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Jose Lugo did not hesitate when the salesman at a Fontana electronics store suggested that he purchase an extended warranty for his new $899 Pioneer laser disc player. The 27-year-old Santa Ana interpreter had saved for a year to buy the electronic equipment, and he wanted to avoid costly repairs.
While Lugo anticipated that his laser disc player might fail, he did not expect that his expensive warranty would malfunction. The Oklahoma City company that backed Lugo's warranty sought bankruptcy protection in July, leaving him with a useless $200 warranty and an $85 repair bill.
The shakeout in the intensely competitive electronics industry is leaving millions of consumers who bought extended warranties for peace of mind with financial headaches.
Last summer's demise of Oklahoma City-based EWC Inc. amid charges that its chairman looted the company socked 3.2 million consumers with an estimated repair tab totaling $55 million. The collapse of the Long Beach-based Leo's Stereo electronics chain later that month came as a powerful aftershock in Southern California, leaving thousands more consumers with useless warranties.
"A lot of people have lost a lot of money," said Curt Augustine of California's Consumer Affairs Department. He is among officials in several states who may seek legislation to protect consumers when warranty sellers fail. "It is an enormous problem," he said.
The extended warranty mess has not dampened sales. One of every three VCRs, camcorders and washing machines purchased this holiday season included an extended warranty, usually giving owners from one to five years' coverage on parts and labor beyond what the manufacturer provides. With expensive items, such as $2,000 projection TVs, four out of five consumers snap up warranties.
It is little wonder sales are strong. In the cutthroat electronics and appliance business, where failures and bankruptcies are routine, warranties stand out as an oasis of profit. Many retailers push them aggressively, sometimes using tactics that skirt the law. Most retailers make more on the warranties for an item such as a big-screen television than they do on the sale of the television itself.
One reason warranties are so profitable is that consumers rarely use them. Although consumers shelled out an estimated $10 billion last year for extended warranties, much of that money seems to have been wasted because appliances rarely break down. Studies have shown that fewer than one in five people who buy a warranty ever call to have their product serviced.
For people who, like Lugo, try to use their warranties, the loss is compounded as the roster of defunct chains grows. Pacific Stereo, Fedmart Stores, Gemco and Zody's are a few chains that have disappeared from the California marketplace over the last five years. The demise of Crazy Eddie's electronics chain in the East left 100,000 consumers with worthless extended warranties.
Since they were first offered 50 years ago by RCA on television sets, warranties have mushroomed from a sideline into a huge business, becoming as ubiquitous as TVs themselves. Virtually every company that makes or sells home or office equipment peddles extended warranties. Although most commonly associated with electronics, extended warranties are also sold for dishwashers, dryers, computers and fax machines. There are extended warranties for cars, and even for homes.
What few consumers realize is that only a handful of companies set aside funds to cover warranty repairs. This means that when a warranty provider goes under, there is usually nothing for the thousands of consumers who not only lose what they paid for a warranty, but get hit with repair costs, too.
Such was the case with EWC Inc. Although little known outside the industry, EWC was one of the nation's largest warranty companies. It sold extended warranties through 200 Southern California retailers, including Ken Crane's electronic stores. It also sold manufacturers warranties on such brands as Go-Video VCRs, Curtis Mathes televisions and Lennox Industries air-conditioning equipment.
Rather than set aside money for repairs, EWC used revenue from new warranty sales to pay repair bills. The strategy worked until a recession hit the electronics industry and put a crimp in new warranty sales. Unable to sell enough warranties to cover repairs, EWC's cash dried up. According to EWC's court-appointed bankruptcy trustee, EWC needed to sell 10 million to 12 million extended warranties to cover repair claims on the 3 million outstanding warranties--a target difficult to hit even in good times.
The company's weakened finances were not helped by its chairman's alleged habit of dipping into EWC's treasury to support a flamboyant lifestyle that until this year included a lavish annual Christmas party at his $1-million Oklahoma City gated estate. EWC's nationwide work force was flown in at company expense to attend a fete that last year featured palm trees incongruously transplanted in ankle-deep snow.
Trustee Gary Morrissey is suing EWC Chairman Barid W. Trice and several family members to recover $796,000 that he alleges they owe the mortally wounded company. Trice could not be reached for comment, but his attorney, Jerry Sepkowitz of Oklahoma City, said Trice concedes that he owes some of the disputed amount.
As in most other warranty-related bankruptcies, EWC's customers will not benefit from any settlement. As unsecured creditors, consumers are last in line to collect anything as EWC tries to sort out its finances under bankruptcy law protection. Many of these people will not learn that their warranties are worthless until their appliances break down and they, like Lugo, try to get them fixed. "I feel ripped off," said Lugo, who purchased his warranty at Space Video in Fontana.
No one knows how many millions of consumers have been victimized by the spate of bankruptcies in the electronics industry. The giants in the extended warranty business, such as Sears, Roebuck & Co. and General Electric, maintain that their customers have nothing to fear.
"You have to look at the reputation of the (warranty) seller," said Stan Knipe, vice president of product services for Sears, which is said to take in nearly $1 billion a year from extended warranties, also known as service contracts.
Some companies, including Ken Crane's and Go-Video, say they will absorb repair costs for customers who purchased EWC warranties from them. But many smaller outfits, such as Appliance Unlimited of Newhall, say they cannot afford to help out their customers. Royce Smith, owner of the one-store operation, estimates that it would take $100,000 to cover repair costs over the next five years.
However, most consumers tend not to use their warranties because their appliances do not break down. The life expectancy of a VCR or television set is closely guarded by the electronics industry, which computes longevity with the precision of a life insurance actuary.
Although she would not give away trade secrets, Suzanne Schneider, vice president of operations of the Torrance-based warranty company Elite Group Inc., said electronic equipment usually becomes obsolete and is replaced before it breaks down.
Consumers Union, the Yonkers, N.Y.-based publisher of Consumer Reports, advises consumers to pass up extended warranties unless the device being purchased uses a new and untested technology or is known to have a terrible repair history.
Bill McGuire, an editor at the magazine, suggests that consumers concerned about repair costs regularly deposit money into a repair fund. If the appliance never breaks, the repair fund can be used for other things.
It is hard for cautious consumers to say no to extended warranties. Sales people are instructed to pitch the extended warranties and remind consumers of how much repairs can cost. "We know if we explain it to our customers properly, some will buy," said Dick Stubbe, chief of the electronics division manager for Macy's California, the R.H. Macy's division that runs the Bullock's department store chain.
People who turn down extended warranties at the time of purchase find that the sales pitch follows them home. Sears and GE have telemarketing programs that prod consumers into taking extended warranties. Silo mails customers slick brochures that warn: "There's no such thing as a minor repair," and provide sampling of not-so-minor repair costs: $211 for a new microwave timer, $336.10 for a color TV picture tube, $122.50 for a refrigerator ice maker.
Rebecca Breverman, director of financial services for the Silo electronics chain, said the brochure is meant to "refresh the customer's memory" about how much repairs could cost and is not intended to alarm. "Whether it seems scary is a matter of interpretation," she said.
Law enforcement agencies have occasionally cracked down on overzealous sales tactics. Last year, Silo agreed to refund $49.95 each to Kansas consumers who bought unneeded one-year extended warranties on VCRs already covered by manufacturers' warranties.
Several years before that, Montgomery Ward, without admitting guilt, agreed to soften its sales pitch in order to settle federal false claims charges. The Federal Trade Commission in 1988 accused the department store chain of overstating the need for service on washing machines, lawn mowers and air conditioners.
There is a good reason why companies sell extended warranties so fervently. Because consumers use them infrequently, extended warranties provide a bonanza to retailers. For many struggling mom-and-pop appliance stores, EWC warranties were astonishingly lucrative. According to bankruptcy trustee Morrissey, EWC sold its warranties to retailers for $12 to $15 apiece. Electronics merchants in turn resold the warranties to consumers for between $50 and $100 each.
In the world of electronics retailing, EWC-like profits are not unusual. Two years ago, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, an obscure body that makes accounting rules, found that electronics chains that sold warranties for $300 spent no more than $50 and possibly as little as $12 for repairs.
Many retailers rely on warranties to make up for razor-thin profits on electronic equipment. Take the case of Leo's Stereo. Facing a cash crunch two years ago, Leo's started handing out bonuses for extended warranty sales. Revenue from warranties exploded fivefold, helping to prolong the life of the troubled electronics chain. According to Leo's annual report, it took in $10.5 million from warranties and repairs in fiscal 1990, about the same as it received from sales of such popular items as VCRs, camcorders and television sets.
John Howarth, former manager of Leo's now-shuttered Culver City store, felt guilty pushing service contracts so hard. "Most electronic goods don't break down," he said. "It was like taking free money. You sell a piece of paper and take money for it."
Among those persuaded to buy a Leo's warranty was Robert J. Brucato, a California Institute of Technology professor who paid $19.90 for a two-year warranty for a car stereo. When Leo's shut down, his car stereo was being fixed at a Whittier shop that refused to bill Leo's for repairs. Caught in the middle, Brucato had to pay the $118 repair bill to get his car stereo back.
Former Leo's executives declined to discuss the chain's warranties. Leo's bankruptcy attorney, Paul S. Aronzon of the firm Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy, said that a warranty is essentially backed by the "word of the company. . . . In bankruptcy, as with any other contract, there is no mechanism to enforce that promise."
Three years ago, then-Gov. George Deukmejian vetoed legislation sponsored by state Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles) that would have required warranty companies to maintain reserves for repairs or obtain insurance to cover repair costs in case of a bankruptcy. Now, Florida is the only state that requires extended warranty sellers to maintain reserves or insurance.
Although the Consumer Affairs Department is leaning toward a proposal to revive that legislation, retailers argue that it would be costly and in the end may do no good. When Florida regulators took steps against EWC Inc. last spring for maintaining inadequate reserves, the company left the state and emptied the escrow account that was set up to protect Florida warranty holders. The insurance policy taken to protect the escrow account, issued by an insurance company controlled by EWC's Trice, turned out to be as worthless as the EWC warranties.
Macy's Stubbe estimated that such legislation would raise the price of extended warranties by $1 to $2 each, making them more expensive for people who want them--such as William Fessler.
A Canyon County insurance salesman, Fessler has caution in his blood. He also has a houseful of extended warranties: There's one for his garage door opener, another for his washer, and warranties for his clothes dryer and his Ford Bronco. Though the EWC warranty for his stove top is now worthless, Fessler's trust in warranties is unshaken. "I still believe in them," he said. "I'd buy one again."
Before buying an extended warranty, keep the following things in mind:
Need. Though most manufacturers and retailers closely guard repair histories, Consumers Union says most electronic devices and appliances are fairly reliable. The publisher of Consumer Reports says an extended warranty should be considered only if the technology is new and untested.
Price. Consumers Union says that extended warranties generally cost between 10% and 12% of the item's purchase price. If a warranty costs more, it is overpriced, the group says.
The Seller. Know whom you are buying the warranty from and whether an insured reserve account is maintained for repairs.
The Alternative. Consumers Union says it is often cheaper for consumers who are worried about big repair bills to maintain their own repair fund in an interest-bearing account. If repairs are needed, the money is there. If not, the money is yours.


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|Weekend Outlook: Festivals, Concerts, and More|
|By Sabrina Damms, iBerkshires Staff |
11:59AM / Friday, July 29, 2022
Berkshire County is offering a variety of indoor and outdoor events this warm cloudy weekend including music festivals, hikes, and farmer’s markets.
Saturday, July 30
This daylong family-friendly also includes vendors, food trucks, beer tastings, outdoor crafts, demonstrations, and athletic trainings beginning at 1 p.m.
From 11 to 1, the Berkshire County Outdoor Recreation Summit will feature conversations about the Berkshires outdoor economy, mountain biking and cycling, and new initiatives celebrating outdoor recreation. The afternoon will offer a guided hike to the summit, yoga, a cornhole tournament, and outdoor activities.
The Bousquet summer concert series will be hosting its pinnacle event with solo performances in the afternoon and a concert featuring Whiskey Treaty Road Show in the evening.
Monument Mountain Hike
Monument Mountain Reservation, Great Barrington
Sunday, July 31
Berkshire County Historical Society will be leading a hike up Monument Mountain to celebrate the day Herman Melville met Nathaniel Hawthorn while on a similar walk up the mountain on Aug. 4, 1850.
The approximate 2 1/2-hour hike will also include a reading of local poet William Cullen Bryant's "Monument Mountain."
Hikers should meet at the Monument Mountain Reservation parking lot on Route 7 at 9 a.m. and should be prepared with their own water, proper footwear, hiking gear, and bug repellent.
Downtown Pittsfield Summer Outdoor Movie Series
Clapp Park, Pittsfield
Friday, July 29
Downtown Pittsfield Inc. concludes its summer outdoor movie series this Friday at Clapp Park, located on West Housatonic Street, with Walt Disney Animation Studios' "Frozen 2."
Families can bring their blankets and lawn chairs beginning at dusk, around 8:30, to watch as Elsa discovers the truth about her family's past and the origin of her powers while also saving the kingdom with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven.
In case of rain, the film will be postponed to Aug. 5.
Music in the Park
First Congregational Church, Lee
Sunday, July 31
The Lee Cultural Council and the Starving Artist Café sponsor the Sundays In The Park series starting at 12:30 p.m. in front of First Congregational Church, located at 25 Park Plaza.
This Sunday, Dos Matchsticks will be performing their indie rock music from 12:30 until 1:20. Following their performance Cello & Violin Duo Bel Canto Chamber Players.
Lineup and more information here
Flat Burger Society Performances
The Flat Burger Society will be offering two performances this weekend on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Those planning to dine must arrive at least an hour before each performance; doors open at 5.
Friday, July 29: The Sample the Cat returns to Flat Burger Society since their last performance six months ago that sold out. Tickets are $15 and are sold here
On Saturday, July 30: Bluesy bar band Buddy McEarns will be performing rock, with some classical guitar riffs and hippie jam. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door and can be purchased here
Sunday, July 31
The Pittsfield Suns will be offering a Bark in the Park Night as part of the game against Vermont Lake Monsters at 4:05 p.m. at Wahconah Park.
Participants are encouraged to bring their dog to the ballpark. Kids will get the opportunity to run the bases after the game.
Dottie's Coffee Lounge Performances
Dottie's Coffee Lounge, Pittsfield
Dottie's will be offering two performances this weekend on Friday and Sunday.
Friday, July 29, 11 a.m.: Robbins-Zust Family Marionettes will be performing "Carnival of the Animals" on the side patio located on Maplewood Street.
They will be performing every Friday morning in July and August offering a different tale every week.
Sunday, July 31, 10 a.m.: Vocalist and keyboardist Bruce Milner will be performing alongside vocalist and guitarist Marji Zintz on Sunday morning until noon.
Brunch specials and beverages will be available for purchase until closing. There will be an option for Indoor and outdoor seating.
Lenox Farmer's Market
80 Church St., Lenox
The market will be open in its new location 80 Church Street, formerly the Cafe Lucia, this Friday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Participants can pursue local vendors while enjoying food and listening to music.
Sheffield Farmers' Market
125 Main Street, Sheffield
The Sheffield Farmers' Market is open this Friday from 3 until 6 p.m. at First Congregational Church located at 125 Main St.
The market will feature healthy food and products from a variety of local vendors in an attempt to nourish the community by protecting "local small farms, land, bees, and economy."
For more information visit the market's website
Pittsfield Farmers Market
The Common, Pittsfield
Powered by Roots Rising, the market is open every Saturday rain or shine from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. through Oct. 8.
Each week the market will have fresh locally grown fruits and vegetables, along with meat, eggs, cheese, baked goods by local vendors. Participants can shop for flowers, and artisan goods while listening to music and participate in family activities.
For more information, visit the website
Great Barrington Farmers Market
18 Church St., Great Barrington
The market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. until the end of October.
Every week there will be locally grown food, flowers, and plants along with other local vendors.
For more information, visit their website
Lee Farmers Market
Town Park, Main and West Park Streets, Lee
This market is open every Saturday from 10 until 2 p.m. It accepts SNAP/HIP, Senior Coupons, WIC coupons, and offer market match.
North Adams Farmers Market
St. Anthony Municipal Parking Lot
The market is open every Saturday from 9 until 1 p.m. into October in the parking lot across from St. Elizabeth's Church.
Williamstown Farmers Market
Spring Street, Williamstown
The market is open every Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. into October in the parking lot at the bottom of Spring Street.
This year the market will feature returning and new vendors, including a fish monger, knife sharpener, baker, chef, and much more.

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The study, which is expected to conclude in June, will examine the possibility of setting up high-speed rail using magnetic levitation technology connecting B.C. to Oregon and Washington. (Business in Vancouver, Georgia Straight)
Talking point: This is the latest sign of deepening ties between the Vancouver and Seattle tech hubs. A seaplane service between the two cities, launched in April 2018, is now heavily used by business people, including those from Microsoft and Amazon, which both have significant presences in those cities. The closer integration is paying dividends—Washington now exports more to B.C. than the rest of Canada combined; B.C. now exports almost as much to Washington as it does to China. There are two key factors driving the closer ties. B.C. Premier John Horgan and Washington State Governor Jay Inslee have a close relationship; this $300,000 announcement came during Horgan’s fourth trip to see Inslee in the past 18 months. The other key player is tech giants—including Microsoft, Amazon and WeWork—which have all made significant financial commitments to integrate the corridor. Microsoft, for example, said it would spend $10 million over five years.


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OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) — Jack London Square in Oakland will get a much needed economic boost Thursday night.
Yoshi’s Oakland is reopening for the first time in more than a year.
The kitchen is back open at Yoshi’s Oakland more than a year after the 40-year-old staple at Jack London Square closed due to the pandemic.
“Breaks my heart to see so many businesses out of business forever,” Hal Campos said.
General Manager Hal Campos says he feels fortunate that will not be the case for Yoshi’s.
He says the venue has not reopened until now, because operating at a quarter capacity or outdoors-only would have been too costly.
“It’s a lot of money just to reopen, because you need fresh food — everything’s fresh,” Campos said. “So, if you reopen and two weeks later, you have to close back, that is, I mean, so — no business can survive that.”
For now, about one-third of the pre-pandemic staffing positions have been filled.
Safety protocols will also mean a new experience, including spaced tables and improved ventilation.
“Wearing a mask. you know, hand sanitizers everywhere,” Campos said.
Campos believes this reopening will provide Jack London Square the jolt it needs to bring visitors and other businesses back.
“Unfortunately, when you walk on the square, everything is closed. Especially after the pandemic, now it’s even worse,” Campos said. “So, we do hope that, you know, some new tenants will come over. I want to have another restaurant across the street. I want competition.”
At this point, the music side of the business will remain closed.
Possibly resuming concerts when the state eliminates the tier system as expected mid-June.


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New Ransomware Attack Cripples Computers Worldwide
A new ransomware attack similar to the WannaCry malware released last month was launched Tuesday, targeted first at governmental networks in Ukraine and Russia and then spread quickly to companies including Russian oil giant Rosneft and U.K. advertising firm WPP. Cybersecurity experts say the attack is a new form of the Petya ransomware that exploits a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows for which the company released a patch in March of this year.
The attack locks a computer’s hard drive and displays a message demanding payment of $300 in Bitcoin in order to obtain a key to unlock the drive.
Among the most affected companies is Danish shipping firm AP Moller-Maersk, the world’s largest container shipping company, which said customers are unable to use the firm’s online booking tools and that internal computing systems have closed down. Affected ports include the Port of New York and New Jersey, the largest port on the east coast, and Europe’s largest harbor at Rotterdam.
According to cybersecurity website KrebsOnSecurity, Symantec has confirmed that the Petya malware uses an exploit called “Eternal Blue” that is believed to have been developed by the U.S. National Security Agency and was leaked online in April by a hacker group that calls itself the Shadow Brokers.
Microsoft released a patch for the exploit in March, but many companies have apparently failed to apply the patch, and among those were firms and individuals hit by the WannaCry malware attack in mid-May.
Nicholas Weaver, a security expert at the University of California, Berkeley, told KrebsOnSecurity that the Petya virus was “well-engineered to be destructive while masquerading as a ransomware strain.” The ransom note uses the same Bitcoin address for all victims, unlike most ransomware attacks that create a unique payment address for each victim. Petya also gives victims an email address with which to communicate with the attackers, again unlike other ransomware attacks that specify that victims use the Tor network which anonymizes communications.
I’m willing to say with at least moderate confidence that this was a deliberate, malicious, destructive attack or perhaps a test disguised as ransomware. The best way to put it is that Petya’s payment infrastructure is a fecal theater.
Security firm Kaspersky Labs said their review showed that at least 2,000 organizations had been hit by the attack, but that the malware is “completely new and not seen previously,” according to a report at DarkReading. Other researchers said the malware is a variant of Petya known as “Golden Eye.”


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Dunkin’ Donuts is dead. Long live Dunkin’.
Bond yields have steadily been climbing this year as the market expects more rate hikes. But inflation isn’t running amok just yet and many investing experts are predicting that rates and yields will continue to rise only gradually.
The EEOC lawsuit said the pregnant workers were denied requests for lighter-duty work.
The post Walmart discriminated against pregnant workers, federal agency says appeared first on NASDAQ.
Read full story for latest details.
The post China just blocked Amazon’s streaming service Twitch appeared first on NASDAQ.
Aston Martin wants to go public at a valuation that would put it in the same league as Ferrari. But does it have the horsepower?
The post Aston Martin thinks it’s worth as much as Ferrari. It’ll soon find out appeared first on NASDAQ.
Professional investors are growing more worried that the world economy can withstand the trade war and other concerns.
The post 1 in 4 investors bracing for global growth to slow appeared first on NASDAQ.


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Total War: Rome 2 has been given a new behind-the-scenes video by Sega.
The latest Rome 2 video looks at the process of recreating the Battle of Carthage.
The development team discuss some of the new features that can be found in the game, particularly the tactical map, which enables users to keep track of multiple units at once.
Announced earlier this year, Total War: Rome 2 will enable players to forge empires, restore the Republic, or become a hated tyrant out for self-gratification.
The game is said to be a completely scalable experience, allowing users to play the title regardless of their PC specifications.
It is scheduled for a 2013 release exclusively on the PC.
The original Rome: Total War released for the PC in 2004.
The game was extremely well received by critics, winning numerous awards during its debut year.
Watch a trailer for the original Rome: Total War below:


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AISIN and DENSO Reach Basic Agreement to Establish a Joint Venture to Develop Electrification Driving Modules
Electrification is one of the key disrupters impacting the automotive industry. Companies need to accelerate the development of technologies that meet the needs of auto makers and consumers and help maintain a sustainable society free from environment problems such as global warming, atmospheric pollution and resource and energy problems.
Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd (AISIN) and DENSO Corporation (DENSO) today announced that they have reached a basic agreement to establish a new joint venture company to develop and sell electrification driving modules. The company will be capitalized with the participation ratio of AISIN 50% and DENSO 50%.
The automotive industry is in an era of profound transformation, particularly in technologies for electrification, automated driving and connected driving. Electrification is one of the key disrupters impacting the automotive industry. Companies need to accelerate the development of technologies that meet the needs of auto makers and consumers and help maintain a sustainable society free from environment problems such as global warming, atmospheric pollution and resource and energy problems.
Electrification requires a driving module package that integrates key components, such as transaxles, motor generators and inverters. This joint venture will develop and sell driving modules customized to meet performance, cost and regional requirements.
AISIN and DENSO will focus on driving modules for hybrids, plug in hybrids, fuel cell vehicles and electric vehicles, especially in China where the market for electric vehicles is expected to rapidly expand.
Details are still being discussed and the plan is for the new company to launch in March 2019. The collaboration of two companies will support their commitment to maintain sustainable society.
About DENSO in North America
DENSO is a leading global automotive supplier of advanced technology, systems and components in the areas of thermal, powertrain control, electronics and information and safety. With its North American headquarters located in Southfield, Michigan, DENSO employs more than 23,000 people at 28 consolidated subsidiaries and 4 affiliates across the North American region. Of these, 25 are manufacturing facilities located in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In the United States alone, DENSO employs more than 17,000 people in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Iowa, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. DENSO's North American consolidated sales totaled US$10.9 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018. For more information, go to www.denso.com/us-ca/en. Connect with DENSO on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DENSOinNorthAmerica.
About DENSO Corporation
DENSO Corp., headquartered in Kariya, Aichi prefecture, Japan has more than 220 subsidiaries in 35 countries and regions (including Japan) and employs approximately 170,000 people worldwide. Consolidated global sales for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018, totaled US$48.1 billion. Last fiscal year, DENSO spent 8.8 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development. DENSO common stock is traded on the Tokyo and Nagoya stock exchanges. For more information, go to www.denso.com, or visit our media website at www.denso.com/global/en/news/media-center/.


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As the end of May approaches, summer is finally here. Its been a very busy time for our Dev Team and today we bring you another latest news report on what has been happening with Global Denomination over the last week as there have been many developments.
This week saw the release of our v0.8.8.0 Update this implemented a hard fork to DigiShield, new icons and hardcoded nodes, the switch over was very painless for most of our users and only one pool had issues causing them to close their GDN pool down. Our network hashrate peaked at almost 4 GH/s as the news of our updated code spread across the crypto grapevine. Updated wallets for Win, OSX and Linux are available now on http://globaldenomination.org
Our next development to be launched this week was our GDN Paperwallet Generator, we felt this service was vital for users of GDN as this will enable them to hold / store their GDN offline or these paper wallets can be given away as gifts etc. We have set it up on its own web address http://gdnaddress.tk/ It can be also found via Services on http://globaldenomination.org
We also released our very own GDN version of the hit game 2048, Its a challenging puzzle game that is highly addictive and hard to complete. The game has been modified and branded with GDN logos. This can be found direct http://gdn2048.tk or it can also be found via http://globaldenomination.org
Finally our last development of this week was the launch of our official pool, We wanted to provide a safe place for our users to mine for GDN without the need of trusting a pool operator. Our pool does not require registration and has fast payouts, just use your GDN address as your username. For more information check out http://gdpool.org
Merchants Want to Accept GDN? We are an accepted crypto-currency of http://www.altaccept.com/ They provide various payment gateways for you to be able to accept GDN on your store / website.
Crypto Developers / Enthusiasts Want To Get involved with GDN? We are still looking for more team members to join us visit https://gdtalk.org and chat with our community.
Homepage – http://www.globaldenomination.org/
Forum – https://www.gdtalk.org
Official Pool – http://www.gdpool.org
Official Faucet – http://www.gdfaucet.org
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/GlobalDenomination
Twitter – https://twitter.com/GDenomination
Reddit – http://www.reddit.com/r/GlobalDenominationGDN/
GDN Bitcointalk ANN – https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=578574.0


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Money-saving advice for green consumers
5 August 2009 — 5:00 PM
US energy group Georgia Power has issued a number of tips people can keep in mind that will help keep bills low and reduce their carbon footprint at the same time.
Although some would argue this summer has not been as warm hoped, it is noted that air conditioning and thermostat levels should be monitored as these can be a big draw on electricity.
Shopping for more efficient gadgets is also recommended and these are often labelled as such - those looking for a green mobile phone may like to consider the Motorola W233 Renew.
In addition, proper attic insulation "can reduce heat loss [or] gain by up to 28 per cent" and microwaves or pressure cookers are a better cooking option that firing up the oven.
The Motorola W233 Renew is partially made from recycled plastic bottles and is designed to be a much greener option than standard mobile phones.
Environmental news brought to you by envirofone.com, the company that offsets over 6 tonnes of carbon per day!
Mobile recycling could be an option for recipients of unwanted gifts30 December 2010 — 12:02 PM
People can get money for a phone they do not intend to use.
Selling mobile can create chance to buy HTC Desire HD29 December 2010 — 3:54 PM
People who enjoy a large screen may find all they want in the HTC Desire HD.


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Archive for the ‘logistics’ Category
Shipping lines, shipbuilders, banks, insurers and shippers are joining forces on a major sustainability initiative that’s “designed to help the industry make long-term plans for future success.”
They call it the Sustainable Shipping Initiative/Vision 2040. They even assert that “radical changes” are needed to make the global shipping industry more energy efficient, environmentally-friendly and sustainable for the long haul.
- Ship owners, charterers and operators: BP Shipping, Bunge, Cargill, Carnival Corporation, China Navigation Company, Gearbulk, Maersk Line, Rio Tinto Marine and Tsakos Energy Navigation.
- Shipbuilders, engineers and service providers: Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering; Wärtsilä.
- Banks and insurers: ABN Amro, RSA.
- Classification society (which set technical standards): Lloyd’s Register
- Representing shipping customers: Unilever Read the rest of this entry »
Containerization revolutionized the maritime freight transportation industry more than 50 years ago; those ubiquitous 20- and 40-foot steel intermodal boxes seen in ports and on truck and rail chassis have made cargo handling faster, easier, safer and more efficient.
The next revolutionary phase of containerization might well reside in the vertical folding container from Staxxon Technologies, a clever solution to the old trade imbalance problem of moving and repositioning empty containers from where the freight isn’t to where the freight is. Read the rest of this entry »
An International Maritime Organization panel adopted what it is called “mandatory” design and operational measures to reduce greenhouse gases from international shipping.
According to the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee, which has met 62 times on this issue, last month’s action is the “first ever mandatory greenhouse gas reduction regime for an international industry sector.”
Goods movement stakeholders in port areas and the Environmental Protection Agency have launched an initiative that’s designed to help clear the air and reduce emissions in the nation’s port areas.
The EPA SmartWay Drayage Program builds on clean truck programs that have been around at various port regions for several years.
The players with the EPA in the nationwide initiative include: The Coalition for Responsible Transportation and the Environmental Defense Fund. The CRT partners comprise: Best Buy; Hewlett Packard; Home Depot; JC Penney; Lowe’s; Nike; Target; Wal-Mart; and the following port trucking carriers: California Cartage Express, LLC; California Multimodal, LLC; Container Connection; Evans Delivery Company, Inc.; GSC Logistics; PDS Trucking Inc.; Performance Team/Gale Triangle; Total Transportation Services, Inc.; and the Western Ports Transportation.
The launch was announced recently at the Port of Charleston, SC. According to the joint announcement, the program “builds a partnership between numerous goods movement stakeholders including major national retailers, trucking companies, port communities, environmental groups and the U.S. EPA to solve a critical health and environmental challenge: how to reduce harmful air emissions from port drayage trucks.”
Drayage trucks, which haul cargo containers arriving at ports to storage areas, transload centers and nearby distribution centers, are usually old and a major source of diesel emissions in and around port areas. Getting those vehicles off the road is one of the thorniest and most controversial port and transportation issues around.
In a statement, Rick Gabrielson, who is the CRT President and is Target’s Director of Import Operations, said, “This partnership will generate private sector investment in clean technology, improve the environmental quality of our nation’s port communities and demonstrate the commitment we have made as the shipping industry’s leaders to emissions reductions.”
The program “offers great incentives for independent owner operators and trucking companies to replace their older drayage trucks with cleaner, less polluting models,” said Marcia Aronoff, the EDF’s senior vice president for programs. “With the rise in population and the growth of the freight transportation industry, we must be vigilant, forward thinking and creative in finding solutions that reduce toxic emissions and embrace market-based sustainability efforts.”
The drayage program is based on the EPA’s SmartWay Transport Partnership, generally regarded as an innovative and successful collaboration between the EPA and goods movement interests. The voluntary program provides a framework for assessing and addressing transportation-related emissions and energy efficiency while recognizing superior environmental performance through market-based incentives.
Under the program, port trucking companies and independent owner-operators sign a partnership agreement and commit to track diesel emissions, replace their older dirtier trucks with cleaner, newer ones, and achieve at least a 50 percent reduction in particulate matter and 25 percent reduction in nitrous oxide (NOx) below the national industry average within three years.
Then the SmartWay retailers sign a partnership agreement, committing to ship at least 75 percent of their port cargo with SmartWay trucking companies within three years.
“By giving business priority to SmartWay drayage carriers, the program creates a market-driven approach to incentivize emissions reductions at port communities across the country,” EPA says.
This approach has worked well in the Pacific Northwest, where market-based clean truck programs between stakeholders at the ports of Seattle and Tacoma have been around since 2008 and have removed hundreds of dirty drayage trucks from those port areas.
It’s not necessarily an either/or proposition. Logistics managers trying to optimize supply chains for sustainability and emissions reductions face a tough question: how to implement those goals without breaking the bank.
The conventional thinking is that there’s always tradeoff: A transport company can reduce its CO2 emissions along a supply chain, but at a higher operating cost. Often much higher.
Findings released last month during a webinar sponsored by Finished Vehicle Logistics magazine suggest that in certain cases at least the best of both worlds is possible. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s very possible that short sea shipping, long touted as an economically viable and environmentally sound option for transporting domestic cargo and products, is not all it’s cracked up to be from an eco-friendly perspective, according to a Friends of the Earth report.
Short sea shipping is the regional transport—on lakes, bays, rivers, canals and coastlines—of freight by ship and tug and barge units, rather than by truck or railcar.
FOE’s report, funded by the San Francisco Foundation, says the environmental consequences of increased short sea shipping have not received enough scrutiny, especially with regard to potentially harmful health and environmental effects. Read the rest of this entry »
Global logistics giant DHL is launching a coordinated lighting retrofit program at its Global Forwarding unit warehousing and distribution facilities in the Americas region, part of an “interim target” of reaching a 5 percent improvement in carbon efficiency by the end of year.
The program initially will be rolled out in the U.S. before expanding to Canada and Mexico, the company said.
As part of parent Deutsche Post DHL and its GoGreen climate protection program, which debuted in North America last year, DHL Global Forwarding’s goal is to reduce its carbon footprint by 30 percent by 2020.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics (WWL), the Scandinavian ro-ro vessel operator and logistics company, cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 32 percent last year, mainly through reduced fuel consumption due to lower volumes and the use of lower sulfur fuels.
The Oslo-based WWL says it also cut sulfur dioxide emissions by 135,000 tons over the nine-year period from 2000-2009, an amount nearly equal to all of the SO2 emissions from road vehicles in the U.S. for an entire year.
The latter point is a little odd as a bragging point because WWL provides factory-to-dealer ocean transportation for the automotive, agricultural and construction equipment industries. In other words, its roll on-roll off fleet of car carriers move a good portion of the vehicles that wind-up pumping all those emissions into the U.S. each year. The company moved 1.23 million units last year by sea; it operates more than 60 “environmentally adapted car carriers and RoRo vessels” in operation on 20 trade routes to six continents.
DHL’s GoGreen climate change program has reached North America’s shores, but not the U.S. A year after the GoGreen launch in Europe the German package express delivery and logistics has made it available in Canada.
DHL Express Canada’s GoGreen service is described by the company as a “carbon-neutral” shipping option that “enables Canadian businesses of all sizes to ship their goods internationally without leaving an environmental footprint.”
DHL adds that the value-added service that makes use of carbon offsets and low emission transporation technologies provides companies with a seamless, eco-friendly friendly shipping option; it’s available from anywhere in Canada to more than 220 countries around the world.
Warehouses and distribution facilities may be emptier inside than usual these days, but the rooftop space above is a great and largely untapped solar energy resource.
Distribution facility developer ProLogis, which was hard-hit last year by the collapse of the real estate industry, is on the cutting edge of what could and should be a bright business and sustanability opportunity in the logistics and warehousing arena.
The Denver company has formed a Global Renewable Energy Group that will oversee the procurement, development and management of new eco-friendly properties while providing management services for renewable energy projects, including a major push to provide rooftop space for solar energy installations.
One of the group’s first management efforts was announced recently: A new, 4.8-megawatt (MW) solar project that will be installed on eight rooftops at the ProLogis Park Sant Boi in Barcelona and ProLogis Park Alcala in Madrid, Spain. It’s a co-development arrangement with San Francisco’s Recurrent Energy that also marks Recurrent’s first foray into Europe.


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Friday, March 24, 2006
eHomeUpgrade Linspire Mini
Chalk one up for the Linux guys. Linspire, the creators of the Debian/GNU Linux based Linspire OS, showcased a self-branded mini PC at CES 2006 that somehow slipped under the radar. According to TUX Magazine, the sweet little $399 (approx.) PC takes its looks from Apple's Mac mini but the similarities end there.


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At Powerhouse Factories, we believe growing a brand’s social following is great – but it’s how you engage that following and how they respond that matters.
This week, we were honored to be named a Top 10 Social Savvy Agency by The Agency Post for our work with Shaw Floors. The Agency Post recognized our campaign to build and grow Shaw’s social communities, selecting winners “because of the story appeal that motivated users to engage, connect and care about the brands.”
For the highlighted campaign, we worked with Shaw Floors to launch a new brand of flooring, HGTV HOME Flooring by Shaw. The campaign began with an exclusive, three-day blogger event emceed by HGTV host Lisa LaPorta. We recruited influential DIY and design bloggers to create rooms from the floor up in 48 hours using the new line as inspiration. Throughout the experience, Shaw Floors’ Facebook community asked the bloggers about their designs in real time.
Following the event, we turned the before and after footage into webisodes and used the content as the focal point of a Facebook promotion called “30 Days of HGTV HOME.” Fans voted for their favorite makeovers and entered daily giveaways for the chance to win Shaw Floors for their home. The Facebook campaign drove more than 36,000 contest entries and 39,000 Likes in 30 days for Shaw Floors. It also generated 15,000 contest entrant opt-ins for a local dealer to contact them to discuss flooring options for their homes, proving the business value of the combined social media and influencer marketing campaign.
To see who else joined Powerhouse on The Agency Post’s list, click here.


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Amazon Sued for Selling Horrific Suicide ‘Kits’
There can be no doubt that the loss of human life to death by suicide is a tragedy of extreme proportions. For heartless corporations like Amazon, however, providing the instruments to cause these tragic losses is nothing to lose sleep over.
Amazon is currently facing a lawsuit on behalf of the families of two young men who died by suicide after purchasing a substance on Amazon that has no household purpose in such a concentrated form — but has been linked to at least 50 deaths by suicide.
According to the law firm representing the young men who lost their lives to suicide, Amazon also recommends alongside the poisonous substance that purchasers buy other items that could be used in a suicide attempt; one item is the Amazon edition of a suicide manual. The attorney also asserts that Amazon removed 1-star reviews on the product from grieving family members seeking to raise awareness.
The argument could be made that Amazon was previously unaware that the substance being sold would lead to these tragedies — but even after being notified, the corporation is still actively fighting to continue selling it. Amazon is seeking to dismiss the case on the grounds that corporations are immune from liability for suicide. Other companies like eBay and Etsy, however, have already banned the sale of the substance in order to avoid selling it to people experiencing suicidal thoughts.
It is ironic that Amazon refused to terminate its sale of a substance that has been linked to suicide while having banned other far less threatening items in previous years for the sake of ideological differences.
In 2021, Amazon stopped selling Ethics and Public Policy Center President Ryan T. Anderson’s book “When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment” on the basis that the company would no longer be offering books that “framed LGBTQ+ identity as a mental illness.” Of course, Amazon is willing to censor a book with which it ideologically disagrees on the transgender movement — but suicide manuals and substances to accompany them are fair game for sale?
Also in 2021, Amazon took down the popular documentary “Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words” during Black History Month, without providing an explanation to the many customers who complained. It is clear that Amazon can and will remove products when it chooses — so why is contributing to suicides an insufficient reason to do so?
While it may be shocking to hear of the total disregard that Amazon shows for human life in cases of suicide, it is perfectly in line with the company’s demonstrated lack of concern for human life in other contexts. In anticipation of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, for example, Amazon was one of the first corporations in the United States to announce that it would fund travel expenses for employees seeking abortions. Amazon gladly encourages its employees to travel to kill their children — after all, it’s far cheaper than paying for their maternity leave.
As Amazon ignores the multiple suicides that have been weaponized by its storefront, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shown that the national suicide rate rose by 4% between 2020 and 2021. In 2020, suicide was the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 10 to 14 and 25 to 34. Suicide in the United States has increasingly become a danger that must be taken seriously.
No action from Amazon can reverse the tragedies that occurred through its sale of dangerous substances linked to suicide — but seeking to prevent future tragedies from occurring would assist in honoring the memories of those who were lost.
If you live in the USA and believe you are in danger or having suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 immediately to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and receive free and confidential 24/7 crisis support.


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Policy makers in India will keenly watch the outcome of the monetary policy review meeting of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday, hoping the central bank will not be deterred by rise in retail inflation and cut down interest rate by at least 25 basic points.
The street is divided on the possible outcome. While the Government has been indirectly, through source-based leaked stories in media, mounting pressure on RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan to give up a hawkish policy stance and take measure to provide more liquidity, there are others who feel that time is yet not ripe for such measure.
In a comment on July 14, rating agency Moody had said that the RBI was likely to cut interest rates despite retail inflation surging to an eight-month high in June. “We still think the Reserve Bank of India will deliver another interest rate cut in 2015,” Moody’s Analytics Associate Economist Faraz Syed said in a research note.
The RBI has cushion of falling commodity prices and better than expected monsoon so far. But a lot of people feel that Rajan is not an adventurist and he may not tamper with rate as of now till he has a clear picture about the inflation trajectory in the coming months.
Sajjid Chinoy, Chief Economist at JP Morgan India, has been quoted saying,:”Core inflation will be a source of concern to the RBI, because what it suggests, even though any cyclical recovery is modest, along with that recovery we are seeing pricing power picking up.”
Neeraj Gambhir, Co-Head Fixed Income at Nomura, has been quoted by the media saying: “Broadly, while the inflation risks seem to have receded a little bit, there is still the major event of Fed which needs to be watched for.”
- The low level, random, unceasing, scattered violence (RULLS): The deadliest weapon of Jihad - July 9, 2020
- Home Ministry creates a probe team to investigate Rajiv Gandhi Foundation’s misdeeds. Speed-up Rahul’s British Citizenship case also: Swamy - July 8, 2020
- Uttrakhand Government’s 51 temples take over Act is a reckless disregard to Constitution of India: Subramanian Swamy - July 7, 2020


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Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Now that Congress has issued another highway funding Band-Aid – a $10.9 billion highway bill through next May that former Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood blasted as “totally inadequate” – what can we expect as the infamously do-nothing 113th Congress winds down in the next month before taking yet another recess to prep for the mid-term elections?
Posted on 08/20 at 10:05 AM
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Seasonally-adjusted (SA) for-hire truck tonnage in July headed up 1.3 percent on the heels of a 0.8 percent increase in June. The ATA’s not seasonally-adjusted (NSA) index, which represents the change in tonnage actually hauled by fleets before any seasonal adjustment, was 133.3 in July, which outpaced June’s 132.3 by 0.8 percent, and was up 2.8 percent annually.
Posted on 08/19 at 12:37 PM
Truck Tonnage •
Volumes for the month of July at the Port of Long Beach (POLB) and the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) were mixed, according to data recently issued by the ports. Unlike May and June, which saw higher than usual seasonal volumes, due to the West Coast port labor situation, July was down as retailers had completed filling inventories for back-to-school shopping.
Posted on 08/19 at 10:37 AM
With a 0.8 cent decrease, this week’s average price per gallon is $3.835 and stands as the lowest price since hitting $3.844 the week of November 25, 2013.
Posted on 08/19 at 09:16 AM
Diesel Prices •
Monday, August 18, 2014
LTL carriers are rapidly investing in expensive, on-dock, three-dimensional size measurement capturing machinery, and they are hoping one day of being able to more accurately charge shippers rates based on the actual dimensions of their shipments, rather than the traditional weight-and-distance-based formula that has been in effect since the 1930s or even earlier.
Posted on 08/18 at 10:55 AM
Friday, August 15, 2014
The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) recently reported that its Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) dipped 0.9 percent from May to June.
On the heels of slight decreases over the prior two months, the trucking market displayed some positive momentum, according to the most recent edition of the Trucking Conditions Index (TCI) from freight transportation forecasting firm FTR.
Posted on 08/15 at 07:36 AM
Carload volumes were up 4.5 percent at 301,755, and intermodal was up 3.2 percent at 266,153 containers and trailers.
Posted on 08/15 at 02:07 AM
Thursday, August 14, 2014
In recent weeks, many well-known carriers, including Swift Transportation, Con-way Truckload and US Xpress are making a full-on press regarding increasing driver wages in an effort to secure more capacity and keep their wheels moving, as well as to prevent driver turnover at a time when it is becoming more difficult to recruit and retain drivers.
In recent years, transportation and logistics titans UPS and FedEx have only been able to provide domestic delivery service in China on a limited basis. But a Reuters report is signaling that is changing, saying that both companies now have obtained licenses from the Chinese government to extend domestic express package services to Beijing and other Chinese cities and not have to rely on joint-venture partners to deliver packages within China.
Posted on 08/14 at 08:59 AM


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Since 2019, SOFITEL BOGOTA VICTORIA REGIA is the first ACCOR South American Hotel to be Free of one time use plastic.
Since 2019 we are the first Hotel Accor in the Region to be Free of Single Use Plastic and during this time we have kept these actions active.
In 2021 we continued looking for Alternatives to minimize the use of plastic in our articles and we have implemented other practices to keep this certification.
Some new practices that we have implemented are new alliances with other Local Companies that recover areas affected by deforestation affected areas through the development of nursery gardens with more than 8000 trees and 2000 seeds.
We also have talked with our Fruit and vegetables suppliers to eliminate plastic packaging of products. Moreover, Amavilo (our goat milk supplier) got the green business certification because of the reforestation plan that they created. In fact, they recover the ground where goats graze.
We support our local suppliers in their commitment with the environment. For instance, our aromatic herbs provider “Royal Fruit” has developed their biodegradable packaging to eliminate plastic.


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Corn, corn, corn; mountains of corn as far as the eye can see. The images of the piling up Iowa harvests were one of a number of poignant visuals brought forward by the 2007 documentary King Corn (available on Netflix). The fact is, US production of corn has been growing rapidly since the 1970s and this year American farmers will plant an unprecedented harvest – 94 million acres of corn crop. This is the largest since 1944 and will take up roughly a third of the country’s harvested cropland.
This expanse has been largely driven by a change in direction of US farm policy four decades ago. Previously, agricultural production was tightly controlled to ensure overproduction did not drive the prices that farmers could get for their harvests too low and helped ensure that available agricultural land was not overworked and the environment was not unduly harmed.
This New Deal for agriculture, that followed World War 2, was repealed in 1973 by the then USDA Secretary Earl Butz, whose goal was to plant ‘fencerow to fencerow’ and whose mantra to the farmers was ‘get big or get out’. Producers of corn would now be paid to grow more, not less.
Butz, under Nixon, wanted to make food cheap and accessible to all and it is not hard to see why. The lives of previous generations were hard and much of what was earned was spent on putting food on the table. The theory went that with lower food prices families would have more disposable income to spend on other things and therefore drive the economy forward.
However, the resulting pile up of corn has meant that someone or something somewhere had to consume it all. Now that corn was cheap, it made various refining processes cheaper too. One end product of this was High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) that has now overtaken cane sugar as the number one consumed sweetener in America.
To say that this was wholly the result of the Butz legacy would be too simplistic. Other changes and policies surely helped. Technological advances in agriculture, for example, helped to increase corn yields dramatically. Whilst imposed sugar import quotas that have been in place since the 1930s have consistently driven US sugar price up, making the production of HFCS as an alternative more viable financially. To this day, US sugar prices are artificially maintained above world market prices by the government to try to stimulate domestic industry. Nevertheless, Butz’s policies, that largely remain today, certainly set in place the new rules of the game – those that encourage perpetual corn crop expansion.
Whatever the causal factors, because of their affordability, HFCS and other corn derivatives are now an added ingredient in much processed food. There are over 45,000 items in the American supermarket and over a quarter of them contain corn. It is even more prominent in the fast food industry:
“If you take a McDonald’s meal, you don’t realize it when you eat it, but you’re eating corn. Beef has been corn-fed. Soda is corn. Even the French fries. Half the calories in the French fries come from the fat they’re fried in, which is liable to be either corn oil or soy oil. So when you’re at McDonald’s, you’re eating Iowa food. Everything on your plate is corn”, said Michael Pollan in the King Corn documentary.
The result is such that the bodies of most people who consume large amounts of processed foods are essentially c(orn)olonised. We know this because scientists have a way to ascertain the main constituents of any animal’s diet since the foods we eat leave their own carbon-based unique isotopic signatures. So, as Michael Pollan tells us in his 2008 book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”, at the molecular level, those who eat a lot of corn-derived industrial and corn-fed animal products essentially look like walking stalks of corn.
Since 15-20% of calories a typical American eats and drinks is derived from HFCS, and more from corn-fed animals like beef and chicken, surely we need a new biological classification for this corn consuming creature we have created. A Cornavore perhaps?
The problem is not confined to the US, not even to the western world. Widespread liberalization and globalization has opened the floodgates of global trade and the exponential growth of processed food and drink industries abroad. Some of this comes from domestic industry growth, which has powered the rapid expansion of US exports of different types of HFCS to the world. They rose from 290,000 metric tons in 2000 to 565,000 in 2011 (USDA data).
Most, however, comes from sales by foreign companies. Coca-Cola in Latin America, for example, has so deeply penetrated the lives of the people that it has been dubbed ‘Latin America’s second religion’. According to the company’s 2007 report, just in one small Central American country, Guatemala, on average, every man, woman and child consumes 170ml of its products alone. Add to that all the other sodas (Pepsi, local Super Cola and others), the real consumption of soda is likely to be even higher.
Since greater consumption of soft drinks has proven biomedical connectionsto rising obesity, diabetes, dental carries and other inflictions, this is contributing to the fact that 28.6% of Guatemalan men and 46.6% of women are obese, whilst in some departments up to 70% of adults exhibit signs of diabetes. And what gives these products their addictive sugary taste? High Fructose Corn Syrup.
This may not seem problematic on the surface. After all, what does it matter if we switch one type of sugar for another? Surely the rising problems of obesity, diabetes and other diseases in the western and developing world are an individual problem of greed and overconsumption. However, despite what the corn processing industry tries to tell us in their latest attempts to rebuild the image of corn derived sweetener, “sugar is not sugar” as far as HFCS is concerned.
The sugar industry has fought back against claims made by the corn processing industry. It recently filed a lawsuit against false advertising messages of the ‘sugar is sugar’campaign that began airing in September 2010. Today’s court hearing, reported by ABC, was presented with the on-going debate:
1. Corn syrup is not natural, as was claimed in the commercials:
“You can’t just cut open corn and find high fructose corn syrup. It has got to go through multiple steps which is unlike sugar, which can be found in sugar and sugar beets, which my clients grow and produce”, said Adam Fox, prosecution lawyer for the sugar producers.
2. The body can’t tell the difference between sugar and corn-derived sugar. This is misleading for several reasons. Last year, Dr Mark Hyman wrote an excellent pieceoutlining why scientifically HFCS is different as far as your body is concerned and how this leads to medically negative effects. In summary, the molecular make up in HFCS is different enough to that of sugar that it causes a much more rapid absorption of fructose into the blood stream, causing shocks for the whole system:
“Fructose goes right to the liver and triggers lipogenesis (the production of fats like triglycerides and cholesterol) this is why it is the major cause of liver damage in this country and causes a condition called “fatty liver” which affects 70 million people. The rapidly absorbed glucose triggers big spikes in insulin – our body’s major fat storage hormone. Both these features of HFCS lead to increased metabolic disturbances that drive increases in appetite, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia and more”
“In addition… high doses of free fructose have been proven to literally punch holes in the intestinal lining allowing nasty byproducts of toxic gut bacteria and partially digested food proteins to enter your blood stream and trigger the inflammation that we know is at the root of obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, dementia and accelerated aging. Naturally occurring fructose in fruit is part of a complex of nutrients and fiber that doesn’t exhibit the same biological effects as the free high fructose doses found in “corn sugar”.
The takeaway: Cane sugar and the industrially produced, euphemistically named “corn sugar” are not biochemically or physiologically the same.”
3. Finally, studies have found that, because of the process involved in producing HFCS, it contains contaminants including mercury that are not regulated or measured by the FDA. Hardly a natural phenomenon.
So in the age of the Cornavore, the dilemma becomes how to reverse the worrying trends and decolonize our bodies of corn? Yes, some responsibility will lie with the individual as we can all try to make healthier choices. However, with empty sweet corn calories also often being the cheapest available in advanced and developing natons (fast food, sodas, snacks and other processed foods and drinks), many families close or below the poverty line (15.1% of US citizens are officially in poverty) simply cannot afford to eat healthier. The 2008 Food Inc documentary (also on Netflix) is a sound testament to that. And it is the poor and the marginalized, who are universally disproportionately affected by the negative health effects of our obesogenic food environments.
It is therefore at the policy level that we can make real change; rebalance food and agricultural policies to support healthy, nourishing, wholesome foods and stop subsidizing those foods and the industries behind them that have made non-communicable diseases the biggest killers in both the advanced and developing nations. Let’s start by signing Food & Water Watch’s petition to make the American food system healthy, environmentally sustainable and fair for all.
What do you think about the prevalence of HFCS in the diets of the American People? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Ioulia Fenton leads the food and agriculture research stream at the Center for Economic and Environmental Modeling and Analysis (CEEMA) at INESAD.
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Home Tags Microsoft Azure
Tag: Microsoft Azure
eXpd8 Ltd. in Collaboration with Microsoft Launches Thread, a new Legal Case Management Software Solution
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- Brett Wolfe, Microsoft to unveil eXpd8's latest legal case management software. eXpd8, the Irish market leader in case management software, today announced its official launch of Thread in North America. Thread is a brand-new cloud-based legal case management software, built in collaboration with Microsoft which enables legal practices to free up valuable time, be more productive, increase profitability and truly digitally transform their firms.
eNewsChannels NEWS: -- RoweBots, an embedded signal processing systems company specializing in wearables and IoT, today announces support for Microsoft Azure on its Unison RTOS product, a real-time operating system that offers a complete component set for the development of IoT and M2M Communication Embedded Applications. The Azure cloud computing service lets developers build, deploy and manage applications and services through a global network of Microsoft-managed data centers.
BANGALORE, India -- Remo Software, a consumer software company providing tools to protect and manage data and devices, announces that its flagship product for home device management and parental control - Remo MORE - is now completely deployed on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform, increasing the availability, scalability and security of this advanced solution.
CHARDON, Ohio /eNewsChannels/ -- e2b software, a business software developer, announced today that the company now offers customized business software development services deployed via cloud computing technologies such as Microsoft Silverlight and Microsoft Azure.


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Temasek led a round that increased the total raised by GV-backed fitness membership platform ClassPass to $255m.
ClassPass, a US-based gym membership service backed by internet and technology conglomerate Alphabet, has secured $85m in a series D round led by Singaporean government-owned investment firm Temasek.
L Catterton, the private equity firm backed by luxury consumer goods producer LVMH, also participated in the round, investing through its Growth Fund.
Founded in 2013, ClassPass operates a subscription-based service that gives members access to fitness classes such as yoga, cycling and martial arts at more than 10,000 partnered gyms across 50 cities around the world.
The company originally offered full access for a flat fee but has since transitioned to a dynamically priced credits-based system. The company has also developed a mobile app that enables users to follow along workout videos.
The funding will go to further expansion efforts, as ClassPass targets a presence in more than 20 countries and aims to launch in 10 additional US cities by the end of 2019. Michael Farello, managing partner of L Catterton, will join its board of directors.
ClassPass has raised $255m in equity funding to date, it said. GV, an early-stage investment subsidiary of Alphabet, contributed to a $70m series C round for the company in June 2017 that was also led by Temasek.
The series C round additionally featured brand development and investment firm M13 as well as Acequia Capital, CRV, General Catalyst and Thrive Capital. GV reportedly also backed a $30m round in 2015, though further details have not emerged.
ClassPass previously raised $40m in a series B round co-led by General Catalyst and Thrive Capital in 2015 as well as $12m in series A funding from assorted private investors and $2m in seed capital supplied by SV Angel and several individual backers in 2014.


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Team Blitz India
MUMBAI: M1xchange, a trade receivable discounting system (TReDS) platform, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of Maharashtra to bolster the financial health of MSMEs.
The partnership envisions targeted initiatives to enhance financial access for local MSMEs, facilitating their growth and sustainability. Through TReDS, MSMEs will get access to collateral-free working capital against invoices within 24 hours at lowest rate through online bidding platform.
A key component of this collaboration is the launch of an extensive awareness programme, conducted jointly by the government of Maharashtra and M1xchange, across various industrial clusters in the state. State Minister for Industries Uday Samant stated that, “The Government of Maharashtra is pleased to partner with M1xchange and this engagement will provide the necessary hand-holding support and guidance to the MSMEs of the state.”
Sundeep Mohindru, Promoter and Director, M1xchange said, “Our collaboration with the government of Maharashtra will foster financial inclusivity and resilience among MSMEs.” The success of M1xchange is driven by an in-house technology platform that is available across the web and mobile. The entire process of customer onboarding, factoring, settlement etc. is digital and enables a world-class experience for each participant.
Since its inception in 2017, the exchange has covered invoice discounting worth Rs 80,000 crore. In FY23, the total value of invoices processed by the company increased by 83 per cent to Rs 23,000 crore, compared to Rs 12,600 crore in FY22. With this partnership, the fintech company aims to reach a record value of Rs 45,000 crore invoices by the end of FY24.


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Food Prices in Bulgaria Are Tamed - Minister
Food prices in Bulgaria have marked only a slight raise since the end of summer, according to Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture and Foods Miroslav Naydenov.
"Grim forecasts from the summer for drastic price hikes are not coming true," said Naydenov in an interview for Darik Radio Saturday.
"The government reacted swiftly. We started advance payments for livestock breeders, in some cases increasing some payments," explained he.
The Agriculture Minister nevertheless conceded that there is an increase in the prices fodder, and so there is an increase of prices of foods connected to it.
Naydenov was also positive regarding the results of a government-sponsored campaign in which large retail chains offer basic foods at discounted prices.
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- » Weekend Idea: Autumn Walk Around Shabla
- » BGN 4.5 Million for 40 Road Infrastructure Projects in Bulgaria
- » Facebook Launches U.S. Food Order and Delivery Service
- » 1.3% Inflation in Bulgaria Since the Beginning of 2017


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Displaying 101–125 of 596 results for Food Processing Magazine
Just like their Swiss parent, the U.S. and Canadian operations are leading the pack in our annual Top 100 list.
Dave Fusaro is the Editor-in-Chief of Food Processing magazine, published by Putman Media.
Recent food scares remind processors: Pay attention to the basics of personnel hygiene.
Wellness Foods exists to be of service to our readers. The same holds true for the Food Processing website and our e-newsletters. But is that message getting through? Editor David Feder tells why he sometimes feels like Rodney Dangerfield.
Stainless steel tanks and kettles are synonymous with dairy manufacturing, but the long-term trend is toward continuous processes that don't require the tools of batch.
Color manufacturers are following the "natural" trend by working closely with food, beverage and drug manufacturers to create and stabilize colors derived from natural sources.
From agitation to AGVs to software, this old-school manufacturing process continues to evolve.
Similar to 2012, the FDA will continue to evolve and enact the Food Safety Modernization Act.
A toast to a surprisingly good 2010, with fingers crossed for 2011.
Pack, Process and Converting Expos share McCormick Place Oct. 29-Nov. 2.
We rolled out six new food and beverage products in our January issue. Now it's your turn to tell us which products you intend to enjoy the most.
Why not a conference on biotechnology, but with the food industry calling the meeting to order?
In creating an advisory panel for Wellness Foods we assembled a panel of skilled and informed experts on nutrition and health.
Several groups were on hand to help Wellness Foods deliver healthful foods and beverage trends for the past year.
The 2008 top 100 food and beverage processing companies in the U.S. and Canada are profiled in this annual feature.
A couple of our surveys but more importantly, real results from General Mills and other processors point to a strong 2010.
Food safety and security issues were discussed at VIV Asia, a trade show for the international feed to meat industry, held March 13-15 in Bangkok.
Equipment and services to keep your facility in top shape.
Which new food and beverage products made our list in October? Our monthly rollout has the answer.
We rolled out six new food and beverage products in our February issue. Now it's your turn to tell us which products you intend to enjoy the most.
Are Americans healthy-eating aficionados or easily-spooked trendees, lurching from one food bandwagon to the next? Sales patterns in the non-dairy milk category suggest the latter.
The Mike and Ike and Hot Tamales brands invite fans to join the celebration as they mark their 70th and 60th Anniversaries, respectively.
Snack-lovers will rejoice at our February new food and beverage rollout.
A list of the monthly marketing partners for FoodProcessing.com
Optimism runs rampant in our Annual Capital Spending Report.


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MONTHS AFTER STARTING operations here, Sandals Resorts International is already having a positive impact on the tourism sector.
It has strong bookings from April to December, during the traditional slow period, which could be redirected to other hotels.
Gordon “Butch” Stewart, chairman of Sandals, said yesterday that the bookings it had received for its property in St Lawrence, Christ Church, which will be closed for major renovations, could be redirected to other properties.
“Our guests are given the option to cancel their bookings with us for the summer and stay with other resorts in Barbados, whilst we are upgrading.
“We did not want to close our resort as we are always cognizant of the ripple effect this would have on the foreign exchange and general economy of the island. But there was no way we could keep the resort open with guests on property and effect the type of large-scale upgrading we require to bring the resort up to Sandals service levels,” Stewart added.
Sandals recently announced a US$65 million enhancement programme for the property that will be undertaken during the April to December period.


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28 Oct Water Expo China
WATER EXPO CHINA
During the days October 29 to 31, 2012, the National Convention Center Beijing China will be hosting the Water Expo China & Water Membrane China exhibition.
The event is China’s most important water industry platform expected to attract more than 450 exhibitors and thousands of visitors who will get a chance to meet with key government decision makers, collect valuable market information and network with industry peers.
Aquaporin will be exhibiting at Information Booth A2024 presenting its technology through these videos:
- Concentration processes driven by the Aquaporin Inside™ technology
- Pure water extraction driven by the Aquaporin Inside™ technology
COO of Aquaporin Asia, Mark Perry, is expecting a lot of visitors at the booth and looks forward to demonstrating the Aquaporin Inside™ technology on site. – “China is a huge and very interesting market with a genuine demand for innovative water solutions. But we are also experiencing significant interest from other countries in the region such as India, Japan and Singapore. We have already scheduled several meetings at the Water Expo so we are definitely expecting a very busy week in Beijing,” says Mark Perry.


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OurCrowd, a leading global equity crowdfunding platform, has formed a partnership with LeAD, a sports tech accelerators based in Germany. LeAD is backed by Adi Dassler International Family Office (ADIFO), known best for the heritage of the Adidas brand name. The partnership was created to “discover high potential innovation in sports-related products and services on a worldwide scale.”
OurCrowd reports that a special event will be held this week in Israel to celebrate the partnership between the two entities with with VIP guests: Horst Bente, CEO at Adi Dassler International Family Office (ADIFO); Deborah Weinswig, Managing Director of Fung Global Retail & Technology; and Aviv Shapira, Senior Director of Operations and Production, Intel Sports Group at Intel Corporation. The event will occur during the 2017 OurCrowd Global Investor Summit – the largest crowdfunding event in the world.
“We’re delighted to be launching a partnership with leAD, a leading SportsTech accelerator with extensive ties to the global sports industry,” said OurCrowd founder and CEO Jon Medved. “Coming on the heels of Intel’s 2016 acquisition of OurCrowd SportsTech portfolio company Replay Technologies, this partnership positions OurCrowd to be at the forefront of the bourgeoning SportsTech scene, while gaining access to the best startups that the industry has to offer.”
OurCrowd said that during the Summit and at the LeAD event, industry professionals will discuss why more than $1 billion was invested in SportsTech last year. The emerging market is benefiting from new technologies in virtual reality, wearables for training and recovery, video analytics, Big Data and eSports.
Bente said ADIFO was “thrilled” to join with OurCrowd in identifying the next generation of innovative sports companies;
“OurCrowd’s network and impressive track record in finding and nurturing successful startups make it a natural partner for leAD.”
OurCrowd also announced that early-stage Israeli startups are invited to apply to participate in the accelerator program. The first class of the leAD Sports Accelerator will take place in 2017 in Berlin, Germany.


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Arnold Schwarzenegger Sues Company For $10m Over Lookalike Robot
Arnold Schwarzenegger is reportedly suing the manufacturers of a robot, which is said to use his likeness and voice, for more than $10 million (£7.7 million).
The actor says he didn’t give his permission for Russian based tech company Promobot to create a robot based on his likeness, which is being used at public events to promote its Android Robo-C.
With alarming resemblance to Arnie’s hair, square jawline and scarily realistic skin, the robot – which looks like Arnie’s head and shoulders on a plinth – is being used to show how the company can create custom service robots to look and appear like a person of your choice.
According to TMZ, the legal suit says Schwarzenegger, who is also a California governor, is strict when it comes to allowing people to use his face for advertising purposes, because ‘such activity diminishes his hard-earned and well-deserved reputation as a major motion picture star’.
The Austrian native is said to have been asked to take a photograph with the robot in St Petersburg in 2019, but he refused. Now, his lawyers say he has become the ‘unwilling face’ of the product, which he wants no involvement with.
However, the legal suit goes on to say Promobot continued to use the robot for promotional purposes, including at Consumer Technology Association’s conference (CES) in Las Vegas in January this year.
Schwarzenegger’s lawyer, Marty Singer, is said to have sent a cease and desist letter to the company, asking it to stop promoting the product using his face.
It’s alleged to company responded and said it would stop, before going on to use the bot once more at the New York Toy Fair at the end of February, which is what prompted the actor to file the legal suit.
Arnie is also requesting an injunction to block Promobot from being allowed to use his face and voice, in addition to any profits made from the robot and any punitive damages and attorney’s fees.
Singer is said to have made it clear he’s determined to win the case, having won similar cases in the past, such as that of Priscilla Presley – who he said is ‘far less commercially valuable’ than Schwarzenegger.
Promobot is yet to publicly respond to the lawsuit.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
Most Read StoriesMost Read


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GENEVA – The coronavirus pandemic threatens to cause food shortages for hundreds of millions of people, especially in Africa, the United Nations warned Friday.
In poorer countries that rely upon exports to pay for food imports, middle class people could end up needing food aid to survive the COVID-19 crisis, the World Food Programme said.
“Generally we are used to dealing with a supply-side shock, like a drought, or a demand-side shock like a recession – but here it is both… and at a global level,” said WFP chief economist Arif Husain.
“This makes it truly, truly unprecedented,” he told Geneva-based reporters in a virtual briefing from Rome.
Trade underpins food security in countries with local production shortfalls, the WFP explained in a report.
The world’s transport system moves enough maize, wheat, rice and soybean to feed 2.8 billion people, it said.
There are almost 212 million chronically food-insecure and 95 million acutely food-insecure people in poorer countries, said the WFP.
“For many poor countries, the economic consequences will be more devastating than the disease itself,” the report said.
Africa, in particular sub-Saharan Africa which imported more than 40 million tonnes of cereals in 2018, is the continent most at risk.
Somalia and South Sudan are the most exposed to any disruption in grain supplies, while others such as Angola, Nigeria, and Chad depend on exports to pay for food imports.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases around the world has soared past one million and fatalities have topped 50,000.
According to the latest daily tally compiled by the World Health Organization, there have been just 4,700 confirmed cases in Africa and 127 deaths.
Husain said the WFP was assisting 80-90 million people each year.
But the numbers were expected to swell because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“There are going to be millions more,” he said.
“Think about all of the job losses, think about urban populations; middle class, daily wage earners, informal economy people which generally are hand to-mouth to begin with… these are the people who we think are essentially the new caseload.”
Petroleum-exporting countries like Iran and Iraq, and war-ravaged states like Yemen and Syria are also deemed among the most vulnerable to food shortages.
“While global markets for basic cereals are well supplied and prices generally low, commodities need to move from the world’s ‘breadbaskets’ to where they are consumed,” said the WFP report.
“COVID-19-related containment measures have started to make this more challenging.”
Some food-exporting ports are facing disruption. A major grain-exporting port in Argentina has blocked trucks, while Brazilian workers are mulling a strike at South America’s biggest port for corn and soybeans exports, the WFP said.
The French grain sector is struggling with shortages of workers and trucks amidst rising export demands and panic-buying, it added.
And prices could rise due to supplemental purchases by major traders or governments who fear a break in the supply chain.
The prices of basic foodstuffs (oils, cereals, meats, dairy products) have tended to fall sharply due to the prospects of an economic slump, according to the monthly index of food prices published Thursday by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization agency.


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Despite numerous teasing about his assortment of NFTs, Donald Trump managed to rapidly promote all 45,000 gadgets. However, the bottom worth of those photos has already dropped by 80% since their preliminary success.
On the subject, the previous US president commented that some individuals handled their NFTs like “Investment of the 12 months”., however that he didn’t see them that method. According to Trump, his resolution to launch the gathering was made as a result of he thought they were “cute.”
Looking forward, it is exhausting to consider that NFTs will play as massive a job within the crypto-economy as they did earlier this 12 months when the metaverse and P2E gaming business took off. However, possibly another biggie will emerge to shake up the market once more.
Donald Trump’s NFTs are shedding steam
At its peak, the bottom worth of Donald Trump NFTs reached 0.81 ETH (R$5100). However, two weeks later, they are already buying and selling at simply 0.17 ETH (R$1050), which represents an 80% drop.
On the topic, the previous US president commented that he launched the gathering not for cash, however as a result of he discovered the pictures humorous. His assertion was given to OAN final week.
“I did not see it as an funding. I thought they were cute. For $99 you get these visions which might be actually lovely and attention-grabbing.”
Trump Says Selling His Superhero NFT Was About Art, Not Money; “I beloved the artwork… it is a comedian e-book sort of artwork… I heard somebody say it was the funding of the 12 months. I did not see it as an funding. I thought they were cute. These visions are very lovely and attention-grabbing.” pic.twitter.com/yGdDGtu01f
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) December 24, 2022
Trump was even accused of plagiarism with the gathering for utilizing inventory pictures, a few of which nonetheless include watermarks. However, he ignored the criticism and was glad with the outcomes.
“I checked out them and mentioned, “Wow, that is type of cute. It may promote.” They thought it could promote out in six months, it could promote out in six hours.
Sold at $99 (R$520), the set has seen a virtually 10-fold improve in worth, leaping to R$5,100, however is shedding not solely worth, however quantity as effectively. According to OpenSea knowledge, the utmost day by day quantity reached 2,752 ETH (R$17.4 million) two weeks in the past, however immediately it’s 100 occasions decrease at 27 ETH (R$171,000).
In addition to the lovable photos, as Trump likes to explain them, NFTs additionally gave their consumers a number of different rights, such as unique dinners with the previous US president and even rounds of golf on his non-public course. However, there isn’t a info as as to if anybody has already redeemed such prizes.
Will NFTs nonetheless be round in 2023?
Undoubtedly, Donald Trump’s assortment was a shock. First, as a result of the previous US president does not like cryptocurrencies, and second, due to the benefit with which he can promote his complete assortment in a large bear market.
As for NFTs themselves, they have been forgotten after peaking originally of the 12 months, primarily as a result of metaverse sector and P2E video games. Still, it is exhausting to consider they’ll have any traction in 2023 until one other bigwig comes up with one other loopy Trump-like concept.


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Robots are replacing human workers at a faster pace than any other point in history. Most of these robots are in factories, but a new kind of mechanized worker has hit apple orchards.
Abundant Robotics in California has built an automated apple picker, that uses a vacuum system to suck the fruit straight off of the trees.
“As a kid in Louisiana I was inspired by agricultural equipment such as combines, cotton pickers, and tractors,” Abundant Robotics CEO Dan Steere told the Newshour. “The work we’re doing is an extension of several hundreds of years of technology innovation for agriculture.”
Testing for the picker is underway in Australia, where apples are in season. In the autumn, the prototype will return to the United States and will continue testing in Washington, where apple orchards are a significant part of the economy. In 2004, 58 percent of apples grown in the U.S. came from Washington.
“Harvesting apples isn’t an unskilled job. It’s highly skilled and difficult work,” Todd Fryhover from the Washington Apple Commission told NewsHour. “Robotics will help in harvesting the apples at the optimum time to provide the best possible apple to consumers.
Unlike other kinds of harvesting, fruit picking requires the type of precision only capable by human eyes and hands. You can’t just chop down the plant, like wheat, and scoop up what’s there.
“The robot’s got to be able to identify an apple, and then after that, tell if it is ripe,” said Dan Swafford, an agricultural technologist at Virginia Tech. “It takes a lot of specialized sensors and cameras to do that, and then they have to be able to pick the fruit without damaging it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the seasonal laborer workforce—who typically picks tree fruit—can vary dramatically in size from one harvest to the next, said Karen Lewis, a tree-fruit specialist at Washington State University.
“We grow in the United States, between 315,000 and 320,000 acres of apples for fresh market … the labor demand per year ranges from 250 to 350 man-hours per acre. That is not small,” Lewis said. “Every piece of tree-fruit in stores, in the world today is handpicked,” she said.
The private sector has been looking to mechanize fruit picking for years, Swafford said, and those efforts haven’t focused only on apples. Experimental orange-picking machines underwent testing in 2004.
By removing workers from the equation, farms can continue to harvest food during labor shortages. Fruit and nut farms employ 41 percent of the nation’s agricultural work force, and one-sixth of the work force claim to be migrants. Fruit and tree nut farms employed, on average, 196,000 people, while about 40,000 on average worked at apple orchards, according to 2015 figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But not all officials are racing to supplant these workers through automation, especially since the large-scale rollout of these robots is likely years away.
“It’s no secret we’re facing a serious labor shortage in agriculture so seeing companies devote time and funding to new technology is welcomed,” Jim Bair, President and CEO of the U.S. Apple Association told the NewsHour via email. “But in the meantime the larger conversation is the need to reform our labor laws. We need a new guest worker program that meets the needs of a diverse agriculture industry and provides a stable, reliable and legal workforce.”
“We are calling for an overhaul of the H2-A visa program, maintaining the spirit of the program but increasing its capacity and responsiveness,” Bair added.
Currently, there are a few pieces of robotic farm equipment on the market. There are self-driving tractors and automated weed whackers.
If autonomous agriculture takes off, then at some point in the future, you might be eating an apple that was planted, watered, picked, sorted and driven to your local grocery store without any human intervention. Abundant Robotics has attracted the attention of and received venture capital from a bushel of big tech names, such as Google and SRI International.
“Obviously replacing hand labor in the orchards is highly dependent upon the orchard system,” Fryhover said. “But our industry is embracing efficiency and technology at every level. We’re very excited to see new science applied to our industry.


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Children in Romania gathered in the main book stores in the country to be one of the first to buy the book and events were organized in Bucharest, Iasi and Timisoara. The launch was organized by the Carturesti bookshop in the three cities. According to Stefan Nita from the Carturesti public relations department, the launch brought around 500-600 Harry Potter fans to Carturesti in Bucharest, both adults and children.
The celebrations moved to the Patria cinema. Two “magic schools” of 20 children each performed charms and competed for prizes which consisted of Harry Potter audiobooks or movies, as well as the grand prize: the latest edition of Harry Potter.
Carrefour Militari also organized a launch celebration. Children took part in a session of body painting and drawing competitions and received books from the Harry Potter series.
The Humanitas Kretzulescu bookshop was another meeting place for impatient fans who wanted to get possession of the volume as soon as possible, welcoming them with torches and candles, magicians, games, prize competitions and sweets.
So far, a week since the launch, Carturesti has sold around 1,000 copies, even though they are in English. The Romanian translation of the volume will be launched in December. “This is a positive trend but this has always happened with the books from the Harry Potter series,” said Nitu. The launch of the seventh volume coincided with the premiere of the fifth movie “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.”
Carturesti invested EUR 15,000 in the entire launch event. This is not the first time the store has organized a Harry Potter event. The previous volume, launched two years ago, benefited from the same treatment as Romania joined the wizard mania and aligned with launch celebrations organized all over the world. “Two years ago we organized the launch of the sixth Harry Potter volume in Bucharest and Iasi and it enjoyed greater animation,” said Nita, who explained that this year the Harry Potter fans had more options to choose from to celebrate.


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Boost for Tas businesses as cases steady
More Tasmanian small businesses will see some financial reprieve from the financial devastation of coronavirus, with funding being spread further across the sector.
Premier Peter Gutwein recently announced an additional $20 million was going towards the Small Business Emergency Support and Hardship grant programs, under which more than 15,000 businesses have received financial support.
Business Minister Sarah Courtney said applications for the grants was unprecedented, therefore the government was redirecting the $20 million so more businesses had access to it.
Some of the additional funding will go towards smaller hardship grants of $4000, with eligible businesses to be assessed against a lower threshold.
The government estimates the changes will mean approximately 1900 more small businesses will be supported through the small business support grant programs.
Meanwhile, the Tasmanian Prison Service has introduced virtual visits so inmates can connect with friends and family during the coronavirus pandemic.
More than 170 inmates at the Risdon Prison facility have connected with loved ones online, including one who had a virtual visit from his family in the US, the first time he has seen them in more than two years.
A total of 421 virtual visits have been facilitated under the supervision of TPS staff.
The state's total cases remained at 226 for the fifth consecutive day.
© AAP 2021