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France-based equipment manufacturer Manitou has agreed to purchase compact-equipment maker Gehl for $30 per share, with a total value of approximately $450 million.
The deal would allow Manitou to target construction and agricultural equipment markets in the United States, where the company can take advantage of Gehl's distribution channels as well as the distribution channels of Gehl subsidiary Mustang.
“Manitou's interest in Gehl is to increase the presence of Manitou and Gehl worldwide,” says Kirk Zander, Manitou director of sales and marketing. “Both companies would see an increase in market share worldwide.”
Gehl's mini skid loader product line would also play an important role in Manitou's compact equipment offerings.
According to a Gehl press release, Gehl's “management team will be retained following the transaction.” Currently, Manitou owns 14.4 percent of Gehl's outstanding stock.


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The United States' continuing reliance on credit and debit cards that store unencrypted information on a magnetic stripe has made them a prime target for thieves in Connecticut, across the nation and abroad.
This summer, Connecticut and 10 other states were targeted by con artists who tampered with card readers at Aldi stores, including the one in West Hartford at 511 New Park Ave.
Thieves installed "'fake'" card readers at the cash registers, Det. Dane Semper of the West Hartford Police Department wrote in an e-mail. The devices allowed thieves to capture bank card data, authorization codes and PIN numbers. While the investigation is being handled by the U.S. Secret Service, local police fraud complaints are up.
Most of the developed world, including China, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Canada, is switching to bank cards that have embedded smart chips with account data in an encrypted form, said Richard Oliver, executive vice president of retail payments with the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
With its reliance on unencrypted magnetic stripes, "the U.S. is fast becoming an island. If we do not act, I'm concerned we'll become the place of choice for fraudsters," said Oliver, who researches fraud in the retail payment system.
Some experts say bank fraud losses from skimming, the practice of stealing bank card information, could be drastically reduced if U.S. financial institutions adopted the encryption standard known as EMV, which replaces the magnetic stripe with a smart chip. EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa, which developed the technology.
"EMV data technology would have addressed and probably prevented the Aldi data breach," said Randy Vanderhoof, executive of Smart Card Alliance, a nonprofit industry group that endorses smart card technology.
In search of the weakest link, con artists have turned to countries that still use magnetic stripes, a "40-year-old technology that was never designed to have true security features," said Jack Jania, vice president and general manager of secure transactions at Gemalto North America, an Amsterdam-based digital security firm.
"Only the U.S., Sub-Saharan Africa and Mongolia use magnetic stripe technology," said Jania. "Everyone else is adopting the smart chip."
Some authorities say international rings of thieves have already descended on the U.S. and are installing electronic skimming devices at ATMs, gas stations and retail stores.
Last week, a Romanian citizen, Ion Preda, 22, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport. Preda admitted that he and others installed skimming devices and pinhole cameras at ATMs in several states, including a People's United Bank ATM in Madison. With the account information and PIN numbers they obtained, those involved used the information to create counterfeit bank cards. The combined loss to all the banks victimized was more than $200,000, authorities said.
On the Internet's black market, where stolen bank account information is bought and sold, U.S. bank cards are fetching a premium price, Jania said.
The data on the magnetic stripe, such as the account holder's name, card number and authorization codes necessary to make a payment or withdraw funds, can be transferred easily to another magnetic stripe to create a counterfeit, or "cloned," bank card.
"If you know the right place to go, you can buy a $10 card reader on the Internet," said Jania. "For another $35 you can get an encoder that allows you to capture that magnetic stripe data, put it on another card and clone your debit card. You still have your perfectly good card in your wallet and you don't know any of this has taken place until you check your statement."
Skimming, which includes tampering with card readers at the cash register or hacking into computer systems that handle bank card payments — has made theft a mostly work-at-home option for thieves.
"These days, you can sit at a desk in your pajamas and steal more money with a laptop than if you had a gun," said Bob Russo, general manager of PCI Security Standards Council LLC, a security standards group founded in 2005 by the five major card issuers: American Express, Discover, JCB, MasterCard and Visa.
Until recently, skimming was more localized and relatively small-scale. "You had that one bad apple at a restaurant who maybe skimmed 50 cards a week," Jania said."
In the last 24 months, the scale and scope of fraud has changed dramatically. It used to be regional and small in scale; now the magnitude has increased — and it's become international."
The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the Aldi breach, but a spokesman at the agency in New Haven would not say which Connecticut stores were affected, nor would he say whether thieves installed electronic skimming devices. But Aldi spokeswoman Michelle Williams said thieves physically installed card-reading devices at some stores, though he would not identify their locations.
"As soon as we found out about this, we took a look at all the terminals at all our stores. We've also implemented additional security measures," Williams said.
A Hartford-area resident who regularly shops at Aldi was contacted recently by her bank and told that someone in Hollywood, Calif., tried to withdraw $500 from her checking account using a cloned debit card. West Hartford police say Hollywood is where some of the fraud related to the Aldi fake card readers is occurring.
Although the bank's security system flagged the request as "irregular" and refused the transaction, it underscores the point that thieves don't have to physically possess your debit card to steal from your account.
With EMV technology, the data on the chip is encrypted and altered in such a way that even if someone breaches the network and steals information, it would not be useable to create a fraudulent payment card or make a fraudulent in-store transition, Vanderhoof said.
Thieves around the world have begun casting a wider net, targeting companies that process electronic payments for the nation's retailers.
Smart-chip technology might have helped mitigate one of the largest bank card frauds, which occurred in late 2008 when thieves hacked into Heartland Payment Systems network and installed malicious software that captured account information and authorization codes from an estimated 130 million bank card transactions.
The New Jersey firm, which processes payment transactions for more than 200,000 U.S. merchants, didn't discover the breach for four months. At least 10 banks in Connecticut may have had account information stolen, among them People's United Financial, NewAlliance Bank, Webster Bank and Liberty Bank, according to http://www.bankinfosecurity.com. (For a full list, visit http://bit.ly/dsXI2f.)
Experts say stolen bank account information from the Heartland breach might still be circulating on the black market. Such large-scale scams can go undetected for long periods of time, experts say.
"These international guys are smart," Jania said, "If they've got access to 130 million bank card accounts, they can charge $2 or $3 a card and it will go unnoticed. "If you check your statement and see a $5 charge you don't recognize, you're probably not going to report it."
"In the UK when they introduced EMV three years ago, card fraud went to zero," said Ray Wizbowski, a spokesman for Gemalto.
A recent study by the University of Cambridge concluded that smart chip technology also can be cracked, but the Smart Card Alliance said it would require sophisticated software that "could only be created by individuals with extensive knowledge of EMV protocols."
In the U.S., about 20 percent of U.S. bank card holders end up being victims of bank card fraud.
But the fix is costly. "It's pretty daunting," said Oliver, of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
The cost to fully implement smart-chip technology could run from $8 billion to $13 billion, far exceeding the annual losses from bank card fraud. Annual losses now total about $2 billion, according to Smart Card Alliance, making the transition a hard sell to the retailers and financial institutions that initially would foot the bill.
But bank card losses could climb as fraudsters target the U.S. because it's still clinging to magnetic stripe technology.
One institution has made the leap — pushed to do so by customer request. The United Nations Federal Credit Union in New York issued 5,000 bank cards last week with an embedded smart chip.
"A lot of our customers travel throughout the world. In Europe, where the chip and PIN is the norm, our cards were getting turned down," said Merrill Halpern, the credit union's card services manager. "We plan to issue another 100,000 next year."
When a theft occurs, federal law limits the liability of a card holder to $50 if the fraudulent charge is reported within 60 days, but that doesn't mean the charge goes unpaid. If a thief, for example, buys a $500 HDTV at Walmart with your credit card, the merchant must be paid, and in most cases, the financial institution foots the bill.
"The card issuer is obligated to cover it. The larger companies can handle it. But smaller institutions and credit unions — like us — take a hit," Halpern said.
The costs associated with fraud ultimately get passed on to consumers. At least one organization, the Mercator Advisory Group, says annual bank card losses may be closer to $16 billion because of underreporting.
"The U.S. doesn't appear to have any type of program or agenda set by card issuers or retailers to implement the chip and PIN," Oliver said
Although several large retailers, including Walmart, have installed the hardware in their stores that can read bank cards with smart chips, they haven't yet installed the software.
Once one merchant makes the move to the chip and PIN, Halpern said, others presumably will follow suit.
In the meantime, "everyone is waiting for some market force to make the drive," Oliver said.

domain: news


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11-storey luxury units
North Shore Times / 3 October 2012
$70 million proposal for CBD gateway
“A proposed $70 million luxury apartment block, branded the ‘‘gateway to North Sydney’’, is one of a new breed of developments aimed at increasing density in and around the CBD.
Struggling business owners have been crying out for residential growth in the ncity centre to inject life into the area outside of working hours.
The 11-storey Montrose project at 38 Angelo St promises to house up to 150 nresidents in its 104 boutique apartments. ‘‘It’s the first of a new breed of residential developments in that strip,’’ Colliers International project marketing director Curtis Field said.
‘‘The key to getting the CBD bustling again is to have residents living close by and using shops, gyms, bars, and other services.’’ Included are underground car parking spaces. If approved, construction will begin early next year.”


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Kohl's first-quarter earnings beat on both the top and bottom lines.
Comparable sales increased 3.6%, surpassing the 2.7% estimate.
Kohl's raised its full year 2018 guidance.
Shares rise more than 5% before the opening bell.
The mall-based retailer reported earnings of $0.64, easily surpassing the $0.50 that analysts surveyed by Bloomberg were anticipating. Kohl's revenue came in at $4.2 billion compared to the $3.96 billion that was expected. It also reported same store sales of 3.6%, surpassing the 2.7% estimate.
"We are very pleased with our strong start to fiscal 2018 as we continued to focus on our priorities of driving traffic and operational excellence," CEO Michelle Gass said in the earnings release. "We built on our recent momentum and achieved our third consecutive quarter of positive comparable sales, which increased on both a fiscal and a shifted basis."
The department store has thrived at a time where its peers like Sears and JC Penney have struggled to keep sales growth. Its success, depends heavily on the store's strategy and location. Nine out of 10 Kohl's stores are located in suburban strip malls rather than traditional shopping malls, making the company more resistant to dwindling mall traffic across the US.
The retailer is also shrinking some stores rather than closing them down completely which helps with comp sale numbers. Teaming up with Aldi for test locations and Amazon for product returns have also helped the store in recent months.
The company boosted fiscal year 2019 earnings guidance to $5.05-$5.50 per share from the previous $4.95-$5.45.
Kohl's is up more than 22% this year.


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South Korea's anti-trust agency is investigating Google for alleged abuse of its market dominance, a report said Thursday, a week after the EU filed anti-trust charges against the US tech giant.
The European Union filed new anti-trust charges against Google on Thursday, piling pressure on the US tech giant over the alleged abuse of its market dominance.
Google won more time Wednesday to answer accusations by the European Commission that the US tech giant abuses the dominance of its Android mobile phone operating system.
Whether it's a tummy ache or a pain in the knee, Google is working to come up with better answers to questions on specific health issues.
Soon, all you'll need to do is Google yourself if you're wondering how deeply Google has been digging into your digital life.
Google wants to play an even bigger role in managing people's daily lives, while also nudging them into an alternate reality, as the Internet company responds to competitive threats posed by Facebook, Amazon and Apple.
Google is showing off a new smart-home speaker, a virtual-reality system called Daydream and a chat service called Allo.
Google on Monday rolled out a Spaces application tailored to let users easily share content and commentary, group-messaging style, on any topic they wish.
US photo agency Getty Images filed a complaint Wednesday with the European Commission accusing Google Inc.'s web search of hurting its business, opening a new front in the Internet giant's anti-competition fight with Brussels.
The US is looking into whether free Android mobile software is giving an unfair advantage to other Google offerings such as its search engine, the Wall Street Journal reported.


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Trip Hawkins to Deliver GDC Mobile Keynote
The Digital Chocolate founder will address making mobile phones the ultimate game platform...
CMP's Game Group announced today that Digital Chocolate CEO Trip Hawkins will be delivering GDC Mobile's Day One Keynote address. The presentation, entitled "Making Mobile Phones the Ultimate Game Platform," will address the belief that "mobile can be a first-rate platform that is the best in the world at some very important things, reaching back to why people play in the first place," according to the GDC website.
Hawkins is perhaps most widely known as founder of industry powerhouse Electronic Arts, and later as founder of 3DO. In 2004 Hawkins founded mobile game developer & publisher Digital Chocolate, and gave the company's creative efforts an emphasis on original IP and genre-bending experiences, instead of lining up licenses from other entertainment mediums.
Hawkins' address kicks off the GDC Mobile agenda, which is taking place Monday, March 5 and Tuesday, March 6 at the Moscone Convention Center North in San Francisco. Tuesday's Keynote address is being delivered by GDC Mobile Founding Chairman and PeopleJam President Robert Tercek.
"I am thrilled to have Trip Hawkins, a game industry legend kick-off GDC Mobile with such an important topic of discussion," Tercek said in a statement. "Trip will challenge the entire industry to rise from the lethargy of derivative products and safe bets to take advantage of the unique aspects of the wireless platform."


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'Bow down': Beyonce congratulates husband Jay-Z by posting adorable retro photo as his new album goes platinum
No doubt they’ll be celebrating with a lavish party or a posh dinner at some point, but as Jay-Z’s latest album goes platinum, the rapper’s devoted wife Beyonce celebrated in her own unique way - by posting an adorable retro photo of her man.
Jay’s new album Magna Carta Holy Grail was only released to the public on Tuesday but already the critically acclaimed disc has gone platinum after selling a million copies through it's unique deal with Samsung.
The accomplishment prompted Beyonce to take to her twitter page to post a sweet tribute to her man.
Congrats! Beyonce posted this retro snap of her husband Jay Z on her Instagram page to celebrate his new album Magna Carta Holy Grail going platinum
Making reference to her own track, Bey shared a school graduation photo of Jay, writing the famous line from her recent tune across the pic.
Jay’s proud wife added the simple caption: ‘Platinum #MagnaCarta.’
The rapper’s latest achievement is thanks to his deal with Samsung, which saw the savvy music mogul sell a million records via the Samsung Galaxy app, forcing the Recording Industry Association of America to rewrite their own rules and include digital album sales in their count.
Celebrating: Jay-Z was spotted out in New York visiting the Hot 97 Radio station to celebrate his one million first week sales of Magna Carta
The RIAA shared the news of Jay’s platinum selling album by posting a Facebook photo of Executive VP of Communications Jonathan Lamy, Executive VP Mitch Glazer and Director of Communications for the Gold & Platinum Program Liz Kennedy presenting the star with his plaque.
The sales make Magna Carta Holy Grail, Jay’s 12th album to go platinum.
Some sectors of the US music industry though aren’t following the RIAA’s lead and counting the Samsung deal as a record of sales.
One million: Jay-Z has achieved his 12th platinum album with the release of Magna Carta Holy Grail
Billboard’s editorial director Bill Werde revealed why they weren’t including the sales on their albums chart in an open letter on the company’s website:
‘Our role as the chart of record is to set the rules, and hopefully even raise the level of play. It is in this spirit that I say it wasn't as simple as you might think to turn down Jay-Z when he requested that we count the million albums that Samsung 'bought' as part of a much larger brand partnership, to give away to Samsung customers.
Support: Beyonce has been a loyal cheerleader for her husband's new music as she congratulates him on his million sales with a cute Instagram post
‘True, nothing was actually for sale—Samsung users will download a Jay-branded app for free and get the album for free a few days later after engaging with some Jay-Z content.'
'The passionate and articulate argument by Jay's team that something was for sale and Samsung bought it also doesn't mesh with precedent.’
New music: Jay-Z's new album Magan Carta Holy Grail features collaborations with his wife Beyonce and good friend Justin Timberlake
Billboard added though that they fully expect Jay to achieve mammoth sales with the new album now it is available to buy away from the Samsung deal:
‘When Jay's "Magna Carta Holy Grail" hits retailers and fans have the chance to express their support and interest by buying it, we'll obviously count those sales.'
'I've been told that label sources expect first-week sales of the album to be in line with the 400,000-450,000 his recent albums have shifted. That will almost certainly give Jay his lucky 13th No. 1 on the Billboard 200.’
And the performer was in fine voice as he rehearsed for a new video in New York on Wednesday inside a private studio.
Sing it loud: Jay-Z rehearses for a new music video in New York on Wednesday
Sing it! Jay-Z practices for his new video
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by Monica Nickelsburg on March 12, 2018 at 8:39 amMarch 12, 2018 at 8:39 am The same day news of cryptocurrency scammers making off with more than $2 million surfaced, John Oliver dedicated most of his show to cautioning viewers about the alluring new market, which ” is essentially the wild west and ripe for exploitation,” according to the comedian. On Sunday’s episode of “Last Week Tonight” Oliver took on cryptocurrency — or “everything you don’t understand about money combined with everything you don’t understand about computers.” He gave viewers a primer on the decentralized digital currency, looked at bitcoin specifically.
He also broke down blockchain, the underlying technology that makes cryptocurrency possible. Oliver conceded that crypto is ripe with opportunity but also highly vulnerable to scams because it is largely unregulated.
He highlights some galling examples, including an advertisement for what amounts to a pump and dump scheme, which would be illegal in a more traditionally regulated market. “The important thing to remember here is this is a brand new, very complicated space and literally nobody knows how it’s going to develop so you need to be careful,” Oliver said.
At $16 to $18 a share, Dropbox’s IPO would value it below its last private funding round Former Docker CEO Ben Golub named CEO of Storj Labs, a blockchain-based cloud storage company How Atlassian moved Jira and Confluence users to Amazon Web Services, and what it learned along the way Cryptocurrency may have its ups and downs, but blockchain’s stock is on the rise Inside the ICO frenzy: Big dreams and serious risk in the booming market for initial coin offerings Mark Cuban-backed Esports betting platform Unikrn looks to sell $100M in cryptocurrency Q&A: The inside story of ‘Ledger,’ the academic journal for blockchain and cryptocurrency research Why ‘Super Smash Bros.’ on the Nintendo Switch is a big deal Amazon discreetly visits HQ2 cities in Phase 2 of extraordinary second headquarters competition It’s official: Washington governor signs landmark net neutrality bill into law Amazon all-hands meeting: Jeff Bezos, Whole Foods CEO, Blind Boys of Alabama on stage inside Key Arena Catch every headline in your inbox Read more from geekwire.com…
thumbnail courtesy of geekwire.com


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The Dow "flirted with 13,000," as they say, as all three major indexes moved up today:
Dow Jones Industrial Average (INDEX: ^DJI)
Nasdaq (INDEX: ^IXIC)
S&P 500 (INDEX: ^GSPC)
On the economic front, there was positive jobs news as the Labor Department reported 351,000 initial claims for state unemployment benefits for last week. That brings the four-week average down to 359,000, a figure we haven't seen since March 2008.
Meanwhile, there was one big mover up on the Dow and one big mover down.
Procter & Gamble (NYS: PG) was up 3.1% after announcing a potential $10 billion in cost cuts. It announced an additional 4,000 nonmanufacturing job cuts to supplement the 1,600 job cuts already announced for this fiscal year. That's a little more than 4% of its total workforce, or about 10% of its non-manufacturing total. This is in addition to spending cuts in areas like marketing, packaging, and supply chain. In total, it's looking to spend $3.5 billion by 2016 to effect $10 billion in annual savings. To put that in perspective, P&G had $85 billion in sales in 2011.
On the downside, Hewlett-Packard (NYS: HPQ) shares tumbled 6.5% after reporting surprisingly weak first-quarter earnings after hours yesterday. Sales fell 7% and earnings fell a whopping 44%. On a per-share basis, that resulted in EPS of $0.73 a share versus $1.17 a share last year. Aside from acquisitions, segment operating earnings were down pretty much across the board.
HP's P/E ratio is now at 9 times earnings, factoring in drops in both the numerator and denominator. The question for investors is whether those earnings are going to continue to deteriorate.
There's a lot of clamoring for new CEO Meg Whitman to make huge, sweeping changes and declarations. However, I like that she's taking her time and cautioning for a long road ahead.
I'll be monitoring the HP situation for any positive signs for its long-term prospects. But for some ideas that are less of a turnaround situation, check out our free report, "3 Stocks That Will Help You Retire Rich." Along with sharing three stock ideas, it'll help you game plan for retirement. Get access now.
At the time thisarticle was published Anand Chokkaveluholds no position in any company mentioned.Motley Fool newsletter serviceshave recommended buying shares of Procter & Gamble. Try any of our Foolish newsletter servicesfree for 30 days. We Fools don't all hold the same opinions, but we all believe thatconsidering a diverse range of insightsmakes us better investors. The Motley Fool has adisclosure policy.
Copyright © 1995 - 2012 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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THI was formed in 2007 by Kinderhook Industries with a merger between Extang and TruXedo. THI has expanded to a family of seven brands, including Extang, TruXedo, BedRug, UnderCover, Advantage, Retrax and, most recently, BAK Industries.
“We are excited about our new partnership with TA Associates and consider ourselves fortunate to be part of a distinguished, world class private equity firm and their exceptional portfolio of companies,” said Bill Reminder, CEO and president of THI. “TA Associates’ four decades of experience working with emergent, profitable companies will provide a significant benefit to us as we enter our next phase of growth.
“THI is committed to building on our established initiatives, the pursuit of additional acquisition opportunities and new product launches,” he added. “I’m convinced that we will continue to thrive and set the standard for the industry’s best truck accessories through the combined capabilities of our companies.”
Reminder said that he will continue in his current role, as will all members of the company’s executive and management teams.
“THI has demonstrated the ability to unite great companies into a cohesive family and advance the tonneau category through innovative products, marketing and consumer awareness. THI’s strong brand equity, loyal customer relationships and outstanding reputation has been rewarded with more consumers putting THI tonneau covers on their trucks than any other brand,” said Michael Berk, managing director at TA Associates. “We look forward to bringing our extensive experience, insight and financial backing to THI’s plan to further develop the truck accessory market.”


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TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- Nearly half of the 6.7 million people in Honduras are malnourished, a U.N. report said Thursday. The report said 46 percent of Hondurans suffer from malnutrition because they are too poor to buy sufficient food. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said the number of malnourished will rise if coffee prices don't rise on the world market. Many Hondurans cultivate coffee, the country's main export.
MALNUTRITION WARNING ISSUED


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Another day, another freshly revealed Benz SUV. This time, with an engine...
Yes, it's the latest answer to a question some of us never asked.
The new Mercedes EQ C tackles Tesla, Audi and beyond. Let’s crunch the numbers.
Well, a little. Plug-in Ford is being developed by the man behind the 'Stang.
What did we learn from our first session with Proton about their upcoming SUV? Plenty, but more coming soon.
McLaren boss explains the exact reasons why he refuses to join the SuperSUV crowd.
Да, you lucky Russians, you’re getting a coupe-crossover that isn’t German.
Hey, it’s only the third time this has happened.
Skoda’s hot hatch badge is now on a diesel seven-seat SUV. Good news?
And it’s going to be called Arkana. When will it end?


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Facebook is one of the most controversial companies in the world. But despite their repeated scandals, Facebook boasts almost 3 billion active users. Recently the social media empire made a strange and unexpected business decision. Today we’re answering the question: Why is Facebook investing in virtual reality?
Most people associate Facebook with its flagship website and other big-name subsidiaries like Instagram and Whatsapp. But behind the scenes, Facebook is cultivating new technology in a number of different fields. One of its biggest announcements in recent years was the fully immersive Oculus virtual reality system. While the device debuted in a relatively rudimentary form, new editions are increasingly futuristic.


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Some Cravers took umbrage with a recent item on a cell phone case that resembled a, saying it might not be the wisest thing to wear in an airport. Point taken.
A safer alternative for wearable cases is probably Urban Tool's "sportHolster." (Must all compound names begin with a lowercase letter just to copy the iPod?) Uber-Review says the latest product from the Austrian company, which is dedicated to technology apparel, is designed for jogging, bicycling and other athletic activities with pockets on the sides and a secret compartment inside.
And to all you Seinfeld experts out there, yes, it reminds us of "The Bro" too.


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This article is more than 1 year old
HP douses firebomb printer hack threat
Prof warns of dirty firmware explosives risk
Researchers claim to have discovered a security flaw in HP LaserJet printers that permits the installation of malicious firmware that might be capable of disabling safety controls.
In a demo, Columbia University's Professor Salvatore Stolfo and Ang Cui show how it might be possible to instruct a hacked printer to overheat a component used to dry ink, causing paper to heat up and eventually smoke. In the demo a thermal switch caused the printer to shut down before a fire started, but the researchers reckon this too could be disabled, creating a possible mechanism for hackers to use vulnerable printers to start fires.
HP disputes this, stating that thermal switches in its printers are outside the control of firmware updates. "[The thermal breaker] cannot be overcome by a firmware change or this proposed vulnerability," it said.
More unimaginative miscreants could use compromised printers as spying devices, extracting information from print and scanning jobs from attacked devices.
The security shortcoming stems from a failure to mandate digitally signed firmware updates sent to (at least older) printers. So a booby-trapped update could be applied without checks, providing a hacker manages to send it to the device. Exploit scenarios would range from tricking marks into printing maliciously constructed documents to remotely applying updates to internet-accessible printers, the sort of thing even the most basic firewall setups ought to block.
HP told MSNBC, which was the first to report the vulnerability, that its LaserJet printers have required digitally signed firmware updates since 2009. The printer giant said the researchers must have used older models, a point disputed by the Columbia team who say they brought the printer they used in the demo for an office supplies outlet in New York only two months ago. HP is reportedly investigating the issue to determine a list of devices that might be at risk of attack.
Modern printers and scanners are, essentially, computers themselves, so compromising a device within a corporate network might allow hackers to use the equipment as a beach head within a business's defences for attacks on more sensitive systems, such as databases.
It's unclear whether manufacturers other than HP, the market leader, build devices that might also be vulnerable to the same sort of firmware manipulation attack demonstrated by the Columbia team. ®


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UPMC mulling office at Heinz 57 Center
UPMC is considering taking some of the new block of open space H.J. Heinz Co. has left behind at Heinz 57 Center in downtown Pittsburgh.
“We are seriously considering leasing some space in that building,” said Susan Manko, a spokeswoman for UPMC, in an email. Manko was quick to emphasize that “nothing has been solidly determined or confirmed” and “there is nothing to announce yet on this.”
So further details of how much space UPMC might take and whether it will be moving staff from somewhere else has yet to be determined.
To be sure, there’s plenty of space available.
Last August, the Pittsburgh office of CBRE began marketing six floors for sublease at Heinz 57 Center, a 276,705-square-foot block of space that ranks among the largest subleases Pittsburgh has seen in years. The sublease came after Heinz laid off more than 300 local staff as part of a global consolidation that came after it was bought out last year by a joint venture of Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) and 3G Capital.
The negotiations are taking place directly between UPMC and CBRE on behalf of Heinz (NYSE: HNZ)
Izzy Rudolph, a project manager for the owner of Heinz 57 Center, McKnight Realty, indicated that no sublease deal for any Heinz subleased space has been brought to his company.
“We do believe that there’s a strong amount of interest in the building but we have not heard of any finalized deal,” he said.
The prospect of UPMC seeking more office space is almost expected among commercial real estate observers.
Tim Schooley covers retail, real estate, construction, hospitality, arts and entertainment, and government. Contact him at firstname.lastname@example.org or 412-208-3826.
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People who claim that the topic of kids and in-app purchases isn’t permeating the mobile space are likely trying to sell you something.
In-game spending among kids has reached somewhat of an apex this year, with the UK Office of Fair Trading currently investigating the area and Apple issuing strict developer guidelines – and in some cases refunds – following parental outrage over lengthy phone bills. But a new study suggests the issue could be overblown in the UK, or at least under control, as research agency Dubit has found that only 2% of British kids are making purchases without their parent’s permission.
Leeds, England-based Dubit, which on top of market research also specializes in developing interactive content for clients like PBS Kids and Cartoon Network, has found that a surprisingly low number (17%) of children aged six to 12 are allowed by their parents to make in-app purchases, and when they do make purchases they rarely exceed US$3.20. That’s certainly less than the US$6,000 one eight-year-old in Somerset, England racked up on his iPad this past summer.
“Of course, stories of children emptying their parent’s accounts will always make the news but what this has done is not only make parents more aware of the problem but also helped the likes of Apple improve security and the OFT to investigate the market,” says Paul Rayment, head of communications at Dubit.
Nearly half of children who are allowed to make such purchases know their parents’ app store account details and none of the 500 kids surveyed, 71% of whom said they played mobile games, have ever spent more than US$16 on a single purchase. The data shows that such permissions increase as kids get older, as the older the child the more likely they are to conduct an in-app purchase.
More than half (54%) of children who make purchases say one of their favorite thing to buy in-game is new levels, like in Candy Crush Saga, while 45% like to purchase cosmetic items, like clothing or furniture, to enhance their online identity – and these items are just as popular with boys as they are with girls. A quarter of respondents chose to pay to speed-up in-game actions such as making crops grow.
The research coincides with a steady domination of freemium apps in the marketplace. Just look at Candy Crush Saga with its reported daily revenues of US$600,000.
“Generally, parents are looking for free games first and believe that in-app purchasing isn’t something to worry about. This is either because their child doesn’t have their account details, or if they do they know not to spend without permission,” Rayment says.
“If you look at the current top-50 top grossing apps on Apple’s [UK] App Store and discount those that are clearly not aimed at children (newspapers, bingo games etc.), only three are paid for at the point of download (Angry Birds Star Wars 2, Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom and Infinity Blade 3). Of those three, only Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom doesn’t feature in-app payments.”


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Many Facebook users post photos of new big-ticket purchases such as houses, boats, and cars. Unfortunately, some of those Facebook users are being less than truthful with credit bureaus and other financial firms about their incomes and assets. And those companies are starting to examine Facebook more closely, Bloomberg reports.
No, I didn’t receive an email from Princess Zuckerberg asking me to save her family fortune from the hands of the rebel forces. This is not the typical Nigerian 419 scam. In this version, Facebook is unknowingly misleading its advertisers about its vaunted targeting abilities. If you buy ads targeting the U.S., it is now very likely that you are getting traffic from Nigeria and other parts of Africa, as well.
Now that Facebook Credits have been nixed as the official currency of Facebook games, the company took some time Tuesday during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco to explain how the new system of local currency makes in-game purchases easier for all parties. Now, game developers have full control over what they charge users in different countries, and users can see rounded price points instead of always-changing conversions.
Although Facebook commerce platform Soldsie works by allowing brands to process purchases within the comments section of the social network, the $1 million in seed funding it announced Wednesday did not come via comments, but from a group of institutional investors.
Since 2010, PayPal has been one of the main methods of payment for Facebook developers. But as Facebook grows, the company is changing its PayPal policies for new developers in emerging markets, such as China, Brazil, and India. According to TechCrunch, developers in several countries must show extra identification as a means of authentication, such as photo IDs or incorporation papers, in order to be paid via direct deposit.
Social commerce platform Payvment announced Thursday that its Lish.com product discovery destination, which launched in beta in August, is now open to the public, complete with a new feature for its clients on the retail side: branded seller storefronts.
Facebook page comments are one of the most important ways users engage with brands on the social network, but San Francisco-based startup Soldsie introduced another use for comments — as a point of sale.
The crowded Facebook analytics field welcomed a new entry from data visualization company SumAll, SumAll Social Metrics, which combines transactional, social, and Web traffic in one software-as-a-service environment, on a single dashboard.
The test of a subscription payment model for applications with developers Zynga, Kixeye, and Playdom that Facebook launched in June is over, and the social network has extended the capability to all developers.


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Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Latest from The Bookseller
IPA calls on China to overturn 'assault' on academic freedom
The International Publishers Association (IPA) is calling on the Chinese authorities to overturn its decision to censor articles in a Cambridge University Press journal, calling the act a "retrograde assault on freedom to publish and academic freedom".
Audio download chart: Ronson's Butterfly Effect
A non-fiction title tops the digital audio download list for the first time, as TV tie-in titles flock into the top 20.
Waterstones to be 'transformed' ahead of Pullman release
Waterstones in Tottenham Court Road (TCR) is set to be “transformed into Lyra’s Oxford” the night before Philip Pullman’s first Book of Dust novel is published.
BIBF: Overseas visitors pounce on currency flux
The 24th edition of the Beijing International Book Fair (23rd–27th August) will have a record number of foreign trade exhibitors - including its biggest ever UK contingent.
Nosy Crow boosts team with raft of new hires
Children’s publisher Nosy Crow is expanding its team as it prepares to turn over £10m for the first time.
BIBF: Usborne campaign to highlight safety threats of pirated titles
Usborne Publishing and Jieli Publishing House will run social media campaigns to educate Chinese consumers over safety worries about fake Usborne titles printed in China.
Morpurgo and Riddell on Hay Children's line-up
Michael Morpurgo, Meg Rosoff and Chris Riddell are among the famous names who will be appearing at the inaugural International Children’s Literature Hay Festival Aarhus 2017.
Yiannopoulos responds to S&S in reissued lawsuit
Milo Yiannopoulos has reissued his $10m legal complaint against Simon & Schuster US for cancelling his book deal.
Buchan moves to Atlantic after auction
Elizabeth Buchan is moving to Corvus, an imprint of Atlantic Books, following a "hotly contested" auction for her next two novels.
Paul O'Grady's Country Life to Transworld
Transworld is publishing a new book from comedian and TV presenter Paul O’Grady on life in the country this November.


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A Renault Duster bakkie has been spied while undergoing testing.
What you see above is basically a Duster with the rear seats removed and replaced with a load bin.
We think this is a great move for Renault and it will undoubtedly be a big hit if the manage to sell it at the right price. Looking at the pricing structure of the Duster in SA, it might just be able to pull it off.
The engine options will likely remain the same, which means either a naturally aspirated 1,6-litre petrol, or a 1,5-litre turbocharged diesel.
It will likely make its international debut at the Paris Motor Show in October.


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Various journalists, economists, and the central bank of Estonia have voiced concerns that bitcoin is a Ponzi scheme. In April 2013, Eric Posner, a law professor at the University of Chicago, stated that "a real Ponzi scheme takes fraud; bitcoin, by contrast, seems more like a collective delusion." A July 2014 report by the World Bank concluded that bitcoin was not a deliberate Ponzi scheme.:7 In June 2014, the Swiss Federal Council:21 examined the concerns that bitcoin might be a pyramid scheme; it concluded that, "Since in the case of bitcoin the typical promises of profits are lacking, it cannot be assumed that bitcoin is a pyramid scheme." In July 2017, billionaire Howard Marks referred to bitcoin as a pyramid scheme.
Venture capitalists, such as Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, which invested US$3 million in BitPay, do not purchase bitcoins themselves, but instead fund bitcoin infrastructure that provides payment systems to merchants, exchanges, wallet services, etc. In 2012, an incubator for bitcoin-focused start-ups was founded by Adam Draper, with financing help from his father, venture capitalist Tim Draper, one of the largest bitcoin holders after winning an auction of 30,000 bitcoins, at the time called "mystery buyer". The company's goal is to fund 100 bitcoin businesses within 2–3 years with $10,000 to $20,000 for a 6% stake. Investors also invest in bitcoin mining. According to a 2015 study by Paolo Tasca, bitcoin startups raised almost $1 billion in three years (Q1 2012 – Q1 2015).
The market of cryptocurrencies is fast and wild. Nearly every day new cryptocurrencies emerge, old die, early adopters get wealthy and investors lose money. Every cryptocurrency comes with a promise, mostly a big story to turn the world around. Few survive the first months, and most are pumped and dumped by speculators and live on as zombie coins until the last bagholder loses hope ever to see a return on his investment.
Bitcoin is a digital asset designed to work in peer-to-peer transactions as a currency. Bitcoins have three qualities useful in a currency, according to The Economist in January 2015: they are "hard to earn, limited in supply and easy to verify." Per some researchers, as of 2015, bitcoin functions more as a payment system than as a currency.
Mostly due to its revolutionary properties cryptocurrencies have become a success their inventor, Satoshi Nakamoto, didn‘t dare to dream of it. While every other attempt to create a digital cash system didn‘t attract a critical mass of users, Bitcoin had something that provoked enthusiasm and fascination. Sometimes it feels more like religion than technology.
In Charles Stross' 2013 science fiction novel, Neptune's Brood, the universal interstellar payment system is known as "bitcoin" and operates using cryptography. Stross later blogged that the reference was intentional, saying "I wrote Neptune's Brood in 2011. Bitcoin was obscure back then, and I figured had just enough name recognition to be a useful term for an interstellar currency: it'd clue people in that it was a networked digital currency."
The unit of account of the bitcoin system is a bitcoin. Ticker symbols used to represent bitcoin are BTC[a] and XBT.[b]:2 Its Unicode character is ₿. Small amounts of bitcoin used as alternative units are millibitcoin (mBTC), and satoshi (sat). Named in homage to bitcoin's creator, a satoshi is the smallest amount within bitcoin representing 0.00000001 bitcoins, one hundred millionth of a bitcoin. A millibitcoin equals 0.001 bitcoins; one thousandth of a bitcoin or 100,000 satoshis.
Like Bitcoin, Ethereum is a distributed public blockchain network. Although there are some significant technical differences between the two, the most important distinction to note is that Bitcoin and Ethereum differ substantially in purpose and capability. Bitcoin offers one particular application of blockchain technology, a peer to peer electronic cash system that enables online Bitcoin payments. While the Bitcoin blockchain is used to track ownership of digital currency (bitcoins), the Ethereum blockchain focuses on running the programming code of any decentralized application.
In October 2015, a development governance was proposed as Ethereum Improvement Proposal, aka EIP, standardized on EIP-1. The core development group and community were to gain consensus by a process regulated EIP. A few notable decisions were made in the process of EIP, such as EIP-160 (EXP cost increase caused by Spurious Dragon Hardfork) and EIP-20 (ERC-20 Token Standard). In January 2018, the EIP process was finalized and published as EIP-1 status turned "active".
The term altcoin has various similar definitions. Stephanie Yang of The Wall Street Journal defined altcoins as "alternative digital currencies," while Paul Vigna, also of The Wall Street Journal, described altcoins as alternative versions of bitcoin. Aaron Hankins of the MarketWatch refers to any cryptocurrencies other than bitcoin as altcoins.
According to the European Central Bank, the decentralization of money offered by bitcoin has its theoretical roots in the Austrian school of economics, especially with Friedrich von Hayek in his book Denationalisation of Money: The Argument Refined, in which Hayek advocates a complete free market in the production, distribution and management of money to end the monopoly of central banks.:22
Blockchains are secure by design and are an example of a distributed computing system with high Byzantine fault tolerance. Decentralized consensus has therefore been achieved with a blockchain. Blockchains solve the double-spending problem without the need of a trusted authority or central server, assuming no 51% attack (that has worked against several cryptocurrencies).
Bitcoin is pseudonymous rather than anonymous in that the cryptocurrency within a wallet is not tied to people, but rather to one or more specific keys (or "addresses"). Thereby, bitcoin owners are not identifiable, but all transactions are publicly available in the blockchain. Still, cryptocurrency exchanges are often required by law to collect the personal information of their users.
In May 2018, Bitcoin Gold (and two other cryptocurrencies) were hit by a successful 51% hashing attack by an unknown actor, in which exchanges lost estimated $18m. In June 2018, Korean exchange Coinrail was hacked, losing US$37 million worth of altcoin. Fear surrounding the hack was blamed for a $42 billion cryptocurrency market selloff. On 9 July 2018 the exchange Bancor had $23.5 million in cryptocurrency stolen.
Paul Krugman, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences winner does not like bitcoin, has repeated numerous times that it is a bubble that will not last and links it to Tulip mania. American business magnate Warren Buffett thinks that cryptocurrency will come to a bad ending. In October 2017, BlackRock CEO Laurence D. Fink called bitcoin an 'index of money laundering'. "Bitcoin just shows you how much demand for money laundering there is in the world," he said.
Here’s why. Ethereum is based on blockchain technology where all transactions are meant to be irreversible and unchangeable. By executing a hard fork and rewriting the rules by which the blockchain executes, Ethereum set a dangerous precedent that goes against the very essence of blockchain. If the blockchain is changed every time a large enough amount of money is involved, or enough people get negatively impacted, the blockchain will lose its main value proposition – secure, anonymous, tamper proof & unchangeable.
Markets are dirty. But this doesn‘t change the fact that cryptocurrencies are here to stay – and here to change the world. This is already happening. People all over the world buy Bitcoin to protect themselves against the devaluation of their national currency. Mostly in Asia, a vivid market for Bitcoin remittance has emerged, and the Bitcoin using darknets of cybercrime are flourishing. More and more companies discover the power of Smart Contracts or token on Ethereum, the first real-world application of blockchain technologies emerge.
“While it’s still fairly new and unstable relative to the gold standard, cryptocurrency is definitely gaining traction and will most certainly have more normalized uses in the next few years. Right now, in particular, it’s increasing in popularity with the post-election market uncertainty. The key will be in making it easy for large-scale adoption (as with anything involving crypto) including developing safeguards and protections for buyers/investors. I expect that within two years, we’ll be in a place where people can shove their money under the virtual mattress through cryptocurrency, and they’ll know that wherever they go, that money will be there.” – Sarah Granger, Author, and Speaker.
The overwhelming majority of bitcoin transactions take place on a cryptocurrency exchange, rather than being used in transactions with merchants. Delays processing payments through the blockchain of about ten minutes make bitcoin use very difficult in a retail setting. Prices are not usually quoted in units of bitcoin and many trades involve one, or sometimes two, conversions into conventional currencies. Merchants that do accept bitcoin payments may use payment service providers to perform the conversions.
^ "Crib Sheet: Neptune's Brood – Charlie's Diary". www.antipope.org. Archived from the original on 14 June 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017. I wrote Neptune's Brood in 2011. Bitcoin was obscure back then, and I figured had just enough name recognition to be a useful term for an interstellar currency: it'd clue people in that it was a networked digital currency.
Bloomberg reported that the largest 17 crypto merchant-processing services handled $69 million in June 2018, down from $411 million in September 2017. Bitcoin is "not actually usable" for retail transactions because of high costs and the inability to process chargebacks, according to Nicholas Weaver, a researcher quoted by Bloomberg. High price volatility and transaction fees make paying for small retail purchases with bitcoin impractical, according to economist Kim Grauer. However, bitcoin continues to be used for large-item purchases on sites such as Overstock.com, and for cross-border payments to freelancers and other vendors.
Despite the fallout from The DAO hack, Ethereum is moving forward and looking to a bright future. By providing a user-friendly platform that enables people to harness the power of blockchain technology, Ethereum is speeding up the decentralization of the world economy. Decentralized applications have the potential to profoundly disrupt hundreds of industries including finance, real estate, academia, insurance, healthcare and the public sector amongst many others.


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The British government has crafted a plan to fight childhood obesity that asks food and beverage manufacturers to voluntarily trim sugar levels by 20 percent within five years, and five percent in the first year. “Other levers” will be applied if the voluntary targets are not met. The plan includes a two-level sugar tax that treats sugar content of five grams per 100 milliliters differently from sugar content of eight grams per 100 milliliters. The plan does not include a ban on advertising sugary drinks. Lastly, the plan stresses exercise in school, calling for primary school children to get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day.
"Sugar Tax Included In Strategy To Tackle Childhood Obesity", Retail Week, August 18, 2016
Toothpastes and mouthwashes sold in the US contain potentially toxic chemical ingredients that pose serious health risks to consumers, according to the Cornucopia Institute. Data from the organization's report, "Behind the Dazzling Smile: Toxic Ingredients in Your Toothpaste?," revealed so-called "natural" toothpaste are not necessarily free of these toxic chemicals. Some leading "natural" brands are manufactured by mass-marketed brands, such as Tom's of Maine, which is owned by Colgate-Palmolive. Toothpastes sold in European markets have safer formulations, compared with their US counterparts. According to the Cornucopia Institute, the American Dental Association is "heavily subsidized" by the personal and beauty care industry,... More
"Behind the Dazzling Smile: Toxic Ingredients in Your Toothpaste", The Cornucopia Institute, August 16, 2016
Low-income students in the Northeast, South, and rural U.S. who participate in federally-subsidized school breakfast and lunch programs are at the greatest risk of becoming overweight, a study has found. The researchers noted that the meal programs are well-intentioned, but are actually contributing to the obesity epidemic among schoolchildren. According to the study, nutrition standards of the subsidized meals programs need to be raised, but in a way that makes the food acceptable and appetizing to children. The study was based on data collected from 21,260 students whose dietary habits were monitored from kindergarten to eighth grade.
"The Influence of School Nutrition Programs on the Weight of Low-Income Children: A Treatment Effect Analysis", Health Economics, August 11, 2016
Last year, two of New Zealand’s big soft drink manufacturers began offering their flagship colas with the sweetener stevia substituting for sugar. Coca-Cola Amatil (NZ) launched Coca-Cola Life; Frucor Beverages followed with Pepsi Next. Both brands contain fewer calories and could have a major impact on cola carbonates generally, and strong growth expected in low-calorie cola carbonates. Euromonitor expects that low-calorie colas will account for almost 50 percent of total cola sales within four years. Energy drinks, sports drinks, and fruit juices are also expected join the no-sugar bandwagon. With that in mind, Euromonitor sees increased efforts to find other sugar substitutes besides stevia.
"Commitment from New Zealand Manufacturers to Reduce Sugar Content in Soft Drinks", Blog post, Euromonitor International, August 07, 2016


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“Fleets … continue to select Ryder’s NGV lease offering to mitigate many of the unknowns …”
Ryder System, Inc., a leader in commercial fleet management in North America, dedicated transportation, and supply chain solutions has been named one of the “Top Green Providers” by Food Logistics for the fifth consecutive year.Ryder is a leader in natural gas vehicles (NGV) solutions for the commercial transportation industry, with more than 90 million miles of experience, 21 NGV maintenance facilities, and more than 5,500 NGV-trained maintenance and support personnel.
The Company also operates Liquefied to Compressed Natural Gas (LCNG) fuel stations at its Fontana and Orange, Calif., service locations where Ryder has partnered with Clean Energy Fuels to offer renewable natural gas, the cleanest fuel available today.
Using fuel supplied by Clean Energy Fuels Corp., Ryder System, Inc. elected to switch the fuel at their stations in Orange and Fontana, California to Redeem™ renewable natural gas (RNG), referred to internationally as biomethane.
Food Logistics’ annual “Top Green Providers” list recognizes companies whose products, services, or exemplary leadership is enhancing sustainability within the food and beverage industry.
The list offers logistics professionals a guide to the providers, manufacturers, and software and technology companies that have found new ways to promote sustainability throughout their operations and those of their customers. Ryder’s inclusion on the list reflects the Company’s leadership in providing thousands of food and beverage companies – including the top 10 U.S. food and beverage companies according to FORTUNE – with a full menu of services including green transportation and logistics solutions to help them meet their sustainability goals.
“Fleets within the food and beverage industry continue to select Ryder’s NGV lease offering to mitigate many of the unknowns around uptime, maintenance, performance, fueling, and residual values,” said Ryder President of Global Fleet Management Solutions, Dennis Cooke. “This latest recognition reinforces Ryder’s ongoing commitment to assist companies by engineering and operating their supply chains with lower costs, improved transportation efficiencies and reduce environmental impact. We are very pleased that Food Logistics has included us in the ‘Top Green Providers’ list for the fifth consecutive year as we will continue to be committed to providing our customers with innovative solutions and superior execution.”
“The 2016 Top Green Providers reached a new record high for applicants and recipients, confirming the importance of sustainability in the global food and beverage supply chain,” says Lara L. Sowinski, editorial director, supply chain network, at AC Business Media. “Our industry’s continued focus on environmental stewardship and the role that growers, manufacturers, logistics companies, retailers and others play is driving heightened awareness and actions aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously boosting cost and energy efficiencies.”
(Source: Ryder System, Inc.)


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The Rs 10,000-crore FAME-II scheme, which is to be applied over a interval of three years, got here into impact from 1 April, 2019
New Delhi: Ahead of the upcoming Union Budget, Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV) has requested Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to both rejig the FAME II scheme or reintroduce FAME I, saying the programme meant to advertise EVs in its second avatar has been capable of obtain lower than 10 per cent of its goal.
The Rs 10,000-crore FAME-II scheme which is to be applied over a interval of three years got here into impact from 1 April, 2019. It is the expanded model of FAME India I (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid) and Electric Vehicles (FAME) which was launched on April, 2015, with a complete outlay of Rs 895 crore.
In a letter to the finance minister, the trade physique of electrical automobile (EV) makers additionally known as for a notional ”inexperienced cess” on polluting autos and use it to speed up electrical mobility, whereas additionally searching for discount of GST on EVs offered with out battery.
“For a nascent and disruptive industry like EV that is heavily dependent on government policies, there needs to be an effective approach that would drive the market of EVs in the country… The industry is still lagging behind the desired target,” SMEV Director General Sohinder Gill wrote in a letter to Sitharaman.
He additional mentioned, “our analysis shows that efforts must be made to generate demand and we believe that this can be easily done by the government”s intervention relating to streamlining, ironing out policy details and adequate announcements in Budget 2021-22.”
Suggesting measures to assist the sector, Gill known as for a rejig of the FAME II scheme or reintroduction of FAME I.
“It”s been almost 2 years of the FAME II scheme and only less than 10 per cent of its target has been achieved. We should make concerted efforts to remove the kinks that have inadvertently cropped up in Fame II,” he wrote.
The coverage needs to be utterly redrafted, if wanted in order that substantial investments each from inside and outdoors India can circulation into the EV sector to push the exponential progress that everybody has been anticipating for some years. Or else, reintroduce the FAME I scheme that had labored higher for the trade, Gill mentioned.
The FAME II scheme had deliberate to help 10 lakh electrical two-wheelers, 5 lakh three-wheelers, 55,000 4-wheelers and seven,000 buses.
SMEV had up to now argued that FAME II couldn’t appeal to clients to shift from polluting petrol bikes to electrical two-wheelers, primarily as a result of the preconditions and qualification standards of FAME-II made the bikes unaffordable to the mass market buyer regardless of the subsidy.
In his letter, Gill additionally requested the finance minister to contemplate “the imposition of a notional green cess on the polluting vehicles and use it to accelerate electric mobility. It would generate massive funds and reduce the burden on the government exchequer.”
This fund may very well be utilised within the frontloading of incentives to clients and produce electrical two-wheelers costs all the way down to the extent of petrol two-wheelers, he added.
Seeking discount of GST on EV offered with out battery, Gill mentioned, “Currently, GST on a lithium battery is taxed at 28 per cent when offered individually, whereas the automobile offered with battery is taxed at 5 per cent.
“Recently, MoRTH approved the registration of EVs without the battery, therefore, vehicles without batteries should also fall in the EV GST category. Hence, we urge the government to reduce it to 5 per cent, similar to GST applicable on EVs.”
SMEV additionally sought extension of the phased manufacturing programme (PMP) saying COVID-19 has derailed the expansion path of the trade, which has weakened the creation of the native part market.
“Hence, we urge the government to extend the PMP guideline for just another year so that the industry can come on track, which will automatically strengthen the local component market,” Gill wrote within the letter.
Last September, the federal government had prolonged the deadline for native manufacturing to be eligible for incentives underneath the FAME II scheme for elements just like the digital throttle for all classes of EVs until April 1, 2021, from earlier deadlines starting from April 1, 2020, to October 1, 2020.
Asking for the inclusion of EVs in Swachh Bharat Mission, Gill wrote, “A dedicated budget could be allocated for the ”Clean Air” campaign, which could be integrated under the Swachh Bharat mission. The ”Clean Air” campaign can create massive awareness on Electric mobility and can influence the mindset of customers to adopt electric mobility to make India less polluting and its citizens healthier.”
Find newest and upcoming tech devices on-line on Tech2 Gadgets. Get know-how information, devices critiques & scores. Popular devices together with laptop computer, pill and cellular specs, options, costs, comparability.


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The Moto G40 Fusion and Moto G60 are coming to India: Everything you need to know
Both the Moto G60 and the Moto G40 Fusion are going to sport triple cameras on the back. The Moto G60 is expected to come with a 108MP primary shooter while the Moto G40 Fusion is expected to come with a 64MP one.
Motorola India has confirmed that the Moto G60 and the Moto G40 Fusion are coming to India and will be unveiled and available on Flipkart. The company has been teasing these two devices for a while now and then finally revealed their names recently along with the design. For now, Motorola has not revealed a release date for these new G series devices yet but the post on social media states that they are coming soon. From the photo shared on the tweet by Motorola India we know that the devices are coming with triple cameras on the rear, and besides this older leaks have given us a basic idea about what the devices might come with.
Hey @Flipkart, we are thrilled to #GoBeyond the ordinary because it's time to #BlazeOn to infinite possibilities with our latest launches #motog60 & #motog40fusion! Cannot wait to reveal their features exclusively on your platform. Are you ready to #GetSetG? pic.twitter.com/XrpJCHwOAT— Motorola India (@motorolaindia) April 15, 2021
Motorola has said that they are going to reveal the features of the Moto G60 and the Moto G40 Fusion exclusively on Flipkart, however, the photo shared already reveals some details. The colour of the devices and the branding can be seen in the photo. The Moto G60 is seen in a grey colour and the Moto G40 Fusion is seen sporting a bluish colour tone. There are three buttons that can be spotted on the right side of the devices and two of them are for volume and power. It can be speculated that the third button is the one for Google Assistant.
Speaking of cameras, the Moto G60 and the Moto G40 Fusion are both coming with three cameras on the back. For the Moto G60, the primary shooter on the back is expected to be a 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM2 sensor, and for the Moto G40 Fusion, the main camera on the back might be a 64MP sensor. On the front, as we can see from the photos, the Moto G60 has a centrally located punch-hole cutout, but we cannot see how the selfie camera is placed on the Moto G40 Fusion yet, we'll have to wait and find out. Both the phones sport thick bezels all around as far as the screen is concerned.
Both these smartphones were spotted on Geekbench listings recently with 6GB RAM on the Moto G60 and 4GB on the Moto G40 Fusion. We also know from the Geekbench listings that both phones run on Android 11 out-of-the-box. Both the devices are expected to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G SoCs.
Follow HT Tech for the latest tech news and reviews , also keep up with us on Twitter, Facebook, Google News, and Instagram. For our latest videos, subscribe to our YouTube channel.


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With 56 years of experience, Graphic Design USA has sponsored many design competitions that spotlight areas of excellence for creative professionals. This award showcases the power of design in enhancing online communications, awareness, and experiences alike.
For 2019, the entries exceeded over 1,600, a record high, with only the top 15% receiving the award as recognition – including AstroNova. The entire QL-300 campaign consisted of an email campaign, social media marketing, online and commercial print advertisements, and videos, all showcasing the product and its capabilities.
“We knew with this campaign, being colorful was imperative in showcasing the capabilities of the printer and the contrast of printing in white,” says Jennifer Pray, AstroNova’s senior manager, marketing and communications. “Receiving this award means we were effectively able to capture the essence of the product through a vibrant campaign.”


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Bel Brands USA Partners With Dairy Farmers Of America to Pilot Sustainable Milk Cooling Program
Information gained on energy-efficient milk cooling practices will help make dairies more sustainable
Bel Brands USA is pleased to announce a new program in partnership with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) – a national dairy cooperative of farm families – to implement and measure sustainable cooling practices designed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by cutting on-farm energy usage.
Crop production and animal health are critical to the health of the people and the planet, and the changing climate can have impacts on both. Addressing these impacts requires investment in farm animal innovation to reduce the environmental footprint of each step of the production process.
Bel and DFA, who joined forces to help improve on-farm practices, have identified an opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint on dairy farms by integrating more energy efficient and economically viable milk cooling systems in line with the Net Zero Initiative (NZI), an industry-wide effort led by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.
Throughout the 12-month pilot program, Bel and DFA will support the adoption of energy-efficient and cost-effective on-farm milk cooling methods, including natural well water cooling methods, by a dairy farm in Iowa that supplies milk to Bel Brands; with Bel co-financing the cooling mechanism. As a secondary benefit, the warm well water used to cool the milk will be fed to the cows at their preferred temperature.
The farm will work with DFA’s sustainability team to capture data on the energy and economic savings of the innovative sustainable milk cooling practices compared to the high-energy flash chillers, with the goal of replicating these practices on other U.S. dairy farms in the future, if proven successful.
“At Bel Brands, we are actively working to promote sustainable farming, including responsible dairy production – and have for over 15 years – to help drive a more sustainable and regenerative agriculture industry,” stated Bill Graham, CEO, Bel Brands USA.
The findings of the program will ultimately help inform future best practices for dairy farm sustainability throughout the supply chain, specifically management and mitigation practices to help address the seasonal spike in energy use without compromising cow care.
Jean Michel Dos Remedios, Sourcing & Supplier Development Senior Director, Bel Brands USA added, “we are committed to nourishing communities while reducing the impact our products and processes have on the environment. Our partnership with Dairy Farmers of America exemplifies that commitment and gives us an opportunity to partner with dairy farmers to make the industry more sustainable.”
“For our farm families, animal care and environment stewardship are a way of life,” stated David Darr, senior vice president and chief strategy and sustainability officer, Dairy Farmers of America. “We are proud to be part of a program that is aligned with those values and helps further support our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint.”
For more details about Bel Brands USA and their commitment to sustainable farming visit https://belbrandsusa.com/about/healthier-responsible-all/.
About Bel Brands USA:
Bel Brands USA Inc., a subsidiary of Bel Group. Headquartered in Paris, Bel wants to promote healthier, responsible and accessible food for all consumers worldwide. Bel is a major player in the healthy snack market. Bel produces more than thirty local and international brands that are sold in more than 130 countries around the globe. In addition to The Laughing Cow®, other USA favorites include Boursin®, Babybel® and popular cheese spreads marketing under Kaukauna®, Merkts® and Price*s® labels. Bel Brands delivers fun snacks to over 400 million consumers globally. www.belbrandsusa.com
About Dairy Farmers of America:
Dairy Farmers of America is a national, farmer-owned dairy cooperative focusing on quality, innovation and the future of family dairies. While supporting and serving more than 13,000 family farm-owners, DFA manufactures a variety of dairy products, including fluid milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, dairy ingredients and more that connect our Cooperative’s family farms to family tables with regional brands such as Alta Dena, Meadow Gold, Friendly’s Ice Cream, Borden® Cheese, Plugra® Butter and Kemps® to name a few. On a global scale, we work with some of the world’s largest food companies to develop ingredients their customers are craving, while staying committed to social responsibility and ethical farming. For more information, please visit dfamilk.com.


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Bethesda and Arkane Studios Lyon have announced Deathloop during the publisher’s E3 2019 press conference. You’re probably be familiar with Arkane; they developed the critically acclaimed Dishonored franchise, so there’s every reason to be excited for Deathloop. Plus, as far as game titles go, it’s definitely up there.
Deathloop is set on the Island of Black Reef, and takes place during a ‘time of madness.’ Here’s the official blurb:
“DEATHLOOP transports players to the lawless island of Blackreef in an eternal struggle between two extraordinary assassins. Explore stunning environments and meticulously designed levels in an immersive gameplay experience that lets you approach every situation any way you like. Hunt down targets all over the island in an effort to put an end to the cycle once and for all, and remember, if at first you don’t succeed… die, die again.”
Bethesda hasn’t announced a Deathloop release date yet, and platforms have yet to be confirmed. Stay tuned for more info as we get it. Check out the trailer for Deathloop below.
E3 2019 is home to a bunch of new announcements and info on the latest games. You can watch all of the livestreams, as well as every conference at E3 2019 on our E3 2019 Livestream page.
Struggling to keep up on the news at E3? Check out our full E3 Announcements and News list, containing every reveal during the week-long show across all the conferences. You can also check out a variety of rumours that are surrounding the show. If you would prefer to see the reveals as they happen, you can take use our E3 2019 live feed, which will update with the new announcements as they happen.


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Let’s say you’re an avid runner. What are you wearing right now or better yet, what is your shoe of preference when it comes to running? The better question is, would you trade in the shoe you currently run in for a brand new pair of adidas Ultra Boosts?
That’s exactly what happened this past weekend during the Bolder Boulder race in Boulder, Colordo. Participants who were taking part in this race were asked by adidas if they were willing to trade in the sneakers they are wearing right now for a brand new pair of adidas Ultra Boost. It turns out adidas was offering many runners to trade in their old shoe for their pair of adidas that they are calling “the greates running shoe ever”. What do you think the end result was? While we’re not exactly sure how many pairs of the Ultra Boosts adidas took to the race, they still managed to give away all of the pairs that they had initially took with them, and it only took them two hours for them to do so. So, what happened to all the traded in pairs that people used to own? adidas ended up donating them to Soles4Souls which is a non-profit organization that happens to provide footwear for people in need who live in impoverished communities worldwide.
By coming up with this event, adidas managed to do several things. They managed to give away one of their most highly coveted shoes to people who in return are going to provide free publicity benefiting adidas. There is no doubt the Ultra Boost is an amazing shoe but at times people for one reason or another may not know about it. Now that they do know about it they’re going to provide this information to other people who may not know about the shoe as well. Aside from giving the Ultra Boost even more publicity, adidas also managed to do anther good deed by providing shoes to people who may be in need of some. It’s a win-win for adidas.


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Goodwill Industries of Southern Nevada Inc., owner of the local Goodwill retail store in Pahrump, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization on Friday.
The Goodwill Thrift Store &Donation Center at 1201 S. Loop Road is one of more than a dozen stores in the Las Vegas and Pahrump areas that are part of a Chapter 11 by the nonprofit 501 (c)(3) filing on Aug. 11 with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Nevada.
“Higher operating costs, increased debt, and the slumping retail industry have led us to the tough choice to file Chapter 11,” said John Helderman, who was named Goodwill of Southern Nevada’s interim CEO at the end of May, in a written statement.
Goodwill has retained Larson and Zirzon LLC to help develop their reorganization plan.
Goodwill’s board of directors supported “moving forward with plans to voluntarily file for reorganization and implement a plan to strengthen our financial situation, streamline our operation, improve our retail business and grow our mission,” said Helderman.
The status of that project is unknown, and spokesman for the nonprofit could not be reached for comment.
According to a news release from the company, “job seekers, shoppers and donors should expect business as usual.”
Goodwill employs roughly 1,000 people in Las Vegas and Pahrump.
Dating back 42 years
The nonprofit was founded in 1975 and accepts donations of goods, which it sells to help individuals in Southern Nevada withfree job training and placement services for the unemployed. In 2016, the company assisted more than 14,000 individuals with job training and placed more than 3,000.
“Over the last five years, we strategically expanded our donated goods retail business,” the nonprofit said in a news release. “In fall of 2016, our stores began to experience a decline in sales corresponding with the nationwide retail downturn.”
The company has made several moves to get into positive territory. So far, none have been successful, according to a news release from the nonprofit.
One of those changes was hiring Helderman, who replaced Steve Chartrand. Chartrand was with Goodwill for about two decades. The circumstances that led to his exit are unknown.
Goodwill also named Beattie Dustin as new chief financial officer in March 2017.
Helderman and Chartrand’s arrival in the company were set to “add a fresh perspective and drive necessary change.”
Also during that time, the company “instituted many operational and financial changes designed to make the organization more efficient and reduce operating costs.”
Despite some financial upsets, a new retail center and donation center did open earlier this year in Henderson.
The last store to open was at 1451 S. Boulder Highway in Henderson in January, and plans for another location were in the works at 4605 Blue Diamond Road in Las Vegas’ southwest side.
Building permits were allotted for the more than $1 million project in January. That location was projected to employ about 40 people full time at the new 17,000-square-foot space.
Contact reporter Jeffrey Meehan at email@example.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes


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The Swiss central bank pledged to keep defending its six-month old franc ceiling and said deflation still threatens the economy even as growth shows signs of stabilizing.
The Swiss National Bank, led by interim Chairman Thomas Jordan, maintained the franc ceiling at 1.20 francs per euro, as forecast by all 14 economists in a Bloomberg News survey. The Zurich-based central bank said in an e-mailed statement today that it also kept its benchmark interest rate at zero.
Jordan, 49, has gained some room to keep the limit unchanged as the economy regains some strength. Swiss gross domestic product unexpectedly rose in the fourth quarter, investor confidence increased in March and the government today raised its 2012 growth forecast, calling the euro-region’s debt crisis a “considerable” risk. The SNB reiterated it will defend the cap with the “utmost determination” if needed.
“The SNB stresses risks,” said Caesar Lack, an economist at UBS AG’s Wealth Management Research in Zurich, who used to work at the SNB. “They try not to appear too optimistic in order not to jeopardize the franc ceiling. We think they will keep the cap on hold for the foreseeable future.”
The franc strengthened against the euro after the decision, trading at 1.2109 at 10:56 a.m. in Zurich, little changed on the day. Versus the dollar, it was at 92.72 centimes.
The SNB lowered its inflation projections throughout the entire forecast horizon. It estimates that consumer prices will fall 0.6 percent this year, before inflation returns in 2013 with a rate of 0.3 percent, accelerating to 0.6 percent in 2014. At the December assessment, it forecast prices to drop 0.3 percent this year and increase 0.4 percent next.
“In the short term, inflation will move further into negative territory,” the central bank said. “Last summer’s appreciation of the franc had a stronger damping effect on prices than anticipated. In the longer term, inflation will be lowered by the worsening growth outlook for the euro area and the continuing high valuation of the franc.”
The franc, which is considered a haven in times of turmoil, gained as much as 37 percent against the euro in the 12 months before the cap was introduced on Sept. 6, undermining exports and increasing the threat of deflation. It has since traded between 1.20 and 1.25 per euro.
Jordan, who was appointed interim chairman after Philipp Hildebrand quit in January, said at an event on Feb. 28 that “there will be a time when we return to a normal situation,” and described the franc as still “overvalued.”
“If developments in the international economy are worse than foreseen, or if the franc does not weaken further, as expected, downside risks for price stability could re-emerge,” the SNB said, adding that it “stands ready to take further measures at any time if the economic outlook and the risk of deflation so require.”
In the U.S., the world’s largest economy, the Federal Reserve of New York may say its general economic index fell to 17.5 this month from 19.5 in February, according to a Bloomberg survey. The Reserve Bank of India today is forecast to keep its interest rates unchanged and the European Central Bank, which kept its benchmark rate at 1 percent on March 8, said it sees “signs of stabilization” in the euro-region economy.
The Swiss economy may grow at a “moderate” pace close to 1 percent this year, the SNB said today. It previously forecast an expansion of about 0.5 percent in 2012. On the Swiss mortgage and real-estate market for residential property, there are “growing signs of imbalances,” which could lead to “considerable risks to financial stability,” it said.
“While the high value of the franc continues to present enormous challenges to the economy, the minimum exchange rate is having an impact,” the SNB said. “It has reduced exchange-rate volatility and given business leaders a better basis for planning. There are growing indications that Switzerland’s economy is stabilizing.”
Euro-area finance ministers on March 13 signed off on a second Greek bailout, clearing the way for the first payment from the 130 billion-euro ($171 billion) package to be made this month. The agreement caps months of grueling negotiations that sparked concerns that the nation may default, eroding the value of the euro against other currencies.
The SNB spent 17.8 billion francs ($19.4 billion) in 2011 to stem what it called the currency’s “massive overvaluation.” That compares with 144 billion francs it used in the previous year to buy currencies, a policy that sparked a record loss. The Swiss government is set to confirm next month whether it will appoint Jordan as chairman.
Even after the introduction of the cap, the Swiss currency is still about 6 percent stronger against the euro than it was a year ago, highlighting the risk of deflation as costs of imported goods drop. The price of foreign goods fell 3.4 percent in February from a year ago.
The Swiss government said today it expects the economy will expand 0.8 percent this year instead of a previously projected 0.5 percent. It forecast the economy will grow 1.8 percent in 2013. The slowdown of exports is “less marked than feared some months ago” and economic growth should gradually strengthen this year with no risk of a recession, it said.
The SNB’s growth forecast for 2012 “is certainly in the higher range of what seems achievable,” said Julien Manceaux, an economist at ING Group in Brussels. “All in all, any rate change should not be expected before mid-2013, and given both the European situation and the weakened SNB Governing Board, no change is to be expected in the current floor policy.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Klaus Wille in Zurich at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Craig Stirling at email@example.com


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Advertisers will be able to book a campaign across the entire cable
industry with just one call for the first time, following ntl's
appointment of Flextech sales to handle advertising across its digital
interactive, electronic programme guide, internet and broadband cable
This is a significant step for the cable industry, which has been
criticised for not fulfilling its potential as a cohesive and
competitive force against major rivals such as Sky. It is hoped the move
will help to propel the use of interactive services among consumers as
advertisers become more adept at targeting audiences.
Stephen Carter, the managing director of ntl, said: 'This is another
example of ntl and Telewest working together following the success of
Front Row. Cable now offers an easy-to-access, unified platform for
advertisers to target.'
Mark Luiz, the chief executive of Flextech, added: 'It's a coup for the
Flextech ad sales division to be able to sell ntl, with its strong brand
and its powerful consumer base.'
In a separate move, ntl is attempting to improve its branding with the
appointment of the branding guru Martin Lambie-Nairn as its creative
He will be responsible for the ntl brand from its on-screen branding to
its customer communications.
Lambie-Nairn said: 'My vision is to develop every expression of the ntl
brand so it achieves recognition for excellence in all that it does,
from the way potential customers first hear about the company, to the
installation of the services and on-going customer service.'


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A new study finds that as climate change pushes wildlife into closer contact with humans, zoonotic diseases will be able to spread more easily.
A new study concludes that animal welfare and health considerations both influenced consumer decisions. Surprisingly, the environment did not.
“This is what happens when you try to put too many animals in the same place,” says the report’s author, who lives next door to one of the pig farms.
The top stories in food, animals, and the environment in 60 seconds.
Cultivated meat is attracting a lot of new attention. But experts question whether the new technology will truly make our food systems more sustainable.
A first-of-a-kind study looked into the UK meat industry. It found that the industry relies on misinformation to cover up its harmful impacts.
Researcher Deborah Giles is on the frontlines of efforts to understand—and help protect—critically endangered Southern Residents.
The latest IPCC report states in its strongest terms yet the need for action to reduce emissions, and one of the key strategies it outlines for policymakers is agroecology.
A new study reveals that meat certified to be antibiotic-free was, in fact, raised with antibiotics. Another study found that organic farms were also not antibiotic-free.
The landmark report states that we can halve emissions by the year 2030, but to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, we must act immediately.
A new report from the Food Foundation shows that choosing plant-based foods in place of conventional meat products could have far-reaching impacts on nature.
Our monthly recap of the top stories about animals, agriculture, and the environment.
Emissions from factory farms in the U.S. cause more deaths than coal-fired plants. And yet, factory farming is one of the least regulated industries by the EPA.
A new study found shark DNA in about one-third of the cat and dog food samples sequenced. Consumers likely had no idea what they were buying.
A new study reveals that millions of tons of fish caught in the global south are being fed to farmed salmon sold for human consumption in wealthier countries.
The latest UN report details the escalating impacts of climate change, which are being driven by “unsustainable” consumption patterns in the Global North.
Our monthly recap of the biggest stories in animals, food, the environment, and justice delivered to you in just one minute.
A new investigation finds that deforestation of the Amazon for soy farming has continued despite a moratorium. Big meat and dairy companies are largely to blame.
The U.S. food system is dominated by intensive agriculture. What would a more sustainable one look like? Biden just took a big step in the right direction.
Introducing brand new video series: The Month in a Minute. From avian flu to greenwashing, revisit January’s top stories delivered to you in one minute.
The number of hogs slaughtered dropped in the first few months of the pandemic before recovering to match—and in some cases exceed—2019 levels.
New records released by the USDA reveal the handling of farmed animals in slaughterhouses over the past five years. This marks a major step towards transparency in the food supply chain.
This year, we continued our mission to create transparency around the use of animals in our daily lives—from food to companionship to laboratory test subjects.
At a small, family-run dairy farm near Bath, England, cows are suffering. You wouldn’t know that by looking at the label, though. In fact, you might think the opposite.
A team of scientists has developed a surprisingly simple process to convert plastic waste into edible protein. The applications could be revolutionary.
The environmental impact of animal agriculture is hard to ignore. “Eating Our Way To Extinction,” a new documentary narrated by Kate Winslet, shows us why.
With the much-anticipated Summit underway, the UN now faces the difficult task of reconciling its support for the meat and dairy industry with its own development goals.
New report illustrates how political inaction continues to enable the expansion of large-scale meat and dairy companies despite the sectors’ climate and health impacts.
New report released by the Aquatic Life Institute underscores the importance of aquatic animal welfare in achieving global sustainable development goals.
McDonald’s has around 1,300 restaurants in the UK alone, serving three million beef patties to 3.5 million customers daily. Unfortunately, it’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Over 20 ocean conservation and animal welfare organizations have signed an open letter urging consumers to focus on improving aquatic animal welfare and preserving marine ecosystems.
A new report highlights the importance of confronting climate change and biodiversity loss together. Solutions that take both issues into account have the best chance of success.
A new study has revealed that air pollution from factory farms causes more than 12,000 deaths every year and disproportionately affects low-income areas and communities of color.
Every year in Italy, nearly 600 million animals are killed and sold as 2.6 million tons of meat. But there’s a catch: all of the industry’s profits cannot even begin to cover its costs.
A new UN-backed report is calling for the rapid transition away from intensive animal agriculture, fearing it could lead to massive biodiversity loss and the next pandemic.
By not being upfront with consumers, labeling systems are making the industry seem like it is doing more than it actually is to improve animal welfare.
Innovative approaches to alternative seafood—like “fishless filets” and “crabless cakes”—could mitigate many of the environmental challenges presented by the modern fishing industry.
Researchers made a “Google Maps” for global food systems. Could it help us tackle food’s thorniest problems?
Variations on a meme claiming that 100 companies are responsible for 71 percent of greenhouse gas emissions have become ubiquitous on the internet. The problem is, they may not be true.
Unique connections are made at farmed animal sanctuaries, and a new study shows that they have the power to inspire real change in their visitors.
Animal advocates criticize the painful effects of rapid growth in chickens. But poultry producers often draw attention away from the issue, touting new innovations in their breeding methods and general welfare improvements. Is slower growth really better for birds?
A new study released in September by the University of Guelph, Ontario, shows decisively that this genetic manipulation comes at a great physical cost to the birds.
Two couples in rural Indiana worked for decades to build the American dream—and then watched it slip away to a massive pig farm. They refuse to give up.
Sentient Media was founded to help bring animal welfare and animal rights issues into the mainstream.
Fires rage in the West as storms, hurricanes, and floods hit the rest of the country. Progressives are pushing Biden to transform the food system and manage and mitigate the effects of the climate crisis.
Sharks are magnificent creatures. But due to the animal’s menacing depiction in movies and on the news, most humans overlook their complex nature.
As we say goodbye to 2019, we’d like to share our successes and thank you for your continued support on our mission to increase the public awareness around farmed animal issues.
Meat industry forecasts of rising demand are being challenged by new reports that see the future of animal-derived proteins as limited to bleak.
Reporting of meat production’s and animal agriculture’s roles in the climate crisis has risen in last two years. It might still not be enough.