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DETROIT — Fords new long-range electric crossover is not just inspired by the Mustang; it's joining the stable.
The automaker on Thursday said the vehicle will be called the Mustang Mach-E, making it the first crossover to wear the galloping horse badge in the iconic pony car's 55-year history. Ford plans to reveal the Mach E on Sunday night, ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Ford said it will begin accepting $500 refundable reservations starting after the reveal ends. The deposit will allow customers to configure their vehicle and reserve their spot in line for when the crossover goes on sale next year.
Ford plans to have actor Idris Elba introduce the Mach-E after last week announcing him as a spokesman.
Ford has made a deliberate decision to focus on performance with its next wave of EVs after its early foray into electrification produced now-discontinued vehicles such as the Focus Electric and C-Max plug-in hybrid that were known more for their fuel economy than driving capability.
Speaking about the Mach-E at this year's Crain's Detroit Business Newsmaker of the Year luncheon, Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford said it "is going to go like hell," a callback to the automaker's motto when racing at Le Mans.
"When we first started talking about electrification," Ford said, "there was this thought that there had to be a trade-off: It was either going to be green and boring and no fun, or really exciting but burn a lot of fossil fuels. Electrification has come to the point that you can do both."


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SEATTLE Starbucks Corp. has temporarily pulled all products containing peanut butter from stores in the United States and Canada after a peanut butter manufacturer was linked to an outbreak of salmonella. The decision to pull the peanut butter products on Jan. 20 was a precautionary measure. Starbucks officials said Monday they have no reason to believe the coffeehouse chain’s products contained the peanut butter in question. The manufacturer linked to the outbreak, Peanut Corp. of ...
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Find out more in the article from Allure magazine by clicking the button below.


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Madhvi Sally 11 Dec 2013, 19:59
Fertiliser minister Srikant Jena says that over 3 million tonnes of subsidized urea was being siphoned by manufacturers to other sectors.
Gas price hike likely to burden urea cos by Rs 9,000 crore
The price of gas in April next year would be around USD 8.42 and over USD 10 in the following year.
Revive Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore: Parliamentary panel to Govt
Panel has pitched for the revival of Fertilizers and Chemicals Ltd, saying the company's turnaround can be achieved by raising fertilizer production and trading.
Fertiliser sector needs Rs 40,000 crore to address the current payment crisis due to subsidy overdues, an industry body said.
Indian fertiliser demand remains strong, plans for Iranian projects take shape: ICIS
According to ICIS, demand for urea, ammonia, sulphur and potash from Indian buyers remains robust, although the phosphates market remains in a lull.
Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore keen to market Neera, other agro products
FACT will foray into marketing of Neera, non-alcoholic and nutritious drink from Coconut flower sap, and other agro-products.
National Fertilizers operations under stress as Rs 1,200 cr subsidy payment due
Operations at state-run National Fertilizers Ltd (NFL) may be affected next month if the company does not get Rs 1,200 crore in outstanding subsidy.
SABIC opens $100m technology centre in Bangalore
Built with an initial investment of $100 million, the centre is one of 17 SABIC global R&D centres of excellence.
BRPSE asks HIL to diversify products for sustainable growth
Set up in 1954, HIL manufactures synthetic pesticide DDT (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane) and agro-pesticides.
Urea imports up by 25 pc to 50.37 lakh tonnes till October
Urea is imported mainly by three canalising state agencies - Indian Potash Ltd, Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation of India and STC.
» More from ET Cetera
|Hero upgrades its motorcycle and scooter line-up | Nissan Terrano launched at Rs 9.59 lakh | Bajaj Pulsar 2012 Price|
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In 2011, the Finnish Tourist Board ran a campaign that used silence as a marketing ‘product’. They sought to entice people to visit Finland and experience the beauty of this silent land. They released a series of photographs of single figures in the nature and used the slogan “Silence, Please”. A tag line was added by Simon Anholt, an international country branding consultant, “No talking, but action.”
Eva Kiviranta the manager of the social media for VisitFinland.com said: “We decided, instead of saying that it’s really empty and really quiet and nobody is talking about anything here, let’s embrace it and make it a good thing”.
Finland may be on to something very big. You could be seeing the very beginnings of using silence as a selling point as silence may be becoming more and more attractive. As the world around becomes increasingly loud and cluttered you may find yourself…
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Audible, the Amazon-owned audiobook company, is further expanding into podcasts with the addition of approximately 100,000 of podcasts, totaling 5 million episodes to its service. The shows will be offered for free streaming to Audible members and non-subscribers alike, Audible says.
Streaming generates only 1/6 as much revenue per streaming home as pay TV generates per pay TV home for two reasons: on average, streaming homes are only subscribing to ~2 services; and half of all streaming time is ad-free. Even under optimistic assumptions about increased streaming subscription take rates and ad monetization, it is hard to see how streaming will come close.
Swedish Independent music distribution and artist services company Amuse is expanding its data-driven royalty advance service, Fast Forward. Amuse, which offers completely free music distribution for independent artists to services such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music and others, launched Fast Forward in February last year to pay eligible self-releasing artists advances on future royalties.
An RIAA takedown request, which removed the YouTube-DL repository from GitHub, has ticked off developers and GitHub’s CEO. Numerous people responded by copying and republishing the contested code, including in some quite clever ways. Meanwhile, GitHub’s CEO is “annoyed” as well, offering help to get the repo reinstated.
A company operating a YouTube-ripping platform has sued the RIAA for sending “abusive” DMCA anti-circumvention notices to Google. According to the complaint and contrary to the RIAA’s claims, the Yout service does not “descramble, decrypt, avoid, bypass, remove, deactivate, or impair” YouTube’s rolling cipher technology.
A group of musicians has launched a new campaign, called Justice At Spotify, to try to gain support for a series of changes they would like to see the world’s largest streaming service make. Along with a mission statement and a petition that at press time has been signed by more than 6,000 people.
If the concert business is indeed having its “Napster moment” right now, one wonders if the music companies making the most cash mid-pandemic – a.k.a the major rightsholders – will be tempted to more heavily invest in the live space, which has born the brunt of Covid-19’s unforgiving impact.
Pro Music Rights has settled its massive collusion suit with Connoisseur Media months after reaching agreements with iHeartMedia and Napster. The performance rights organization first submitted the 120-page-long complaint in March of this year, naming Apple, Amazon, Google, Spotify, and an array of other prominent music-industry companies as defendants.
Twitch, the rapidly growing livestreaming platform, and its owner Amazon received a blistering letter on Thursday signed by multiple major U.S. music organizations including the RIAA, the Recording Academy, the National Music Publishers Association, the Music Managers Forum, the American Association of Independent Music, SAG-AFTRA and more than a dozen others over its lack of licensing deals with many major music rights-holders.
AT&T chief John Stankey sees a “choppy” recovery ahead for movies, and he concedes that the release of “Tenet” was not “a home run.” During AT&T’s third quarter earnings call, Stankey acknowledged that the studio’s decision to release Christopher Nolan’s drama “Tenet” in the U.S. on Sept. 3 was underwhelming. But he does not regret the decision to be the first major studio to release a highly anticipated film in theaters during the pandemic.


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Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall: Retailers need card competition
Teddy Roosevelt has been praised for his leadership as a trust breaker and is credited with breaking up the railroads, meat packers, Standard Oil, American Tobacco and US Steel. Many of us still remember the breakup of “Ma Bell” and the fear campaign surrounding that event. The competition that has prevailed since the end of these monopolies has led to lower costs and increased innovation.
As in the days of Teddy Roosevelt, today two credit card companies and four woke Wall Street banks dominate and control the nearly $5 trillion annual credit card business. With Kansas suffering from President Joe Biden’s gas, grocery and rent hikes, the last thing we needed was another credit card fee hike last spring.
Most people don’t think about what happens when they swipe their credit card at the grocery store, but they should. Because with every swipe comes a fee, an ever-escalating fee that’s invisible to most, but which increasingly crushes our merchants and drives up costs for consumers at every level. Much like a sales tax, Wall Street banks levy a 2-4% fee on every purchase you make with your credit card, and the retailer must absorb or pass this cost on to consumers.
I hope no one takes pity on Wall Street, because I’m fighting for more competition. Since fees are a percentage of the total purchase, the credit card industry probably benefits more than any other industry from inflation. Indeed, Visa’s profits rose 32% from a year ago, posting a profit of $3.4 billion in the last quarter, while MasterCard recorded a profit of $2.3 billion. during the last trimester. Moreover, these two giants dominate 84% of the market – a clear duopoly.
For many Kansas merchants I’ve spoken with, their monthly swipe fees are the second highest business expense after labor, and of course those costs trickle down to the consumer in the form of prices. higher. It is these same local merchants, who are squeezed by over 11% wholesale inflation, who have asked our office to fight for Main Street against Wall Street – to fight for the hardworking Kansas workers who are the most affected by inflation.
That’s why many local retailers in Kansas have asked me to join Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois to introduce the Bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act to help fix a clearly broken system. This legislation would ensure that cards issued by the largest banks have more than one processing network, allowing the merchant to choose which of these networks to use at the point of sale.
In doing so, our bill would create a normal and healthy competitive marketplace where both parties have the ability to compete. Kansas’ community banks, the financial backbone of any local economy, would not be affected. This bill, as written, would not affect any bank with assets of less than $100 billion. Since no Kansas bank comes close to this threshold, no Kansas bank would be bound by this legislation. Our hope is that this will allow community banks to enter the credit card game on a more meaningful level.
Also, continuing to be tough on China, our bill explicitly prohibits China’s UnionPay, or any other foreign government-sponsored network, from being on US cards so they can’t encroach on the American financial system.
Our bill is a good compromise, and since the big banks on Wall Street are more used to do what they want than to compromise, of course they hate it. Over the next few weeks and months – maybe even for years to come – you will see the woke banks of Wall Street continue to attack me. They will do what they always do when someone threatens their position at the top of the financial world: dump their endless wealth, litter the airwaves with their myths, and sue me personally.
And that’s why I’m asking you to join me in this fight. I hope you will support local retailers and local community banks, which keep the money in our home communities rather than sending it to Wall Street
Roger Marshall represents Kansas in the United States Senate.


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MOBILELIME CLOSES $10 MILLION SERIES A FUNDING ROUND LED BY OAK INVESTMENT PARTNERS
BOSTON - MARCH 21, 2006 - MobileLime(r), the first U.S.-based company to turn the mobile phone into a marketing, loyalty and payment device, today announced the completion of a $10 million venture capital financing. The financing was led by Oak Investment Partners. Ignition Partners and SeaPoint Ventures, which participated in the initial seed financing for MobileLime, also participated in this round.
"We are very fortunate to have the backing and support of such an experienced group of investors with deep expertise in the telecom and retail industries." said Robert Wesley, president and CEO of MobileLime. "We will leverage this new funding to support the national rollout of our mobile loyalty and payment solutions and speed the launch of our next generation mobile wallet based on Near Field Communication (NFC) technology."
MobileLime's expansion has been highlighted by the opening of sales offices in Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Atlanta and Austin. In addition, the company recently announced plans for its next generation platform based on NFC technology, which will add unprecedented speed, convenience and interactivity to the company's award-winning real-time marketing, cardless loyalty and mobile payment solutions.
"In looking closely at this growing market sector for a number of years, we believe that MobileLime is well positioned to emerge as a dominant player due to its laser focus on regularly developing technology that meets the changing needs of merchants and consumers alike," said David Walrod, general partner, Oak Investment Partners. "MobileLime's innovative technology provides the best mobile commerce solution for all the players in the ecosystem-- merchants, consumers, credit card companies and wireless carriers. Its ongoing development of the mobile wallet is in synch with the needs of this evolving space and recognizes the growing importance the cell phone has in daily life."
"MobileLime is one of the biggest ideas we've ever invested in," said Tom Huseby, managing partner of SeaPoint Ventures and chairman of MobileLime. "We are confident that the company's track record and foundation in mobile marketing, loyalty and payments will lead to the successful deployment of its next generation platform and enormous success in the marketplace."
MobileLime is the first U.S.-based company to turn the mobile phone into a marketing, loyalty and payment device, enabling merchants to build sales and loyalty in ways never before possible.
With MobileLime, consumers can use their mobile phones to personalize their shopping experience with valuable information and offers, take advantage of loyalty programs without carrying a card, and use their mobile phones as a quick and secure way to pay for purchases. MobileLime enables merchants to create a true one-to-one relationship with their customers - reaching them through multiple channels with timely and targeted promotions when customers are most receptive. Merchants can take advantage of cost-effective high-impact interactive cardless loyalty programs, and let customers pay with their mobile phones, speeding checkout and cutting costs by offering flexible payment options.
Recently awarded the 2005 Global Retail Technology Award for Best In-Store Innovation and the Innovation Award from the Global Mobile Marketing Association, MobileLime, a service of Vayusa, Inc., is privately held and based in the Boston area. To learn more, please visit www.mobilelime.com.
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Online ticket touts using 'bots' to buy in bulk will face unlimited fines in future amid Government crackdown
- Britain's culture minister claims the use of 'bots' was 'simply not fair'
- Follows CMA investigation into the secondary ticket market launched in 2016
Online touts using 'bots' to snap up tickets for events in bulk will face unlimited fines in future, as part of a Government crackdown.
'Bots', short for 'robots', are sophisticated computer programs that enable touts to buy thousands of tickets online in seconds. The tickets then often reappear at grossly inflated prices on resale websites.
Matt Hannock, the Government's culture Minister, said the touts' use of such programs was 'simply not fair' and priced many genuine gig-goers out of the market.
Unlimited fine: Online touts using 'bots' to snap up tickets for events in bulk will face unlimited fines in future
He added: 'Ticket sellers also need to do more, by improving transparency and ensuring that they are acting in the best interests of consumers and help the market work for everyone.'
The UK's Digital Economy Bill will be amended to make it illegal to use bots to bypass the maximum threshold for ticket sales.
In a bid to make online ticketing fairer, the Government plans to implement proposals made in a report by Professor Mike Waterson last year.
In his report, Professor Waterson said ticket sellers needed stronger anti-bot measures in place and there needed to be better enforcement of existing consumer rights laws
Jo Dipple, chief executive of music industry representatives UK Music, welcomed the move.
'Massive profit is made by people who are taking value out of the music industry and putting tickets out of the reach of music fans.
'Banning bots is a step towards ensuring the ticketing market for live events works more fairly for gig-goers.'
Priced out: An £85 ticket to see Adele at the O2 in London last year was also reportedly being sold for £24,840
In February, online ticket resale site Viagogo was accused of 'moral repugnance' for selling tickets to an Ed Sheeran Teenage Cancer Trust gig for up to £5,000.
An £85 ticket to see Adele at the O2 in London last year was also reportedly being sold for £24,840.
In December, the Competition and Markets Authority confirmed it was investigating the second-hand ticket market amid concerns that consumer protection laws were being broken.
The 'enforcement investigation' by the Competition and Markets Authority will look at seller information, connections the seller has with event organisers and whether there are any restrictions on the use of resold tickets that could result in a person being denied access to an event.
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BRIDGEPORT — Bridgeport Bakery — the beloved seller of paczki, bacon buns and other sweet and savory pastries — is closing again after nearly 50 years in the neighborhood.
The bakery will be open for its last day 5 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, according to an announcement on its Facebook page.
The bakery, 2907 S. Archer Ave., is closing due to “an unforeseen situation and financial hardship,” according to the announcement.
This isn’t the first time Bridgeport Bakery has closed. Former owner Ron Pavelka closed the business in October 2019 due to medical issues and wanting to spend more time with his family.
Shortly after that, Can Lao, a 39-year-old pharmacist and longtime Bridgeport resident, bought the business from Pavelka and officially reopened it as Bridgeport Bakery 2.0 in February 2020. It sold many of the same classic baked goods, and Lao added a few Asian pastries to honor his heritage.
In April 2020, the store closed for a day after two employees tested positive for coronavirus, prompting rumors on social media that the business was closing for good. Both employees stayed home for several days and came back to work, testing negative.
Now, almost two years since Lao took over Bridgeport Bakery, the business is closing its doors yet again.
“It has been a pleasure serving the Bridgeport community, and we thank you for your business through the pandemic. We are grateful for meeting all our new friends in the community,” according to the bakery’s announcement.
Bridgeport Bakery 2.0 will be open during its regular hours up until it closes and open for online delivery orders. Online orders can be placed here.
Lao could not immediately be reached for comment.
Listen to “It’s All Good: A Block Club Chicago Podcast” here:


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British financial research firm Micro Hive now allows users to pay with BTC, ETH and LTC after integrating a plugin from crypto payment company CoinPayments.
According to a press release released today, London-based financial research firm Macro Hive has announced that its customers can now pay for services using cryptocurrency.
Micro Hive, which operates as a full-service financial research company, is now accepting payments in Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Litecoin (LTC). The three cryptocurrencies are among the most popular in the crypto space, with merchant integration making them acceptable for payments worldwide.
In a statement, the company’s founder and CEO, Bilal Hafeez, stated that the decision to accept crypto follows growing customer demand. He added that as a disruptor in the research industry, the company is always focused on keeping an eye on the latest technological developments.
Users will access the crypto payment option thanks to a partnership with CoinPayments, a leading cryptocurrency payment processor. Launched in 2013, the Vancouver-based platform has so far helped process payments worth over $ 10 billion using more than 2,000 different coins.
Micropayments CEO Jason Butcher said the company’s payment plugin would help Micro Hive better serve its customers’ needs. This is a safe way of mass adoption of cryptocurrencies.
“As more and more consumers demand to pay in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, our focus is on enabling more businesses to make a smooth transition to digital currencies. It is the path of least resistance to mass adoption. “ Mr. Butcher noted.
Mr. Hafeez also added that crypto customers are the “Option to pay with more efficient and safer means of payment.”
There are over 200 million crypto users worldwide, according to Singapore-based crypto company TripleA. Asia leads with over 59 million; Europe has over 38 million while the US alone has more than 27 million.
Macro Hive was launched in 2019 and offers private investors a platform through which they can access high-quality research on various topics, including cryptocurrencies.


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Where else can you find the freshest, plumpest, most locally-grown fruits and veggies? Not to mention homemade baked goods and organic meats. And chances are, there’s one near you: 2012 alone saw a 10 percent increase in the number of farmers markets nationwide, bringing the total to 7,800. In honor of the celebration, U.S. News is highlighting eight markets that are worth a visit.
Union Square Greenmarket, New York


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Finance ministers, bank governors and other officials after a meeting in Washington. Agence-France Presse
Japan called on Group of 20 counterparts to strengthen coordination to address potential risks to the world economy, as simmering trade tensions and China’s slowdown cloud the global growth outlook.
Policymakers from the Group of 20 industrialised countries are worried that the weakness evident in key economies could spread, especially if elevated trade tensions, such as those between the United States and China, escalate further.
Several hundred staff gathered outside the airline's headquarters in Mumbai on Thursday, chanting "We want justice" and "Please save Jet Airways."
Sensex and Nifty ended lower on Thursday after advancing for four consecutive sessions as investors took to profit booking. Investors also treaded with caution ahead of Q4 results from index heavyweight Reliance Industries. Jet Airways was in the spotlight throughout the day over its steep fall.
A senior delegation from Investcorp, a leading global provider and manager of alternative investment products, led by Executive Chairman, Mohammed Alardhi, has successfully concluded a tour of four vibrant emerging Asian economies. The visit comes as the Firm’s Asian based investors’
OPPO—a leading global smartphone brand—has officially launched its newest smartphone series, Reno, in the Middle East. The company selected Dubai as the location for the premium series’ first international launch, emphasising the strategic importance of the region to OPPO’s global brand strategy.


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Controversial work to remove the city’s pay and display machines is now under way, the council have confirmed.
Brighton and Hove City Council voted earlier this year in favour of getting rid of the machines in an effort to save costs.
A report said the measure, which would save around £220,000, would eliminate the “large budget pressure” for converting all machines to 4G by early 2023, as well as lead to saving on cash collection, maintenance and other costs.
The report raised concerns that the move risked “digital exclusion” as “all payments would be through the Pay by Phone app”.
Machines will remain at the council’s off-street barrier car parks.
Other councils across England have taken similar measures, blaming the cost of changing meters over to 4G as mobile operators prepare to switch off their outdated 3G networks.
The move has proved contentious, with Age UK raising concerns that scrapping the machines could have an adverse effect on people who are less tech savvy.
Caroline Abrahams, the charity’s director, said: “More than most, older people need to be able to park close to shops and amenities, especially if they find it hard to walk very far.
“The news that we may soon see the end of pay and display parking is disastrous for anyone without a smartphone, including millions for older people who are struggling with the shift away for the coin-in-the-slot payment methods they used throughout their lives.”
All the machines will be out of use by May 31, with motorists told to download the Pay by Phone app to make payments.
Patcham councillor Carol Theobald said the move amounts to discrimination against older residents.
She said: “I think it’s awful and there has been no real consultation. I can’t believe it is happening.
“What happens to residents and visitors who have not downloaded the app? There will be a good number who would not know how to do this. In my view, this is discrimination against our senior citizens.
“I think some people will be very upset and won’t know what to do or where to park - they will go to Eastbourne or Worthing or somewhere else instead.”
A council spokesman said the removal of the parking meters would lead to “significant cost savings at a time when all councils are having to address huge financial challenges”.
He said: “Currently, 78 per cent of all on-street parking transactions in Brighton and Hove are made using the Pay by Phone app and telephone number, with 22 per cent made using the machines. Only two per cent are cash payments.
“People who have a debit or credit card but without access to the app can still pay by calling a telephone number.
“For the small number of people without the use of a debit or credit card, parking can still be purchased at one of the more than 150 Paypoint vendors across the city.”


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A farmer supplier describes Market Wagon as DoorDash for farm products. The company’s CEO and co-founder explains his idea as an online farmers market that delivers to shoppers’ homes. From both farmers’ and consumers’ perspectives, Market Wagon fills pandemic-driven needs, supports the popularity of online shopping and offers one answer to supply chain problems.
Based in Indianapolis, Market Wagon offers consumers an online market of local farm products delivered to their homes and offers farmers an online wholesale market for and delivery service of their products. Currently in Illinois, Market Wagon distributes in three locations — the Chicago area, metro St. Louis and 16 central Illinois counties. (Vermilion County is currently not one of the counties receiving deliveries, but nearby Champaign County is.)
Central Illinois farm supplier Ropp Jersey Cheese of McLean County has sold products through Market Wagon for about a year. “It’s like another wholesale account for me,” dairyman Ken Ropp said. “They handle all the deliveries and everything. Market Wagon is great to track all the business; everything is customized up to the minute. It (Market Wagon) enters a customer base that I might not otherwise.”
Ropp explained he delivers dairy products from his Normal farm to the company’s Bloomington-Normal hub. He knows of another farm source that delivers to two hubs.
Market Wagon’s CEO and co-founder, Nick Carter, who grew up on an Indiana farm, explained local farm vendors bring their products to company fulfillment centers in their respective delivery area.
Asked what is important to the company, Carter said, “No. 1 is local (farm) transparency. Shoppers know what they’re getting and who raised it. They can chat and ask questions with farmers on the (company online) platform.”
Shoppers order items a la carte and pay no subscription fee. “You can buy what you want, when you want it,” he noted. Customers are charged a flat delivery fee to homes located within the hub delivery area.
Market Wagon does not restrict farm vendors from using any specific production methods. “It’s not all organic or grass-fed,” Carter said. The company requires vendors to be inspected and legally licensed for their respective production, such as a Grade A dairy permit or a state egg license.
Ropp explained Market Wagon takes a percentage off the top of a vendor’s sale. In his dairyman view, Market Wagon featured a lot of seasonal fresh produce, and his sales declined when the produce sales decreased.
“Lately, we’ve seen the (sales) numbers tick back up. That means to me more families [were] getting back together for the holidays,” Ropp said.
Farmers and families drove Market Wagon’s growth explosion. When the pandemic started, the company was in six markets. Only 18 months later, Market Wagon was selling and delivering in 15 Midwestern and Eastern states after opening 27 new centers in a year.
The pandemic made online food ordering and delivery “normal,” according to Carter. While consumers had limited access to food sources, farmers who sold directly lost their markets when restaurants, farmers markets and other direct outlets closed. Market Wagon provided farmers an outlet to sell their production, Carter continued.
“We grew by leaps and bounds. It was overwhelming at first,” Carter said. “We realized this was why we’re here. It’s been incredible.”
After massive growth, Market Wagon’s geographic expansion will be slow, according to Carter. The company’s plan is to be nationwide by 2025.
The CEO projected local food sources offer one solution to the breakdown of supply chains.
“All those supply chain issues don’t impact us,” Carter said. “Buying local is the solution to supply chain issues. The most stable and secure supplies are right in our local communities.”
This story was distributed through a cooperative project between Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and farming news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.


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Corridors of Time have been around for more than a week now. With the new puzzle inside the corridors now solved due to countless hours of help from the community, players finally traveled into the future and unlocked the Bastion exotic fusion rifle early. The puzzle gets you a total of nineteen lore entries and a new emblem by entering a new code for each pathway. So in total, there are 20 pathways for lore entries and emblem and a final pathway to finish off the puzzle. Bungie also revealed that Corridors of time will be going away in a week from now.
Bungie is Removing Corridors of Time in Destiny 2
Yesterday, Bungie revealed via an in-game notice that The Corridors of Time will be “collapsing” in one week inside Destiny 2. So, you have until next weekly reset to claim all the lore entries and the emblem from the Corridors. We still don’t understand the reason behind removing this. It could be because it has served its purpose and is no longer useful to us now. Or, it could be something else entirely.
We all know that a new activity (?) called Empyrean Foundation is getting released on February 4, 2020, along with a new Sundial called Inotam, Oblivion’s Triune. Speaking of Empyrean Foundation, there have been many rumors and theories of it being related to the Trials of Osiris/Saint-14. So, this could very well be the reason behind the removal of the Corridors of Time. So, Bungie could add more content and not take up much disk space on consoles and PC. It’s just a theory, so take everything with a grain of salt.
Destiny was released on September 9, 2014, on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360. Destiny 2 was released on September 4, 2017, on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It was released later in 2019 on Google Stadia.


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23 December, 2017
Didi says it will invest the fresh injection of capital into boosting its artificial intelligence capacity, overseas expansion and new-energy vehicle service networks.
Beijing-based Didi, which bought Uber's China operations previous year, has so far raised about US$19 billion in total, the most venture capital ever raised by a startup, according to the report.
Since its inception in 2012, Didi has become China's top ride-hailing service by merging with a major domestic rival and buying the Chinese operations of US ride-hailing app operator Uber Technologies.
Didi Chuxing announced in August that it is backing Uber's Estonian rival Taxify with financial investment and support on technology developments.
Lingering Lake Effect Snow Plus Arctic Cold
Today (Wednesday): Cold and windy is the story today , despite mostly sunny skies through much of the day. There are still a lot of details to be worked out on how cold it may get and the potential for snow.
Four injured in New York City blast, suspect nabbed
According to the NYPD, one person is in custody. "Could have been a lot worse", a federal law enforcement source told CNN. President Donald Trump has been briefed on the incident, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters.
Netflix is weirdly anxious about 'A Christmas Prince' fans
Netflix, after all, produced and promoted the movie, which is in the vein of an uplifting, unapologetically cheery Hallmark film. In it, they've confirmed that the figure in the tweet refers to collated trends - not individual viewing habits.
The deal came after the People's Bank of China, the nation's central bank, said previous year that it would control the number of third-party payment licenses issued, making them highly sought-after.
The company declined to disclose the identity of its newest investors, and in a statement on its website, said just this: "Chinese and global institutions joined the latest fundraising round".
"So far Mubadala has invested US$4-5 billion with Softbank as part of the Vision Fund", a Mubadala spokesperson told The National.
Three of the five most valuable startups on the planet - Didi, smartphone maker Xiaomi and Meituan-Dianping - are now Chinese, according to data from CB Insights.


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In the U.S. this year, wearable technology products such as fitness bands, smart watches and Google Glass are expected to generate around $3 billion, according to Deloitte. In the U.K., consumers are catching up fast on this global desire for smarter, small screen technology.
These gadgets all connect to devices that stream video, which will give publishers and advertisers alike huge opportunity to target the user via small screens that are always connected. All the excitement at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas was around wearables and the so-called "internet of things."
When Google paid $3.2 billion in cash for Nest, a company that specialises in internet-connected thermostats and smoke detectors, they showed an understanding that innovation in mobile hardware has come to an end. The focus has now shifted to what you can create when you take all the smarts out of the smartphone and build them into something else.
Take cars for example. At CES Las Vegas, Google announced its Open Auto Alliance, a tie-up with Audi, GM, Honda and Hyundai, which will bring its Android operating system to the dashboard of each of these brands. Meanwhile, Apple unveiled CarPlay in Geneva this month, allowing drivers access to their iPhone content and maps from the car's entertainment system. Ferrari, Mercedes and Volvo showcased the application whilst a host of other manufacturers have confirmed they'll be including it in future vehicle design.
Connected cars are set to become powerful mobile devices by combining small screen advertising formats with an engaged, demographically diverse audience. In theory, advertisers would be able to stream location-based video messaging via integration with onboard navigation and entertainment systems; smart dashboards from Google and Apple could also serve ads dependent on whether the driver is local to the area or visiting for the first time. Meanwhile, development in geolocation technology, such as Google's acquisition of the Waze map app for $1.3 billion last year, will see ad-friendly improvements in satellite navigation systems, including real-time traffic updates.
For publishers, broader inventories resulting from better-connected cars, homes, and wearable technology will result in powerful, hyper-targeted offers. Brands will gain access to personal wearable data that could be used to improve product development and marketing, whilst new advertising models will continue to develop that will improve the way business is carried out.
Google, for example, is already rumoured to be getting ready to leverage Glass by introducing a "pay-per-gaze" advertising model. Using Glass' eye-tracking capabilities, advertisers would be charged based on users actually seeing their ad, taking pay-per-engagement to a whole new level.
TubeMogul has focused its attention on video viewability because we believe the future will not only incorporate smarter, more personalised video advertising but also demand data on where video ads are actually seen, as well as the tools to reduce the number of ads that go unseen.
Currently, online video ad viewability is a patchwork of proprietary standards, and most data is not actionable. The bulk of reporting in the marketplace accumulates at a campaign or publisher-level, making it an extremely broad data set - therefore acting on the information becomes difficult. Standards of what counts as "viewable" also vary - many major video ad servers, for instance, consider muted videos viewable.
Our comprehensive Viewability Reporting, launched at the end of January, is powered by OpenVV - open-source technology endorsed by companies like Nielsen and VivaKi, as well as the IAB. This new reporting gives marketers accurate information to enable them to increase viewability rates across their private and public inventory. If a site has low viewability, marketers can simply turn it off in real-time. Other metrics like player size, mutes and rates of measurability help marketers isolate and eliminate unviewable inventory.
A smarter future for in-car, wearables and the home won't necessarily change the fact that a segment of society will always ignore advertisements. But for the first time, we can track exactly where consumers are tuning out, and our software gives marketers a way to do something about it. This is smarter thinking for a smarter world that is about to fully embrace the broader possibilities of personalised video.
Nick Reid is Managing Director, TubeMogul UK


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GUIYANG, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Truck Alliance, a Chinese company providing a Uber-type service for trucks, partnered with a leading railway logistics firm on Thursday to enable freight train trucking operations.
Truck Alliance's partner, Shenhua Railway Freight Corporation, is a subsidiary of top coal producer Shenhua Group. It owns 2,155 kilometers of railway, 40 ships, and three ports handling 270 million tonnes of freight.
"Trains can carry cargo-loaded trucks or containers," said Kang Fengwei, general manager of the Shenhua logistics company. "The combination of trucking and railway freight businesses can cut costs and raise efficiency of logistics."
The first route to pilot freight train trucking will begin in a logistics park in Erdos, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and run 1,000 kilometers eastward to end at the port of Huanghua in Hebei Province. Operations will begin this year.
Truck Alliance began developing a truck-hailing app in 2014. It secured substantial financing led by Tencent Holdings Ltd. in the following year. The company now works with 3.7 million trucks and 630,000 freight senders. About 5 million orders are being posted on the platform every day.
Trucking is a popular means of cargo transport in China. However, more than 85 percent of trucks are owned by individuals. Prior to the app, truckers spent a lot more time and fuel looking for orders.


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It is very exciting that the Indian gaming industry has come to a developing genre in our country. This young market was so much successful as India is one among the youngest countries as half of the country’s population is under the age of 25, two-third of our population comes under the age of 35 and availability of smart mobile phones at a low price.
It is estimated to have 3.4 billion gaming players from across the globe. This is even more than the total number of Facebook users (2.8 billion) on a global level. India is one of the top five leading online mobile gaming countries worldwide.
For tapping this right opportunity, Jagran New Media, one of India’s fastest-growing digital news and information platform has recently launched their new site ‘Play.jagran.com’. They have introduced this site exclusively for catering to their audience who are especially interested in gaming. This platform has got different options for making it interesting for the gamers such as Single-player, real-time multiplayer, various tournaments etc. where they can play and win an instant cash prize.
Other popular games like Snake and Ladder, Ludo, soccer etc. have been added to the platform and in the future, they would be adding more such interesting games to the platform. This platform also provides an environment for the players to connect with their friends as well as strangers for gaming. For providing the best experience Jagran has partnered with Kurate Digital Consulting. They have also partnered with Maxamtech Digital Ventures, one of the leading Technology Services providers for having a platform.
Xerxes Mullan, the founder of Maxamtech Digital Ventures shared that “We are so excited to be partnered with Jagran New Media. Our Gaming 360 platform aims to deliver a unique experience for our users through a wide range of games, tournaments etc. As the number of users and the gaming industry grows, we continue to play a key role in providing the users with a customized gaming experience”.
As the Covid pandemic lockdowns extend the number of new users keeps on increasing as it provides the users with a home-entertainment. This initiative will reach out to more people who are interested in gaming and gets engaged with this new platform.


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Foxconn to start LCD screen production in US Wisconsin in 2020
Foxconn will move forward with its LCD screen factory project in the US state of Wisconsin this summer and begin production in the 4th quarter of 2020, the Taiwan-based tech giant announced on Monday.
"Our commitment from day one has been to establish a winning formula for Foxconn and for Wisconsin," said Louis Woo, special assistant to Foxconn founder and CEO Terry Gou.
"We continue to expand our presence around the state, create jobs, and deepen our partnerships while innovating and adapting to meet changing market needs," Woo said in a statement.
Foxconn said the 6th generation facility will manufacture LCD screens for use in a variety of product applications, including vertical solutions for education, medical and health care, entertainment and sports, security, and smart cities.
The huge project, designed to bring investments worth US$10 billion and 13,000 jobs to Wisconsin, was initially reportedly to produce 10th generation LCD screens, but was later adjusted to meet the "changing market needs," as Foxconn put it, to make 6th generation products instead.
By April 1, Foxconn will announce the awards for two bid packages involving construction of utilities, roadways and storm drainage at the Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park in Racine County, Wisconsin.


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The logistics sector is growing rapidly across Europe. Annual investment volumes more than tripled between 2009 and 2016, according to CBRE figures, and lenders’ weighting to the sector is also expanding.
Europe’s strong export markets and high levels of consumer spending continue to spur demand for warehouse space across the continent.
The market is evolving, fuelled by a boom in e-commerce prompting the need for modern warehouse premises and ‘last-mile’ delivery hubs in towns and cities. The global proportion of retail sales done online is expected to reach 14 percent by 2020, from less than 9 percent currently, Euromonitor research shows.
“We’re at the early stage of an exponential curve as more people are moving their retail habits online. The implication of massive growth is higher occupier demand for sheds in all the major markets, now beginning to drive rental growth in places where land is constrained,” says Jack Cox, head of EMEA industrial and logistics capital markets at CBRE.
The sector’s strong occupational demand is a major pull factor for investors and lenders. Take-up of 5,000 square metre-plus warehouses was up 22 percent in H1 2017, according to BNP Paribas Real Estate. Investors are attracted to the spreads on offer relative to other asset classes.
While prices have risen substantially due to an inflow of capital, yield compression is nowhere near as acute as it has been in the investment-grade bond market, or in other prime property sectors.
“There is a wall of equity out there that needs to be allocated and a fair amount has landed in the logistics sector. Investors like what they find, thanks to steady cashflows available through assets with strong covenants on long leases,” explains Rory Buck, senior director of investments at industrial and logistics-focused fund manager Gramercy Europe.
High-net-worth investors, family offices, REITs and large institutions are targeting defensive assets, which include logistics. European industrial and logistics investment increased by 10 percent in H1, according to BNP Paribas Real Estate. Offices declined by 10 percent and retail by 7 percent.
“Logistics is the only asset class with positive market dynamics right now,” argues Buck.
The search for large-scale opportunities to deploy capital has led Asian institutional investors to European logistics, with major platform deals in the past 12 months, including Blackstone selling its pan-European Logicor platform to China Investment Corporation for €12.25 billion in June and Singapore’s GLP buying Gazeley for $2.8 billion in October.
This does not always translate into financing mandates for European lending teams. The Logicor deal is understood to have been financed by two Chinese banks, although a range of banks including Morgan Stanley and pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank were involved in a €1.4 billion refinancing of P3 last October, ahead of a sale.
Financiers are drawn to logistics by the same principals as investors. “As a balance-sheet lender, we like the long-term profile of the asset class, which is growing, supported by macro trends,” says Michael Kröger, head of international real estate finance at Helaba.
With European turnover around €40 billion in the 12 months to June 2017 by CBRE’s calculations, the scope to provide finance, typically post-closing, is substantial. For stabilised portfolios, there is ample liquidity on competitive terms, although investors and developers do tend to do repeat business with relationship lenders.
The message projected by each of the dozen or so lenders Gramercy has engaged with as potential funders for its latest logistics fund aimed at Germany, France, the Netherlands and Spain, is that logistics has always been or has now become a strategic area of growth for the bank, says Buck.
“Their high-level pitch is that they’re looking for modern, generic buildings in locations close to urban conurbations, with high tenant retention, minimal capex and easily forecastable cash flows,” he explains.
As assets are increasingly built to suit individual occupiers’ needs, lenders must consider the potential for re-letting the building in the event of the loss of a tenant. Lenders usually look for weighted average lease terms longer than in the office sector, at five to 10 years.
“The structuring of the loan is very much about the more important role cashflow plays than in other asset classes, because the intrinsic value of a single logistics building is usually very limited – basically you’re talking about a steel shell. The real value lies in installations, location, accessibility and how many assets there are in a portfolio; we always look for a collection of buildings,” says Kröger.
Loan-to-value and debt yield in logistics lending is usually conservative, at 50 percent to 65 percent and 7 percent to 10 percent, respectively, as the bespoke nature of many properties makes them vulnerable to changes in demand. Logistics property values have risen quickly, and so loan pricing is elevated, at around 200 basis points in the German market. Banks gradually returning to the sector are focusing on the best covenants, although some alternative lenders argue that they are comfortable financing a range of tenants. “It takes property knowledge to finance a small company that manufactures widgets on a three-year lease, for example,” says Bryan McDonnell, head of European real estate finance at PGIM Real Estate Finance.
“Banks do not necessarily view logistics as being safer than offices, like we do. We’ve been focusing on the sector for several years and have seen offices crushed in a downturn as jobs go,” McDonnell adds.
In the past, lenders have found it difficult to issue big tickets, with only 12 individual buildings trading more than €100 million across Europe last year, according to JLL.
“This cycle has seen a real shift towards portfolios, partly driven by the scale of footloose allocators of capital looking for the most attractive returns on a global basis,” says Gramercy’s Buck. Last-mile delivery hubs tend to be developed as a network and therefore trade in portfolios.
The largest portfolios are typically financed with whole loans by investment banks, which are subsequently distributed, or via corporate facilities. Morgan Stanley’s €600 million element of last October’s P3 refinancing is an example.
Nonetheless, logistics is increasingly seen as a mainstream asset class for banks. Logistics was highlighted as a top opportunity by a quarter of lenders surveyed by Cushman & Wakefield in its 2017 EMEA Lending Trends report. “Lenders expect to see the greatest growth in new lending towards residential and student accommodation, followed by logistics. This focus reflects the near-term expectations of greater growth and returns,” wrote James Spencer-Jones, head of EMEA debt and structured Finance at Cushman & Wakefield.
While “there’s no such thing as a sexy shed; it just works”, admits one logistics company CEO. The market is thriving and more lenders are tapping in to the financing opportunity created by a wave of ecommerce-fuelled investment.
Where are the opportunities?
Investors and lenders are seeing logistics opportunities in various parts of Europe. Western Europe is more developed in terms of infrastructure, while e-commerce is driving demand for new units. In Central and Eastern Europe, a lack of existing stock is the main driver of demand.
The UK is furthest along in the market cycle, with the highest e-commerce penetration rate and a strict planning regime meaning demand continues to outstrip supply. “Investors look for regional distribution hubs in the West Midlands and last-mile logistics hubs on the fringes of the largest conurbations such as London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds,” says Rui Nobre, managing director of UK fund Griffen Capital.
In continental Europe, there is very little vacancy. Germany claims Europe’s lowest cap rates, with core investors seeking certainty in a market underpinned by strong economic conditions and growing consumption.
The Netherlands, where supply is low and take-up is rising quickly, is a particularly strong location given the importance of the port of Rotterdam. PGIM Real Estate Finance has been active in the market, recently closing a 10-year financing of 18 light industrial assets.
The central and eastern European markets, meanwhile, are attracting the likes of M7 Real Estate, in part through higher yields and lower operational costs for tenants. “We are less bullish on CEE owing to lower barriers of entry in terms of further development,” says Bryan McDonnell, head of European real estate finance at PGIM Real Estate Finance.


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Forecast: 385 Million U.S. Streaming Subscriptions by End of 2021
The United States population is roughly 330 million people. By the end of the year, it’s expected America will have more streaming subscriptions than people.
Financial services company UBS estimates that 2021 will be the best-ever year for streaming subscriptions. They forecast 50 million new subscriptions in 2021, up from 47 million added during 2020. It continues an acceleration that saw 43 million subscriptions added in 2019 and 23 million in 2018.
Which services are projected to grow the most?
It’s worth noting that UBS may be too conservative with those estimates. In 2019, it predicted that Disney+ would grow to 20-30 million subscribers by 2024. That service currently has more than 100 million subscribers. (To be fair, those estimates were in line with Disney’s internal projections.)
How many subscriptions per home?
At the end of 2019, the average U.S. household paid for 2.3 SVOD services. Today, that number is 2.7. By the end of this year, UBS estimates the average home will have at least 3 subscriptions.
There is some concern that we may be reaching a breaking point for monthly streaming cost. If you subscribe to a live streaming service and several on demand services, the cost is likely approaching or surpassing what you might have paid for cable.
Live sports or bust
UBS predicts that some users may churn through services to offset the rising costs, but live sports may convince users to stick with a service longer than they might otherwise.
In the battle for limited entertainment dollars, streaming services are renegotiating sports packages to try to force fans to sign up. The latest NFL deal could be a sign of things to come. Football fans would need to sign up for ESPN+, Amazon Prime Video, and Peacock if they wanted to see every game.
While consumers might prefer a la carte options, those seem unlikely as media companies are caught between rising media costs and more discerning consumers. That said, if you don’t care about sports, it’s far simpler to reduce your streaming budget.


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Federal competition watchdogs have cleared the path for grain handling equipment maker Ag Growth International to close its deal for bin manufacturer Westeel.
AGI announced it had completed its deal to buy its fellow Winnipeg-based manufacturing firm for $221.5 million on Wednesday — after announcing the Competition Bureau of Canada would allow the deal on which the Westeel sale hinged.
The deal, first proposed in November, calls for Irish building materials manufacturer Kingspan Group to buy Westeel’s Winnipeg parent, Vicwest, for about $350 million and to sell the Westeel division to AGI.
Kingspan keeps Vicwest’s separate Vicwest Building Products division, which makes several brands of metal cladding and roofing for the residential, commercial and farm sectors.
The Competition Bureau’s consent agreement for the Vicwest deal, however, calls for Kingspan to find a buyer for Vicwest’s manufacturing facility in Hamilton.
The bureau said it found Kingspan’s takeover of Vicwest would otherwise “likely result in a substantial lessening of competition for the supply of insulated metal panels in Ontario by eliminating the competition between Kingspan and Vicwest.”
“Kingspan worked co-operatively and quickly with the bureau to find a solution to the concerns expressed,” Jeanne Pratt, senior deputy commissioner for the bureau’s mergers branch, said in a separate release Tuesday.
“With the sale of the Hamilton operations, insulated metal panels customers such as installers, general contractors, and commercial and industrial building owners will benefit from competition when buying insulated metal panels.”
“Westeel’s complementary product offering expands our growth platform within North America and around the world and we look forward with enthusiasm to bringing this outstanding company into the AGI family,” AGI CEO Gary Anderson said in the company’s release.
AGI president Tim Close added that the company “places the highest value on the contributions of its employees and we look forward to meeting and welcoming all of the people at Westeel.”
Westeel makes grain bins at Winnipeg and Saskatoon and petroleum storage tanks at Olds, Alta. and Tisdale, Sask., and runs distribution centres at St-Simon-de-Bagot, Que., Fargo, N.D., Saskatoon and Winnipeg.
AGI’s stable of manufacturers already includes Twister and Grain Guard, two manufacturers of hopper-bottom and flat-bottom bins.
AGI, however, said last fall that Westeel complements the Twister and Grain Guard lines with products “not currently part of AGI’s catalogue,” such as smoothwall bins, hopper cones and commercial hopper-bottom bins.
The $221.5 million aggregate purchase price for Westeel includes about $13 million in net cash on closing, plus a “redundant” Westeel manufacturing plant in Regina, which is up for sale with an estimated market value of about $4 million.
Westeel had set up a “strategic alliance” in 2010 with another Winnipeg manufacturer, Buhler Industries, to sell Buhler-made, Westeel-branded grain handling equipment through Westeel’s Canadian distribution chain. Buhler’s Farm King division, in a separate agreement, served as the exclusive distributor for Westeel in the U.S.
According to Buhler, those arrangements with Westeel expired in 2013 and were not renewed. — AGCanada.com Network


text: Although I retired last year from writing stories solely focused on content management systems, I still have a few of my favorites that I like to keep an eye on. One of those favorites is DNN which back in the day we once called DotNetNuke. Less than a year ago, DNN brought to market Evoq 8 which addressed modern day marketing needs for better customer engagement. Last week, DNN showed the industry the ongoing evolution of its product line through Evoq 9. The new release continue’s DNN’s journey to be more than CMS company as it reaches beyond websites to apps, devices, and other Internet of Things.


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iPhones are reportedly set to get more ads soon on Maps, Podcasts, and Books
According to reports, Apple Maps, Podcasts, and Books are just a few of the pre-installed apps on Apple devices like the iPhone that may soon have advertisements. The internet giant has, as promised, run internal tests of these search advertisements for Maps, displaying recommendations for display when someone conducts a search for stores, restaurants, and other businesses. They may also soon appear in books and podcasts.
Reporters speculate that this change might let publishers place ads anywhere in an app or pay to have their ads appear higher in search results. There is currently no advertising in any of the three apps scheduled to receive it. The App Store currently has advertisements on the search page, and it is reasonable to assume that the tech giant will eventually spread these advertisements to the “Today” and “Downloaded” sections as well. And other rumors detailed how advertising on the apps tab would be colored in the “You Might Also Like” section, while ads on the “Today” page could appear as larger cards with the specification “Ad” on them.
The iPhone maker may even launch a cheaper, ad-supported tier to compete with Netflix and Disney+, so these may be included in Apple TV Plus. Apps are presently being advertised in Apple’s built-in News and Stocks applications, and the company debuted in-app purchases in 2016. Apple started polling users about personalized app adverts in September 2021. The fallout from this affected several other social media platforms, including Meta’s apps, severely.
Apple’s ATT (App Tracking Transparency) policy mandates that customers answer this question before the company will allow any in-app purchases or tracking of their activity. Customers are given the option to block the tracking and profiling techniques used by advertisers to deliver relevant advertisements. Since many competitors couldn’t show ads to iPhone users, this helped the company’s overall growth in ad revenue.
Apple’s move to introduce new ad opportunities on the App Store, on top of the three new applications, maybe a sign that the company is looking to grow this aspect of its business. About three months ago, it was reported that Apple’s senior vice president of services, Eddy Cue, was planning a complete overhaul of the service division. The primary goal here is to increase interest in commercials and online videos. This division of the corporation increased by 12% during the previous quarter.


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The company's first EV gets more technology and a standard 11kW on-board charger.
Only 120 sets will be produced.
The first all-electric Land Rover will make its debut in 2024.
Only eight continuation models will be built.
A modern tribute to one of the most beautiful cars of all time.
The high-performance SUV gets a higher top speed and new interior and exterior updates.
A refined new look with an enhanced interior and technology upgrades.
A more refined look for Jaguar's sporty SUV.
Six limited-edition matched pairs of restored 3.8 E-types will be built.
The new model gets an array of interior and exterior updates.
It takes more than 2,500 hours for Eagle's craftsmen to perfect the curves on each GT.
The engines are built to the original spec and fit Jaguar models from 1958-1968.
The new update adds 12 miles of range.
Only 300 will be made and all of them are exclusive to the US.
The toolkit is available for the first time in almost fifty years.
It's also one of the best looking Jaguars ever.
550-hp wrapped in a versatile daily driver.
The project has been fully endorsed by Aston Martin.


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ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – St. Louis County warned a chain of local gyms to cease operating. The gym won’t back down.
Fox 2 first told you about the gym opening Tuesday. The Maryland Heights location is in a strip mall on Dorsett and McKelvey, where the anchor stores are open and busy. On one side of the gym you’ll find Dobbs Tire & Auto, which is deemed essential. On the other side of the gym is Ace Hardware, which is also deemed essential by the health department.
House of Pain Gym sees no reason why the government can pick and choose and force it to close.
Attorney Chris McDonough, who represents the gym, is incensed by what he sees as hypocrisy.
“You can buy your lottery tickets – apparently those are essential. You can buy a 12 pack of your favorite beer – apparently that’s essential. And you can buy cigarettes – those are essential! How many hundreds of thousands of people every year do cigarettes kill and does secondhand smoke kill?” he said.
McDonough says St. Louis County sent sheriff’s deputies to both House of Pain gyms with letters to shut down or face up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine.
“After this letter was delivered, the government agents, apparently from the sheriff’s department, sat outside the gym, outside in the parking lot, for the rest of the afternoon,” he said.
Neither location will bend, according to McDonough. Gym owner Joe Corbett talked to us Tuesday about how he believes he can keep people distanced and sanitized as good as anyone, while improving their health.
“People who are not fit, they are obese, they have underlying health conditions. And, I get it, if you fit in one of those demographics you’re going to have a very bad, possible fatal outcome,” Corbett said. “That’s tragic every time it happens, but these gyms are giving people – they provide a valuable service where people can actually stay fit.”
McDonough says anyone operating a legal business should be considered essential.
“They’re certainly essential to the employees who depend on those essential businesses for essential jobs, essential paychecks to buy essential things like food – and I guess if you’re in St. Louis County – your liquor and cigarettes,” he said.
St. Louis County declined to comment beyond its warning letter to the gym. A county spokesperson says they will review the gym’s response and decide on the next steps soon.
St. Louis County warning le… on Scribd
House of Pain Gym responds … on Scribd


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The Mayor and Council discussed solutions for the parking woes of merchants and patrons in Rockville's Town Center last night, as a follow-up to a February worksession on the topic. But the proposals outlined did not address the bane of most Town Center business owners - the competitive disadvantage of 24/7 paid parking in Rockville Town Square versus the free parking available at competing developments like Downtown Crown and Rio/Washingtonian Center.
Mayor Bridget Donnell Newton and councilmembers considered how to improve wayfinding signage, change City-controlled parking meter enforcement policies (such as using yellow cards for a 5-minute grace period), how sign ordinance limitations might prevent more effective parking signage, whether a consultant should be hired and at what cost, returning the popular Wednesday farmers market to Regal Row, restoring holiday banners to the Town Center area, and having regular consultation meetings with business owners and other stakeholders.
But, invited to the podium by Newton to share their initial reactions, several Town Center business owners said the discussion avoided the main issue - the cost of parking in the garages at Rockville Town Square.
"You don't understand how much we're suffering," said the owner of California Tortilla on E. Montgomery Avenue in Regal Row. "We're basically slaves now," to a parking situation that's deterring business, and the high rents they must pay, he said.
Mellow Mushroom owner Danny Trahan suggested the City save money on hiring a consultant, and listen to the business owners instead. Trahan estimated that the current paid parking situation is costing Rockville Town Square businesses $5 million in sales. By allowing free parking at least during strategic times like evenings and weekends, the increased revenue could refill City coffers and pay for free parking, Trahan argued.
Trahan said he is willing to put up money to help solve the problem, if selling advertising space in garages and in the public square would help offset the cost of free parking. He suggested building a dome structure in the square to allow activities to continue during inclement weather, as has been done in Reston Town Center. Advertising could be sold on the structure, as well as on signs in the garages, he said. Trahan said he would be willing to purchase signage in both locations to promote Mellow Mushroom.
Scott Feldman of Giuseppe's Pizza, where some patrons have stopped going because of parking costs and unfair meter ticketing policies, asked the Mayor and Council to compare the activity in Rockville Town Center on weekend nights to that in Downtown Crown and Rio. "You'll see a big difference," he promised. Many have cited the lack of wait times at Town Center restaurants on weekend nights, in comparison to hour-waits at Rio and Crown, as a metric showing how paid parking is killing business.
But landlords in the Town Center were not prepared to cut them a break at the February worksession. None attended last night's discussion. In February, several noted that there's no such thing as free parking. "If [merchants] want to have free parking, they can have free parking, It's just a matter of paying us," Duball, LLC president and principal Marc Dubick, developer of the Upton/Cambria Hotel and Suites building, said then.
Councilmember Julie Palakovich Carr made a very good point, that there are more garages than the ones in Rockville Town Square in Town Center, and that it would be difficult to have a free parking policy that covered all of them.
But the City is in a real parking pickle that could threaten the future of its Town Center, business owners said. Customer counts were down during the Duball construction, and now Hometown Holidays taste ticket redemption is dwindling in recent years, as well, the owner of Ben and Jerry's said. While the City can refuse to take action on the unpopular paid parking that gives Rockville a bad reputation in the region, he acknowledged, it risks finding many of its downtown shops "boarded up" if they go out of business as a result.


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General Motors Company will issue an auto defect recall for 370,000 full-size pickup trucks for fire risks after eight fires were reported. According to an article in The Detroit News, GM has stated that it will recall 2014 Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierras to reprogram software that could lead to overheating of exhaust components potentially causing engine compartment fires.
When a truck idles, typically, it should only use only two cylinders. But because of a software glitch, the recalled trucks idle with most of the cylinders. This causes the vehicles to overheat and leads to the fires, officials say. All vehicles that have reported fires are trucks that have V-8 engines. The fire danger is signaled by a continuous yellow “check engine” light and an “engine power reduced” message in the driver information center.
The automaker is urging owners not to leave their trucks unattended while idling. Recall letters are expected to go out to consumers this week. Repairs will be made at no cost to vehicle owners. Trucks produced starting this week will have the software upgrade. The recalled trucks have 4.3-liter V-6 and 5.3-liter V-8 engines and include about 303,000 in the U.S. and 67,000 in Canada and Mexico. GM confirmed that eight fires caused by the software flaw, three of which were on customer-owned vehicles, but said nobody was injured.
Auto Product Liability Issues
Fire hazards in vehicles, in addition to resulting in serious property damage, can also cause catastrophic injuries and fatalities. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, approximately one in seven fires responded to by fire departments across the nation is a vehicle fire. The numbers show 86 percent of vehicle fires occurred in passenger vehicles and 61 percent of vehicle fires originated in the engine, running gear or wheel area of the vehicle. The leading factor contributing to the ignition of vehicle fires was mechanical failure (44 percent). Toyota recalled over seven million vehicles for fire hazards.
If a defective auto causes a vehicle fire, injured victims can seek compensation for damages by filing an auto product liability claim. Families of deceased victims can also seek compensation for damages such as medical expenses, funeral costs and lost future income, by filing a wrongful death claim. An experienced auto product liability lawyer will be able to analyze all aspects of the case and ensure that victims and their families receive just compensation for their losses.


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In spite of the fact that our national economy continues to chug at a painfully slow annual rate of plus or minus 2 percent, it thus far refuses to stall into recession. Even though the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has not fallen in a quarter since early 2014 with that drop apparently due to the horrendous winter weather two years ago, some are predicting the required two negative quarters in a row will come much sooner than later.
While the 2015 revenues of the S&P 500 companies shrank, GDP according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis rose by 1 percent in Q4, revised upward February 26th from a preliminary figure of .7 percent of January 29th. That finishes the year with an average growth of 1.875 percent. That said, the third and fourth quarters showed much less growth rate than the strong Q2 of 3.9. (www.bea.gov).
We all know this saying: a recession is when your neighbor has lost his or her job, but a depression is when you have lost yours. As always, economic weather affects various industries differently. A stronger dollar relative to the euro and a few other currencies have hurt exports. The largest companies are clearly global in reach. Thus S&P 500 companies actually had lower revenue in 2015 than the prior year.
Worldwide trade volumes also fell and some are using that fact to predict worldwide cataclysmic recession or worse. Brian Wesbury of First Trust points out that when one considers the drastic reduction in the price of oil in the past year, it is no wonder that world exports have fallen. During February industry meetings, I heard rational discussions of the stock sell off in January coming from pressure of selling by Mideast oil countries of their stocks in our markets not being offset by corporations’ purchases of their own stock due to the “quiet periods” surrounding earnings report releases. Huge volumes of sales were not the problem—there were just not enough buyers relative to typical market periods.
Meanwhile, domestic business is growing. Our employment picture continues to improve. Civilian employment, a term which includes small business starts, has grown by over half a million in the past year. When added to regular employees, the growth has been about 2.7 million added. Auto sales continue at high rates, although loans are again available to those able to fog mirrors. So we probably did not learn anything in the past decade about loose credit. Everyone still deserves a house and auto whether one can afford it or not.
Otherwise, our domestic income is rising and consumers are in relatively good shape. Most are saving as well as spending moderately more on goods and services. The services industries are booming. For more on these subjects, you can visit www.ftportfolios.com/retail/blogs/economics/index.aspx for the Monday Morning Outlook by Mssrs. Wesbury and Bob Stein.
For these reasons, I do not believe any recession is imminent. This would also explain why Mr. Market suddenly flipped a switch, moved upward and cannot seem to pull off a decent breather, at least until yesterday (Tuesday, the 8th). Waves will continue but the death of all of the bulls has probably been greatly exaggerated.
(Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Advice is intended to be general in nature.)


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China’ services sector grew in August at its weakest pace on record, a private survey showed on Monday, as new orders ebbed and tightening measures to rein in an exuberant property sector started to pinch.
The slowdown in the services sector to below levels seen during the global financial crisis reinforces signs that the world’ second-biggest economy is losing steam, even as global demand sputters.
While the services sector accounts for less than 45 percent of China’ gross domestic product, similar PMI reports last week showed growth in its manufacturing sector has also cooled considerably, and even contracted according to one survey.
Though a sharp economic slowdown is not expected at this point, the combination of cooling growth at home and a prolonged slump abroad will not be welcomed by policymakers in Beijing who are still struggling to tamp down high inflation with tighter policy without further curbing growth.
The world economy faces risks from both slowing growth and persistent inflationary pressure, which is spilling over from emerging to advanced economies, Ma Delun, a vice-governor at China’ central bank, said in comments reported on Friday. The comments about world economic prospects echoed earlier ones from Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, underscoring that Beijing is not counting on major foreign markets to recover quickly.
The HSBC’ Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which provides a snapshot of conditions in industries from restaurants to computing, slid to 50.6 in August from July’ 53.5, said Markit, a British research firm that compiles the index.
The August reading was the lowest since the survey begun in November 2005 and was a touch lower than the previous trough of 51.2 during the global crisis.
The 50-point level demarcates expansion from contraction. The figures are seasonally adjusted.
“Overall, services sectors are set to slow as both credit and property tightening measures are filtering through,” said Qu Hongbin, China economist at HSBC.
India PMI data released on Monday also showed that country’ services sector also grew more sluggishly in August. The HSBC Markit Business Activity Index dropped to 53.8 from 58.2 in July, slowed by a faltering global economy and India’ tight monetary conditions.
India’ services sector, which includes outsourcing power-houses like Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys, has traditionally shrugged off weak global economic conditions due to its ability to take on more work at a time when companies worldwide seek to lower costs.
In China, the August slowdown was mainly driven by a slip in new business flows, as businesses found it more difficult to win new contacts.
The new business sub-index fell from July’ 52.6 to 51.2, the second-lowest reading in the survey’ history, Qu said in a note to clients.
Despite the fall, China’ PMI reading still implied an annual expansion of 8-9 percent for the service sectors, Qu said.
The property market is unlikely to collapse, not least because of Chinese households’ low leverage ratio and credit tightening is approaching to an end, Qu added.
“This, plus the still resilient consumer spending, suggests China’ services sector is likely to see moderation, not meltdown, in the coming months,” he said.
In one worrisome sign, the survey showed input prices remained elevated in August, with respondents citing higher wage costs, which often lead to further broad price rises.
In a bid to tame stubborn high inflation, the central bank has raised interest rates five times since October and lifted the deposit reserve requirement ratio nine times.
The government has also unveiled a flurry of steps to cool property price rises, including home purchase restrictions, the launch of a property tax and increased mortgage rates.
China will release August inflation figures on Friday, giving investors a picture of how successful those measures have been.
A separate PMI for China’ services sector, published by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchase, dipped to 57.6 percent in August from 59.6 percent in July as railway investment fell following a deadly high-speed train crash.
The reading follows a pair of manufacturing PMIs last week that showed China’ factory activity steadied in August owing to solid domestic demand, but tight monetary policy at home and torpid demand abroad dimmed chances for a sustained recovery.
An official government survey showed factory activity growth picked up a but, despite a sharp drop in new export orders, while a survey conducted for HSBC shrank showed the sector shrank slightly for a second straight month, albeit not as much as initially feared.
While retail sales clocked up 17.2 percent growth in July from a year earlier, domestic demand may not be resilient enough yet to rebalance the export-oriented economy on its own.
Home-grown Chinese automakers are reeling after Beijing stripped away incentives for some cars at the end of last year, though Western brands are faring much better.


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Mr. Ananth Narasimhan, CEO of Infiniti Software Solutions writes how faces of travel is changing and moving towards a virtual reality. Starting from the first global network of interconnected computers to sell airline tickets, to enabling the first e-commerce transaction, travel technology has led the way for other industries to follow. Travel is the first industry which uses gadgets to provide virtual experiences a commercial reality. Mr.Ananth discusses about various technological innovations that have made it possible the next generation of travel driven by virtual experiences.
Technologies using virtual reality to enhance user experience have become a reality. The travel industry has already started deploying some of these products to market their products. This trend will soon accelerate and reach more and more travellers as newer, cheaper products arrive in the market. Travel will once again be at the forefront of this technology revolution and provide its users amazing products. Further, given the huge impact that virtual reality technology could make to people globally could be a great place for startups to create an impact. Read more
Amidst a raging debate about whether or not India has the abilities to produce world-class software products, Chennai -based travel technology firm Infiniti Software Solutions has bagged an enviable partnership with global industry giant Sabre solely on the strength of its innovations.
Infiniti Software Solutions, started in 2005 and headed by IIT alumnus Ananth Narasimhan, has entered into an agreement with Sabre to cater to the latter's present and prospective global clientele. Under the strategic agreement, Sabre will leverage Infiniti's flagship software for group revenue management to further automate and expand capabilities within the Sabre AirVision Commercial Planning suite.
Infiniti's group revenue management solution, GroupRM, allows airlines to efficiently manage group requisitions, pricing, negotiations, payment and fulfillment through a single and simple web-based interface. The robust and configurable tool also facilitates optimization of group revenue management across all revenue streams including fares, ancillaries and partnerships. Read more


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Reuters boss could bag £12m
REUTERS boss Tom Glocer has been handed a wad of options which could ne
Glocer, who earned more than £2m last year, was given 915,654 options at an exercise price of 266p. For every penny the shares rise above this level, he gets the profit. The award is conditional on annual growth in earnings per share of at least 3%.
Reuters, down 14 3/4p at 236 1/4p, hit 1620p a couple of years ago. Chief operating officer Philip Green received options over 287,593 shares. Finance director David Grigson got 150,375 options.
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Audiam has entered a deal with SOCAN, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada.
The deal will allow SOCAN’s 115,000 members to make more money from YouTube using Audiam.
Audiam says members will now be able to collect revenue from videos such as cover songs, lyric videos, fan videos of live performances, and more. Which means Audiam will now be tasked (and trusted) with:
- Identifying YouTube videos using members’ music.
- Authorizing YouTube to place advertising on videos.
- Collecting money and paying participating members for plays.
- Tracking and obtaining back revenues owed.
- Arranging for a buy link to be posted below YouTube videos for proper upsell monetization.
YouTube and SOCAN already have a licensing deal in place, but this will help members monetize even further. CEO of SOCAN, Eric Baptiste, says:
“With the SOCAN and Audiam cooperation, we make possible and practical the extraordinarily complicated process of identifying, tracking and collecting money that SOCAN members have rightfully earned, including for the first time revenues above and beyond the one generated by copyright licensing.”
Behind the scenes, Audiam cofounder Jeff Price has been a SOCAN consultant for several months. That relationship started shortly after Price’s ouster from (and subsequent war with) Tunecore. Amidst that rubble, Price launched Audiam, which already helps songwriters and publishers earn money from YouTube, including songs from artists such as Trent Reznor and Jason Mraz.
Image by jeff.smith, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)


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City bonuses soar 18%
Around 4,200 City workers will receive a bonus of more than £1m this year following high levels of merger and acquisition activity, data released today revealed.
City bonuses will grow 18% to a record £8.8bn this year, the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said in its quarterly business forecasts report on London.
The FTSE 100 Index of leading shares easily shook off a slide in value in May and this month rose to a five-and-a-half-year record high.
The CEBR said this rise was boosted by the growth of private equity and hedge funds activity.
City jobs are estimated to have hit a record high of 335,000 this year - up from 324,000 last year.
The professional services sector in the City, which includes law and accountancy firms centred on City activity, will see the largest increases at 5,000 new jobs, the cebr said.
Jonathan Said, senior economist at the CEBR, said: 'Continuing strong merger and acquisition activity in 2006 - which is highly bonus-orientated - is driving corporate earnings up and the stock market higher.
'As a result, the value of bonuses to be paid in the coming bonus round is forecast to hit £8.8bn, up nearly one-fifth from last year's bumper bonus round.
'Looking forward, City bonuses are likely to trend upwards - though at a slower growth rate - as an increasing number of highly incentivised private equity firms based in London continue to squeeze company costs and drive corporate profits.'
Earlier this year, a report from pay specialist Independent Remuneration Solutions (IRS) revealed that leading executives of the UK's biggest companies now earn £3.3m a year on average, thanks to large bonuses and performance-related incentive plans.
Bumper City bonuses have been blamed for pushing up house prices in the capital.
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With funding from the German Federal Ministry for Digital Industry and Transport (BMDV), seven german companies will start to use 27 Hyundai XCIENT electric trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cell. The funding program promotes the use of sustainable propulsion systems, the development of charging infrastructure and related feasibility studies. The trucks will be powered by two hydrogen fuel cellseach of them 90 kW, which feed a 350 kW electric motor of power The seven hydrogen tanks will allow them a maximum autonomy of 400 kilometers with each refueling.
Germany is today the largest market for commercial vehicles in Europe. Leveraging the German BMVD’s Green and Commercial Vehicle Financing Program, seven companies involved in logistics, manufacturing and retail will put 27 Hyundai XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks into service. The funding program promotes the use of sustainable propulsion systems, the development of charging infrastructure and related feasibility studies.
Following the approval of the European Commission, in August 2021 the BMDV announced the guidelines for the financing of commercial vehicles with alternative propulsion systems. The available budget is €1.6 billion until 2024. The funds are applied to different technologies, such as electric vehicles powered by electrochemical batteries, fuel cells and also hybrids (airline). The program includes the financing of the vehicles and the corresponding recharging or refueling infrastructure and the related feasibility studies.
The seven German companies chose to apply for the financing by providing specifications for the durability of the system and global efficiency of Hyundai’s XCIENT Fuel Cells electric truck as they adapt to the demands of the journeys they have to make. This hydrogen electric truck was launched in 2020 by Hyundai Motor and is the first mass-produced in the world. The company has already deployed 47 units in Switzerland, where they serve 23 different customers and have accumulated more than four million kilometers of driving as of July 2022.
The trucks to be delivered to Germany and which will form part of the fleet of these companies are equipped with a hydrogen fuel cell system of 180kw formed by two 90 kW fuel cells. These feed the electric motor of 350kw which delivers a maximum torque of 2,237Nm which, according to the manufacturer, allows dynamic driving.
Hydrogen is transported stored in seven great deposits offering a combined storage capacity of about 31 kilograms. The surplus energy that is generated in the hydrogen fuel cell is stored in a system of three lithium-ion batteries with a total capacity of 72 kWh. The maximum autonomy is 400 kilometers with each charge. Refueling a hydrogen tank takes between 8 and 20 minutes, depending on the ambient temperature.
According to Mark Freymueller, Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Vehicle Business Innovation at Hyundai Motor Company, the company is proud to enter the German market and will take this opportunity to expand its business in Europe’s largest market. Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility, a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Company and Swiss company H2 Energy, has also created Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility Germany to expand its entry into the hydrogen-powered commercial vehicle market in Germany. In order to establish a hydrogen ecosystem in the country, HHMG will handle local market sales and customer service, as well as managing installers in the market. HHMG also plans to actively participate in the second funding program.


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Converted Organics Receives Approvals in Rhode Island for the Development of a Third Manufacturing Facility
Tuesday August 12, 10:00 am ET
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Converted Organics Inc. announced today that the company is poised to proceed with the development of its third organic soil amendment and fertilizer manufacturing facility in the U.S.
On August 1, the Rhode Island Industrial Facilities Corporation (RIIFC) gave initial approval to the Company’s Revenue Bond Financing Application for up to $15 million for the construction of the new Converted Organics facility in Johnston, R.I. On August 5, the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) gave final approval to Converted Organics to lease nine acres of land in the newly created Lakeside Commerce Industrial Park in Johnston. Converted Organics previously filed an application with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management for the operation of a Putrescible Waste Recycling Center at that site.
“We are extremely pleased to have begun the process that we believe will enable Converted Organics to develop our third state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in two years,” said Edward J. Gildea, President of Converted Organics. “The Johnston, Rhode Island plant will play an integral role in helping us meet demand from our agribusiness, municipal, retail and turf management customers for our all-natural organic fertilizers. We look forward to continued progress on the development of this site. Upon completion of this plant, Converted Organics’ three plants will be permitted to process up to 850 tons of food waste per day.”
“As an innovator in green technologies, the addition of Converted Organics to Rhode Island is an important win in our economic development plan to support new and emerging businesses, and I welcome them to the State,” said Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri. “Green businesses create new 'green collar' jobs, as well as solid opportunities to connect existing small and local businesses to the emerging market opportunities, meeting the demand for green goods and services.”
Converted Organics began operations at the Company’s new flagship organic soil amendment and fertilizer processing facility in Woodbridge, New Jersey in June. Converted Organics is also currently expanding capacity at the company's West Coast manufacturing plant in Gonzales, CA, which was acquired in January of this year.
About Converted Organics Inc.
Converted Organics, based in Boston, MA, is dedicated to producing valuable all-natural, organic soil amendment or fertilizer products through food waste recycling. The company uses proven, state-of-the-art technologies to create a product that helps grow healthier food and improve environmental quality. Converted Organics plans to sell and distribute its environmentally-friendly fertilizer products in the retail, turf management, and agribusiness markets.
Converted Organics' fertilizer products will be produced in both a dry pellet and liquid concentrate. Converted Organics' products have been tested in numerous field trials for more than a dozen crops with the result that, on average, the net value of the farmer's crop increased 11-16%, depending on the particular crop and product application. This is due, in part, to the disease suppression characteristics of the product, which reduce or eliminate the need for other costly, often toxic, crop protection applications. Increased use of nitrogen in commercial agriculture and turf grass applications, such as golf courses, has reduced the soil's ability to absorb nitrogen and other nutrients. Using the products produced by Converted Organics helps restore the soil by replenishing these micronutrients. This reduces the amount of nitrogen required in a virtuous cycle that benefits from long-term use. As a result, use of the product will reduce chemical run-off to streams, ponds and rivers, an objective with significant long-term benefits to the environment.
The products have a long shelf life compared to many other organic fertilizers. In a number of lab and field trials, the liquid product has been shown to be effective in mitigating powdery mildew, a leaf fungus that effects most plants and grasses and restricts the flow of water and nutrients to the plant. The Company's fertilizer products can be used on a stand-alone basis or in combination with more traditional fertilizers and crop protection products. Converted Organics expects to benefit from increased regulatory focus on organic waste processing and on environmentally-friendly growing practices.
Source: Converted Organics Inc.
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