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Vorsteiner has recently released the first details on an upcoming styling kit aimed towards the BMW M4 Coupe which is bringing some interesting upgrades to the performance two-door coupe.
BMW M4 enthusiasts who would like to upgrade their rides will be glad to find out that there will soon be yet another tuning package available, which is now signed by Vorsteiner. According to the aftermarket specialists, the model will be getting a new front splitter, new side skirts, a new rear diffuser, a prominent boot lid lip spoiler and some other tweaks which will help it stand out from a crowd.
Unfortunately Vorsteiner hasn’t released more details on the upgrade kit for the BMW M4 Coupe and we don’t even know if there will be some performance upgrades too, but we will remind you that the standard vehicle is powered by a 3.0 liter TwinPower Turbo inline six-cylinder engine. This is producing a total output of 431 HP (317 kW) and 550 Nm (406 lb-ft) of torque. The M4 can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.1 seconds and it can reach a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph), which has been electronically limited.


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Amazon Business (AB) is re-inventing B2B ecommerce by offering business customers of all sizes the same advantages Amazon has already brought to consumers including broad selection, low pricing, and great customer service.
In Amazon’s Q3 2018 Earnings announcement Jeff Bezos called out, AB has now reached a $10B annual sales run rate and is serving millions of private and public-sector organizations in eight countries and we’re not slowing down.
We’re off to a big start. After launching in 2015 in the United States, Amazon Business is now live in eight countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan and India.
We are continuing to expand and we are looking for strong leaders to help us get there. As the business is growing rapidly in Europe, we are building a dedicated team to drive Delivery Experience and Operations Excellence for Amazon Business Customers.
The team serves as bridge between our global product roadmap and the rest of the Amazon Operational groups in Europe to develop and deployed unique B2B solutions into Amazon Fulfillment Network.
This team drives future country expansion thinking, as well as ongoing product planning for global feature rollout, as well as definition of country-specific requirements.
To join this new team, we are looking for a motivated Delivery Performance Analyst to drive B2B Experience across Amazon Complex Supply Chain and Fulfilment network.
Specifically, this Business Analyst will :
Successful candidates will demonstrate strong analysis skills combined with exceptional inter-personal, cross-functional and influential skills.
This is a very ambiguous role requiring a real pioneer set of mind. For this, you must build effective working relationships with peers on the EU and International Amazon Business teams, local country leaders.
This highly visible role requires collaborating with Global Product Management Teams in the US, European Business Leadership and all Operational Groups in Amazon.
You must have the experience and capability to create and present documentation for senior executives. Excellent written and verbal communication and ability to prioritize well are essential skills.

domain: news


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International cooperation is needed to fight fraudsters online
The Consumer Report is an annual survey conducted by the Swedish Consumer Agency, which examines various parts of the market for goods and services each year. This year's report focuses on the problems we encounter when buying goods and services from foreign companies online, and also while on vacation abroad.
The report shows that nearly 80 percent of Swedes shop online, but the majority prefer to shop from retailers based in Sweden. The reluctance to make purchases from foreign online stores is based on a fear of being defrauded, according to the report.
Many opportunities are missed
This means that many consumers miss the opportunity to benefit from a wider choice and perhaps more favourable prices. According to the Consumer Report, Sweden needs to develop its international cooperation to better be able to work against irresponsible retailers – and ultimately to increase confidence among consumers when it comes to trading with retailers abroad.
ECC Sweden is the one unit within the Swedish Consumer Agency that currently collaborates with foreign authorities and offer assistance to consumers shopping cross-border within the EU, Norway and Iceland, but the report shows that there is more to do in the area.


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The big tech CEO will again attend a virtual Senate hearing in the United States. Facebook Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai and CEO of Google Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey voluntarily agreed to testify before the Senate Commerce Committee on October 28.
The hearing will cover a key law that protects Internet companies.
The decision by the big tech companies came the day after the Senate committee unanimously voted to approve a plan to summon the three CEOs to appear before the panel, Reuters reported.
Dorsey tweeted on Friday that the hearing “must be constructive and focused on what matters most to the American people: how we work together to secure the election.”
Twitter said in a statement that was tweeted: “Jack voluntarily agreed to virtually testify before the @SenateCommerce Committee on October 28 – less than a week before the US presidential election. It must be constructive and focused on what matters most to the American people: how we work together to secure the election. “
In addition to discussions on reforming the law called Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects Internet companies from liability for content posted by users, the hearing will raise issues related to consumer privacy and media consolidation.
Republican President Donald Trump has made tech companies responsible for allegedly suffocating conservative voices a topic of his administration. As a result, demands for Section 230 reform have intensified ahead of the November 3 election, but this year there is little chance of congressional approval.
Trump met with nine Republican state attorneys general last week to discuss the fate of Section 230 after the Justice Department unveiled a legislative proposal aimed at reforming the law.
The big tech companies: Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon – recently testified before the antitrust panel of the House of Representatives Judicial Commission.
(with input from Reuters)
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai e Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will appear again for Senate hearings on October 28. This will be a virtual hearing.
- Facebook Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai and CEO of Google Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to testify again.
- This is a voluntary move by the big tech CEOs.
- The virtual hearing of the Senate will take place on October 28th.


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March 30, 2014
Forget the 'iWatch" or iTunes coming to Android. That new Apple TV killer coming from Amazon? Put it out of your mind. Focus instead this week on Apple's bread and butter: the iPhone.
All About The “iPhone 6”Whispers about Apple’s next iPhone are reaching a fever pitch — as they always do when the calendar in the U.S. turns to spring. Much can change between now and when Apple launches the “iPhone 6,” of course. Nonetheless, we’ve reached the point in the iPhone development calendar when rumors about Apple's next handset begin to merge and overlap. Here are six things about the next iPhone that are probably correct:
Some unanswered questions:
- It will feature a 4.7-inch, 5-inch, or 5.5-inch screen.
- That screen will be made of sapphire glass, the same material found on the home button on the iPhone 5s.
- The next iPhone’s biggest new feature will be a health and fitness app, which will integrate very nicely with Apple’s “iWatch.”
- The camera on the iPhone 6 will be better than the one on previous models. However, megapixels are less of a priority for Apple than overall image quality.
- The handset will arrive with an Apple A8 processor, and a next-generation coprocessor.
- Samsung will remain a key iPhone parts supplier.
- Will Apple unveil two new iPhones this year or only one?
- Is this the year Apple finally unveils a 128GB iPhone?
- What will be the color choices be? Platinum anyone?
- Could This Be The Display Apple Uses In Its iPhone 6?
- Are the prices for the iPhone going to rise?
- When will the iPhone 6 launch?
Apple has now sold 500 million iPhone units since 2007.


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Medical Disposables taps more of the hospital disposables market
Kurt Boothe, general manager of Medical Disposables Limited (MDS) said the company is now strategising to strengthen its core operations in the hospital segment.
MDS is a distributor of healthcare and consumer products, including pharmaceuticals, vaccines, injectables, hospital supplies, medical disposable items, medical sundries, and consumer products.
The junior market-listed firm has expanded through diversification but now says it expects growth from core business lines.
The company, which has just released its financials for the year ended March 2019, said foreign-exchange losses were a major challenge during the year.
“The biggest deal is the great foreign-exchange loss based on the dollar situation last year,” Booth told the Financial Gleaner.
The company made $112 million in net profit on revenue of $2.22 billion at year end March 2019.
Total non-operational expenses of $63.3 million increased by $31.1 million, or 96.8 per cent, which directors note in the financials was as a result of the significant loss on foreign exchange of $23.3 million calculated on the cost of goods purchased due to the devaluation of the Jamaican dollar to the United States currency.
This was an increase of $25.9 million when compared with the previous year ended March 31, 2018.
Boothe said that outlay for the push in deepening its hospital portfolio involved mainly working capital provisions, which increased proportionately with volume sales. He did not share costs.
The first step of the plan took place over the past year with an inking of the deal with 3M Medical.
“This has widened our product portfolio,” Boothe told the Financial Gleaner, noting that “from inception, we have had a strength in the area of hospital disposable items”.
For the financial year ended March 31, 2018, the company made a profit of $109.6 billion on revenues of $2 billion. The prior year, it made a net profit of $100.5 million on revenues of $1.7 billion.
Gross profit of $548.5 million for the year ended March 31, 2019, grew by $87 million, or 19 per cent, when compared with the year ended March 31, 2018.
With regard to the push into hospital disposables, Boothe said that minimising capital outlay relative to sales growth was factored into the strategic direction.
As to projected growth in the segment, he said: “We are cautiously optimistic about positive performance in this area. We will also state up front that retooling will continue from the allotted gains in keeping with management’s outlook for long-term positioning of the company.”
For the new financial year, the general manager said that capital expenditure plans are mostly centred around upgrades to facilities, IT systems, logistics, and improving operational efficiency.
“All things being equal, once we meet our cash-flow projections, Capex should not exceed $50 million,” he stated.
The systems upgrade, he said, “will enable us to improve in various areas of the business, which is in keeping with the growth expectations of our contractual partners. It will ensure that support mechanisms are in place to facilitate further growth, which will, in turn, yield greater revenues.”
The company distributed dividends of 10.4 cents per share to shareholders during the financial year ending March 2019.


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By MATT O'BRIEN
AP Technology Writer
Microsoft is cutting 10,000 workers, almost 5% of its workforce, joining other tech companies that have scaled back their pandemic-era expansions.
The company said in a regulatory filing Wednesday that the layoffs were a response to "macroeconomic conditions and changing customer priorities."
The Redmond, Washington-based software giant said it will also be making changes to its hardware portfolio and consolidating its leased office locations.
Microsoft is cutting far fewer jobs than it had added during the COVID-19 pandemic as it responded to a boom in demand for its workplace software and cloud computing services with so many people working and studying from home.y.
Microsoft's workforce expanded by about 36% in the two fiscal years following the emergence of the pandemic, growing from 163,000 workers at the end of June 2020, to 221,000 in June 2022.
Other tech companies have also been trimming jobs amid concerns about an economic slowdown.
Amazon and business software maker Salesforce earlier this month announced major job cuts as they prune payrolls that rapidly expanded during the pandemic lockdown.
Amazon said that it will be cutting about 18,000 positions. It's the largest set of layoffs in the Seattle company's history, although just a fraction of its 1.5 million global workforce.
Facebook parent Meta is laying off 11,000 people, about 13% of its workforce. And Elon Musk, the new Twitter CEO, has slashed the company's workforce.
"Quite frankly, we in the tech industry will also have to get efficient, right?" Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said. "It's not about everyone else doing more with less. We will have to do more with less. So we will have to show our own productivity gains with our own sort of technology."
Microsoft declined to answer questions about where the layoffs and office closures would be concentrated. The company sent notice to Washington state employment officials Wednesday that it was cutting 878 workers at its offices in Redmond and the nearby cities of Bellevue and Issaquah.
As of June, it had 122,000 workers in the U.S. and 99,000 elsewhere.


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With the second wave of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic fuelling speculation that the Federal Government may soon impose another nationwide lockdown, pressure is mounting on banks in the country to intensify efforts to address rising failed Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and debit card transactions complaints, findings by New Telegraph show.
Failed ATM or debit card transactions are transactions that have not been fully completed due to reasons that the customer is not responsible for, such as non-availability of cash in an ATM, time-out of sessions and network challenges.
Investigations by New Telegraph indicate that in major cities, such as Lagos and Abuja, there has been a noticeable increase, in recent months, in the number of complaints by bank customers relating to ATM transactions, in which cash is either not dispensed at the machines, but accounts are debited, or a debit card account is debited during a transfer, but the beneficiary card account is not credited.
Confirming the development in a chat at the weekend, a bank official in Lagos, who spoke on condition of anonymity, attributed it to increased pressure on banks’ electronic payment infrastructure occasioned by the surge in number of bank customers, who embraced electronic payment channels since the advent of the Covid-19 crisis. The official said: “ATMs are manufactured to have an average lifespan of between 7 and 12 years.
However, in Nigeria there are many ATMs that ought to have been replaced many years ago, but some banks, in trying to save costs, will prefer to keep maintaining and repairing such machines. Of course, with so many people now using ATMs due to coronavirus restrictions, old machines will frequently develop faults.”
In fact, the official said that as a result of the rising number of failed ATM transaction complaints in recent times, she usually advises customers to try to reduce their usage of the machine. According to the official, the fact that most banks have still not fully reopened branches that were shut in March and April last year in the wake of the COVID-19 restrictions and lockdown, has also worsened the failed transactions problem, as not only has the number of customers using electronic payment channels increased, many banks currently do not have the full complement of staff required to handle consumer complaints.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had in late May last year revised timelines for the resolution of failed transactions, ATM dispense errors and refund complaints. It said the move was in line with its resolve to enhance the quality of service bank customers are given and that lenders should implement the revisions starting from June 8, 2020. Specifically, the apex bank stated that any failed ATM transaction that occurs when customers try to withdraw from their bank accounts must be reversed instantly, adding that in the event that instant reversal fails due to technical challenges, the amount must be manually reversed within a 24-hour period.
It further directed that the resolution for failed ATM withdrawals occurring when bank customers use their ATM cards on other banks’ machines should not exceed 48 hours. The regulator also advised lenders to ensure that all pending failed transactions/complaints are resolved “within two weeks starting June 8, 2020”.
It disclosed that “key service providers in the Nigerian payments system have also committed to establish an integrated dispute resolution platform for the industry and enhance their payment system infrastructure and processes to reduce incidences of transaction failure.” New Telegraph had reported in April last year that following lockdown measures announced by the federal and state governments to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, lenders stepped up efforts to try to get their customers to adopt electronic payments. However, industry sources warn that unless banks move fast and effectively address failed transactions complaints, they could lose some of their customers to fintechs.
“Many of the people you find these days waiting patiently under tents, despite the pandemic, to try to get into banking halls, are doing so because they want to complain about failed ATM transactions and other such issues. So, it is a serious problem,” a marketer with a Tier 2 bank said.
However, New Telegraph also gathered that the #EndSars crisis in October last year, which resulted in the destruction of about 50 ATMs nationwide, affected lenders’ capacity to replace old machines. An industry source said at the time that apart from the huge cost implication (current price of an ATM cannot be less than N5million), it would take the industry nothing less than six months to replace the damaged ATMs and get them working. In its H1’20 economic report, the CBN had put the total number of ATMs in the banking industry at 19,040 as against 18, 913 in the corresponding period of the previous year. However, as analysts point out, the regulator, in its 2012 and 2018 CBN Financial Inclusion Strategy documents, set 93,000 ATM target for the country for 2020.


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When the public discussion about recycling started to increase in the UK two or three years ago, the Huhtamaki Gosport team quickly recognized a challenge: the overall benefits of the paper cup, including its recyclability, were not clear to the public.
“I never actually had a dream job in mind”, says Katarzyna Gruszczyńska. But after her impressive career at Huhtamaki so far, one might say, that even if she was not aware of it, a career was calling out to her.
Huhtamaki has been named the Best Packaging Supplier of the Year by Matines, one of the leading egg brands in France. Our Fiber Packaging business has grown with the customer since the end of 2015 and the partnership has been fruitful.
Paperboard cups and containers with recyclable polymer-coating and polymer-lining should be excluded from the SUP directive
Coated paperboard should be excluded from EU Commission's proposal on SUP Directive. Paperboard products can and already do replace many plastic products with fiber from sustainably managed forests. Here is our view on the proposal.


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Alectra announces new rates for Time-of-Use customers in Mississauga
Published June 4, 2020 at 9:57 pm
Alectra has implemented new, fixed hydro rates that will not fluctuate regardless of the time or day of the week.
The rates are in line with those implemented by the province.
As of June 1, Alectra residential and small-business customers will be paying 12.8 cents per kWh until October 31.
Additionally, the Province has announced two programs that will provide assistance for residents struggling to pay their bills due to the pandemic, which include:
- $9 million for the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) in support of customers struggling with energy bill payments
- $8 million for the COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program for Small Business (CEAP-SB) to support businesses struggling with energy bill payments
Applications for both the CEAP and CEAP-SB programs will become available via Alectra’s website once the programs launch in the summer.
Further, due to the financial strain many are experiencing as a result of the pandemic, Alectra is working with customers to provide flexible payment terms and will not result in disconnections.
Moreover, account collection actions have been suspended for residential and small business customers until July 31, 2020.insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies


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ST. LOUIS, MO (KTVI) - With Thanksgiving less than one week away, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is gearing up for a surge in holiday traffic. The Airport typically sees an increase of 15-20 percent in passenger traffic during the 10-day Thanksgiving air travel period, which this year runs November 20 to November 30.
The biggest single travel day of the holiday weekend is projected to be Sunday, November 29, when more than 20,000 departing passengers are expected. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, November 25, should be the second busiest day. The two lightest travel days should be Thanksgiving Day, November 26, and Friday, November 27.
With full flights expected, Lambert officials offer these reminders:
- Arrive 2 hours ahead of a scheduled flight, especially if checking-in luggage or flying internationally.
- TSA Pre-Check is available at all checkpoints with participating airlines.
- Liquids must be in 3.4 ounce containers or less; put in a quart-size, clear, plastic zip-top bag.
- Do NOT wrap holiday gifts.
- Remember to retrieve all items from the checkpoint after they pass through the security scanners.
- If picking up a passenger from Lambert Airport use one of the free cell phone lots instead of the parking garages.
- For more information on prohibitive items, traveling with children, food and gifts, go to tsa.gov.
- Contact your airline for the latest flight information or check the status of all flights to and from Lambert here.


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iThere are some video game franchises that manage to stand the test of time, and when it comes to military-themed first person shooters, you have to mentioned the fast-paced action of Call of Duty.
When Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare first hit shelves, gamers were blown away. Even folks who typically didn't really enjoy FPS titles were loving the game. Now, 19 games later, CoD is a $9.7 billion franchiseActi and they're looking to expand on that figure with the release of Warzone mobile. But what date will that be available?
When's the official release date for 'Call of Duty Warzone' mobile?
While Activision hasn't stated exactly when the mobile iteration of the popular Battle Royale game was going to be made available, it's believed that the title is going to come out in 2022. Charlie Intel reports that Tom Henderson, who's credibly leaked info in the past has said: "Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is scoped for 2022. It was recently added to the PlaytestCloud database."
This should be taken with a grain of salt, however, as news of the game's release debuted shortly after the first week of March 2022, and Polygon reported that Activision was posting job offers for the game's development. Meaning that if they don't have a full-fledged team already working on Warzone mobile, then there's a good chance that it's going to be a while before any of us are playing the game on our iPads and smartphones.
What do we know about 'Call of Duty: Warzone' mobile?
So what's the Call of Duty team got up their sleeves when it comes to the mobile version of Warzone? Will they just be porting over the popular Battle Royale game and then offer cross-platform functionality a la Fortnite and many other titles? Or is it going to be a standalone game that's different from the Warzone we've been playing over the past few years?
Polygon has reported that it appears whatever version of Warzone that's coming to mobile is a natively designed project, which probably means that a direct port is out of the question.
This would make sense given the fact that when Warzone was first made, there didn't seem to be any consideration or forward planning for a mobile OS release.
While there are plenty of titles out there that have managed to make cross-platform gaming work, that was more than likely the plan with the game from the get-go.
We also know that Activision is planning on making this mobile experience one that keeps on giving for "many years to come."
So just like many other online titles right now, it seems that Activision intends on offering seasons and various updates/upgrades throughout the years and maybe even specialty passes for gamers to get in on.
The Warzone for Mobile website doesn't really offer up that much more information except: "We are creating an all-new, AAA mobile experience that will bring the thrilling, fluid and large-scale action of Call of Duty®: Warzone™ to players on the go."
The rest is all a bunch of corporate buzzwords and mentions of wonderful opportunities to work with a dynamic team of "mobile veterans" along with all of the different positions that are available.
So if you're really dying to know when the exact projected release date of the game will be, maybe apply for a job and see what happens?


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Apple launching 12-inch MacBook with iPhone colours in mid-2015?
Rumours claiming Apple will launch an ultra-thin 12-inch MacBook laptop have resurfaced, only this time with a colourful twist.
According to a report from the A Tech website, Apple will release the notebooks in the ‘Space Grey’ and ‘Gold’ colour schemes associated with the company’s iPhone smartphones – as well as the current silver colouring.
If the report is true, it would be the first time Apple has departed from silver laptops since its black and white efforts were phased out years ago.
According to A Tech, the company is planning on launching the devices in mid-2015, which is traditionally when the firm refreshes its existing lines of MacBook Pro and MacBook Air devices.
The MacRumors site believes the colour scheme rumour has some legs given its assertion that Apple has considered “special edition” colour options for the long-expected 12-inch MacBook.
The notebook, which could be a member of the MacBook Pro range rather than a MacBook Air would sit between the 11- and 13-inch options currently on the market.
Recent rumours have also suggested it’ll come packing the Retina Display and an Intel Broadwell processor. Other reports have claimed it’ll use the Intel Core M chip and possess a razor-thin, fanless design with great performance and battery life.
With a newly-tipped release date of mid-2015 release date, it looks like we might have to wait a while yet to truly know the score.
Read more: MacBook Pro 15-inch with Retina Display


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Office Live is still not an online version of Office, but the set of small business tools has a few new tricks and is heading out of beta.
Despite its name, Office Live is not an online version of Microsoft's popular desktop software collection. Instead, it is a set of small business services, such as e-mail, Web hosting and contact-management software.
Microsoft says it's not opposed to the idea of expanding into online document creation, but that's not what small businesses are asking for, said Marja Koopmans, the software company's director of channel and business strategy for Office Live.
"They are saying 'I'm not looking to replace my desktop,'" Koopmans said. Businesses are more interested in software to close sales and add online marketing. "That's really what we are focusing on with Office Live. We don't rule out anything for the future," she said.
The company has been exploring the idea of online or ad-supported versions of its core word processing and spreadsheet programs, largely within its Works unit.
Rival Google acquired online word-processing company Writely in March and introduced spreadsheet software in June. It launched a combined Google Docs & Spreadsheets product earlier this month.
Microsoft first announced plans for Office Live a year ago, when top executives Bill Gates and Ray Ozzie convened in San Francisco to kick off Microsoft's Live era of software. At the time, Microsoft talked about 20 different online business applications, most prominently programs for Web page design, site hosting and e-mail access.
About 160,000 people have tried out the service in the U.S. since testing began in February. Microsoft is also going international with the program, with plans to test the service now in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan. The U.S. service will exit the beta-testing phase on Nov. 15, Koopmans said.
Video: First look at Microsoft Office Live
One of the big changes since early testing is expanded business contact management software. Another is a program called AdManager, which lets small businesses manage online keyword-advertising campaigns. The initial test version of AdManager works only with Microsoft's own Windows Live Search, but Koopmans said the company would like to work with other search engines, both large and small. Some deals are "very close," she said.
"Larger engines are thinking about it, and (some) smaller engines are very close" to signing deals, she said.
Microsoft has been trying to expand both ad-backed options and online services to accompany many of its traditional software businesses, particularly those aimed at consumers and small businesses. On Tuesday, the company announced plans to introduce Office Accounting Express 2007, a free basic version of its small business accounting software.
Office Live will also be integrated with that new accounting software, Microsoft said. The tie-in is key, as it allows businesses to sell their wares through eBay, Koopmans said.
Microsoft is also touting Office Live as a chance for partners to build products that work with its services. It has a handful of partners already offering products, and 100 more just joined an early-adopter program. Microsoft hopes to woo more with a developer guide to be published in November.
For use of its Office Live services, Microsoft is offering both paid and free options. The free Office Live Basics includes a Web site with 500MB of storage, plus 25 company-branded e-mail accounts, each with 2GB of storage, and calendar tools through Microsoft Office Live mail. It also provides the Microsoft Office Live AdManager Beta test version, which lets users create search-advertising campaigns through Microsoft's Windows Live Search.
On the paid side, the $20-a-month Office Live Essentials adds a business contact manager and the ability for up to 10 people to share data in online workspaces that hold up to 500MB of data. It also includes an additional 500MB of Web site storage (for a total of 1GB) and 25 additional e-mail accounts. As an alternative, the $40-a-month Office Live Premium offers a total of 2GB of storage, supports up to 20 workspace users and expands the workspace storage to 1GB. Also included are a host of online business applications, such as project, document and time-management programs.
That's something of a shift from February, when Microsoft was talking about introducing another kind of paid service, focusing on online collaboration. That option is headed back for more testing, Koopmans said.
"We really need to learn more about that space," she said.


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Protecting your technological software with passwords and codes is very important
This has been illustrated in the recent news headlines as a website has reportedly been streaming feeds from webcams live to the world.
According to recent reports the website in question contained links to multiple live streams of webcams, CCTV’s and baby monitors around the world. The website which is believed to be Russian based was streaming content by using devices that had pre set passwords or devices that had no login barriers whatsoever.
It is believed that last week the site was streaming videos from an estimated 4,951 hacked cameras being used in more than 250 countries. The content could be identified by country and the manufacturers of the devices that had been hacked. The important thing to remember is that all of this could have been avoided had those particular individuals took the correct precautions.
CNS have security sorted
There is no need to worry about security issues with CNS. Our monitoring is continued all year, 24 hours a day. CNS’ engineers receive instant notification of any issues by text or email thanks to our automated systems. They receive these notifications 24 hours a day, 365 days a year ensuring that all problems are detected and resolved straight away.
As we can see by reading the above IT security is vital. That’s why our customers have the benefit of our engineers who are highly skilled and fully experienced. They are always up to date with the latest security threats and are always busy finding the best solution to dispose of those threats. CNS provide only the best security products available. All products have been tested to ensure that they are suitable and they are available to all of our customers.
So it’s a no brainer really, make sure your devices are safe and secure by teaming up with CNS.


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6:26 a.m. Oct. 3, 2018
- By Emily Bary
Visa signs on Postmates as it grows real-time disbursement service Postmates is the latest gig-economy company to enable Visa Direct for disbursements to workersCourier network Postmates is the latest gig-economy company to sign on with Visa Direct, Visa Inc.’s real-time deposit service.
6:54 a.m. July 22, 2018
- By Ciara Linnane
Wells Fargo is now refunding customers for pet insurance and other add-ons Scandal-ridden bank is not out of the woods yet with the latest report that it is reviewing add-ons such as car and home insuranceThe San Francisco-based lender is in the midst of refunding customers for products including pet insurance and legal services that they did not understand or know how to use, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
2:23 a.m. Feb. 9, 2018
- By Philip van Doorn
These Dow and S&P 500 stocks have taken the worst beatings American Express leads the Dow down on Thursday, and GE has been this year’s worst performerAmerican Express leads the Dow down on Thursday, and GE has been this year’s worst performer. By Phil van Doorn.


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Photo - Hoseok Kim, CEO of 11street, Malaysia.
Korean e-commerce provider listreet is investing RM35 [US$9.74] million to attract 11,000 seller registrations to its Malaysian counterpart 11street in 2015.
11street Malaysia chief executive officer Hoseok Kim said the Malaysian version of 11street will be open to consumers in April this year, adding that the company was open to take seller registrations now. "The online shopping paradise 11street in Malaysia is the company's commitment to deliver local consumers a trustable and convenient e-commerce platform where they can shop for a variety of products across a broad range of categories available at anytime, anywhere."
"To deliver greater satisfaction and a more rewarding online shopping experience, it will be the first online marketplace in Malaysia that promotes not only physical products but also deal offerings such as e-vouchers under a single platform," said Kim.
He said the company will "make significant effort and investment to encourage Malaysian sellers including the brick and mortar businesses boarding onto 11street."
Kim confirmed that more than RM35 million will be invested during 2015 "in various seller development programmes, marketing and promotions to bring local sellers on board and at the same time, to attract buyers to visit 11street in order to accelerate our online sellers' reach to consumers."
"We wish to foster continued e-commerce growth and elevate the maturity of the industry by empowering more local offline businesses particularly SMBs [small and medium businesses] to break-through the traditional business model and explore the numerous ecommerce opportunities in the online space," he said.
Investment will increase
"Nonetheless, the total investment to drive sellers' participation will increase especially when the number of sellers register to 11street exceeds our expectation," said Kim.
"Unlike other existing e-commerce websites, 11street has a hybrid e-commerce model whereby its ecosystem can support all types of sellers, including individual sellers, e-entrepreneurs, SMBs, retailers and service providers," he said.
"Bolstered with expertise and know-hows gained through its worldwide ventures, 11street can empower the online sellers as well as traditional brick and mortar businesses to maximise sales and succeed in e-commerce. - which in turn will accelerate Malaysia's online shopping market growth," Kim said,
"[In addition,] 11street is equipped with unique and sophisticated online merchandizing tools to support the complete online business set-up," he said. "Our 'Seller Zone' will be the first e-commerce education centre and support facility in Malaysia to advocate e-commerce sellers, where e-commerce seminars and workshops will be given on a regular basis. 'Seller Zone' is among the most significant investments that 11street has put in to grow the Malaysia's e-commerce sector."
"In response to the mobility trends, we will also offer an integrated mobile interface and application upon 11 street's official launch to support sellers in better managing their stocks, product marketing programs, payment settlements; and offer the analytics capability to help them retain customers with improved online shopping experience," said Kim.
"The 11street Malaysia (listreetdotmy) seller office is now open for registration," he said. "Exclusive commercial benefits such as no store fee, 50 per cent discount on transaction fee, complimentary use of Seller Zone facilities, promotion credits and product listing coupons, will be given as part of the early-bird promotion package for new sellers who register before April 2015."
Established in Korea in 2008, 11street, which also has presence in Turkey and Indonesia, lists 22 million sellers serving more than 40 million consumers worldwide with annual gross merchandise value of RM19.8 [US$5.1] billion.
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The NFL season is rapidly approaching. With training camp underway, teams will begin to start playing preseason games. The preseason kicks off in Canton, Ohio, for the 2023 NFL Hall of Fame Game between the New York Jets and the Cleveland Browns on Thursday, August 3. The game will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
The Hall of Fame Game is an annual tradition that kicks off the NFL preseason. The game is always held the weekend of the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, which are scheduled to air on Saturday, August 5. The Hall of Fame Game marks the first appearance for each team of the 21st century, with the Browns last playing in Canton in 1999 and the Jets in 1992.
Watch the 2023 Hall of Fame Game live stream on NBC
The 2023 Hall of Game starts at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on NBC. Pregame festivities begin with Football Night in America at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Coverage of the game is also available through the NBC App or NBC Sports app, and on NBCSports.com. Log in with a TV provider for access.
Watch the 2023 Hall of Fame Game live stream on Peacock
NFL fans looking to watch the Hall of Fame Game can stream the action on Peacock. Tune in at 8 p.m. ET for the start of the game. Peacock recently announced that the service will be increasing its prices. The ad-supported tier, Peacock Premium, will increase from $5/month to $6/month. The ad-free tier, Peacock Premium Plus, will rise from $10/month to $12/month. The rates will go into effect immediately for new subscribers, while existing subscribers will see their rates increase on August 17.
Watch the 2023 Hall of Fame Game live stream on YouTube TV
Experience the 2023 Hall of Fame Game on NBC through YouTube TV. The NFL has found a new home on YouTube TV with NFL Sunday Ticket, which is available to purchase for the upcoming season. For new subscribers, the first three months cost $65/month. Afterward, the rate increases to $73/month. However, there is currently a FREE trial available for new customers.
Watch the 2023 Hall of Fame Game live stream on Fubo TV
With 100+ live channels, including NBC, and the ability to cancel at any time, Fubo TV is an ideal subscription service for football this fall. There are four subscription plans: Pro at $75 per month, Elite at $85 per month, Premiere at $95 per month, and Latino at $33 per month. New subscribers can sign up for a FREE trial right now to experience Fubo TV.
Watch the 2023 Hall of Fame Game live stream on Hulu with Live TV
Those football fans with Hulu with Live TV can watch the Hall of Fame Game. Along with NBC, Hulu TV has over 85 live and on-demand channels in sports, news, and entertainment. The cheaper subscription of $70/month includes Hulu (with ads) + Live TV, Disney+ (with ads), and ESPN+ (with ads). The $83/month plan features Hulu (no ads) + Live TV, Disney+ (no ads), and ESPN+ (with ads).
Watch the 2023 Hall of Fame Game live stream on Sling TV
Are you ready for some football on Sling TV? NBC is available on Sling Blue and Sling Orange + Blue, along with other channels like FS1, NFL Network, and Fox. Unfortunately, NBC can not be seen with Sling Orange. Sling Blue costs $45/month, and Sling Orange + Blue costs $60/month. New customers will receive 50% off their first month’s payment.
Watch the 2023 Hall of Fame Game live stream from abroad with a VPN
Due to regional broadcast restrictions, watching the Hall of Fame Game outside of the U.S. could be problematic. However, there is a solution in the form of a VPN. A VPN allows users to watch their favorite channels and broadcasts from the U.S. We suggest using a VPN, such as NordVPN, which offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users.


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A team of New York Times contributors blogs about news, trends and all things automotive. Check back for insight, photos, reviews of cars and more. And remember to join the conversation — you can comment on the cars, offer your own reviews, and post questions in our reader comment area. All comments are moderated [Details at the City Room blog]. Send questions, suggestions or complaints by e-mail.
Posts published by Azadeh Ensha
Through cheeky advertisements and fresh paint, Michael Lejeune and his creative team are working to increase train and bus ridership in Los Angeles County.
The 1954 Series I Land Rover was used on Churchill’s 300-acre estate, according to the consignor.
The Army claimed that the diesel hybrid concept, which had its debut in Detroit this week, burned fuel twice as efficiently as the Humvee.
Studebaker Automobile Company was a sponsor of the “Mister Ed” show.
Jaguar may be owned by Tata Motors of India, but Jaguar certainly is not letting go of its roots in England. As a commercial stated years ago, “the English revere tradition, so from the very first Jaguar to the 1988 XJ6, Jaguars have been swift, extremely sure-footed, quick to respond and able to stop on a penny.”
In the early days of Infiniti, the brand turned to celebrity power. When it introduced the 1993 Q45, the automaker swapped out American actor Michael Douglas for Welsh-born actor Jonathan Pryce.
In the above commercial, a trio of Volvo sedans are seen not only navigating, but driving a choreographed routine through mounds of white snow, and doing what Scandinavian drivers do best — sliding.
Before Max the Beetle, “Unpimp Your Ride” and Fahrvergnügen, the sense of humor in Volkswagen commercials was a little more subdued.
With news that Volkswagen is moving ahead with its plans to buy Porsche for an estimated $113 billion, we thought it’d be a good time to take a look at the Porsche brand in this week’s Classic Ad.
This Chevrolet commercial from 2006 captures the feeling of baseball in the summer and revives a campaign with a catchy jingle, sung by its composer, Ed Labunski.
When Honda arrived in America 50 years ago with its first product, the Honda 50 scooter, the Japanese company used a clever slogan to position the bike as more mainstream.
In our previous Classic Ad posts, we paid homage to some of our favorite auto commercials. This week, we turn our attention to the local car dealers (entertainers?) in front of the camera.
All this talk about the $2,500 Tata Nano got us thinking about another simple, low-cost car that did enter the American market to some success, at least initially: the $3,990 Yugo.
Jeep has always associated its brand with the ability to tackle any terrain, but the way it’s projected that image has changed quite a bit over the years.
Flashback 30 years and, if Ford’s advertisers are to be believed, the market was all about good times and fast trucks. Just check out this “Free Wheelin” Ford commercial featuring a carefree driver hightailing his truck down a sandy beach.


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By Christopher Grant
April 4, 2012
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By Laurence Frost
Recurring operating profit was 0.9 percent lower at 1.39 billion euros ($1.62 billion) in January-June on a 7.4 percent increase in revenue to 11.06 billion, the company said, despite a surge in mining demand for its high-margin earthmover tyres.
The numbers fell short of the 11.1 billion euros in sales and 1.43 billion-euro operating profit expected by analysts, based on the median of seven estimates polled for Reuters.
Michelin, whose net income rose 12 percent to 863 million euros, is under growing competitive pressure and is pursuing cost cuts to defend itself against low-cost rivals.
The company's savings plan generated 146 million euros in the first half towards a 300 million-euro full-year goal, countering inflation that wiped 142 million euros off earnings.
Price increases now taking effect will lift margins later in the year, Michelin said as it reaffirmed 2017 targets including increased sales and operating profit.
"We have been able to increase our prices in response to raw-material costs," Chief Financial Officer Marc Henry said.
The first-half performance missed expectations because analysts had "overestimated currency gains" that in the end contributed 37 million euros to earnings, Henry added.
The specialty tyre division, Michelin's most profitable with a 20.8 percent operating margin, saw revenue jump almost 20 percent to 1.76 billion euros on resurgent mining demand.
Also Read: Michelin to re-organise business leading to job losses
But margins fell by a percentage point in car tyres and more than two points in trucks - reducing overall group profitability to a 12.6 percent margin from 13.7 percent a year earlier.
Raw-material prices are now falling sharply again from an early 2017 spike, testing tyre makers' ability to raise prices to reflect input costs that remain above year-earlier levels.
Barclays had warned in April that "dealers might push back looking at input costs, while some reactive competitors might adjust their prices downward".
Michelin's promised price increases raised first-half earnings by a modest 60 million euros, it said.
The combined effect of pricing efforts and higher raw-material costs had a negative 186 million earnings impact, although this was within a 100-200 million euro predicted range.
Michelin said it still expects the net impact to turn neutral for the full year in its replacement tyre business - while remaining negative in sales to vehicle manufacturers, where price moves are dictated by contract.
($1 = 0.8583 euros) (Reporting by Laurence Frost; Additional reporting by Gilles Guillaume; Editing by Maya Nikolaeva and Alexander Smith)


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Canadian retailers have less competition and are less productive than U.S. retailers, which could partly explain why prices in Canada are higher than in the U.S., the governor of the Bank of Canada says.
The top four retailers in Canada control 28 per cent of the market, Mark Carney said. The top four in the U.S. have just 12 per cent.
Canadian retailers also employ more staff than do American retailers, Carney told a Senate committee hearing in Ottawa investigating the reasons for a persistent Canada-U.S. price gap.
“Productivity has lagged that of the U.S.,” he said.
The central bank governor was invited to appear before the committee to lend the central bank’s expertise on pricing and inflation. One of the bank’s key mandates is controlling the rate of inflation through its interest rate policies.
Prices in Canada in September were only 11 per cent higher than those in the U.S., Carney told the committee. That’s down from 18 per cent in April.
However, most of that decrease was due to the value of the Canadian dollar falling relative to the U.S. dollar during that time.
The loonie was trading at $1.04 (U.S.) on average in April but had fallen to 99 cents by September, according to the central bank’s website.
Other reasons Canadian prices are higher could include higher wage rates, higher fuel costs, lower population density, higher import prices, structural factors and profit margins.
As well, a weak U.S. economy means more retailers south of the border may be discounting their prices to move unsold merchandise, he said.
“There are many factors,” he said. “If there was just one factor it probably would have been dealt with.”
Despite rising consumer complaints about higher prices in Canada, very few Canadians shop in the U.S. He said cross-border shopping accounts for just 2 per cent of the value of all retail sales.
Some senators said increasing the personal exemption rate might help boost competition. Currently, Canadians must stay outside the country for at least 24 hours to buy $50 worth of goods duty-free.
Removing differences in tariffs and duties might result in better prices if it helped boost competition by creating a seamless border, Carney said.
Competition is also likely to increase as more foreign retailers enter the Canadian market, he said.
“Canada is underserved relative to the U.S. market,” he said, noting Canada has 14 square feet of mall space per person while the U.S. has 23 square feet per person.
The senate hearings continue.


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An oil change for a Bugatti Veyron costs $21,000 and takes approximately 27 hours.
60 Minutes ran a story on the Audi 5000 in 1986, claiming that it accelerated suddenly on its own. However, the demonstration used a rigged car whose transmission had been altered. Government agencies vindicated the car, but Audi’s sales were affected. 60 minutes never apologised to Audi.
Along with the new Tesla semi truck, Elon Musk unveiled the second-generation Tesla Roadster. The Roadster 2, which Musk says will be the fastest production car ever, apparently does 0-60 in 1.9 seconds and, uh, it shows:
If you want to get your hands on one, however, you’ll have to wait until 2020 (and have $200,000 lying around).
Volkswagen sells sausages and ketchup. It is also their best selling product, selling millions more than their cars.
Cars have become so quiet, automakers have resorted to playing fake engine noises from the speakers.
If you look at the little gas indicator on your dashboard, you should see a tiny arrow next to it. That arrow actually points to the gas tank side of your car. Older models may not have the indicator, but new cars do.
The Dodge Brothers sued Henry Ford in 1919 on the grounds that a company should act in the interests of its shareholders and not for the good of society, its customers or its employees.
Denmark charges a tax of 150% on all new car purchases.
Before the fall of the German Wall, East Germany lacked significant resources to manufacture cars. As a result, the Trabant automobile used recycled cotton waste for the body instead of steel.
The Pontiac Aztec, considered a commercial failure during its production life, has seen a resurgence in popularity and public interest in the late 2000s and early 2010s thanks to its association with Breaking Bad.


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The British financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, has reminded trading companies to not play with fire when it comes to products that attempt to gamify the trading experience and effectively bear too many similarities to gambling products. The FCA reminded companies that they have obligations to clearly distinguish between investment and gambling, and not tempt investors through "gambling-like" incentives.
Effectively, the FCA has observed a number of "game-like" elements that trading companies and apps have been introducing. Those elements, the FCA argued cited by Reuters, come from a desire to drive engagement with the platforms and recruit new traders, but they expose investors to significant risks.
Some of the features the FCA have in mind are those that are created to remind investors of a loyalty program typically found in gambling or social casino platforms. For example, there could be badges and in-app points or achievements built into the trading apps, all of which trivializes the investment experience, the FCA believes.
In an official statement, FCA Executive Director of Markets Sarah Pritchard said that such product design should be discontinued as it contributed to what the regulator sees as a "gambling-like" behavior. She added:
"We expect all firms that offer stock trading to consumers to review and, where appropriate, make improvements to their products based on these findings."
High-risk investment is becoming too common, the FCA said, having sampled 3,000 users who are presently involved with various trading apps.
However, the FCA was even more concerned to see that many investors were already showing what the regulator described as symptoms of problem-gambling, which could lead to even more issues down the road, both for the investment ecosystem and retail investors.
High-risk investments have been a hot topic for regulators, especially at a time when more retail consumers are turning to cryptocurrencies. Following the collapse of several exchanges and companies, and most recently, Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX, there have been concerns over how investors manage their funds.
For now, the FCA only wants to make sure that investors are protected by not being offered unrealistic and misleading products. Investment needs to be serious, the regulator argues, whereas the gamification features that the watchdog discovered are inclining many consumers to feel like they are playing a game, which should never be the case.
Image credit: Unsplash.com


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Disney reports Parks and Experiences section down $6.9B for the year
Though Disney officials reported some earnings were down, they also said they were seeing signs that people want to get back to the parks.
The company held its earnings call late Thursday afternoon.
Officials say for the Parks and Experiences section of the business, operating incomes were down $2.4 billion for the quarter and $6.9 billion for the year.
Revenues were down 61% for the last three months. The Disney parks, cruises, and other experiences brought in $1.4 billion in this quarter last year, however, this year it was negative $1.1 billion.
The company blames COVID-19 for the losses but also faults the government of California for not letting Disney reopen its parks there.
The company says at the parks that are open, like Disney World, there are promising signs for its earnings.
“At Walt Disney World we are also encouraged by the booking trends we are seeing. Park reservations at our reduced capacity limits are already 77% booked for Q1, with Thanksgiving week booked close to capacity,” chief financial officer Christine McCarthy said.
Cruise line shutdowns are also dragging down income for Disney.
The company did say the success of Disney+ has brought in 73 million paid subscribers.


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Friday, June 22, 2012
By Pawan Rana
Renault Duster bags 1k bookings prior to the launch
French automaker Renault is all set to launch its second SUV offering – Renault Duster in India on July 4. Meanwhile, the SUV has already bagged bookings to the tune of 1000 units as soon as Renault dealers started taking bookings this week. The fourth car by Renault India, Duster SUV is believed to do wonder to the brand and it has started showing up its popularity even before the launch. The Renault Duster SUV price which is expected to land around Rs 7 lakh to Rs 8 lakh for the entry level petrol and diesel variants respectively while the top variant Renault Duster RxZ price will be around Rs 12 lakh.
Know More About Renault Duster
Check Renault Duster Price
This way, Duster will be affecting the sales of already established SUVs such as Mahindra Scorpio, Tata Safari and the Mahindra XUV 500 in the top category as well as will cover the entry level SUV as well as high end SUV class as well. The Duster will be setting in a new trend in the country and will offer SUVs to those who intend to buy a sedan. Thus the Duster will also be eating away a lot of share of sedans in India as well. On the other hand, Duster is said to be the most aggressively priced Renault car in the country and as per the sources, despite of being studded with lots of features, the Duster SUV will take a price tag similar to a sedan.
|See More Renault Duster Photos||Get Renault Duster Price|
Now that the Duster launch is about to happen on July 4, Ford India and Maruti should be hurrying up things to launch Ford EcoSport and Maruti XA Alpha respectively. It is also expected that Duster car will have the advantage of arriving first and it will also have ample time before any of its rivals arrive and dampen its prospects.


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There's been word that one of the last major hold-outs in the streaming music business, Led Zeppelin, was in negotiations with several companies since early this year. Now that they've officially joined up with Spotify for their entire official record collection, it would appear that Spotify has won the battle - according to a NYTimes release from January, several companies were still in the running for rights. With Rhapsody, Rdio, and Deezer having also been on the list, there's a distinct possibility that Spotify's "exclusive" launch wont last for long.
Twitter's #Music app is on its way to the junkyard after just six months of existence, sources close to the project have told All Things Digital. Although initially received with enthusiasm, it couldn't hold its momentum in popularity. After jumping to #6 in the App Store rankings upon its initial launch earlier this year, it eventually slid to 1,672nd overall in Onavo's rankings.
Though Apple has said it plans to launch iTunes Radio in a vast number of locations, the service has been limited to the United States thus far. Today a job posting was spotted on Apple's website looking for an "iTunes Canada Music Programmer", with the job summary specifically focusing on iTunes Radio. As such, it looks like Canada could be next on the list get access to the service.
In an interview this month, Apple's Senior Vice President for Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue said that iTunes Radio will be used to stream and help promote pre-release albums from various artists. The service, which just recently went live, will build on top of the preview streaming offered in the iTunes Store, and aims to help both artists and listeners.
With the launch of the PlayStation 4, Sony's own Music Unlimited service will be getting a rather sizable reboot. This system update will allow consoles like the PlayStation 4 to work with a new user interface that'll be allowing gamers to get a handle on the music they've purchased - or plan to purchase - much quicker and easier then in past iterations. This version of Music Unlimited will also be able to be launched from the DUALSHOCK 4 controller with a press-hold of the PS button.
If you're both a Spotify and a Pink Floyd fan, you've likely been disappointed in the past months, with the former offering very little of the latter. That is about to change, however, according to a tweet fired off by Pink Floyd yesterday. Starting now, all streaming of "Wish You Were Here" on the music service will count towards the streaming goal that, when met, will unlock the rest of the catalog.
Back in November, Rdio rolled out updated iOS and Android apps featuring a refreshed user interface that is cleaner than the previous offering. A couple months later, the music streaming service unveiled free streaming in several countries. Now the company has announced the first of what is suggested to be multiple updates, adding features and improvements users have been asking for.
This week Ford and Amazon have attached at the hip, pushing their Amazon MP3 app's connectivity in iOS device to Ford SYNC AppLink-equipped vehicles. Now if a user works with an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad and has a Ford vehicle with SYNC AppLink abilities, they'll be able to stream music from their Amazon Cloud Player music library automatically. This is a rare moment in which iOS connectivity has come after, not before, a similar feature working with Android devices.
Spotify is expanding to more locations throughout the world today. The music streaming service announced today that users in Mexico, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Iceland, bringing Spotify's reach to 28 markets around the world. The expansion should increase the service's total number of users.


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How High Are Freight Rates and How Long Will They Last?
Transpacific freight rates are soaring high right now and not just because it’s peak season.
Shippers have been rushing to beat tariff increase dates on imports from China, increasing demand and rates. The next big date is January 1st, when 10% tariffs on somewhere around 250 million dollars worth of products from China are planned to increase to 25%.
That date gives shippers until about the halfway point in December to get import goods from China loaded onto cargo ships if they want to get those imports to West Coast ports like the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland in order to beat New Year’s tariffs. And mid December is really pushing it.
If shippers want to get those goods from China to the Ports of New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and other East or Gulf Coast ports, they need to get their ocean freight moving by early December.
Air freight obviously ships faster than ocean freight, giving shippers running right up against the deadline a little more time to get their imports moving before that January 1st deadline hits. However, air freight rates, already typically higher than ocean rates, are also up right now as a result of the U.S.-China trade war.
Ocean carriers very much needed the boost brought by this added demand during what’s already the peak season for international shipping. About a month ago, we posted a blog headlining that the U.S.-China trade war is saving the year for carriers. Carriers’ financial struggles over the last several years have been well documented. Those struggles largely stem from overcapacity. However, carriers have done a good job controlling capacity lately (for a change) with things like blank sailings and pulling service lines while demand highly, even if artificially, grew.
According to an American Shipper article by Chris Dupin published last week, ocean freight rates from China to the U.S. West Coast increased 1 percent from the previous week but are 69 percent higher than the same time last year. For shipments from China to the U.S. East Coast, Dupin reported a 6 percent increase from the previous week and 65 percent increase from 2017. Freightos Baltic Index (FBX) is the source Dupin sited for the data.
On the air freight side, Dupin reports a 12% increase per kilogram rate from last month on China to U.S. shipments.
FBX is not the only index keeping track of freight rates. Another is the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI). According to a Mike Wackett written article in the Loadstar, published two days after the American Shipper one, SCFI puts China to U.S. West Coast rates at 82 percent higher than this time last year and U.S. East Coast rates at 88 percent higher.
Not only are rates high, with demand up and carriers’ rare but current discipline with capacity expected keep rates high as we’re finishing up the year, but carriers are planning to implement more General Rate Increases (GRIs) to maximize their opportunity for higher rates.
Wackett reports that GRIs are scheduled for November 15th and December 1st. While Wackett writes that the latter will be unlikely to succeed with the expected sharp decline in demand that will hit next month, I’d say there is a decent chance carriers could maintain that GRI for a week or two while shippers are racing to get their final shipments in from China before the January first tariffs hit.
My expectations for when the current upward pressure on freight rates will ease is in the last couple weeks of December, almost exactly one month from now. However, according to a Journal of Commerce (JOC) article by Bill Mongelluzzo, “Some are predicting a continuation of peak season-like conditions not just through the end of the year but continuing until the Chinese New Year holiday beginning in early February (Week 6) as shippers seek to get goods moving prior to the typical two-week shutdown of Chinese factories.”
That would be good news for carriers, but I still think the rush to beat the New Year tariff will result in things slowing down before we hit the new year. We’ll see who’s right on that in about a month.
The spot market rates are relatively high, but they move less than 40% of the lift. The other 60%
is on Service Contracts at rates 1/2 of the spot market.


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Downtown eatery The Brick is raising money for Georgia Cancer Support through its popular Bras for a Cause event.
Anna Schreckengost, general manager at The Brick, said it’s a friendly competition to raise money during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The Brick also matches whatever money is raised.
“Bras for a Cause is an event where our staff and others in the community decorate a bra with funny stuff or whatever they want,” she said. “We put numbers on them and let people vote for their favorite. It’s a dollar to vote for your favorite bra.”
Schreckengost said it’s a different way to raise money for the cause.
“We partnered with Magnolia State Bank this year, and they did the Pokemon bra. They actually won last year with their Toy Story bra. That was really cute,” Schreckengost said.
Catelynn Duncan, collections and OREO assistant at Magnolia State Bank, said if customers with Magnolia want to vote or donate, but aren’t able to make it downtown, she will send their donation in for them.
“The Brick is selling T-shirts labeled with their logo, and the back of the shirt showcases pink paint smudges in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness,” Duncan said. “T-shirts are $21, and a dollar of every T-shirt sold will be donated to Georgia Cancer Support.”
The general manager said people seem drawn to the event. She said it’s also always nice to see breast cancer survivors so passionate about the cause.
“Every business has their way to give back to whatever cause they are supporting. Breast cancer awareness is ours, so here at The Brick we will continue to support Georgia Cancer Support,” the general manager said.
Schreckengost said people in the community can design a bra and bring it in if they wish. She said they can decorate the bras as crazy as they want. She said it doesn’t cost anything to enter a bra, and the winner will be announced on Nov. 1 during First Friday.
“I’m not sure why it’s so big to the Brick, but I’m glad it is and I’m proud of it,” she said. “I’ve heard of people losing their mothers to breast cancer, so people should be aware of how it affects your life.”
The general manager said people should care about Bras for a Cause because breast cancer affects so many people. She said it’s a great way to help positively impact someone with breast cancer.
“My favorite part about Bras for a Cause is just seeing how creative people get with the bras and how much fun they had making them,” Schreckengost said. “The survivors coming in and seeing all we have done to support this is great, too.”


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PROJECTED TO THE FUTURE: Hot Form towards industry 4.0
Hot Form’s 2021 began in the name of innovation.
Although the pandemic has brought uncertainty to numerous sectors, it has not stopped our plans and investments to improve products and services, and motivates us to achieve new results. In fact, 2021 will see us engaged in the transition to industry 4.0.
The goal of our company, which already has BRC Packaging DNV GL ISO9001 certification, is to gradually implement the transition to the management of productive processes according to the principles of industry 4.0.
This means focusing on the key elements that will be the basis of the fourth industrial revolution and that will lead to the industry of the future, that are:
• interconnection of processes.
The first step was taken in October last year, when we installed in our premises the first fully robotic packaging and labelling island for PET food containers.
Next to this machinery, a second robotic island is arriving in our factories already in the first months of 2021.
Packaging islands are essential to guarantee our customers:
• maximum hygiene: operators never come into contact with the products;
• quality control of the product in the production lines;
• better management of labels, as both those in Italian and in foreign languages may contain more information.
A necessary step both from a commercial and a legal point of view.
These machineries will bring fundamental improvements to our industry and our work, because on one hand they will ensure greater consumer safety with regard to possible infections and on the other hand they will guarantee the transparency of the product and services.
The implementation and completion of Hot Form transition to industry 4.0 should be completed by 2021.
To these objectives, Hot Form has set itself to reach another milestone for this year: the implementation of the Circular Economy, as well as new investments for production plants for 100% recyclable PET products from recycled material.
Two fundamental steps to be an eco-friendly and sustainable company and, above all, to become a 4.0 company in all respects!


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Whether you are a business executive looking to invest in new equipment or a vendor seeking financing options for your clients, you can leverage flexible financing through First American to achieve your goals.
As the Federal Reserve continues its efforts to slow the economy and fight inflation, it is not surprising that rates are expected to remain high throughout 2023. What may come as a surprise, however, is that despite elevated interest rates, investment in CapEx—and financing investment in CapEx—is on the rise as well.
According to the latest ELFA Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI-25), which reports economic activity from 25 companies representing a cross-section of the $1 trillion equipment finance sector, new business volume of commercial equipment financed in January 2023 was up 6% (at $8.8 billion) compared to January 2022—far outpacing GDP growth.
Increased financing of capital expenditures might be the opposite of what is expected in these economic conditions, at least by historical standards. Typically, higher cost of capital leads to a cool down of CapEx and subsequent decrease in commercial leasing and financing. So, what makes our current environment different? Here are a few observations from the past year and implications for the year ahead:
Major supply chain disruptions and their resulting shortages forced businesses to delay or freeze their capital projects in 2020–2021. Though supply chain issues are ongoing, they are less severe now. This, combined with the pent-up demand from the past few years, led to a significant resurgence in capital spending as the economy reopened—which has steadily continued.
Throughout 2022 and already in 2023, companies sought out fixed-rate financing with the expectation that rates would be higher in the not-so-distant future. By utilizing fixed-rate financing for equipment acquisitions, business leaders can minimize their initial cash outlays, gain needed predictability for cash flow management, and align payments with expected cash inflows.
The labor shortage across the country has persisted for many companies and is not expected to ease soon. To address this void, businesses have turned to automation—substantially increasing their investment in robotics and automation technologies to support their existing workforce, lower operational costs, and create needed efficiencies to meet demand. And we can expect this to remain a strategic priority in the years ahead: according to research by Interact Analysis, investment in automation is slated to grow from $29 billion (2020) to $67 billion in 2025.
With a recession looming, relying on an established banking relationship as a single source of funding is too risky for some businesses. Many are getting ahead of potential changes in their bank’s business by exploring other financing relationships to complement their main bank.
Both the past year and year ahead present an interesting and unprecedented intersection of inflation, labor shortages, and supply chain constraints. Yet despite these economic headwinds, investment in capital projects has risen and will likely continue to grow in the coming years. By investing in CapEx and using financing as a strategic tool, business leaders can build financial resilience and position themselves to take advantage of growth opportunities on the horizon.
Chief Executive Officer, First American Equipment Finance
Alan Sikora is the chief executive officer of First American Equipment Finance, one of largest equipment finance companies in the U.S. backed by the strength of City National Bank and RBC. He is also a member of City National Bank’s Executive Council.
Alan joined First American in 2002 and has held various roles in credit, operations, and sales leadership. He has been the CEO of First American since 2015. In his role, he is responsible for the strategic direction of First American, one of the 20 largest bank-owned equipment finance businesses in the U.S.


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The average retail price of gasoline in California continues its slow, steady march downward toward $2.50 a gallon, a threshold that some energy analysts believe could be reached by the close of October.
On Monday, national price tracker GasBuddy.com said the average price of gas statewide was $2.68 a gallon, a decline of 3.8 cents over a week’s time. The current price is down nearly 30 cents from last month and 89.4 cents below the year-ago level.
Nationwide, the average at-the-pump price of $2.29 a gallon was nearly unchanged from the previous week. The national average is down 11.4 cents from last month and nearly a dollar cheaper than at this time last year.
“While the rate of decline has slowed, we still expect the overall decline to continue this week with a nominal decrease in retail gasoline in most parts of the country,” said Gregg Laskoski, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.


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Petrobras have been sponsors of Williams F1 in 2008, but later decided to switch to Honda F1 shortly after the season finale. However, due to the Japanese manufacturer leaving the sport in December last year, the Brazilian company announced it will not follow the deal with the Brackley-based team through.
“Once Honda announced it was pulling out of Formula One, we decided we were going to stop too, because all the manufacturer-backed teams had fuel suppliers for 2009. We're not interested in just being a commercial sponsor without the possibility of using and developing our products,” said Petrobras' Manager of Sports Sponsorship Claudio Thompson earlier this week.
However, a late statement from Petrobras revealed the company is still very much interested in being part of Formula 1 in the future, as long as “it is possible to develop and provide high-quality and high-tech Petrobras fuels and lubricants” to a team in the F1 paddock.
“Petrobras clarifies that it is still interested in participating in Formula One. The purpose of Petrobras' Motor Sports Programme is to seek to provide company consumers with benefits, using auto racing as a product development lab. In this performance line, on account of its ties with technological progress, Formula One has always had a singular role,” said the statement.


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Dear Editor (Irish Medical Times), Data from all over the world show that more than 80 per cent of patients hospitalised with Covid-19 are vitamin D deficient compared with the general population.
In a small study by Drs Jose Manuel Quesada Gomez and Luis Manuel Entrenasa in Spain, they showed high-dose vitamin D appeared to reduce the severity of Covid-19.
More recently, a consensus is emerging amongst doctors that we should all take vitamin D supplements, especially as many of our female patients are blocking out the sun with the widespread use of sun protection factor (SPF) in cosmeceuticals. This is even more important as Ireland gets a few sunny days anyway.
To address this long-standing problem, free vitamin D supplements will be sent to over two million clinically vulnerable people in England this winter. However, research shows that a third of people do not take the pills they are given.
It is now time both Ireland and the United Kingdom go further and fortify basic food such as flour and milk with vitamin D, which is common practice in Canada, Sweden, Finland and Australia. Taking vitamin D reduces the risk of fractures, improves muscle function, and reduces the risk of death from cancer.
I am aware that there may be a counterargument that this may violate the freedom of some people and excess vitamin D can cause other minor problems. However, fortifying essential food with sensible amounts of vitamin D is a cheap intervention that would have an important health benefit during this present Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Patrick Treacy Medical Director, Ailesbury Clinics Ltd, Clonskeagh, Co Dublin


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My aunt forwarded me this email:
"Everyone in the cleaning industry has always been told that hand dryers in restrooms are not sanitary, they spread germs and bacteria around. I always thought that this just came from the paper companies because they are losing sales to the hand dryers.
A couple of years ago, I was working with a rep... He told me to take a look under the hand dryer next time I was in a restroom. There is a filter underneath the hand dryer that is supposed to be cleaned on a weekly basis. I looked at one and it looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. It had layers and layers of caked on gunk (disgusting)...
Now this is where the story gets really interesting. The schools and universities that have had the H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak this year are being told by the health department that they have to take out all of their hand dryers and replace them with towel dispensers because the hand dryers are spreading disease.
And some cursory Wikipedia research agrees with this:
"In 2008, a study was conducted by the University of Westminster, London, to compare the levels of hygiene offered by paper towels, warm air hand dryers and the more modern jet-air hand dryers.
The key findings were:
* after washing and drying hands with the warm air dryer, the total number of bacteria was found to increase on average on the finger pads by 194% and on the palms by 254%
* drying with the jet air dryer resulted in an increase on average of the total number of bacteria on the finger pads by 42% and on the palms by 15%
* after washing and drying hands with a paper towel, the total number of bacteria was reduced on average on the finger pads by up to 76% and on the palms by up to 77%."


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Headline indices of the Japan share market were lower on Wednesday, 5 December 2018, as investors continued booking profits after a dismal overnight session on Wall Street amid fears of an upcoming economic slowdown and lingering worries about trade tensions due to mounting skepticism over the U. S.-China tariff truce. Total 24 issues of TSE33 issues declined, with shares in Oil & Coal Products, Insurance, Securities & Commodities Futures, Banks, Machinery, and Glass & Ceramics Productsissues being notable losers. In late afternoon trades, the 225-issue Nikkei index dropped 173.39 points, or 0.8%, at 2,862.66. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange declined 11.42 points, or 0.7%, to 1,637.78.
Risk aversion selloff triggered amid growing uncertainty about whether a truce struck between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump at the G20 summit will lead to a long-term deal to ease trade tensions between the two superpowers.
Following the meeting between Trump and Xi in Argentina, there has been growing confusion about what exactly the leaders agreed to and whether a 90-day deadline for a resolution began immediately or in January.
Trump has threatened to impose tariffs worth a further $200 billion on Chinese imports unless China makes it easier for US companies to do business there. White House officials have also struggled to explain whether China had actually agreed to drop a 40% tariff on US cars as part of the deal.
The world's two largest economies seem to be providing conflicting versions of outcomes from last weekend's G20 Summit. The Washington Post suggested that China has not acknowledged a 90-day deadline for reaching a trade deal and has not said it would 'immediately' buy significant farm goods from the US. This morning however Reuters reported that China said it would implement specific issues agreed on as quickly as possible.
Shares of exporters were mostly lower as the safe-haven yen strengthened against the U. S. dollar. Advantest dropped 4% and Tokyo Electron fell almost 2%. Mitsubishi Electric was lower by 2%, while Panasonic and Canon fell more than 1% each and Sony was down almost 1%. Honda was lower by almost 3% and Toyota was down almost 1%.
ECONOMIC NEWS: The latest survey from Nikkei showed that the services sector in Japan continued to expand in November, albeit at a fractionally slower pace with a PMI score of 52.3. That's down from 52.4 in October, although it remains well above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction. Also, the composite index eased to 52.4 in November from 52.5 in October.
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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)


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$10 million ad account
[englewood cliffs, n.j.] Ferrari North America's Maserati unit is expected to name Interpublic Group of Cos.' AG Worldwide, New York, this week as agency of record for its estimated $10 million account. The agency declined comment. After an 11-year absence, the Italian luxury carmaker will return to the U.S. in 2002 with the $75,000 3200 GT coupe. AG Worldwide handles other European luxury accounts including Chanel, Davidoff and Fendi.
Wieden lays off 38;
Clear Ink cuts staffs
[portland, ore.] Wieden & Kennedy April 6 laid off 38 employees, or 12% of its 230 staffers in Portland and New York, citing the slumping economy. This was the independent ad agency's first staff cut since 37 people were terminated in June 1998 after Nike reduced spending. In other West Coast job cuts, Clear Ink, Walnut Creek, Calif., laid off 15 employees, or 10% of its staff.
P&G launches Pampers bibs online
[cincinnati] Procter & Gamble Co. has launched Pampers Bibsters disposable bibs for sale online through its PG.com and Pampers.com Web sites. P&G in the past year has begun selling several new products online as a prelude to ultimate national retail launches, but a spokeswoman wouldn't comment on plans for a further rollout. P&G last week also launched online sales of its Tempo handkerchief brand in the U.S., with plans for retail rollout later this year or next. Bcom3 Group's D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, New York, is agency for Pampers and Tempo.
Mazda North America to hike TV buy 45%
[irvine, calif.] Mazda North American Operations will increase its TV media buy by 45% this year vs. 2000. The brand spent $127 million in TV in 2000, according to Taylor Nelson Sofres' CMR. A new :30 for the 626 sedan from Doner, Southfield, Mich., arrives this week on national network and cable TV, with the MPV's new :30 due next week. They'll air through April before a new Protege spot breaks in May. Kristin Simmons, marketing director at Mazda, said there's no print for the two new spots because "this message is so emotional" it needs TV to convey it. Both spots will return to the rotation later in the year and continue the umbrella "Zoom. Zoom" brand theme.
Volkswagen considers Havas/McKinney deal
[paris] Havas Advertising could ink a deal as early as this week to buy McKinney & Silver, the traditional ad agency unit of troubled MarchFirst, as expected (AA, March 26). Analysts have estimated the deal at $30 million to $35 million. The agency that handles Volkswagen AG's Audi of America account likely will be folded into Havas' Arnold Worldwide Partners network instead of its flagship agency Arnold Worldwide, Boston, which handles the German automaker's Volkswagen of America. Raleigh, N.C.-based McKinney would report to Arnold Worldwide Partners Chairman-CEO Ed Eskandarian and would not change its name, according to insiders. Volkswagen initially did not want Audi to be part of Arnold for fear the $71 million account would be dwarfed by $350 million Volkswagen business. If a deal is delayed, insiders said, it will be because of the complexity of a deal that involves a company in danger of bankruptcy. MarchFirst has laid off thousands of employees, and its stock closed April 6 at 9 cents per share, down more than 99% from its 52-week high. Mr. Eskandarian and McKinney executives did not return telephone calls seeking comment.
CDC asks ad agencies for proposal
[atlanta] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which late last year won $125 million from Congress to promote healthy lifestyles and exercise to tweens and their parents, asked ad agencies for proposals to develop a plan to use the money in an integrated effort that would combine advertising, public relations and events reaching out to local groups and schools. CDC said it would offer separate contracts to minority agencies to develop campaigns. CDC offered no requirement that media companies match every paid ad with a free ad, as mandated in the anti-drug campaign of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Although CDC has money for only a one-year program, it offered a contract for up to five years, hoping Congress would continue the program. Ad agencies must submit proposals by May 4.
Worst marketing year since `91
[new york] This year is shaping up to be the worst year for marketing and media since the recession year of 1991, according to Lehman Brothers. Analyst Kevin Sullivan started covering the sector with a forecast of 2% advertising growth in 2001, due to the slowing economy, compared to 10% growth last year. Agency consolidation will continue, driven by "the need for global scale to serve clients," said Mr. Sullivan. Clients, who now have three agencies on average, will also consolidate agency rosters, which will benefit the global holding companies, according to Mr. Sullivan's analysis.
Hewlett-Packard Co. this week launches two global print campaigns promoting printers and other business offerings, via Publicis Groupe's Publicis & Hal Riney, San Francisco. ... Omnicom Group's TBWA Worldwide has given TBWA/Chiat/Day, New York, President Carl Johnson the additional title of chief operating officer of TBWA Worldwide; TBWA/Chiat/Day, Los Angeles, President Tom Carroll takes the additional role of president of the Americas. ... Freedom Technology Media Group will stop publishing the 18-year-old print edition of Home Office Computing, effective with the April issue. ... Stewart Alter to exec VP-corporate strategy and communications at Interpublic's McCann-Erickson WorldGroup, New York, from senior VP-director of corporate communications at McCann-Erickson Worldwide, New York. Earlier in his career, Mr. Alter was a senior editor at Advertising Age. ... True North Communications' Temerlin McClain named Andy Ravan global account director for the Nortel Networks account, from account director at Delaney Lund Knox Warren & Partners, London. ... Ford Motor Co.'s Land Rover South Africa is now placing "apology" ads for a controversial print ad depicting a semi-nude African woman with artificially elongated breasts blown sideways in the tailwind of a Land Rover Freelander.


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One doesn’t have to be a restaurant industry insider to enjoy director Rebecca Halpern’s documentary Love, Charlie.
At last, the classics get the respect they deserve.
Find your way to Interurban, pastry chef Christine McCabe’s Lincoln Park alley takeaway window
Chicago-area restaurants wearing this year’s Michelin Bib Gourmand, from Ada St. to Yolo
In Food & Drink for the Reader’s 40th-anniversary issue: a chefs’ family tree revisited after five years, 16 longtime restaurants still alive and kicking
Our annual, invaluable guide to outdoor dining
Chilapan, Floriole Cafe & Bakery, and other recently opened restaurants too new to review.
Wallowing in pork products at the Purple Pig. Plus: promising Italian at Ceres’ Table and overwrought Japanese at Macku.
More of Mike Sula’s best bites
In addition to this week’s featured takes on Nightwood, Browntrout, and Fianco in Food & Drink, there are five more new reviews in the listings. I picked over the large […]
Featured reviews of new restaurants Nightwood, Browntrout, and Fianco
How the new chefs are faring at Sepia, Goose Island’s flagship brewpub, and Quince
Via Ventuno, Jerry Kleiner’s redo of Room 21, opens tonight in the South Loop with a traditional Italian menu.
Check out these historic Chicago restaurant postcards.


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WASHINGTON – Orders to U.S. factories increased in June, and a key category that reflects business investment plans posted a modest rise. But the gains weren’t robust enough to suggest that the sluggish manufacturing sector is mounting a significant turnaround.
Factory orders advanced 1.8 percent in the month, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. The jump, however, was fueled by a surge in demand for commercial aircraft, a volatile sector that can swing widely from month to month.
Meanwhile, a key category that serves as a proxy for business investment plans edged up 0.7 percent after declines in April and June. For the first half of the year, this category is down 3.5 percent from the same period a year ago and has dragged overall economic growth.
Manufacturing has been held back this year by a rising dollar and falling oil prices. The higher value of the dollar against foreign currencies makes U.S. goods more expensive and less competitive in major export markets. The lower oil prices have led energy companies to scale back their investment plans.
The government reported last week that the overall economy as measured by the gross domestic product grew at a 2.3-percent annual rate in the April-June quarter, an improvement from a slight 0.6-percent GDP increase in the first quarter. The rebound was powered by consumer spending.
But business investment contracted at an annual rate of 0.6 percent in the second quarter, reflecting big declines in equipment spending by various industries and a 68.2-percent plunge in the category that covers oil and gas exploration and drilling activities.
Economists are hopeful that overall economic growth will revive further to around 3 percent in the second half of the year as continued gains in employment bolster consumer spending. They expect strength in the consumer sector will be enough to offset weakness in manufacturing.
Demand for durable goods, items expected to last at least three years, increased 3.4 percent in June, matching the estimate made last week in a preliminary report. Orders for nondurable goods such as chemicals, paper and clothing, rose 0.4 percent after no increase in May.


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Ola had recently issued a recall over the quality issues of the front fork of their electric scooter
Ola Electric had recently issued a voluntary recall of their scooter. This was in a response to multiple front fork breakdown cases reported across the country. Customers got a beefier front fork unit equipped for free. This new fork is said to withstand extreme conditions. Ola Electric mentions the new fork has a “much higher” FOS (Factor Of Safety) too.
Ola Electric has now shared a stunt video of their electric scooter, in an attempt to demonstrate toughness of its new front fork. In the video uploaded on Ola Electric, six people squeezed onto an Ola S1 scooter and rode it on uneven terrain for a brief period. Is this the right way of demonstrating strength of front forks?
Ola Electric Scooter Stunt
It seems that automakers are taking a rather offensive route to counter criticism. We saw Mahindra Scorpio N subjected under a waterfall to show durability of its sunroof. Now we see Ola taking a similar route. No explanation was given to customers regarding do’s and don’ts in both cases.
Speaking about the latest Ola electric scooter stunt with 6 people on board, all of them wore helmets. This stunt didn’t involve a public road. All individuals involved in this stunt seem to be teenagers. If you can’t spot the 6th person, he is sitting on the floorboard. You’re welcome. At the end of the video, Ola flashes a hashtag – #BuiltToPerfection.
In this 17-second video, we can see an Ola S1 scooter almost slammed to the ground. And still manages to traverse uneven and varied terrain. Ola Electric CEO Bhavish Aggarwal took to Twitter to showcase the strength of its new front fork. He tweeted “Wow! The toughest stress test I’ve seen of any scooter till date. Ola S1 is a beast.”
Is a brief load like this equivalent to months or years of real-world usage with unfavourable road conditions? No. But the scooter did manage to hold on to its own against 6 young individuals. Proper comparison between old and new forks showing results of load tests, stress tests, bend tents, twist tests and compression tests would have made it more professional.
Ola Front Fork Issue
There have been multiple front-fork failure reports on Ola Scooters. This is a serious potential hazard and could very well lead to casualties, if unlucky. Single-sided fork lends a photogenic aspect to the scooter’s right side. Customers were hoping to get twin fork setups like on Ola S1 Air as part of the free-of-cost voluntary recall. That isn’t the case and Ola has issued a stronger single-sided front fork unit instead.
Durability reports of this new fork, in the long run, are yet to come. Also, FOS is an engineering term. Most products in India have much higher FOS anyway. That’s how a 1-tonne rated truck carries almost twice the load and a commuter motorcycle can take up to 3 times its intended load.


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Residents of the Balkans tasted pizza
The countries of South-Eastern Europe are famous for their meat cuisine: lamb on a spit (cheverme), meat in pots (guvech), cutlets and sausages (kufte and kebabche), a variety of goulash – the list can be continued indefinitely. However, the craze for pizza has become a trend in recent years here. Who would have thought that in terms of the number of orders for this unpretentious dish, the inhabitants of the Balkans came out on top in Europe! According to statistics published by the Glovo delivery company, Bucharest is ahead of Rome and Barcelona in this competition. The Romanian capital ranks second in the world in terms of the number of pizzas ordered. And the biggest fan of this Italian dish was a resident of the city of Iasi: last year he ate 569 pizzas.
This is 2.4 times more than the biggest pizza lover in neighboring Bulgaria. A resident of Sofia became the record holder of his country by ordering 240 pizzas in a year. At the same time, Bulgaria came in third place in Europe in terms of the popularity of this dish.
The most popular was the vegetarian version of the pizza "Four cheeses". Napoli is in second place and Pepperoni pizza closes the top three champions.
In both countries, most pizza orders are on weekends. But with regard to holidays, tastes have diverged: in Bulgaria, pizza is more often eaten on romantic Valentine's Day – February 14, and in Romania, March 8 became the record date.
As for the rest of Europe, pizza's popularity grew by 5.9% last year.
Hundreds of New Marine Species Discovered in Deep Canyon off New Zealand Coast
Marine biologists have discovered over 100 species of marine creatures new to science in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of New Zealand. According to the Ocean Census project, a team from the National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA) of New Zealand collected about 1,800 samples of living organisms at depths of up to 4,800 meters during an expedition to the Bounty Trough off the east coast of the South Island
"Travel!" Forum to Become an Anchor Event in Tourism
A meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Chernyshenko was held today to discuss the organization of the fourth "Travel!" forum, which will take place from June 12 to 16, 2024 at VDNKh
BRICS Tourism Flow Could Increase 3.5 Times
The Ministry of Economic Development's press service has announced the results of the BRICS tourism contact group meeting. It was attended by both the permanent member countries of the association and the newcomers - Egypt, the UAE, and Ethiopia