be removed from these cars which will only have the new EcoDynamics legend brand signage.
This move is expected to continue grow car sales as Kia has seen UK sales of new cars rising by 16% year-on-year, benefitting from the Government's scrappage incentive scheme.


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ADS Architects have designed a new five-storey wine centre for the d’Arenberg Wines winery in McLaren Vale, Adelaide, modelled on the Rubik’s Cube.
According to The Lead South Australia, the $10.5 million design, which will encompass a new tasting room, three bars, a function room, offices, a restaurant and a dynamic viewing gallery, is the brainchild of owner and winemaker Chester Osborn:
“I was going to build some heritage thing, but then I thought, ‘no, let’s go really modern, let’s do a Rubik's Cube with colours on the outside',” Osborn says. “But the board didn’t like that, so I presented them with a 4x4 model with an intricate multi-changing pattern on the outside.
“I also turned the top two floors and pulled out blocks – one block will look like it’s fallen out into the car park, which will be the bore shed – it’s more challenging than a Rubik’s Cube.”
The bottom storey of the new building will be clad in mirror glass and set back one and half metres from the four storeys above, giving the impression that there is a cube floating on top of the vines.
“The engineers say it’s the most complicated design they have ever worked on, but the council took a fair while to come around.”
Osborn anticipates the large number of international visitors and wine trade will continue to increase, making the investment worthwhile.
“There are 40 restaurants already in McLaren Vale, so what’s another?” he says. “d’Arry’s has been full for 11 years and, with the Southern Expressway making the region more accessible, there is a demand for more and more dining.
“The building will be a piece of art – everywhere you look there will be something going on that’s wild and different.”
Osborn hopes the building will be completed by the end of 2016 and has installed a time-lapse camera to document the construction process. You can watch the progress here. Or for a real-life glimpse of the action at d'Arenberg, book in for a vintage tour and tasting that will take you from the winery to the vineyards.’
Report from The Lead South Australia


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BlackBerry does not want to leave the smartphone market — it intends to “shoot” for the last time with the new yet unnamed mobile phone presented on this teaser image. He is at the bottom, covered by the current flagship, the Passport, and he has the hardware keyboard on the front panel — its main competitive advantage.
BlackBerry is the codename of Mercury and will be released exactly on the first day of the exhibition MWC in Barcelona 2017-25 February. It will be a new flagship, and, according to rumors, developed by the Chinese company TCL, which has received a license to use the brand in their new BlackBerry smartphones. Just as she once did once the French brand Alcatel. Specify the way that the 2016 MWC will work February 26, a day earlier held a meeting with the journalists — the so-called press day.
On the new phone BlackBerry is known not so much: besides the fact that he will get a great Passport from the appearance, it will be the battery on 3400 mAh battery, 32 GB of internal memory, 3 GB of RAM and a square screen of 4.5 inches with a resolution of Full HD, and the CPU will be the Qualcomm chip 625. Of course, all this runs on OS Android — on BlackBerry OS, it is already possible to forget.
© 2017, z-news.link. All rights reserved.


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RIVIERA BEACH, FLA. — The odds are definitely against them. Ten-to-one, some analysts say. Yet the dozen assembly workers at Consulier Industries, the latest American company to try its luck at automobile manufacturing, prepare car No. 50 for painting.
Consulier makes a $58,000-plus sports car that tops out at 145 miles an hour. The company`s plans are far from modest: to break into the U.S. market of high-performance sports cars and keep pace with the big boys-Corvette, Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari.
``There is obviously snob appeal to the car, and there are only 100 people in the world who are going to get one this year,`` said Bob Halpern, new-car manager at Thoroughbred Motor Cars in Ft. Lauderdale. ``It`s the most incredible value in the sports-car market today.``
Big questions persist, however, for the 5-year-old Riviera Beach company. How can Warren Mosler, company president and a securities broker and amateur race-car driver, accomplish what auto entrepreneurs John DeLorean and Malcolm Bricklin failed to do?
``It`s awfully tough, even for someone who`s out there and proven,`` said West Peterson, managing editor of Car Collector and a professional car appraiser. ``It`s such a limited market, and I don`t see how they`re going to last. But, as P.T. Barnum said, `There`s a sucker born every minute.` ``
At last count, Consulier had sold only 23 cars and enjoys scant name recognition. The car has no resale history, and the company has strayed from its original business plan. What`s more, its French-sounding name means nothing. It just sounds upscale.
What Mosler has, however, is a line of street-legal racing machines, grandly billed in his brochures as ``the world`s best sports car.`` The Consulier GTP starts with a turbocharged 2.2-liter engine, five-speed transmission, brakes and steering, all from Chrysler. Then Mosler`s factory installs a heavy-duty suspension system, attaches a body of lightweight composites and turns the interior into an electronic playpen.
Jeffrey Dworin, art director for Car and Driver, said the GTP was fun to drive despite ``enormous`` blind spots.
Consulier`s assembly plant in Riviera Beach is a far cry from Motor City. Down the street from a residential neighborhood, its plant looks more like a car repair and parts shop. There, Mosler`s assemblers are churning out GTPs at the rate of two a week.
``This is the way cars will be built in the future, so we get lots of attention from the automakers,`` said Mosler. ``Their engineers wish they were allowed to build a car this way, but it`s not in their budgets to do something separate from the ground up. Their budgets are to replace what`s on the line, to improve what they have.``
This lesson in automotive manufacturing technology comes from a man who spends his days selling government securities. In the early `80s, he raced stock cars, twice winning a Florida regional championship. He studied engineering for two years at the University of Connecticut before graduating with an economics degree in 1968. Life to Mosler consists of ``trial and error.``
Despite his mixed experience, Mosler was able to raise $1 million in a March 1989 initial stock offering that sold out in one day. Until then, Consulier had sunk $2.4 million-most of it Mosler`s money-into developing the GTP. Consulier`s auditors said the offering proceeds were essential to keep building and selling cars.
The company lost $2.5 million in 1989, and management wants to stretch out Consulier`s capital as long as possible.
The precariousness of Consulier`s finances hasn`t frightened outside shareholders. Shares have risen in value by about 12 percent since the initial offering.
According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Consulier must sell at least 75 cars a year to break even.
Meanwhile, the company has received long-awaited approval of the Consulier GTP from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Consulier Industries` biggest hurdle now will be to firmly etch a name for itself in the industry.
The company expected to see profits start rolling in sometime this year, according to the 1989 prospectus. But money was funneled into technology and design.
``Our marketing has been slow,`` said Mosler. ``It`s starting to happen, but it`s taking a year longer than we thought. It seems to be difficult to get any kind of recognition.``
Leading auto writers still scratch their heads at mention of the car. So management has turned to auto shows and nationally broadcast racing events for exposure. There`s even talk of co-advertising with a major tire company.
The slump that has plagued existing automakers for so long will not affect Consulier Industries` sales, analysts say. The car`s price tag, boosted $3,000 from last year, is aimed at only a handful.
``It`s one of those cars that when you see it, you`re either gonna like it or you`re not,`` said sports-car buff Joseph DeArce, who recently bought a GTP.
DeArce had considered buying a Porsche. But the Boca Raton bond trader thought it was overpriced, about $20,000 more than the Consulier GTP. As a special incentive, the company lent DeArce a car for a week. He was sold, mostly because of its styling, acceleration and handling.
Although DeArce purchased his GTP direct from the manufacturer, prospective buyers will soon be able to purchase through select dealerships.
If all goes well, the Consulier name, stamped below both doors in solid blocked lettering, will become just as eye-catching as the names of its high- speed counterparts.
If not, Consulier Industries probably will still be remembered, joining the ranks of defunct car manufacturers DeLorean Motor Co. and Bricklin Motor Co.


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New Delhi – Su-Kam Power Systems Limited (Su-Kam), a leading power solution provider in India, organised a dynamic 5-day Business Dealers Meet in Bangkok, Thailand. The event, titled “Mega Beach Carnival,” was attended by successful dealers and distributors of Su-Kam who had participated in and met the targets of the Dealer Scheme launched by Su-Kam. The scheme provided the successful participants the opportunity to stay in a 4-star luxury hotel in Bangkok and Pattaya for 3N/4D with return air tickets and local sightseeing after successfully meeting monthly and quarterly targets.
More than 150 dealers and distributors of Su-Kam successfully fulfilled the targets and participated in the event. The occassion also witnessed the auspicious presence of Mr. Ashok Chaudhary (Business Head) and the RSMs Mr. Vijender Vats, Mr. ML Sharma, Mr. Rajesh Gulia, and Mr. Dheeraj Monga, among others.
The mega event set the stage for insightful discussions and presentations on Su-Kam’s latest product range and future plans. A thought-provoking conclave deliberated by industry experts was also part of the event, showcasing Su-Kam’s commitment to fostering strong partnerships and expanding its footprint in the area.
Deliberating on the success of the event, Mr. Sanchit Sekhwal Goyal, Director, Su-Kam Power Systems Limited said, “The Business Dealers Meet has been instrumental in connecting with our valued partners and the wider dealer network. I congratulate our dealers and distributors for meeting the targets and joining the event. The event also provided a valuable opportunity to unveil our new product offerings and discuss our strategic vision for the future. Su-Kam is dedicated to furthering its presence in the region to address the increasing demand for our trusted power solutions.”
The event was a grand success, concluding on a positive note with Su-Kam’s business partners optimistic about the opportunities that the Business Dealers Meet brought. With more international schemes launched and the demand for Su-Kam’s exceptional products consistently rising across the globe. Su-Kam Power Systems, with 35 years of expertise in renewable energy solutions, continues to be a front-runner in the industry. The company boasts a comprehensive network, including government-approved research and development centres, dealers, distributors, and service centres.
The objective of the Business Dealers Meet in Bangkok was to reinforce the company’s collaboration with dealers and showcase Su-Kam’s diverse product portfolio, and facilitate discussions on upcoming plans and initiatives. Su-Kam is planning to organize similar events in countries like Australia, Dubai, and others, and the dealers were excited to participate in these future events.
Su-Kam Power Systems remains committed to expanding its presence worldwide and contributing to the development of the green energy sector. The company aims to focus on renewable energy sources, e-mobility, and other sustainable energy product areas to meet the evolving needs of the market.


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The $10B* bottled US water industry has enjoyed aggressive growth over the past decade. With over a 9% CAGR since 2000, the industry does not show many signs of slowing down (International Bottled Water Association). Today, one in two Americans drink bottled water while one in six drink it exclusively (Corporate Accountability International).
Marketers have fueled this growth by creating the perception in consumers minds that bottled water is better than tap water in three ways: it is healthier (i.e., based on purity, perceived health benefits), better tasting and more convenient.
While it may be convenient to pick up a cold bottle of water at the local convenience store (and perhaps a healthier alternative to soda), it is a misperception – fueled by marketers – that bottled water is healthier or necessarily tastes better than tap.
Bottled water is not necessarily healthier that tap: While different agencies govern tap water (Environmental Protection Agency) and bottled water (Food and Drug Administration), for the most part, similar standards have been adopted by both.
Consumers can not distinguish bottled and tap water by taste: Corporate Accountability International staged a “Tap Water Challenge”, a blind taste test in 8 US cities where consumers were asked to differentiate by taste between bottled (spring – Nestle’s Poland Spring and “purified” tap water – PepsiCo’s Aquifina or Coca-Cola’s Desani) and regular tap water. Overwhelmingly, participants could not distinguish one from another.
As such, the current brand positioning for bottle water is at odds with greens who view bottled water as detrimental to the environment (e.g., higher use of fuels to bottle and transport water) and, potentially, municipal supplies (e.g., may divert consumer interest and investment away from public water systems, unsustainable pumping of local aquifers). Brands may face negative impact if recent anti-bottled water campaigns such CAI’s “Think Outside the Bottle” resonate with even a small segment of consumers.
Marketers might want a preemptive strike:
Make product more eco-friendly and clearly label it so: Shift to eco-friendly packaging, tap local supplies to reduce transportation costs, ensure that the water comes from a sustainable source.
Donate % of profits to charity. Starbucks has it right. If you are selling a commodity to consumers at a premium price, why not ask them to help ensure that others have access to safe (public) drinking water as well? Through its Ethos brand, Starbucks plans to donate $10 million over the next five years for clean-water sources in poor countries (or about $0.05 per bottle).
*2005 forecast for producer revenue only, Beverage Marketing Corporation


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BCBG Max Azria Group’s completion of a $53 million bond offering last week gives the Los Angeles-based company some financial muscle to flex, helping it to execute an expansion plan that includes entering the men’s wear business in a...
BCBG Max Azria Group’s completion of a $53 million bond offering last week gives the Los Angeles-based company some financial muscle to flex, helping it to execute an expansion plan that includes entering the men’s wear business in a bigger way, increasing sales with its retail partners and entering new geographical markets.
The company launched dress shirts for Father’s Day this year. And more is on the way.
“We’ve been flirting with the men’s market, which is interesting,” said Ben Malka, president of BCBG. “There’s this metrosexual [customer type], as well as women doing a lot of the buying in men’s. We’re looking to launch sportswear and suiting for men’s as early as fall 2005, and definitely by spring 2006.”
BCBG has a diversified portfolio of brands, and 105 full-line domestic stores, including outlets. Annual volume in 2003 was $240 million, and BCBG anticipates ending 2004 hitting $375 million.
The goals may seem lofty, particularly with projected 2005 volume at $600 million. After all, the company was the focus of bankruptcy speculation in August 2001 as a way to get out of unprofitable store leases stemming from an overly ambitious expansion plan. BCBG wiggled out of that jam through financing from its longtime lender, GMAC Commercial Finance.
And while the volume has grown in year-over-year gains, there is still some doubt in the marketplace. One executive from a New York-based factoring firm, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “One of the big issues you have with BCBG is where do they fit in the marketplace? They say they’re contemporary, but that’s a huge market and there’s so much competition.”
Malka sought to rebut worry over the company’s position, describing such concerns as overblown. BCBG is on track to meet its 2005 goal, with half of sales from its wholesale operations and the balance from its retail stores, he said.
In a telephone interview from Paris on Monday — Malka and BCBG chairman Max Azria are also visiting Madrid and London to explore potential footholds for European expansion — Malka said, “This company is a very different company from what it was in 2001. Back then it had less to do with expansion plans than just the fact that it was bad timing. The [attacks] of 9/11 didn’t help. The brand, however, was never in question by either consumers or retailers, both of whom loved the product and the concept that we were doing.”Malka said the company is now “two times” larger in volume, and has an umbrella of more brands than the BCBG Max Azria that existed in 2001.
He took over as president on Sept. 10, 2001, and has worked with the management team to initiate a strategy of controlled growth more clearly focused on where its consumers are located. First on the agenda was shrinking its distribution to department and specialty doors.
“Now we have gone deeper within Saks, and we have a deeper penetration in Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus Group,’’ Malka explained. “By positioning BCBG away from the mainstream department stores, we have turned our focus toward select [upscale] doors.”
The company’s BCBG stores average 4,000 square feet, encompassing both retail and back-office space.
Malka foresees opening stores in Texas cities such as Austin. “There are cities that respond very well to contemporary product,’’ he said. “The border towns have that kind of customer. In New York City, for example, we have two stores. Fifth Avenue is a consideration. It’s not like we will be opening up 20 more stores, but there is the possibility of opening a store in another part of the city.”
Azria said he believed New York could sustain six to eight stores, while the Chicago market, which has two units, can support another four.
For Azria, the bond offering represented the company’s best opportunity for financial flexibility, even though other firms had expressed interest in acquiring the contemporary designer brand, he said.
“I guess the reason why I didn’t sell is because no one gave me the price that I expected,” Azria said.
The bond offering, a $53 million securitization of investment-grade asset-backed bonds structured in two tranches and rated “AAA” and “Baa3” by Moody’s Investor Service, was completed on Friday. It was privately placed by New York Life.
As for the securitization, the option was a logical step for BCBG. “Our intellectual property is a sleeping asset,’’ Azria said. “When you are chairman, your first job is to make sure the company makes money. We put to work the IP assets to give us room to grow comfortably.”Andrew Jassin, of the management consulting firm Jassin-O’Rourke Group, is the backup manager for the business. The backup is required to get the bond offering completed.
“We did the brand study prior to the securitization. We have complete confidence in the brand,’’ Jassin said. “BCBG has several unique brands and targets prom girls all the way up to their moms. We found that BCBG has proved its niche in dresses and sportswear. It is the zone of choice for the younger female customer, even with competition from Tahari, Theory, A.B.S. by Allen B. Schwartz and Laundry.”
The company is focusing on providing trend-right fashion with great fabrication. “We don’t limit ourselves to a particular cloth or look,’’ Malka said. “It is more about the mind-set of our consumer. It’s about making our guests, who prefer body-conscious [fashions], feel good about themselves.”
Kevin McGarry, executive vice president of GMAC Commercial Finance, said the firm provided the $100 million working capital financing facility for BCBG because of its rapid growth potential and ability to “create magic” with consumers. The facility replaced the existing one that was set to expire.
Ripe opportunities for BCBG’s expansion are also in licensing, especially in its other divisions, and in greater penetration of its wholesale accounts, McGarry said. “You’re going to see a lot more in-store concept shops as well as stores giving more space to the brand.”
This past August, Macy’s, Dillard’s, Burdines-Macy’s and Marshall Field’s committed to 465 in-store shops for BCBGirls and To the Max, BCBG’s young contemporary divisions. Bloomingdale’s, which operates 36 stores in 12 states under parent Federated Department Stores Inc., said it’s also devoting more real estate to BCBG Max Azria.
“We’re buying more and selling more of the line,” said Frank Doroff, senior executive vice president of ready-to-wear at Bloomingdale’s. “The designs are great and are resonating as good item pieces. And, his dress business is extraordinary — both day and evening.”
In honor of Rihanna’s 30th birthday, we took a look back at an interview with the Barbados-native when she was just 18 years old. Here, she talked about her second album, “A Girl Like Me” in 2006. “I want to be me. I want people to fall in love with who Rihanna is, and that’s why I want the album to be about me so people can really find out who this girl Rihanna is, because they only know the ‘Pon de Replay’ girl.” Fast forward 12 years, and she’s released six more albums and has become a powerhouse in both the fashion and music industries. Happy birthday, @badgalriri 🎈(📷: Pavel Antonov) #wwdarchive
For @simonerocha_‘s fall show, hairstylist @jamespecis created a look inspired by the painter John Constable. Models’ hair was pulled back, tied into knots and topped off with a bow. (📷: @kukukuba) #wwdbeauty #lfw
Queen Elizabeth made a surprise appearance at @richardquinn1's London Fashion Week show to present the designer with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. The new award will be handed out annually to an emerging British fashion designer who shows exceptional talent, while demonstrating value to the community and sustainable policies. #wwdfashion #lfw (📷: @giovanni_giannoni_photo)


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In 1996 Pauline Hanson infamously said in her maiden parliamentary speech that she feared that Australia was going to be “swamped by Asians”.
Nearly 20 years on, it appears her prediction was right, but not in any way her narrow mind could have imagined. What Hanson also failed to appreciate was that it wasn’t just Australia that was being taken over by Asia, but the whole world.
And where Queensland’s most notorious ranga feared the threat of the unknown, Google sees opportunity and hope, and a truck load of money as well.
What I’m talking about is the message coming out of Google’s The Mobile First World media conference: Asia is leading the world in not only mobile-first connectivity, but mobile-only connectivity.
Eric Schmidt speaking via video link to the assembled 200-odd journalists from all over Asia said this region “was going to lead the mobile world for a very long time”. He pointed to the rapidly developing nations throughout the region and the high quality data networks being built that would make this prophecy true.
“The next billion people to join the Internet will be from Asia,” he said. “They will also join the Internet via a mobile device.”
And as this market becomes the most important economy for mobile connectivity, the habits and influence of Asian people will shape the way the rest of the world lives. As we move into the age of the Internet of things, online will become even more pervasive than it already is.
For Schmidt, the next transition is from mobile-first to mobile-only. His reasoning for this was that smart phone functionality would preclude the use of anything other than a mobile device. Think of how Instagram is better on a mobile than desktop simply because it knows where you are.
As more and more apps tap into the array of built-in features offered by smart phones, from gyroscopes, GPSs and accelerometers to cameras, audio recording and so on, accessing the Internet without these things just won’t be the same experience. It’d be like watching TV in black and white once colour had been invented, or perhaps with the sound turned off, or both.
To illustrate its point, Google trotted out a number of examples of how people were using smart phones in ways no-one had ever dreamed of. Perhaps the most impressive of them all was Dr Steve Lee from ANU’s development.
An optical scientist, Lee has developed a lens that can turn a standard phone camera into a microscope. Lee’s invention saw him recently take out the ANSTO Eureka Prize for Innovative Use of Technology.
His droplet lens uses the surface tension of liquids and gravity to easily and cheaply manufacture a tiny lens that fits over a smartphone camera and turns it into a microscope. Currently, the lenses can be churned out for $2 a unit.
Amazingly, Lee’s microscopes can be made at home on a 3D printer. If Lee’s invention can be made widely available, the ramifications for everything from medical diagnosis through to farming are obvious.
Another obvious use of smartphones is their integration with other wearable or even consumable devices. For example the capsule endoscopy is a camera the size of a pill you swallow that allows you to have a far less invasive intestinal examination. Let’s assume they’re single use.
Another favourite in the region is Google’s translate app, which can read and interpret Chinese characters on a sign in a night market into English. Again the camera is imperative to this functionality.
Knocking down barriers one at a time
Google has set its sights squarely on Asia. The next billion people to come online will be disproportionately represented by Asians and as they become the dominant group so too will the nature of the Internet reflect its dominant citizens. So we can expect to see more of the selfie stick to get bigger in Australia.
Google is doing its best to ensure its bet on Asia will pay off. It’s identified the issues within Asia impeding access to the Internet and addressing them one by one.
For instance, Andrew McGlinchey, product manager for southeast Asia, Google says cost has been a barrier which is why the Android One is now available in India for $100 plus $5 a month for data, which is 1/20th of the cost of what it used to be.
Similarly access to data infrastructure has lead to the development of lightweight search, which drops out the images and maps and just gives you text if you’re in a low speed area – automatically.
Because video can chew through data plans, India and elsewhere are now offering separate data plans so you can just watch YouTube videos under a separate quota so that you can still send texts and so forth after you’ve used up all of your data. The Android One has dual SIM cards for this purpose and you can expect other manufacturers to follow suit.
Access to data is also being solved with huge long-life balloons that float over countries and deliver 3G speed. Google has also bought Titan Aerospace and wants to launch satellites to deliver 3G.
Culturally, women in India are significantly under represented online and so Google is running education programs, which have so far trained 100 million women to use the Internet.
And finally, here’s one you probably hadn’t thought of: Hindi keyboards are a challenge as there’s 50 characters in the language. Speech will unlock these languages for the Internet. “200 million people speak English, 400 million speak Hindi . . . this is unlocking users,” says McGlinchey.
The Macro View of Asia:
- 2.25 billion people (World Bank 2013)
- 279 million fixed broadband Internet subscribers (World Bank 2013)
- 2.22 billion mobile cellular subscriptions, growing over 8X since 2000 (World Bank 2013)
- 673.7 million smartphones shipped per year in Asia-Pacific, over 1.8 million shipped per day. This compares with 283.3 million in the Americas (Canalys)
- Smartphone shipments in Asia are growing at 30% year on year (Canalys)
From Mobile First to Mobile Only
- Consumers in these countries said a smartphone was their only device for going online: Malaysia – 35% / Vietnam – 24% / Singapore – 16% / South Korea – 14% / Hong Kong – 14%
(Google Consumer Barometer)
Mobile only content consumption
- Asia sees some of the highest rates of video watching on smartphones in the world: Of smartphone owners, China – 82% / South Korea – 81% (compared to UK – 61% / Germany, 53%)
- The same is true for listening to music on smartphones: Of smartphone owners, Vietnam – 84% / Thailand – 70% (compared to France – 46% / UK – 44%)
- Smartphone games are particularly popular in Asia. Of smartphone owners, Thailand 65%, China 64%, compared to Germany 20%
(Google Consumer Barometer)
Android and Google Play
- 1 billion users globally
- 1.5 billion devices activated every day
- Google Play Games has added 100 million new users in just six months.
- Globally, 3 of 4 Android users are playing games.
- Google Play paid out 2.5x to developers from June 2013 to 2014 compared to the previous year
- Number of registered developers on Google Play in Asia have grown 3x in the last two years
e-shopping on Mobile in Asia
- Nearly 50% of online shopping in India is done on phones, with cash on delivery
- More than 10 million downloads
- 216 countries
- Translated into 15 languages
- During Ramadan 2014, downloads for Muslim Pro went up to 100,000 in a single day
Possibilities of a Mobile First World
- Between 1.1 billion and 2.8 billion people are out of range of an existing mobile network (McKinsey)
- More than 4 billion people globally still don’t have access to fast Internet today.
- 65% of mobile users worldwide are currently on a 2G data plan.
- Over 55% of the Internet’s web content is in English
- Japanese – 5%, Chinese – 2.8%, Korean – 0.5%
- Indonesian – 0.4%, Vietnamese – 0.4%
Freedom Foods and 72andSunny Sydney have launched the first advertising campaign for Australia’s Own range of plant-based beverages. The campaign introduces a new visual world and identity for the brand and captures the healthy, positive feeling you get when spending time in nature and when consuming Australia’s Own certified-organic, plant-based beverages. As well as featuring […]
Nine creatives from APAC are among the 94 finalists from 27 countries in The One Club for Creativity’s prestigious Young Guns 19 competition, celebrating international creative professionals age 30 or younger. The finalists from APAC are: Hiu Ching Kung, graphic designer, Hong Kong Lam Ieong Kun, graphic designer, illustrator, indego design, Macau Raxenne Maniquiz, graphic designer, illustrator, Santa Maria (Philippines) Kiyotaka […]
OOH transit company Adflow has announced the success of the first phase of its regional expansion program. Adflow’s regional footprint has increased by 60 per cent to now include 65 regional locations. With 9.1 million people living regionally in Australia (growth of 1.1 per cent experienced in the 19/20 Financial year) and most regional centres […]
Freshworks, a leading software company, has started trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, marking an important milestone for the company. The company priced its IPO at US$36 per share (AU$49.76), raising about US$1 billion (AU$1.4B), resulting in a total market capitalisation of AU$13.7 billion (US$10B). Freshworks, which was founded in India, has strong roots […]
Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) is the biggest player in the holiday shopping game and Google’s most recent research suggests consumer interest for the peak sales season starts much earlier than retailers may realise. The pandemic has fundamentally changed buyer behaviour over peak sales season, with Google suggesting that global consumer interest in Black Friday […]


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Any time Instagram makes a change — be that a new logo, a tweak to its algorithm or a major update to its user experience — controversy tends to follow. But experts say the hand-wringing over its newest move — which could remove public likes from users’ feeds — is probably overblown.
The social media platform has been testing the feature since May in Canada, and last week expanded the trial to Italy, Japan, Ireland, Brazil, New Zealand and Australia. Despite some misinformation circulated on the app in the wake of the announcement, users will still be able to see their own metrics, and influencers can choose to share these with brands.
The aim of the no-like feed, Instagram says, is to make the app a more pleasant and less competitive experience. The experiment debuted in the wake of a March 2019 study by the American Psychological Association that linked a rise in depression, psychological distress and suicidal thoughts among people 26 and younger to social media use. At F8, Facebook’s annual developer conference, Instagram head Adam Mosseri said that this feature was introduced to create a “less pressurized environment where people feel comfortable expressing themselves.”
Mae Karwowski, CEO and founder of the influencer marketing platform Obviously, said the company has surveyed over a hundred influencers in Canada since the change rolled out, and 58% have said their like count has stayed about the same, while 33% said they were getting fewer likes. One response she heard from many, though, was that, “they liked that they had a little bit more range now — they didn’t have to post the photo that they knew was going to get the maximum number of likes because they know that potential partners are looking at every single post that they do. So you don’t just have to post that one sunset photo or that one avocado toast photo because you feel like you have to do that and you feel the pressure to keep your like count extremely high.”
A less repetitive feed would be good news for all users, not just those that use the platform professionally.
“On the other hand,” said Stephanie Cartin, co-CEO of Socialfly,”one of Instagram’s core values is community, and there is a feeling of belonging that comes with liking the same pictures as your peers.” Comments, however, will still be viewable to all, so they could replace likes as the standard metric of engagement.
One Vancouver-based brand, Native Shoes, said it hasn’t noticed a negative impact from the change in the past three months.
“We are fortunate that we are growing so quickly and recently our big product launch — The Plant Shoe — saw excellent engagement. That being said, we also make an effort to engage with our customers on as many channels as we can,” said Rebecca Boxall, Native Shoes’ VP of e-commerce and marketing. “The digital space changes constantly and, like all changes on its platforms, it’s something for us to monitor and be thoughtful about.”
Instagram does, at least, seem committed to its push into e-commerce, which in March expanded to allow users to checkout within the app when they click on a shoppable post. In May, it launched @shop, an account featuring curated brands, trends and influencers, including footwear and fashion labels Freda Salvador, Kurt Lyle and Aera. The app last year hit a billion monthly active users, and according to social media management firm Hootsuite, 60 percent of those users actively seek out and discover new products on the platform.
“We believe this change move will put more of an emphasis on Stories, IGTV, and Instagram Shopping, as brands will be able to track actionable metrics like swipe ups and purchases from these content formats, and calculate ROI and performance metrics,” said Zoe Marans, VP and General Manager at Mediakix, an influencer marketing agency.
Still, she said, the lack of public metrics may make it more difficult to determine pricing for sponsored posts and stories. “This may lead to more negotiation room as brands and influencers find new ways to work together, share messaging and determine effectiveness of ad spend.”


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A reminder and a caution. The slow network access problem previously identified by YARC only is relevant to PCI-based Macs. Based on reports from readers, using this utility to check other Macs may result in a system crash.
Apple's iOS could get a makeover
The iPhone operating system is expected to get a new look, the latest Xbox One report sheds new light on used games, and Digg Reader is set to launch in June.


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With the Clinton administration pushing for hightech vendors to share more information on the status of their products, Electronic Data Systems Corp. this month announced the creation of what the company described as the world's largest database of Year 2000compliance information. The Vendor 2000
With the Clinton administration pushing for high-tech vendors to share more information on the status of their products, Electronic Data Systems Corp. this month announced the creation of what the company described as the world's largest database of Year 2000-compliance information.
The Vendor 2000 project provides a World Wide Web-based database of more than 129,000 hardware and software products from more than 3,400 vendors, accessible through a browser interface. The database provides full search capabilities as well as the ability to view the complete listing of products or vendors.
John McCain, EDS president of CIO Services, said the company is offering the Vendor 2000 database "as a public service [to help] all organizations, governments and individuals around the world" reach their Year 2000 compliance goals more quickly.
Vendor 2000 also tracks product lines that have been sold from one vendor to another and provides users with pointers to the new product owner's Web site. The 129,000 products tracked by the system represent "a drop in the bucket" of the products on the market, said Joe Allison, the Vendor 2000 database manager.
The creation of Vendor 2000 comes as the Clinton administration is attempting to stimulate sharing of information by throwing its weight behind the Year 2000 Information Disclosure Act, or "Good Samaritan bill," which would extend legal protections to companies willing to share Year 2000-compliance information.
"What EDS has done...is make it substantially easier and more efficient" to locate Year 2000-compliant products, said John Koskinen, chairman of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion. "A Web site like this will cut a substantial amount of time and effort out" of the process, he said.
However, the administration believes industry as a whole will remain reluctant to share information without the legal protection provided by the Good Samaritan bill. "No one feels comfortable without the protection that the statute would provide," said Koskinen, who expects the Good Samaritan bill to reach the Senate floor in the next few days. "The question is whether [or not] we can get unanimous consent in the Senate. It's a long shot."
Olga Grkavac, senior vice president of the Information Technology Association of America's Systems Integration Division, said Vendor 2000 "really was an effort on the part of EDS to set an example of the Good Samaritan legislation." Despite legal concerns expressed by some in industry, EDS' willingness to share the information in the database with anybody who wants it is "really commendable," Grkavac said.
But Koskinen pointed out that time is running out and that the failure to share Year 2000-compliance information across government and industry has been one of the administration's greatest concerns.
Grkavac agrees with Koskinen's assessment. "Time is the greatest enemy of the legislation...and there's not much time left," she said.
For more information about Vendor 2000 and the Good Samaritan bill, click on Web Alert at www.fcw.com.
NEXT STORY: DOD issues plan for scrubbing Web sites


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Microsoft Europe has teased on its Connected Lifestyles blog an upcoming quiz app for Windows Phone, iOS and Android. The Microsoft Quiz App will enable you to participate alongside friends, earn some exciting Microsoft prizes, all whilst having fun and putting your knowledge to the test.
There's currently no word as to when these apps will launch, but we're told to expect an official announcement in due course. A new question will be available on a daily basis, earning you points as you progress. Notifications will also be fired out irregularly with bonus questions for some added point accumulation.
But why are said points important and worth collecting? Microsoft's prizes will include Nokia Lumia Windows Phones, Surface PCs, Office 365, Xbox One and Skype. Stay tuned to the Microsoft Europe Facebook, Twitter and YouTube accounts for more details closer to launch.
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.


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Russell County OPP warned people to “think twice” before sending cash to online sellers after charging an 18-year-old Quebec woman in connection with an alleged puppy-for-sale scam worth almost $900.
The would-be dog owner responded to a Kijiji ad offering puppies for sale on Nov. 21, the Ontario Provincial Police said in a media release Tuesday.
The money was sent via e-transfer, but the seller later said they no longer had the lab-mix puppy and could not return the cash, police said. Police spoke to the person, who promised to pay up by mid-December, but no money was forthcoming.
The woman from Buckingham was charged with fraud under $5,000 and obtaining by false pretence under $5,000. She is scheduled to appear in court in L’Orignal on Jan. 27.
“Buyers are reminded to use caution and to educate themselves on current frauds,” the OPP said, referring consumers to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre .
“Scammers continue to exploit people and the OPP is urging everyone to pause before sending any money, bitcoin or gift cards online. Always ask questions or conduct research and definitely check out a trusted source for information.”
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2020


text: It was an awesome year for smartphones. The Note made a triumphant return, Apple decided to join the rest of the industry in a surprising move with the iPhone X. Google for the second year in a row sported the best camera on the market. We had a few new comers both making a splash in their own ways. Razer coming to the game late showing manufacturers how smooth android is suppose to run and how to put a real battery in the phone. Essential got the community excited only to be let down by the camera. LG did some big things with the V30 and HTC managed to find themselves getting squeezed out of the conversation thanks to other phones doing bigger things. But it was not all bad as we saw the HTC squeeze function brought to the Pixel 2 (XL), which is a feature that can get in the way at times. We cannot forget about One Plus or some of the other smaller phone manufacturers. And kudos to Motorola for staying with the Moto Mods another year. Oh and it's fair to say that Google now understands the importance of a good display making a good phone great. So Vote on your 3 favorite phones of 2017. And let's use this thread to reflect on 2017. Also thanks to @DroidModderX, @Preach2k, and @PereDroid for keeping us up to date with the latest news and rumors for the 2017 phones. As we look back at some of the conversations we had, disappointments and excitement shared. With the top rumor being the under glass fingerprint sensor taking up the large part of the 2017 rumors and speculations. It will be interesting to see where we go in 2018.