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Europe needs to spend £17BILLION on public electric car chargers in the next decade to hit carbon neutral target for 2050, report claims
- Green transport group T&E said there needs to be 3m public chargers by 2030
- It estimates there will be 44m electric cars on the road at the end of the decade
- Currently there are around just 185k public chargers in Europe - 25k in the UK
- Significant investment in charging infrastructure is needed to 'keep pace' with plug-in car demand, it said
A new report claims there needs to be a huge investment in public charge points for electric vehicles across Europe if nations are to hit the EU target of becoming carbon neutral in 2050.
For the 44million electric cars that are expected to be on the road by 2030, some three million chargers will be needed, more than 15 times the number currently installed, according to campaign group Transport & Environment.
The cost of adding these new charge points will amount to a staggering £17billion (€20billion) over the next decade.
Charging up: Transport & Environment said the current number of public car chargers in Europe need to be increase 15 fold if the EU is to hit its carbon neutral target in 2050
According to the research, there are 185,000 public chargers currently available in the EU.
Around 25,000 of these are in the UK, based on the figures released by the government and motor industry campaign organisation, Go Ultra Low.
T&E claims this network is sufficient enough for the current fleet of electric cars but the rate of installations won't be able to keep pace with the growing market for plug-in cars beyond this year.
To finance the necessary chargers required to adequately service the growing volume of electric vehicles, the analysis estimates Europe needs to spend £1.5billion (€1.8billion) a year on average, in private and targeted public investment.
This is just three per cent of the EU’s annual spend on road infrastructure today, the green campaign group claims.
T&E said the demand for more chargers offers a business opportunity and co-financing can come from the European investment plan, which will support €1trillion of sustainable investment over the next decade under the EU Green Deal.
The UK currently has around 25,000 public charge points. Only Germany has more, according to these stats
It recommends that home and workplace charging must be prioritised, with up to a third of new chargers being installed in 'disadvantaged and less densely populated' areas to ensure everyone benefits from zero-emissions vehicles.
Lucien Mathieu, emobility analyst at Transport & Environment, said: 'The Green Deal for transport can only happen with zero-emission infrastructure. This means putting money into setting up the network of public chargers, especially at home and at work, and not in building more fossil gas pipelines.
'So far the number of charging points has kept pace with demand, but the coming electric surge needs to be supercharged by vastly expanding the charging network.'
UK Government has already committed to more than doubling the number of rapid public chargers available between 2019 and 2024.
Ministers confirmed last year that it will invest a total of £400million to help bolster the public charging network, with £70million used to fund the installation of 3,000 rapid chargers over the next five years.
The Department for Transport and Office for Low Emission Vehicles also introduced requirements for all newly installed rapid chargepoints to allow for debit or credit card payments by spring this year, rather than motorists having to pay multiple subscriptions and have activation cards to use the varying services on offer.
UK Government confirmed last year it will invest a total of £400m to help bolster the public charging network, with £70m used to install 3,000 rapid chargers by 2024
This is Money also exclusively revealed last week that wireless public chargers will be installed on Britain's streets in 2020.
Trials of cutting-edge induction pads will take place on residential streets, car parks and taxi ranks across Greater London, the Midlands and Scotland.
The pads, which are sunk into the ground, pump out an alternating electromagnetic field which can be converted into electricity when a vehicle is parked on top.
He added: 'The shift to EVs will create a multi-billion euro market opportunity for European industry in the grid works, and manufacturing, installation and maintenance of public charging.
'The EU must do everything it can to fight the climate emergency while supporting jobs in Europe.'
According to T&E's research, transport is Europe’s biggest climate problem, representing more than a quarter (27 per cent) of the bloc’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
Cars emit 44 per cent of transport CO2 emissions and their impact is still growing.
To realise the ambition of the EU Green Deal, Europe will need two in five of all new cars sold to be zero-emissions in 2030, and will need to sell the last combustion engine car by 2035 at the very latest to hit the target of being carbon neutral 20 years later.
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You do all you can to promote a healthy diet for your family. Your efforts may include carefully reading labels, excluding artificial ingredients, limiting fats and sugars and increasing fruits and vegetables. However, one of the biggest risks is undetectable by the naked eye, nose or taste bud — food contamination.
Medline Plus reports that more than 48 million people in the United States are sickened each year by foodborne pathogens, such as E. coli, hepatitis A, listeria, salmonella and campylobacter infection. Food poisoning can cause unpleasant symptoms, including upset stomach, abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever and dehydration. In the most severe cases, food contamination can result in permanent or fatal injuries, especially in children, seniors or people with compromised immune systems.
Even with so much at stake, food companies regularly mishandle their products and put consumers at risk of serious illnesses. Because these companies distribute their products across the Southeast region or the entire country, foodborne illnesses can spread rapidly and widely across large geographic and demographic areas. For this reason, pinpointing the source of contamination is also made more difficult.
The Georgia Food Industry Association (GFIA) issues recall alerts to its members in the food industry. Within a one-week period, these companies announced recalls of certain contaminated products:
Garden-Fresh Foods Inc.
Reser’s Fine Foods, Inc.
Dutch Treat Salads, LLC
World Class Distribution
Companies that grow, produce, package, transport and sell your food owe you a duty of care to avoid harmful contamination.

domain: news


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Attorneys Serving the Community held its annual fashion show Oct. 6 at the downtown Neiman Marcus: ASC Goes Couture.
ASC’s mission is to bring together women lawyers who use their resources and abilities to support local nonprofits whose programs benefit women, children, or families.
ASC raises money for its selected beneficiary each year through various events. This year’s fashion show beneficiary was Nexus Recovery Center.
To date, the organization has raised nearly $5 million for Dallas-area charities since 1987.


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Martial law was declared in parts of Yangon after several Chinese-owned garment factories were torched on March 14 over the issue of Beijing’s support to the military for the coup. According to the embassy in Yangon, several Chinese-backed factories were smashed up and set ablaze, while many Chinese nationals were injured in attacks by protesters.
At least 38 people were reportedly killed on March 14 as security forces opened fire on anti-coup protesters.
The Chinese embassy condemned the attacks as ‘extremely vile’ and urged Myanmar authorities to cease the violence, punish perpetrators and protect Chinese businesses and people in the country, according to global newswires.
“We urge the Myanmar people to express their demands in a lawful manner, and avoid being incited and exploited into damaging friendly cooperation between China and Myanmar,” the Chinese embassy said, adding that Chinese investment in the textile and garment sector has created nearly 400,000 jobs in the country.
Some in Myanmar have also questioned China’s relationship with the junta and its silence over human rights abuses. Social media users have shared lists of companies said to be Chinese-owned calling for boycotts.
Mon Sandar Myint, chairperson of the Federation of General Workers Myanmar, said many of the garment workers her group represents have been threatened by Chinese employers over their participation in protests and civil disobedience.
She further said that the Chinese Embassy’s statement belied Beijing’s antagonism towards the demonstrators, and did not show any sympathy for the Myanmar nationals who were killed.
Around 40 per cent of the country’s clothing factories have Chinese owners, according to the country’s national garment association.


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Amazon-owned online movie and TV show database IMDb has launched its first real Alexa skill in conjunction with Paramount Network.
The new skill is a Flash Briefing, which is a customizable news alert that Alexa plays containing information gleaned from numerous online sources, as determined by the user. You can activate the briefing by saying, “Alexa, what’s my Flash Briefing?”
In the case of IMDb’s “What’s on TV” Flash Briefing, users will receive airtime and network details relating to the day’s top five trending TV shows, based on IMDb pageview data.
You may recall that Amazon last year explicitly banned advertising in Alexa skills, with two notable exceptions: ads within music and Flash Briefings. And there are some rules in place for those ads — for example, they can’t use Alexa’s voice or a voice that sounds similar.
Officially, the IMDb Flash Briefing is “presented by Paramount Network,” which seemed to suggest that all recommendations would hail from the network’s own TV shows. That isn’t the case, which is a good thing, as it would be a little one-dimensional. As a sponsor, Paramount Network will receive a “featured placement” within each day’s Flash Briefing — but only if one of its shows is airing.
“Continuing our commitment to helping entertainment fans discover new TV shows to watch, IMDb is thrilled to leverage voice-activated data for the first time, using our unique trending data to make decision-making simple for audiences on Alexa-enabled devices,” said IMDb COO Rob Grady, in a press release.
IMDb began as a pre-web hobby project more than 25 years ago and has been an Amazon company since 1998. Alongside Rotten Tomatoes, it’s one of the most popular online repositories for information on all things film and TV, so it’s a major attraction for big TV networks like Paramount.
“As we launched Paramount Network, we were looking to align with brands that would help us deliver innovation to the marketplace in support of our exciting new slate of shows,” added Anhelo Reyes, senior VP of marketing at Paramount Network.
Alexa actually already taps IMDb for one voice-activated command, letting users request ratings for movies and TV shows by asking: “Alexa, what’s the IMDb rating for [title]?” But it’s interesting that Amazon is now dabbling with ads within the Alexa ecosystem. The news comes a month after a CNBC report suggested that Amazon was ramping up plans to monetize Alexa through sponsorships within skills, with the likes of Procter & Gamble and Clorox reportedly involved in talks with Amazon.
It’s still not clear exactly how Amazon plans to shoehorn ads into its burgeoning Alexa skills platform, but its tie-up with Paramount Network is a strong indication as to the direction things are heading. It’s starting to look a lot like Google’s ad placements, whereby companies pay to have their product promoted amongst organic results.
The audio problem: Learn how new cloud-based API solutions are solving imperfect, frustrating audio in video conferences. Access here


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Around 170 million tonnes of carbon dioxide are emitted from the production and disposal of EU food waste each year.
That’s according to a new Eurobarometer report, which shows this arises from 88 million tonnes of food being wasted across the continent, roughly equivalent to 173 kilos per person.
It says 53% of the food wasted in the EU comes from households, followed by 19% from food processing, 12% from food services, 11% from primary production and 5% from retail and wholesale.
The report suggests one of the reasons domestic food waste is so high is because 53% of consumers don’t know what ‘best before’ dates mean and 60% don’t understand the meaning of ‘use by’ information, so they throw products away before they need to.
In 2010, the Netherlands wasted approximately 541 tonnes of food per person, followed by 345 tonnes in Belgium, 327 tonnes in Cyprus and the UK in sixth place with 236 tonnes.
According to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization, food waste has a global carbon footprint of about 8% of all global greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans.
For every kilo of food produced, 4.5 kilos of carbon dioxide are released into the atmosphere.
MPs say the government and supermarkets must do more to prevent food waste, which costs the average UK citizen around £200 per year.


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Christie’s Green Auction’s Highest Bid Raises $150,000 for a Sail Aboard Hemisphere — the World’s Largest Luxury Sailing Catamaran
Green Auction at Christie’s attracted a powerhouse crowd all gathering to raise money for critical environmental causes. The highlight of the event was the heated bidding for a seven- day sail aboard HEMISPHERE — the world’s largest luxury sailing catamaran — which fetched $150,000, the highest bid ever achieved in the history of A Bid To Save The Earth, for a charter package valued at $245,000 offered by superyacht specialist BURGESS, courtesy of the owners of the magnificent 145ft “supercat.”
It is hoped this new record will set a benchmark for future environmental fundraising efforts. The nonprofit Oceana, which is supported by BURGESS in its mission to protect and restore the world’s oceans, will receive 100% of the funds raised from the Hemisphere auction.
Launched just six months ago, Hemisphere makes her yacht charter debut in the Mediterranean this summer, and the winning bidder can choose either the magical cruising grounds of Croatia or the dreamy Caribbean. Both are fantastic destinations and present an incredible opportunity to explore and dive in some of the most beautiful waters on the planet, and Hemisphere‘s innovative design is perfect for accessing shallow, secluded coves and bays off the beaten path.
Ten to twelve sailing enthusiasts will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the thrill of Hemisphere, a design masterpiece that sets a new benchmark for luxury charters, with a crew of 10 including a gourmet chef and state-of-the-art accommodations.


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Air Cargo News' most popular stories in 2017
With 2018 already underway, the Air Cargo News editorial team decided now would be an opportune moment to review which stories had proved to be most popular with readers over the last 12 months.
The last 12 months have been a record year for the Air Cargo News website with page views exceeding the 1.5m mark for the first time ever.
So which stories caught our readers’ attention in 2017?
NUMBER 10: New Super Hercules aircraft another step closer to launch
The rollout ceremony for first LM-100J commercial freighter – the newest member of the C-130J Super Hercules family – took place in February as employees who helped design and build the aircraft walked it out of its hangar.
NUMBER NINE: Shippers warned to book now or face rate spikes and delays in busy peak for air cargo
In July, Panalpina warned shippers to book their airfreight shipments as early as possible to avoid a spike in prices and capacity shortages during an expected busy peak period.
NUMBER EIGHT: Hong Kong Airlines selects handlers for its home hub
Hong Kong Airlines opted for Asia Airfreight Terminal (AAT) to handle its cargo at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), while SATS HK undertook its ramp handling at the carrier’s home hub.
NUMBER SEVEN: Emirates and Cargolux sign cooperation deal
Emirates SkyCargo signed a memorandum of understanding with Luxembourg-based Cargolux for a strategic operational partnership in May.
Described as the first of its kind between a mainline airline and a specialised freighter operator, it allowed the two carriers to cooperate and offer their complementary strengths and shared values.
NUMBER SIX: Air Canada Cargo freighter operation to end
Towards the end of the year, Air Canada Cargo confirmed that after a year and a half it's freighter operation to the US, Mexico, Europe and South America would come to an end in 2018.
NUMBER FIVE: Qatar Airways outlines its cargo response to air space "blockade"
Qatar Airways chartered in extra freighters and increased its own maindeck capacity on key trade lanes to maintain urgently needed food supplies and traditional cargo flows in response to an air space embargo by its Middle East neighbours.
NUMBER FOUR: Speculation over B747-8F order by Qatar Airways
In July, online news reports suggest that Qatar Airways had ordered two Boeing 747-8 freighters from the US planemaker.
NUMBER THREE: Can cargo airlines bypass freight forwarders?
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the head of cargo at one carrier revealed to Air Cargo News that his company is taking steps to prepare for direct engagement with shippers.
He pointed to a convergence of factors – chiefly a need for shippers to curtail costs and the evolution of tools that facilitate direct dealings with airlines – as the major drivers of this development.
NUMBER TWO: Top 25 cargo airlines - FedEx maintains top spot but ABC and Qatar on the up
FedEx was once again the busiest freight airline in the world, while Qatar Airways, AirBridgeCargo (ABC) and All Nippon Airways were among the fastest growers in 2016.
NUMBER ONE: Leading airfreight forwarders revealed - DHL maintains top spot
DHL Global Forwarding, Kuehne+Nagel (K+N), DB Schenker and UPS maintained their position as the leading four airfreight forwarders in 2016, while DSV’s acquisition of UTi propelled it up the list.
News/ Picture Source: http://www.aircargonews.net/news/airline/single-view/news/air-cargo-news-most-popular-stories-in-2017.html


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eBay is well-known in China as a platform for exporters seeking to sell Chinese-manufactured goods abroad, but it’s easy to overlook the fact that it has another “hidden” role as an importer.
eBay China News & Insights
eBay entered the Chinese market early with the acquisition of China's local e-commerce company Eachnet, who operated very similar to the eBay auction model. With the rise of Taobao from Alibaba, offering free product listings, it didn't take long for Eachnet to fall behind.
eBay China History
In August 1999, eachnet.com was founded in Shanghai by a Chinese entrepreneur fresh out of Harvard Business School.
In March 2002, eBay invested in $30 million in eachnet.com becoming strategic partners.
In July 2003, eBay acquired EachNet paying about $150 million in cash.
In 2004, eBay plugged EachNet into its global network.
In 2005, China online auction site Taobao.com, a branch of Alibaba.com, conducted transactions worth 9.7 billion yuan (about US$1.2 billion), beating eBay China to become the country’s leading online auction site.
In 2006, eBay launched a joint venture with the Chinese Internet company TOM Online.
In 2007, eBay China has two websites: eachnet.com for local auctions and eBay.cn for a global platform.
In April 2012, Eachnet was no longer an eBay company but wholly-owned subsidiary of Tom Group.
Recently, Wechat payment is discussing cooperation with some e-commerce websites on importing business and overseas e-commerce including eBay.


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Australian supermarket operator Coles is expanding its partnership with Relex. The company is now implementing the Relex Living Retail platform in its spirits division Coles Liquor. Already a year ago, Coles decided to optimise its complex supply chain for fresh products with software from the Finnish specialist, as the Retail Optimiser reported.
Coles Liquor will deploy the Relex solution across its current 931 stores from banners Liquorland, First Choice Liquor Market and Vintage Cellars, as well as its five Australian distribution centres. With the move, the retailer will automate its planning and replenishment processes. It intends to guarantee better product availability for customers.
More transparency with artificial intelligence
Relex Living Retail software uses strong, centralised computing power in the cloud and artificial intelligence to analyse large amounts of data. This will allow Coles Liquor long-term planning across the entire supply chain. The system provides visibility on stock levels across all distribution channels.
The company has invested in the solution to ensure availability of the right goods in the right place at the right time. The aim is to optimise stock levels and avoid out-of-stock situations, which is set to benefit customers, stores and suppliers alike.
Coles expects significantly higher operational efficiency from automating its replenishment and identified this as a key project on the way to become a true omni-channel business. Expanding the investment to another business area shows that the solution for fresh produce has already proven successful.


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Google Sued by Apple Safari Users in UK
A group of U.K. users is suing Google for "snooping" on their activities while they were using the Apple Safari Web browser.Google, six months after being fined $22.5 million by U.S. regulators for bypassing privacy settings on Apple's Safari Web browser, is now being sued by a group of U.K.-based residents for allegedly "snooping" on their online search activities while they were using Safari. The lawsuit echoes a similar one filed early last year by Safari users in the United States. The court action in the U.K., which does not specify how many people are represented, was announced Jan. 27 by British law firm Olswang. The U.K. lawsuit will seek damages from Google "for undermining the security settings on Apple's Safari browser to track online usage covertly," according to the statement. The group also started a Facebook page, "Safari Users Against Google's Secret Tracking," to publicize its efforts as part of the worldwide Data Privacy Day, which is being celebrated Jan. 28.
"Google has a responsibility to consumers and should be accountable for the trust placed in them," Dan Tench, an attorney representing the plaintiffs for Olswang, said in a statement. "We hope that they will take this opportunity to give Safari users a proper explanation about what happened, to apologize and, where appropriate, compensate the victims of their intrusion."


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SES HD PLUS Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of SES, a global content connectivity solutions provider, has commenced its operations in Ghana with the launch of HD+.
This means television viewers in Ghana can now access their favourite local TV channels in high definition (HD) picture quality on their system.
A media release issued in Accra on December 17, 2020, said the HD+ decoder offered viewers in Ghana up to 12 of the most watched and loved free-to-air (FTA) channels in high-definition quality in addition to over 100 standard definition (SD) channels.
A one-time activation via the USSD short code *879# is required to unlock a free trial period of two months.
After the free trial period is over, Ghanaians can continue to enjoy the HD+ ‘FeeliFeeli’ experience by subscribing for a package via the HD+ USSD code for GH¢25 a month.
The statement said customers who would opt for quarterly and yearly payments would be able to enjoy further discounts from the standard monthly package.
According to an IPSOS survey conducted recently by HD PLUS Ghana, about 50 per cent of TV homes in Ghana had an HD TV.
The survey revealed that while there were several international HD channels, there was only one FTA local channel in HD, with the rest of the local channels in SD, while over 95 per cent of households surveyed also said they were willing to pay for the high-quality viewing experience.
At the launch of HD+ in Accra, the Director of SES HD PLUS Ghana, Mr Theodore Asampong said the introduction of HD+ into the Ghanaian market was in response to the high demand for better picture quality among satellite television viewers in the country.
“We are aware of the high demand for superior picture quality among television viewers, and are confident that the introduction of HD+ in Ghana will address this need and transform the way Ghanaians view content,” he said.
“It is noteworthy that local entertainment still leads in Ghana in terms of content, and the fact that HD+ brings the top 12 local stations to Ghanaian viewers in high definition will be truly revolutionary.”
“We have come with a promise of high quality, and this will be delivered in the spirit of agile and unconventional service provision,” he added.
Since 2009, SES HD PLUS Ghana’s parent company, SES, has been partnering local businesses to increase the availability of free-to-air TV channels to the majority of homes across the West and Central African market.
Apart from offering over 100 FTA channels in standard definition, SES HD PLUS Ghana is collaborating with some local television stations to deliver their content in high-definition quality.


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Fitness trackers may help some people get more out of using a weight loss app, a new survey suggests.
The survey, which involved more than 5,000 people who use the popular weight loss app Lose It!, found that 60 percent of users said they lost more weight when they paired a fitness tracker with the app, compared with when they didn't use a tracker. In fact, 96 percent of the responders said they were using an activity tracker along with the app.
Adding a fitness tracker to the app may provide "another level of accountability" for users, said Charles Teague, CEO of Lose It! "Motivation is a major factor in helping our members lose weight and it was exciting to see the role connecting an activity tracker to Lose It! can play," Teague told Live Science.
The survey also showed that 92 percent of users said using a fitness tracker with the app helps them stay motivated.
However, it may be that people who use this app are more dedicated to their fitness trackers than people who don't. Eighty-seven percent of Lose It! users said they wear their activity tracker every day, and 78 percent said they have used their activity tracker for a year or more. This is in contrast to another recent survey, which found that about one-third of Americans who own a fitness tracker or smartwatch abandon the device within six to 12 months. [Fantasy Fitness Tracker: 8 Absolutely Must-Have Features]
Using one of the best fitness trackers in conjunction with the app may give users a better overall picture of their health, Teague said. The Lose It! app calculates how many calories users should consume per day to achieve their weight loss goals, and includes a calorie tracker and a database of foods. Users can also manually log their exercise and weight, and challenge friends to compete toward a particular goal.
But the app does not automatically track workouts, sleep or weight, and can only track steps automatically if people are using an iPhone 5S or iPhone 6, and this is where a fitness tracker may step in.
Dr. Mitesh S. Patel, an assistant professor of medicine and health care management at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, noted that the new survey was not a scientific study, so there are limitations to what people can draw from the findings. For example, users did not have their weight measured objectively, so it's not clear whether they really did lose weight, Patel said.
Patel, who was not involved in the research, agreed that the people who responded to the survey are probably more motivated than the average person in the population.
And it's likely not the wearable device itself that's causing people to lose weight, but rather how the wearable or the app engages users to motivate them to change their behavior, Patel said.
Although wearable devices have the potential to help people change their behaviors, more studies need to be done to look at which engagement strategy works best for users, Patel said. These studies should be well designed and include a control group (for example, a group that does not use a fitness tracker, to be compared with a group that does).
Patel and colleagues are in the process of studying which strategies help motivate people the most to change their behavior. A previous study from Patel's group found that most smartphone apps are just as good at counting steps as wearable devices.
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Rachael is a Live Science contributor, and was a former channel editor and senior writer for Live Science between 2010 and 2022. She has a master's degree in journalism from New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. She also holds a B.S. in molecular biology and an M.S. in biology from the University of California, San Diego. Her work has appeared in Scienceline, The Washington Post and Scientific American.


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Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Hosts Messaging Workshop and Demo Day
Over 100 Wireless Technology Professionals and Analysts Converge to Discuss the Future of Mobile Messaging
BROOKLYN, NY–(Marketwire/AsiaNet Pakistan – Jul 23, 2012) – The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) announced today the availability to the public of presentations given July 12, 2012 at the OMA Messaging Workshop held in Brooklyn, NY. The workshop was held in conjunction with the OMA Demo Day and brought together technology professionals from across the mobile industry to discuss the merits of standardized fully interoperable messaging, as well as future directions for messaging technology.
“The OMA Messaging Workshop offered an open forum for technology leaders to discuss the history of messaging interoperability and the achievements standards have allowed us to make, as well as to debate the future of messaging and the standardization needed to serve a variety of messaging applications and the networks upon which they run,” stated Kevin Holley, Vice Chair of the Board, OMA, who chaired the workshop.
Presenters included representatives from organizations such as Samsung, SK Telecom, Telecom Italia, AT&T, Comverse, Ericsson, Huawei, The Mobile Entertainment Forum, OpenMarket, Drakontas and Telefonica. In addition, views were presented from mobile industry analysts Dean Bubley and Alan Quayle. Information was exchanged regarding the various forms of messaging, including SMS, RCS, “over-the-top” models and in-application messaging.
“Mobile messaging is a global success story and OMA is once again demonstrating its standardization leadership and future insight to the worldwide messaging community,” stated Mark Cataldo, Chairman of the Board, OMA.
The entire workshop, as well as the OMA Demo Day, which showcased demos of a variety of OMA enablers for messaging and other applications, will be made available on video in the coming weeks at www.openmobilealliance.org.
The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) delivers open specifications for creating interoperable services that work across all geographical boundaries, on any bearer network. OMA’s specifications support the billions of new and existing fixed and mobile terminals across a variety of mobile networks. Driven by the global demand for mobile data services, the member companies of the Open Mobile Alliance support the adoption of new and enhanced information, communication and entertainment solutions.
The Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) name and logo are registered trademarks of the Open Mobile Alliance Ltd. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks or trade names of their owners.


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In a bid to enter the lucrative Indian market, Israeli hospitality chain Dan Hotels begins its global journey from Bengaluru. “When we wanted to expand globally, we noticed that Bengaluru, as India’s Silicon Valley, has a lot in common with Israel, known as the Silicon Valley of West Asia. Bengaluru’s booming growth, which is faster than other Indian cities, attracted us to open our first hotel ‘The Den’ outside Israel in Bengaluru,” Dan Hotel’s Chief Executive Ronen Nissenbaum said.Dan Hotel was co-founded by brothers Yekutiel and Shmuel Federmann as a luxury hospitality chain in the year 1947 and has 14 properties across seven cities in Israel. With the launch of its first international property in Bengaluru, Dan becomes the first Israeli hospitality group to own a five-star luxury hotel in the subcontinent.“Our hotel chain is about creating luxury spaces, particularly for millennials. We wanted to see if our 70 years of success in Israel can be replicated in Bengaluru,” Nissenbaum said at the official opening of The Den in the garden city.
Agents & Brokers Attorneys & Title Companies Bureau of Economic Analysis Bureau of Labor Statistics Confidence Consumer spending GDP Investors Lenders & Servicers Mark Lieberman Personal income Processing Service Providers 2013-06-27 Mark Lieberman June 27, 2013 472 Views With a boost from the calendar, personal income rose 0.5 percent in May–faster than economists had forecast–while personal consumption went up an unsurprising 0.3 percent the “”Bureau of Economic Analysis””:http://bea.gov/newsreleases/national/pi/2013/pdf/pi0513.pdf (BEA) reported Thursday. [IMAGE]Data for April was revised to show income grew $18.3 billion instead of the originally reported $5.6 billion decline. Data on spending for April was unchanged.Government transfer payments–primarily Social Security–accounted for $19.2 billion of the $69.4 billion monthly increase in spending. Since June 1 fell on a Saturday, Social Security payments were distributed on Friday, May 31. Social Security payments can fluctuate in months that begin on a weekend, with payments accelerated to the last business day of the previous month.Compensation–including wages and salaries–went up $24 billion in May after a weak $9.1 billion increase in April. Farm income, which had been a drag on personal income in April, dropped again in May, down $6.7 billion as farmers struggle with crop-destroying heavy rains following a crippling drought. The April decline in farm income–revised to $6.7 billion–was the first month-over-month decline in farm income since December, when it fell $1.0 billion. Farm income in May 2012 grew $0.6 billion.Unemployment insurance payments–which were affected by the sequester cuts that took effect at the end of March–were down $23.6 billion from May 2012 to $60 billion.Disposable personal income (essentially after-tax income) rose $57 billion in May month, but with consumer spending up $28.5 billion, personal savings increased to $387.6 billion–or 3.2 percent–of disposable income compared with 3.0 percent in April.Personal consumption fell $49.6 billion in April, which means for the first two months of the quarter, spending–which represents about 70 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP)–was down a net $10.6 billion, suggesting a weak GDP report for the second quarter.Personal spending on goods increased $22.3 billion in May after dropping $5.1 billion in April. Spending on services fell $4.3 billion in May after falling the same amount in April.Spending on durable goods–a sign of confidence because they are usually financed with borrowing–rose $14 billion in May after increasing just $2.5 billion in April. Spending on non-durable goods rose $10.2 billion in May after dropping $6.3 billion in April.With interest rates remaining low, personal interest payments on non-real estate related debt fell $0.5 billion in May.The personal consumption expenditure (PCE) price index–the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation since it measures actual spending, not prices–rose 0.1 percent in May compared with a 0.3 percent decline in April. The year-over-year PCE inflation rate was 1.0 percent in May compared with 0.7 percent in April.The core PCE price index (excluding food and energy) rose 0.1 percent in May after no change in April. The core PCE inflation rate was 1.1 percent in May, unchanged from April._Hear Mark Lieberman next Friday on P.O.T.U.S. Radio, Sirius-XM 124, at 6:20 a.m. Eastern._ Personal Income, Spending Rise in May in Data, Government, Origination, Servicing Share
in Data, Government, Origination, Secondary Market, Servicing Share In the Dallas area, “”Matt Martin Real Estate Management LLC””:http://www.mmrem.com/ (MMREM) welcomed Jo Ann Kruse as COO of MMREM and its subsidiaries.[IMAGE]Kruse brings three decades of experience to her new post, coming to MMREM from her most recent position at the Impac Companies in California, where she served in several senior positions over the past six years. Under her [COLUMN_BREAK]guidance, mortgage production quadrupled to more than $3.6 billion in annual run rate.Prior to that, she held senior and executive risk management positions at Countrywide, Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, and KPMG.Matt Martin, chairman and CEO of MMREM, said Kruse’s experience in managing and growing organizations “”will be invaluable as MMREM continues to expand.””””MMREM has experienced tremendous growth over the last few years, and as we continue to grow in size and business offerings, we need an executive of Jo Ann’s caliber to keep the operations running at optimal levels,”” Martin said.For her part, Kruse said she’s excited to work with MMREM, “”a very dynamic company with a tremendous future.””””I look forward to bringing my experience to this energetic team and managing the operations as MMREM grows to serve the private and public sectors with the industry’s most effective real estate services,”” she said. New,Matt Martin Real Estate Management Appoints COO Agents & Brokers Attorneys & Title Companies Investors Lenders & Servicers Movers & Shakers Processing Service Providers 2014-01-08 Tory Barringer January 8, 2014 479 Views
Share in Daily Dose, Data, Headlines The risk of mortgage application defects has dropped across the nation, but in the states ravaged by hurricanes, it seems that trend has gone out the window. According to the September 2017 Loan Application Defect Index released this morning by First American, defects are on the rise in both Florida and Texas.At the national level, the total frequency of “defects, fraudulence, and misrepresentation in the information submitted in mortgage loan applications is down,” dropping 1.2 percent from August to September. It’s also down 18.6 percent since its high point in October 2013, but up more than 20 percent since September of last year.September marked the second month this year that defects did not rise, according to Mark Fleming, First Am’s Chief Economist.”In July and August, we reported that the Loan Application Defect Index didn’t rise, which was good news given that loan application defect, fraud and misrepresentation risk had risen throughout 2017,” Fleming said. “In September, the overall risk of defects, fraud, and misrepresentation declined for the first time this year, although there are regions with higher defect risk due to recent natural disasters.”In Florida, the risk of defect rose 2.2 percent for the month, and in Texas, it jumped by 1.2 percent over August. Rates of defect had been on the decline prior to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. According to Fleming, this uptick was to be expected.”Unfortunately, historical data indicates that natural disasters and loan application defect risk go hand-in-hand,” Fleming said. “Our defect, misrepresentation and fraud risk index identified signs of this risk trend in Texas and Florida this month and particularly in Houston, where risk increased the most among all the major markets we track.”Houston, in particular, experienced a big rise in risk, with the frequency of fraud, misrepresentation, and other defects jumping 7.2 percent for the month. This was the largest month-over-month uptick in all the nation’s top 50 markets and is likely due to severe flooding in the area.“Flooding is associated with elevated risk for misrepresentation of collateral risk condition,” First Am reported.See the full Defect Index at FirstAm.com. October 31, 2017 571 Views Defect Risk Drops—But Not in Hurricane-hit States defect risk Florida HOUSING hurricanes mortgage texas 2017-10-31 Aly J. Yale
You might also be interested in Speculation mounts over Dole corporate office move … Total Produce’s 2018 revenues rise 18% on back of … U.S.: Dole inks deal for executive office in uptow … Dole’s third-quarter financial results were hit by challenges in its Fresh Vegetable segment, according to Ireland-based Total Produce.In July this year, Total Produce completed a 45% acquisition of Dole’s issued share capital for US$300 million.In an announcement today, the company said that Dole’s adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was registered at US$45.4 million compared to US$50.1 million last year. It said this reflected a US$7.4 million EBITDA reduction in Fresh Vegetables. “Dole Fresh Vegetables has been affected by an industry-wide safety notice, not directly linked to Dole, and an oversupply resulting in lower pricing,” Total Produce said.”As previously announced, this also reduced Dole’s first-half EBITDA by c.US$30m, prior to the investment by Total Produce.”However, Total Produce said that Dole’s fresh fruit division performed “strongly”.In addition, during the third quarter, Dole sold its corporate headquarters for US$50 million and recognized a net gain of US$7.3 million, which is not included in the above adjusted EBITDA.Local media reported the sale of the 10-acre headquarters in September. The California corporate campus, located in Los Angeles County, was sold to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, according to the LA Business Journal. November 19 , 2018 Dole trucks attacked in Honduras as protests build …
West LondonPortobello Road Market, Notting Hill: An unmissable London shopping experience and one of the most famous street markets in the world. It’s easy to spend hours browsing along this mile of shops and stalls selling vintage clothing, rare antiques, gifts, souvenirs, and street food. The market is in full swing on Saturday – arrive by 11:30am to avoid the crowds.Top shops:Saddle up in Wild West style at Jessie Western – a visual feast of cowboy boots, Stetson hats, fringed suede jackets and Navajo turquoise jewellery sourced by its sister owners. Just a few shops down is Alice’s antiques, with rare, out-of-the-ordinary vintage finds.Knightsbridge: This glitzy area of London is synonymous with luxury.Shoe Heaven, HarrodsTop shops:World-famous Harrods is a spectacular emporium of prestigious brands and all things luxury, including its dedicated Shoe Heaven department, and Toy Kingdom for little shoppers.North LondonCamden Market:A series of adjoining markets, you’ll find a maze of stalls and some of the most unusual shops in London here, with punk clothing and tattoo parlours aplenty. Full of atmosphere, the markets are open every day and busiest at the weekends. Browse home decor, boho fashion, crafts and trinkets, jewellery, books and vintage in the original Camden Lock Market. The adjoining Stables Market, a former horse hospital, has 700 stalls selling wares ranging from antiques to alternative fashion.High Street, CamdenTop shops:Clothing clubbers for over 20 years, Cyberdog is a Camden institution. This neon-lit, three-floor wonderland specialises in dancewear and fluorescent futuristic fashion. You can’t miss it – two giant robot statues flank the large doorway. East LondonShoreditch: Now a shopping destination in its own right, Shoreditch is renowned for vintage outlets alongside big brands, designer boutiques, indie labels and eclectic gift shops.Top shops:After browsing indie labels like Wondaland and Knowledge Cotton in Aida, shoppers can get their hair and make-up done at the store’s vintage beauty salon. insider guidelondonshoppingtravel tips Box Park: This ‘pop-up shopping mall’ housed in shipping containers is a mix of contemporary lifestyle stores and cafés.The Gift BoxTop shops:Pärla is a curated selection of beautiful jewellery by various designers, chosen by the store’s owner. Be inspired by quirky, bright home accessories, creative books, artwork and funky stationery at The Gift Box. Brick Lane: This buzzing area has become as famous for its shopping as its curries! Sunday UpMarket in the Old Truman Brewery is a mélange of 140 creative traders, and lauded as one of London’s best markets for new designers.Top shops:Pam Pam caters for ‘girls who aren’t girly girls’, with a room dedicated to women’s trainers. Rough Trade East on Dray Walk is arguably London’s best independent music shop and stages in-store gigs. Just off Brick Lane on Hanbury Street is Blitz, the world’s largest vintage department store, with racks of classic rock tees, Japanese kimonos and pastel denim.Spitalfields: Old Spitalfields Market is a vibrant hub for creative traders. On Saturdays and Sundays it’s packed with stalls, including new designers and mouth-watering street food.Top shops:Inspitalfields is a colourful shop for humorous gifts, cards, and unique homecare, while stylish independent boutique The Mercantile London sells selected pieces from affordable European labels– and even has a cute shop dog called Robert!Columbia Road Market: A short walk from Spitalfields, Columbia Road becomes an oasis of foliage and flowers every Sunday, and has 60 independent shops – from art galleries to garden shops – as well as pubs, delis and cafés to refuel in.Columbia RoadHackney Walk: A large new discount fashion district featuring savings of up to 70 per cent on brands including Burberry, Nike, and cult shoe brand, UGG.Oxford Street – Light Up Christmas for Children Campaign/ oxfordstreet.co.uk Pre-Christmas London is charming. The streets, the lights, the bustle, and the shopping – nothing like escaping a chilly London street in December for the warmth inside a shop … and another shop … and another shop.Visit Britain has produced an Insider Guide to London Shopping, just in time for pre-Christmas visitors to the city.Central LondonOxford Street: This iconic retail hub is home to more than 300 shops and flagship stores.Oxford Street – Light Up Christmas for Children Campaign/ oxfordstreet.co.ukTop shops:Beloved British department store John Lewis, legendary Selfridges near Marble Arch, and the huge flagship Primark store near Tottenham Court Road is heaven for bargain hunters. Trend-conscious shoppers flock to the colossal Topshop/Topman Oxford Circus, famous for its extensive collections of up-to-the-minute fashion.Regent Street: Arching from Oxford Circus to Piccadilly Circus, this elegant street is home to some of London’s oldest, most famous shops.Top shops:Luxury British heritage brand Burberry’s four-floor flagship store is visually stunning. Britain’s most famous toy shop, Hamleys, has been trading for more than 250 years and sells every toy or game imaginable over its six floors. Founded in 1875, one-of-a-kind artsy department store Liberty, just behind Regent Street, is famous for its floral prints and large selection of pieces by young British designers.Iconic LibertyCarnaby Street:Step under the iconic arched Carnaby Street sign to this funky area between Regent Street and Oxford Street with over 100 shops – a mix of boutiques, shoe and denim brands and heritage brands like Dr Martens.Carnaby Street, LondonTop shops:Get expert make-up advice or a makeover at the Benefit Store. Check out distinctive ‘Rock & Roll Couture’ jewellery at The Great Frog, where every piece is hand crafted on site and niche clientele since 1972 include actor Johnny Depp, rock legends Metallica and supermodel Kate Moss.Covent Garden: One of London’s prettiest, most diverse shopping areas. Check out arts and crafts at Covent Garden Market and King Street for classy brands like Sandro and Jo Malone London. Deviate from the mainstream in bohemian Neal’s Yard, a brightly painted courtyard lined with vegan cafés and home to ethical beauty brand Neal’s Yard Remedies for the last 30 years. Seven Dials is a network of seven atmospheric streets lined with international fashion brands stores, boutiques and beauty salons.Neal’s Yard, Covent GardenTop shops:In Seven Dials, Beadworks Bead Shop has a huge range of unique beads from all over the world. Check out British jewellery brand Tatty Devine’s playful, kitsch acrylic statement pieces – in the Seven Dials store you can design your own personalised Name necklace and have it made on the spot!
DriveAway has announced the asset purchase of one of its competitors, GlobalCARS, with the acquisition closing on Wednesday night and operations and team transferred to DriveAway’s head office in North Sydney.“DriveAway’s acquisition provides a niche opportunity to further improve the company’s position as the leading self-drive operator in Australia and New Zealand,” said DriveAway managing director, Chris Hamill. “We continue to look for competitive advantages and opportunities and I am delighted with the purchase and the opportunity for our business.”Founded in 1999, GlobalCARS provides car and motorhome hire, European Car Leasing and accommodation options to the independent traveller heading overseas. car leasingdriveDriveAwayGlobalCarsself-drive
Comments Share Nevada officials reach out to D-backs on potential relocation What an MLB source said about the D-backs’ trade haul for Greinke Top Stories D-backs president Derrick Hall: Franchise ‘still focused on Arizona’ It’s been a full week since Indianapolis Colts owner JimIrsay and Peyton Manning held their emotional pressconference announcing that the future Hall of Famer wasdone in Indy.Since then, Manning has embarked on a whirlwind tour ofvisits that’s taken him from Miami to Denver to Phoenix toIndianapolis to Raleigh-Durham, where he’s set to meetwith the Tennessee Titans. And in that week, the group of the likeliest cities forManning to call home has changed a little bit, at leastaccording to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Cardinals expect improving Murphy to contribute right away
Nevada officials reach out to D-backs on potential relocation “That’s the kind of person he was, and that’s the way heplayed the game. He loved the game and he competed everytime he stepped between those white lines. I relished theopportunity to compete against him because I knew what I wasgoing to get, I knew who I was playing against every time.” Top Stories Cardinals expect improving Murphy to contribute right away Wednesday was a sad day for all in the National FootballLeague as news spread that 12-time Pro Bowl linebackerJunior Seau passed away at the age of 43, the victim of anapparent suicide.Former Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner joined ArizonaSports 620’s Burns & Gambo Wednesday, and remembered hisfellow All-Pro.“He was a special player and individual. I got a chance toknow him over the course of my career, and he was one of myfavorite guys,” Warner said. “So many times, I rememberseeing him at the Pro Bowl and he was one of those guys whowas always playing with his kids, was always interacting,was always happy to engage with the fans. D-backs president Derrick Hall: Franchise ‘still focused on Arizona’ What an MLB source said about the D-backs’ trade haul for Greinke Comments Share
The Cardinals finished the season ranked 12th in the NFL in total offense, with their 23.7 points per game placing them 16th. They scored at least 20 points in seven of their last eight games, and tallied 27 or more in six of their last nine.As to the quarterback specifically, Palmer completed 65 percent of his passes for 2,361 yards and 14 touchdowns with just eight interceptions over the second half of the season, posting a QB rating of 95.3 over that stretch. Was it simply a matter of him getting comfortable? That’s what the coaches seem to think, so assuming Palmer plays at least to the level he did last season and can remain healthy, the Cardinals may not need to find a new signal caller for a couple more seasons after this one. In fact, the coach believes Palmer has plenty of football left in him.“He’s in great condition, he’s always in great condition,” Arians said from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis Friday. “So I would think he could be playing up to 36, 37 easily.”Palmer is still under contract with the Cardinals, and as of now there does not seem to be an heir apparent on the roster. Of course, that could change in May’s draft — where the Cardinals select 20th in the first round — but from the way it sounds, Arians and the team don’t view quarterback as a big-time need. And with how the offense fared last season, especially in the season’s second half, the coach has reason to believe big changes are not needed. “I thought the last eight games we were real close,” Arians said of the offense being where he wanted it to be. “We were running the football much better, and it helped our offensive line so much. Our receivers and quarterbacks got on the same page. Third-down efficiency improved, red zone started to improve.“So we were playing the way we want to play the second half of the season. I was extremely pleased with where we were offensively.” The 5: Takeaways from the Coyotes’ introduction of Alex Meruelo Carson Palmer is a 34-year-old quarterback coming off a season in which he threw for 4,274 yards and 24 touchdowns. He was also intercepted 22 times and fumbled six times, but for the most part, he was a solid quarterback who gave the Arizona Cardinals a chance to win each week. And win they did, finishing the season with a 10-6 record.Though Palmer is a veteran who just finished his 10th NFL season, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians sees no reason to think the former number one pick is nearing the end of his career. Comments Share Top Stories Grace expects Greinke trade to have emotional impact Former Cardinals kicker Phil Dawson retires Derrick Hall satisfied with D-backs’ buying and selling


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Four outstanding RISD alumnae were among 16 women artists recognized in an Artsy editorial for advancing design in the US.
Seven RISD alumni are included in Sight Unseen’s recently released 2016 American Design Hot List.
Furniture Design and Textiles students in a research studio called Textile into Furniture paired off to design unique pieces of furniture incorporating advanced fabrics and techniques.
New Furniture Design faculty member Patty Johnson collaborates with master craftspeople around the world, exploring how objects are transformed by material and culture.
As a summer intern at Speak Up Africa, Julia Steketee 18 FD learned about Senegal and how to use her design skills to help people.
As a summer intern at the American Museum of Natural History in NYC, dual degree student Joyce Lin BRDD 17 FD helped to fabricate a groundbreaking biodiversity exhibit.
For Jacob Riley-Wasserman 12 FD, what started as a companion piece for an outdoor grill became a way for the furniture maker to leave a legacy in his fight against cancer, even after his death last winter.
Artists, scientists, designers and educators share ideas and stimulate new avenues of thought at RISD’s biennial Design Science Symposium.
Eight RISD students in Furniture Design and Textiles are exhibiting crocheted and knitted furniture as part of Italy’s renowned design triennial.


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Omnibus, other reforms to bring in $4b more taxes in new fiscal year
THE Government plans to implement further tax reform — including the removal of most exemptions and all zero rated items for GCT — in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins April 1.
But an Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) study shows that the new omnibus legislation and other measures already put in place should conservatively bring in an additional US$38million ($3.9 billion) in tax revenue next fiscal year (FY2014/15).
The full impact of the reform measures is estimated to be US$125 million, but the multilateral lender projected that just 30 per cent would be realized in FY 2014/15, and that the benefits would gradually increase over the next few years until they are fully realized in 2016/17.
The bulk of the increased revenue from existing tax reform measures in the upcoming fiscal year is expected to come from corporate tax — US$11 million — followed by GCT, US$10.9million and changes to tax incentive laws, which is expected to claw back US$6.9 million from businesses next year alone.
IDB documents accompanying recently approved funding an US$80 million loan for fiscal structural programme for economic growth stated that broader tax reform will become effective at the start of FY2014/15.
"The tax reform should include legislation to modernise income tax, customs tariffs, and social security contributions, including the administration of the National Insurance Scheme (NIS),"said IDB documents, which add that tax and tariff exemptions in all major taxes, excepting for a limited number of specific goods and services, would be greatly reduced.
Changes to GCT include the removal of Government purchases from the GCT zero rate list and a broadening of the the tax base by limiting the zero rate to exports and reducing the number of exempted goods and services.
The IDB document also reiterated that an evaluation of the possibility of further broadening the GCT tax base by including petroleum products within the GCT taxable base is being done.
"Including petroleum products in the GCT requires adjustment of the SCT to ensure consumer prices of petroleum products and its derivatives do not change significantly," said IDB documents.
On the other hand, depending on the improvements in revenue associated with these reforms, the Government will consider a phased reduction of the statutory rates of the main taxes.
"The Government is considering a prudent reduction in tax rates after FY 2014/15," the document continued. "This reduction will be subject to improvements in revenue associated with the initial reforms implemented in FY 2013/14 and FY 2014/15.
The IDB study was prepared to estimate the financial benefits generated by the introduction of a set of fiscal reforms aimed at strengthening the country's fiscal position as well as at achieving the sustainability of public financing and of economic growth.


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We read in a China Daily article that the Hurun Report stated, "High-rollers in Beijing need to spend at least 87 million yuan [AU $15,209,688] on property, cars and other luxury goods in order to be regarded as one of the city's ‘new aristocrats’, or upper class."
This article also reveals that in Beijing, they consider Cartier as their favourite luxury brand, and are not as fond of Louis Vuitton. Which we have to say surprises us, given the growth of the Louis Vuitton brand in China and also the Chinese tourists in Australia purchasing up the brand to take home. Mercedes Benz at 1 million Yuan (AU $174,824) or BMW is their car of choice, they wear Bvlgari platinum and diamond watches and invest in art, amongst other things.
Another article in the Shanghai Daily, entitled Luxury Living Getting Tougher, offered another interesting overview of China’s luxury industry. It said, “Despite the slower pace, the price of luxury products rose steadily as a result of inflation. Because rich people's income rises faster than for average people, the inflation for rich people is much higher," said Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and Chief Researcher of Hurun Report magazine, which is known for its "China Rich List".
The Shanghai Daily article revealed that, “Price hikes for cigars, liquor and MBA education contributed most to the rising luxury living cost."
*The Hurun Report, established in 1999, is regarded by some as the foremost authority in tracking the rapid changes among China's high net worth individuals.
Article by: Melinda O'Rourke


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Steak ‘n Shake Inc. has temporarily closed 103 company operated restaurants this year as the brand’s parent company looks for a franchise partner to take over the units, according to a mid-year regulatory document filed by Biglari Holdings Inc.
The brand has more than doubled the number of temporary closures since the first quarter, when it reported 44 temporary closures in May. At least one of the temporarily closed restaurants has reopened in St. Louis. It is now being operated by a local franchisee, according to the St. Louis Post-Disptach.
“Since 2017, Steak 'n Shake has experienced sales declines, which is the primary reason for Steak 'n Shake’s lower profitability. To mitigate the sales declines and increase profitability, Steak 'n Shake is emphasizing its franchise partnership,” the San Antonio, Texas-based company said in an Aug. 2 quarterly report.
Same-store sales at Steak ‘n Shake declined 5.9% in the second quarter ended June 30. Guest traffic dropped 9.2%.
For the past three completed fiscal years, Steak ‘n Shake’s same-same-store sales have declined 5.1%, 1.8% and 0.4%, respectively, according to NRN Top 200 research.
In a February statement to shareholders, Biglari chairman Sardar Biglari said Steak ‘n Shake’s disappointing three years can be attributed to failing at speed and service.
“Despite our unwavering dedication to product quality and low prices, we erroneously stayed with equipment and kitchen design that was ill-suited for volume production,” the shareholder letter stated. “The effect has been high-cost, labor-intensive slow service. We failed customers by not being fast and friendly.”
As of June 30, Biglari had 520 Steak ‘n Shake restaurants and 56 Western Sizzlin restaurants.
Biglari’s revenue from restaurant operations in the second quarter was $160.1 million, down from $200.6 million in the same quarter, last year. The company reported a net loss of $1.4 million from its restaurant operations, compared to a $1.6 million gain in the second quarter of 2018.
Contact Nancy Luna at [email protected]
Follow her on Twitter: @fastfoodmaven


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Keep on reading to know more.
- BLACKPINK's Jennie Becomes 1st Korean Female Soloist To Chart A Song For 15 Weeks On Billboard Hot 100
- March Girl Group Member Brand Reputation Rankings Announced
- BLACKPINK’s Jennie’s “SOLO” Becomes 1st Female K-Pop Solo Artist MV To Hit 1 Billion Views
The newly launched awards show by Hanteo has announced the 10 winners for their First-Week Sales Record Award category.
2021 Hanteo Music Awards Announce the Top 10 Winners of the 'First-Week Sales Record Award'
Hanteo Global, the organizer of the newly launched Hanteo Music Awards in partnership with the global fan community platform Whosfan, announced on December 20 at 6pm KST the Top 10 winners of First-Week Sales Record Award, also known as the Initial Chodong Record Award, this year.
Through Whosfan, Hanteo announced that top K-Pop groups BTS, SEVENTEEN, NCT DREAM, NCT 127, EXO, ENHYPEN, ATEEZ, and Stray Kids, and solo artists EXO's Baekhyun and BLACKPINK's Lisa have won the award for the First-Week Sales Record Award
The First-Week Sales Record Award or Initial Chodong Record Award is given to an artist who ranks in the Top 10 of first-week sales for albums in 2021. This also refers to the sales volume a week after the release of the album, and is seen as a representation of an artist's popularity and the strength of their global fandom.
In particular, the First-Week Sales Record Award of the 2021 Hanteo Music Awards is receiving attention as the winners for this category is based on the album sales data automatically aggregated in real-time by Hanteo Charts from more than 1,200 official retailers of K-Pop albums around the world.
Following the announcement of the ten winners for this award, fans took to their social media to express their congratulations and support for the winning artists.
Accordingly, Hanteo Global announced that they will not only deliver the trophies to the winning artists of the First-Week Sales Record Award, but also use domestic and foreign advertising media outlets to congratulate the winners beginning next week.
More About the 2021 Hanteo Music Awards
In addition to the First-Week Sales Record Award, the 2021 Hanteo Music Awards is also gaining attention for its other award categories, such as the Rookie of the Year, Special Award, Artist Award, and Whosfan Fandom Award, with the latter award's winner to be determined through fan voting, which has already garnered more than 600,000 votes worldwide on Whosfan.
Unlike most awards ceremonies that announce all the winners in one day, the Hanteo Music Awards will be announcing the winners of each category on different dates.
The winner of the Artist Award will be announced on December 27, the Rookie of the Year award on January 3, the Whosfan Fandom Award on January 7, and the Special award on January 10 KST.
Further updates regarding the awards ceremony are to be announced through Hanteo Music Awards' official social media accounts and the Whosfan app.


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The Wall Street Journal last week questioned the validity of vitamin D research conducted by vitamin D pioneer Dr. Michael Holick, whose acceptance of $160,000 in funding from the UV Foundation has ties to the indoor tanning industry.
The UV Foundation is affiliated with the Indoor Tanning Association. The Foundation’s gift to Holick was unrestricted — meaning there were no conditions set on how Holick spent the money, and the money supported the continuation work he had started more than 30 years ago.
“Holick’s support of indoor tanning, when practiced professionally in a non-burning fashion, was documented long before there was a UV Foundation that could contribute to his work. His motivations are above reproach, and anyone who has suggested otherwise owes him an apology,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said.
Read the Journal’s story by clicking here. Levy’s response to the Journal is below:
Sunscreen companies fund tens of millions of dollars annually in research and promotional efforts designed to convince consumers to over-use sunscreen products — to wear sunscreen and cosmetics with sunscreen every day in every climate, even on days when sunburn isn’t a possibility.
So why is it news to the Journal that the UV Foundation, funded by the indoor tanning industry, contributes $160,000 as an unrestricted grant to vitamin D pioneer Dr. Michael Holick — funding he used to continue work he launched in the 1970s, long before the tanning industry even existed? (“Researcher Received Industry Funds”, April 18).
Indoor tanning was created in Europe in the late 1970s to harness the physiological and psychological benefits of regular UV light exposure in light-deprived countries. Vitamin D production has long been established as one of the benefits related to tanning in a non-burning fashion. Sunburn avoidance is the key.
With 1 billion people worldwide deficient in vitamin D, and with vitamin D now identified by hundreds of studies as the key that helps the body prevent abnormal cell growth and, thus, many forms of cancer, the Journal has the story backwards. You should be looking at millions of dollars in research funded by companies who market billions of dollars annually in sunscreen-laced cosmetics for daily usage. That’s the work that has been influenced by the almighty dollar — not Holick’s lifelong work.
To reprimand Holick as you have is to hand out a jaywalking ticket when armed robbery is taking place across the street. You’re focused on the wrong guy.
Holick is a pioneer in the vitamin D research community — a prolific award-winning author of hundreds of papers. The UV Foundation’s gift to Holick amounted to 2 percent of his research budget and was unrestricted — it did not alter his work or his message. You, and all those who have pushed this story, owe Holick an apology.
Joseph Levy, vice president
International Smart Tan Network


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Apple is planning to launch Apple Pay in China by 8 February 2016, according to the Wall Street Journal. “The Cupertino company has struck deals recently with China’s big four state-run banks,” the publication reports. “The effort could still face regulatory hurdles in China, where banking and ecommerce are overseen by a number of government agencies.” Reports that Apple Pay had “hit bumps” in China first emerged in February 2015.
- Rambus explores five key reasons retailers should have a mobile wallet
- TSB to roll out iris scanning tech
- Wells Fargo wants its ‘Control Tower’ to manage your digital financial life
- Mastercard expands QR payments choice
- Amazon Pay Places lets you pay for real-world shopping using your Amazon info


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Finicity was named one of Comparably’s 2019 Best Companies in Salt Lake City. Comparably, a compensation, culture and career monitoring website, recently released its 2019 Best Companies by Region Awards. Finicity is one of 15 companies in Salt Lake City to earn the honor.
The list is determined by employee ratings and collected salary records. You can see the list along with the Best Companies in Seattle, Silicon Valley, Boston, New York and Los Angeles. Read more
Source Media named Finicity to its 2019 Best Fintechs to Work For list as one of the best employers in the financial technology industry. Finicity is one of 50 fintech companies on the list. Read more
Tearsheet’s Michael Deleon explains how data aggregation is the backbone for modern financial technology and also provides a guide on how to find the right data provider. Read more
Finicity CEO Steve Smith shares with Digital Journal his top four trends that are driving financial inclusion: alternative data, open APIs, mobile banking and blockchain. Read more
FICO, Experian and Finicity have provided ways for consumers to introduce data into credit scoring that hasn’t previously been available, Michelle Black writes for Forbes. Both the UltraFICO™ Score and Experian Boost™ will be available this year to help improve credit scores for millions of consumers. Read more
Millions of consumers with little to no credit history can change that by sharing their bank account or utility and phone bill history with Experian and FICO, CBS News’ Matt Schulz writes. The data could eventually lead to greater access to all types of mainstream credit products. Read more
Ann Carns of the New York Times details how Experian Boost helps consumers augment their credit files using phone and utility bill data. The free, optional service can help millions of consumers raise their credit scores that could lead to better interest rates and financial service products. Read more
The Wall Street Journal explains the new Experian Boost with consumer-permissioned data compiled by Finicity. Consumers, especially those with thin files or scores between 580-670, will have even more control over their credit score by providing utility and cellphone payment data which will in turn be added to their credit reports. Read more here (paywall).


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Kanye West’s much-anticipated Donda album has been delayed for more than a year now. In fact, the final release date is still unclear as it has had several setbacks and changes but hopefully, we would be able to get our hands on it within the month of August. However, this hasn’t stopped the artist from hosting listening parties at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to continue to fuel the hype for his upcoming work. A large part of the reason why these listening parties have been so successful is the Donda merchandise offered both at event stalls and online. Although what’s Kanye West merch without the peculiar symbolism and designs? Here’s a roundup of the Kanye West, Donda merch, that has surfaced thus far.
Kanye West Donda Merch: Mercedes-Benz Stadium Longsleeve
The first piece from the unique Donda collection is rather simple. Similar to a less popular merch design that Kanye West approved for his 2004 College Dropout album, this long sleeve dons a large Mercedes-Benz in black against an off-white material. The car manufacturer’s logo is accompanied by text that reads the album’s name as well as when and where the listening party took place. On the back of the long sleeve, we get a picture of Donda West, Kanye’s mother, way back when she was a toddler. According to fans present at the event, the article of clothing is sold for a retail price of $120 (~Php 6k) but ended up making rounds in the resale market for double that price.
Another iteration of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium listening event long sleeve was released. This time around, the piece came in all-black with silver symbolism and text. Unlike the recognizable Benz logo, this iteration boasted a Star of David with a crucifix inside. The unique art is the work of Yeezy’s designer, Demna Gvasalia, who happens to be in sync with Kanye’s vision of having no definitive meaning.
Kanye West Donda Merch: Yeezy x Gap Red Puffer Jacket
On to the more peculiar merch, Kanye West was seen wearing a red puffer jacket along with red pants and sneakers during his listening event. Surprisingly, the jacket wasn’t meant to remain only in Mr. West’s wardrobe, but also for anybody else who wanted it. The jacket is a product of the Yeezy x Gap partnership that also released a blue version of the same jacket earlier this year.
Kanye West Donda Merch: Donda Bullet Proof Vest
The next piece isn’t an official Kanye West merch but instead is definitive proof and statement of the power of a strong fanbase. Part of Kanye’s act in pushing forward his upcoming Donda album was living in one of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium rooms where he live-streamed himself carrying out his daily routine and finishing up the album itself. During the live stream, Kanye was seen wearing a bulletproof vest that flaunted the album’s title on the front and back. Despite the eagerness of fans to purchase the bulletproof vest that Kanye was seen wearing, the jacket did not make the cut for official merch. Yet, that didn’t stop individuals from making knock-offs of the hyped vest and selling it on the event grounds. It just goes to show how resourceful people can be when the demand is there!
Overall, the Kanye West merch for the release of Donda is yet another successful project that has managed to garner millions of dollars in sales while continuously building up the hype for the upcoming album. While it is yet to be confirmed whether or not the proceeds of the merchandise will be donated towards charities, it’s a win-win for Kanye and his team.
Read more about the album here: Kanye West is Back with 10th Studio Album Donda.


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Gossip Girl’s Jessica Szohr is new face of Dove campaign
Photos of the ‘Piranha 3D’ star advertising the product have now been released and Szohr is also the main attraction of a ...
Facebook campaign for the brand, People.com reports.
This comes after the Wall Street Journal revealed research from a Unilever survey that stated 93 per cent of women consider their armpits to be an unattractive part of their body.
But perhaps they might like to take heed of advice from Jessica, who said: “Rocking sleeveless style makes me feel powerful and feminine.”


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Police searching for robbery suspect
Original post made on Mar 11, 2008
Just before 9 a.m. Monday, an employee of the Pak Mail store at 5524 Springdale Ave. was standing behind the store when the suspect drove up in a silver newer-model Lexus sport utility vehicle with silver taillights.
Read the full story here Web Link posted Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 6:09 AM
Special holiday memories about family and traditions; do you have one to share?
By Gina Channell-Allen | 0 comments | 463 views


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Huawei won the first round in its patent lawsuit against ZTE in Germany yesterday when a judge issued a temporary injunction against ZTE.
The court required ZTE to stop selling data cards brandishing Huawei’s RoHS logo, a European Union certification on the restriction of hazardous substances.
Last month, Huawei filed lawsuits in Germany, France and Hungary alleging that ZTE illegally used its trademarked logo on some of its data card products and violated its patents on data cards and LTE technology.
“The injunction is a positive development for Huawei, as it continues to make efforts to protect its intellectual property,” Huawei said in a statement.
Huawei and ZTE, both based in China, are fighting each other for market share as they expand into international markets.
ZTE, which has filed a countersuit against Huawei over LTE patents, called the injunction a “temporary measure” and emphasized that the court had not yet issued a final decision in the case.
“This action is only a temporary relief measure, and ultimately the judgment whether an infringement has occurred is still pending a final court decision,” the company said in a statement.
ZTE claims that it stopped using the contested trademark in July 2009, months before Huawei applied for the trademark with the European Union in November 2009. The European Union granted Huawei a trademark on its RoHS logo in May 2010.
ZTE is also fighting Huawei’s registration of the trademark. The company claims the logo reflects a European Union standard, not a reflection of Huawei’s environmental identity, and should not be trademarked.
“This is like having a minor graphic design around the words ‘energy saving,’ and using it as a trademark for household appliances,” ZTE said in a statement. “There is a clear lack of legitimacy.”
Huawei claims it has tried to negotiate patent licenses with ZTE and issued letters asking the company to stop using its logo.


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A 7-Eleven store was the single issue on which Flying Horse residents would not budge.
They didn’t like the idea of a 24-hour convenience store so close to their neighborhood park or that it would be on a residential road. It was a plan that didn’t meet their expectations of high-end commercial development.
The Colorado Springs Planning Commission disagreed. It approved a plan that would allow the convenience store. It said the concept plan met all the city code requirements.
Flying Horse residents, on Tuesday, took their case to City Council. After hours of discussion, Power Point presentations and tired eyes, they lost.
“We were all disappointed in the outcome, particularly having a gas station less than 200 feet from a neighborhood park, particularly that it has a children’s park,” said resident David Kunstle. “We feel like the neighborhood laid out the risk for the council members. Those who voted to approve decided that a gas station project was more important and to move forward.”
City Council voted 9-0 to rezone 15 acres from agriculture to planned business development; and voted 5-4 to uphold a concept plan that includes the 7-Eleven store. City Council President Keith King and council members Merv Bennett, Andy Pico, Helen Collins and Jill Gaebler voted to approve the concept plan. The zone change will require a second reading, expected in May.
Flying Horse, a neighborhood whose website describes the homes as lavish, is in the far northeast corner of Colorado Springs. All along, commercial development was part of the development plan. Doug Stimple, CEO of Classic Homes and Flying Horse builder, revealed months ago that it was a 7-Eleven store that wanted that spot, at the northwest corner of Highway 83 and North Gate Boulevard.
True, commercial development came as no surprise to homeowners. They said they could have tolerated a liquor store or a fast food joint. But they drew the line at a convenience store that would be open all day and all night. They produced a list of news articles that reported crimes at area convenience stores.
They talked about traffic and views and worried aloud for the safety of children playing in the park, which would be separated from the commercial property only by a ranch-style fence.
They had said all of this to the Planning Commission during two earlier meetings. Maybe the concept plan meets planning criteria, said resident Sarah Mersnick. But is it appropriate, she asked.
“It would be unprecedented to put a 24-hour convenience store so close to a children’s park,” she said.
Residents circled the wagons around the issue of compatibility. City code says a concept must be compatible with existing and proposed land uses surrounding the site, Kunstle said.
There were a few twists in the case. At first the Planning Commission voted 4-4 on the concept plan, effectively denying the project. The developer appealed to the City Council. But the council sent the project back to the commission instead of holding a public hearing. In the second presentation, the concept plan was approved.
“We expressed our concern that by referring this matter back to the Planning Commission, the City Council was simply giving the developer a second bite at the apple to obtain approval for a concept plan that had already been denied,” Kunstle wrote in an appeal to the council. “That is exactly what happened.”
Planning Commissioner Don Magill told the council that the commission considered the impact the 7-Eleven could have on the neighborhood.
“We did not take this decision lightly,” Magill said. “I had dreams about it.”
John Maynard, land planning consultant and principal for N.E.S, the firm involved in Flying Horse since its inception, said there are examples of convenience stores located next to residential development all over the city.
Councilwoman Jan Martin said that might be true, but none as close to a chidrens’ park. She voted no, along with Val Snider, Don Knight and Joel Miller, on the concept plan.
Currently there are no rules on proximity of convenience stores and parks in the city code, said Larry Larsen, city senior planner. It is something that could be changed.
“But it’s not wise to get into specificity,” he said. “Every case can be so different.”
The next step is for the developer to submit a pre-application on the 7-Eleven project. There is no timeline for completion, Larsen said.
“We will want to make sure it’s a good plan,” he said. “We want all concerns addressed.”


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O2 announce roaming data cuts
The EU have announced cuts on roaming data prices for mobile networks, saying that there needs to be a €0.70/MB limit on internet usage to save us all from horrifying surprise bills.
While we wait for everyone to cotton-on, O2 have decided to crack on with reacting to this decision, announcing a new roaming bundle called O2 Travel. The company are saying that this new tariff gives pay-monthly customers 25MB of data for £2 a day when abroad. If you pass the cap, there's a you can buy the bolt-on again.
O2 have said that this new package is purely coincidental (yeah right) and that they didn't need to change data tariffs or prices because they were already in line with EU requirements. Now, bear in mind that the website is still quoting £3/MB for PAYG customers which is five times the EU regulation price.
Either way, at least O2 have actually bothered to do something about roaming charges. Orange and Vodafone are still keeping quiet about their plans and Three, well, they're still trying to work out how to get their users coverage in their own country, let alone a foreign one.


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Dunzo's Dilemma, Startup Seeks $35 Million Lifeline with Drastic Valuation Cut
Dunzo's Drastic Makeover, B2B Focus and Cost-Cutting Measures
4 October 2023
Dunzo, a once-highly valued quick commerce startup, seeks board approval to raise $35 million through a rights issue at a reduced valuation of approximately $200 million, down from its peak valuation of $800 million.
Existing investors have committed $10-15 million at the lowered valuation, pending board approval. Founder and CEO Kabeer Biswas is actively pursuing the board's consent, including input from key shareholders like Reliance Retail and Google.
As part of its survival strategy, Dunzo is transitioning into a business-to-business (B2B) entity, focusing on business customer delivery needs. The company has also implemented cost-saving measures, including layoffs and store closures, while emphasizing Dunzo Merchant Services for its future growth.
Dunzo, the once high-flying quick commerce startup, finds itself at a pivotal crossroads as it seeks approval from its board to secure up to $35 million through a rights issue. However, this much-needed funding comes with a significant caveat: a reduced valuation. According to reports, the beleaguered company's valuation is set to plummet to approximately $200 million, a mere quarter of its peak worth of $800 million. This move reflects the challenging landscape that Dunzo currently navigates, with investors seeking to recalibrate their stakes in the company.
Several of Dunzo's existing investors have expressed their commitment to infuse $10-15 million of capital into the business at this lowered valuation. However, the company's board is yet to give its official nod to this proposal. Dunzo's founder and CEO, Kabeer Biswas, will soon approach the board, including influential shareholders like Reliance Retail and Google, in an attempt to secure the funding required to steer the company through these turbulent waters.
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One investor involved in the discussions revealed, "The current commitment is at around a $200 million valuation. That's also the blended average for most investors in the firm before it was valued at close to $800 million." The underlying commitment to this capital injection is anchored in Dunzo's transformation into a business-to-business (B2B) entity, primarily focused on catering to the delivery needs of business customers. However, a critical precondition for this funding is unanimous agreement on the new valuation among all stakeholders.
This financial conundrum comes on the heels of other significant developments within the company. Co-founder Dalvir Suri is poised to step down from his position as Dunzo grapples with a cash crunch and embarks on a comprehensive organizational restructuring initiative. The startup has already initiated multiple rounds of layoffs, salary reductions, and shuttered half of its dark stores as part of its cost-saving measures.
In its ongoing quest for survival, Dunzo appears to be refocusing its operations. It is moving away from its earlier quick-commerce model and has started offering services through third-party grocery stores. This strategic shift underscores the challenges faced by its consumer-facing business, with discussions centering on the possibility of discontinuation. Dunzo's pivot towards Dunzo Merchant Services, targeting 70-80% of its future business, may be the lifeline it needs to stay afloat in an increasingly competitive landscape.


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It’s no secret to publishers (or readers) that placing ads around stuff people want to read is a deeply imperfect, still-evolving science. In the heyday of printed magazines, advertisers could make only broad assumptions about audiences. Who doesn’t recall flipping past pages of irrelevant ads and choking on cologne samples along the way?
Then came the Web, with its data-powered, keyword-targeted, user-tracking breakthroughs in efficiency and relevancy. But even today, a given Web advertisement commands only a fraction of the dollars that print ads rake in. The worst of those Web ads slide across the page as you’re trying to read, or start blaring audio from one of your browser tabs. And even the less obnoxious ones are slowing down our browsing experience. No wonder ad blockers are so popular.
But what if readers could have relevant, useful ads in a beautifully designed, nonintrusive format? The elegance of magazine ads with the intelligence of Internet ads: that’s what Flipboard is trying to do.
Today, Flipboard–the app that pretty much invented the modern, tablet-based magazine five years ago–is announcing a new ad-targeting system that promises more relevant advertisements to its millions of readers. Using what the company calls “interest graph targeting,” the new feature uses billions of data points about reader behavior to more smartly decide which ads to show to whom.
“For a long time, we’ve been really good at emulating the beauty of print ads,” says Dave Huynh, Flipboard’s head of ad product. “What this allows us to do is recreate that experience where the content and the ads are very, very closely linked. We’re replicating the value of the print model on a massive scale, but on mobile.”
About a year ago, Flipboard relaunched its social magazine app to focus more heavily on topics. That is, instead of just signing up, plugging in your social credentials, and picking your favorite publications, the app started letting users personalize their experience even further by selecting from more than 30,000 areas of interest. This way, even if none of your preselected channels on Flipboard tapped into your passion for typography or growing interest in international relations, you could still clue the app into these things and help it better understand what you’re looking for.
The data generated by this new topic-based system–combined with what Huynh says are “billions and billions of user signals”–has helped Flipboard build out this more detailed interest graph. This has helped Flipboard improve its content curation and discovery for the last year, but now the data is ready to help power ads as well.
And it’s not just about showing GoPro ads to photography or sports enthusiasts. By mining this massive trove of data about reader behavior, Flipboard is able to unlock more nuanced, sometimes counterintuitive, details about what readers are interested in. For instance, Huynh tells me, Flipboard’s data revealed a correlation between beer nerds and coffee enthusiasts–decidedly different beverages, but beloved with the same geeky enthusiasm. This is an unexpected, somewhat interesting connection, but more importantly, could it make an ad campaign for an espresso machine much more cost-effective. Don Draper would have killed for this type of intelligence.
Flipboard’s ads sometimes see click-through rates of 9%, according to Huynh. That may not sound like much, but it’s well above the average seen by Web display ads, which are lucky to go beyond 1%. Presumably, more smartly targeting ads by people’s interests should help boost the performance of some campaigns.
Flipboard’s interest-graph targeting doesn’t launch with any shiny, user-facing toolset. Rather, the team is quietly flipping the switch and letting its data flow more freely behind the scenes.
Five years after the launch of the iPad, tablets are not exactly the savior of publishers that many predicted them to be. But if mobile devices have any hope of helping the content business forge a more lucrative future, it will be features like this that help them get there.


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The number of battery-powered electric vehicles, including plug-in hybrids, surged in Colorado last year, accounting for more than one in 10 new vehicle registrations, according to a quarterly update from the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association.
The market share of battery-only powered vehicles in Colorado went from 4.8% of all new registrations in 2021 to 8.1% last year, representing 15,818 vehicles. Plug-in hybrids, which contain a smaller battery, rose from 1.7% of registrations to 2.4% of the total, or 4,660 vehicles. The two types of electric vehicles accounted for a record 10.5% of registrations.
“Once we get more supply and more electrified models, they will continue to grow in sales. We are two to three years away from it making 20% instead of 10.5%,” predicted Tim Jackson, president and CEO of CADA.
Hybrids, which are recharged by a gasoline engine and don’t plug-in also saw an increase, going from 5.9% of new vehicle registrations or 7.2%, representing 13,938 vehicles last year.
Jackson said manufacturers introduced several more electric models, including more sports utility vehicles and trucks, which provided consumers with a greater variety of options. Anxiety about the number of miles electric vehicles can travel before needing a recharge also appears to be lessening as battery technology improves. And higher gasoline prices, which spiked after Russia invaded Ukraine, contributed to increased interest in alternatives.
“People were looking for ways to not pay $5 a gallon in gasoline. We saw a lot of that in 2022,” he said.
Colorado ranks fifth in the country for its electric-vehicle sales, Jackson said, and sales would have been even greater had manufacturers been able to keep up with demand. That backlog should sustain electric vehicle registrations this year, along with enhanced federal tax credits of $7,500 on some models under the Inflation Reduction Act. And officials are trying to boost the state tax credit for zero-emission vehicles from $2,000 per vehicle to $5,000.
Supply shortages, especially for chips vital to the manufacturing of modern cars and trucks, reduced the number of vehicles dealers could provide, resulting in a 13.3% reduction in new vehicle registrations last year in Colorado. That was below the 14.8% decline measured nationally.
The most popular brands last year in Colorado were Toyota, Ford, Subaru, Chevrolet, Hyundai, Jeep, Honda and Kia. Honda suffered one of the biggest declines among the major brands at 38.8% or nearly three times the overall percentage decline seen last year in Colorado. The biggest gainers included the Ford Bronco, up 90.8%, and Tesla, up 26%.
Used vehicle registrations fell 4.8% last year, although vehicles aged 7 to 10 years old increased registrations by 5.9%, a sign of buyers trying to find more affordable alternatives. Used cars proved popular with consumers who didn’t want to wait for new cars to arrive, but that caused prices to surge, so much so that some 2- or 3-year-old models were selling for as much as new versions.
But used car prices are now falling rapidly and the window for that rare arbitrage opportunity has closed. Jackson also noted that supply-chain disruptions are easing, allowing dealers to build more inventory on their lots. Some dealers who had nothing available in reserve were holding 30% to 50% of what they had in inventory before the pandemic, he said.
The uncertainty generated by the pandemic as well as restrictions in visiting showrooms triggered a 12.7% drop in new vehicle registrations in 2020 in Colorado. But consumers came back with a vengeance in 2021, pushing registrations up 22.9%.
Looking forward, the report predicts greater supply should allow new vehicle registrations to rise from 194,186 in 2022 to 205,500 in 2023 and then 219,500 in 2024, which would be slightly above the number of registrations seen in 2016. But consumers looking to buy will have to deal with higher interest rates and the possibility of a softer job market.
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Search Results For discord store
- Discord Store Will Give 90 Percent Revenue Share to Developers from 2019
Discord has announced it will be giving developer 90 percent of revenue from games sold to developers.
- Discord Store for PC Games Launched Globally
Launched in beta in Canada earlier in the year, the Discord Store for PC games is now available globally albeit, still in beta.
- Discord Wants to Take on Steam by Selling Games
Discord has its sights set on Steam with the Discord Store


text: Cape Town - Leading rugby clothing manufacturers, Canterbury, have come on board as the official equipment suppliers for the 2010 Castle Cape Town Tens tournament which, of course, takes place this weekend!Canterbury will supply match-balls and the referees' kit at the 2010 CT Tens and they will also have their fantastic off-field range on display - and for sale - at Hamilton's throughout the weekend.As an added bonus, Canterbury - who, of course, sponsor the world champion Springboks - will also be kitting out the International Legends team, an invitational side that is set to feature a host of rugby stars.The International Legends - who last year called upon the likes of Bob Skinstad, Robbie Fleck, Zak Feaunati and Kees Meeuws, to name just a few players - will be competing in the Veterans Division of the 2010 CT Tens and will also feature in an exhibition match against the SA Legends at the new Cape Town Stadium as part of the inaugural Cape Town Stadium Rugby Festival.Cape Town Tens Tournament Host Robbie Fleck told capetowntens.com: "It's very important for the Cape Town Tens to surround itself with like-minded brands, and people, and I believe we have done just that by getting Canterbury on board."I am especially excited about their sponsorship of the International Legends team and I look forward to seeing the special edition Canterbury jerseys that are being prepared for the Legends to wear at the tournament."Speaking about Canterbury's renowned on-field products, Fleck added: "Canterbury have been a big part of Springbok rugby for some time now and it's a big privilege for us to also have an association with this top rugby brand."As far as their technical rugby products go, Canterbury are outstanding and that's obviously a big plus for the Cape Town Tens from a rugby point of view."But, as we all know, the Cape Town Tens is more than just about the rugby... it's also a big social event and that's why Canterbury appealed to us so much," he added."Its on-field presence aside, Canterbury is also a huge off-field and lifestyle brand; it's obviously a great product to wear on the pitch, but their casual wear is great for a drink in the bar afterwards - all of which fits in perfectly with the Cape Town Tens ethos."The International Legends team will feature the likes of Skinstad, Fleck, Tim Horan, Pat Howard, Damian Smith, Jeremy Paul, Feaunati, Matt Phillips and Leon Lloyd - with one final name set to be announced later this week.


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Apple's new iPhone 5C was supposed to be the iPhone 5 Cheap, that is, a markedly less expensive alternative that would lead Apple's charge into promising markets like China and Latin America.
But on Tuesday, investors and consumers were introduced to a phone markedly the same. The iPhone 5C was launched at a starting price of $99, for a 16GB version with a two-year contract, and $549 without a contract. Comparably, the oldest iPhone on the market, the 4S, is being sold for $450 without a contract. Not exactly a revolutionary difference in price.
Analysts had expected a phone in the $400 to $500 range.