text:
Check out the on-demand sessions from the Low-Code/No-Code Summit to learn how to successfully innovate and achieve efficiency by upskilling and scaling citizen developers. Watch now.
Today Facebook pulled the wrapping off its partnership with Uber to bring the transportation service to Messenger. Starting today, select users will be able to order a car through Uber inside of Messenger.
Facebook said the feature is still in testing and will only roll out to some users in the United States. However, if you’re one of the lucky early testers, your first ride using the service will be free (as long as your tab is under $20).
In this update to Messenger, the “more” button — designated by an ellipsis icon — will include a transportation feature. Where once the more button offered a list of GIF makers, stickers, apps, and filters, as well as a way to send a current location, it will now have three categories: transportation, GIFs, and location.
Clicking on an address or the “Request a ride” suggestion inside of Messenger takes you to a new screen where you can order a car, set a destination, and see your driver en route.
Facebook will also enable Uber to communicate updates to riders directly through Messenger, leveraging the customer service chat windows it first unveiled at the F8 conference earlier this year.
The partnership with Uber is the first real manifestation of Facebook’s goal to be a sort of WeChat of the west. The Chinese messaging app WeChat pioneered much of the in-app commerce that Facebook hopes to enable down the road. In 2014, WeChat was already facilitating some 21 million rides through its partnership with car-hailing service Didi Kuaidi, according to TechinAsia.
To bring Uber inside of Messenger, Facebook is leaning on its partnership with payment processor Braintree. That may seem like a small, boring detail, but it’s anything but. Braintree, which is owned by PayPal, works with a wide variety of hot services like Hotel Tonight, TaskRabbit, Minibar, and mattress startup Casper.
If Facebook and Braintree were to extend their relationship further, we’d likely see a blossoming of on-demand services inside Messenger — for instance, being able to book an Airbnb or order home goods from Jet.com while inside the chat app.
Though it’s hard to say whether people in the U.S. will want to place orders from a messaging app, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that Americans like shopping on their phones. Over the holiday season so far, an increasing number of online consumers shopped from their mobile devices. Even Walmart noted that 70 percent of traffic to Walmart.com was coming from mobile. Much of the rapid growth of mobile commerce may be due to easy solutions like PayPal One Touch, Apple Pay, and now Android Pay, which allow consumers to enter their payment information once for a wide spectrum of retailers and services. The mobile shopping experience is shaping up to be a more fluid experience than ecommerce ever was, to great effect.
This confluence of technological advancement and consumer expectation is exactly what Braintree, Uber, and Facebook are betting will get people to make purchases in unlikely places.
“There will be a lot of purchases happening outside of the traditional merchant checkout,” said PayPal global head of product and engineering Bill Ready, “and we are a key enabler of those kinds of those experiences.”
VentureBeat's mission is to be a digital town square for technical decision-makers to gain knowledge about transformative enterprise technology and transact. Discover our Briefings.


text:
Amadeus’s EVP of mobile Michael Bayle tells Lee Hayhurst that he predicts the death of desktop
Greater collaboration between travel providers to optimise customers experience on mobile can make the difference between super satisfaction and angst.
Michael Bayle, executive vice president of mobile at European technology giant Amadeus, says the modern corporate and leisure client views their mobile phone as their lynchpin when travelling.
Earlier this year, Amadeus surveyed the two million monthly users of its CheckMyTrip app for its Destination X whitepaper.
Bayle says the key finding was that 70% of respondents “really thought their experience was made or broken through opportunities delivered to them on their mobile device”.
He added: “This could be anything from being alerted to as flight being delayed, being offered a transfer relevant to their destination, or suggestions of what to do in their destination.
“This is something that really enhances their travel experience. It’s this kind of make or break service that subtly moves the dial between angst and super-satisfaction.”
Bayle said the travel sector is seeing is more collaboration between suppliers and intermediaries in travel to provide this sort of joined-up service in what is a fragmented market.
This, for instance, is seeing transfers providers start to include flight data in their mobile experience giving users more opportunity to re-plan their trip in the event of delays.
“There is nothing worse than waiting to land at Heathrow and not having the ability to communicate with your transfer and the meter’s running and you’re going to be penalised.”
Bayle said mobile promises the possibility of stress-free travel by offering simple services like information about how to navigate through airports that are unfamiliar.
The battle for all brands in travel is to become established as the trusted mobile experience that consumers turn to time and again.
Because there are many potential players will data about a customers’ trip, including their agent, airline, social network, ground transport provider, even the airport, they can be inundated.
It’s for this reason that mature mobile markets like China have witnessed the rise of the super app like WeChat, or OTA Ctrip’s app.
Bayle believes the bulk of the commercial opportunities for travel firms on mobile come post-booking and in-trip.
“All the volatility is there and so you need an aggregation of your disparate events like your transfer to the airport, a lounge pass when you get there, or knowing where your luggage is or hotel.”
But there may also be an emerging opportunity in the pre-booking phase of travel for tour operators to tap into inspiration using popular content sharing apps like Instagram, says Bayle.
He recalled United Airlines presenting a ‘Shazam for videos’ prototype at South by Southwest three years ago that recognised the destination in a video and presented air fares for getting there.
Bayle said brands that get the tone correct on mobile can overcome fickle loyalty in travel by presenting in their content a charisma the user can relate to.
“People will look at who the author is and if it’s a trusted brand and they will respond affectionately if it’s done right,” says Bayle.
Even with business travel, the blurring of leisure and corporate means mobile uses are looking for their digital experience to be an extension of their own personality.
“It’s a comfort to know what’s immediately around the hotel or the office and what’s in travel policy and what’s not in policy.”
In leisure travel, relevancy is the vital ingredient, but due to the infrequency of travel it is more of a “leap of faith”.
Amadeus is deploying machine learning and artificial intelligence in CheckMyTrip to recognise patterns of behaviour so relevant recommendations can be suggested based on the data.
Bayle says in the future devices will becomes more intuitive and integrated into people’s daily lives and habits.
Facial recognition, digital identities, voice and pre-programmed apps and services will allow tasks to be carried out without the need to type, maybe with just a facial expression, an emoji or command.
Although Bayle says there is a lot of “inertia” in travel because “no one wants to be first”, he sees interesting things going in at the likes of airlines including KLM and in the Far East.
And he says 5G will be transformative. “5G will be able to handle the transmission of any live event. You can only imagine the kind of consumer experience you will get from a reception standpoint.
“In my office I have a huge poster that says ‘the desk top is dead’. I have been saying that for five years. I’m a little shocked at how long it’s taken but it’s inevitable.”
Whitepaper: Destination X, 2019. Are you ready? [External]

domain: news


text:
THE NEW YORK TIMES, New York / THE NEW YORK TIMES / 2016
Virtual reality technology was seen as gimmicky, a novelty, something used exclusively in the fantasy and gaming worlds. It certainly wasn’t seen as a format for the news. In order to challenge those beliefs, we wanted to show our readers how virtual reality allows you to experience something beyond the words on the paper or the screen in front of you. In the case of NYT VR, we allow you to immersively experience another person’s reality.
We were able to bring the immersiveness of virtual reality to life and entice people to engage with the experience using a multichannel, integrated campaign that leveraged print, including the largest photo ever printed in The New York Times, digital and social utilizing different design crafts including illustration and photography.
Since launch, there have been over 500K downloads of the NYT VR app — the quickest adoption of an app in New York Times history — with over 1.5M video streams. Seventy-five percent of the total views since launch have been viewed in Google Cardboard mode. Within five days of launch, over 3,700 people sent tweets using the #NYTVR hashtag and we generated press from over 65 news outlets at launch.
DROGA5, PART OF ACCENTURE SONG, New york
2023, THE NEW YORK TIMES
DROGA5, PART OF ACCENTURE INTERACTIVE, New york
2020, THE NEW YORK TIMES
THE NEW YORK TIMES, New york
2017, THE NEW YORK TIMES
LEO BURNETT TORONTO, Toronto
2008, THE SCORE


text:
One Million Pound Pistachio Recall Latest Salmonella Worry
Following last Friday’s recall of Kraft Back to Nature Nantucket Blend trail mix that tested positive for salmonella, a California based company has issued a pistachio recall. One million pounds of pistachios are involved in this recall in an attempt to discover the source of the salmonella contamination.
Setton Farms, the second largest pistachio processor in the United States, shipped pistachios to the Georgia Nut Company – the manufacturers of Kraft Back to Nature Nantucket Blend trail mix that may contain pistachios contaminated with nuts from Setton Farms.
Currently, the California Department of Health is tracking pistachios from Setton Farms in an effort to find the source of salmonella found in the Kraft Blend.
Linked to the one million pound recall of pistachios from Setton Farms, is the recent recall of some pistachio foods recalled by Kroger, also supplied by the California pistachio processor.
So far, no illnesses have been reported. Officials say there is no link to the salmonella found in pistachios and the salmonella outbreak found in peanuts.
If you have pistachios, hang on to them, but do not eat them. The FDA says it is best to wait until more is known about which pistachio products may be contaminated with salmonella. In the meantime, the pistachio recalls are expected to expand, whilst Setton Farms tracks the whereabouts of one million pounds of pistachios, beginning in 2008.


text:
With Stussy’s latest Nike collaboration, the brand introduced their hemp construction to the Air Force 1. And thanks to the light textile of the capsule’s “Fossil” colorway, the public was afforded the ability to customize the shoe to their liking. Now, for 2021, the streetwear imprint is offering up their own hand-dyed spins, each coming straight from the hands of Lookout & Wonderland out in LA.
As teased via social media, the collaborative Air Force 1 will bear five total color options. The aforementioned art practice — who specialize in plant color, medicine, and fiber according to Stussy — has treated every set with care, preparing all in tannins and then slowly working in the plants into the uppers afterwards. Along with their inimitable shades and skin soothing properties, the latter floras also represent the five cities chosen for the label’s historic “World Tour.”
If you’re looking to grab a pair for yourself, a small batch will be made available on January 29th, 10am PST on Stussy.com.
In other news, have you seen the Casablanca New Balance XC-72?
Stussy x Nike Air Force 1
Release Date: January 29th, 2021
Make sure to follow @kicksfinder for live tweets during the release date.
Where to Buy
- Stussy10am PST


text:
The Face of Living Wage?
A New York Times column Tuesday put a face on the living-wage bill by spotlighting Kimberly Ortiz, 27, a South Bronx mother of two who makes $9.25 an hour at the Statue of Liberty's gift shop. However, the gift shop does not receive city subsidies, which means Ortiz would not benefit from the bill pending in the City Council. "Supporters of the bill had to amend it after it was apparent that nobody read it closely enough," an insider said. "Now they are using someone who isn't even impacted by the bill." Nonsense, said a spokesman for the Living Wage NYC coalition. “Low-wage workers like Kim Ortiz could hold jobs at any number of large retail businesses … where this legislation would positively impact their lives,” he said.
City to Simplify Taxi Lights
Is that cab available? Few New Yorkers, let alone tourists, can decipher the four different combinations of roof lights that illuminate taxis' medallion number and off-duty sign: on-duty, off-duty, off-duty but available if a customer is heading where the cabbie wants to go, and off-duty but occupied. To simplify things, the Taxi and Limousine Commission might have a single light tell passengers whether a cab is available. It is surveying the public and the industry at www.surveymonkey.com/s/rooflight.
Hospitals' Alternative to Ambulance Fees
Private hospitals want to stop the Bloomberg administration from charging them a fee when public ambulances bring them patients. The fee, to begin in January, will range from $75,000 to $760,000 a year per hospital and could raise $8.6 million for the city by June 30. The Greater New York Hospital Association wants instead to make it easier for the Fire Department to directly bill patients treated and transported by the city's Emergency Medical Service. The association is finalizing a plan to share their insurance information.
Attention, Walmart Shoppers
Walmart continues to circle the Big Apple, with a new 90,000-square-foot store opening today in Bayonne, N.J.—within 5 miles of Staten Island. The store, the sixth Walmart to open just beyond the city since 2006, employs 300 people, according to the retail giant. About 10% of the 5,000 job applicants came from the five boroughs. Last month, an economic development consulting firm said New York will likely lose $7.7 million in sales taxes this year as city dwellers shop at suburban Walmarts. A Walmart Free NYC spokeswoman sneered, “Walmart keeps opening stores outside of New York probably because of growing opposition they see in New York City.”


text:
Samsung devices will soon receive a new application, called Samsung Wallet the app will be a direct rival to Apple’s Passbook service offering quick access to a users for “coupons, membership cards, tickets and boarding passes.” Unveiled during a developer session during Mobile World Congress 2013, the app will support services from a range of services at launch, including Walgreens, Belly, Major League Baseball Advanced Media, Expedia, Booking.com, Hotels.com and Lufthansa.
Which as you might have guessed, this means that the app will likely focus on the US market initially.
During the conference, Samsung mentioned that app developers will be able to send time and location-based push notifications through the app, and provide real-time updates to points or boarding passes.
The app is still in developer and only select partners will get access from today, however it has been revealed that the API will be available for developers from March 7th, launching to the public in May 2013.
Source: The Verge
Image Via: Twitter (stroughtonsmith)


text:
Sandugo expo ‘to highlight resilience’-A A +A
Thursday, July 17, 2014
EIGHTY exhibitors from Central Visayas and Mindanao are expected to participate in this year’s Sandugo Trade Expo in Bohol.
Asteria Caberte, regional director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 7, said yesterday that this year’s trade expo will serve as a platform for earthquake-affected small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to showcase their products to potential buyers, especially in the tourism industry.
“The expo will be a venue to showcase the resilience of SMEs. This activity will help them spread the word that they have recovered from the calamity and to show to the global market that they are back to business,” said Caberte.
She said that for this year, they are looking at linking the packaging products produced by the SMEs to the tourism players. DTI, she said, has already handed out invitations to hotel players even to the Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu. On top of this, Caberte added they will also showcase the green products produced by the sector as a result of the intervention of the DTI and European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines through the German funded agency, GIZ.
Bohol was hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in October last year. Among those affected export support industries was the weaving industry.
On July 1, the province of Bohol kicked off the month-long Sandugo Festival, a cultural festivity that commemorates the historic blood compact between Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and local chieftain Datu Sikatuna in the 16th century.
This year’s Sandugo Trade Expo will anchor on the theme, “Gearing up for Asean 2015.”
The expo which will also be attended by Cebuano export players will feature locally made products ranging from furnishings and fixtures to wearables, novelty items and fashion accessories, as well as fresh and processed food.
“We picked Asean as a theme because we aim to level-up the sector for the new challenge,” said Caberte.
The five-day expo which will start on July 23 to 27 will be held at The Block, Island City Mall in Tagbilaran City. Aside from the Bohol and Cebu exhibitors, the trade event also invited other participants from other provinces in the Central Visayas as well as neighboring provinces in Visayas and Mindanao.
A workshop and seminar on Green Economic Development will be conducted by the German Agency GIZ Promotion of Green Economic Development (ProGEd) on July 25.
Caberte said they expect this year’s trade event to be as successful as last year’s.
“We are excited about this year’s trade because we will also see products that were produced out of the shared service facility (SSF) that we have rolled out in Bohol,” said Caberte. She was referring to the Tubigon Loomweaving Center SSF in Pinayagan Norte, Tubigon that was awarded with P4.76 million worth of SSF project by the DTI.
The Tubigon Loomweavers Multi-purpose Cooperative was given upgraded handlooms that are designed to develop bigger and wider woven fabrics.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on July 18, 2014.


text:
The sixth annual Boots, Barrels and Brews Kiwanis fundraiser is coming back to Issaquah on March 29.
Held at Issaquah’s Pickering Barn, the annual event invites community members to celebrate with live music, dancing, food and drinks, all sourced from local sponsors.
Tori Gaines, Kiwanis Club of Issaquah’s events chair, said the money raised during the event goes to the the youth foundations around the city such as Friends of Youth, Eastside Baby Corner and high school Key Clubs. There are more than 30 organizations that receive funding from the Issaquah Kiwanis Club.
This year, the country-rock band 80 Proof Ale will be performing throughout the night. The Whiskey Girls also will be teaching line dancing during the event.
In addition to live music, Pickering Barn also will have beer, spirits and wine tasting. Gaines said the event will feature about 12 or 13 vendors, and will have a tax free shop in the barn as well.
Several businesses have donated food for the event including Fischer Meats, BardsleyQue and Nothing Bundt Cakes.
While Boots, Barrels and Brews is in its sixth year, the Kiwanis Club has been hosting fundraising events for much longer. According to Gaines, they had held an auction for 29 years as their annual fundraiser. At that point, people were ready for a change.
Gaines and the Kiwanis Club began work to create a new event that would be more focused on community fun, while also being easier to manage. The switch from an auction to a community party helped to widen the demographic of the event as well and the Kiwanis Club has seen increasing attendance numbers every year.
“It started at about 200 (people),” she said. “Now last year we almost filled the barn with about 400.”
In terms of fundraising, the 2018 Boots, Barrels and Brews event raised nearly $20,000 for youth organizations. This year, before ticket sales are even included, the amount raised for the 2019 event is already at $21,500.
“It’s a great place to volunteer and hear good music, eat some good food and we are always looking for more volunteers,” Gaines said.
For more information and online ticket sales for the 2019 Boots, Barrels and Brews, go online to www.bootsbarrelsandbrews.com. Tickets are $45 per person before March 28. After March 28 tickets are sold at the door for $55 per person.


text:
The head of BMW’s M division has confirmed the rumoured M2 CS will be revealed soon, describing it as a “race car with licence plates”.
Speaking to motoring.com.au, BMW M CEO Markus Flasch said the hardcore version of the rear-driven M2 would be unveiled in November 2019, before hitting global markets in 2020.
Flasch billed the M2 CS as “the most crisp and pure BMW M model that we have launched in quite some time”, before adding it “drives like a race car with licence plates”.
The M2 CS is expected to boast a higher peak power output than the 302 kW offered by the M2 Competition’s twin-turbo 3,0-litre inline-six, while also dropping some weight and gaining some chassis tweaks. The Australian publication claims the M2 CS will be available in both seven-speed dual-clutch and six-speed manual guise, just like the M2 Competition.
According to the report, the M2 CS will be produced for about a year, before the Munich-based firm moves to a new-generation (but still rear-driven) 2 Series coupé.
Original article from Car
See Full BMW M2 Coupé price and specs here


text:
Addax Petroleum Limited has confirmed that it has agreed to pay 31 million Swiss francs about $32 million fine in Geneva, Switzerland, to settle charges of alleged bribes given to Nigerian officials.
Its Public Relations Officer in Geneva, Switzerland, Mr. Douglas Chene-Bougeries confirmed the development yesterday. In a statement, he noted that the Chinese oil firm has agreed to the terms set out in the Geneva Prosecutor’s Office’s order dated July 5, 2017.
He said: “Relating to case number P/3851/2017, containing the prosecutor’s decision to close the investigation against the company and its employees, following a thorough review of the allegations.
“Addax Petroleum is committed to conducting its business with the highest level of integrity, and in full compliance with applicable laws, regulations and industry standards.”
Reuters had on March 24 reported that the Geneva Prosecutor’s Office was investigating the Chief Executive Officer of Addax Petroleum, Geneva operations, Zhang Yi, over allegations of crime in the company’s business in Nigeria.


text:
Modular synth manufacturer Erica Synths has announced plans to donate all income generated from sales of its products to humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine.
The Riga, Latvia-based company will make its contributions to ziedot.lv, the country’s largest online charity platform. Operating since 2003, it collects donations for numerous causes such as healthcare funds for individuals. As of Tuesday, it has collected €3,677,307.84. Funds generated will be used to send fuel and first aid supplies to Ukraine in cooperation with their Ministry of Defense. Donations can be made here.
All sales from specific synthesizers will go towards the charity, according to an announcement on their website. “Erica Synths continues to stand with the people of Ukraine and we will donate all of the income – both manufacturing costs and profit – from our sales of several instruments to humanitarian aid organizations helping in Ukraine and providing support where it is needed most,” it reads.
Synth models included in their pledge are Black Digital Noise, Black Dual EG/LFO, Sequential Switch II, Snazzy FX – Mini Ark, Wow & Flutter, Tracer City, Graphic VCO, and Plasma Drive.
Their campaign will run until all models are sold out and “ABSOLUTELY ALL INCOME will be donated,” according to the company.


text:
FCA has a new flexible electrified platform on the way
The first production vehicle riding on this mysterious platform will hit the assembly line in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in 2024, the Unifor auto union said.
It all started with Gran Turismo. From those early PlayStation days, Sean was drawn to anything with four wheels. Prior to joining the Roadshow team, he was a freelance contributor for Motor Authority, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports. As for what's in the garage, Sean owns a 2016 Chevrolet SS, and yes, it has Holden badges.
First came a successful Unifor labor contract negotiation with Ford in Canada, and now Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. On Monday, the Canadian auto union ratified a new three-year labor agreement with FCA, but the bigger news is in the nuggets of info FCA and the union provided about future vehicles.
The big ticket item is a new "multi-energy vehicle architecture" mentioned that will find a home at FCA's assembly plant in Windsor, Ontario. Right now, the plant builds the Chrysler Pacifica and Voyager
, though the facility suffered a blow when the automaker culled the facility's third shift. This new platform should support all sorts of electrification, judging by the fancy "multi-energy" name, and the auto union said its coming could add 2,000 new jobs to the Windsor plant. Production of the first vehicle riding on the architecture will begin in 2024, Unifor added.
FCA declined to comment on specifics surrounding this new platform, but Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions, believes the architecture could be part of FCA's coming merger with France's PSA Group. The two plan to close a 50/50 merger of their automakers next year, following which it'll be known as Stellantis. According to Fiorani, the "multi-energy" architecture could possibly come with help from its new French mate. PSA already has two ultraflexible platforms in its stable: the EMP2 and CMP architectures that support varying levels of electrification for
and small cars. It very well could form the basis for FCA's own platform since it's largely avoided any major stance on electrified vehicles. That's with good reason, Fiorani said. "Nobody has proven that a significant portion of the market is ready for electric vehicles and definitely not at a profitable price."
"The PSA platforms and vehicles have already been designed so making the adjustments for North American safety regulations is less expensive than developing a whole new vehicle from scratch," he added.


text:
Hours after Bill Heard Enterprises Inc. filed for Chapter 11 protection in an Alabama court last week, the company signed an agreement with GMAC Financial Services to sell eight of its 14 stores by Oct. 14.
GMAC isn't buying the dealerships, but it is a creditor. It is joining another floorplan lender, Alphera Financial Services, a division of BMW Financial Services, in loaning Heard a combined $6.7 million to pay for Heard's liquidation.
An agreement with a third floorplan lender, JPMorgan Chase Bank, is expected any day.
The lenders have a keen interest in seeing the dealerships sell quickly. According to court documents, Heard Enterprises owes its floorplan lenders a combined $229 million. The faster the dealerships reopen and sell some vehicles, the better chance the lenders have to recoup those debts.
But it's unclear who will buy those stores. Robert Rubin, an attorney for Bill Heard Enterprises, told Judge Jack Caddell of U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Decatur, Ala., last week that he had received a "substantial number" of phone calls from dealers all over the country expressing interest in buying the dealerships.
8: Number of stores that must be sold by Oct. 14
$229 million: Heard Enterprisesí debt to floorplan lenders
8,000 to 10,000: Number of creditors
300,000+: Number of customers who may come forward with claims
45: Number of business days allotted for liquidation of Heard Enterprises
Bidding war?At least three buyers reportedly tried to acquire Heard's flagship store in Columbus, Ga. Megadealer Rick Hendrick has confirmed that he is pursuing a Heard purchase. Potential buyers also are interested in Heard's dealership in Scottsdale, Ariz., said General Motors spokeswoman Susan Garontakos.
Mark Rikess, a consultant in Burbank, Calif., said last week that he has two clients who have signed letters of understanding to buy two Heard dealerships. He declined to identify the clients or the dealerships but said all 14 dealerships more than likely will be snapped up.
"They're almost all in good locations," Rikess said. "Chevrolet is not going to disappear as a brand. Even if GM disappeared, Chevrolet has a lot of equity."
In charge of selling the stores is Fred Caruso, a consultant who helped liquidate the assets of WorldCom Inc. founder Bernard Ebbers after the latter was convicted of fraud in 2005.
Caruso is vice president of Development Specialists Inc., a Chicago corporate finance and turnaround consulting firm.
According to documents filed last week in the case, Heard Enterprises hired Caruso on Aug. 25, four days after GMAC froze its floorplanning from Heard, to help with the financial restructuring of the company and its subsidiaries.
A couple of weeks after the freeze, Alphera also suspended its floorplanning for the three Heard stores it funded, a former Heard manager told Automotive News.
Rubin, Heard's attorney, said it was Caruso who "discovered the distress" that led to the closing of the Scottsdale dealership on Sept. 12 and Heard's 13 remaining stores on Sept. 24.
10,000 creditorsBut the sale of the dealerships won't solve all of Heard's problems. Besides the three floorplan lenders, Heard Enterprises has from 8,000 to 10,000 creditors, attorneys say. And more creditors may be identified.
The bankruptcy case, which Judge Caddell described last week as "huge," could balloon even larger if some of Heard's 300,000 customers over the past five years step forward with "chargeback" claims.
An example: A customer purchases an extended warranty through the dealership but trades in the vehicle before the warranty expires. That customer may be entitled to a refund for the unused premium.
Said Caruso in his court affidavit: "It is impossible at this time to know who may be entitled to a 'chargeback' or even who may be eligible for a 'chargeback.' "
Chrissie Thompson contributed to this report


text:
Reed Travel Exhibitions, organiser of Arabian Travel Market (ATM), has announced that the 2021 edition of its annual showcase will take place live at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) during May 16-19.
Now in its 27th year and working in collaboration with DWTC and Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, the theme of the show will be “A new dawn for travel and tourism” and the spotlight will be thrown onto the current state of the industry and more importantly, what the future holds.
Supporting ATM’s theme, a recent Colliers report – MENA Hotel Forecasts, estimates that 2021 will be a year of recovery, based on the assumption that hotel performance across the region is already improving. Major destinations such as Dubai and Cairo are leading the way with estimated full year 2021 occupancy levels of 68 and 65 percent respectively.
They were closely followed by Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Jeddah, Muscat and Amman, with average occupancies of 58 percent, 56 percent, 51 percent, 48 percent, and 45 percent respectively. Overall, average year-on-year growth of the 20 destinations researched was 47 percent.
Health of travel and tourism is key to the region
Prior to the pandemic, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to the Middle East’s GDP was predicted by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), to reach US $133.6 billion by 2028.
According to Reed Travel Exhibitions, given subdued oil prices and a general economic slowdown due to Covid-19 restrictions, it is clear that the Middle East’s regional economy will be relying on travel and tourism to recover quickly, once a vaccine has been fully developed and rolled out.
Arabian Travel Market Exhibition Director ME Danielle Curtis said: “Last week, Pfizer released the first reading of its Phase-3 trial data for its Covid-19 vaccine, announcing that it was more than 90 percent effective in preventing the coronavirus, based on interim data analysis”.
If approved by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Pfizer estimates it can roll out 50 million doses this year and up to 1.3 billion in 2021.
“So, we are confident that by May next year, we will be on the threshold of a new dawn for our industry,” Curtis said.
Arabian Travel Week
ATM 2021 will also play an integral role in Arabian Travel Week and for the first time, a new hybrid format will mean a virtual ATM running a week later to complement and reach a wider audience than ever before.
Other notable features of Arabian Travel Week will include the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) 2021, Travel Forward – the travel technology vertical, Buyers Forums dedicated to key source, a virtual digital influencers’ speed networking session, a hotel summit and a responsible tourism program.
The show will strictly adhere to all DWTC’s stringent health and safety guidelines and will set out to provide a touchless and seamless experience.
The Arabian Travel Market 2021 is the sister event of WTM London.


text:
FCA, Google confirm plan for self-driving prototypes based on hybrid Chrysler PacificaTue, 03, May 2016
Google has agreed to buy 100 plug-in hybrid minivans from Fiat Chrysler to expand its self-driving vehicle testing program, the two companies said today in the most advanced partnership to date between Silicon Valley and a carmaker.
Next-generation Jeep Wrangler breaks coverTue, 03, May 2016
Spy photographers have captured their first shots of the redesigned 2018 Jeep Wrangler driving about near Fiat Chrysler's North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, Mich.
FCA sees 5.6% gain on small Jeeps, pickups, minivansTue, 03, May 2016
Continued strong demand for Jeeps and Ram pickups, as well as rebounding minivan volume, boosted FCA US sales 5.6 percent in April.
The 'junk bond king' held court at 4 a.m.Mon, 02, May 2016
Former Ford and Chrysler public relations chief Jason Vines is out with a new book - this one co-authored by former American Motors CEO Joe Cappy. The Last American CEO describes Chrysler's acquisition of AMC from Renault in 1987 - a momentous deal largely because then-Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca got his hands on Jeep.
Fast growth for a showroom ghostMon, 02, May 2016
U.S. sales of full-size vans are increasing eight times faster than the industry average. The growth has commercial vans on track to top half a million sales for the first time ever this year.
More markets for U.S.-made JeepsSun, 01, May 2016
Jeep's fast-growing global manufacturing footprint will not only end the brand's “Sophie's Choice” allocation challenges, but will increase sales opportunities for top-end Jeeps made exclusively in the U.S., says Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne.
Jeep's push to produce in China is paying offMon, 02, May 2016
Jeep is moving ahead in China, thanks to investments in local crossover production. But in a market haunted by factory overcapacity, premium brand Lexus is also pulling ahead purely as an importer.
Marchionne confirms Ram 1500 output switching Mich. plants in 2018Tue, 26, Apr 2016
Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed that production of the Ram 1500 pickup would move about 10 miles north to FCA's Sterling Heights Assembly Plant from the Warren Truck Assembly Plant in suburban Detroit. The move would coincide with the start of production of the next-generation Ram 1500 in early 2018, he said.
Dodge Journey will keep riding old platformMon, 25, Apr 2016
The Dodge Journey, which was due to be redesigned on a new platform this fall, will instead soldier on with few changes for at least two more model years, according to a company source.
FCA recalls 1.1 million sedans, SUVs with Euro-style shifters after injuriesFri, 22, Apr 2016
Fiat Chrysler is recalling more than 1.1 million SUVs and sedans worldwide with European-style electronic shifters to prevent the vehicles from moving if a driver forgets to put the vehicles in park.
Small crossovers grow bigMon, 25, Apr 2016
The fastest-rising vehicle segment in the first quarter? No contest. It was subcompact crossovers, the same category that took off like a rocket in 2015.
Internet-connected cars a hacker magnet, U.S. official saysWed, 13, Apr 2016
Internet-connected and driverless cars could be targets for hackers -- potentially including terrorists and hostile nations -- so the automotive industry must ensure vehicles have built-in cybersecurity protection, a top U.S. Justice Department official said.


text:
Coffee beans, lollies and the naming sponsors' distinctive yellow shopping bags took on a "fantastical" new life at the 2016 Hastings Pak'nSave Edible Fashion Awards.
Imaginations ran wild in preparation for Saturday's annual event, where a record number of entrants of all ages presented judges with their fantastical-themed costumes all made from edible materials, food packaging, or imitation food.
Organiser Odette Bowyer said the quality of costumes this year was "absolutely phenomenal".
She said she was blown away by entrants' creativity and use of materials, and was impressed that some had begun preparing up to six months ago, with others travelling to the region to take part.
After a day of show-stopping creations, finalists across the seven categories were announced at the Evening Extravaganza, with each winner then judged for the title of Designer of the Year accolade.
With a record number of entries for the 2016 awards, judges described selecting the winners as a "very difficult decision".
On the panel were former World of Wearable Arts winner Kate Mackenzie as lead judge, model and television personality Colin Mathura-Jeffree, and Kilt founder Melissa Williams.
The winning entry, Bride of the Black Knight, was constructed from Black Knight liquorice and yellow shopping bags and praised for its structure, the way it adorned the human body and its colour palette of yellow, black and white.
Receiving more than $4000 in prize money, designer Darrell Woodward told the 600-strong crowd she had been inspired to enter by watching the 2015 show.
"This time last year, I sat in the audience and thought' Next year, I'm going to give it a go'," she said.
The runner-up creation, Macaroni Madness, was judged to be "another strikingly simple and structured design", inspired by designer Christine Fawzy's Egyptian heritage.
A new award for 2016, The Unio Goldsmith & Gallery Jewellery and Accessory Award, was presented to Annabel McCallum and Libby Spooner for their whimsical creation 'Horton packs his trunk'. Mr Mathura-Jeffree presented The Top Model Award to Maddison Kaye and promised to organise a portfolio shoot for the young model.
In their final year as naming sponsor of the event, Pak'nSave's yellow shopping bags featured strongly on stage. Hastings Arts and Cultures Trust chairwoman Sandra Hazlehurst thanked them for their 10-year association with the awards and praised them for their "direction, vision and belief in the event".
"There will always be yellow Pak'nSave bags in the Edible Fashion Awards," she said.


text:
I was recently introduced to Ms. Francesca Venturi who is the founder of Elevate, a Fashion PR and Communications consultancy located in Rome, Italy. Francesca has had an international career in fashion PR, shaping communications for luxury brands such as Valentino and Karl Lagerfeld.
I asked for her insights on the impact of COVID-19 on consumer behavior in the Italian retail sector. In particular, I wanted to hear her thoughts about how consumers are acting in Rome following the reopening of retail trade on Monday, May 18th.
Based on the description by Francesca, there are very few consumers shopping aggressively after 67 days of lockdown. While locked up, consumers shopped for food, including ingredients to make homemade pasta and pizza. They have also been purchasing beauty products and sports apparel on-line. Francesca felt that grocery shopping (and cooking) was pretty much the only way to see light and find a bit of excitement during the days the country was locked up.
Now, some shoppers are looking for gifts weddings, christenings, or graduations - many were celebrations that had been postponed for many families. She pointed out that the emphasis is on gifts, not apparel for the occasion.
According to what she has seen, one in three women prefers to wait until the end of the emergency to shop while the rest want to gingerly go back to their shopping routine. Most likely those living in the city will shop in the outskirts of Rome rather than in the historic city in an effort to limit their movements and minimize the risk of contagion in more crowded areas.
Those who are starting to shop want to buy affordable items such as on-sale clothing and necessities including hosiery, lingerie and shoes. It is interesting to note that there is scant interest in fashion apparel as every garment that has been tried on for look or fit has to be sanitized afterwards with ozone spray or high temperature steamers. As a result, the garments tend to already look as if they have been worn before actually being purchased by a customer. In fashion, looks count and that visual appearance affects customer interest.
In the week since, retail reopened, this is what is going on. Small, 400 square foot boutique stores are limited to have only one customer in the store at a time, and customers stand patiently outside stores to wait to get in. Much interest is in home stores, and the lines are longest in front of the Ikea store. One can conclude that the Italian shopper does not see herself going out very much yet, but she wants to create a more beautiful home for herself. Combined with the point I made earlier about the need to sanitize every garment tried on and how that undermines a fresh fashion look, I think that is a clue why the ready to wear stores and fashion boutiques are not attracting her.
On opening day May 18, there was also intense consumer interest at Zara, H&M and Bershka stores. Many waiting in line were non-resident students who needed to buy summer clothes since they are unable to return home as travelling between regions is not fully permitted at this time. One cannot travel without a valid reason, and shoppers are stuck in the hosting city with a closet full of winter apparel.
The luxury stores:
35% of the luxury stores have not opened in Rome and fewer than that have opened in Milan. The Via Montenapoleone in Milan is virtually empty, and few stores are open because of the lack of tourists. Among the luxury stores that are still closed in Rome (on Via Condotti and Via del Babuino) are Prada Men’s Store, Miu Miu, and Max Mara. Since borders are closed, many luxury boutiques suffer from the absence of international tourists. The Italian tailoring brands, distinguished by their impeccable made-to-measure suits, lament the lack of American tourists in particular.
On Saturday, May 23, Francesca confirmed her earlier observations with a personal stroll through the city. She wrote that she walked on Via Condotti and that it does not look anymore as it was. Many of the high-end luxury stores were not open, and only alluring mannequins in the windows reminded her what fashion once was. Luxury stores that were open were empty, and their sales staff was standing outside – waiting.
Francesca feels that brands like Ferragamo, Etro, Armani and many others who have consistently nurtured their relationship with top spenders will recover in short order. A genuine dialogue with the end consumer will accelerate recovery.
Italy has about 60 Million inhabitants, and 32,000 people have died of the coronavirus COVID-19 infection to date. (In contrast, almost 100,000 people have died in the United States.) The government closed air traffic from China and subsequently closed all borders. People who are now entering Italy have to sequester themselves for two weeks before seeing anyone else. Once the borders open, this restriction may be lifted to boost trade and encourage tourism while coexisting with the virus.
It has only been one week; I think activity will steadily pick up as long as the pandemic does not spike up again, and the winners will be the retailers who show their commitment to support their customers with the merchandise they want and a shopping environment that is reliably safe and healthy.


text:
The HarmonyOS—Huawei’s own operating system—ecosystem is seeing rapid growth, which, paired with an external factor, is soon becoming Huawei’s default OS for its products.
Huawei has been hard at work in developing its own system software and whose only setback at the moment is a relatively fewer apps in its current ecosystem, causing the delay of its launch.
But considering the pace of its advancement and the Windows Phone OS acting as a precedent, it is quite unlikely that Huawei is going to repeat the same mistake as Microsoft did. At least, the company cannot afford to should it wish to stay in competition and entrench itself in a lucrative and ever-growing industry.
The scope at which the HarmonyOS (aka Hongmeng OS) is going to operate in is broad, covering many of Huawei’s internet-of-things devices, computers, and smartphones.
In a report by IT Home, Huawei CEO Yu Chengdong claims that, at its current state, the HarmonyOS’ ecosystem is at the top three in the world, ranking behind Android and iOS. While the statement is open for interpretations, it only shows how the giant Chinese tech company is committed in standing up to competition in an altogether new space—software.


text:
According to the results of a new survey conducted by online travel marketplace Skyscanner, more than one-quarter of Americans (26 percent) felt that taking a vacation was this year’s biggest highlight.
Nearly half of survey participants (49 percent) also said that going on vacation was the most significant leisure activity during 2021, ranking it higher than going to bars and restaurants (44 percent), reentering the dating scene (40 percent), and attending events or live concerts (37 percent).
Seventy-five percent of respondents reported that they have more confidence about traveling in 2022 because of widespread COVID-19 vaccinations. And, partially because over 60 percent of the U.S. population is now fully vaccinated (according to the Mayo Clinic’s tracker) the world has begun opening international borders to American visitors.
The emergence of the Omicron variant has caused some countries to tighten travel restrictions, or reimplement quarantine and testing measures for foreign visitors. But, Skyscanner’s study found that the most determined of American travelers (seven percent) wouldn’t be deterred by any length of quarantine time from traveling overseas, as long as they’re able to escape their everyday environs.
Skyscanner’s U.S. Travel Expert, Mark Crossey, observed: “It’s clear that Americans are keen to get out into the world again, with our survey participants stating they value travel more than dating or other leisure activities. As soon as the holiday season is over and people return to their daily routines, we expect keen vacationers will very quickly start planning their next international trips. With fewer restrictions in place, that interest will continue to grow as we get into 2022. Americans will not only carry on flying to their favorite spots around the world but will take advantage of increasing opportunity to enjoy emerging favorites and less mainstream destinations.”
According to Skyscanner’s data, the most-booked international destinations for the summer of 2022 thus far are New York, London, Paris, Rome and Barcelona, which would seem to suggest that people are prioritizing big bucket-list trips for next year’s vacations.


text:
Toyota’s advocacy for cleaner air—the Hybrid Electric Vehicle campus tour series—hopped over to Don Bosco Mandaluyong on October 2, 2019.
There’s no better way to complement the carbon footprint reduction of Toyota’s cars than by reducing our own body’s carbon footprints with the food we eat. For us at TessDrive, we do this by going meat-free with food partner Quorn, an environmentally sustainable source of high-quality meat-free protein food. For the entire day, Bosconians got a chance to taste Quorn’s meat-free sausage and fried burger.
This is Toyota Motor Philippines’ third HEV school campus tour, a series that supports Toyota’s environment initiative and has several programs dedicated to reducing carbon emissions by 2050. As part of its efforts to further spread awareness on vehicle electrification and its impact to our environment, TMP has partnered with several universities in the country for this Hybrid Electric Vehicle Campus Tour.
What makes this HEV campus tour unique is that there is not just one, or two hybrid vehicles, but three: The Prius sedan, the Prius C and the all-new Corolla Altis hybrid car. Bosconians have been given the chance to get up close to, and even drive, the Prius C and the Altis hybrid. Indeed, a new hybrid era begins for TMP and Filipino motorists.
Just last month, TMP made a huge leap to make Hybrid Electric Technology more accessible to more Filipinos by introducing a hybrid variant of one of its mainstream, big-volume models – the Corolla Altis Hybrid.
Toyota’s hybrid technology—using two drive systems between the gas engine and electric motor and battery—addresses the anxiety range presented by pure electric vehicles (EVs). The characteristics of its hybrid system include the ability to accurately use the gasoline engine and electric motors based on the current driving conditions which offer smooth and reactive driving while significantly minimizing fuel consumption and gas emissions.
Elijah Sue Marcial, Vice President of Toyota Motor Philippines, told the students: “What is electrification? In 2016, during the Paris Agreement, experts estimate that 1/5th of global carbon emissions come from the transport sector.
“With the test-drive and the symposium, it’s an overall plan to educate the younger generation and to make them see the benefits, the importance of this technology and better future not just for them, but also for their children and granchildren,” Marcial said.
Going meat-free, low carbon footprint with Quorn
The event’s food partner, UK-based meat replacement Quorn, brought meat-free sausage and meat-free southern fried burger.
Quorn impacts the environment far less than animal-sourced protein. Quorn, the world’s biggest meat replacement manufacturer, is now proudly Filipino-owned by Monde Nissin. Quorn knew from the start that it had to solve a nagging global food supply problem to meet the growing demand for the planet’s runaway population.
Animal-based foods, particularly on the current global scale of livestock production, represents the inefficient use of scarce land and water, and is a principal driver of deforestation, habitat destruction and species loss, and also embodies the heartless ways animals are treated and slaughtered.
A study from the University of Exeter found out that mycoprotein, the protein-rich food source that is unique to Quorn products, stimulates post-exercise muscle building to a greater extent than milk protein. An article from The Science Daily revealed that the British Nutrition Foundation already recommends mycoprotein as a good source of dietary protein, both for every life activity and for sport and exercise.
We at Tessdrive believe that the efforts to clean our air and bodies of water, and to protect and preserve the environment, would only be effective if all creatures—great and small—who live on ground or in the water, are likewise protected.
Let’s turn awareness into action. And let us act not just randomly, but holistically, comprehensively, with purpose. Individual acts may not be enough to make a difference. We need everyone pouring in their whole body and minds toward the goals of sustainability and compassion.


text:
More than 16,000 counterfeit hoverboards valued at over $6m (£4.2m, €5.5m) have been seized in Chicago. According to US Custom and Border Protection (CBP) officers, the self-balancing scooters packed unauthorised batteries and had fake trademark logos.
The authorities expect seizures to increase significantly in the coming weeks due to massive shipments, although the total number is not yet known.
William Ferrara, Director of Field Operations, said: "This is a fine example of our officers and import specialists ensuring that only safe and legal products enter the US. Not only are these hoverboards a serious safety hazard but they also threaten our economic security by hurting legitimate businesses who invest significant amounts of resources into development and protection of their brands."
Hoverboard was one of the top selling items during the 2015 holiday season. But major concerns have surfaced following a spate of fire accidents caused by substandard lithium-ion batteries.
Experts have advised users to be wary about the batteries used in the hoverboards. According to Jay Whitacre, professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, the cause of the fires is the quality of the batteries used in the hoverboards. High-end models are equipped with reliable and safe batteries, but the power sources in affordable models pose much higher risk.
Whitacre said: "There are a lot of factories in China that now make Li-ion [lithium-ion] batteries, and the reality is that the quality and consistency of these batteries is typically not as good as what is found in top tier producers, such as LG or Samsung. These are known as 'low cost li-ion batteries' by most in the industry — they are not knockoffs or copies, but are instead just mass-manufactured cells."
Shipment from China with fake logo
The hoverboards seized in Chicago were from China, with false seals of approval from Northbrook-based Underwriters Laboratories, which tests products for safety and certification. Ferrara said the fake UL markings give customers a "false sense of security". Some hoverboards have even fake Samsung logos. Some hoverboards came from an ocean container while others were found in air shipments. Ferrara said a number of shippers and importers were involved in this, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Referring to the substandard batteries, Ferrara said neither the battery nor the chargers meet safety norms. The batteries do not shut down automatically after being charged, which results in explosion.
Recently, Singapore Airlines imposed a ban on transport of the lithium battery-powered hoverboards. Besides, more than 32,000 hoverboards were detained at the UK ports and borders by the National Trading Standards over complaints regarding safety standards. Besides, e-commerce giant Amazon urged its customers in the UK and US to throw away their hoverboards.


text:
February 4, 2013
FDA Issues Warning About Fraudulent Flu Products
redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports - Your Universe Online
Federal health officials in the US have issued a consumer warning about fraudulent products making unsubstantiated claims that they can treat, cure, or prevent the flu virus.“As the flu continues to make people sick — and even cause deaths — scammers are alive and well, promoting their fraudulent products to the unsuspecting public,” the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Friday in a statement.
“These scammers sell their products with claims to prevent, treat or cure the flu, even though they have not been tested and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved them,” they added. “FDA warns consumers to steer clear of fraudulent flu products, which can be found online and in retail stores and may include products marketed as dietary supplements or conventional foods, drugs, nasal sprays and devices.”
Specifically, the agency is warning customers to look for specific claims on a product, which could be a red flag that the supposed treatment had not been tested or approved by the FDA.
Those claims, according to UPI reports, include reducing the length and severity of flu symptoms, boosting immunity naturally or without a flu shot, or supporting the body´s natural immune defenses to fight off the influenza virus. Additionally, they advise consumers to be wary of products claiming to be alternatives to the flu vaccine.
“As any health threat emerges, fraudulent products appear almost overnight," Dr. Gary Coody, the FDA's national health fraud coordinator, said. "Right now, so-called 'alternatives' to the flu vaccine are big with scammers."
"These unproven products give consumers a false sense of security," added Mary Malarkey, director of FDA's Office of Compliance and Biologics Quality. "There is no need to buy a product that claims to be an alternative to the vaccine. Flu vaccine is still available and it's not too late to get vaccinated."
There are two FDA-approved antiviral drugs which have been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as treatment options for those suffering from the flu, the agency said. Those drugs, Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir), can help prevent contracting the illness, can combat the virus in a person´s body, and can also shorten the amount of time that a person spends fighting the flu.
“There are no legally marketed over-the-counter (OTC) drugs to prevent or cure the flu. However, there are legal OTC products to reduce fever and to relieve muscle aches, congestion, and other symptoms typically associated with the flu,” the FDA said.
“But unapproved drugs (which sometimes are marketed as dietary supplements), conventional foods (such as herbal teas) or devices (such as air filters and light therapies) are fraudulent if they make flu prevention, treatment or cure claims” because those claims have not been evaluated by the agency, they added.
As part of their crackdown on the companies marketing these types of products, last week the FDA issued a warning letter to one firm marketing a nasal spray that they claim has been "laboratory tested and shown to reduce illness-causing bacteria, cold and flu viruses,” USA Today´s Elizabeth Weise reported on Wednesday.
The recipient of that letter, Florida-based Flu & Cold Defense LLC, manufactures the over-the-counter product, GermBullet, which they say is made from “pure essential oils,” Weise said. Their claim that it can help battle cold and flu symptoms is a "false and misleading promotional statement,” the FDA said, making the company guilty of illegally marketing a misbranded drug, according to the newspaper report.
“GermBullet is being sold as a drug that claims to treat or cure a disease, but the company has never presented it to the FDA to be vetted as a drug“¦ [and] GermBullet's website claims it has been tested by an FDA-recognized virology lab, but no FDA-recognized lab has seen it,” Weise said. “The company has 15 days to answer the warning letter. If the company continues to make unsubstantiated claims about the product, the agency may take enforcement action that could include seizure of the drug or criminal prosecution.”


text: PRESS & MEDIA Uncategorized WHY CANNED WINE IS HERE TO STAY With recent coverage in publications such as the Wall Street Journal and Wine Spectator, canned wine is quickly rising in popularity with consumers, and becoming a major focus for top producers. This is… Full Details News WHAT IS WOT? From planting a vine to bottling the wine, everyone involved in producing Acrobat wines knows that sustainability is a driving principle that guides us each step of the way. It… Full Details News THE #1 BEST BUY IN THE COUNTRY: ACROBAT PINOT GRIS How often has an Oregon wine landed in the #1 spot on the Top 100 Best Buy list published by one of the country’s top wine magazines? The answer was… Full Details News CHARDONNAY THE OREGON WAY What happens when you blend one of the country’s fastest-growing brands (hint: Acrobat) with the most popular white wine in America (hint: Chardonnay)? You guessed it! Acrobat Chardonnay. Produced by… Full Details News SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW ROSÉ? Summer is the season of rosé – and we’re not just talking the sweet fruity concoction that is a cousin to the infamous wine cooler. Led by premium brands, rosé… Full Details News THE OREGON WINE BRAND THAT SHOULD BE ON YOUR RADAR “I can’t help but conclude that Oregon is right now the single most exciting winemaking area in the United States.” – Eric Asimov, New York Times Move over, California – Oregon is here and… Full Details News SHOPPING FOR WINE: BEST BUYS FOR $15-$30 You don’t have to break the bank to enjoy a great bottle of wine. Here are a few of our favorite wines, available at your local grocer or wine shop, for… Full Details News YOUR WEEKEND ITINERARY: PACIFIC NORTHWEST SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 When people think of American wine, it’s likely they think of the bounty grown in California. But it would be unwise to dismiss the fruits of beloved… Full Details News ACROBAT WINEMAKER EMBRACES WEATHER CHALLENGES James Nokes featured Acrobat’s winemaker, Tim Jones in the Daily Chronicle’s Uncorked. Read full article: Acrobat winemaker embraces Oregon weather challenges Full Details 12 WHY CANNED WINE IS HERE TO STAY WHAT IS WOT? THE #1 BEST BUY IN THE COUNTRY: ACROBAT PINOT GRIS CHARDONNAY THE OREGON WAY SO YOU THINK YOU KNOW ROSÉ?


text:
The Morning Ledger from CFO Journal cues up the most important news in corporate finance every weekday morning. Send us tips, suggestions and complaints: firstname.lastname@example.org. Get The Morning Ledger emailed to you each weekday morning by clicking here. Follow us on Twitter @CFOJournal.
Aspiring tech-sector CFOs should check out the job listings at eBay. At least 20 executives who have become finance chiefs in Silicon Valley and beyond over the past three years have learned the ropes in the big e-commerce company’s finance department, CFOJ’s Emily Chasan reports in this must-read story on B1 today. “We recruit people who aspire to be CFOs,” says Robert Swan, eBay’s finance chief since 2006. “If along the way there are opportunities outside, that’s OK .… We have a deep bench.”
Members of the eBay Mafia—the tongue-in-cheek name for company veterans who now are corporate-level CFOs—include Rob Krolik at Yelp, Douglas Jeffries at RetailMe Not and Sean Aggarwal at Trulia, who have all taken their companies public in the past two years. Startups with former eBayers at the financial controls include the online clothing retailer ModCloth, digital-video company Roku and online ticketing company Eventbrite.
One reason that EBay has churned out so many CFOs is that it has the resources to invest in grooming up-and-coming financial talent and the breadth to offer the best prospects hands-on experience running their own operations. The company says it has about 1,000 financial executives around the world and more than a dozen divisional and regional CFOs. Rookies get both theoretical and practical training in finance, analytics and leadership. And, as part of a two-year program, eBay rotates star performers to a different division every six months to expand their professional networks across the company, Chasan writes.
THE DAY AHEAD:
We finally get the September nonfarm payrolls report today. The Journal’s Sudeep Reddy says the most jarring element of the report will likely be that it’s coming out late—because the data itself will probably show steady but unremarkable job growth. Economists expect 180,000 jobs were added and the unemployment rate held steady at 7.3%. We’ll probably have to wait a month to see any impact from the shutdown in the employment data, though it’s possible that the run-up could have influenced the September data.
Also, Apple holds its annual pre-holidays gadget event today, the WSJ’s Ian Sherr reports. A new iPad with a standard 9.7-inch screen is almost guaranteed to be unveiled. But the biggest news would be an update to the iPad Mini. One of the primary changes expected is the inclusion of a “retina” high-density display similar to what the standard iPad and iPhone use. The display will be made by Samsung.
Earnings of note: Lockheed Martin, United Technologies, Delta, Coach, Apollo Group
Markets flash: Asia ended mostly higher on hopes the U.S. jobs report will come in strong. Europe is mixed and DJIA futures are flat.
EXCLUSIVE ON CFOJ:
Money floods into retail loan funds. Companies looking to borrow money are finding an eager class of investor to finance corporate loans. Money has been flowing into retail loan funds for 70 straight weeks, according to Lipper, a unit of Thomson Reuters that tracks mutual-fund data. This year through last Wednesday, $56.3 billion has entered those funds, almost five times the $12.2 billion they took in for all of last year, Vipal Monga writes. “It’s unprecedented by scale,” said Steve Miller, managing director with S&P Capital IQ’s Leveraged Commentary & Data unit. Mr. Miller said that investors have been more interested in putting money into loans this year, because many feel that interest rates are set to rise. Loans are floating-rate debt, meaning their returns would rise in tandem with benchmark interest rates.
McDonald’s trims capex. McDonald’s is the latest company this earnings season to sound a note of caution about capital expenditures. The fast-food chain will be pushing back on opening new restaurants, particularly in China and other emerging markets, Vipal Monga reports. The company now expects to spend a total of $3 billion this year on opening and renovating restaurants, about $100 million less than executives expected to spend at midyear. “This is a conscious decision to delay a limited number of new openings into 2014 based on current conditions,” said CFO Peter Bensen on the earnings conference call. He noted that the company has timed restaurant openings with new retail and housing developments in those regions. Delays in those projects and some worry about economic conditions in those markets are causing McDonald’s to hold back.
VF Corp. CFO: Stock split makes company more accessible. VF Corp. hasn’t split its stock in nearly 16 years, during which time the shares have risen almost 150%, but when they passed $200 a share this summer, CFO Robert Shearer said the clothier decided it was time to make them more affordable. “Almost 90% of stocks trade at $100 or below,” Mr. Shearer told Maxwell Murphy. The company, which makes North Face and Wrangler apparel, will split its stock 4-for-1 in December, the first split since a 2-for-1 in November 1997. The split will make VF shares “a little bit more accessible to the retail side,” he said, adding, “It’s a psychological thing.” But he said it also represents “a show of confidence” in the company because executives believe VF shares will continue to climb, although he concedes that there is “not a ton of absolute evidence” to show that splits directly create shareholder value.
Netflix profit grows. Netflix said its Q3 profit more than quadrupled as it added more Internet subscribers globally. But questions remain about the streaming video provider’s profit-growth potential, writes the WSJ’s Amol Sharma. Despite its steady user growth, Netflix still isn’t making big profits. Wall Street doesn’t appear too concerned about that so long as it generates growth and continues to stockpile high-quality content. The stock was up almost 10% in after-hours trading Monday, on top of a 6.4% gain during the regular session. Netflix has previously said original TV series will make up less than 10% of its global content expense this year. But CFO David Wells said that spending could double in coming years. “With the success we’ve seen to date, we’re going to continue to expand it,” he said.
DuPont faces pressure to sell or spin off agricultural business. DuPont is facing increasing pressure from analysts and investors to sell or spin off the agricultural part of its business, which has been generating most of its growth, writes the WSJ’s Ben Lefebvre. As activist investor Nelson Peltz took a stake in the company, CEO Ellen Kullman floated the idea of jettisoning a smaller division that makes refrigerants and pigments for paints. But the company, which reports earnings today, is likely to get an earful from Wall Street, which is urging DuPont to create a stand-alone giant in the growing agricultural-chemical industry, a seed-and-pesticide maker that would compete head-to-head with Monsanto.
J.P. Morgan aimed to limit damages. J.P. Morgan is willing to pay a steep price to settle with the Justice Department, but it is getting one thing it wanted: It won’t have to pay heavy penalties for the sins of two companies it bought during the crisis, the WSJ’s Devlin Barrett and Dan Fitzpatrick report. Under the terms of a tentative $13 billion deal that could be finalized in a matter of days, J.P. Morgan will pay roughly $2 billion in penalties that apply to its own conduct during the years before the financial crisis, and not any for problems it inherited from Bear Stearns or Washington Mutual. J.P. Morgan purchased the firms at a discount in 2008 at the urging of U.S. regulators and has argued that it shouldn’t be punished for the rescue.
Obama admits health website problems. President Obama acknowledged problems with the health-law website but said that the law’s overall potential shouldn’t be measured by the site’s rocky start, the WSJ reports. But in a letter released Monday, a House committee chairman said the top contractor developing the website cited a Department of Health and Human Services agency as making 11th-hour decisions that led to some of its biggest problems. CGI Federal told investigators last week that the decision to require all visitors to Healthcare.gov to create accounts to browse its insurance offerings was made barely a month before the site was launched by the Obama administration. That change, later rescinded, caused a bottleneck as millions of curious visitors overwhelmed the computer systems.
CFTC asked major forex banks to scrutinize records. The CFTC has asked Deutsche Bank, Citigroup and others to trawl through their records as part of a global probe into possible currency-market manipulation and hand over any evidence of wrongdoing, the WSJ reports. A slew of international authorities are working on the probe, including officials in Hong Kong and Switzerland. “It looks like this will turn on the question of at what point does discussing market color become inappropriate disclosure,” said a person familiar with the internal investigation taking place at Citigroup.
Caesars faces money-laundering probe. Caesars Entertainment disclosed that federal regulators, as part of a crackdown on money laundering, are investigating the unit operating its flagship hotel and casino in Las Vegas, the Journal reports. Caesars said in a filing that the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network was probing the subsidiary, Desert Palace, for alleged violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, which is aimed in part at detecting money laundering. The Treasury Department is considering whether a civil penalty or possible additional enforcement against Caesars Palace would be appropriate.
Wayfair.com, a Boston-based online retailer of home furnishings and décor, named Michael Fleisher as chief financial officer. He succeeds Nicholas Malone, who was promoted to chief administration officer, continuing to oversee finance, legal, human resources and real estate. He will report to Mr. Fleisher, who comes to Wayfair from Warner Music Group, where he was vice chairman of strategy and operations. And before WMG, Mr. Fleisher was chairman and chief executive of Gartner Inc., a technology research group where he led the company’s initial public offering and its move to the New York Stock Exchange. His compensation was not immediately disclosed.
BioDelivery Sciences named Ernest de Paolantonio as CFO and corporate secretary “as the company moves toward the finalization of its commercial options for Bunavail and explores further business development opportunities.” Bunavail, a new drug whose application is under review by the Food and Drug Administration, is designed for the maintenance treatment of opioid dependence. He replaces James McNulty, who will remain with the company in the new role of senior vice president for finance and treasurer. Mr. McNulty will report to Mr. de Paolantonio, who was most recently CFO of CorePharma, a private, specialty generic company. Compensation information was not immediately available.


text:
Missing: Catana's Product Demo & Case Studies
Promote your product offering to tech buyers.
Reach 1000s of buyers who use CB Insights to identify vendors, demo products, and make purchasing decisions.
Missing: Catana's Product & Differentiators
Don’t let your products get skipped. Buyers use our vendor rankings to shortlist companies and drive requests for proposals (RFPs).
Expert Collections containing Catana
Expert Collections are analyst-curated lists that highlight the companies you need to know in the most important technology spaces.
Catana is included in 1 Expert Collection, including Conference Exhibitors.
Latest Catana News
Apr 13, 2022
The seasonal employment forum, recently organized at Les Voiles Rouges jointly by the municipality, Pôle emploi and the local youth mission, was a great success. 80 companies from different sectors were present: outdoor accommodation, catering, trade, services, construction and even for the first time this year, the nautical industry with the companies Windelo and Catana. […] The post Canet-en-Roussillon: 80 companies present at the employment forum appeared first on Archyworldys.
Catana Web Traffic
Catana Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Where is Catana's headquarters?
Catana's headquarters is located at 1-2-11 Shinmiyakoda, Shizuoka.
Discover the right solution for your team
The CB Insights tech market intelligence platform analyzes millions of data points on vendors, products, partnerships, and patents to help your team find their next technology solution.


text:
by Nguyen Quynh, from http://vneconomictimes.com/
South Korean food company Daesang Corp. is set to acquire 99.99 per cent of one of Vietnam’s leading meat processors, the Duc Viet Food JSC, for $32 million, according to Dealstreetasia.
Daesang will expand its foothold in Vietnam’s growing meat processing market with the deal, to be conducted on August 5.
VET contacted Duc Viet but was told by its PR Department that it would make no comment until an official announcement has been made.
Daesang currently owns three factories in Vietnam.
Established in 2001, Duc Viet specializes in manufacturing and distributing meat products, sausages, spices, and instant food. It has total assets of $5.99 million. In 2015 it earned $26.5 million in revenue and $1.7 million in net profit.
Starting operations in 1956, Daesang specializes in food and seasoning manufacturing, including soybean paste, samjang, marinade, soy sauce, soups, and Chinese noodles, among others. It first entered Vietnam in the 1990s with a seasoning manufacturing plant. One of its key products in Vietnam is Miwon monosodium glutamate (MSG).
In 2010 the Miwon Vietnam JSC was entangled in a scandal relating to environmental pollution after dumping wastewater into the Red River, which runs through Hanoi. Fortunately the discharge had little effect on the river’s water quality and only caused a foul odor.
Vietnam’s food market is witnessing increasingly fierce competition between sausage makers, with many famous names such as Vissan, Duc Viet and CPV fighting it out.
It’s clear why more and more companies are producing and trading in sausages. Vissan is well known both domestically and internationally for its various foodstuffs such as canned and processed foods, sausages, ham and frozen meat, which partly shows the greater popularity of sausages in the country.
Although Vissan and Duc Viet are major sausage manufacturers in the local market they still face stiff competition from other heavyweight opponents such as CPV.
All are now developing the feed – farm – food (3F) model, as are many other food producers, including the Dabaco Group and the Massan Group. As Vietnamese consumers are often confused by information about food contamination, the 3F model helps businesses obtain a competitive advantage as consumers tend to buy products with a clear origin.


text:
Toronto, ON, February 6, 2019 – A.C. ProMedia, distributor of state-of-the-art products and technologies aimed at the install & Architainment markets, is honored to be selected as the exclusive North American Distributor for...
The time has arrived!
ControlBooth is getting a major firmware update! The new system looks really similar to our existing one, but works better, especially for mobile users. There will be a series of posts detailing the new capabilities once its up and running. Take a look at the preview site!
Downtime is expected to start around 5:30pm EST and last for at least a couple of hours.
A.C. ProMedia Announces Exclusive Distribution Agreement of HARVEY Products in North-America
HARVEY is a flexible audio and media control matrices and a key component for PA and conferences.


text:
Remember the tiny Chobi Cam One “DSLR” that was introduced in Japan at the beginning of the year? Well the camera has found a distributor in the US and is generating some media buzz again after being marketed as “the world’s smallest camera”. While it certainly isn’t the world’s smallest camera, you probably won’t find an interchangeable lens digital camera that’s smaller. You can buy the video-capable 2-megapixel camera over at Hammacher Schlemmer for $100, though it doesn’t appear to come with any additional lenses besides the kit lens.
Bloomberg reports that Canon and Nikon’s failure thus far to enter the mirrorless camera market has allowed Sony to eat into their combined market share — at least in Japan:
Canon and Nikon’s combined share of the Japanese market [for interchangeable lens cameras] has fallen by 35 percent, while Sony’s share has doubled
“Mirrorless cameras are a threat,” said David Rubenstein, a Tokyo-based analyst […] “If the western geographies follow the same pattern as Asia, then it will be negative for Nikon and Canon.”
“In the long run, Canon and Nikon will have to enter the market,” said Hideki Yasuda, a Tokyo-based analyst […] “Still, it won’t be too late for them to enter the market after mirrorless cameras become a global trend.”
Although mirrorless cameras are becoming all the rage in Japan, its adoption outside the country is much slower. Canon still owns a 45% share of the global SLR market, while Nikon remains at 30%. Canon also earned $1.5 billion in profit from selling SLRs last year, four times the profit generated by its compact cameras. SLR cameras and lenses were also Nikon’s biggest moneymaker.
It’s finally happened — companies are starting to realize that the two lenses on 3D cameras look a whole lot like eyes. This 3-megapixel “Felyne” camera is designed to look like a character from the video game franchise Monster Hunter, and goes on sale later this month in Japan for about $90. Something tells me we’ll be seeing a lot more of this kind of thing if 3D cameras start becoming popular.
I wonder if camera makers can make these things look like they’re blinking whenever you take a picture. That’d be neat… or creepy.
Flickr user Céline Ramoni has a beautiful set of photographs shot from the Yurikamome rail line connecting the cities of Shimbashi and Toyosu in Japan. The exposure times aren’t too long (they’re all less than a second), but the speed of the train creates plenty of motion blur — even in daytime. Read more…
You’ve probably seen countless photographs already of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan back in March, but they were likely captured by professional photographers looking to have the images published in news outlets. What, then, would photographs look like if they were taken by ordinary people who were directly affected by the disaster? Aichi Hirano found out the answer to this question by distributing 50 disposable cameras to survivors at a number of shelters with a note that read,
Please take photos of things you see with your eyes, things you want to record, remember, people near you, your loved ones, things you want to convey… please do so freely. And please enjoy the process if you can, even if it’s just a little bit.
When two photographers got engaged in Japan, they asked their jewelry-maker friend to create wedding rings based on the Leica 50mm Summilux lens. The groom’s ring was the focusing ring while the bride’s was the aperture ring. The friend also created a stunningly realistic miniature Leica M3 to hold the rings (they slide onto the lens)!
The stock prices of major camera equipment manufacturers took a major — and expected — dive after the earthquake on March 11, 2011. Though they made a brief recovery afterward, they’re continuing to fall due to the risk that gear prices may soon skyrocket soar once decreased production isn’t able to meet demand.
Andrew Lathrop came up with this novel way of building a simple radiation detector using an old compact camera, plastic scintillators, some reflective material, and black tape. A scintillator is material that lights up when exposed to radiation, and might be a little difficult for you to get your hands on unless you work in a science lab. Lathrop sent his idea to newspapers in Japan after the recent earthquake, but none of them decided to publish it.
The Necono Digital Camera is a funky cat-shaped digital camera out of Japan that might make it easier for you to take smiling baby photos. It’s a 3 megapixel camera that doesn’t have any LCD screen embedded for you to review your shots — you have to connect it to a “Monitor Ground” base that includes an LCD or transfer the images to your computer via USB. The cat has a shutter button on its butt, the camera and a self-timer LED in its eyes, and magnetic feet that allow you to stick it in random places.
Like many novelty cameras, the Necono doesn’t exactly come cheap… It’ll run you a whopping ¥15,750 ($192). At least you can be the only one among your friends to take pictures with a cat. Read more…


text:
FedEx FDX, -1.56% reported fiscal third-quarter net income of $147 million, or 49 cents a share, up from 39 cents a share in the year-earlier period, but a penny below the average analyst estimate compiled by Multex. The package delivery service said "severe" winter storms during the quarter negatively impacted earnings by an estimated 4 cents a share. Revenue rose 10 percent to $5.55 billion, versus analyst expectations of $5.45 billion. For the current quarter, the company continues to forecast earnings of 88 to 95 cents a share, surrounding analysts estimates of 90 cents. The stock closed Tuesday up 27 cents at $51.68.
FedEx misses Q3 earns est. due to severe winter weather


text:
The declining use of cash and rising digitization are prompting many central banks to provide their customers with digital alternatives. Central bank digital currencies (CBDC) are one of the main solutions being investigated. CBDC’s have the same backing from the issuing bank as banknotes and coins.
Besides local payments, CBDC may also be useful for international banking, but there isn’t much research into this use case as yet. According to Fabio Panetta, Executive Board member of the European Central Bank (ECB), “Depending on its design, a central bank digital currency may support the use of a currency in cross-border payments.” However, it’s the fundamentals, such as economic policy and market depth, that are the most important factors, he added.
Several countries are experimenting with CBDCs. Some projects are ready while others are still in the testing or discussion phase. Here are some recent examples of CBDC initiatives:
The Digital Yuan
China is leading the way in digital currency development. Since 2014, the people’s Bank of China PBOC has been developing the digital yuan (officially called the Digital Currency Electronic Payment (DCEP)).
The digital yuan has the status of legal tender in China. The CBDC is expected to provide competition to local mobile payment leaders such as WeChat and AliPay, because, unlike these payment solutions, there is no service fee and no edge for competitors in terms of transaction speed.
PBOC is conducting real-world trials in different cities across the country. The latest trial is taking place in Beijing and involves a digital currency lottery of over $6 million. Each of the 200,000 winners will receive around $31 in digital yuan.
Sweden’s central bank, Riksbank, has completed the first phase of its E-Krona CBDC project. The central bank is currently working with the country’s largest bank to test commercial integration of the digital currency.
The e-Krona tested in the first phase is a token-based currency exchangeable on a 1 to 1 basis with the Swedish krona. Riksbank started the trial in February 2020 with Accenture as its technical supplier.
One of the variables the bank will test is “integration of the payment flows developed during the first year of the pilot with the participants’ internal systems,” said the bank.
The Sand Dollar
The Bahamas is an example of a country that has launched its CBDC. The Sand Dollar was launched in October 2020 by the Central Bank of the Bahamas CBOB.
“We’ve had very good progress…our financial institutions today, the payment providers, quite a number of them have already put their mobile wallets out which are connected to the Sand Dollar platform,” said CBOB Governor John Rolle.
The currency currently has nine authorized financial institutions (FIs) that have completed the interoperability process, adds the report.
The U.S. CBDC
The concept of a U.S. CBDC is still in the discussion stage. The Federal Reserve announced last month that it will release a research paper this summer on the introduction of a central bank digital currency.
The nonprofit Digital Dollar Project announced last month five pilot programs to test the potential of a U.S. CBDC.


text:
Get ready to meet your friend till the end, Buddi. Opening in theaters everywhere in a little over four months, the upcoming Child’s Play reboot has released a new promo teasing the debut of the horror movie’s first trailer.
As you can see in the video above, this “viral” video features the “Kaslan Corporation” and its CEO Henry Kaslan, who uses this “promotional video” as a way of teasing the company’s newest product line, the Buddi Doll. According to Kaslan, the new version of Buddi doll:
“We set out to develop the greatest and most interactive toy on the market, but in doing so, we created something far more special. Every child is important to us, and every child deserves a companion – a friend, who will never let you down. It’s my great honor to introduce you to our most innovative product to date: Buddi. He’s more than a toy: he’s your best friend.”
Fans will be eager to see how the new look Child’s Play will reinvent Chucky, but the reboot has proven slightly controversial. Franchise creator Mancini has spoken out against the remake. A Child’s Play TV series recently landed at SyFy which will carry on from the events of Cult Of Chucky, and Mancini fears the reboot will harm the brand. Chucky’s original voice actor Brad Dourif won’t reprise his role for the film as well.
In any case, the special announcement promises a global launch on Friday, February 8. It’s unclear exactly what that means as Child’s Play isn’t set to hit theaters until June 21, 2019. If one had to guess, Friday will likely bring about a more official trailer or, at the very least, more details regarding Buddi.


text:
A Virginia-based software company founded by two US military veterans with backgrounds in intelligence has been tracking hundreds of millions of mobile phones across the world, according to documents reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.
The company, Anomaly Six LLC, draws location data from over 500 apps - partly through their proprietary software development kit (SDK) which they've paid to embed directly in some of the apps, while the company gets location data from partner providers. The SDK allows the company to obtain a user's location if they have allowed the apps in question to access the phone's GPS coordinates.
App publishers often allow third-party companies, for a fee, to insert SDKs into their apps. The SDK maker then sells the consumer data harvested from the app, and the app publisher gets a chunk of revenue. But consumers have no way to know whether SDKs are embedded in apps; most privacy policies don’t disclose that information. Anomaly Six says it embeds its own SDK in some apps, and in other cases gets location data from other partners. -Wall Street Journal
Anomaly Six holds contracts with several branches of the US Government - although they told the Journal that they 'restrict the sale of US mobile phone movement data to nongovernmental, private sector clients,' according to the report. Private sector clients - typically marketing companies or others in the advertising space - buy and sell geolocation data, sometimes 'reselling it to government agencies or contractors' according to the report.
And as the Journal notes, in the case of Anomaly Six, "the direct collection of such data by a business closely linked to US national security agencies is unusual."
Founded by defense-contracting veterans who spent most of their careers in close contact with government agencies, tailored their operation to interface with national-security, according to interviews and court records.
"Anomaly Six is a veteran-owned small business that processes and visualizes location data sourced from mobile devices for analytics and insights," the company told The Journal in response to questions for the article. "We leverage detailed location data from numerous first-party sources to provide insights into groups, behaviors, and patterns."
The company acknowledges the "intense scrutiny" surrounding government access to private location data - but insists they aren't breaking any laws, and that the data it peddles is 'commercially available.'
Anomaly Six said it would support regulation to require more disclosure by apps of how data is collected and used. The exact apps the company partners with couldn’t be determined and the company declined to comment, citing confidentiality agreements. The partnerships between data brokers and app makers are typically closely held trade secrets within the world of commercial-data sales. -WSJ
Calls for greater transparency
Marketing expert and founder of the Location Based Marketing Association, Asif Khan, says government access to harvested consumer location data has been a longstanding problem for the industry - and has insisted that app-makers provide greater transparency with consumers regarding how their data is used once collected.
"You could argue that the government has the right, just like any commercial entity, to buy the data, if the data is available from a commercial supplier," said Khan, adding "But you also need to be able to clearly say ‘this data could be used by government.’"
"I think the average consumer doesn't have a clue," he added.
That said, the data harvested from apps typically doesn't link to the name of the cellphone owner. Instead, devices are typically identified using an alphanumeric code. Still, the movement patterns of a specific phone over time (such as where it is every night) can allow analysts to deduce who owns it.
According to interviews with numerous people in the industry, there is little regulation in the U.S. about the buying and selling of location data, leading to what one industry veteran called “the Wild West.” Consumers have come to expect free apps, and app makers have turned to selling user data to pay for the costs of developing and running the software, people familiar with the industry. -WSJ
Anomaly Six and its founders been sued by a competitor, Babel Street, which provides social-media monitoring services to the intelligence community and law-enforcement agencies. Of note, two founders of Anomaly Six are former Babel Street employees who left in 2018, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed two years ago, offers insight into the secretive world of location harvesting products used by the US government.
Anomaly Six founder Brandan Huff had managed Babel Street's relationship with the Defense Department. His co-founder, former Army contractor Jeffrey Heinz, also manage Babel Street's relationships with the DOJ, US Cyber Command, civilian federal agencies and the intelligence community according to court records.
For example, one of Babel Street's products, "Locate X," provides access to the location records of millions of cell phones harvested from consumer apps. Babel claims their two ex-employees sought to build a competing product.
Babel Street doesn’t publicly advertise Locate X and binds clients and users to secrecy about even its existence, according to contracts and user agreements reviewed by the Journal. Developed with input from U.S. government officials, according to court records, Locate X is widely used by military intelligence units who work on gathering “open source” intelligence, or information taken from publicly available sources. Babel Street also has contracts with the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, and many other civilian agencies, federal contracting data shows. Babel Street didn’t respond to a request for comment. -WSJ
What's more, both Babel Street and Anomaly Six products can be used to combine traditionally gathered intelligence - such as social media data, satellite imagery, confidential human sources, consumer data from the private sector and intercepted communications, according to interviews with people familiar with the process as well as documents reviewed by the Journal.
The data is combined into what's known as a "pattern of life" analysis, which allows for a deeper understanding of a potential intelligence target's habits which can possibly be used to predict future behavior.
"It’s really alarming to learn about companies like this that claim to have years’ worth of location data from all over the world. Revelations like this just keep coming," said Georgetown University law professor Laura Moy, who directs the school's Communications & Technology Law Clinic.
"Users have no idea that when they install a weather app, a game, or any other innocuous-seeming app that their private location data is going to be harvested and sold. Apparently that’s what’s happening here, and we have no transparency into the practice."


text:
By Staff writer
Dubai-based wholesaler caught hiking price of onions, according to Dubai Economy
Dubai has urged the public to report any instances of price hikes in the emirate, following recent action taken against a wholesaler.
The move comes following Dubai Economy’s action against a wholesaler in the emirate who was found to have increased the price of onions “unreasonably”.
The Commercial Compliance & Consumer Protection (CCCP) – a sector within Dubai Economy – issued a violation notice over the incident, after officials had carried out an inspection on the foot of consumer complaints.
للاستفسار أو الإبلاغ عن أي غلاء في أسعار البضائع، يرجى التواصل على 600545555 أو تحميل تطبيق “Dubai Consumer” لإرسال شكواك.
For any complaints about the rise in prices, kindly contact us on 600545555 or download our mobile app “Dubai Consumer” to file a complaint. pic.twitter.com/ihhCJM18MC— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) March 28, 2020
The wholesaler had claimed that he had purchased the onions at a high price, but the CCCP team verified the selling price from the main supplier and found the wholesaler’s claim invalid.
Dubai Economy said all local markets are have adequate supplies, and that it is has managed to find alternative source markets to ensure consumers continue to get their needs at fair prices.
In a tweet published on Saturday, Dubai Economy encouraged the public to report any rise in prices on 600545555 or through the mobile app ‘Dubai Consumer’.


text:
Nokia has announced a trio of new devices – Nokia 600, 700 and the 701 which claims to be the loudest, smallest and brightest phones from the Finnish maker ever. All 3 are powered with a 1GHz processor, comes with NFC and runs on Nokia’s latest Symbian Belle, which is a new Symbian^3 update after Anna.
Starting with the Nokia 600, it claims to be Nokia’s loudest smart phones ever with its speaker rated at 106 Phons. The 600 has a 3.2″ nHD screen that supports 640×360 resolution, 2GB internal storage and has a 5MP camera at the back, capable of shooting 720p HD videos. In terms of design, it comes with a curved back design and overall it weighs 100g.
Next is the Nokia 700 which Nokia claims to be their smallest smart phone ever. It weighs 97g and has dimensions of 110mm long, 50.7mm width and with a thickness of 9.7mm. Despite its smaller size, it comes with 3.2″ Clear Black AMOLED display with toughen Gorilla glass. Internally there’s 2GB of storage and has a 5MP camera at the back which also can do 720p HD videos. The Nokia 700 is said to be Nokia’s greenest phone as it uses lots of recycled materials which in return is also 100% recyclable.
Last but not least is the Nokia 701. It certainly looks like a Nokia C7 but boasts being the brightest screen ever for a smart phone. Earlier on, the LG Optimus Black was crowned the brightest screen at 700nits. At the present time, Nokia has yet to release any numbers to measure its brightness. If it claims to be the brightest, it has to be at least 701 nits, which coincidentally is the number for the model. Unlike the C7 which uses AMOLED, the 701 is using IPS LCD Clearback display which is also toughen by Gorilla Glass. Inside there’s 8GB of internal storage and at the back has a 8MP camera with dual LED flash.
Check out the videos and photo gallery after the break.