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Moscow producers of chemical products in 2020 significantly increased the volume of deliveries abroad. Statistics from the first eight months of last year showed a 14.8% increase in exports compared to the same period in 2019. China, Turkey and Belgium showed the most intensive growth in the volume of purchases. The total amount of contracts for these destinations exceeded $460 million.
The pandemic has increased the demand for polymers produced in Moscow
Vladimir Yefimov, deputy mayor of Moscow on economic policy, commented on the situation with exports of Moscow enterprises of the chemical industry. In 2019, the total volume of exports in monetary terms amounted to 1.8 billion dollars. In the eight months of 2020, this figure exceeded $2 billion. China, Turkey and Belgium combined to quadruple purchases to $467.87 million, accounting for almost a quarter of Moscow's total chemical exports.
According to Efimov, China remains the leader in purchases. In 2020, Moscow delivered to this country chemical products worth 324.43 million U.S. dollars. In terms of Russian-Chinese trade relations, this is a six-fold increase compared to 2019. Chinese partners mainly bought polymers: polypropylene - for more than 107 million dollars and polyethylene - almost 205 million dollars.
The deputy mayor of Moscow explained that such a significant increase in demand for these materials was not least due to the pandemic - they were aimed at mass production of personal protective equipment.
Similar dynamics and composition of the demand can be seen from the results of trade relations with Belgium. The Moscow industrialists exported there mostly polymers for the production of protective equipment: polyethylene for almost 10 million dollars and polypropylene for twice that amount, 19 million dollars. In addition, spirits and fatty acids to the amount of $1.43 million were shipped to Belgium. Such production of Moscow chemical enterprises is in demand by Belgian partners for the production of soap, solvents and plasticizers. The total amount of export contracts with Belgium for 8 months of 2020 was almost 33 million dollars, which is more by 185% than in the same reporting period of 2019.
A similar situation can be traced in the contracts of Moscow industrialists with Turkish buyers. So, according to Alexander Prokhorov, the head of the Department of Investment Policy of Moscow, the total amount of contracts in this area increased in 2020 by 137.6% and amounted to 110.45 million U.S. dollars. Just as in the case of China and Belgium, polymers were in great demand, but also a significant volume of supplies came from protective and decorative inorganic dyes, used for a wide range of industries - from dyeing fabrics to aircraft fuselages. Moscow-made dyes of the kind were shipped to Turkey for $16.38 million, Prokhorov added.
State support for Russian exports in a pandemic
The global pandemic COVID-19 with all its restrictions in the first months had a significant impact on international trade relations. In the first half of 2020 there was a slight decline in Russian exports of products of the chemical industry. Thus, the total volume of foreign shipments of Russian chemistry fell by 15% compared to the same period of 2019, amounting to about $10.6 billion. This was reported during the plenary session of the 8th Moscow International Chemical Forum by Zhanna Martynova, director general of the analytical agency "VladVneshService". The most tangible decline was observed in the fertilizer industry - by 20%, inorganic chemistry - by 17%, organic chemistry - by 27%.
On the other hand, some other important segments of export goods of the chemical industry not only did not suffer from the global crisis, but even increased their volumes. For example, exports of plastics and plastic products grew by 16%.
In the second half of 2020 the situation with the export of Russian chemicals and chemical products began to stabilize until the recovery of growth, in some places significant. Those supply chains that were disrupted during the most radical and acute restrictions began to recover, and the structure of demand changed. Russian business and the country's leadership promptly responded to these trends, working together to minimize potential damage.
Assistance to the chemical industry was also provided in terms of information and promotional support. For example, in October 2020 the international exhibition "Chemistry 2020" organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the Russian Export Center and Expocenter JSC took place. During the exhibition, the REC successfully held a consulting session in the online format on the topic of support for exports of chemical products. The session was moderated by Sergey Selivanov, head of the Department of Exhibition Activities of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation. During the event, he announced plans to more actively use mechanisms of state support for exports in general and chemical products in particular.
Coordinated work of the Moscow chemical enterprises and Moscow authorities showed positive results. The active assistance to exporting companies was provided by the center "Mosprom", which is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Investment and Industrial Policy.
The specialists of Mosprom individually selected support measures, which are the most justified and necessary for each specific industrial exporter in the current crisis. Thus, technical issues were promptly resolved, assistance in overcoming administrative difficulties, restructuring of the potential sales market and finding new buyers was provided. Certain Moscow exporters received direct financial incentives to compensate the costs of goods delivery.


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SWEDEN: Cloetta Fazer names MD for Sweden arm
Nordic confectioner Cloetta Fazer has announced the appointment of Eva Persson as managing director of its Swedish subsidiary.
Fazer previously worked as managing director of Coca-Cola Drycker Sverige for 12 years before joining the Cloetta as commercial director in 2006. She will take over from the group's deputy managing director, Curt Petri, on 1 June.
"I am very pleased to have an individual with Eva Persson's skill and experience in charge of our operations in Sweden," said Jesper Aberg, CEO. "Eva's in-depth knowledge of the company and the business will enable her to guide the company toward the goals that lie ahead in the Swedish market."
Last month, just-food reported on the long-running dispute between the two largest shareholders in Cloetta over the ownership of the company.
The two sides are in dispute over the size of their respective shares, which they attained after the 2000 merger of Swedish candy firm Cloetta and Finland's Fazer Konfektyr.
Cloetta Fazer, the Nordic confectionery group set to split in two, has won Swedish government approval to change its financial year....
Shareholders in Nordic confectionery firm Cloetta Fazer have approved plans to split the business in two....
The strained relationship between the owners of Cloetta Fazer, the Nordic confectionery group, will come to an end after eight years when the company splits into two....
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domain: news


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The 19th day of the 2016 Jakks Pacific Tsum Tsum Advent Calendar marks the return of the accessory, but wait, this one is great. Today’s slot revealed a wonderful sleigh which looks ready for the holiday season. Below is a photo and a video of the ‘Day #19’ Tsum Tsum Sleigh. Also, be sure to subscribe on our new DisneyTsumTsum.com YouTube Channel to see more Advent calendar reveals and showcases.
Jakks Pacific Tsum Tsum Advent Calendar Day #19 – Sleigh


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"Traceback investigations are ongoing to determine the source of ground beef supplied to grocery stores and restaurant where ill people ate", said an update on the CDC website. The first reported symptoms from this outbreak began March 2. The number of people impacted by the outbreak now totals 109. In addition, raw meat should be stored away from other food products that aren't cooked, such as fruit.
Seventeen patients have been hospitalized due to their illness. Because investigators haven't yet pinpointed a precise supplier behind the contaminated beef, the CDC says it is not recommending that the public stop eating beef; it remains available to purchase in grocery stores. The cases occurred in Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and Indiana.More news: Bottas keeps Mercedes on top in final Chinese GP practice
The mystery behind an E. coli outbreak that sickened dozens of people across six states appears to have been solved, with health officials reporting ground beef as the likely source of illness.
That's one more state and 13 more illnesses since the previous update reported by the CDC on Tuesday.More news: SpaceX successfully recovered Falcon Heavy’s nosecone, and it’s going to space again
Over the past year, E. coli prompted widespread recalls of romaine lettuce, but that outbreak was declared over in January.
People typically get sick from E. coli two to eight days after swallowing the germ.
Symptoms include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea and vomiting. These complications are more common in young children under 5, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems.More news: Ariana Grande shares brain scan and opens up about PTSD


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It appears that the topic of 3D printing and Rubik’s Cubes has been in the news lots lately. Just a week ago, we covered the Guinness Book of World’s Record-breaking 3D printed Rubik’s Cube. The previous record for the world’s largest 3D printed Rubik’s Cube was 17 x 17, and it was held by the Dutch puzzle maker Oskar van Deventer. Now, “corenpuzzle” has stolen the spotlight from van Deventer with his 22 x 22 3D printed Cube (see photo at right). But no worries. If you are trying to solve other Cube-related activities, you can beat the 14-year-old teen who solved the cube in under six seconds. For 3D printing/Rubik’s Cube related records, consider this most recent one: a 3D printed robot can solved the Cube in under 2 seconds.
The two men responsible for this amazing and fast puzzle-solving robot are Jay Flatland and Paul Rose, and they have broken a 2014 record that had a robot solving the Cube in 3.253 seconds. This previous record was held by David Gilday and Mike Dobson, and it works by being hooked up to a smartphone:
“This is how the Cube is solved: the entire system is hooked to the smartphone, which in turn comprehends the setting of the Cube’s arrangement. It then ‘instructs’ the four arms how to move, in order to solve the puzzle. Since this is a robot using the Rubik’s Cube, a speed cube is used that allows it to move the sides seamlessly.”
The new record is now 1.196 seconds, and it is held by Flatland and Rose’s custom-made robot featuring a cube-holding frame, stepper motors, and USB-powered cameras that capture, in high resolution, the cube’s form. So, if this robot is even faster than Gilday and Dobson’s, how does it work? With stepper motors controlled by Arduino, a computer functions as the robot’s brains. With a 3D printed frame around the robot and 3D printed feet supporting the motors, the robot holds the cube via holes drilled in affixing the cube to the robot’s arms. An algorithm works out the solution, informed through a Linux app working out the current configuration of the cube, via the cameras.
Impressive, huh? It is no surprise that the robot’s two inventors have applied for a world record. It looks like competition just got stiffer in the world of 3D printing, robots, and Rubik’s cubes. Sure, not all robots solving the cube are 3D printed, and some records are broken the old-fashioned way by solving the puzzle with human hands. But for those interested in building 3D printed robots to solve the Rubik’s Cube, there’s definitely new and fast competition from Flatland and Rose’s incredible machine, which you can witness in action in the video below. Tell us your thoughts on these new developments in the 3D Printed Robots Solve Rubik’s Cube forum over at 3DPB.com.
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EU smart meters project uses Informix, but some critics question if consumers want the technology
IBM has announced that it is lending its technical weight to an EU project investigating the impact of energy monitoring and smart metering on consumer behaviour.
The technology company announced this week that it is partnering with energy consultant Hildebrand which is one of the contributors to a 30 month research project into the impact of smart meters funded by the European Union. The Digital Environment Home Energy Management System (DEHEMS) is a Europe wide project involving a number of UK organisations including Birmingham City Council, Bristol City Council and the University Of Salford.
Living Labs Project
Five European cities are involved in the project including Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester. So-called “Living Labs” are being set up in groups of houses in each of the cities. The labs are based on installing low-cost energy monitoring devices – also referred to as smart meters – in each of the houses to measure energy usage and behaviour amongst UK consumers.
“Homeowners can access this information online in a simple format that displays their electricity usage and perform analytics, such as calculating costs against the users’ electricity tariff, or comparing their usage to the average for their group,” IBM said in a statement.
In the UK Hildebrand has teamed up with IBM’s Hursley Labs to develop technology based around IBM’s Informix database technology which the consultant claims enabled it deal with information more accurately. Hildebrand said that some traditional databases struggle to deal with pulses’ of data arriving at regular intervals but IBM’s Informix software solved this issue. Creating a single database object for each data-source makes it easier to store, extract and analyse data, the organisations said.
“IBM software delivered spectacular results. In the first proof-of-concept we simulated three million homes sending readings once a minute and we were able to capture nearly 50,000 readings per second using only a quad-core, dual-processor Intel server. In the second, we moved to a slightly larger server and found we could deliver analytics response times of between one and three seconds for a similar load,” said Clive Eisen, chief technology officer at Hildebrand. “You don’t need to understand the technical details – the point is that suddenly, energy monitoring for three million homes or more became a practical proposition.”
In a separate announcement late last week, energy management specialist Passiv Systems revealed the results of a survey which it said revealed that most consumers don’t want to manage their own energy use that closely. Seven in ten British consumers wouldn’t act on the information provided by a smart meter if they had one installed, the company stated.
“Smart meters are simply not a solution that puts consumer needs’ first and are shown to have little long-term effect on behaviour and energy consumption,” said Colin Calder, CEO, PassivSystems. “You have to question whether smart meters warrant the £9 billion investment in getting them installed.
The results of the survey are rather self-serving given that Passiv Systems sells an energy management system which automatically alters household energy use without the intervention of the consumer. The company claims that it’s technology works by automatically setting water and heating systems based on consumers’ activities. “It takes the guesswork out of ensuing your heating and hot water are as you want it. For instance, if you get up for work at 7:00 it will start the heating at just the right time and temperature to ensure your comfort,” said Calder.
Consumers Don’t Want Smart Meters
Last week Neil Gibbs management consultant, at Marchment Hill Consulting said that established utility companies are stalling the roll-out of smart grids and meters over concerns that the information available to customers will upset established business model.
“Utilities recognise this will change the way consumers interact. There is information asymmetry at the moment and many people have no idea what they are consuming,” he said. “Big businesses realise that this will change things pretty dramatically.” he said.
HP has also questioned the speed at which smart meters are being deployed. Last week, Ian Mitton, HP’s utilities industry director and global lead on smart grid technology, admitted that smart grid and smart meter technology had been overhyped and was not taking off at the rate tech experts had predicted. “I think one of the problems is that in a good many parts of the world – projects are not happening fast enough,” he said. “Smart grid and smart meter projects are slow to take off.”
Passiv Systems was one of ten companies chosen by UK Trade & Investment in January 2010 to be part of an exhibition of Britain’s best new technologies at the world’s largest consumer electronics show, CES.


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How the Seattle Times is empowering reporters to drive subscriber growth
The Seattle Times has extended its efforts to add subscribers down to the ground level.
Over the past year, the news publisher, which grew its digital subscriber base 38 percent to 40,000 in 2018, has been trying to get small teams of reporters to think more entrepreneurially about driving subscriptions. It wants them to not just monitor which kinds of content visitors read on their way to paying but also to experiment with new content and packaging formats designed to keep readers engaged.
In 2017, the Times gave its newsroom staff access to a dashboard that showed reporters which stories they published were driving subscriptions. Next, the Times’ executive editor, Don Shelton, formed several teams, called mini-publishers, which paired editorial staffers with members of the paper’s digital audience, product and business intelligence teams to figure out what kinds of content the audience likes, how to make more of it, and so on. The first two teams, which focused on local politics and the University of Washington’s football team, launched in 2017. But in 2018, it expanded that effort to more topics the Times knows are big subscription drivers, including the Seattle Seahawks and Mariners, opinion, real estate, outdoor and travel, and local food and drink.
At launch, each group got about two months of regular visits with dedicated members of the Times’ digital audience and business intelligence units, both of which sit outside the editorial organization. (The first two mini publisher groups got dedicated product resources, though the Times determined that those weren’t necessary in early stages; they are brought into the fold as needed for ideas that each publisher has.) Rather than expand to more categories, the hope is to speed up the number of experiments each group runs.
Many product tweaks the Times has rolled out this past year came from reporter suggestions. For example, its sports reporters, sensing an opportunity to make the Times more of a habit among football fans, decided to launch a second newsletter about the Seattle Seahawks that runs only during the regular football season.
“They realized they were producing so much content after games that they could support two newsletters, rather than one,” said Danny Gawlowski, the director of digital imagery and innovation at the Seattle Times. “We were worried we’d hurt open rates, but working with our business intelligence team, pretty quickly figured out, that as long as we can increase click-throughs to stories, we should do it.”
In other cases, the data helped teams adapt their coverage strategies. A team of reporters working on a large series about orca whales in the Puget Sound started publishing more quick-hit, breaking news pieces because they noticed immense audience interest in the topic, Gawlowski said.
The Times does not have a hard number of subscriptions it can attribute to these efforts. But Gawlowski sees the change in culture and thinking as a key element in subscriber growth, though one that’s hard to separate from the efforts of the publisher’s business teams. “The performance of our stories is increasing, but it’s a group effort between the newsroom and and the business side,” he said.
The Seattle Times has been on an 18-month quest to transform its newsroom. The publishers is getting close to replacing lost advertising revenue with consumer revenue; it needs to amass close to 50,000 digital subscribers to make up for the declines in digital display advertising that are testing publishers across the board, according to media analyst Ken Doctor.
The Seattle Times is part of a broader movement among news publishers pivoting away from content that does not build habits or direct connections with their audiences. By getting reporters directly involved in driving subscriptions, the publisher can create a stronger link between the content its newsroom is making and conversions.
“You need to think about things where the readers have given you a clear signal that they like it,” said Gren Manuel, a London-based media and publishing consultant. “I still just see so many stories where I ask, ‘Who was this written for?’”
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Costa Mesa consumer data company J.D. Power was bought by private equity investor Thoma Bravo, in Chicago, on undisclosed terms.
J.D. Power is known for its automotive industry analysis and awards, coveted and often used by carmakers to market their new models. It was last sold in September 2016 by McGraw Hill Financial Inc. to Xio Group, a London-based firm with ties to mainland China.
Reports have cited a $2 billion price for J.D. Power’s latest sale; it last traded hands for closer to $1.1 billion, according to those national reports.
Thoma Bravo’s website says it’s bought 200 firms valued at $50 billion since turning its focus to the sector 20 years ago. Its portfolio includes Irvine-based Kofax Inc., which sold to the PE firm with two other software makers for an estimated $1.2 billion in July 2017.


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Ryan Cos. appears to be a step closer to bringing an unidentified national grocer to Eagan as part of a $13 million to $15 million redevelopment project, but the Minneapolis-based developer isn’t ready to name any names just yet.
The plot thickened a bit this week when Ryan closed on an Associated Bank property at 1270 Yankee Doodle Road in Eagan, one of two parcels associated with the proposed redevelopment site.
Ryan plans to redevelop two lots at 1260 and 1270 Yankee Doodle Road with a 34,500-square-foot grocery store and a new Associated Bank branch with a drive-through, according to city staff reports.
Ryan paid $4.32 million for the 1270 Yankee Doodle Road property, according to a certificate of real estate development made public this week. The seller is Associated Bank, N.A. The sale includes a 12-month lease-back provision with Associated Bank, according to the CRV.
Erica Dao, Ryan Cos.’ public relations manager, confirmed Thursday that Ryan “looks forward to starting construction on a new bank branch and a new grocery store at that site.”
“The bank is Associated Bank, but I cannot identify the grocer,” Dao added in an email. “Unfortunately, I don’t have anything else I can share at this point.”
Jill Hutmacher, Eagan’s community development director, said the redevelopment plans have gone through the city approval process. On March 2, the City Council approved the final subdivision and final plan development.
Existing uses on the redevelopment site include a two-story bank built in 1989, and a two-story office structure built in 1986, according to city documents.
The first phase of development includes demolition of the office building and construction of the new bank there, Hutmacher said. Once the new bank is up and running, crews will tear down the existing bank building and then build the grocery store, she said.
“The first thing is they’re going to need a demolition permit. I’m not sure whether they have that or not yet,” Hutmacher said Thursday. “I imagine we’ll get the permit application for the bank building before we have a permit application for the grocery.”
Like others, Hutmacher is in the dark about the identity of the grocer.
“I think we’ve all heard the rumors,” she said.
Amazon is one prominent names mentioned in the rumor mill. A project narrative from a fall 2020 city staff report states that Ryan is planning a grocery store featuring a “checkout-free experience.” That aligns with a concept Amazon has tested in Seattle and other markets.
Checkout-free grocery shopping is “something that people are experimenting with,” but “I think we’re a ways away” from seeing that among more traditional grocers, said Jamie Pfuhl, president of the Minnesota Grocers Association.
However, grocers are looking to offer a “quick-stop” shopping experience as well as the “browser experience,” and checkout-free shopping is consistent with that trend, Pfuhl said in an interview.
“I think we’ll see folks trending towards finding ways to blend. So checkout-free stores, more self-checkout, more curbside — all of that will continue,” Pfuhl said. “From our experiences, I think COVID exacerbates that and it’s going to accelerate maybe some of those trends.”
Ryan said in the project narrative that it anticipates a “$13 million to $15 million project investment, which is almost three times the current market value of both properties.” Ryan said the grocer would generate “significant sales tax” and create “hundreds of jobs.”
“In specific, Ryan is excited to propose to the city of Eagan a first-of-its-kind national grocery group,” the narrative states. “This would be this retailer’s first location in Minnesota, and the unique store will offer a full line of products and services commonly found in a grocery store, with a specific focus on elevating the customer experience through the seamless integration of online and in-store shopping. Tools they will utilize to achieve this integration will be digital connection points, voice shopping technology, and a checkout-free experience.”


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Tag Archives: Quick’s Glass
Safelite Group (Safelite), the owner of Safelite AutoGlass, announced its acquisition of Quick’s Glass Service’s assets. According to the company, the transaction was completed at the close of business October 25, 2019. Quick’s Glass Service had been in business for … Continue reading


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A Tongan woman is pushing the boundaries of Tongan fashion by taking traditional Tongan garments and adding a contemporary twist to the items.
During the day, you can find the rising Tongan fashion designer Mele Tamanilo working in IT for the Ministry of Justice.
But outside working hours, the Auckland based owner of Kanumez designs different types of kiekie, using non-traditional material to decorate the waist garment.
The kiekie is traditionally made out of plant fibres from pandanus, hibiscus and coconut.
Mrs Tamanilo said the materials used definitely take the look of kiekie to the next level.
"My kiekie designs use different kinds of embellishments such as rhinestone, studs, spikes and chains. My kiekie have that 'bling bling' effect and most Tongan women love their bling bling. I wanted to make it more appealing to the younger generation especially, to encourage them to continue to wear the kiekie."
"I recently started using leather with my designs. I actually liked it a lot. A lot more than the previous materials I was using," she said.
Mele Tamanilo began experimenting with her fashion line for two years and launched her brand last October.
She said fashion is something she's loved since childhood.
"I used to use pillow cases to sew clothes for my barbie dolls. I told myself when I get older that I don't want to just design clothes. I want to do something unique," she said.
"One day, I saw a video of Xena the Warrior Princess and I was admiring her waist garment that she wears. That's when it finally clicked for me. I could take the traditional Tongan kiekie and modernise it by blinging it up and using different kinds of material."
Fast forward to June 2017 when the owner of Kanumez will be hosting her first fashion show in Auckland.
Twenty-four models from different age groups and walks of life will showcase the kiekie.
Veronica Maka, one of the volunteer models, applauded the work of Mele Tamanilo.
"I am all for entrepreneurship and people stepping out of their comfort zones, testing the waters."
"The fact that she's taking a chance on what she believes is bringing Tongan culture into new age fashion is a big challenge to the way we think about culture and I commend Mele for it."
"I am a big supporter for taking Tonga to the world stage."
"The best way to describe Kanumez' kiekie is that it's like a Beyonce version of what Tongan women are so used to traditionally seeing," she said.
Mele Tamanilo said that she had also looked into modernising other traditional Tongan garments.
The Kanumez fashion show will showcase contemporary style kiekie as well as contemporary style ta'ovala (a Tongan mat wrapped around the waist) samples.
"We are always looking for different ways to expand. Hopefully from kiekie and ta'ovala, we'll move on to teunga tau'olunga outfits," she said.
The Kanumez fashion show will take place at the auditorium of Tamaki College in Auckland.
Proceeds from the event go towards Kanumez' attendance at Australia's Pacific Runway in October.


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In a statement, the company, which counts Vestas, Gamesa and Acciona among its customers, said it had been hit hard by both the financial crisis and the need to reinvest in new manufacturing facitilies.
Since last year, it has been attempting to finance the development of the company.
Moventas CEO Jukka Jäämaa said: "Our focus now is to find a solution within the corporate restructuring framework to return the business to a sound financial footing. I am confident that today's filing is in the best interests of our clients and personnel.
"Moventas has a solid market position on the industrial gear side, strongly growing service operations and good position and top expertise on the wind gear market that is just about to pick up again."
In September 2010, the company announced it was expanding its North American presence in Portland, Oregon, in an aim to fill a hole in the US wind power supply chain.
This involved doubling the size of its operations to 21,000 square metres and begin assembling new gearboxes this year. The eventual aim was to produce 100-150 units annually for manufacturers of turbines up to 2MW.


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In a massive endorsement for Nokia design credentials, 6 Nokia-branded and 2 Nokia manufactured products,
If you are in Germany you can enjoy some great offers on the purcahse of
This is the dedicated page for the smart & rugged feature phone Nokia 800 Tough.
HMD Global took a stage at IFA this year to introduce some news phones like
HMD has made Nokia 7.2, 2720 Flip and 800 Tough available to buy in Australia.
Amazon UK has also started taking pre-orders for Nokia 2720 Flip and 800 Tough with
Retailer Clove that started taking pre-orders for Nokia 7.2, 2720 Flip and 800 Tough, has
HMD has opened pre-orders for all the recently launched Nokia phones and smartphones in Russia.
We have been reporting about many probable variants of the to-be-announced Nokia smartphone and phone
Nokia 800 Tough and Nokia 2720 Flip 4G are KaiOS-based Nokia smart feature phones that
Nokia 800 Tough a KaiOS-based rugged Nokia smart feature phone that was launched a few
Nokia 7.2, 2720 Flip and 800 Tough can now be pre-ordered in the UK. Retailer


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PotashCorp acquisition may add to fertiliser subsidy bill
ndia seems relegated to a bit role in the ongoing global potash sector buyout drama despite being the biggest importer in the world.
The development, analysts say, could lead to an average hike of any-where between $30m-$60m/year on potash imports, adding to an already overbearing fertiliser subsidy bill. That back-of-the-envelope projection is based on contracted imports of 6mt for 2010-11, and an annual 5% hike in demand at home. In 2009-10, potash imports were to the tune of 5.3mt.
That, analysts say, only means that India may have to learn to produce without potash imports when prices skyrocket, as China did last year
Under the NBS or the new Nutrient Based Subsidy regime, if the price of nutrients like potash and phosphate rose dramatically, the govern-ment's subsidy will cover only a portion of the costs. The remainder of
the increase will have to be borne by farmers but new heights in pot-ash prices could make key ferts such as MoP and DAP unaffordable for farmers at home subsequently..
Post-NBS, suppliers to India had to restrict themselves to a potash price range between $350-$360/tonne (for 2010-11), for fear that de-mand may drop since farmers here would be unable to afford high prices for key ferts such as MoP and DAP. However, the price line may prove difficult for fertiliser companies to hold in raw material and in-put import prices skyrocket.
"If the bid succeeds in upheavals in the existing cartels, India will seri-ously have to deal with much higher potash prices and higher subsidy for the long term," fertiliser cooperative major Iffco’s CMD U S Awasthi told ET. India was especially hurt when the price of the crop nutrient spiked to over $1,000/tonne in mid-2008, from below $150 levels earlier in the decade. The price of potash retreated over the course of 2009 during the recesssion but is now in resurgence.
A handful of producers control the majority of the world's potash supplies. Two export consortiums___ BPC and Canpotex___currently account for almost 70% of global potash exports. Canpotex is a mar-keting group representing North American potash producers including PotashCorp of Saskatchewan, Mosaic Co. and Agrium Inc. With no potash of its own, it is the world’s biggest buyer imports potash-largely as potassium chloride-annually at around Rs 17,000/tonne, and sells it to farmers for Rs 4,000/tonne.
India’s most potent price advantage in the current situation, points out P S Gahlaut, MD of top potash importer Indian Potash Ltd (IPL), con-tinues to be its big buyer advantage. " Subsidy bill increase is inevita-ble for more reasons than one. Our annual demand for potash is up by 5%, our currency is weakening against the US dollar, and world prices are heading irrevocably northward.
The best option we have is to leverage this advantage to the optimum. The important thing is that the Centre does not push the panic button if the coutnry has to do without potash and still retain productivity. China did, we can, too."
But, point out fertiliser sector monitors, a longer term perspective on food security as a core concern is imperative. Firstly, the government has to stop offer strategic support to industry and stop quibbling over subsidy reimbursements when import price deals are clinched, they contend. The governmetn could also play a pro-active role in stake ac-quisition in potash majors such as Minsk’s Belaruskali which is being privatised, they hold. "The terms are yet to be spelt out in official ne-gotiations but food security is a long term core concern for our coun-try.," an Fertiliser Associaiton of India (FAI) official maintained.
On the strength of its big buyer advantage, the industry managed to break the potash pricing cartel and clinch a price of $625/tonne against an offer price of $1000/tonne.For 2010-11, China managed to clinch a price of $350/tonne in a resurging market against India's $370/tonne..
However, China is seen as an irregular buyer unlike India and it is this steady interest that fertiliser majors such as Iffco have leveraged to the optimum to clinch challenging prices for the commodity, something that could prove increasingly difficult, post global suppliers realignment. Crucially, there is also pointed scepticism at home over recent reports that China’s Sinochem could come up with a counter-bid to Billiton, paying more than the $130 a share.


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Contact Southern California Public Radio
474 South Raymond Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91105
What started as a 9-year-old’s way to stay occupied at his dad’s auto-parts business in East Los Angeles has become a national sensation. Caine Monroy built a low-tech arcade out of little more than old cardboard boxes, packing tape, and his considerable imagination. Business was slow — very slow — until a freelance film maker took note and created a video telling Caine’s story that went viral. Now Caine has more customers than he can handle and a college fund that’s topped $190,000, all based on donations. We can learn a thing or two from L.A.’s own “kid entrepreneur” as he talks with KPCC’s business and economics reporter, Matt DeBord, about building a business from scratch and what his accomplishment can teach us all. That’s Tuesday, May 15th, at 7pm at the Crawford Family Forum.
Caine Monroy, creator, Caine’s Arcade
George Monroy, Caine's dad and owner of Smart Parts in East Los Angeles


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- Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to say that Apple does not have a dominant market share during Wednesday's antitrust hearing.
- Cook is one of four technology CEOs who will appear in Wednesday's hearing. He will be joined by Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
- Cook also will defend the company's 30% fee on digital products on the App Store, the only way for most people to install software on an iPhone.
Apple CEO Tim Cook plans to tell the House Antitrust Subcommittee on Wednesday that the company is in fierce competition with rivals for the smartphone market.
"The smartphone market is fiercely competitive, and companies like Samsung, LG, Huawei, and Google have built very successful smartphone businesses offering different approaches," Cook said in prepared remarks released by the committee. "Apple does not have a dominant market share in any market where we do business."
Cook is one of four technology CEOs who will appear in Wednesday's hearing. He will be joined by Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. All four CEOs released prepared remarks on Tuesday night.
Cook's prepared remarks suggest that the company will heavily employ a defense leaning on the fact that Apple does not have a majority of the smartphone market — only 46% of smartphones shipped in the U.S. in the first quarter were Apple's, according to Counterpoint Research.
Apple is facing criticism over its App Store, which is the only way to install consumer software on an iPhone. Detractors say that the store has challenging and inconsistent rules, and that Apple's 30% take of digital transactions made through apps sold in the store is too high.
Cook plans to discuss the origins of the store, which was created in 2008, and Apple's reasons why it maintains control over what stays on the App Store and what's not allowed. Detractors often say that Apple's approach to software distribution is like a walled garden, and Apple is the gatekeeper.
"Clearly, if Apple is a gatekeeper, what we have done is open the gate wider. We want to get every app we can on the store, not keep them off," Cook said in the remarks.
Cook will also defend the company's 30% fee of digital transactions on the App Store.
"Apple's commissions are comparable or lower than commissions charged by the majority of our competitors. And they are vastly lower than the 50 to 70 percent that software developers paid to distribute their work before we launched the App Store," Cook said in the prepared remarks.


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The chip shortage that has been impacting the supply chain continues to be problematic for many industries including the automotive sector. However, that doesn’t mean companies are not profiting from the predicament. In fact, most chip makers, chip manufacturers and distributors are seeing record level revenues as semiconductor demand is at an all-time high.
Smith, a global distributor of electronic components and semiconductors, said it has reached record levels of revenues in 2021, surpassing $3.4 billion, more than doubling its sales from 2020.
Smith is not the only one. Last year, nearly every electronic distributor said they were having a banner year in 2021 as the chip shortage caused companies to lean even more heavily on these distributors to find necessary electronic components.
Electronics distributors are known for buying bulk inventory to meet the demands of many customers simultaneously. This strategy has paid off during the pandemic-fueled chip shortage.
E-commerce distributors have also found significant growth during the chip shortage as the stay-at-home orders and lockdowns have companies interacting more through the internet for transactions. While face-to-face transactions are not going away, web offerings are serving to develop a digital customer base that is growing.
Smith said it has grown its customer base by 44% over 2020 while also expanding its product offerings by 30% in unique part numbers shipped over 2020. Demand for IC components has been especially high with year-over-year sales increasing more than 1,000%, Smith said.
Because Smith sees demand not going away, it increased its workforce by 38% in 2021, opened a new office in Berlin, Germany, and increased its Hong Kong sales office and distribution center by 40% and 70%, respectively.
Additionally, Smith invested more than $1.1 million in equipment and process automation across its three distribution centers in Houston, Hong Kong and Amsterdam in 2021.
“2021 was a banner year for Smith, and we are ready to take on even bigger and more exciting opportunities in 2022,” said Bob Ackerley, co-founder and director at Smith. “Our expansions and investments — from our skilled workforce and global footprint to our state-of-the-art equipment and pioneering, data-centric digital tools — will allow us to continue to build new relationships and strengthen our existing partnerships worldwide.”


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By then, the UK will probably have left the EU.
However, the plan indicates that one of the sector’s most ambitious targets is to send more exports to Germany, at the heart of the EU.
Incidentally, Ireland doesn’t get a mention in the plan, despite it being a major trading partner of the UK.
But the plan for strong economic links with EU neighbours indicates the UK is far from turning its back on us, which could, of course, be disastrous for our food and drink sector.
Things are bad enough already, with recent trade figures, for up to August, indicating that the value of Irish food exports to the UK fell by 8.1% in annual terms, but by 14.5% for the two months since the Brexit referendum.
The slump hit all food categories.
General merchandise exports to UK fell by almost 4% since the Brexit referendum.
With such ominous signals, it wasn’t surprising that Fianna Fáil Spokesman on Agriculture Charlie McConalogue, TD, said recently was absurd that the Government refused to review Food Wise 2025, our current ten-year strategy for our agri-food sector.
The government has acknowledged that the food industry is very exposed to the predicted 4% loss of national Irish Gross domestic produce due to Brexit.
But Agriculture Minister Michael Creed has said he sees no compelling reason at this point to review the strategy.
He said Food Wise 2025 was going well, with 28% of the 330 detailed actions which were due to commence in 2015 or 2016, achieved, or substantial action undertaken, and a further 67% commenced and are progressing well.
Referring to Brexit, he said, “It is clear that ensuring action is taken on the Food Wise recommendations, particularly those related to market development, competitiveness and innovation, assumes even greater importance in the light of the UK decision.
He added: “It is important whilst we keep the measures and actions for the sector in FoodWise under review, we do not allow the ambition for the agri-food industry to be undermined.”
In contrast, Fianna Fáil says that Brexit demands an urgent review of Food Wise 2025, a plan based on the assumption that the UK remains within the EU, as Ireland’s number one agri-food export destination, taking over 50% of our beef exports and 33% of our dairy exports.
Surely Fianna Fail’s call for a comprehensive review of Food Wise 2025 to take into account Brexit threats is valid, bearing in mind the government’s analysis of the effect ten years after a UK exit from the EU, which indicates Irish GDP could be almost 4% below a no-Brexit scenario, with most of the negative GDP impact coming in the first five years.
The level of employment, relative to a no-Brexit world, is expected to be 2% lower in the same scenario, and unemployment two percentage points higher, assuming no Brexit policy change by the Irish government.
The same analysis shows that those most exposed to the UK are indigenous enterprises, small in scale, concentrated in food and manufacturing industries, with relatively low profit levels, and a disproportionate concentration of employment in regional and rural labour markets.
Minister Creed says Budget 2017 has policies targeted at these exposed sectors — retention of the 9% VAT rate, extension of foreign earnings deduction, the special assignee relief programme, increased spending under the Rural Development Programme for 2017, the adjustment to the farmers income averaging system, increased PRSI benefits for the self-employed, an increase in farmer’s flat-rate VAT addition, and extra funding for Bord Bia.
People in the industry would find it more reassuring if the government didn’t appear to be slow to prepare for Brexit.
At least Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said he is interested in the possibility of developing an export guarantee arrangement for vulnerable Irish industries, and hopes to make an announcement on that before Christmas. But even he attributes reduction in business confidence to “uncertainty”.
While admitting some impact on exposed horticultural industries, such as the mushroom industry, he seeks to comfort food exporters by noting that the UK does not seem to have many alternative sources of supply if it is to replace its considerable agri-food imports from Ireland.
That may be so, but such hopes and aspirations are not near enough to reduce the uncertainty plaguing the industry, more than two years ahead of the UK’s expected farewell to the EU.


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VAN BUREN TWP. — Visteon Corp. (NYSE: VC), the automotive electronics manufacturer based in Wayne County’s Van Buren Township, reported net income of $19 million or 49 cents a share in the first quarter ended March 31, down from $50 million or $1.10 a share in the first quarter of 2015.
The company said the net income figure included a loss of $13 million from discontinued operations, and $15 million of restructuring costs. Adjusted net income, which excludes these costs, was $47 million, or $1.22 per diluted share.
Revenue was $802 million, down from $816 million a year earlier.
The company also announced an “adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization” figure of $89 million, up from $78 million a year earlier.
“Our strong financial results reflect the increasing desire of vehicle manufacturers to include our cockpit electronics technology in their vehicles, as well as solid cost performance across our global operations,” said Sachin Lawande, president and CEO. “We made progress aligning our engineering organization with our customers’ needs regionally and globally, while bringing more strategic focus to our research and development investment. We continue to leverage our position as the only Tier 1 automotive supplier exclusively focused on the rapidly growing automotive cockpit electronics segment.”
The company said the decrease in sales was mostly related to the sale of an auto interiors plant in Germany as well as the effect of a stronger U.S. dollar on overseas sales.
Electronics Product Group sales totaled $793 million, an increase of $12 million from the first quarter of 2015. On a regional basis, Asia accounted for 38 percent of sales, Europe 32 percent, North America 29 percent, and South America 1 percent.
Selling, general and administrative expenses were $56 million for the first quarter down from $58 million for the first quarter of 2015.
Through the first quarter of 2016, customers awarded Visteon new business wins totaling $1.2 billion in revenue. Visteon’s ongoing backlog, defined as cumulative remaining life-of-program booked sales, was approximately $15.6 billion as of March 31, an increase of $400 million since Dec. 31.
As of March 31, Visteon had global cash and equivalents totaling $808 million. Total debt as of March 31 was $382 million.
On Jan. 22, Visteon paid a special distribution to its shareholders of $43.40 a share, or $1.74 billion. This outflow was partially offset by a recovery of $356 million of withholding taxes related to the 2015 climate control systems divestiture. Since the June 9, 2015, climate transaction, Visteon has substantially completed the return of approximately $2.75 billion to shareholders through 2015 and 2016 share repurchases and the January 2016 special distribution.
Visteon designs, engineers and manufactures cockpit electronics products and connected car systems for most of the world’s major vehicle manufacturers, including instrument clusters, head-up displays, information displays, infotainment, audio systems, and telematics products. Visteon has nearly 11,000 employees at more than 40 locations in 18 countries. More at www.visteon.com.
To listen to a replay of a conference call discussing these results, call (855) 859-2056 in the United States and Canada or (404) 537-3406 elsewhere. The conference ID for the phone replay is 86737426.


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If you’re like City Cast Boise producer Evelyn Avitia and have never tried Basque food, this weekend is a great opportunity to change that, with the San Inazio festival running today through Sunday.
The festival honors Saint Ignatius of Loyola, a 15th and 16th century soldier and Catholic priest who became the patron saint of the Basques.
Throughout the weekend, the Basque Block will be filled with traditional dancing and sporting events — here’s the whole schedule.
If crowds aren’t your vibe, here’s where you should go and what you should try after the festival.
Three new Starbucks locations could be added to the dozens of existing stores in the valley. (Getty)
From hyper-local to international chain: Starbucks is expanding its already massive footprint in the Treasure Valley. Here are three new locations the corporation is hoping to open, according to BoiseDev:
- The company is looking at building a store at the intersection of Maple Grove Rd. and Chinden Blvd.
- It’s also pitching a new drive-thru to neighbors of a previous US Bank building on Airport Way, which would be torn down.
- CBS2News reports that a new location is coming soon to Ten Mile Road, just off I-84 in Meridian.
And lastly, want to branch out and try some new ice cream this weekend?


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Leonardo DiCaprio Invests in Farmed Fish Company, Calls Ocean Exploitation a ‘Crisis’
Fish—which is loaded with protein, vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids—is among the healthiest foods on the planet, and that’s not to mention that dining on fish has a smaller carbon footprint than red meat, pork and chicken.
But here’s the catch: the world’s increasing appetite for finned food has led to a devastating problem with nearly 90 percent of global fish stocks either fully fished or overfished, according a 2016 analysis from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Meanwhile, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development forecasts a 17 percent rise in fish production by 2025.
Global Fish Stocks Depleted to 'Alarming' Levels – EcoWatch https://t.co/1u7aU47UJp @wwwfoecouk @GreenpeaceUK
— EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) July 9, 2016
In addition to depleting fish stocks, the long term sustainability of the ocean’s resources is also threatened by acidification, warming waters, hypoxia, sea level rise, pollution and the overuse of marine resources.
That’s why Oscar-winning actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio has gotten behind Boulder, Colorado-based seafood brand LoveTheWild that sells frozen seafood kits made with 100 percent farm-raised fish.
“Estimates show the earth’s population approaching nine billion by 2050, putting tremendous pressure on our natural food resources,” DiCaprio said in a statement. “Seafood is a primary source of protein for nearly a billion people—but climate change, acidification and over fishing are putting increased pressure on our oceans’ natural stability.”
“LoveTheWild’s approach to sustainable, responsible aquaculture is promoting the development of a secure and environmentally-conscious solution to feeding our planet’s growing population,” he added.
The Before the Flood filmmaker has made an investment in the brand and will also serve as an advisor. According to BizWest, DiCaprio and sustainable aquaculture investment fund Aqua-Spark round out a $3 million Series A funding announced in February, in which Aqua-Spark invested $2.5 million.
“The exploitation of our oceans has left many marine ecosystems on the brink of total collapse, which is hurting our ability to harvest our seas as a reliable food source as we have for thousands of years,” DiCaprio continued. “LoveTheWild is empowering people to take action on this crisis in a very meaningful way.”
Farmed seafood, or aquaculture, currently provides roughly half of all fish consumed globally. Experts tout it as a way to supply protein, nutrition and food security to a rapidly growing global population.
However, aquaculture operators in some countries, such as Chile’s salmon industry, have been criticized for crowding fish into tight enclosures that breed disease and raising them on unnatural diets and antibiotics.
But as Tim Fitzgerald, a scientist and sustainable seafood expert at the Environmental Defense Fund, told the New York Times, farming practices are improving and some merchants set high standards for the fish they sell.
LoveTheWild, founded by Jacqueline Claudia and Christy Brouker in 2014, sells sustainable fish that’s good for you and the oceans at the same time. The company said it selects its seafood from the “most well-managed farms in the world.”
The line includes striped bass with roasted pepper almond sauce, barramundi with mango Sriracha chutney, catfish with Cajun creme and red trout with salsa verde. The kits are in retailers such as Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, Sprouts and Mom’s.
“Our vision for LoveTheWild was inspired by our dedication to aquaculture, and we’re very humbled that the quality of our products and integrity of our vision has attracted such a powerful group of supporters and investors,” said Claudia, LoveTheWild CEO, in a statement.
“We are excited that Mr. DiCaprio, someone so dedicated to environmental activism, has partnered with LoveTheWild to help make it easy for consumers make an impact on the environment through something as simple as choosing the right thing for dinner. We have no doubt that the involvement of all of our investors will further bring to life our mission of making high-quality seafood exciting, easy, and accessible, while also helping to bring awareness to the potential for responsible aquaculture to play an important role in our food future.”
DiCaprio, and his Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, has long put his philanthropic dollars towards environmental organizations and businesses that protect oceans, land and wildlife, as well as operations that work to fight against climate change.
Last year, the foundation awarded a total of $15.6 million in grants, including $7,631,508 for wildlife and habitat conservation; $2,525,000 for ocean conservation; $2,100,000 to protect indigenous rights; $2,085,000 to support innovative solutions to the world’s problems; and $1,300,000 to combat climate change. With these grants, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation has provided more than $59 million in support of many projects since 1998.
Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Awards $15.6 Million in Largest-Ever Round of Environmental Grants – EcoWatch https://t.co/eooOARR9B8
— OrangutanOutreach?❤??? (@redapes) July 15, 2016


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Tyga Reveals ‘Hotel California’ Release Date
Tyga was the latest guest on BET’s 106 & Park. During his appearance, Tyga revealed his next album Hotel California will hit stores on March 26. The new dad also spoke the life-changing experience with his newborn son King Cairo, and his T-Raww shoe line with Reebok. The sneakers will hit retailers nationwide starting on February 14. press play below!


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The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe will host canoe families on its reservation from their landing at Hollywood Beach in downtown Port Angeles through July 31.
Simultaneously, the Elwha River Casino will present the first Elwha River Artisan Alley arts and crafts fair from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. each day.
The fair, open to the public, will feature Coast Salish artwork from local artists and vendors selling items ranging from locally roasted coffee to Tribal Journey souvenirs.
"In addition to encouraging people to go watch the canoes land on Hollywood Beach, we want to invite people to come and see what local artists and vendors have to offer," said Joni Eades, the casino's marketing manager.
The Elwha River Casino is at 631 Stratton Road, Port Angeles, on the Lower Elwha Reservation.
Visitors should follow signs on U.S. Highway 101 west of Port Angeles that will direct them to Lower Elwha Road. It leads to the reservation and, east of the tribal center, the intersection with Stratton Road.
The 2009 Tribal Journey, hosted by the Suquamish Tribe on its reseration east of Poulsbo, marks the 20th anniversary of the historical 1989 "Paddle to Seattle," which was the first traditional intertribal canoe voyage in more than 100 years.
More than 100 canoes from as many as 90 U.S. tribes and Canadian First Nations and an estimated 12,000 people participate in Tribal Canoe Journeys.
"The Elwha River Artisan Alley Craft Show will be open to the public and will allow paddle participants and the local community members the opportunity to purchase Coast Salish artwork from area artists and vendors," said Eades.
Anyone interested in participating in the craft show is encouraged to contact Joni Eades at 452-3005. Vendor applications and information also is available at the casino Web site, www.elwhariver
The Sequim Gazette is located at 147 W. Washington Street in Sequim.
Business hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Phone 360-683-3311, or toll free at 800-829-5810. FAX 360-683-6670.
For a complete company directory with contact information please click HERE.


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April delivered another solid month in performance. Both funds outperformed
the benchmark by circa 6% over the past six months as a result of many of the portfolio companies delivering strong earnings results. As stated last year, investors will shift away from all the anxiety on inflation and talk of a regime change which led to indiscriminate selling of the highest quality companies last year, back to rewarding companies that are delivering consistent earnings growth. Over the long-term it is all about sustainable earnings growth that drives share prices. Last year’s fall in share prices of some of the highest quality and most profitable companies was a major opportunity for investors to buy and not sell.
There continues to be an intense debate around the extent to which interest rates will be cut over the next 12 months, and concerns around a deep recession, with the consensus opinion now forecasting that inflation will likely remain above the tolerance threshold of central banks for the foreseeable future. Consensus views have generally proven to be wrong, historically. The benefit of investing in some of the most profitable companies with debt-free or low-debt balance sheets, and above-average earnings growth, is that they can provide superior returns in the current uncertain market environment. Despite the challenges of the last two years, businesses with these attributes have shown resilience and strength in stormy conditions. Insync’s investment approach of investing in the most profitable companies with the tailwinds of megatrends results in their earnings having very low sensitivity to the economy.
Meta Platforms –AI Winner
Excluding China (where US social media companies are generally excluded) Meta Platforms Family of Apps are used monthly by a staggering 90% of the world’s connected population.
Meta has a long history of investing into AI. For years, Meta has employed a world-class AI research team that has been publishing industry-changing research. Even though we can’t see it, Meta has, for years, used AI to recommend posts in our feeds, moderate content, and target ads behind the scenes in Instagram and Facebook.
Meta is currently incorporating AI more visibly into his company’s products. They are deploying AI technologies to assist advertisers optimise their spend across different mediums with the company saying it’s improved its “monetization efficiency,” or how much the company makes off of ads they sell on Reels, by 30-40 percent on Instagram and Facebook.
Insync significantly increased the Fund’s exposure to Meta when shares were trading below US$100 in November 2022, as investors were fretting over how much the company was spending on the Metaverse. What was not appreciated was that 80% of their investments was spent on their core business including AI. Meta shares are today trading in excess of US$200.
Meta Platforms has 80% gross margin, over 19% net margins (which includes an expense/deduction of R&D spend of $35.4bn), and returns on invested capital in excess of 25%. It is an extremely profitable business which is in a strong position to benefit from the exponential deployment of artificial intelligence.


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Tim Cook took the stage this morning at Apple's Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California to talk about "racism, inequality, and injustice," along with, yes, "a virus that is affecting the daily lives of billions of people."
The Apple CEO kicked things off by reminding livestream viewers that "this country was founded on the principles of freedom and equality for all," and specifically called out "the senseless killing of George Floyd."
Notably, he told those viewing at home, Apple has already put at least some money where its mouth is.
"We're inspired and moved by the passionate people around our nation and around the world who have stood up to demand change," he continued. "We must all aim far higher to build a future that lives up to our ideals — this means taking action."
In this case, action means — at least in part — money. Specifically, Apple's previously announced Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative with a $100 million "commitment."
The unfinished work of racial justice and equality call us all to account. Things must change, and Apple's committed to being a force for that change. Today, I'm proud to announce Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, with a $100 million commitment. pic.twitter.com/AoYafq2xlp
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 11, 2020
Cook then quickly pivoted to the coronavirus, and the "profound impact" Apple's products have had in making the world a better place. He talked about how Apple's offerings allow people to stay connected digitally while they are apart physically.
"Today the world is counting on all of us, and on the products and experiences that we create to move forward," he noted. "Because throughout history, great challenges have been met with great creativity and important breakthroughs."
Ah yeah, great breakthroughs. We could use more than a few of those right about now.


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Not too long ago we announced the launch of our Bing Shopping Feed Tool which since then has allowed us to help more merchants expand their search marketing efforts.
By leveraging PriceJoy®, both EU-based and EU-targeting retailers can now list their products in the new, dedicated positions for Comparison Shopping Services on Google Shopping.
Notices have just started pouring in for retailers who are utilizing one of the more recent additions to Google Shopping: Showcase Shopping Ads.
Google has announced a minor change to select governing policies about Showcase Shopping Ads.
We’re starting to see Google’s latest overhaul of Merchant Center and we are really liking the new look and feel of it.
The change was made to the Feed Diagnostics section. Google not only cleaned up the aesthetics, but they also added a lot more ease to filtering (among a few other “upgrades”).
It was the major talk of the town for a few months this year: The EU’s incredible anti-trust case against Google, but more specifically how Google had to alter Google Shopping in the European market altogether.
(You can read the exact details outlined in a memo released by the European Commission here.)
The bare bones of it all essentially boiled down to the belief that Google was allegedly abusing its market hold over comparison shopping in the EU. The European Commission alleged that Google was “favoring its own content and thus muscling out” its competitors in the various CSEs or Comparison Shopping Engines out there.


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Mary Thorn will officially cut the ribbon on Thistle Draftshop, a craft beer bar and retail shop for take-home beer at 5210 FM 2920 near Gosling in Spring, on Friday at noon.
Thorn, a longtime former Saint Arnold Brewing Co. employee, offers 60 beers on tap along with a restaurant. Chef Ernesto Villarreal, who previously worked downtown at The Grove, will prepare burgers and other fare. The location opened earlier this month.
RELATED: For Texas craft brewers, there was much to like in 2017, with one big exception
Plans call for adding patio space in the front in the spring, Thorn said. Regular daily hours are 11 a.m. to midnight.
Alicia Heusdain of Century 21 Hardee-Team Realty represented Thistle Draftshop in the 5,000-square-foot lease.
Terramont Realty represented the landlord.


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Apple Making Physical Game Controller for iDevices?
Apple is reportedly working on a physical controller that will enhance the gameplay experience for iDevice owners. Anand Shimpi (from Anandtech
) claims to be made aware of “an internal Apple project to bring a physical controller to [the] market.” His sources were unfortunately unable to determine whether Apple as able to follow through on its effort though.
Either way, Shimpi believes that devices such as the iPad and iPhone will soon create the need for polished external gaming devices to serve the hardcore mobile gamers (which seem to be growing at a fast rate). The issue is becoming more and more apparent as smartphones and tablets come close to equaling the performance of existing game consoles in the market. Furthermore, organizations such as the World Cyber Games, which recently announced their shift towards becoming a Mobile Game-Based Festival help further push the need for such products.
Shimpi added that Apple may also be feeling some pressure in this area due to their main rival – Google, which has included basic wired and wireless controller support into the Android operating system starting as early as last year with Honeycomb 3.0. Along with their Android counterparts, iDevices have seemed to emerge as a new frontier for game developers as more and more companies also shift towards the mobile gaming market. One of the research firms indicated
that the two platforms saw their combined share of U.S.-based game software revenue rising more than threefold (from 19% in 2009 to an estimated 58% by the end of last year).
The success of the mobile-gaming market comes as an expense of the popular gaming companies such as Nintendo and Sony, who both saw their share of software sales slip. Nintendo slipped from 70% to 36% and Sony slipped from 11% to 6% over the same period of time. The situation continues to worsen as Sony recently reported a loss of $1.2 billion for the December quarter just shortly after Nintendo also reported their first ever operating loss (in its corporate history) of $575 million.
Apple seems to be taking further advantage of the situation by assembling a team of seasoned gaming executives to keep its momentum in the gaming space going. The company was reported hiring Robin Burrows (preventing him from heading up Microsoft’s overseas Xbox Live Team). This was followed by Apple recruiting Nintendo’s Chief of Public Relations, Robert Saunders, as well as Nick Grange, who ran public relations for Xbox and has experience doing the same for popular gaming companies such as Activision and Electronic Arts.
With all the facts and some speculation, it isn’t hard to see that Apple seems to have a bright gaming future ahead, one which will only get better with time.
, PC Gamer


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After reporting recent sales that were lower than expectations, Zumiez Inc. lowered its third-quarter guidance and its shares fell by more than 10 percent in early Thursday trading.
The Everett-based youth apparel retailer (NASDAQ: ZUMZ) reported it expects third-quarter net income of between 38 and 39 cents per share, lower than its previously issued guidance of between 42 and 45 cents.
Zumiez also reported that October same-store sales at stores open a year or longer only increased 0.6 percent, lower than analysts' expectations of an increase of 4.6 percent. Shares in Zumiez fell $3.32 to $22 in early Thursday trading.
"Based on total sales results for the quarter that were below planned sales, primarily due to a challenging sales environment in Europe, the company is revising guidance," Zumiez officials said in a statement.


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Don’t be surprised if you get a sense of déjà vu all over again – as Yogi Berra liked to say – when you get to the New York Auto Show next month.
Yes, you’ve seen that Acura TLX before. Well, almost but not quite. Honda’s upscale marque gave us a look at a “prototype” during the Detroit Auto Show a couple months back. That’s a common practice for Honda which has been very effective at double-dipping into the 24-hour news cycle.
Expect to see a few minor tweaks as we go from prototype to production – such as the row of LED lights fused to the base of each sideview mirror — but the basic shape is going to be largely the same as what was revealed in the Motor City. “The TLX will serve as the backbone of the Acura sedan line-up,” said Mike Accavitti, Acura’s new brand boss, so the maker is intent on getting it right with what will soon become the middle model in its three sedan line-up.
Dimensionally, the 2015 Acura TLX well measure about 3.8 inches shorter than the outgoing TL, at 190.2 inches , but will ride on the same 109.3-inch wheelbase.
(Acura spins off from Honda in bid to become a serious player in the luxury market. Click Herefor the rest of the story.)
The production model will be offered with a choice of a VTEC 2.4-liter inline-four engine, or a 3.5-liter V-6. The maker isn’t ready to provide either power or fuel-economy ratings, though it says it is targeting EPA mileage ratings at the top of the midsize luxury sedan class. The smaller engine will be paired with a new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, with the V-6 getting a new 9-speed automatic.
Both models will be offered in front-drive configuration, while the 3.5-liter will also be available with an optional all-wheel-drive package. The latest update of Acura’s Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive, or SH-AWD, system will be 25% lighter than before, Acura notes, and now adds a new torque-vectoring function that helps steer the car through tight corners.
In front-drive, the TLX will feature Acura’s Precision All-Wheel Steer, or P-AWS, technology, which uses independent toe control to improve its grip and handling.
(It’s all in the show…but today’s concept cars aren’t what they used to be. Click Here to see how they’re changing.)
Expect a “vault-like” experience in terms of noise levels thanks to a new active noise cancellation system, promised Accavitti, adding that the TLX is expected to have one of the largest cabins in its segment.
The sedan will also offer a host of standard and optional safety features, including Collision Mitigation Braking System, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assist System, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow and Blind Spot Indicator.
The debut of the TLX comes a year after the introduction of the latest-generation Acura MDX, which was a finalist for North American Truck of the Year. Acura could clearly use a hit on its passenger car side, the base model ILX generating little enthusiasm in the market while the top-line RLX is still building some momentum.
The official debut of the 2015 Acura TLX is scheduled for the afternoon of April 16th, with sales to begin later in the year.
(Honda rolls out the 10 millionth American-made Accord. Click Here for the breaking story.)


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Altria Group (NYSE:MO), Reynolds American (NYSE:RAI), and Lorillard (UNKNOWN:LO.DL) combine for a 91.5% share of the U.S. cigarette market. This concentration of market power gives these companies pricing power that enables them to keep growing their profits even as the cigarette market declines. E-cigarettes are the only product that could threaten the cigarette oligopoly, but proposed Food & Drug Administration, or FDA, rules may have just created an e-cigarette oligopoly dominated by Altria, Reynolds, and Lorillard. This is terrific news for the big three U.S. tobacco companies and their shareholders.
FDA creates barriers to innovation
Although they are usually meant to promote the public interest, government regulations almost always favor big business. Large enterprises can more easily comply with burdensome regulations than their smaller counterparts can, which gives the bigger businesses a competitive edge. In fact, Altria, Reynolds, and Lorillard have dominated the cigarette market for so long because marketing restrictions make it difficult to introduce new brands, so it is nearly impossible for upstart brands to challenge the existing hegemony.
The story is no different in the e-cigarette market. The FDA's proposed rules will limit innovation and increase the cost structures of companies in the market. The rules stipulate that the FDA will allow all e-cigarettes on the market that are "substantially equivalent" to devices that existed prior to February 15, 2007 to remain on the market. Companies must submit all others to the FDA for approval.
Respected tobacco analyst Bonnie Herzog says e-cigarettes will outsell combustible cigarettes only if the industry continues to innovate. Manufacturers must develop e-cigarettes that are virtually identical to combustible cigarettes for the category to reach its full potential.
If the FDA enacts its proposed rules, innovative e-cigarettes would have to undergo a costly approval process before hitting the market. According to Greg Conley, a tobacco policy researcher for the Heartland Institute, each e-cigarette application will require over 5,000 man-hours for the FDA to complete. As a result, each application will cost manufacturers millions. This effectively precludes small manufacturers from introducing innovative e-cigarettes. As a result, the e-cigarette players with the biggest budgets -- Altria, Reynolds, Lorillard, Logic, and NJOY -- have a tremendous advantage in the market.
High cost benefits big companies
Altria, Reynolds, and Lorillard are among the handful of e-cigarette manufacturers that can easily absorb the increased compliance and review costs. Each has a tremendous amount of free cash flow that can be redirected to support e-cigarette innovation and advertising.
For instance, Altria generated over $4.3 billion in cash from operations during 2013. Of that, only $131 million went toward capital expenditures to maintain its operations. The rest -- over $4.2 billion -- went toward dividends and share repurchases. Altria could easily redirect $20 million to $30 million from share repurchases to cover FDA compliance costs. An e-cigarette start-up might raise enough cash to fund one or two FDA reviews before it either succeeds or fails. Altria can fund as many reviews as it takes to get it right.
Reynolds and Lorillard also share in the funding advantage. In 2013, Reynolds generated $1.3 billion in cash flow from operations. Reynolds used cash accumulated on the balance sheet to return over $2.1 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases. The story is the same for Lorillard, which paid $823 million of its $1.2 billion in operating cash flow as a dividend and borrowed money to repurchase $775 million worth of stock. Both companies are returning over nearly $2 billion in cash to shareholders each year. Reynolds and Lorillard could easily redirect $50 million to exploit their advantage in the e-cigarette approval process, justified by the potential of a high return on investment in the e-cigarette market.
Altria benefits the most
Altria, Reynolds, Lorillard and other e-cigarette manufacturers that can spend tens of millions to develop innovative products will capture most of the category's growth going forward. However, potentially long wait times for FDA approval will inevitably slow the pace of innovation. This is welcome news for Altria, the nation's largest combustible cigarette company. While Lorillard views e-cigarettes as a way to diversify its offering away from controversial menthol cigarettes, Altria sees the category as a potential substitute to Marlboro and its other top cigarette brands. Since the proposed rules not only give Altria an advantage over smaller companies but may also slow the pace of innovation, Altria's cash flow engine has protection from serious harm.
Reynolds and Lorillard will also benefit from being part of an oligopoly in the e-cigarette market. Menthol cigarettes account for about 80% of Lorillard's revenue. E-cigarettes provide much-needed diversification from the embattled category. Reynolds, which captures a 26.7% share of the combustible cigarette market, benefits insofar as e-cigarette growth exceeds combustible cigarette declines. If the big three tobacco companies split the e-cigarette market, Reynolds will surely benefit from e-cigarette growth.
On the face of it, red tape and compliance costs could hamper innovation in the e-cigarette market. However, the real effect of the FDA's rules is to concentrate innovation at just a handful of large players. This means that Altria, Reynolds, and Lorillard will likely capture the lion's share of growth in the e-cigarette market. As a result, tobacco investors should cheer on the FDA, even if it leads to slower growth in the years ahead.
Ted Cooper has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


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Washington/New York: People of Indian origin and the Indian diaspora having Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cards are now not required to carry their old, expired passports for travel to India, as required earlier, according to a government notification that has been welcomed by members of the community.
The Overseas Citizens of India or OCI card is issued to people of Indian origin globally which gives them almost all the privileges of an Indian national except for the right to vote, government service and buying agricultural land. The OCI card gives them a visa free travel to India.
In a March 26 press release, the Indian missions in the US said that in order to ease the travel of OCI card holders, it has been decided that the time line for re-issuance of OCI cards in r/o OCI card holders, who may be required to get their OCI card reissued has been extended until 31 December, 2021.
Further requirement of carrying old and new passports along with the OCI card has been done away. Henceforth, the OCI card holders travelling on the strength of their existing OCI card bearing old passport number are not required to carry their old passport. However, carrying a new passport is mandatory.
New York-based social activist Prem Bhandari, who has been taking up the cause of OCI card holders for the past several years, welcomed the announcement. He expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs and the Government of India for not only extending the renewal up to December 31 this year but also for relaxing the guidelines and not requiring OCI card holders to carry their old, expired foreign passports.
The OCI card holders can heave a sigh of relief worldwide, with these new guidelines, he said. He expressed thanks to Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla for the new guidelines.
Bhandari said that he had seen first-hand the inconvenience caused to members of the Indian diaspora due to certain OCI card rules as they undertook travel to India during the pandemic.
He said some of the passengers were not allowed to board flights to India and were sent back from airports as they were not carrying their old foreign passports, which was required as per government rules.
The OCI card, among other benefits, allows multiple entry, multi-purpose life long visa to an Indian-origin foreign national to visit India. Under the provisions of the OCI card, which gives the cardholder lifelong visa to India, those below 20 years and above 50 years need to renew their OCI card every time they have their passport renewed.
The Indian government has relaxed the provisions since last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The timeline has been extended multiple times so far. However, this is for the first time that the guidelines have been relaxed for carrying old passports and the new passports along with the OCI cards for overseas Indians.
In May last year, the central government had allowed certain categories of OCI card holders, who were stranded abroad, to come to the country. Earlier, according to the regulations issued by the Indian government, visas of foreign nationals and OCI cards were suspended as part of the new international travel restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic.
OCI cardholders were asked to carry their old passport with them to fly to India. Now, under the new provisions, OCI cardholders are not required to carry their old passports but will still need to carry their new passport.
Bhandari said that Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines for OCI card holders to carry old expired foreign passports had been in place since 2005 but till 2019, it was not being thoroughly checked or applied.
Bhandari had previously also requested Indian authorities to initiate measures such as granting emergency visas on departure to help Indian-origin families travel to their homeland for health or other emergencies amid the COVID19 pandemic.
Bhandari, Jaipur Foot USA Chairman, had said that late last year he had written to the Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, as well as the Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola and Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla outlining some of the hardships faced by Indian-origin families in travelling to India for emergency reasons and suggesting measures that can be taken to ensure smoother travel for these families.
Bhandari had suggested that holders of Indian passport/PIO/OCI card be allowed to travel with their US-born minor children under the age of 14 with any unexpired visa obtained anytime without applying for an emergency visa at consulates.
He added that in case it is difficult to carry out these measures, authorities may consider either granting Emergency Visa on Departure (E-VoD) or restoring immediate e-Visa process for approval online.
Last year, Bhandari had also requested extension of the date of renewal of OCI cards till December 31, 2020 such that the Non-Resident Indian/Person of Indian Origin community had enough time to understand the new requirement and renew their OCI cards.
Bhandari also expressed hope that the issue of tourist visas will also be resolved soon. In October last year, the Indian government had decided to restore with immediate effect the validity of all existing visas, except electronic, tourist and medical category visas.
PTI, March 30, 2021


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In his order Sharma has also stated management of the marriage palaces and hotels will be responsible for any violation and licence of marriage palaces and hotels that flout any rule will be suspended and any violation of his orders will invite criminal proceedings under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and the IPC.
Speaking to TOI over the issue, Amarveer Singh, president of Hotel and Restaurant Association, Ludhiana said, “This is a huge setback for our industry as already we are bearing the brunt of closure for three months followed by lukewarm response from customers due to coronavirus. They are very unwilling to conduct any function and not even coming out for dining in restaurants and food outlets. What so ever little functions were being held, we were unable to hardly break even due to restriction of holding the functions of only up to 50 persons.”
According to Arvinder Singh, general manager of a banquet hall, “This is very bad news for the hospitality industry which is already in such a crisis. During the last five months we have already suffered huge losses and several businessmen have already quit this field because of they were unable to survive these turbulent times. Now with the new guidelines our industry will be unable to survive any further and curtailing the number of persons in functions to 30 will prove to be a nail in our coffin.”
Rajan Malhotra, an event planner and tent house owner, stated that, “If the government wants to go ahead with curtailing the number of persons in the banquet halls and hotels for parties it should also look at introducing some package for the hospitality industry, which has been worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. Without government support it’s not possible for our industry to survive whether its tent house, hotel or banquet hall.”


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By John Schaffner
Twenty-two CityWalk merchants and Sandy Springs Mayor Eva Galambos met Nov. 11 with a three-person team from ReMax Commercial real estate — the apparent new management team for the shopping center — and the word from many who attended was optimism and a spirit of cooperation.
Both the mayor and a sampling of the merchants indicated they saw progress in discussions about getting better signage for the shops on Hammond Drive and Sandy Springs Circle, as well as directional signs within the center; improving lighting; and even marketing the center to the public.
CityWalk’s owner reportedly hired the ReMax team of Dave Thomas, Stephen Thomas and Shamey Chern to be the new management and marketing team for the center. But Stephen Thomas told the Sandy Springs Reporter on Nov. 18, “There remain a few details to be worked out with the former manager of CityWalk and the owner.”
Asked whether he was referring to Dan Koh, who over the past year was referred to both as the manager and owner of CityWalk, Thomas said, “We cannot discuss CityWalk with the media at this time.”
Some CityWalk merchants were unhappy with a story in the Oct. 31-Nov. 13 issue of the Reporter that focused on a letter signed by 13 shop owners regarding issues they wanted addressed and seeking a meeting to work on long-term solutions at the shopping center.
Many of the concerns in the Oct. 13 letter, sent to the center’s owner/manager and Galambos, were similar to those voiced by some merchants in an article in the April 6-19, 2007, edition of the Reporter.
One of those merchants, Julie Routenberg, who owns the Potpourri women’s apparel store on Boutique Row at CityWalk, said customers expressed concerns that the article presented a picture of a shopping center in decay.
Routenberg, who signed the Oct. 13 letter, said there are “some very positive things about the shopping center.”
She said it was apparent at the Nov. 11 meeting that the new management team, the mayor and the merchants “are desperately trying to do a good job and have good ideas.”
For instance, Galambos said the city will work with the merchants and center management toward getting store signage on the major Kroger pylons at the center’s entrances and getting directional signage to the various stores within the center.
Galambos said she understands the signage problems stores along Hammond Drive have. She said potential shoppers can pass the stores without noticing the present signage, which is flat against the front of the building. She said signs that project perpendicularly from the building “can be very attractive” and would better identify the merchants to passers-by.
The mayor said the city will help where it can to ensure CityWalk remains a primary destination shopping center. She said she was pleased with the discussions at the Nov. 11 meeting.
A follow-up meeting is scheduled for Dec. 2 with the merchants, the management team and possibly the mayor.
Routenberg said she left the Nov. 11 meeting optimistic that the new management team is interested in the merchants’ concerns and is motivated to fix the major problems.
Routenberg cited Fishmonger restaurant moving into CityWalk as a major positive development. She said the center needs more good restaurants to draw people. Other merchants have suggested that having a national chain store other than Kroger in the center would draw more shoppers to the smaller specialty stores.
Another positive Routenberg cited was that the merchants now have an address the public can recognize: 230 Hammond Drive. Previously, Sandy Springs Place was the address for all stores in the center. Since the Postal Service recognizes the old and new addresses, the merchants do not have to reprint all of their business and promotional materials.
She said her store at CityWalk does better business that her Buckhead store, which is in a strip center at 3718 Roswell Road. Her store in Sandy Springs has “less competition,” she said, and draws “people who don’t want to go to the (Perimeter) mall.”
She said the Sandy Springs store benefits more from repeat customers, while the Buckhead store relies more on new customers.
But there remain many vacant storefronts at CityWalk, and more likely will be vacated as leases come up for renewal.
Patty Pennington, the owner of Belle Choses in the westernmost building at CityWalk, said two neighbors in her building — Southern Embroidery and the jewelry store — will not renew their leases, adding to the vacancies. Pennington did not say what she will do when her lease expires, but she said she has found much cheaper rental rates in some other shopping centers.
Warren Gary Gay Decorations, which moved from Buckhead to CityWalk when it opened, will return to Buckhead when the lease comes up, Gay said. He doesn’t blame the center for his lack of business in Sandy Springs, but he said Sandy Springs homeowners are not his clientele.
Carla Civita, who owns Imagym Play and Fitness Club and was behind the Oct. 13 letter, declined to discuss the Nov. 11 meeting or talk further about conditions at CityWalk.


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Block on Trump's Asylum Ban Upheld by Supreme Court
'Bulls genital male pills are ALL NATURAL,' said the sexual enhancement advertisement, but not anymore.
MyNicNaxs, a Florida company, nixed its ads because a federal court permanently enjoined it from selling unapproved and misbranded drugs. The U.S. Justice Department announced the court order after a receiving a request from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
"When a company fails to disclose pharmaceutical ingredients in its products, consumer safety can be put at risk," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler of the Justice Department's Civil Division. But what about the bull?
In a complaint filed earlier this month, the government alleged MyNicNaxs falsely marketed products that claimed to treat or prevent a host of serious conditions or diseases. The justice department said the products were not approved by the FDA.
The Department of Health and Human Services had warned the company three years ago about unapproved products. It identified nearly a dozen that had traces of pharmaceuticals that were not disclosed.
"Despite previous warnings, MyNicNaxs continued violating the law," said Donald D. Ashley, director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Along with the other drugs, Sildenafil -- the active ingredient in Viagra -- showed up.
The FDA said MyNicNax also distributed undisclosed pharmaceuticals such as Sibutramine -- which had links to heart attack and stroke -- and Phenolphthalein -- which poses a "potential carcinogenic risk."
The permanent injunction requires the defendant to "cease directly or indirectly distributing any unapproved new drugs or misbranded drugs." The company may not receive, manufacture, hold, or distribute any drugs or dietary supplements without written notification of compliance from the FDA.
The company has disabled its website from processing orders for supplements, but continues to sell waist trainers and butt lifters. Not a word about the bull.
Meeting with a lawyer can help you understand your options and how to best protect your rights. Visit our attorney directory to find a lawyer near you who can help.