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Black Coffee is a brand new business in southeast Fort Worth. Mesia Davis is a supporter.
"To be able to have somewhere in our neighborhood to come to, the products are fresh, the quality is great and just the whole vibe of the place it just feels good in here," supporter Mesia Davis said.
She likes to support neighborhood businesses, but she worries some other types of businesses are doing more harm.
"I think that in my mind they are causing a trap for us that we go and think we are saving money,” Davis said. “We're not saving money. We are actually spending more money."
But there are many people who like what the dollar-type stores offer.
"I seem to like them,” shopper Jay Jackson said. “If you don't have a big list and close by it's convenient."
Fort Worth City Council had some concerns over the number of them popping up. That's why the council passed a new law placing restrictions on any new ones coming in.
The latest news from around North Texas.
"They have to be at least two miles apart and they have to have at least 15 percent of their store space dedicated to fresh fruits and vegetables," Fort Worth City Council District 8 member Kelly Allen Gray said.
Dollar General responded by saying in part of a statement: “We are disappointed that Fort Worth policymakers have chosen to limit Dollar General’s ability to serve their community. At Dollar General, we strive to be a positive business partner and good community neighbor. We believe the addition of each new Dollar General store represents positive economic growth for the communities we proudly serve through the creation of local jobs and opportunities for employee development and career advancement, as well as through grants provided through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation that positively impact literacy and education initiatives at schools, non-profits and libraries.”
Both Dollar General and the Dollar Tree companies say they look forward to continuing to work in the communities.
Shoppers have a suggestion on how that can be done.
"I would love to see us have more grocery stores," Mesia Davis said.
Council member Gray tells NBC 5 some businesses are considering a pilot program to offer fresh produce in the area and that could start early next year.


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VPInstruments BV, a gas monitoring solution specialist based in the Netherlands, has had its VPFlowScope in-line officially approved by the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) organisation.
A press release from the corporation indicated, “Since the introduction of the first VPFlowScope in 2007, the VPFlowScope product line has enabled numerous companies to save energy costs of their compressed air installation.”
The three-in-one device (left) comes with a Thermabridge® flow sensor, a solid state pressure sensor and a temperature sensor. The flow sensor enables the instrument to measure bi-directionally. In addition, its internal memory can store up to two million measuring values.
It can be integrated into compressed air or gas piping and operates at temperatures up to 60°C.
Applications for the VPFlowScope in-line include flow measurement in nitrogen (N2) generators, technical gas consumption monitoring and leakage detection.
Being UL listed signifies that UL has tested representative samples of the product and determined that it meets its requirements, which are based primarily on its published and nationally recognised standards for safety.
VPInstruments has introduced a new reliable and easy to use compression fitting and safety cable for all VPFlowCopes models of flow meters.
Month on month, the gasworld website is the market-leading news portal for the global industrial gas sector, growing at an unprecedented rate and keeping its readers at the forefront of breaking news, insightful analysis and must-see features across the industry. Launched in 2004 and continually evolving, it is the only independent online news, views and intelligence portal for the global industrial gas community and the larger end-user markets – and home to the ever-increasing range of gasworld platforms.
To find out more about gasworld's advertising opportunities click here.

domain: news


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TOKYO — SoftBank Group on Thursday said it will sell a 5% stake in SoftBank Corp., its Japanese mobile unit, through securities companies as part of a $41 billion asset sale program.
The official price tag will be announced after a sale and purchase agreement has been signed, SoftBank said in a news release. The deal is valued at around 330 billion yen ($3 billion) based on SoftBank Corp.’s closing share price of 1,375 yen on Thursday. The transaction is scheduled to close on May 26.
SoftBank will still own 62.1% of the mobile unit after the sale.


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Thousands of COVID Tests Have Just Been Recalled by the FDA
If you recently purchased COVID tests at either CVS or Amazon, double-check to see if it's a recalled batch before using it.
As if the testing for COVID wasn’t fraught and anxiety-ridden enough, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers and healthcare providers to stop using and throw out certain lots of a popular at-home COVID test.
The FDA has recalled SD Biosensor, Inc. Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Tests, distributed by Roche Diagnostics. There are significant concerns about the liquid solution in these test kits being contaminated with bacteria. Direct contact with the contaminated liquid solution may pose safety concerns and the bacterial contamination could impact the performance of the test. About 500,000 were distributed to CVS stores and 16,000 to Amazon, according to the FDA’s advisory.
“SD Biosensor Inc., the manufacturer of the Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Test, informed Roche that this issue was identified during routine quality assurance testing. Potentially harmful bacteria were found in the liquid buffer solution,” Roche said in a statement.
Why were these COVID tests recalled?
The liquid solution provided in the affected Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Test kits has been found to be contaminated with bacteria such as Enterococcus, Enterobacter, Klebsiella and Serratia.
These organisms can cause illness in people with weakened immune systems or those directly exposed to the contaminated liquid. Additionally, the contamination can impact the performance of the tests, causing false positives or negatives.
To date, the FDA has not received reports of sickness or injury associated with the use of these at-home tests.
How can I tell if I have a recalled COVID test?
Courtesy FDA, SD BioSensor, Inc.
The FDA is advising consumers to stop using and throw out Pilot COVID-19 At-Home Test kits with the lot numbers listed below. If you have a test kit with one of these lot numbers, do not use it. Throw out the entire test kit in the household trash. Do not pour the liquid solution down the drain.
The lot numbers are as follows:


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The Trade Commissioner’s website serves as a one-stop-shop for Canadian businesses – focusing on the following four considerations:
To plan your business continuity and mitigate the potential effects of an emergency use these templates provided by BDC
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has put together a list of resources for businesses these can be accessed on their website at http://www.chamber.ca/resources/pandemic-preparedness/. This includes a pandemic preparation guide for businesses as well as tools shared by Camber members.
Business Development Bank of Canada – financial support for entrepreneurs https://www.bdc.ca/en/pages/special-support.aspx?special-initiative=covid19
Ontario Tourism has now issued an impact survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GPJ8NGS?inf_contact_key=7230478ceec1a24e4b9acb15b64078ed


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ALBANY, NY, September 17, 2014 – Winter sports enthusiasts will receive an advance look at the newest fashion and industry equipment, and ski resort packages for the 2014-15 season when the 53rd annual Albany Ski & Snowboard Expo, presented by Alpin Haus, returns to the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany, NY, from Friday, November 7 through Sunday, November 9.
The annual event, which is one of the longest-running consumer winter sports shows in the nation, will showcase the latest models from the industry’s leading retailers and manufacturers while offering shoppers huge early season discounts on top brands.
“You don’t need to be an advanced skier or boarder to enjoy the expo,” said Mark Bardack, president of Ed Lewi Associates whose firm operates the event that serves as the annual harbinger of the winter season. “Our premium retailers carry the leading names in winter fashion which makes this expo a destination for those who want to outfit themselves, their families and friends with great clothing and accessories for the winter season. You can certainly get a jump on holiday shopping with some outstanding deals.”
The Albany Ski & Snowboard Expo will offer shoppers the opportunity to purchase the latest in winter fashion, including clothing and accessories from well-known brands such as Karbon, The North Face, Under Armor, Obermeyer, Patagonia, Spyder, UGG, Sorel and Hunter.
Winter sports enthusiasts will also enjoy deals on leading industry equipment, including skis from K2, Volkl, Nordica, Atomic, LINE, Blizzard and Tecnica; as well as the latest trend sweeping the ski industry: premium high-end goggles and sunglasses from Oakley, Smith, SPY and Ray Ban.
Advance discount tickets are available for $8 online at albanyskiandsnowboardexpo.com. Tickets are $10 at the door. Children 10 and under accompanied by an adult are admitted free.
The 53rd annual Albany Ski & Snowboard Expo, presented by Alpin Haus, will take place Friday, November 7 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, November 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, November 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Booths and sponsorship opportunities are available by calling Emilee Leichman at 518-383-6183 or via email at firstname.lastname@example.org.
For more information, visit albanyskiandsnowboardexpo.com or like the Albany Ski & Snowboard Expo on Facebook for the chance to win a variety of prizes, including free admission tickets and special items from popular retailers.


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Honda City facelift teased ahead of launch in 2017
Japanese carmaker Honda has just released a set of teaser images of the highly-anticipated City Facelift, which is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2017 in India. It is one of the most eagerly awaited sedans in the coming year
Japanese carmaker Honda has just released a set of teaser images of the highly-anticipated City Facelift, which is expected to launch in the first quarter of 2017 in India. This facelift which will be launched in Thailand in January 2017 comes nearly four years after the current-gen City was introduced in 2013.
What we can decipher from the images released is that the facelift will receive a more new-gen Civic-like front. Styling of the headlamp units have been subtly redone and is expected to carry LED daytime running lights, like the ones found on the recently launched Honda Accord. The front bumper will get some cosmetic tweaks as well, housing a bigger air dam. At the back, the taillight units are expected to remain the same. The rear-bumper will most-likely be restyled to come in tune with Honda’s latest design language.
Inside the cabin, the Honda City facelift will, in all probability, feature Honda’s latest touchscreen infotainment system that will boast both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Moreover, it is expected to boast capacitive touch tech instead of the resistive one found on the outgoing model. This inclusion is a must for the City as we expect Hyundai to equip its latest generation of the Verna, also expected to launch in 2017, with a similarly high-tech infotainment setup.
Since it is just a facelift, the engines on offer are expected to remain untouched. That means customers can opt for either a 1.5-litre petrol engine or a diesel engine with the same cubic capacity. However, the petrol variant will most likely be mated to the six-speed manual transmission that made it’s India debut with the BR-V.
Honda has already announced that from January 1, 2017, it will hike prices of its offerings in India by up to 3 per cent. Hence, once launched, all the variants of the Honda City facelift will have slightly inflated price-tags.
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Google has slashed prices for a type of high-performance block storage used to accelerate virtual machines that process data-intensive workloads in the cloud.
Customers running on-demand Google Cloud Platform instances will see savings up to 63 percent for Local SSD storage; and the cost of Local SSDs will fall up to 71 percent for Preemptible instances.
"We hope that the price reduction on Local SSDs for on-demand and Preemptible VMs will unlock new opportunities and help you solve more interesting business, engineering and scientific problems," Google product managers Chris Kleban and Michael Basilyan wrote Tuesday on the Google Cloud blog.
Local SSDs are flash storage drives physically attached to servers. That delivers high IOPS (input/output operations per second) and low-latency, but their data is lost when the server reboots and the instance ends. They're often used for scratch disks, caching layers and scale-out databases like NoSQL, the Google blog noted.
The price of Local SSDs falls to 8 cents per GB per month for on-demand instances, and 6.4 cents for Preemptibles, in most U.S. regions. Preemptible instances come at a lower price because they don't guarantee availability.
"Our customers are using Preemptible VMs with Local SSDs to analyze financial markets, process data, render movies, analyze genomic data, transcode media and complete a variety of business and engineering tasks, using thousands of Preemptible VM cores in a single job," the blog said.
For temporary data, instances with Local SSDs excel in performance, Google channel partners told CRN.
Scott Mellegaard, director of cloud Strategy at Trace3, a Google partner based in Irvine, Calif., said Google's local flash is already more flexible than the competitive offering from Amazon Web Services.
GCP allows adding Local SSDs in up to eight blocks of 375 GB each. While it's hard to directly compare prices because AWS offers local image storage on only some instance types, those drives come in fixed sizes, he said.
"Consistent cost of allocated block storage is one of the hidden costs of the cloud," Mellegaard told CRN. "Everyone will like a 60 percent decrease."
Aric Bandy, president of Agosto, a Minneapolis, Minn.-based pure-play Google partner, said the latest reduction is representative of the "new stack wars" in which Amazon, Microsoft and Google are all trying to leverage their buying power and technology.
Reducing the cost of Local SSDs probably won't impact most of his customers, Bandy said, but some with use cases like genomics or image rendering will see their bills fall.
Maybe even more impactful to the channel is the good publicity that comes with such announcements.
"Partners like Agosto benefit because it's only going to drive more adoption to the cloud. We're still early days in public cloud adoption, so the more these 'stack wars' attract customers, the better it is for my business because we make money on services," Bandy said.
AWS is so far out front in market share that Google needs to do whatever it can to attract big Fortune 500 customers, he said, and price reductions are typically effective in drawing interest.
Rajesh Abhyankar, CEO of MediaAgility, a New Jersey-based Google partner, said his firm has developed a solution for health care companies for which the new Local SSD rates will likely drive down usage costs. The solution, called LabAgility, will benefit from further reduction in costs "that we can pass on to our customers," Abhyankar said.
"At Google we're always looking to reduce total cost of ownership for our customers, pass along price reductions achieved through technology advancements and adjust our pricing so you can take advantage of technology that will help you innovate, in a manner that's simple for our users," the Google blog states.


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If you want to switch to a new carrier, you'll need to make sure your iPhone is unlocked first. Here's how to do it on Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Virgin Mobile.
The latest updates to the iPad Pro and iOS are a one-two punch that might finally knock the MacBook Air out of Apple's lineup.
Apple has taken the wraps off High Sierra, the next version of macOS, and while it may be a maintenance release, it still brings some exciting new features.
CNBC reports that Apple has compiled a secret team that is working on streamlining out medical records for the iPhone, turning it into a hub for lab results, prescriptions, and doctor's visits.
CEO Tim Cook confirms that Apple is working on an autonomous driving system, but stops short of saying the company is working on a full-fledged vehicle.
Learn all about the upcoming watchOS 4, including its release date, top features, and biggest changes.
The new $5,000 iMac Pro is the fastest Mac Apple has ever made, with 18-core Zeon processors, Radeon Pro graphics, 128 of RAM, and 10Gbit/s Ethernet.
Apple has released new iMacs that deliver faster processors, better screens, more powerful graphics, and, at long last, Thunderbolt 3.
The Gear 360 is a cool little $230 camera that's perfect for Galaxy S8 owners who want to shoot 4K video or broadcast live.
Gmail and Inbox are both excellent free clients. But which is the best one for your email needs?
Google Assistant is now available on iOS, giving Siri new competition on her home turf. But which voice assistant is better for you?
IKEA's line of smart lights are already affordable, but now they will work with Google Home and Assistant, Amazon Alexa-powered devices, and Apple's HomeKit.
Apple has unveiled a new website and series of videos that highlight several reasons to give up your Android phone and switch to iPhone.
Apple has officially launched its Today at Apple series of retail classes, and it could dramatically change the way we look at Apple stores.
New Apple Music subscribers in Australia, Spain, and Switzerland will now be charged 99 cents to sign up, eliminating the three-month free period.
Articles by Michael SimonNext Page


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Red Hat officially announced the OpenShift Blockchain Initiative today, a new development effort aimed at assisting financial firms as they embark on proofs-of-concept and other trials related to the emerging technology.
Under the OpenShift Blockchain Initiative, Red Hat customers can build hosted blockchain applications using tools provided by independent solutions vendors (ISVs) focused on the industry, while taking advantage of the company's managed support services.
In interview, Julio Tapia, director of the Red Hat OpenShift partnership ecosystem, sought to position the announcement as both the first way that the company is seeking to leverage its open-source experience in the blockchain market, and as a follow-on to the news that the company had joined the Hyperledger blockchain project in February.
Tapia told CoinDesk:
Through the new initiative, he said, clients will have access to the OpenShift Dedicated product alongside tools and training workshops, enablement materials and offerings from third-party solutions providers.
Tapia positioned the Red Hat offering as competitive in today's market, given that major financial services firms have voiced an interest in launching blockchain applications in the cloud.
"A lot of folks in the market are looking to deploy on the big cloud providers, Amazon, Google, Microsoft. There are many companies offering cloud support," Tapia explained.
Tapia clarified that OpenShift Dedicated is available on Amazon and that Google and Microsoft Azure support is forthcoming. Should an enterprise business want to pursue the use of these cloud platforms, Tapia said, Red Hat will help manage it on behalf of clients.
Red Hat's formal entrance into the ecosystem comes at a time when a number of startups are seeking to provide similar enterprise-oriented services. For example, former Red Hat employee Jeff Garzik recently launched a startup called Bloq, which he dubbed the "Red Hat for blockchain" due to its use of a managed software services approach to the market.
Tapia indicated that Red Hat is expanding OpenShift to feature blockchain capabilities due, in part, to the growing attention the technology has received.
"[There are] lots of companies looking to deploy new solutions that will meet the needs of this space. There’s a lot of things we’re hearing about. We want to make sure we’re at the forefront of that effort," Tapia continued.
As for its predictions regarding the market, Tapia was perhaps short in his remarks, noting that he believes the industry is "still evolving".
“We’re starting to see interesting [use cases] under development, everything from title and registration to patent management,” he stated.
He went on to suggest that the company is preparing for more growth in this area, adding:
The announcement follows the February news that Red Hat had added Ethereum development platform BlockApps, a product of Ethereum decentralized application studio ConsenSys, to its OpenShift product.
Tapia said that the inclusion of BlockApps in the announcement was due to the fact that ConsenSys, described as its seed investor and parent company, was one of the first teams to approach Red Hat about a potential collaboration. The firm is not the only company to be accepted into the program, Tapia said.
As for which other blockchain companies have so far signed on to the offering, however, Tapia did not provide additional details.
“It’s a little early, a lot of the partners are still creating product,” he said.
As for the level of scrutiny that will be applied to applications, Tapia declined to provide any specific criteria that participants will need to meet. As with Microsoft and its approach to expanding its Azure platform, Tapia said Red Hat is striving to be “open” and “all-inclusive”, noting that the firm would not seek to make it “difficult” to join.
"We don’t have any specific hard requirements," he said, adding:
CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk offers all employees above a certain salary threshold, including journalists, stock options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.


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This Wireless news page includes headlines, articles, and citations about wireless news from diverse, English-language news sources around the world.
News articles are ordered by publication date, with the newest article listed first and the oldest article listed last.
- Hirsch Gift Recalls Wireless Charging Pads Due to Burn Hazard
The wireless phone chargers can overheat while in use, posing a burn hazard to consumers.
Consumer Product Safety Commission. July 27, 2018.
- What Drove China Telecom's First-Half Earnings Beat?
China Telecom, the smallest of the three major Chinese wireless carriers, published its financial results for the first half of 2018 on Monday, beating market estimates.
Forbes. Monday, 20 Aug 2018.
- NBN should shift fixed-wireless areas to FttC: Aussie Broadband
Around 12 percent of NBN's fixed-wireless network is experiencing 'unacceptable congestion', Aussie Broadband has said, calling for more funding to expand the fibre-based networks.
ZDNet. Monday, 20 Aug 2018.
- Better Buy: AT&T Inc. vs. Sprint
Size matters in wireless telecommunications.
Yahoo. Saturday, 18 Aug 2018.
- Do You Really Need A $1500 Wireless Earbud? Yes, Here's Why
Why these Ultimate Ears Custom earbuds will change the earbud listening experience for everyone, forever.
Forbes. Friday, 17 Aug 2018.
- This Is the Only U.S. Carrier Improving Customer Loyalty
While three of the four major wireless carriers' postpaid phone churn grew last quarter, one is getting better at keeping its subscribers.
Yahoo. Thursday, 16 Aug 2018.
- Intel uses Bluetooth to keep flying drones from colliding - CNET
The technology could be good for something besides wireless headsets and keyboards.
CNET. Thursday, 16 Aug 2018.
- O2 trials wireless networks created from LED lighting
LED lighting is being used to send data across networks while remaining almost invisible to the human eye.
ZDNet. Wednesday, 15 Aug 2018.
- Verizon's new CEO: We don't need to buy a content creator like AT&T did with Time Warner
Verizon chief Hans Vestberg says the top wireless carrier doesn't need to compete in premium content to succeed.
CNBC. Wednesday, 15 Aug 2018.
- Sprint Partners with LG to Launch 5G Smartphone in 2019
Sprint said Tuesday it has partnered with phone manufacturer LG Electronics to launch a 5G smartphone in the first half of next year, marking the first 5G device deal for the No. 4 U.S. wireless carrier. ...
Voice of America. Tuesday, 14 Aug 2018.
- 5 reasons to buy the Sonos Beam
Sonos produces tremendous multi-room speakers, wireless apart from a power cable. Easy to set up and great-sounding, they have become the speaker of choice
Pocket Lint. Tuesday, 14 Aug 2018.
- Bluefin Recalls Wireless Phone Chargers Due to Burn Hazard
The wireless phone charger can overheat while in use, posing a burn hazard to consumers.
Consumer Product Safety Commission. May 24, 2018.
- Best PC gaming headsets: The best wired, wireless and surround sound headsets around
Setting out on a mission to find the very best gaming headsets was a daunting task. There are a multitude of options out there - wired, wireless, closed
Pocket Lint. Monday, 13 Aug 2018.
- Wireless Equipment Stock Outlook: Near-Term Prospects Bright
Wireless Equipment Stock Outlook: Near-Term Prospects Bright
Zacks. Friday, 10 Aug 2018.
- Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL: Rumored specs, leaks, price, release date - CNET
A supersized notch and wireless charging may come to the next generation of Google's flagship.
CNET. Friday, 10 Aug 2018.
Related Directory Page(s)
News Headlines and News Summaries


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US: Former Coke chief's severance released
Details surrounding the severance package given to the Coca-Cola Co.'s former North American president and COO have been revealed. According to a filing yesterday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Jeffery T. Dunn, who announced that he was standing down in December last year, was given a package worth about US$4m.
The package included two years' salary, a $750,000 "transition payment" and the release of 50,000 previously restricted stock shares. In return, Dunn agreed not to work for any of Coke's competitors for two years.
Although the exact amount of Dunn's annual salary was not disclosed, it is thought he was on a similar wage to Coke's other heads of operating groups who each received about $500,000 a year. The stock shares are worth about $2.5m.
In December last year, the company said that Dunn was leaving to pursue "his own entrepreneurial goals."
Sectors: Soft drinks
- A Wild Geese, Pernod Ricard conspiracy theory?
- Can craft breweries compete in lager arena?
- Remy Cointreau's Q1 performance by brand, region
- SABMiller's Q1 2017 results - Preview
- Coca-Cola Beverages Africa - A new powerhouse
- New Hendrick's Gin would have to be "unusual"
- AB InBev faces US$7bn price rise for SABMiller
- Diageo starts formal talks over UK pension cuts
- Brown-Forman takes distribution in Spain in-house
- AB InBev halts VAIP incentive plan
- Adultifying Soft Drinks; Capitalizing on rising adult demand for non-alcoholic beverages
- Global RTD insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- Global travel retail insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- Global non-Scotch whiskies insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends
- Global Scotch whisky insights - market forecasts, product innovation and consumer trends


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Vietnam commits to buy US$3 billion farm produce to balance trade with US
The Hanoitimes - The import staples include cow, wheat, fruit, corn, soy, and animal feed which will be purchased in the next two to three years.
Vietnam has signed 18 agreements to buy farm produce worth US$3 billion from the United States in the next two to three years as part of its efforts to reduce the widening trade surplus with the latter.
|Vietnam will buy more US farm produce in next three years|
The deals, which include purchases of 100,000 cows, tons of wheat, fruit, corn, soy, and animal feed, were signed in a recent visit to the US by the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Bloomberg has reported.
“We see a lot of room to increase purchases from America, and that will significantly help narrow our trade gap with the US,” said Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, the agriculture ministry’s spokesman, who was in the delegation to the US. “Our demand for American farming products is very high.”
“We will have regular meetings with these Vietnamese companies to give them timely support in implementing the signed MOUs,” Tuan said. “We also want to buy more high-tech equipment from the US to make more value-added farm products in the future.”
The US incurred a US$55.8 billion trade deficit with Vietnam for 2019 and US$39.5 billion for 2018, according to the US Census Bureau. US exports to Vietnam increased 12.39% while its imports from Vietnam rose 35.5%.
US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said last year that Vietnam needs to resolve “market access restrictions related to goods, services, agricultural products, and intellectual property.”
Vietnam is working to address Lighthizer’s concerns, Tuan said.
“We will work on changes in some relevant regulations to make it easier for American companies to sell more in Vietnam,” he said. “We are trying to create opportunities for businesses of the two countries to boost trade exchange in a fair manner. This will surely help the bilateral relations between Vietnam and the US.”
In an interview last year, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc promised that Vietnam would buy more US products, such as Boeing Co. aircraft. In August, state-run Vietnam National Coal-Mineral Industries announced it was negotiating to buy US coal for the first time, from Xcoal Energy & Resources LLC.
- Vietnam celebrates World Food Day
- Denmark supports Vietnam in campaign against food loss and waste
- Vietnam keeps combating IUU fishing to lift EC ‘yellow card’
- Improved quality and higher demand boost Vietnam rice export outlook
- Vietnam and US sign an agreement to strengthen Fisheries Law enforcement
- Vietnam parliament mulls over extending land lease exemption for farmers
- Vietnam, China seek to ease bottlenecks of farm produce trade
- Vietnam commits to buy US$3 billion farm produce to balance trade with US
- US supports Vietnam in sustainable livestock practice
- Vietnam seeks to strengthen agricultural trade with US
Vietnam well-positioned for IT firms globally: Experts
Hanoi residents must wear face masks in public places, crowded events: Official
Hanoi, Foreign Ministry partner to enhance city's position and image
Vietnam to finalize legal framework for smart city model
Hanoi completes traffic infrastructure to develop satellite urban areas: Official
Close-up of first train of Hanoi’s second metro line put on rails
Apple partner Pegatron mulls US$1-billion investment in hi-tech projects in Vietnam
Hanoi’s weekend pedestrian streets allowed to reopen from September 18
European investors propose US$1 billion logistics project in Vietnam


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Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG ) will provide its Q1 2013 results on Thursday, April 18. The operator of the popular Mexican fast-food restaurant chain will issue a press release at around 4 p.m. Eastern time, to be followed half an hour or so later by a conference call to discuss the results.
On average, analysts expect the company to post a per-share profit of $2.13 for the quarter, or 8% higher than Q1 2012's $1.97. Chipotle's diluted Q4 net was $1.93 per share, or $61.4 million in total, on revenue of $699 million.
For fiscal 2012, the firm's top line was $2.7 billion, and it netted $278 million ($8.75 EPS) in profit.


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Dr Reddy’s launches generic acid reflux drug in USA
July 18, 2016
Pharma giant Dr Reddy’s Laboratories have launched generic Omeprazole and Sodium bicarbonate capsules, used for treatment of acid reflux and ulcers, in the US market after receiving approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).
Dr Reddy’s Laboratories in a filing to the BSE has pointed that the company has launched the capsules in the strengths of 20mg/1100 mg and 40 mg/1100 mg after the approval from the country’s health regulator USFDA. The company also added that capsules are the generic version of Santarus Inc’s Zegerid capsules.
Dr Reddy’s Laboratories said that according to IMS Health the Zegerid and generic brand had a sales of approximately $306.7 million in the US market, for 12 months ending in May 2016.


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The U.S. economy manages to follow the law and label every electronic gadget and stitch of clothing with where it comes from. Manufacturers likewise have no trouble putting a required nutrition list on food packages. But telling where food originates is called too daunting, and whether it was made by means unknown in nature is judged irrelevant.
The rest of the developed world doesn,t see it so, and apparently isn,t as beholden to agribusiness interests as is our government. Americans deserve better.
Congress supported the right of consumers to know where their food comes from and included a country-of-origin label requirement in the 2002 farm bill. But the Agriculture Department opposed this, favoring a voluntary program, and its economists warned implementation would cost $1.9 billion.
University of Florida researchers, on the other hand, estimated the price would be 90 percent below that claim and cost consumers less than one-tenth of a cent per pound of food.
The government then quietly lowered its estimate by two-thirds. But the political damage was done. Congress postponed implementation, and now foes want the plan repealed before it can ever take effect.
Meanwhile, the nation’s four biggest meat packers, who process more than 80 percent of the beef in this country, are quite happy. Without the label requirement, they can continue to import cheaper foreign beef to leverage down the price of American cattle. This imported beef gets an Agriculture Department inspection label when processed here, and is sold to unsuspecting consumers who assume it is expensive American beef.
Also keeping consumers in the dark, the Food and Drug Administration refuses to require labels on food whose production involves genetic modification.
In 1994, the agency approved commercial use of a genetically engineered bovine growth hormone to increase milk production, and said that no label was needed.
Canada looked at the same test data from the manufacturer, Monsanto, and banned the hormone. So did the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and other industrialized countries. There is concern that the hormone raises human cancer risk. And because cows on the production stimulant are more prone to udder infection, more antibiotics are used. Overuse of antibiotics undermines our pharmaceutical arsenal by encouraging antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
The Agriculture Department reported in 2002 that 2 million of America’s 9.2 million dairy cows received the hormone, and that larger dairies use it far more than farms with fewer than 100 cows. Given the industry,s mixing of milk from many farms, most U.S. dairy products have milk from injected cows.
The FDA ruled in 1992 that genetically modified food did not differ from other foods in any meaningful way. But there was considerable debate within the FDA over the differences between foods with and without genetic modification. A lawsuit filed by the Alliance for Bio-Integrity prompted the agency to release documents that highlighted the concerns some agency scientists had about biotech foods.
But under this country,s present voluntary system, they remain unlabeled. Polls show demand for this kind of food is low, and a large majority wants labeling. That could spell market failure, so biotechnology companies and agribusiness giants are opposed.
Without any labeling and separating of genetically modified ingredients, many overseas buyers have rejected corn, soy, canola and cotton from the United States and Canada. In this country, large natural-food supermarket chains have announced they will use no genetically modified foods in store brands.
But most processed food in this country contains soy, corn or both in some form, and 80 percent of soy and 38 percent of corn commercially grown in the United States is genetically altered.
In a free and open market, transparency is necessary for consumers to know what they are getting. Scientists and other nations around the world recognize this. But where and how Americans, food is raised too often remains hidden. We should enjoy this basic right to know.
PAUL D. JOHNSON is a northeast Kansas organic market gardener and a family-farm legislative advocate for several churches in Kansas. He is a member of the Land Institute,s Prairie Writers Circle, Salina, Kan.


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Beauty giant L'Oreal has unveiled a smart skin patch that can track the skin's exposure to harmful UV rays at the technology show CES in Las Vegas.
The product will be launched in 16 countries including the UK this summer, and will be available for free.
It contains a photosensitive blue dye, which changes colour when exposed to ultraviolet light.
But the wearer must take a photo of it and then upload it to an app to see the results.
It has been developed by the firm's tech incubator department, which is a team of 25 scientists and researchers working in several cities around the world, including New York, Paris and Singapore.
Wear it 'anywhere'
The My UV Patch, which is thinner than a plaster and lasts around five days, is disposable. It can be worn on any part of the body.
"Today all the wearables you see are jewellery or wrist bands - but not wearable in the sense that you wear them anywhere on your body," Guive Balooch global vice president of L'Oréal's Technology Incubator, told the BBC.
So-called flexible electronics caught Mr Balooch's eye a couple of years ago.
"Why would L'Oreal be interested in this? When you think about our products, the people apply them all over their body," he explained.
"Being able to have this technology to measure properties of the skin in real life anywhere you want allows us to develop really new testing methods for future products."
While there are other devices on the market for measuring UV exposure L'Oreal believes this is the first example of a flexible wearable.
"Stickers on the market today go from white to blue in minutes, and then that's it," he said.
"You can use ours for days and days."
However, Mr Balooch cautioned that the patch was not intended as a reminder to re-apply suncream.
"The issue is not when to reapply, the issue is how much exposure do I have," he said.
The idea is a "pretty amazing" one according to Carolina Milanesi, chief of research at the KWP Comtech research firm.
"UV is a different focus and one that makes a lot of sense coming from L'Oreal," she said.
However, Mrs Milanesi added that the need to keep taking pictures of the patch might become frustrating for customers.
"I wonder if rather than seeing the cumulative impact in an app I would prefer to be alerted when my UV exposure will cause sun burn or worse," she commented.


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(Yicai Global) Feb. 22 -- Swiss foods giant Nestle has become the first company to use Cainiao Smart Logistics Network's new Supply Chain Brain, which hopes to help managers make smarter, more efficient decisions.
The brain integrates firms' data among different sales channels and can conduct real-time monitoring and analysis, TechWeb reported. Supply chain managers are able to oversee operations statuses on their smartphones and can make immediate decisions based on Cainiao's analysis, it added.
The cost of traditional supply chain management is pretty high, and it needs several departments to gather and analyze information, said Tony Domingo, senior vice president of group supply chain and procurement for Nestle on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Consolidating data through Cainiao's system could save hours every day, he added.
In the New Retail era, companies need flexible and responsive supply chains, added Wang Lei, Nestle's vice president of e-commerce for the region. The Supply Chain Brain makes operational data more transparent, and more useful for business-related decision making, he continued, saying the system will make Nestle more competitive.
Cainiao, which is owned by e-commerce giant Alibaba Holding Group, penned deals with a host of international consumer goods giants last year, including Metro Group, Shiseido and AEON Group, to offer global supply chain services during China's Double Eleven shopping festival -- which is bigger than Black Friday.
It expects to release the new system to other partners soon.
Editor: James Boynton


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This week’s Member Spotlight is on It’s Worth It Nutrition! Sara Ford and her husband, Jarred, opened the nutrition shop in August 2018 at 106 W. Main Street in Tishomingo, former location of the JCCC. It’s Worth It offers a wide selection of flavors for their nutritional shakes and teas, and services such as nutrition guides and assistance, workouts, weight management, and pre- and post-workout programs.
“We wanted to make a positive impact on the community, and we have a passion for nutrition, so we wanted to bring healthier options to Johnston County,” Ford said. “We want to create a family atmosphere where people feel safe and have a place to socialize. We love to make people smile, too. If you start the day off on a positive note, odds are the rest of your day will be amazing as well.”
The Fords also feel strongly about giving back to the community. All tips generated at the facility are donated to area schools and non-profit organizations. They support K-12 and MSC student activities and have been a member of the JCCC since their start over a year ago. “We also have an open-door policy meaning that if people feel they have nowhere to go, they can always come here for help,” Sara mentioned.
The owners are working on updating their store hours to better accommodate the community and are remodeling to better utilize their space. In the coming weeks you will begin seeing promotions for fit camps that will be held a few times each week, new menu items, and added involvement in the community, specifically related to health and nutrition.
Current hours are Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. You can call (580) 224-1113, visit them on Facebook or go to sara-pumphrey.goherbalife.com to learn more!
Read next week for a Spotlight on Hanson Aggregate!


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Billguard was the first to notify many affected consumers of the USPS security breach
Less than a week ago I was singing the praises of Billguard as a crucial line of defense for consumers concerned with payment fraud in today’s climate of prolific corporate hacking. Right on cue today I received an email from the company backing up that very assertion.
As you may have read yesterday, the United States Postal Service (USPS) was recently the victim of a cybersecurity breach – they were hacked, maybe by China – resulting in the exposure of personal information of the government agency’s 800,000 employees and an unknown number of consumers.
Sadly, revelations of major corporate hacks have become commonplace, and most consumers (myself included) simply brush them off without much of a second thought. This was the case for me when I read headlines of the USPS attack. It’s potentially notable from a nation-state-level espionage perspective, but being that I’m not an employee of the USPS and I have little day to day interaction with what I view as a dying organization, I had no reason to believe this particular incident affected me directly.
So, about that email.
I awoke this morning to an email from Billguard alerting me that I had, in fact, used a credit card at a USPS branch during the period affected by the breach. This was news to me. It turns out that I was on vacation a few months ago and had to send a package home. I had completely forgotten about this. Fortunately, while it will likely take months for the USPS – or any other merchant in a similar scenario – to contact affected consumers, Billguard had an email in my inbox within 24 hours of the breach announcement.
Billguard sent the same email to a total of 113,240 affected users who had payment card charges from the USPS during the period in question, according to VP of Marketing, Mick Weinstein. It turns out that the nature of this particular breach means it likely only affected consumers who had contacted USPS customer service during the period in question – I didn’t – and is unlikely to have compromised payment details around non-customer service transactions. But without knowing which of its users were affected, Billguard proceeded to notified all of its users who had made payments.
“We don't know how many of [these 113k users may be affected], but we thought it was important for everyone to get a heads up, since it's usually weeks or months before the merchant gets around to contacting affected customers – if they do at all,” Weinstein said by email. “BillGuard is almost always the first to contact customers of a breached retailer, in time for them to take the most important action they can take right away: checking their accounts carefully for anything they don't recognize.”
This is not the first time that Billguard has served as the first notification to many consumers that their payment credentials may have been breached. The company keeps a running list of prior breaches, the number of affected users notified, and customer testimonials speaking to their first line of defense status. These incidents including the recent Staples breach (45,173 Billguard users), K-Mart (14,665 users), JP Morgan Chase (108,243 users), Home Depot (97,582 users), Dairy Queen (38,883 users), UPS (21,894 users), and Albertsons (17,259 users)
So if you aren’t sufficiently scared straight from ever trusting a merchant with your credit card information again, hopefully you’re at least reminded that being vigilant about your account activity is essential. As Billguard demonstrated today, its toolset and service is among the best options available for this purpose. As an aside, the above stats are as good of an endorsement of Apple Pay or Bitcoin, and against CurrentC as any.
One of the most persistent myths keeping consumers vulnerable is the belief that banks catch the majority of payment fraud. The reality is that they miss more than half of known fraud (and by default, 100 percent of unknown fraud) according to Billguard.
“The only thing you can do is be super vigilant and use tools that help,” Weinstein says.
Read the full Billguard data breach email notification below:
We’re reaching out to notify you that a large data breach has taken place at the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) during a period when you made at least one transaction at a USPS online store or at a post office.
The data breach apparently did not affect payment card info, but if you contacted USPS's customer support before or after your transaction(s), your personal information may have been exposed.
The USPS disclosed yesterday that hackers gained access to its IT systems from the beginning of this year to mid-August. The data breach exposed particularly sensitive information on USPS employees, and the hackers also gained access to names, addresses, phone numbers and emails for 2.9 million USPS customers who contacted its customer support centers by email or phone.
What to do now?
- Don't panic - usually, most consumers are not hurt by a data breach.
- Be on the lookout for fake emails, letters and phone calls asking for personal information. This is often used by crooks to supplement the information from a data theft, to perpetrate identity theft.
- Review your credit and/or debit card transactions closely in BillGuard: Click here
If you suspect your card has been used fraudulently, contact your card issuer (typically your bank) immediately. The contact number appears on the back of the card.


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ichael Crane reports for Nutritional Outlook that Follow Your Heart, of Canoga Park, CA, is debuting its new algae-based VeganEgg egg-replacement finished product, which it says is the “first of its kind to scramble, bake, and cook just like a chicken egg.”
VeganEgg first hit select shelves in late 2015, but the full launch took place at the recent Natural Products Expo West trade show. Made from whole algal protein, whole algal flour, carrageenan, yeast, sea salt, cellulose gum, gellan gum, and calcium lactate, VeganEgg is perhaps most notable for being well suited for scrambling, an application that has proven challenging for many egg replacers in the past.
Katie Franklin, director of marketing for Follow Your Heart, says her company’s R&D team recently developed technology that makes scrambling of the algae-based egg replacement possible. “You can bake with it and emulsify it anywhere you would crack an egg,” Ms. Franklin told Nutritional Outlook. “We’ve made cakes, quiches, frittatas, salad dressings – anything you would do with an egg.”
The product contains 2g of protein and 4g of calcium, is relatively neutral in taste, and even comes in a light yellow color thanks to Follow Your Heart’s dark algae cultivation process. “By growing it in the dark it doesn’t go through the same photosynthesis process,” says Ms. Franklin. “So you get that natural eggy color too. We don’t have to add anything in that regard.”
The VeganEgg also has a shelf life of up to six months without being refrigerated, although some retailers “are actually merchandising it with eggs in the cooler,” Ms. Franklin said.


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Packets of wipes for newborn babies in Asda were stamped with stickers telling customers not to buy products made in Israel.
Jewish shoppers in the Colindale branch of Asda were alarmed to see a shelf of wipes covered in stickers advocating for a boycott of Israeli products, stamped with the Israeli flag and accusing shoppers of supporting killing innocent civilians.
Stickers plastered onto the boxes of Little Angels Asda wipes read: “This product was made in Israel”.
“Don’t fund Israel’s killing” the stickers demanded.
The note posted on products on Wednesday also listed the number of dead Palestinians and destroyed hospitals and schools.
When Jewish customers complained to the staff at the Colindale branch, the stickers were swiftly removed, and it is understood that staff apologised for any upset.
Antisemitism watchdog Campaign Against Antisemitism said they had seen a “huge proliferation of incidents like these.”
“It is clear that this is an attempt to intimidate Jews and stop them from feeling safe to buy products in line with Jewish religious law. Even the pretext of targeting Israel does not hold water, given that some of the products are not even from there.
"We are pleased that these products were swiftly removed from shelves, but the stream of cases like these are indicative of how bad the situation is for the Jewish community in Britain right now. According to our polling, 69 per cent of British Jews are less likely to show visible signs of their Judaism in public. Incidents like these are why."
Today, a spokesperson for Asda said: "Our policy in all stores is to remove any non-Asda stickers or labels that we find attached to any of our products."


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Nike no longer sponsors Mason Greenwood, with the Manchester United player on police bail after being questioned on suspicion of rape and assault on a woman.
The sportswear firm initially suspended its dealings with Greenwood after his arrest last week, saying it was “deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations.”
Nike has canceled its sponsorship of Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood pic.twitter.com/0KbVffHOhS
– Chris Chambers (@CapitalChambo) February 7, 2022
Nike announced Monday that “Mason Greenwood is no longer a Nike athlete.”
United have said that the 20-year-old England The striker will not play or practice with the club until further notice.
Greater Manchester Police said last Wednesday that Greenwood was “released on bail pending further investigation”.


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Leasing market matures - but at what cost?
New laws should make the leasing market grow up, but they come at a price, finds Corina Mica, as she analyses the two billion Euro business
Most European Union states like to set up special organisations to regulate, authorise and monitor sectors of business. In leasing, this tends to be the central bank or a specialised institution.
But there is no such body in Romania.
So this boom market has several thousand companies that, at present, seem to meet the law required to practice leasing services. Many of them do not exist or do not offer a standardised service, while others are defunct.
Therefore many in the industry argue that there is an imperative for greater regulation to ensure that there are fewer and more efficient companies, with fewer chances of bankruptcies, so that a Romanian consumer can expect the same quality of service and price as a leaseholder in Vienna or Manchester.
“Romania does not have an institution to evaluate the real size and quality of the market through consistent practice, methods or instruments,” says Florin Georgescu, first deputy governor of Romania’s central bank (BNR).
All the data and information on the market are centralised by two leasing associations – the Romanian Association of Leasing Companies (ASLR) and the Leasing and other non-Banking financial services Association (ALB).
“They have different approaches about the relevant indicators for this industry,” says Georgescu.
Also intending to help ‘regulate’ this industry is a controversial new law.
Newly-elected president of the ALB, Bernd Kunzel, says the new Government Ordinance from February 2006 now places the Romanian leasing market under the “supervision and regulation” of the central bank.
“Until this year there has been no obligation for leasing companies to report data to any supervising authorities,” says Kunzel.
Also Melih Mengu, CEO of UniCredit Leasing, says that the ALB has prepared a draft law which aims to clarify the status of operational leasing and bring a definition for real estate leasing.
The ALB has discussed this with the Chamber of Deputies’ commission for banking and finance and has now proposed it to the Parliament.
“We believe that by the summer the Senate will discuss it in its commission of finance and banking. So, by June we will have a new leasing law,” he says.
|LEASE ON EARTH
The size of the leasing market in the continent, from umbrella body Leaseurope
Source: Leaseurope represents leasing in 33 European countries. Active since 1972, Leaseurope aims to promote leasing as a key financial service and act as a primary source of leasing information.
Let it grow
“This is the end of the childhood of leasing in Romania,” says Sorin Manolescu, general manager of EFG Eurobank Leasing. “There are many captive firms that do not have a strong corporate culture, which is needed.”
The Government Ordinance [from February 2006] regulates Non-Banking Financial Institutions (IFN), which will bring some regulation into leasing companies.
“You now have security that the leasing companies are serious and competitive,” says Harald Trinkl, managing director of Immorent.
But some people are wary of the effects of this law.
“BNR regulates the banking market, which is easier, and still it has not managed to avoid some big bankruptcies,” says Manolescu.
The February 2006 Ordinance will also bring new restrictions.
“There were a few black sheep on the market, there was no control over the sector,” says Trinkl. “Now the control is a bit too tough, as BNR treats leasing companies like banks.”
The regulations characterise leasing as a financial activity, at the same time as a commercial activity, which means the industry is subject to VAT.
“As we are both a financial and a commercial activity, we’re between a rock and a hard place,” says Mengu.
Motoractive Leasing is also critical of BNR’s decision to treat leasing companies like banks, especially because the industry does not attract deposits.
“All market players wanted regulation,” says Felicia Relenschi, deputy CEO of Motoractive Leasing, “and the central bank’s wish to keep inflation under control and the growing current account deficit have speeded up the adoption of the Government Ordinance that regulates the leasing market.”
Ionut Chirila, marketing manager at Romstal Leasing thinks the leasing market in Romania is shifting from being just a small market to an important pillar of the economy.
“With this new legislation BNR will clean a little bit the market,” he says.
This means that firms must have a minimum of 200,000 Euro share capital to register as a leasing company.
But Kerem Sekizyarali, general manager of Finans International Leasing, believes the new law will not regulate the Romanian leasing market enough – and it will depend on the norms, which show companies how to apply the new regulations, to clarify the new law.
“The Romanian leasing market is now developing and adjusting to European market requirements,” he adds.
The final effect of new legislation should be positive for the larger leasing companies.
Bernd Kunzel, who also heads Raiffeisen Leasing Romania, says the important effect will be the consolidation of the leasing market.
“But these changes can also mean that small leasing companies will disappear from the market,” he adds.
The dimensions of the leasing market are still unknown – and statistics are questionable. The car leasing market could be 80 or 90 per cent of the whole leasing market depending on who you speak to, for example, and the value of the sector may be between two and 2.2 billion Euro. No one seems to agree on figures, and no complete and centralised database about the leasing market in Romania means it is hard to formulate an accurate analysis.
The new regulatory framework will introduce a new system of reporting and evaluating the crediting activities run by non-banking financial institutions (IFNs).
This should give accurate data on the market which will then help to minimise the credit risk, argues Georgescu. “This will help insure financial stability,” the bank chief adds.
Buying large products in piecemeal over a long period of time was a method of purchase during Communist times.
“Leasing has always been known in Romania,” says Immorent’s Trinkl. “This was an instrument known to people, more than in other countries, where it had to be promoted and really established.”
In post-Communist times, the new leasing revolution started with the cars. In a country taking its first steps into capitalism, a consumer with cash and a materialistic mindset wants a set of wheels. He cannot yet afford one. Therefore he takes out a leasing deal so that he can buy the vehicle over several years.
“This is a booming business in Romania, with growth rates every year that show the development,” says Trinkl, “I think by the end of 2007 the total market will stand at between five and six billion Euro. We have had no problems in Romania, compared to Bulgaria. This is a leasing-oriented country.”
But in Romania car leasing has dominated the market for too long, without allowing development in other related sectors.
Now, opportunities have grown in the real estate and equipment sectors.
Strict rules of mortgage lending, especially when it comes to consumers declaring from which source their cash for a down-payment on a mortgage came from, mean that ‘real estate’ leasing has boomed in popularity.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which do not have a massive initial capital have also fuelled the market for equipment leasing.
“There is a strong SME market here, and there are not that many big, multinational companies,” says Mengu. “The dynamics of the economy are mainly driven by SMEs, so that’s why leasing companies should be close to such companies.”
Relenschi of Motoractive Leasing says that until 2007 leasing will remain a popular choice, but after the EU accession some further costs, such as custom duties for non-EU countries, will be disadvantageous for consumers.
The Romanian market is small in comparison with Poland and Hungary in terms of its value, but the number of people taking out leasing contracts is increasing.
This means the leasing market has a potential which it has only partially exploited, says Cornel Coca Constantinescu, president of ASLR.
“Technology transfer, the opening of new infrastructure projects and the appearance of new companies on the Romanian market are just a few arguments to support this,” he adds.
“Unfortunately, leasing is a product which is quite sensitive to taxes, the way laws are arranged or changed,” says Sorin Manolescu of EFG Eurobank Leasing. “It is an industry which witnesses massive growth. Just as an example, the Romanian leasing market is larger than the Greek market. The biggest disadvantage this market has is its lapses in the ways the law defines leasing. Also, real estate leasing is not supported enough.”
But as what goes up has to come down, ING Lease’s general manager Bas Hoekstra says that the young and unsettled status of the market is a big downside.
“There is no legislation or changing legislation, so there are opportunities for and threats to this market,” he says. “This is a young market compared to western Europe. There are only three or four leasing products on offer here, which makes it a less professional market. It is valued at about two billion Euro, out of which more than 90 per cent is car leasing.”
Motoractive Leasing’s Relenschi thinks the main advantage this market has, is that it remains at a level that allows for accelerated development, connected to development of the Romanian economy – which now has a healthy growth of between four and five per cent.
“EU accession will allow for more foreign investments to come in and aid development in this sector,” she says. “But the main disadvantage is that leasing grew very quickly, hence the legislative instability.”
Next stop: Europe
Domestically, the leasing market is witnessing its toughest competition, which forces local companies to improve their professional standards in order to grow and survive at the same time.
The question then arises: are Romanian leasing companies mature enough to expand regionally?
Felicia Relenschi, deputy CEO of Motoractive Leasing agrees.
“I think Romanian companies can go abroad,” she says. “Now there is no Romanian firm operating on foreign markets, but that can be done. We are studying markets like the Republic of Moldova and Bulgaria.”
Moreover, she says, the Romanian leasing market does not have problems that dog its neighbours. “Clients are quiet and they pay their debts and even if they do not, there are enough legal means to recoup the debts,” she says.
Bernd Kunzel also looks onward.
“Like other sectors of the Romanian economy, the leasing market will be looking for ways to expand regionally,” he says. But large leasing companies affiliated to international groups have already established leasing companies in countries like the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Hungary.
Bas Hoekstra of ING Lease thinks it is a question of opportunity.
“This country will see a huge growth in the years to come, especially after EU entry,” he says. “Once in the EU, it will be a more liquid market, more companies will consider Romania and Bulgaria as an opportunity to set up a leasing company. A non-EU country generally gives out the sense of a higher risk, but this will disappear and more trade coming to this country will mean an easier flow of goods.”
Going pro: Operational
Currently the Romanian leasing market is dominated by financial leasing, but starting last year companies such as Raiffeisen Leasing have begun to offer operational services.
One new player in this sector is Israeli-based rent-a-car and operational leasing firm New Kopel, which saw the opportunity in an undeveloped market.
“That’s why we chose to start here our first business abroad,” says CEO Dudy Perry. “There are around 80 companies active locally in operational leasing. The financial leasing contracts are more close to bank loans and operational leasing is more close to a rent-a-car business.”
But Relenschi says rules on what constitutes operational leasing have not yet been clearly defined.
“With Romanians, a sense of property prevails over all,” she says. “Romanians would rather buy than rent, and the market does not educate the consumer very well with respect to the advantages of operational leasing. There are very few companies which offer operational leasing and the only consumers who understand the difference tend to be large clients.”
The question of costs then arises.
“Financial leasing is cheaper, but operational leasing, which is more expensive, brings along more fiscal advantages for the user,” says Relenschi. “Right now the costs for both forms of leasing are quite similar in Romania.”
At present, Radicini Leasing only provides 100 per cent financial leasing. But its sales director Catalin Negescu says operational leasing has started to catch up. His company will tackle the sector by the end of this year, when it will launch its fleet management product.
“We want to become an important player in the field,” he adds.
Operational leasing will also increase in size, says Constantinescu of ASLR.
Companies which are not able to meet the conditions of the new law of the IFN could orient towards operational leasing, he argues, as this does not come under the new law’s jurisdiction because it is based on rental and not ownership.
Sorin Manolescu, general manager of EFG Eurobank Leasing is less optimistic about its future.
“It is debatable if operational leasing will become a counter option,” he says. “Now it all depends on the industries, the types of actives and which develops better.”
Second chance: real estate
Real estate leasing witnessed a blow last year in Romania, with thousands of clients losing a reported 15.5 million Euro through the scam run by German-based MTS Leasing.
Now real estate leasing is estimated to account for only between two and three per cent of the entire market and is landed with a negative image.
However, this was not directly Romania’s fault – because MTS Leasing, as a branch of a foreign company, was not subject to local leasing legislation.
“But a case like MTS can generally be prevented by an increased public awareness,” says Bernd Kunzel. “In everyday life the customer must look at whom he is buying a product from.”
Mengu of UniCredit Leasing says that norms are coming into force to prevent another MTS case from happening.
“ALB has asked for supervision and control and after the MTS case it was understood this is needed,” he says. “They were just a branch here, that’s why it is very important for authorities to monitor and supervise this market. No matter how much control there is, the best control should come from the market itself.”
But scams are not a Romanian speciality.
“Cases like that of MTS happened in countries like The Netherlands, Germany, France and the UK and the truth is that if people set up companies to fraud other people, they will succeed,” says Bas Hoekstra. “Romania is no more susceptible than others from this point of view. Because it is a non-regulated market, it may attract more such cases, but I don’t think there was something the local authorities could have done to prevent the MTS case from happening.”
But there is a demand in this sector from customers, which firms such as Immorent hope to fulfil. As well as equipment and car leasing, ING Lease is now offering real estate leasing as operational leasing, for a product up to 100 million Euro.
“We tackle office buildings, logistics centres and supermarkets and warehouses,” says Hoekstra. “We only do business to business contracts, we do not finance individuals.”
Romstal Leasing has also introduced real estate leasing.
“This is because the banks have imposed some conditions on mortgage lending and few people can afford a mortgage,” says Romstal Leasing’s marketing manager Ionut Chirila.
Driving force: Car leasing
Romanian leasing has developed around the car market.
The main driver for this was a series of financial incentives over the last decade, which meant the consumer received reductions in customs duties, VAT and taxes on purchasing imported cars through leasing. Romstal Leasing says that right now most cars that are leased are Dacia Logans while, in the past, the foreign brands were the most attractive.
“Today, almost 80 per cent of the market is automotive leasing, and out of that up to 40 per cent is passenger cars and 40 per cent is trucks,” says Sorin Manolescu of EFG Eurobank Leasing.
But Melih Mengu of UniCredit Leasing says the growth of the car leasing business will stop accelerating at such a fast pace. Last year it increased by 60 per cent over the previous year, while the entire leasing market increased by 40 per cent over 2004. “The engine for this growth was car leasing,” he adds.
With the growth of the second hand car market in Romania, leasing firms are now heading into this line of business.
“The market for new cars will stagnate and the percentage of second hand car leased will increase,” says Felicia Relenschi of Motoractive Leasing. “With EU limiting second hand car imports by 2008 the market will be much more stable and balanced.”
Leasing for second hand objects is allowed. But, argues Andreas Obrist, managing director of HVB Leasing, there is a lack of information about how to quantify the market-price of a second-hand leasing object. “This is also the troubling point for second hand car leasing,” he says, “if no one can verify the price of the car. There are possibilities, such as independent evaluators, but first this costs some money and secondly we lose time.”
Some leasing companies finance second hand cars, such as BCR Leasing, but there are rules that make it hard, says Negescu of Radacini Leasing.
“A second hand car has to be no older than three years and needs to have the warranty risk insured and they need to have a ‘clean’ origin,” he says. “There are also leasing firms that will not do it. This special field is not regulated. It’ll settle down, but no sooner than two years from now.”
Additional reporting by Ana-Maria Smadeanu
|STATE OF PLAY
TYPES OF COMPANIES
Leasing companies are split into three categories:
A customer rents a product with no intention of purchasing the item at the end of a rental period. This is only just beginning professionally in Romania and could be more popular with equipment leasing and the leasing of fleets – especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. The leasing company can then rent out the product to someone else.
A customer ‘rents’ a product from a leasing company in, say, monthly segments and by the end of a given period can buy the item. This is the most popular form of leasing in Romania and is dominated by car leasing.
REAL ESTATE LEASING
This is ‘renting’ a house until a given period is over and then purchasing the house.


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When he was sworn in as president a good year ago, Donald Trump announced that he would take harsh action against unfair trade practices in or countries. This meant primarily China, but also or export-strong nations such as Japan or Germany. In meantime, contours of this new US trade policy are recognizable. They have what it takes to endanger global liberal economic order.
With imposition of punitive duties on imported solar panels and washing machines, Washington opened door for protectionist claims from or parts of US economy in mid-January. The example of US washer manufacturer Whirlpool, which actively advertised punitive tariffs against foreign competing products, could soon be followed by hundreds of companies in US and increase pressure on US government to take furr protectionist measures Take. This would primarily affect China as most important US trading partner in consumer goods sector.
Since summer 2017 has also been in room that US government could proceed with import restrictions or punitive tariffs on steel and aluminum against dumping imports. This would be possible under US legislation if president could credibly demonstrate that competition from abroad is a "threat to national security."
Against Chinese steel imports, US has been shielding import duties for years, but US industry does not go far enough to protect it. In case of aluminium, US government has been examining, since last November, wher national security is threatened by cheap imports – without company's own companies pushing for it. The measures would also harm Germany and EU as a whole.Laura by Daniels
Research on Science and Politics Foundation (SGP), including transatlantic economic relations, trade and financial markets. The foundation advises Bundestag and federal government on all aspects of foreign and security policy. The article also appears on SWP website in "Short" section.
Shortly before his appearance at Davos economic meeting in January, Trump also announced that he would soon be dealing with "great penalties" against alleged mass ft of intellectual property. Already in National security strategy of December 2017, China emerges as largest rival in United States in this area. "Forced technology transfer" from US companies to Chinese business partners has left US economy "hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue" every year, " strategy document states.Penalties against China come safely
US penalties for stealing intellectual property would hit China harder than time-limited and comparatively harmless restrictions on solar systems and kitchen appliances. Apparently, president has an unpublished report from commercial authority that Trump ordered by executive order in August 2017. The authority examined wher China is using "unjustified, inappropriate or discriminatory" measures against US companies.
In response to such behaviour, president can take a number of countermeasures to limit investments. According to reports from environment of US commercial authority, question is no longer wher se penalties come against China, but when. This would presumably be justified by fact that China's industrial policy threatens "national security" of United States.
If Trump is serious about measures described, China will most likely take action. More difficult than by import duties, Beijing could meet Trump government by announcing its cooperation in nuclear conflict with North Korea.
New to Trump's trade policy is not, according to French economist Jean Pisani-Ferry in a recent post on Project syndicate that US government puts its national over interests of or countries. What is new and unusual is procedure outside international framework of WTO.
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During Google I/O, Google’s speakers announced the Android M as Google’s “most powerful Android release to date,” and will be the new software that will power Android smartphones starting this fall. Andriod M’s Developer Preview has already been opened to developers, allowing them to build and update their apps for the next version of Android for free, and it’s already available on developer.Android by downloading the M Developer Preview tools.
Android M is the successor to Android Lollipop and will feature new, consumer-centric, functionalities like Doze, which places devices in a deeper standby mode when applications aren’t being used but are open on a device. Google’s Material Design and Chrome Custom Tabs will come together for users in order to provide a faster and more intuitive user-experience when navigating between apps and the web. “Chrome Custom Tabs is a new feature that gives developers a way to harness all of Chrome’s capabilities, while still keeping control of the look and feel of the experience,” said Burke.
Google’s Smart Lock for passwords has been extended to Android M and Google will extend API support to developers and publishers along with biometric support for upcoming fingerprint scanning hardware that will allow the owner to unlock their phone, sign into Android or Google, and provide authentication for purchases in storefronts and online. The highly anticipated Android Pay has also been announced for consumers to provide “simplicity, security, and choice,” by allowing its users to add existing credit card accounts to pay for products in more than 700,000 stores in the US. Project Soli tracks hand movements and translates them to input commands to manage volume control, swiping and button pushing, allowing users to control the smallest wearable without ever having to touch it; while Google’s new Project Jacquard that will turn clothes into wearables by weaving sensors into fabrics, transforming them into interactive surfaces that recognize simple touch gestures-starting with Levi’s.
App permissions have also been reworked in Android M, with simplification and the ability for end-users to choose to accept or deny individual permissions as they see fit. Permissions will now be requested the first time a user tries to use a feature instead of at the point of installation, to ensure reception. “You don’t have to agree to permissions that don’t make sense to you,” Google VP of Engineering David Burke said, using the popular WhatsApp to give an example of how it works to user benefit. Other user-customizable functionalities like Android M RAM, Auto Backup, and Restore for Apps allow the user to manage their phone memory allocation and handle backups in the event of power or device loss.
Android M previews 1, 2, and 3 will be released with updates through the summer before the final SDK release in Q3, which delivers the official APIs for the new version of Android, as well as the final system behaviors and features. The new features made possible by Google’s Android M API will propel the user experience into the future, allowing a new degree of adaptation of new functionalities like contactless pay, wearable apps, and increased accessibility that will bring user interfaces to the next level with the help of software developers!


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Renault Trucks has just auctioned 10 Magnums that were entered in the design competition organised to mark this legendary vehicle's first 20 years. Launched via the Jovoto community website, the event attracted entries from 80 international designers. The winner was a young 27 year old Romanian who decided to dress up the Magnum with different jackets. As a result of this sale, the sum of €30,000 was paid to DocStop, a German Association that provides health coverage to truck drivers.
Only 10 and not a single one more! The Renault Magnums produced as the result of an international design competition organised by Renault Trucks Germany were sold by auction at the end of October. These totally unique vehicles were decorated in the way imagined by a young Romanian designer, Ionica Dogaru. She won the design competition organised by Renault Trucks in Germany to celebrate the Magnum's 20th anniversary last spring. "The zip fastener at the centre of the radiator grille is the key element," explains Ionica Dogaru. "It marks the separation between the upper part and the lower part which each represent two values: tradition and modernity. The original, traditional spirit is still there, unchanged despite being dressed up in different versions over the years."
The 10 Magnums sold were each decorated in unique two-tone colour schemes. They illustrate the fascination this emblematic vehicle still generates today, 20 years after the first official presentation and its "Truck of the year" crown in 1991.


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LinkedIn acquires news reading service Pulse for $90 million
With over 200 million members, LinkedIn is, by far, the biggest professional social network of the moment. Not content with dominating its niche, the business-orientated network is looking to expand its horizon by purchasing the news app Pulse.
Pulse isn’t exactly a small service in itself, with 30 million users choosing the content aggregating app to read articles from hundreds of online publishers. The value of the acquisition has been initially ballparked at around $50-$100 million, but AllThingsD has stated that the purchase cost LinkedIn $90 million.
The move tells us that LinkedIn is looking to be more than just a business site, and Pulse could be just the first move in that direction. LinkedIn VP Deep Nishar commented on the corporate blog that “We believe LinkedIn can be the definitive professional publishing platform – where all professionals come to consume content and where publishers come to share their content.”
“We believe we can help all professionals make smarter and more informed business decisions leveraging all the great business knowledge flowing through LinkedIn in the form of news, Influencer posts, industry updates, discussions, comments and more.”
Despite the purchase, Pulse’s existence is not under threat — the app’s developers have said that they will be continuing development of the app for the immediate future. However, LinkedIn has a somehow similar service of its own – LinkedIn Today. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see a merger between the two services somewhere down the line.


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My team and I at TopRank Marketing are happy to announce the 2020 State of B2B Influencer Marketing Report!
Influencer Marketing has fast accelerated as a topic over the past few years with B2C influencers and brands getting the majority of attention. While consumer focused influencers have been impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, B2B is a different story.
Whether in times of crisis or in competitive markets, B2B marketers are challenged to reach distracted buyers and create meaningful experiences that inspire trust, confidence and action.
As B2B marketers search for solid insight and leadership around marketing strategies to survive and thrive during this time of uncertainty, Influencer Marketing offers businesses a welcome dose of optimism.


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Chemistree Technology Inc (CSE:CHM) (OTCMKTS:CHMJF) announced Monday that Justin Chorbajian has resigned as non-executive chairman of its board of directors.
"On behalf of the board I'd like to thank Justin for his contributions to the company over the past 22 months, and we wish him well in his future endeavors," said President Karl Kottmeier in a statement.
According the company’s website, Chorbajian is co-owner of the largest chain of privately owned hydroponic shops in Canada and helped found Green Planet Nutrients and Green Planet Wholesale.
READ: Chemistree expands CBD portfolio with strategic investment into physician-led cannabis company
Vancouver-based Chemistree is an investment company focused on US and international cannabis sectors.
The company’s stock recently traded down 9.7% to US$0.24 on the OTC Markets and fell 18.7% to C$0.32 in Canada.
Contact the author: firstname.lastname@example.org
Follow him on Twitter @PatrickMGraham


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COVID-19 is having a big impact on local businesses. Some struggle, others thrive. And employees are caught in the middle. The long-term effect on the area’s economy is still unknown.
KSUT’s Mark Duggan checked in with two area business boosters to get a report on the state of the Four Corners economy.
Listen to the Interview
For a regional view, I spoke to Laura Lewis Marchino, Executive Director of the Region 9 Economic Development District. Region 9 encompasses Archuleta, Dolores, La Plata, Montezuma, and San Juan Counties as well as the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Tribes.
I also talked to Maggie Goodell with the Mancos Chamber of Commerce about ways for businesses to pivot to tactics like e-commerce in a time when foot traffic is down.
I’m reporting on the impact of the coronavirus in the Four Corners region for KSUT Public Radio. The stories and audio here were previously aired and published by KSUT. Stories are archived at Open Range News.
Explore Recent Stories
Visitors will see some changes when they stop by their local library. In many cases, only 10 patrons are allowed inside at a time. And the books and DVDs you return will be quarantined before they go back on the shelf.
Local markets are enacting rules to keep people safe. And some small farmers and ranchers are using the internet to sell their products. I spoke with Melanie McKinney Gonzalez, market manager for the Durango Farmer’s Market to learn more.
Mancos, Colorado-based blacksmith Alex Bond found a way to get art into the hands of customers using vending machines. He also spoke about the pandemic’s effect on creativity.


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In February 2003, the inflation rate in Russia was 1.6 percent against the previous month, and 4.1 percent against the beginning of the year, the Russian State Statistics Committee reported. Prices for foodstuffs gained 1.2 percent, for nonfoods - 0.9 percent, and for paid services to citizens - 4.2 percent this February.
In 16 regions and republics of Russia the increase in prices for goods and services overcame 2 percent last month. The most considerable growth of prices for goods and services was registered in the Krasnoyarsk region (7.8 percent), where prices and tariffs for paid services to citizens advanced 1.3 times.
There are several versions of the recent assassination of the most prominent Iranian nuclear scientist and high-ranking officer of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh


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Unveiling of KKCW at SDC Launch
KKCW has been identified as one of the key components of the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC) during the SDC launch by YAB Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on 29 January 2008. The SDC seeks to accelerate economic sectors of growth amongst which tourism is a key sector identified as a prime mover. KKCW shall spur the new tourism contribution with the integrated waterfront lifestyle of modern living, entertainment, and shopping, in the process creating a new tourism corridor.
Sabah Development Corridor
The Sabah Development Corridor program is initiated by the Government to accelerate economic growth and elevate income levels in the state of Sabah. The SDC initiative will span from 2007 to the end of the 12th Malaysia Plan period (2025).
There are a number of objectives behind SDC initiative. Firstly, the program is part of the Government's commitment to helping the Region maximizes its economic potential and closing the development and income gap between the different regions in Malaysia. Secondly, the Malaysian economy aims to move towards higher value-add and knowledge based economic activities to drive further increases in per capita income. Sabah has the potential to maximize its resources and be the leader in a number of these sub-sectors.
Increasing Value Add from Existing Industries
The overall theme for the Sabah Corridor initiative is "increasing value add from existing industries" emphasising transformation and expansion of the agricultural, bio-technological avenues, tourism and logistics sectors in the region. The SDC initiative will seek to accelerate the sectors move towards higher value-add activities such as design and R & D. Key tourism assets such as the National Park Islands of Sipadan, Pulau Tiga, Mabul, and Kinabalu National Parks, will be enhanced to attract a higher-yielding tourists, thereby increasing per capita tourist spending and the size of the tourism industry in the Region. Harnessing and organizing the palm oil industrial potential will be enhanced with Palm Oil Industrial Cluster at Lahad Datu role in getting investors to open up more palm oil related industries within the area.
The cultivation of new crops such as jatropha may be a cheaper alternative in providing the raw materials for the bio-diesel plants. The promotion of downstream activities in the agricultural sector, the promotion of new manufacturing activities in the furniture industries, biotechnology, sustainable materials and oil and gas will pave the way for robust economic activities.
Find out more about SDC from the official website here.
* Information courtesy of the Sabah Development Corridor.


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If you were disappointed that RV Shows around the country were mostly canceled last year, I have bad news for you. There will be many that simply will not happen again.
A leading RV industry expert says in-person RV shows may be a thing of the past. With RV sales booming like never before, RV dealers have discovered they can sell more units – and more efficiently – in their own showrooms.
It's no secret that dealers have long complained about how much work RV shows are. But now, many feel they no longer need big shows. For despite the COVID shutdowns of 2020 that saw almost all in-person RV shows canceled, RV sales were through the roof.
And they are even stronger in 2021.
As. result, Bob Zagami, the executive director of the New England RV Dealers Association, says in-person events at fairgrounds and convention centers may largely be a thing of the past, except for mega shows like Hershey every fall, and Tampa every January.
Instead, look for more online-only shows, like the one Zagami is organizing for April 10-11 in place of the annual in-person Boston RV Show.
It's a trend he suggests has already taken root in many places. Zagami is our interview of the week of Episode 338 of the RV Podcast. You can hear his interview in its entirety on your favorite podcast app or by clicking the arrow in the player below.' Keep scrolling for an edited transcript of our conversation.


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The bulk commodity trading center in China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone is pictured in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province [Photo/WeChat account: china-zjftz]
China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province recently reported total cross-border trade settled in renminbi hitting 100 billion yuan ($14.9 billion) for the first time since the zone was established two years ago.
According to statistics from the People's Bank of China (PBOC) Zhoushan Downtown Sub-branch, the zone's cross-border RMB settlement totaled 3.8 billion yuan in 2017 and 72.7 billion yuan in 2018. In the first quarter of this year, the amount reached 23.6 billion yuan, a nearly four-fold year-on-year increase. Zhejiang FTZ now ranked second in the province in the aggregate cross-border RMB settlement.
The figure represents a significant achievement for the zone in its efforts to help internationalize the renminbi for cross-border trade in bulk commodities, which is one of its key development goals.
Indeed, internationalization of the renminbi is one of China's central economic objectives.
Zhejiang FTZ has dedicated itself to financial reforms and innovations over the past two years and has pioneered some advanced financial practices. For example, it has operated a warehouse receipt financing business for bulk commodities, the first ever in a Chinese FTZ.
Major State-owned banks play a leading role in Zhoushan's cross-border RMB settlement. With the support of the PBOC Zhoushan Downtown Sub-branch, the zone launched a cross-border two-way RMB capital pooling business last year and provided private companies with easier access to financing.
In addition, the PBOC Zhejiang and Zhoushan branches encouraged financial institutions to offer mortgage financing based on special assets held in the zone, such as bonded fuel oil tanks and wharves, and supported bulk commodity traders to expand the scope for RMB settlements in the hope that more of the Chinese currency will flow back into China. A total of 39.3 billion yuan has so far come back to the zone.


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Netflix is adding Oxenfree, the popular supernatural mystery thriller game created by Night School Studio, to its gaming roster. Oxenfree: Netflix Edition is now available for Netflix subscribers to download on iOS and Android devices, the company announced at its Tudum global fan event on Saturday. The launch of the game comes a year after Netflix acquired Night School Studio.
Oxenfree was originally launched in 2016 and was Night School’s debut title. The Netflix edition of the game includes no ads or in-app purchases, and also adds localization support.
The game sees players take on the role of Alex, a rebellious teenager who brings her new stepbrother Jonas to an overnight party on Edwards Island, which is an abandoned military island. The night then takes a turn when the group of friends unintentionally open a ghostly rift spawned from the island’s cryptic past. Throughout the game, players choose every aspect of Alex’s story while exploring the island through dialogue choices.
“Oxenfree is such a special game to so many people and launching on Netflix is a really exciting opportunity for us to introduce Alex’s story to even more people – maybe even someone who never thought they’d love playing a game,” said Sean Krankel, co-founder and studio director at Night School Studio, in a statement. “As a Netflix games studio, we have the best support to bring Oxenfree: Netflix Edition to a global audience. Our community has requested subtitles in additional languages for a long time and this release of Oxenfree: Netflix Edition truly delivers the best narrative experience for players worldwide in their local language. ”
At launch, in-game subtitles are available in over 30 languages, including Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Portuguese (Portugal), Romanian, Russian, Spanish (Latam), Spanish (Spain), Swedish, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese.
Although Netflix has released a handful of games on its streaming service over the past couple of months, the addition of Oxenfree: Netflix Edition marks its first in-house launch. The release could also be a way for Netflix to attract more people to its gaming service, which is likely a significant goal for the company, especially given that a recent report revealed that less than 1% of Netflix subscribers are interested in Netflix Games.
Oxenfree: Netflix Edition is available to download on mobile devices at netflix.com/oxenfree. When playing games on Netflix, users on an iOS or Android mobile phone will see a dedicated games row where they can select any game to download. Subscribers on an Android or iOS tablet will see a dedicated games row or be able to select games from the categories drop-down menu to download and play.
Netflix plans to have more than 50 games on its platform by the end of the year. The company launched its gaming service in November 2021 and has been adding new games to its catalog every month. The titles are currently free to play and don’t include any in-app purchases.