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We certainly cannot work 24/7 and we are finding out that we cannot let our computers keep up that pace either. Emanuel Maiberg writes on the Motherboard website about energy-related complications even when our computers are on sleep mode.
Why Computers Must Sleep
Do computers dream of electric sheep?
Not unless we program them to, but the important thing is that they’re sleeping in the first place. Idle electronics may waste as much as $19 billion in energy costs annually in the United States, according to study from the National Resource Defense Council.
“Personal computers use roughly the same amount of energy as all the data centers in the US,” Pierre Delforge, who advocates for energy efficiency in the high tech sector for the NRDC, told me. “Individually, they don’t use that much energy, but because there are so many of them in homes and offices, in aggregate they add up to about 2 percent of energy use in the US.”
Most of that energy, studies have shown, is used when you’re not even using the computer. It’s a huge waste—like leaving the refrigerator door open—which is why practically every consumer electronic device has a sleep mode.
Sleep mode, or some variety of automatic power-down mode, has been around for as long as we’ve had computers. The earliest example I could find is now at the National Museum of Computing in the UK. A spokesperson for the museum told me that it’s Harwell Dekatron computer, which first ran in 1951, had an auto-power down feature.
If users don’t touch their computer for a set amount of time, the system assumes they’re away, cutting power to unneeded subsystems while keeping just enough powered on so the machines can pick up where they left off.
It’s a simple solution that didn’t really gain popularity until the ‘90s—not because engineers were trying to save the planet, but because of the spread of laptops and other mobile devices where longer battery life is key.
In theory, this solves one of the biggest energy waste problem with consumer electronics (at least until we can do away with sleep modes entirely), but in practice, it’s much more complicated. In fact, in some cases sleep modes can waste more energy than they save.
The best example of this is the Xbox One, which has an “instant on” mode. Microsoft’s game console will go to sleep if you leave it idle for a certain time, but it will keep listening via the Kinect camera and microphone, so you can turn it back on with a voice command. It’s a convenient feature, but it also means that the Xbox One is drawing 12 watts of power in sleep mode. According to Delforge, that’s way too much power. By contrast, many countries follow the One Watt Initiative, which limits the power a device can use in sleep mode to that amount.
“There’s no reason a single product on the market should be allowed to have a 5 or 10 watts of sleep mode power when we have technology to keep it at one watt,” Delforge said.
The previous iteration of the console, the Xbox 360, didn’t have a sleep mode, meaning it would waste a lot of energy if you left it on, but the Xbox One’s default sleep mode adds up. It amounts to 44 percent of the Xbox One’s annual energy consumption, which overall is more than twice the annual energy consumption of the Xbox 360.
“It’s certainly not an isolated case,” Delforge said. “More devices have this always-on mode because they’re connected 24/7, or they have some function like voice control. That function, if not designed properly to use very low power, because it’s on a lot of the time, adds up to a lot of energy.”
Another good example of this is connected light bulbs you can control with your smartphone. They can help save energy because you can turn them off when nobody’s around, but if every light bulb uses just 1 watt to do this, even if that bulb is very energy efficient when it’s on, it could still use more energy overall.
Delforge said that doesn’t mean we can’t have connected light bulbs. They just need to be better designed. Sam Naffziger, an AMD corporate fellow and an expert on low power technologies in microprocessors, agrees.
“In engineering every feature requires time and energy so we gotta pick and choose which one to invest in, and I don’t think [Microsoft] necessarily knew that feature would be so important,” Naffziger said. “The thing to keep in mind is the big trade off is power saving versus overhead of getting in and out. The deeper the sleep mode is, the longer it takes to wake up, and there’s an analogy to biology there to some extent.”
He’s been working on making sleep modes more efficient for more than a decade, and while the innovation that takes place in this space is largely invisible, it’s kind of amazing.
Naffziger said that one of the more advanced things he’s working on these days are specialized sleep modes for certain activities, like watching videos. If all you’re doing is watching Netflix, the computer will put everything it doesn’t need for that activity to sleep.
“We’re even going into the levels where we take advantage of the 33 milliseconds between frames, which is a really long time in processor world,” he said. “We’ve realized we can do all the computation for that video frame in like 5 to 10 of those millisecond, and then we go to sleep for the remaining 20ish milliseconds and that reduces video playback power by quite a lot.”
Naffziger calls this type of “short idle” sleep mode dozing or napping modes, but you can also think about it like sleeping with your eyes open. Your screen is displaying something, but it’s not doing much else.
According to Energy Star, an energy efficiency standard for consumer products created by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy in 1992, technological innovation in this area prevents billions of pounds of greenhouse gas emissions every year.
When the EPA started looking into how to save power in the information technology industry and set the Energy Star standard, Naffziger said, it found a direct correlation between the average power a PC consumed over a year and these short idle power modes. Active power, like when your pimped-out gaming PC is firing on all cylinders, is negligible.
“Now, we in the processor community are beating that idle power down,” Naffziger said. “ We still have a way to go, but when we’re done, the only power we’re gonna burn is active power. That’s where we want to get.”
As important as that goal is, Energy Star can only do so much to compel manufacturers to improve energy efficiency in sleep modes. Qualifying for Energy Star is a selling point for consumers who consider energy consumption while shopping, and not qualifying for Energy Star can prevent companies from selling a huge number of products to government agencies, but the standard Energy Star sets isn’t mandatory. Even Naffziger admits that while better sleep modes can reduce fan noise and heat–things PC power users care about–manufacturers aren’t as motivated to improve sleep modes on desktops as they are with mobile devices.
The Energy Star standard is also not as good as it can be. For example, the European Commission’s Ecodesign program has clear regulation for “standby and off modes” which forced Microsoft to ship the Xbox One with a more energy efficient default configuration. Xbox One users in Europe have the option to turn on the wasteful voice activation feature if the wanted, but it wasn’t set up that way out of the box.
For Delforge and the NRDC, getting manufacturers to optimize their software and hardware for more energy efficient sleep modes, even when they don’t have to do it for the sake of battery life, is crucial.
It’s making some progress, at least in California, where the California Energy Commission set its own appliance efficiency regulations.
“Everything that has a battery that is sold in California today—cell phones, laptops, cordless phones—to meet a certain level of sleep power,” Delforge said. “There’s still a long way to go. It needs to be expanded to many more product categories, and beyond California. That’s one initiative we’re working on.”
Last spring, the NRDC gave a demonstration to the California Energy Commission where it took an off-the-shelf PC, and changed some of the settings in Windows and bios, reducing the energy it consumed in sleep mode by 60 percent, without sacrificing wake up times.
It’s one of many, relatively easy things consumers and companies can do to seriously cut down energy waste. They just have to do it.


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Apple said on Tuesday that the iPhone 4S, the latest version of its hot-selling smartphone, would be available in more countries in Asia, Europe and Central America this month i.e November, 2011. iPhone 4S will be available on November 11th, 2011 in Albania, Armenia, Bulgaria, El Salvador, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Malta, Montenegro, New Zealand, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Romania and South Korea. No details were revealed about an India launch date. Sadly 🙁
The iPhone 4S will be available for pre-order on November 4, 2011 except in Albania, El Salvador, Guatemala, Malta, Montenegro and Panama.
iPhone 4S was launched on October 4, 2011, one day before Apple co-founder Steve Jobs died following a long battle with cancer. Apple iPhone 4S is eagerly awaited in India and hopefully its fans will get the device soon in their hands!

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Samsung Galaxy A13 – Galaxy A13 4G: Pricing and color options revealed before launch
It is said that the Korean company Samsung is currently planning to launch the Samsung Galaxy A13 4G or Galaxy A13 4G smartphone soon. For information, the company revealed the Galaxy A13 5G in December last year 2021.
And now the 4G version is expected to be launched soon. Today, the latest leaks revealed the specifications of the phone, specifically the color options and prices.
According to the source, the Galaxy A13 4G will arrive with three memory options: 3GB RAM + 32GB storage, 4GB RAM + 64GB storage, and 4GB RAM + 128GB storage.
These variants will likely cost €180 ($204), €200 ($227) and €220 ($250), respectively. The phone will be available in colors such as black, white and light blue.
Samsung Galaxy A13 4G Specifications
Galaxy A13 4G has obtained many certifications such as FCC, BIS and Bluetooth SIG. It has also been featured on performance testing site Geekbench. These certifications revealed that the Galaxy A13 4G will be equipped with an Exynos 850 processor, 3GB of RAM, and the latest Android 12 operating system. It is likely to have a 5,000mAh battery, which may support a 15W charger. .
The Samsung Galaxy A13 will come with dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0. The images revealed that the phone will come with a quad rear camera, a USB-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
Specifications not confirmed
The 6.5 inch HD+ LCD screen offers a refresh rate of 90Hz. It has a 5 MP front camera and a triple camera of 50 MP (main) + 2 MP (depth) + 2 MP (macro). The device comes with a Dimensity 700 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, and a 5000mAh battery with 15W charging. It has a fingerprint sensor.
Read also: POCO X4 Pro 5G revealed phone design and specifications in the latest photos
What is the best and most important feature in Series Samsung A phones?


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Yo-Auto is a new name in the car business – a joint venture between truck maker Yarovit and Onexim investment group, owned by billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov who also owns the American basketball team, the New Jersey Nets.
The Yo concept unveiled today at Frankfurt uses a range extender petrol engine but the company says that its first models will have conventional petrol engines.
Work started last month on a new plant near St Petersburg and Prokhorov has said he wants to make a unique eco-friendly hybrid car which would cost less than $10,000 (£6,200).
The plant will have an initial annual capacity of 45,000 and this will double in its second phase, according to CEO Andrei Biryukov speaking to local media when work started on the factory which is scheduled to come on stream in the second half of 2012.
Yes, the doors, which, as you’ll see in the video below, open unlike any other cars’ that we’ve ever seen. Rather than swinging out like your car’s doors, swinging upward gullwing-style, or even doing that weird rotation that you see on Koenigsegg doors, these doors slide through the body of the vehicle and out of the rear end. It’s highly impractical, but also very cool.


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By Ray Cotton, Lumber Liquidators’ Chief Compliance & Sustainability Officer
Lumber Liquidators is pleased to announce that it has been accepted as a member of the Forestry Legality Alliance (FLA).
The World Resources Institute and the Environmental Investigation Agency, with support from the United States Agency for International Development, launched the Forest Legality Alliance in 2010 to address the economic, social and environmental challenges posed by illegal logging.
As noted on its website, “The Alliance is an international, multi-stakeholder initiative designed to achieve better forest governance and biodiversity conservation by reducing demand for illegally harvested forest products and increasing the capacity of supply chains to deliver legal wood and paper.”
My colleagues and I are excited to work with FLA and its members on issues relating to illegal logging and the support of the supply of legal forest products.


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The latest iPad rumors this week are circulating with information about 12.9-inch iPad with a Retina display in early 2014. This latest rumor comes via Korean Times, and says Apple’s display suppliers are already at work on a bigger display for Apple’s 6th generation tablet that could arrive early next year.
Back in July, the Wall Street Journal reported its sources said the new iPad would have a display that is “slightly less than 13 inches diagonally.” The Journal then had a follow up report of a 12-inch model in the works, which was first reported by Quanta Computer via Macotakara.
The Korean blog, which does have a bit of a sketchy track record when it comes to reporting legitimate Apple rumors, has said the reason for the size increase is to keep up with US demand for larger screen devices as PC sales continue to slow. “Apple’s local first-tier display supplier is now producing a 12.9-inch Retina Display to be used in the new iPad, which will be coming out sometime early next year,” an official at a local Apple supplier in Korea told The Korea Times by telephone Tuesday.
With Apple pushing towards a larger screen iPad, Samsung has also been rumored to be doing the same with their Galaxy Tab series of tablets. Samsung is stated to launch a 12.2-inch version Galaxy Tab which could be announced early next year at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas. With iPad rumors already heating up just weeks after the iPad launch, 2014 looks like it may be the year of the tablet… again.
via: Korea Times


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By partnering with Kula, we are making it easy for our clients to earn greater customer, employee and partner goodwill by acting as conduits for those users’ impulses to help others.
Boulder, Colorado (PRWEB) November 06, 2013
Today’s consumers demand more social good and cause-related initiatives from the companies they do business with than ever before. They also want flexibility in supporting causes of their choice. Driven by marketplace demands and the growing purchasing power of cause-conscious consumers, Kula Causes and Connexions Loyalty have joined forces to foster more meaningful loyalty for client partners through charitable engagement.
According to the latest 2013 Cone Communications Social Impact Study, U.S. consumer appetite for corporate support of social and environmental issues is growing and, as a result, consumers increasingly want their purchases to have a positive impact:
- 54 percent bought a product associated with a cause over the last 12 months, increasing 170 percent since 1993
- 91 percent want even more of the products and services they use to support causes
That’s why Connexions Loyalty, which offers white-labeled points programs for a variety of financial institutions, travel and hospitality companies and automobile makers and has tens of millions of consumers enrolled, is making it easier than ever for those consumers to give to the causes of their choice by teaming with Kula Causes. Kula’s network allows end users to donate unredeemed rewards to any of over two million nonprofits addressing human rights, food relief, healthcare, the environment and many other issues.
A recent global survey by Nielsen found that half of consumers would pay more for goods and services from companies that give back to causes. And in the fast-growing economies of Asia and South America, consumers whose spending power is rising have some of world’s highest expectations of companies when it comes to social responsibilities.
Clearly, giving back is becoming a business imperative for consumer-facing brands everywhere.
“Thanks to their always-connected devices, consumers are very aware of social needs around the world, and they want to patronize brands that help relieve those needs,” said Mark Dority, Kula Causes’ Director of Marketing. “With this joint initiative, we are responding to that demand and helping Connexions Loyalty’s clients forge more meaningful and longer-lasting relationships with customers, partners and employees.” Dority added that studies also show that businesses supporting a wide range of causes and people can gain a better reputation in consumers’ eyes.
“By partnering with Kula, we are making it easy for our clients to earn greater customer, employee and partner goodwill by acting as conduits for those users’ impulses to help others," said Andy Hodges, Group Vice President, Partner Development. “Access to a huge nonprofit database enables them to support as many causes as they can, which also boosts our clients’ reputations – and customer loyalty.”
For more information on how Kula and Connexions Loyalty are driving loyalty through cause support, please contact Vanessa Horwell at 305-749-5243 ext. 232 or vanessa(at)thinkinkpr(dot)com.
About Kula Causes:
Founded in 2010 and based in Boulder, Colorado, Kula Causes is the world’s largest platform for charitable giving. Kula’s innovative business-to-business SaaS application enables companies to measure, engage, and reward their customers by enabling them to support their favorite causes. This puts the power of choice in the hands of customers and creates rich customer engagement and meaningful brand loyalty. With over 2 million charities in over 50 countries to choose from, Kula reaches virtually every customer giving affinity—from local schools and places of worship to international development and aid organizations. For more information, please visit http://www.kulacauses.com.
Connexions Loyalty is a leader in enhancing the connection between major brands and their customers. Backed by more than 30 years of experience, Connexions Loyalty offers blue-chip companies the ability to reward their customers, from once-in-a-lifetime moments around the world through everyday occasions just down the street. Connexions Loyalty is the global leader in customer engagement, and serves tens of millions of active users throughout the United States. For more information, visit http://www.cxloyalty.com.


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According to Global View Research raport, the global video streaming market was valued at $89.03 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.5% from 2023 to 2030. This article looks at the key trends shaping subscription-based streaming services worldwide, from the emergence of new platforms to the constant expansion of content options. Join us on a journey through the dynamic forces driving the unstoppable growth of streaming services.
If you are an actor, consider a new job…
With innovations like AI and blockchain technology, video quality is experiencing significant enhancements. AI, in particular, is revolutionizing the capabilities of major streaming services, enabling faster and more cost-effective voice-overs. Looking ahead, as AI continues to evolve, there’s a possibility that films could be created entirely based on scripts, eliminating the need for real actors. Ambitious projects, such as ‘The Safe Zone,’ the first-ever film written and directed by AI, released in December 2022, are already exploring this concept. AI can also replicate scenes and ‘role play’ renowned actors by analyzing data from their previous performances. For streaming platforms, this presents a more cost-effective alternative to traditional movie production, avoiding the expenses of elaborate sets and real-life personnel, not to mention potential complaints.
Metaverse and other new forms
New generations, born in the era of streaming platforms and video games, crave novel stimuli and experiences. The Metaverse emerges as a potential solution to meet these evolving needs. While Mark Zuckerberg initially anticipated an immediate breakthrough for the Metaverse, this prediction did not materialize, and initially, only he and his colleagues explored this solution.
Despite the initial setbacks, numerous companies continue to invest in the development of the Metaverse, holding onto the hope that it will evolve and gain traction in the future.
Ad-Supported Tiers Catch On And Expand
Both Disney+ and Netflix have recently introduced platforms with ads, and Amazon is now accepting advertisements for Thursday Night Football. How audiences respond to these lower-priced, ad-supported options could influence whether other streaming services follow suit.
These ad-supported tiers offer users a more budget-friendly option, granting access to a variety of content in exchange for occasional advertisements. This not only attracts users who are conscious of costs but also creates new revenue streams for streaming platforms through advertising partnerships.
Major players in the streaming industry are quickly adopting ad-supported models, providing free access to a curated selection of content while earning money through targeted ads. This trend not only makes premium content more accessible, but also acts as a strategic move by streaming platforms to stay competitive in a crowded market.
With the growing demand for diverse content consumption options, the expansion of ad-supported tiers emerges as a crucial trend influencing the future of subscription-based streaming services worldwide.
Personalization and Recommendation Algorithms
As the streaming landscape becomes increasingly saturated, platforms are investing heavily in advanced recommendation algorithms to enhance user engagement. These algorithms analyze user behavior, preferences, and historical viewing data to provide personalized content suggestions. By understanding individual tastes, these platforms aim to keep viewers hooked and encourage longer and more frequent use.
The implementation of sophisticated artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies enables streaming services to go beyond basic genre preferences. Algorithms can consider factors such as viewing habits, time of day, and even external events to tailor content recommendations. This level of personalization not only ensures that users discover content that aligns with their interests but also creates a more immersive and satisfying viewing experience.
As these algorithms continue to evolve, users can expect increasingly accurate and nuanced content suggestions, further solidifying the role of personalization as a key trend in the subscription-based streaming services industry.
The world of streaming platforms is evolving rapidly before our eyes. The ability of streaming services to attract and retain subscribers will largely depend on their capacity to consistently deliver compelling video content of choice to their audiences and foster popular discourse around that content.


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When Teri Turner and David Lundquist hit Jamba Juice with a federal legal action last month, it was because they thought the popular smoothies provided health benefits on par with eating whole fruits and vegetables. But on the contrary, the shakes allegedly contain up to 610 calories and between 65 and 128 grams of total sugars.
“Relying on Jamba Juice’s marketing, plaintiffs bought the smoothies,” wrote Center for Science in the Public Interest attorneys in their August 23 pleading. “Plaintiffs would not have purchased the smoothies had they known that they lacked the ingredients, nutritional profile, and/or benefits marketed by Jamba Juice.”
Jamba spokesman Josh Nicosia declined to comment.
Filed in California Northern District Court, Turner v. Jamba Inc. is among a slew of false advertising complaints launched in federal court lately that are holding brands such as McDonald’s, L’Oreal and Eden Creamery to a higher standard.
“We can expect tighter advertising as a result, which is positive from the consumer’s perspective,” said Andy Lustigman, chair of Olshan Frome Wolosky’s advertising, marketing and promotions group. “For brands, it’s bad news because of the cost of litigation especially when the lawsuit is a certified class action.”
The Center for Science in the Public Interest has aggressively litigated and negotiated changes to the marketing and labeling of products such as Naked Juice, Cheerios Protein and Plum Organics baby food.
“In reality, consumers are paying premium prices for products that are primarily made of unadvertised, less nutritious, and cheap ingredients like pear and white grape juices from concentrate,” said Maia Kats, litigation director with the group.
In the federal case against McDonald’s filed in Florida Southern District Court, plaintiffs Cynthia Kissner and Leonard Werner allege the fast-food chain misrepresented its burgers in advertising and signage.
“Customers who want a quarter pounder or double quarter pounder or a value meal have been overcharged and coerced to order, purchase and pay for cheese that they do not want,” wrote plaintiff’s attorney Andrew Lavin in his May 8 complaint.
However, attorneys for McDonald’s fired back in a June 29 pleading that the lawsuit is flawed because retail restaurants don’t have a legal obligation to reduce the price of a standard menu item to reflect the customer’s decision to decline some ingredient or component that is included.
“The customer’s decision to refuse the cheese advertised as part of the sandwich, and which the restaurant is perfectly willing to supply, is no basis for imposing liability on McDonald’s Corp.,” stated McDonald’s attorneys Victoria Oguntoye and Jennifer Olmedo-Rodriguez.
The lawsuit has not changed the fast food chain’s advertising or how they prepare their burgers, according to Denise T. Wilson, southeast brand reputation manager for McDonald’s. “We do not believe the claims in this lawsuit have legal merit,” Ms. Wilson told Pacer Monitor. “The advertised Quarter Pounder Burger comes with cheese, and we strive to accommodate our customers’ requests to customize their orders, such as this one, with no cheese. Additionally, McDonald’s independent owner/operators determine menu pricing to be competitive in their respective markets.”
The court has yet to certify Ms. Kissner and Mr. Werner’s complaint against McDonald’s.
“It’s supposed to be addressed as soon as practicable—before the merits,” said Andrew S. Pollis, professor of law at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. “But judges have a lot of discretion over the timing of certifying a class action. It varies.”
On the upside for brands, it is rare for such a claim to proceed in federal court.
“What impacts one individual’s decision to buy a product may be different from another’s decision, and a class action complaint is based on a collective experience,” Mr. Lustigman told PacerMonitor. “When a judge does certify a claim, it’s typically because the court feels comfortable making a decision across the board for all purchasers, not just the plaintiffs.”
Most recently, federal Judge Lorna Schofield partially certified a class of consumers who claim to have experienced hair damage after the U.S. unit of French beauty conglomerate L’Oreal allegedly falsely marketed its Matrix Biolage Advanced Keratindose hair product line as containing the protein keratin.
“Because Plaintiffs were exposed to the same marketing and packaging as every other consumer who purchased the products, Plaintiffs are typical of the classes they seek to represent,” Judge Schofield ruled in her August 15 decision. L’Oréal has since asked the Second Circuit Court of Appeals to review the decision. In his appeal brief, L’Oreal Attorney Frederick B. Warder states that plaintiffs must demonstrate injury and causation but need not do so on an individual basis.
“The only way to determine whether consumers suffered injury as a result of the deceptive practice is to inquire whether consumers purchased the products – and paid a price premium – because of the challenged terms,” wrote Mr. Warder in L’Oreal’s defense.
According to court records, challenged terms refers to the claim that keratin is an ingredient in the L’Oreal product.
“Plaintiff Chadwick suffered hair loss after using the products. As a result, she ceased using the Products,” wrote Attorney Jason T. Brown on behalf of consumers Christine Chadwick and Brandi Price. “After several weeks of use, Plaintiff Price noticed that the Keratindose Spray seemed to be damaging her hair, causing it to be brittle and dry. As a result, she ceased using the Product and had to pay for conditioning treatments to fix her damaged hair.”
A request for comment from L’Oreal was unanswered by press time.
While the court of appeals reviews the decision to certify, the case is proceeding to discovery in district court. “Businesses need to be very careful,” Mr. Lustigman said. “Examine your business practices and the claims you’re making very closely because as a business owner you need not only worry about federal and state regulators but also the possibility that your advertising and marketing practices will be heavily scrutinized for any potential mis-statements, which carries a tremendous liability.”
Since the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 was passed, it is now easier for individual plaintiffs to file class action lawsuits in federal court because of expanded subject-matter jurisdiction. “It was thought that state courts were running amok,” Mr. Pollis said. “The Act is designed to permit greater federal oversight into class actions.”
In June, plaintiffs Youssif Kamal and Gillian Neely filed their lawsuit against Eden Creamery for allegedly cheating them out of a full pint of ice cream, and requesting an award for monetary damages, including but not limited to, compensatory, incidental and consequential damages as well as an award for punitive damages.
“The amount of underfilling appears to be random to consumers, it can vary in amount of underfilling and appears to be unrelated to flavor of ice cream or the location of purchase,” wrote Mr. Kamal and Mr. Neely’s attorney Andrew J. Brown in his Southern District of California June 15 complaint. “In short, it is difficult (if not impossible) for any consumer to know – until after purchase and upon opening the container – whether or not they will receive a full pint.”
“What’s interesting about these cases is that it used to be competitors or the Federal Trade Commission suing,” Mr. Pollis told PacerMonitor. “But more recently, it’s consumers that are filing false-advertising suits.”
For example, plaintiffs Turner and Lundquist brought their Jamba Juice lawsuit under California and New York consumer-protection statutes but could not sue under the Lanham Act because it does not include a remedy for consumers.
“Competitor brands or the FTC principally sue under the Lanham Act while consumers can rely on state-law claims, such as breach of contract and fraud, which vary from state to state,” said Mr. Pollis.
Whether it’s hair damage, a missing bit of dessert or not using ingredients such as vegetables and fruit, the plaintiff results will likely be similar to lawsuits of the past that were filed by competitors: corrective advertising campaigns and percentage-off coupons.


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Subscription Industry: the Latest News
One of the best things about shopping holidays like Black Friday is that they give merchants across the world an opportunity to observe trends that help inform business strategy. That’s exactly what the Subscription Trade Association did this year. Don’t miss their top three takeaways from Black Friday 2022. Their insights may surprise you.
If you’re looking for personalized expertise regarding your eCommerce strategy, schedule time on my calendar for a risk-free consultation.
Every week, we highlight the biggest news happening in the subscription economy. Our hope is to inspire you to glean from what other successful recurring revenue merchants are doing, and we scour the web so you can stay current without getting buried in content. We also accept submissions, so please share your latest business news with email@example.com for consideration.
Let’s get into it, but first…
Deals of The Week
Singles Are Paying More for Dating Subscriptions
Match Group dating apps are seeing an increase in subscription purchases, despite rising costs all around due to inflation.
Read more on AdvocateMag.com.
On-Demand Car Rental Company Kyte is Now Offering Car Subscriptions
Car rental delivery startup Kyte said it’s on a mission to disrupt the auto industry by making people think twice about buying a car.
Read the full story on TechCrunch.com.
Average Retail Subscription Rate Down 40% From Oct '21 Peak
FTC Warns Against Subscription Tricks and Traps, Steps Up Enforcement
The federal agency is ramping up enforcement against deceptive negative option marketing practices.
Read the full story on SubscriptionInsider.com.
GM: No Monthly Fee for Heated Seats
General Motors assured investors Thursday it has no intention of charging its customers for heated seats, but it is certain that vehicle software, and the microtransactions it will allow, such as paying for cloud-based services, will be the bigger business for GM in the future.
Read the full story on Freep.com.


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After the death of Saab, there is information today via Bloomberg News that Lotus Motors (maker of the Elan and Esprit sports cars) is in deep financial trouble and is on the verge of being sold by its parent, the Malaysian automaker Proton.
Proton’s main car business is producing sedans and taxis for its home market in Malaysia, which is clearly a diversion from Lotus ’ Ferrari and Porsche competitor aspirations. Proton is rumored to be looking to sell Lotus in order to focus more on its core automotive business.
Lotus has long been a niche automaker (along with Aston-Martin), but Lotus is trying to break out of that mold with a number of new products, including a sporty sedan (to compete with the Porsche Panamera) and a tiny city car (along the lines of Daimler's Smart model). However, many auto analysts doubt that the small automaker will be able to come up with the capital to fund its future product plans, seen as yet another reason for the rumored sale.
Previous press reports have stated that the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. and Luxembourg-based Genii Capital have shown interest in purchasing Lotus, but neither firm will confirm these press reports.
Lotus is said to need to sell about 8,000 vehicles annually to turn a profit. Last year, the company only sold slightly under 2,000 units worldwide. Very sad news for a once great sporting marque. A couple of James Bond movies in the 1970's also featured Lotus as Bond's gadget-laden car.


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A strong entrepreneurial spirit is evident in all DHL Express’s activities. The company has opened new branches in the most remote corners of the word, kept its operations ongoing in territories registering tight pressures as Libya for instance and shows no fear when transporting Sumatran tigers from US and Australia to UK.
As for Romanian business, the Managing Director of DHL Express Romania Daniel Kearvell talked with Romanian Business Digest and gave details of the company’s strategy on the local market and gave his feeling about the growing perspectives locally.
“We are optimistic about the market at the moment, albeit slightly cautiously so. Whilst we are not seeing spectacular macroeconomic figures or external environment generally, DHL’s strong growth points to there certainly being some positive developments in the market.”
The SMEs is a significant market segment for DHL Express business in Romania, as the company is making 80 percent of total operations in Romania from it, Daniel Kearvell states. According to the manager, the company maintains a stable business from the international customer portfolio, servicing large multinational companies from automotive, engineering and manufacturing sector that consist of some of the main investors in Romania. Nevertheless, in Romania, the company is focused on serving the international express requirements of the local business that is coming from the SMEs sector, which comprise 80 percent from DHL Express operations in Romania.
According to the Managing Director, the company signed only in March this year 119 new contracts of which, 100 has been inked with SMEs-type companies. “I find quite a high sense of entrepreneurship in the region and in Romania particularly, which is a natural fit for an increasing sense of market internationalization. That is because firstly the international markets became more and more available due to the logistics, new technologies, Internet but also to do with the fact that local market is not providing at this moment the growth parameters to meet the needs of Romanian business,” Daniel Kearvell says. Consequently, he explains, the local businesses need to reach international markets and distribute their products where there is the required demand. “There are many areas where Romania enjoys significant competitive advantage, such as the textile industry, one of DHL’s biggest partners in Romania,” Daniel Kearvell adds.
“Given the sluggish domestic demand, and the improved connectivity of Romania with the rest of the world, more and more companies are looking to access international markets with which to trade. This increased international demand is also a strong contributor to DHL’s growth.”
DHL’s growth is partly attributable to the favorable conditions the Romanian environment and economy offers, but also a result of the company’s strategy to focus on the SME segment in Romania. This is not only resulting from the economic need to support the growing small and medium-sized business segment, but it is also because many of the existing companies in this area in Romania hold already a strong background with international partners. From DHL’s studies, 26 percent of companies that have international partners grow ahead of the market while only 13 percent of SMEs having domestic partners do the same. Also, a major conclusion of these studies is that it is more likely for an SME-type company to have an international partner in the early stages of its business, when it needs to develop and find the right offer on external markets. The major export destinations for Romanian companies are Germany, France, UK, US, Spain, Italy, China and also Russia.
Getting along with the SMEs
In spite of the overall economic sluggishness, the DHL manager maintains a good level of optimism. “Despite the unhelpful external environment of the last years, as well as the challenging macroeconomic background, we have seen some really good records in this time,”Daniel Kearvell underlines. The company has 5,000 customers of all different types of industries and performed an increase of 14 percent in shipments in March, good signs for the current and forthcoming years. “I am confident that 2013 has the potential to bring positive business results for DHL Express’s business in Romania. The stability of the political environment has of course an impact over the business in terms of setting a long-time strategy but our core operations in the Time Definite International markets serving and industries such as technologies, automotive, manufacturers and distributors maintain the increasing pace of our volumes and business figures,” DHL Express Romania Managing Director states.
For a company operating in the courier and logistics industry, the infrastructure of a country is of paramount importance. According to company’s data, their express courier service reaches every single corner of the country through their 200 vehicles, and with several thousand customers, the company is a good barometer of a country’s economy. Still the state of local state of local infrastructure is improving, according to the manager adding that it needs “fine-tuning” in order to become more competitive. “Especially for time-sensitive products, the necessity of reaching destinations fast and in time is crucial both for our customers and for the efficient growth of the economy as a whole,” Daniel Kearvell adds.
DHL Romania activity in numbers:
- A fleet of 200 vehicles
- 3 aircrafts (2 SAAB SF 340 and 1 Boeing 757)
- 3.5 million Shipments processed annually
- 5,000 customers
- 4 international gateways - 3 for air express in Arad, Bucuresti and Cluj and one for road express in Oradea
- 119 new contracts signed in March 2013


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Richemont shareholders rejected Bluebell Capital Partners proposal to add the former head of Bulgari to its board, a defeat for the activist investor’s campaign to boost shareholder representation.
The Swiss luxury goods company instead named an existing board member, Wendy Luhabe, to represent investors in the traded shares in an attempt to defuse the conflict.
The vote followed verbal sparring between Chairman Johann Rupert, who controls the Cartier brand owner through its B-class stock, and Giuseppe Bivona, the founding partner of Bluebell. The South African billionaire holds 10% of the company’s share capital and yet controls 51% of its voting rights. While the outcome is a victory for Rupert, the company did cede a bit more influence to Class-A shareholders for the first time in 34 years.
Luhabe had support from 84% of Class-A shareholders, while Trapani had 9.5%.
Rupert said he’s “happy that shareholders trusted the management,” and that his family has no intention of lowering its stake.
Trapani led the Bulgari jewelry brand for nearly three decades until 2011 and was a founding partner of Bluebell in 2019.
Richemont’s management, as well as several shareholder advisory firms, recommended voting against Trapani. Richemont management argued the former Bulgari and Tiffany & Co. executive is too closely associated with rival LVMH, which owns both brands.
Richemont announced a deal last month to sell a stake in its online retail business YNAP to Farfetch Ltd.
© 2022 Bloomberg


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Autonomous, A fintech company that aims to help consumers build credit and savings at the same time announced today that it has raised $ 50 million in E-Series funding.
High Business led the funding, which included participation from Meritech Capital and Conductive Ventures and raises the entire Austin-based startup to $ 127 million since its inception in 2015.
The company, like many fintechs these days, aims to make credit and savings more accessible, regardless of a person’s financial history. It does not require strict credit check to get started.
“We are focused on providing high quality, low cost products that help access key credit,” said Self Gar’s founder and CEO James Garvey.
Today, Self Financial has 200 employees, up from about 80 at the beginning of this year. The startup, which was originally founded in California but moved to Austin after joining the Techstars program in the city, plans to hire more with its new capital.
Garvey declined to comment on hard-earned data, saying only that Self was going to generate “nine-digit” revenue this year, about twice as much as in 2020. Self’s active customer base has more than doubled in the last 12 months to about 1 million today. Over time, it has served more than 2 million customers.
Fintech’s top product, he said, are basic installment loans or small dollar loans with a deposit account attached to a CD (certificate of deposit).
After successfully using this product, customers can access the Self’s Visa credit card.
Self’s Credit Builder products are issued through its three banking partners. But the company has created its own proprietary core technology platform that Garvey says “dominates everything behind the scenes.” The company’s products are available through iOS and Android, as well as through a computer application.
Starting this month, the Self will allow people wto have an H-1B or L 1 work visa or a student visa to open Credit Builder accounts, a move Garvey said “opens the door to more people new to the US credit system.”
“We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to improve their financial future,” he added.
Some of Self’s long-term goals include entering the insurance market, as well as the planned release of another product designed to provide its customers with access to credit.
“The credit score is used for many things and in many states it is an important factor in determining the cost of car insurance,” he said. “We will help our customers gain access to car insurance as one of the benefits of a higher credit score.”
The company plans to use its new capital to hire about 50 to 100 people over the next 12 months, Garvey said. He recently appointed Kathleen Leonik to serve as its Chief Compliance Officer. He has previously held leadership positions at Juniper Bank, Barclaycard and, more recently, Mercury Financial. He has also worked in compliance at First USA, Bank One and Chase.
Altos Ventures CEO Anthony Lee described himself as a pioneer in the ever-increasing space. This week, TomoCredit, which has the same goal of helping underrepresented consumers build a credit history, announced that it had raised $ 10 million. And last week, Varo Bank – the first US new bank to be hired by a national bank – raised a whopping $ 510 million in a $ 2.5 billion E-Series round of financing.
“James and his team at Self had a clear mission from day one: to create credit and savings for millions of Americans who have been marginalized by the dominant financial system,” Lee said. “It is a mission that will take decades to accomplish and we are happy to be there for the trip.”
For Silverton Partners CEO Morgan Flager, who participated in the Self’s Series AD rounds, Garvey’s passion was the key to his recurring investments in the company.
““When you have a founder with a clear and noble vision for solving a critical problem so huge, it’s hard to say no as an investor,” he told TechCrunch.
The company also pulled Self’s mission to “raise” subprime consumers.
“Many of the offers to subprime consumers are expensive and restrictive,” he said. “Self Financial is unique in that it intends to break this cycle, rather than just taking advantage of it in a different way.”


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A new service that allows you to access the entire world wide web using your Facebook credentials is coming soon.
The platform, called “Facebook for People”, is the brainchild of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and co-founder Eduardo Saverin.
“Facebook is an incredible platform, but it has its limits,” Saverins wrote on the company’s website.
“We’ve come to the conclusion that people will only ever be able to use it for things that matter.”
Saverinos vision for the social network is to allow you to use Facebook in ways you can’t now.
That includes the whole world wide network of people, places and things you’ve ever heard of.
Facebook is only a small part of the network, which includes other social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram.
And the company is currently rolling out a new feature that lets people log in to their social media accounts and view their news feed.
Saverino wrote: “Facebook will be able see the full social network.
When you’re on Facebook, you’ll have full access to your entire history, all the events you’ve attended, the posts you’ve shared, and more.”
The service will be available in the coming weeks and will cost $39.99 per year, with $7.99 a month paid to users for access to their News Feed and other features.
For $4.99, users can download a calendar and an unlimited number of photos and videos.
The service is only available to people in the United States, Brazil, the UK, India, Mexico, Turkey, and several other countries.
Users will be given two options for signing up to the service.
“It’s a great opportunity to get started and learn about this new social media platform, and if you are already a Facebook user, it’s a fantastic way to sign up,” Sacerinos wrote.
“Once you’ve signed up, you can see the entire news feed, view your friends’ feeds, follow people, and much more.”
Facebook is not a new idea.
Facebook launched the “Facebook For People” program back in 2012 and then began allowing people to buy and sell Facebook accounts, or “memos”.
The idea was to use these to communicate more directly with Facebook customers.
The program was ultimately discontinued.
Facebook said the program was a success, with some 50 million people using the program between August 2012 and June 2013.
The company’s first-ever ads were launched in September 2012, and it was the subject of a $2.5 billion funding round in 2015.
Facebook has since expanded its use of Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other social messaging apps to the world wide Web, which it now supports.
In 2017, Facebook said it would offer an app for iPhone and iPad called “Foursquare”, which it says will be the first to let people easily manage their Facebook accounts.
Zuckerberg said in May that Facebook would expand its “core services” to include the Web by 2020.
In December 2017, Zuckerberg said that Facebook’s services would be expanded to include video streaming, search, news and video editing.
“The World Wide web will soon be the largest platform for the exchange of ideas, information, news, entertainment and commerce,” Zuckerberg wrote.


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News The company has until January 2023 to remove the Chinese operator’s equipment in its core network, but has now asked the government for an extension
Reviews With its distinctive shape and superb colour, this monitor stands well apart from the crowd
Reviews The Chinese phone maker delivers its best handset yet, but is it worth it for the lack of Google services?
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Maersk Container Industry (MCI) News
Globally renowned container logistics company, A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) signed an agreement, on Monday, September 27, 2021, to sell its reefer manufacturer, Maersk Container Industry (MCI), to China International Marine Containers Ltd. (CIMC), which is headquartered in Shenzhen, China and listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, and Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Maersk Container Industry (MCI) will become part of a market renowned company in the container equipment industry. CIMC will take over...
Browse security news
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- DIMDEX 2022


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Nike has released a video showcasing how Nike Air Bags are made. Titled ‘Fresh Air From Oregon’, the video takes us inside the Nike’s Air Manufacturing Innovation facility to go over the process.
In 1977, an inventor named Frank Rudy presented a crazy idea to Phil Knight: placing air bags inside shoes. Phil went for a test run, and Nike never looked back.
Over the last 30 years, no technology has become more synonymous with Nike than Air. From the Tailwind to the new VaporMax, it’s a pioneering idea that transformed the industry — and established Nike as a leading innovation company.
A short walk from Nike’s World Headquarters, in Beaverton, Oregon sits one of two facilities that has invented, re-invented and perfected Air. The Nike Air Manufacturing Innovation building, and its counterpart in St. Charles, Missouri have created a combined 3.5bn Nike Air units. It takes a workforce of 1,300 highly skilled people, running around the clock, to make it happen. Each of them plays a critical role in fine-tuning Air technology to deliver precision performance, at a microscopic level.
With the new Nike Air VaporMax, that future is already here today. It delivers on our most daring dream: helping every athlete feel the unparalleled sensation of walking on air. Every VaporMax air unit is built in Beaverton, Oregon.


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City of Racine – Today, City of Racine announced it has launched a new app for iPhone and Android users called Racine Recycles. The app, which can be found in your favorite app store, allows City residents to stay up to date with their solid waste collection schedules, and be notified about a variety of City services including leaf collection, weather advisories, and other relevant information and breaking news. The app also contains useful tips and information on where bulky items like furniture and electronics can be donated for re-use or dropped off for disposal.
“We created the app as an easy-to-use tool for City residents to stay up to date with City services. The City will use the app to send notifications about leaf collection, snow emergencies, changes to solid waste and recycling schedules, and alternate street side parking, among other things. Our goal is to make sure residents don’t miss garbage collection because of a holiday, or get a parking ticket because of a snow emergency,” said Racine Mayor Cory Mason.
To install the app, simply go to the app store on your iPhone or Android device and search for “Racine recycles”. After you download the app, enter your address, and turn on notifications. The process is quick and easy.
Approximately 70 percent of City households have already signed up for City notifications through the Department of Public Works “ReCollect” website. The Racine Recycles app provides the same information to residents but in a more convenient format on your phone.


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London, Feb 7 (ANI): A coffee shop owner in the US is facing up to 90 days jail time because one of her waitresses was too scantily clad.
Cheryl Clark, who runs Dreamgirls Expresso in Yakima, Washington state, was found guilty of violating the local indecent exposure ordinance after one of her "bikini baristas" wore sheer shorts while serving up coffee.
The police revealed that not only were the shorts sheer, they didn't cover enough of her buttocks.
Clark is now due to be sentenced on February 18.
"I think that it's creative marketing that really grabbed some attention," the Daily Mail quoted Kate Reardon, spokeswoman for the city of Everett, where one coffee shop was accused of exchanging sexual favours for money, as saying.
In Yakima, about 100 miles south east of Seattle, publicly wearing G-strings and see-through clothing is forbidden. (ANI)


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ODESSA, Texas — Isy's Fine Jewelry store in Odessa has found a way to honor the victims of the August 31 shooting.
The store owner has designed special charms that are limited edition, only being available for a short while.
"We designed it with a specific design in mind," said Isy Galzan, the owner of the jewelry store.
"Of course, the great state of Texas we divided into sections like the flag, and of course the heart in West Texas which is Midland and Odessa. And we also did a nugget texture to depict the people of West Texas; we're soft and kind and rough and rugged as well, and that's why we decided to make that."
The store says they have about 70 charms left after preorders. The charms cost $50, with 90% of the funds going to the fund for the victims of the shooting.
If you would like to purchase one of the charms before they are gone, you can visit the store before October 18 and pay with cash or check. This way they can deliver the money raised on Monday.


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Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2022-08-05 Origin: Site
Cooperation between Shaanxi auto and Poly
On July 30, 2020, Poly Technologies Limited (Poly Technologies) signed a contract with Shaanxi Auto Group for the export of four different trucks and spare parts to a country in Africa, for a contract amount of over 300 million yuan.
The press release stated that this was the largest single contract signed by both parties. And this is how we came to notice that "Shaanxi Auto is actually the number one brand of Chinese heavy trucks exported to Africa, and in 2018 it also set up an assembly plant in Algeria".
As a veteran central enterprise, Poly is ranked 78th in the list of central enterprises by the State Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), with total assets of more than trillion, revenue of more than 300 billion and profits of more than 40 billion in 2018, ranking 242nd in the World Top 500 in 2019, with 11 secondary subsidiaries and six listed companies.
This time, those who signed with Shaanxi Auto are Poly International and Poly Technology under the Group's name.
Let's look at Poly International first: this is the Group's main platform for international trade, overseas resource development and engineering construction. In the field of international trade, it has established business relationships with more than 100 countries and regions. In the field of engineering construction, we have built representative key projects at home and abroad, such as the Lanka Army Hospital and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
Then look at Poly Technologies: this is the predecessor of Poly Group, which was established in late 1983 and is still the core enterprise of the Group, this is not much to introduce, we should all have some understanding.
Through the understanding of these two contracted entities, it is not difficult for readers to draw a feeling.
Shaanxi Auto's "strong manufacturing" capabilities and Poly's "strong international" strengths are expected to complement each other. By "piggybacking" on this platform, the company can be said to have taken advantage of the platform to go to sea.
In fact, Shaanxi Auto and Poly are no strangers to each other, as they first joined hands back in 2015.
In November that year, the two sides formed Shaanxi Poly Special Vehicle Manufacturing Co Ltd based on a consensus on the prospects of the domestic and international special vehicle market and the transformation and development of the enterprise, with the business scope including the research and development, production and sales of special vehicles and parts, as well as the import and export of goods and technologies to achieve complementary advantages.
To date, Poly has set up its own companies in Shaanxi, with businesses in real estate, investment, logistics and other businesses. Given Shaanxi's strengths in military and manufacturing industries, Poly Group is expected to focus more and more on Shaanxi and continue to increase its presence in the future.
In fact, as the largest manufacturing company in the northwest, Shaanxi Auto's "heavy trucks" have been performing well in both domestic and international markets for a long time.
In the seven years between 2011 and 2018, with 2015 as the cut-off point, Shaanxi Auto has overtaken Foton, moving from 5th to 4th, and is now showing signs of challenging for 3rd place (Heavy Duty). (Shaanxi Auto's cumulative sales in the first half of 2020 were 108,100 units, up 9% year-on-year.) Translated into market share indicators, Shaanxi Auto has improved from 11.2% in 2011 to 15.2% in 2018, with dump trucks, high horsepower coal tractors, port tractors, dump trucks and natural gas vehicles all ranked 1st in the industry.
From 2016 to 2019, China's heavy truck export sales were 46,600, 69,300, 69,900 and 84,000 units respectively, while Shaanxi Auto's export volume in the corresponding years was about 0.5 million, 0.94 million, 13,500 and 15,000 units, always ranking 2nd in China, behind China National Heavy Duty Truck. Shaanxi Media Network had published a report in 2018, "For every six heavy trucks exported in China, one of them is produced by Shaanxi Auto".
The strength and growing momentum of Shaanxi Auto, the "giant" in the industry.
In the African market, Shaanxi has been the number one brand of Chinese heavy trucks exported to Africa since 2010.
In 2014, Shaanxi Auto's export business in Africa, its traditional market, was concentrated in North Africa, with Algeria accounting for 70% of China's overseas exports.
In 2018, the completion and operation of Shaanxi Auto's assembly plant in Algeria was the first and currently the only Chinese heavy truck enterprise to obtain the vehicle assembly license from the Arabian government, and has exported a total of more than 40,000 units of SHACMAN (Shaanxi Auto's heavy truck brand) to the Arabian side since 2007, accounting for 80% of the market share of construction vehicles in the Arabian side.
In 2019, Yuan Hongming, Secretary of the Party Committee of Shaanxi Auto, made a targeted visit to investigate the Kenyan market.
As a long-time local financial observer, we have published an article entitled "1.5 billion for Caijiapo, Shaanxi Auto's premeditated "alternative core"? which documented Shaanxi Auto's "two-wheel drive" strategy to return to Caijiapo and create a "new Shaanxi Auto". For Shaanxi Auto, which has "raised its head strongly", returning to Caijiapo to recreate a new Shaanxi Auto is to win in the future, and winning in both domestic and international markets is to win in the present, both of which must be prepared and must be hard.
Is Africa a big market or not? In terms of its population of 1.2 billion, it is clearly promising, and in terms of import and export volumes, it does not seem to be that important. But what we are concerned about is that this continent, where mankind was born, is undergoing many new changes, and these new changes are exactly the right opportunities for Shaanxi enterprises.
1: The emergence of "individual star countries" in Africa.
Let's take the example of Ethiopia, the African market where Shaanxi Heavy Truck is located, and Kenya, which is about to enter the market, and is a representative country of Africa's growing growth, as well as the smaller Rwanda, which is also growing very fast.
Ethiopia's GDP has grown from US$8.6 billion in 2003 to US$84.3 billion in 2018, nearly 10 times in 15 years, reaching 35.55% at one point in 2013. Kenya has grown from US$12.9 billion to US$87.9 billion in the last 18 years, reaching 37.83% at one point in 2006. Overall, both countries are growing at an average annual rate of 10%.
2: Africa has always been the "Young New World".
With 20% of young people aged 15 to 24 - over 200 million people - and more than 3/5 of Africa's population under 35 years old, this means that there is a young workforce of around 700 million.
So what do these two characteristics mean in terms of "industrial opportunities"?
1: Infrastructure development: as in China, "to get rich, first build roads", urbanisation is expected to be strong and the "infrastructure mania" will not fall by the wayside. Here's a statistic: Africa is the largest market for foreign labour contracts in Shaanxi. So how can there be no opportunity for machinery and equipment when "people" are going out? So manufacturing companies such as Shaanxi Auto have a head start. And if the linkage with Shaanxi Construction is strengthened, the space will still be worth waiting for.
2: Labour-intensive industries: This is still very much China's original "three to one", the next stop in the global industrial division of labour, so there is a great deal of scope for something like the textile industry, with Xi'an's standard sewing machines having been exported to Africa more than 10 years ago.
On top of this logic, we find that Shaanxi has moved on.
Shaanxi Construction: overseas revenue in 2017 was 11.8 billion yuan, up 139% year-on-year. Starting with the construction of the aid to Cameroon's parliament building in 1978, Shaanxi Construction has formed 6 major overseas operating regions in Southeast Asia and South Pacific, Middle East and West Asia, Central and South Asia, West Africa, Central Africa and Southern Africa. Please note that Africa accounts for 3 of them.
Shaanxi Construction Machinery: As an important engineering subsidiary of Shaanxi Coal, a large asphalt concrete paver was exported to Ghana in 2018, and in 2019 the Shaanxi Construction Machinery product "T8620 paver" arrived at the project site of Zimbabwe-Harare International Airport.
WEPCO: It has set up 12 branches or offices in Africa. Starting with the first bulk export of 220kV transformers to Africa in 2007, it now has overseas revenues of nearly RMB 3 billion and has taken root in countries such as Egypt through joint ventures to build factories.
LONGI: Overseas sales reached 4,991MW in 2019, up 154% year-on-year, with operating income from overseas markets accounting for approximately 60% of total revenue. In contrast to the decline in Asia Pacific revenue, there was growth in the Americas, Europe and Africa, where business representatives were placed in South Africa.
This reckoning with Shaanxi Auto allows us to confirm: there really is a market for Shaanxi industry in Africa. Ministry of Commerce data also shows that Shaanxi's main exports to Africa from January to April 2019 included solar cells, cars, diesel trucks and power equipment.
In the context of a shaken global trading system, strengthening the focus on African markets is actually a viable option for "Shaanxi industry". Whether in the infrastructure sector or in labour-intensive industries, "Shaanxi industry" has certain advantages.
Looking to the future, as was the case with the first foreign companies to enter China, their popularity and share of the market are likely to be laid down today.


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20 March 2023
TJ Morris Ltd, which trades as Home Bargains, has announced profits of £239m in its year-end report. Whilst profits decreased by 26%, versus 2021's figure, turnover increased by £81m to £3.419 bn.
The turnover increase was said to be a result of new outlets, the re-siting of some stores and an enhanced contribution from the existing estate.
Home Bargains currently has 572 stores in the UK, ...


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*NEW THIS FALL* MONOPOLY BOARD GAME FOR CHEATERS!!
Hasbro is releasing a special "Cheater's Edition" of Monopoly this fall.
The twist on the classic game will encourage fans to cheat during gameplay.
The Cheater's Edition will come with 15 cheat cards which ask players to carry out tasks throughout the game.
These can range from taking money from the bank to moving someone else's token on your turn.
If successful, players will get rewards like extra cash or free properties to help them get further in the game.
If they're caught, players may have to hand over money or wind up handcuffed to the board game in jail.
Here's how the box for the Cheater's Edition will look. Hasbro
"A recent study conducted by Hasbro revealed that nearly half of game players attempt to cheat during Monopoly games, so in 2018, we decided it was time to give fans what they've been craving all along - a Monopoly game that actually encourages cheating," Jonathan Berkowitz, senior vice president of Hasbro gaming tells INSIDER.
(You can see the top ways Hasbro says fans cheat at Monopoly here.)
The object of the game is still to be the player with the most money at the game's end, but it may be a little tougher to accomplish. The Cheater's Edition will ask players to get away with cheating as many times as they can during game play. That means players can skip spaces, try to avoid paying rent, and slip a few extra bills from the bank when no one's looking.


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RALEIGH, N.C. – The three biggest payday loan providers nonetheless bringing small-cash financing when you look at the vermont is actually taking right out associated with the county, Attorneys General Roy Cooper launched Wednesday.
The deals with check out money, Glance at ‘n Go and First Western Pay day loan simply in the eliminate pay day financing in their county, Cooper stated.
“together with your arrangements, our company is possibly maybe not aware of people pay day capital people and that is going to be and make these money for the nyc,” Cooper stated.
The brand new plans become pursuing the state financial administrator governed during the erica, their country’s strings that’s premier, ended up being breaking state resource direction of the battery charging productive annual prices more than 400 % towards the financing. Hawaii’s consumer Money Work caps yearly section costs on smaller funds at the 36 per cent. Read more


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June 6, 2006
GM to launch more six-speed automatic transmissions
Bedford, Indiana – General Motors has announced an investment of US$48 million in its Bedford, Indiana powertrain manufactory, as part of its commitment to offer one million vehicles annually with six-speed automatic transmissions by 2008. The company currently has 40 global applications of the fuel-saving transmissions in its 2006 and 2007 model year vehicles.
Currently, the transmissions are used in the GMC Yukon Denali family, Cadillac XLR-V, STS-V, Escalade, Chevrolet Corvette and heavy-duty pickups equipped with a 6.6-litre turbodiesel engine; models of the 2007 Cadillac STS and SRX, Saturn Aura, Saturn Outlook and Pontiac G6 will also use the transmission.
Advantages to the six-speed include improved fuel economy, better performance, a seamless shift feel and reduced engine rpm at highway cruising speeds.
The company’s investment, made partly with local incentives, will help transition hourly and salaried employees to the expanded work, and covers partial facility renovation, new machinery, equipment and tooling to support the additional volume of six-speed transmission cases and converter housings. GM’s transmission facilities in Ypsilanti and Warren, Michigan, and in Toledo, Ohio will also increase their six-speed transmission production.
Facility renovations at Bedford are set to begin in July; increased production of rear-wheel drive transmission cases is already under way, and production will begin on front-wheel drive cases later this year. Full volume for both RWD and FWD cases is expected by late 2008.


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Shark Tank Crypto Investment Is More Important Than You Think
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Now in its tenth season, “Shark Tank” is a juggernaut for network ABC and its parent company Disney. Over the course of 200 episodes and counting, over $100 million has been invested in up-and-coming startups, small businesses, and entrepreneurs.
The sharks (who include QVC queen Lori Greiner, FUBU founder Daymond John, and occasional celebrity shark guests like Ashton Kutcher and Richard Branson) are touted as business experts who are now savvy investors.
Every week since 2009, an average of 5 million people (like yours truly – check out my hands-on experience with a variety of “Shark Tank” products here and here) tune in to see a variety of wacky, innovative, and downright stupid ideas pitched to angel investors.
So why are we talking about “Shark Tank” at Crypto Briefing?
This week’s episode featured a pitch from Dmitri Love for Bundil, a spare change investment platform for cryptocurrency. Not only did Disney allow a crypto company on its airwaves (advertising isn’t easy for crypto projects), but Kevin O’Leary invested $100,000 to take a 50/50 stake.
O’Leary, a staunch conservative and one of the best reasons to watch both “Shark Tank” and “Dragon’s Den Canada.” He’s a savvy Canadian investor and makes regular appearances on business TV shows.
Let’s dive into some of five important details of this transaction to truly admire how brilliant Love is and why this is a win for the entire cryptocurrency industry.
“Shark Tank” Negotiations and Investments Are Real…
Yes – “Shark Tank,” like any other reality show, uses the term “reality” loosely. We’ll get into that in a moment. What’s important to understand, however, is that these are real negotiations happening with real investors investing their real money. The reason everyone agrees to do it on TV in front of five million people is because only one percent of those people need to convert to create 50,000 sales over the period of one weekend.
What business or brand wouldn’t want that?
And obviously the sharks want their investments to perform well, so they love this boost. They’ve been doing it for ten years now, and discussion about the “Shark Tank” effect is now regularly featured on the program.
So, when you see Love stumbling through his presentation, fielding hard questions from the investors, and eventually sealing a deal for a much larger percentage of his company than he came in hoping to give up, you’re actually seeing this happen to him.
But there are caveats.
…But They’re Still Staged by Disney
Calling the negotiations real is a bit of a stretch. Actually, they’re 10- to 20-minute snippets of hour-long negotiations. Like any reality show, they’re edited for drama. Also, the sharks don’t know who’s coming into the tank, but the producers certainly vet the people first. During this process, they know what’s coming, and they are in the ears of the sharks feeding them information.
Also, sometimes the deal falls apart after the cameras are turned off, something they’ve aired several times, with Plated being one example. Cuban made the deal on the show, it fell apart, and O’Leary invested in in the company before it struck a deal with Safeway.
The Sharks Have an Interesting Tech Investment Record
The sharks involved in this episode were Mark Cuban, Greiner, John, O’Leary, and Matt Higgins. Of these sharks, Cuban and O’Leary are there because they created and sold tech companies for billions of dollars.
But ABC only airs the half of the story that relates to the men, not their companies. They’re responsible for two of the biggest flops from the dotcom bubble burst.
After selling The Learning Company to Mattel for $4.2 billion, Mattel’s sales and earnings dropped. Over $3 billion in shareholder value was lost the next year, and Mattel even sued O’Leary over the matter, which ended with Mattel paying $122 million to settle. The deal is widely known as one of the most disastrous in history.
Cuban didn’t fare much better – remember broadcast.com? Neither does anybody else, and if you type the address into your browser, you’ll be taken to the homepage for Yahoo, the company that bought the company from Cuban in 1999 for $5.7 billion in Yahoo stock. Cuban unloaded that stock at a record-setting pace (he literally held the Guinness Book record for “largest single e-commerce transaction.”). It was Yahoo’s largest acquisition and shut down three years later in 2002.
“Shark Tank” Just Solidified Cryptocurrency as Mainstream
So, with all this being said, Love’s appearance on “Shark Tank” is important for several reasons. First off, cryptocurrency marketing is a rough path, and Love just found his way onto TV, not in a commercial, but within the actual TV show. Anyone working in marketing or PR knows that’s a win.
On top of this, O’Leary, one of the country’s most prominent investors, is now involved in cryptocurrency. O’Leary has what he calls his “Mr. Wonderful Platform” of businesses and is a social media machine with over 700,000 followers on Twitter alone. Love, and the idea of cryptocurrency investment, just got endorsed by Disney and O’Leary.
It doesn’t get more mainstream than that for cryptocurrency investments.
Will Blockchain Be Next?
The only question that remains is how deep into cryptocurrency Disney really is. It doesn’t develop its own games anymore, but could develop a cryptocurrency that can be generated through its licensed games to spend within the Disney ecosystem. It’s building a viable Netflix competitor and has a majority stake in Hulu too.
And let’s not forget that Disney Dollars were the unofficial mascot of localized currencies long before the Internet, much less cryptocurrency was around. Or that Dragonchain was a Disney-incubated project.
One can only wonder whether or not we’ll see more blockchain-based businesses come into the Shark Tank to give the world a glimpse into the wide world beyond investments available in crypto.
The author is not currently invested in digital assets.


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Some streets within the capital are again beaming with activities on the first working day, after the Christmas holidays.
Human and vehicular traffic, have however become much less than it was during the period just before the Christmas holidays, although some vehicular traffic jams could be seen in some streets around Makola and Accra Central Business area.
Within the Ministries area, work has begun as usual, with food and snack sellers doing some good business.
During a tour by Ghana News Agency (GNA) around Makola through Rawlings Park and surrounding areas, it was observed that while a few shops had still not opened, most shops owners had returned to work.
Many pavements were quite full with traders, with an equal measure of patronage from customers normally.
Some traders and shop owners who spoke to the GNA said sales were impressive after the holidays."Although business is picking up slowly, we expect things to improve during the day," they added.
Mr Melwani Kishore, General Manager of Melcom, dealers in electrical gadgets and equipment, said business was picking up �quite fine�.
On business during the pre-Christmas period, he said sales went quite high. Concerning purchases by customers during this year's Christmas compared to last year, he said �I think it is about the same�.
Mr Kwame Narsh of Kayapa Ventures, said although people did a lot of shopping during Christmas, �They do not buy everything they laid their hands on because it is Christmas�.
He said items much purchased during the Christmas were those much needed for the occasion such as disposable cups, tissue as well as drinks.
On how good sales had been during this yuletide, he said, �I think sales this year have been generally as good as last year. I do not really see much difference�.
Mr Narsh said he had no problem with the company�s performance during the period. �I think it is also about how successful you are at developing your business. It is not only about people buying or not buying because it is Christmas,� he added.
|Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.|


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E-bike sales in Italy remains strong in first half of 2021
MILAN, Italy - The market for e-bikes in Europe continues strong growth after the boom in 2020. Triggered by the pandemic many people decided last year to buy an e-bike. Whether this trend would continue remained a big question mark. For the Italian market the latest sales statistics make clear that the e-bike boom is not over yet.
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A number of New Zealand companies active in virtual and augmented reality have bandied together to form the New Zealand VR/AR Association to represent and promote New Zealand’s virtual, augmented and mixed reality sectors nationally and internationally.
The new body has also become the New Zealand chapter of the global VR/AR Association, which has 12 chapters around the world
Foundation members include Wellington-based holographic VR/AR technology company 8i, Massey and Victoria Universities, Auckland-based Imersia and the recently opened Christchurch HTC room-scale virtual reality experience space, The VR Room.
Executive director Jessica Manins said: “We’re all amazed at the potential of this emergent industry, which is predicted to be worth $NZ205 billion globally in five years. Spring-boarding off the game and entertainment industry could see the sector rivalling wine as a$NZ2.5 billon export industry for New Zealand within a decade.”
She added: “It’s vital that we connect nationally and build a robust platform for collective offshore representation. Being connected to the rapidly expanding global VR/AR Association is a great springboard to the US and other markets.”
The association’s representatives have met with Auckland Tourism Events and Economic Development (ATEED) to discuss links with its recently launched AR/VR Garage in Auckland.
The association plans to hold its first industry event in mid October, and Manins said the association also planned to host an international virtual, augmented and mixed reality conference in March 2017 in Wellington.
She said the association was keen to welcome new members, including virtual and augmented reality innovators and those working or interested in the industry.


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Hong Kong-based phone maker Infinix launched the S5 last October with a Helio P22 SoC, punch hole display and a quad camera. Today, the company followed it up with a Pro variant.
The Infinix S5 Pro is built around a 6.53″ notchless display of FullHD+ resolution, which has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and a pixel density of 394ppi.
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Online Movie Start-up Prescreen Adds Blockbuster, IM Global Execs as Advisory Board Members
IM founder and CEO Stuart Ford and the rental firm's Tim Wesley will advise the recently launched distribution and marketing platform.
NEW YORK - Online movie distribution and marketing platform Prescreen has added Stuart Ford, founder and CEO of film financing, sales and distribution company IM Global, and Tim Wesley, head of programming and content acquisition at Dish Network's Blockbuster, as members of its new board of advisors.
Ford founded IM Global in April 2007, and three years later sold a majority stake to Reliance Entertainment, a unit of Indian conglomerate Reliance ADA.
Wesley is part of the media company’s senior executive management team after working as an analyst at Paramount Pictures and a job at Sony Pictures Entertainment. He later co-founded film and TV production firm Milestone Entertainment and then served as COO and CFO of Maverick Films, the production company founded by Madonna and Guy Oseary.
Formally launched in September, start-up Prescreen gives filmmakers and distributors an alternative to traditional advertising and distribution channels by marketing curated content that is shared by users through social media. Shawn Bercuson, a former Groupon executive, is CEO and founder of Prescreen.


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City regulators accused of not doing job for allowing scandal-hit ENRC to list in London despite fraud allegations
City regulators were accused of not doing their jobs by MPs for allowing scandal-hit Kazakh copper miner ENRC to list in London despite fraud allegations.
Members of the influential Business Select Committee are now set to summon senior staff from Deutsche Bank, which sponsored ENRC’s entry to the FTSE 100, to find out what regulators were told.
Financial Conduct Authority markets director David Lawton said he was ‘not aware’ of an audit by law firm Herbert Smith, written three months prior to the 2007 listing, detailing claims of fraud by employees.
Committee member Brian Binley MP said: ‘You missed this important report and allowed this [the listing] to go ahead without question. Would you be desperately sorry about that? Would you think that you hadn’t done your job? Would you even consider resigning in view of the fact that these people got through your net?’
Lawton said the company’s sponsor, in this case Deutsche Bank, was responsible for flagging up reasons why a listing might need to be delayed to allow more detailed scrutiny.
Ann McKechin MP said: ‘We’ll take evidence from the sponsors and consider whether we need to call them.’
Neither the regulators nor Deutsche Bank could last night confirm whether the bank had passed on the Herbert Smith report to the FCA.
ENRC has become a lightning rod for MPs’ probe into natural resource firms. It spent six years in London beset by corruption allegations and boardroom infighting, only to delist earlier this month.
After floating at £5.41 in 2007, ENRC shares reached a peak of £15.50 in May 2008, but shareholders were offered a deal worth just £2.44 by the three founder oligarchs, who have taken it private again.
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The GST Council on Thursday discussed the tax rates for 1,211 items with a majority of items being kept under 18%. Foodgrains will be cheaper from July 1 when the GST rolls out. Whereas, essential products like milk and cereals have been given an exemption, while sugar and edible oil will attract 5% tax. Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said that only 19% of items will be taxed at the highest rate of 28%.
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- Biopharma News
Nostrum Laboratories recalls lots of metformin tablets after nitrosamine detection4 Nov 2020
Company is the latest in a lengthening list of pharma companies recalling the diabetes medicine over unacceptable levels of NDMA
Nostrum Laboratories has become the latest pharmaceutical company to voluntarily recall lots of its version of diabetes medicine, metformin, after they were found to contain excessive levels of nitrosamine impurities.
The Missouri-based company said it is recalling two lots of 750 mg metformin HCl extended release tablets, which were found to contain levels of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) above the US Food and Drug Administration’s ADI limit of 96 ng/day.
NDMA, a chemical form of nitrosamine, is classified as a probable human carcinogen and a possible cause of cancer.
Nostrum said it has not received any reports of adverse events related to the recall. It added it is notifying its distributors by letter and is arranging for return of all recalled products.
The case in the latest in a series of metformin recalls due to the presence of nitrosamine by pharmaceutical companies, including Amneal, Lupin and Marksans.
Metformin is used to treat type II diabetes and is designed to lower glucose levels.
Nitrosamines are genotoxic substances which may increase the risk of cancer in people exposed to above acceptable levels over longer periods of time. The issue of contamination in pharmaceutical products first arose in 2018 when the FDA detected impurities in Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs).
Soon after, several ‘sartan’ medicines were also found to include nitrosamine impurities, leading to product recalls and a new set of manufacturing requirements for those medicines.
And most recently, the European Medicine Agency’s Committee on Human Medicinal Products said it was asking marketing authorization holders for medicines containing metformin – an oral drug used to control high blood sugar in patients with type II diabetes -- to test their medicines for nitrosamine before releasing them onto the market.
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A longtime St. Louis brewer will soon take over as CEO at Baltimore craft brewery Heavy Seas.
The 22-year-old brewery announced yesterday that Dan Kopman, co-founder and former CEO of Schlafly Beer in St. Louis, will become its new CEO on May 1. He’ll step in for Heavy Seas founder and current CEO Hugh Sisson, who will remain a managing partner in the business.
Kopman’s arrival coincides will the impending departure of Heavy Seas general manager Patrick Helsel, who is moving to California at the end of May.
Sisson, 63, said in an interview that he had been considering stepping back for some time, though he hadn’t pinned down exactly when. Then, shortly after Kopman left his position as co-board chairman of Schlafly in December, Helsel informed Sisson he was planning to move to California.
“It’s not easy to come up with somebody that you think is gonna be the right person,” Sisson said, later adding, “All of a sudden, the stars line up and you say, ‘OK this is the time to do this.'”
Sisson and Kopman aren’t strangers. The former said he first met Kopman 30 years ago, when he was working for his family’s namesake brewpub, Sisson’s, in Federal Hill. Kopman was working for London-based Young’s Brewery, and Sisson’s happened to be one of their early customers.
Sisson went on to found Heavy Seas (then known as Clipper City Brewing Company) in 1995. The company eventually rebranded to its current name in 2010. The Halethorpe-based brewery today is best known for its Loose Cannon IPA and sells its nine year-round craft beers, plus additional seasonals and special editions, in 18 states plus D.C.
Kopman opened the Schlafly Taproom with his former business partner, Tom Schlafly, in 1991 and co-founded Schlafly Bottleworks in 2004. The brand, like Heavy Seas, has become a premier name in craft brewing. Its success also helped to revitalize two neighborhood of Kopman’s home city, according to a release.
Kopman and Schlafly both sold their majority stake in the company to local investors in 2012, though Kopman remained a co-chairman on the company’s board of directors for the next five years.
He’ll soon be relocating from St. Louis to Baltimore.
“Heavy Seas is an iconic Baltimore favorite and a great brand that is well positioned for future success throughout the Eastern US and beyond,” Kopman said in a statement. “The brewery has established a commitment to quality, and a passionate culture built around both a love for great craft beer and their community.”
Sisson said he expects to “be around for at least a couple more years” as Kopman settles into his new role at Heavy Seas. That time, he says, should ensure a “seamless” transition.
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Latest Coronavirus information
Our industry faces an unprecedented and evolving situation amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to make sure that you’re up to date on what we’re doing in response, and how the changes may impact your shipments.
Update 4 - Fri 27 Mar 2020
Changes to the way we do business
Whilst we all navigate our way through this ever-changing landscape, we wanted to update you on what the reduction in freight capacity means for your business.
Update 3 - Mon 23 Mar 2020
Important information regarding your agreements with Qantas Freight
With the Federal Government now advising against all overseas travel from Australia and a travel ban on non-residents entering the country, our regularly scheduled international passenger flights will continue until late March before being suspended until at least the end of May 2020.
Update 2 - Wed 11 Mar 2020
Coronavirus update from Qantas Freight
Yesterday, the Qantas Group announced significant changes to its international network including the suspension of some routes and a reduction of capacity on services to the United Kingdom, the United States, Asia and across the Tasman.
Update 1 - Tue 4 Feb 2020
An update to our Australia - China services
In light of the latest information released by the Federal Government over the weekend on the coronavirus outbreak, we wanted to provide you with an update on how changes to our operation impact freight so you can plan accordingly.
Qantas Group update and implications for freight
Due to recent announcements, we will be accepting bookings for departures within 48 hours only
For all the latest information from the Qantas Group on Coronavirus and more, visit the Qantas Newsroom.


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A BIG WHAMMO:Is Alaska cruise season baked?
Dan Blanchard has tears in his eyes. “This is the worst frickin’ news, even though I stand to benefit,” says the CEO of UnCruise Adventures, who is opining on Canada’s decision to extend its cruise ban on ships over 100 passengers entering Canadian waters, thereby throwing a gorilla-sized monkey wrench into the cruise industry’s Alaska season.
That’s because US federal law prohibits foreign-registered ships from sailing between two American ports without stopping at a foreign port in between, ensuring that large cruise ships bound for Alaska must either begin voyages in Canada or stop there on the way.
And with Canada adding another year onto its existing ban (which had been set to expire on Feb. 28) and thus effectively wiping out Alaska’s summer season, that’s not likely to happen.
“This extension, if not amended as pandemic conditions improve, would require us to cancel our Alaska (West Coast) and Canada / New England (East Coast) cruise vacation seasons this year,” said Princess and Holland America Line in a statement, adding, “Given the unexpected length of the order, it will take us some time to assess whether there are any options to preserve a portion of the 2021 Alaska season.”
The news has “shaken the boots of the industry,” says UnCruise’s Blanchard via Zoom. “The news is obviously devastating for my home state. So many of my friends own businesses that are attached to the cruise industry and will now go through a second year with absolutely no revenue.”
And while Blanchard says he doesn’t like the news from Canada, he says he respects that the Canadian government is “working hard to keep its citizens safe.”
At the same time, he says “loose guidelines” from the US Center for Disease Control on how and when cruise ships can sail again are also causing confusion and handcuffing the industry.
Blanchard explains that UnCruise Adventures, which boasts seven American owned, flagged, and staffed vessels, is allowed to operate in Alaska this summer, and that he expects ships to be full.
Bookings for summer 2021 were solid last fall, he says, peaking around the end of October, with the phones again beginning to ring in the last couple of weeks.
He says consumers are eager to travel again – especially those who have received vaccinations for the COVID virus. Others are pushing back plans until 2022, he adds, which he says he doesn’t mind because it will create space to accommodate current demand.
Blanchard expects other small adventure cruise operators like Lindblad will be in business too.
As such, he is eager to counter reactionary headlines spurred by the Canadian ban that Alaska’s entire cruise season is lost. “Alaska here we come!” he says. “UnCruise is going to be there!”
However, even at near-full capacity, Blanchard expects to have approximately 5,000 passengers this year – about a thousand less than if his season’s start wasn’t delayed a month until May 16, and a far cry from the estimated 1.3 million cruise passengers Alaska receives annually.
“I’m deeply saddened for the (industry) and I’m deeply saddened for the travel agent community,” he says.
To help, Blanchard says UnCruise is offering consumers with proof of a cancelled cruise booking on a large ship not sailing up to $1,100 off the price of cabin this summer or fall – an offer that will also help agents. “Everyone benefits,” he says.
UnCruise, which re-started cruising again in Alaska last August after the pandemic’s first wave abated, was forced to cancel its season almost immediately when a passenger tested positive for COVID-19 – a test that turned out to be a false positive, Blanchard says.
As such, the cruise operator will subject all future passengers to a triple-test regime as part of its strict health and safety protocols.
Moreover, he says, the state has earned praise as “absolutely the safest place” during COVID with low transmission and high vaccination rates, ensuring that “Alaska is setting itself up to be ready for the summer season.”
Still, Blanchard’s thought quickly return to his Alaska travel industry colleagues.
“This is a tough one to take… We were just getting back on our feet and this is a big whammo,” he says. “We will run, but there are many who won’t.”
First published at Travel Industry Today