text:
USDA has announced the final rules for the mandatory country-of-origin-labeling program, the full text of which will be published in the Jan. 15, Federal Register. The rule will become effective on March 16, which is 60 days after the publication date. For copies of the final rule along with additional information, click here.
COOL originated in the 2002 Farm Bill and was further implemented in the 2008 Farm Bill. It addresses muscle cuts and ground beef, lamb, chicken, goat and pork; wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish; perishable agricultural commodities (specifically fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables); macadamia nuts; pecans; ginseng and peanuts.
According to the rule, commodities covered under COOL must be labeled at retail to indicate its country of origin. Fish and shellfish must specify the production method -- wild or farm-raised. Excluded from COOL are commodities that are an ingredient in a processed food item, the designation of which has not changed from the Aug. 1, interim final rule. Such excluded items are those that undergo a physical or chemical change -- such as cooking, curing or smoking -- or that have been combined with other covered commodities or other substantive food components such as chocolate, breading and tomato sauce.
Products headed for foodservice establishments, such as restaurants, lunchrooms, cafeterias, food stands, bars, lounges and similar enterprises, also are exempt.
The final rule outlines the specific requirements for labeling covered commodities, as well as retailers' and suppliers' recordkeeping requirements. The law includes penalties of up to $1,000 per violation for both retailers and suppliers that are out of compliance.
The final rule outlines specific criteria for a covered commodity to bear a "United States country of origin" declaration. The rule also contains provisions for labeling commodities of foreign origin, meat products from multiple origins, ground meat products, as well as commingled covered commodities.
USDA plans to make funding available to accelerate and expand training of state cooperator employees, initiate development of an automated review tracking system, conduct a retailer survey, conduct retail supply chain audits and continue conducting education and outreach activities.
Currently, USDA has cooperative agreements with 42 states to conduct retail surveillance reviews. USDA will conduct the retail reviews in the states not covered by a cooperative agreement and perform the supply chain audits.


text:
Amazon Begins Planning ChatGPT Competitor With This Startup
Final replace: February 22, 2023 at 12:51 pm IST
Amazon plans to construct its ChatGPT competitor behind the scenes
Amazon Net Companies (AWS), the cloud computing arm of Amazon.com Inc, on Tuesday stated it was partnering with startup Hugging Face, a software program growth hub, to make it simpler to work with synthetic intelligence (AI) within the Amazon cloud.
(Reuters) – Amazon Net Companies (AWS), the cloud computing division of Amazon.com Inc, on Tuesday stated it was partnering with startup Hugging Face, a software program growth hub, to make it simpler to work with synthetic intelligence (AI). within the Amazon cloud.
Whereas new generative AI providers like chat-based engines like google from Microsoft Corp and Google Alphabet Inc have captured the general public’s creativeness, tech corporations like AWS are additionally vying behind the scenes to supply the instruments and providers builders will want. software program to create related applied sciences. into their very own merchandise.
AWS, the world’s largest cloud computing supplier, already presents instruments to assist builders construct AI software program, together with proprietary compute chips for AI algorithms to course of large quantities of information at a decrease price than opponents for providers that scale back the time required to create a chatbot or different AI merchandise.
On Tuesday, AWS stated it will be working with Hugging Face, a New York-based firm that has turn out to be the web’s central place for AI builders to share open supply code and fashions. Clem Delang, chief government of Hugging Face, stated that whereas the deal will not be unique, the startup is working carefully with AWS to make it simple for builders to take code from the positioning and run it on the AWS cloud.
“For this collaboration, we’re devoting vital engineering sources to constructing our shared merchandise,” Delange instructed Reuters.
Delange additionally stated that the following technology of Bloom, an open-source synthetic intelligence mannequin that rivals in measurement and scale the mannequin that Microsoft-backed OpenAI used to create ChatGPT, will run on Trainium, a proprietary AI chip constructed by AWS.
Swami Sivasubramanian, VP of Database, Analytics and Machine Studying at AWS, stated he believes applied sciences like Trainium might help builders lower your expenses as AI requires extra processing energy and AWS desires to cut back time. spent by builders on their implementation.
“We wish them to have entry to our silicon and community improvements,” Sivasubramanian instructed Reuters.
Learn all the newest tech information right here
(This story was not edited by the News18 employees and is printed from a information company syndicated channel)

domain: news


text:
California: Tesla slashed its Model S and X prices in the US for the third time this year in an effort to shore up flagging demand for its iconic electric vehicles.
CEO Elon Musk has vowed to chase volume over profit margins. The flagship Model S sedan now starts at $84,990, a $5,000 cut from the price last month. The Model X starts at $94,990, also a $5,000 drop.
The cuts come as the auto industry struggles with surging inflation and rising interest rates that are making new car purchases increasingly expensive. Tesla, which sells its vehicles directly to consumers, regularly tweaks its prices. The Austin, Texas-based company currently makes the Model S, X, 3 and Y.
- How Elon Musk knocked Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' off course
- Tesla slashes Prices of Model S, Model X in US for second time this year
- Abu Dhabi adds Tesla to its taxi fleet to enhance sustainability of public transport options
- $22,000 to replace a Tesla battery? New legal trouble for Elon Musk in right-to-repair class lawsuits
“Price really matters,” Musk said on the company’s January earnings call. “I think there’s just sort of a vast number of people that wanted to buy a Tesla car, but can’t afford it. And so, these price changes really make a difference for the average consumer.”
Tesla delivered 422,875 vehicles globally in the first quarter, but just 10,695 of those were the S and X.
Tesla trimmed the price of Model 3 sedans and Model Y sports utility vehicles by $1,000 and $2,000, and lowered the starting prices of two models to $41,990 and $49,900, according to its website. It also added a new version of the entry-level Model Y.
The US automaker, which cut prices in China earlier this year, has also triggered a price war in the world’s largest new-energy vehicle market. It shipped a total of 88,869 vehicles from the Shanghai factory in March, according to preliminary data released Tuesday by China’s Passenger Car Association.
A significant price disparity remains for the vehicles made in China, where a basic Model 3 starts at 229,900 yuan ($33,400) and a Model Y runs 261,900 yuan ($38,086).
While Tesla continues to outpace other automakers in global EV sales, it’s facing stiffer competition than ever before from China’s BYD Co., with analysts at BloombergNEF expecting the Berkshire Hathaway-backed manufacturer will challenge for the No. 1 spot this year.
Tesla will also need to pick up the pace to keep growing at the rates investors are used to. Last year, the company fell short of its target for a 50 per cent average annual increase in vehicle deliveries, expanding instead by 40 per cent. Its growth rate slipped to 36 per cent in the first quarter.
Tesla will report earnings on April 19.


text:
A new web site launched by premature baby charity Bliss is bucking the trend of online giving by generating five times as much income as the average voluntary sector site.
Research conducted by Henley Management College last June found that most charity web sites only bring in £104 a month.
However, the Bliss site, which was launched this month, has already generated five times that amount and has also recruited committed givers.
Its success is attributed to the site's design and the publicity it receives at baby units across the country. "Every day more than 200 parents are made aware of Bliss and our web site in their baby unit," said Ruth Powys, a spokeswoman for Bliss. "Given that 40 per cent will have access to the web, we are confident of a continuing rise in users. In our experience, many grateful parents go on to support us through donations."
The site contains a fundraising section with information on postal donations, payroll giving, Gift Aid and how to organise events, as well as sections for trusts and foundations and companies.
The charity attributes the success of the site to its clear simple layout, comprehensive content and promotion of the web address on all of its communications.


text:
We take a look at the best, and worst, of Motorola cell phones under Ed Zander.
Senior Managing Editor / Features
Kent is a senior managing editor at CNET News. A veteran of CNET since 2003, he reviewed the first iPhone and has worked in both the London and San Francisco offices. When not working, he's planning his next vacation, walking his dog, or watching planes land at the airport (yes, really).
The imminent departure of Motorola CEO Ed Zander marks the close of an interesting period in Moto's history. Three years ago this month, the company emerged from its post-StarTac hibernation to give the world the now iconic Motorola Razr V3. As any gadget geek can tell you, Moto had a winner with the V3. It spawned several revamps and scores of imitators, and it launched a cell phone design revolution that continues to this day.


text:
Nov 2, 2017
OSAKA - Revolving sushi chain operator Kura Corp. unveiled a new menu Wednesday where sushi will be placed in a bamboo-like container, aiming to attract female Instagram users.
Conveyor-belt sushi chain Kurasushi will start selling the new menu dubbed "Takehime zushi," literally meaning bamboo princess sushi, from Friday, with one piece costing 108 yen.
Five types of sushi, including salmon caviar and tuna topping vinegar-flavored rice, will be available, arranged to look like the petals of a flower.
"At some point we want to spread it as a new type of sushi in restaurants abroad as well," said an official of the Osaka-based company.
Kyodo News Plus is an online publication delivering the latest news from Japan. Kyodo News Plus collaborates with City-Cost to bring those stories related to lifestyle and culture to foreigners resident in Japan. For the latest news updates visit the official site at https://english.kyodonews.net


text:
We have some great news for those of you who are interested in picking up Microsoft’s impressive looking new Surface tablet. The company were previously reluctant to give a solid release date for when their new device would be out, but now we’re pleased to say that they have now given fans the all-important date.
As some of you were expecting, it turns out that the Microsoft Surface tablet is going to be available to buy on the exact day that the company’s new operating system Windows 8 goes live as well. The date to remember is October 26 and it now means you can preview Microsoft’s new OS on their very latest hardware product.
The news was revealed during Microsoft’s latest annual report and you can check out the full details from the company through this website here. Now that we have the release date set for the Surface, the only thing left to settle is price. Microsoft hasn’t put a price tag on the Surface yet, but consumers definitely won’t want to pay more than $600 for one and especially nowhere near the exaggerated $1000 mark that we’ve seen paraded around online recently.
You can bet that Microsoft will be under extra pressure too, now that the Nexus 7 is available for a bargain $199 price along with the unbreakable Amazon Kindle Fire. Sure enough that new keyboard material is impressive on the Surface, but consumers are now starting to wise up when it comes to overpaying for fancy new smartphones and tablets.
*Identifying Monetised Links - outgoing links that we monetise are marked with an '*' symbol.


text:
Cost of bailing out RSA’s Irish arm nudges €500m
Latest bailout saw €90 million injected into company
The cost of cleaning up the Irish arm of RSA has increased to almost €500 million as the London-based company was forced to pump more capital into the division.
According to a filing with the Companies Registration Office late last month, about €90 million was injected into the company. This was one of the largest transfers of capital to the business in the last few years and brings the total number of bailouts of the...
Subscribe from just €1 for the first month!
With any subscription you will have access to
Unlimited multi-device access to our iPad, iPhone and Android Apps
Unlimited access to our eReader library
Exclusive daily insight and opinion seven days a week
Create alerts to never miss a subject that matters to you
Get access to exclusive offers for subscribers on gifts and experiences
Get content from Business Post, Business Post Magazines, Connected, Tatler and Food & Wine
Out of Office: National Cyber Security Centre to get additional €2.5 funding and 20 new roles
The business news you might have missed, all in one place
Content is king – just ask Netflix as rivals attempt to steal its crown
A WarnerMedia-Discovery deal puts the spotlight on streaming wars as around 100 platforms vie for the attention of often fickle audiences
Tom Maguire: Tax changes we make now could help business for years
The way we did business a few months ago may never return – so the opportunity is to make changes that will both aid recovery and set us up well for our new futures


text:
U.S. trailer orders passed 20,000 in June but declined for the first time in 18 months year-over-year, held back by a fall-off in dry van orders, ACT Research Co. reported.
Net orders totaled 20,048. A year ago, they were 20,313, according to ACT.
“June dry van net orders were down 14% from June 2017,” Frank Maly, ACT director of commercial vehicle transportation analysis and research, told Transport Topics.
Two factors that could have trimmed demand in June, he said, were stronger-than-expected May orders, and some trailer makers are accepting 2019 orders since this year basically is sold out.
One trailer maker executive said he has seen a slowing trend for the overall market over the past three months for dry and refrigerated vans.
“For us, I think it had more to do with the precise timing of order execution rather than anything changing fundamentally,” Hyundai Translead Chief Sales Officer Stuart James said. “Reefers have seemed to slow for the past two months marketwide, but we have held our share-percentage, albeit of the lesser volume.”
A Hyundai Translead trailer. (John Sommers II for Transport Topics)
At the same time, Hyundai Translead is operating at planned capacity, he said.
“While it may not be true in all cases, labor is readily available to us, so an increase is theoretically feasible. But some component suppliers are being pushed to their limit, so we are managing production in order to not induce a breakdown in our supply chain,” James said.
Meanwhile, ACT found fleets are experiencing a Catch-22 in that they are too busy to retrieve completed units, but having those trailers could help ease their capacity challenges, a trend it has noted for the past several months.
Research company FTR pegged the orders at 18,600, essentially flat from a year earlier by its calculation.
FTR reported the orders in June were acting like they do in a normal market, with a typical curve down at this time of year. Regardless of the lull, production rates remain high, according to the company.
“My forecast is for a record year in 2018 production,” said Don Ake, FTR’s vice president of commercial vehicles. “The only thing that can hold it back is the suppliers.”
Ake said orders could drop to 13,000 in July as a lull continues, then extends into August.
Other trailer makers also took June’s decline in stride, reporting strong backlogs and some constraints on production, still.
This order slowdown is seasonally normal, said Craig Bennett, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. “But is somewhat exacerbated now by the cost uncertainty of raw materials and components, especially now as we are moving into 2019 production,” Bennett said.
Utility’s suppliers are “pushed to the limits of their capabilities to supply without sacrificing quality at current trailer production levels, and thus are limiting trailer production output,” he added.
At Stoughton Trailers, the backlog is in excellent shape and longer than normal, Vice President of Sales David Giesen said.
But the challenges of finding and keeping employees has meant it has not been able to accelerate production.
“Everybody is so strained, right now. [Suppliers] are pushed to the max about what they can produce,” he said.
A lot of Stoughton’s trailers — like others in the industry — come off the line incomplete and then are brought back in once the missing parts arrive, he said.
“We are looking at things that we have never even looked at and saying, ‘OK, maybe we should try this component,’ ” Giesen said.
East Manufacturing’s biggest months of the year begin in March and go through June,” East President Dave de Poincy said.
“We have been at above company averages since March in both bookings and production. July, August and September production are reduced only slightly due to a very high backlog,” he said.
There are difficulties with deliveries of components, including aluminum extrusions, suspensions and wire harnesses, de Poincy agreed. “Some of our fabricators for small parts and assemblies are behind as well.”
But orders will spike back up in October through December for the 2019 first- and second-quarter orders, de Poincy said. “We have had only three fleet accounts inquire about ordering for Q1, for flatbed products only.”
At Great Dane Trailers, ordering for next year is brisk as demand for 2019 appears to be similar to 2018, said David Gilliland, vice president of national accounts.
“The issue for all [trailer makers] are the tariffs, potential future tariffs and the overall volatility in commodities and components. All [trailer makers] need to be cognizant of all of these factors and work with partner customers to structure agreements that are fair to both parties,” Gilliland said.
In related news, the hit this year from the Trump administration’s steel and aluminum tariffs is larger than the first-quarter tax savings for General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Fiat Chrysler, according to data compiled by Bloomberg and estimates from Nomura.
The duties could eat up anywhere from a third to well more than half of the tax benefits in 2018. The impact would be even worse should the United States follow through with a 25% levy on imported cars and trucks, according to Bloomberg.


text:
Carnival’s Cruise Ship Will Blow Your Mind- It Has a Roller Coaster!
While millions of humans on earth were concerned solely on their well-being during a pandemic in 2020, these brave shipyard workers in Finland at Meyer Turku were busy day and night putting in a lot of hard work setting up a roller coaster on top of a cruise ship- you got it right, it is the world’s first! After many months at the shipyard, their work is now complete. The Mardi Gras, Carnival Cruise Lines’s largest “Fun Ship” ever is ready to set sail in 2021. But, due to the still ongoing pandemic and when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifts its no-sail orders allowing ships to resume— it will be months before even the first traveler steps on board (We can’t wait to see how the first passenger test cruise goes!).
Other than the top roller coaster, the $950 million, 180,000-ton vessel—which is 1.5 times the size of Carnival’s next-biggest ship, it also consists of two theaters, five waterslides, a zipline, and a 1972 Fiat packed built for the sole aim for Instagram poses in an indoor “piazza.”
It will likewise be the first cruise ship in North America to run on liquified natural gas, which decreases specific matter by over 95% and takes out up to 20% of fossil fuel byproducts, compared with marine diesel fuel. Which gives Mardi Gras bragging rights as the “greenest” mega-ship cruising from the U.S. to the Caribbean and Mexico.
Inside this cruise ship, contains lodges with glass shows doors compared to the regular ones with floppy plastic shower curtains. Also, the individuals who might want to spend lavishly may do as such as much as $7,000 per week for two in new Excel Suites that accompany their own outside dive pool-style hot tubs and an access to a private sundeck with rich loungers and cabanas.
It’ll additionally go back and forth from another glass-walled, $155 million terminal at Port Canaveral, an hour east of Orlando, which speaks to the biggest single development project in the port’s 65-year history.
The Ultimate Sea Coaster will convey two travelers in bike like vehicles down a 800-foot track, with plunges, twists, and clasp pivots the boat’s monster pipe. This attraction can be altered for youngsters or experienced thrill seekers A choke inside the vehicle allows riders to control the speed. Going “super” gets you up to 40 mph. That might not be the ultimate coaster on dry land, but over the ocean, it’s a merited standout. There’s valid justification no one has attempted to construct a rollercoaster on a cruise ship before this.
With up to 6,500 visitors on board, finding a way to spread out the crowds was continually going to be a vital worry for Mardi Gras. In the era of Covid-19, that logic takes on extra significance. The design, drawn up five years ago, features six themed “zones.” It never at any point even had to be reexamined for social distancing. Due to the pandemic and prevention guidelines to be followed, the ship’s pandemic-sealing plans includes a state of the art medical center—the biggest in Carnival’s armada.
The French Quarter has a live jazz club, a sultry voodoo-themed bar serving color-changing cocktails, and a resident “ghost” whom you’ll hear about simply by asking the bartenders. At the top of the ship is the Ultimate Playground, which in addition to the roller coaster has five waterslides, a dangling ropes course, mini-golf, and a basketball court.
By day it will serve coffee and cocktails; at night it will change into a performance center with trapeze artists skimming from triple-tallness roofs.
Scattered all through the public regions are many restaurants and bars, including an outdoor Street Eats area intended to bring out a food truck carnival, with outdoors stands serving bao, falafel, and kebabs. One thing that will probably be absent, by virtue of the pandemic, is simply the exemplary serve buffet. The Carnival HUB application, which visitors on all Carnival ships are urged to download prior to cruising, might be the urged approach to arrange food and drink any place reservations can’t be made.
Carnival is arranging an April debut, with weeklong schedules all through the Caribbean. That target might be an unrealistic fantasy, given that the CDC will require all ships to apply for certifications and under go test cruises to proof pandemic preparation. There’s likewise the issue of persistent border closures and for the fact that basically no ship that has left its port slip has made it back without an affirmed case of Covid-19 on board—or possibly a decent alarm. Despite when the debut eventually happens, it’s certain to be the most lit and craziest new cruise ship for 2021.
Check this out; The Budding Classic Car Scene In Lagos, Nigeria
Written by Catherine Aigbe


text:
The US government is suing Edward Snowden for his book profits
The Justice Department has filed a civil lawsuit against Edward Snowden that would recover all proceeds of his recently released memoir, the department announced on Tuesday. The charges coincide with the official publication of the book, which is titled Permanent Record.
Snowden’s memoir was allegedly not submitted to the CIA or NSA for pre-publication review, a required practice among former employees of intelligence agencies. As such, the department considers the book a breach of Snowden’s fiduciary obligations, and names the publishers as co-defendants in the suit.
Given the still-classified programs and materials discussed in the memoir, it is unlikely that the book would have been approved for publication by the agencies. Snowden remains a de facto fugitive from the US government, and would likely face charges under the Espionage Act if he returned to the country. But the new civil case could nonetheless cause problems for Snowden, potentially enjoining his publishers from releasing any of the proceeds from the book.
Crucially, the suit does not seek to block the release of Snowden’s memoir, as doing so would be illegal under the First Amendment.
You may be interested
James Bond: 'I'm the proudest Bond girl there is' Britt Ekland AGAINST changing franchiseadmin - May 26, 2020
[ad_1] The 77-year-old actress starred alongside former James Bond star Sir Roger Moore in The Man with the Golden Gun.…
‘COVID Campers’ Provide Opportunities for Americans Desperate to Traveladmin - May 26, 2020
[ad_1] As lockdown restrictions begin to ease after over two months, the majority of Americans still worry that politicians have…
Apple will reopen about 100 retail stores in the US by the end of the weekadmin - May 26, 2020
[ad_1] Apple will reopen around 100 retail stores in the US by the end of the week, the company confirmed…


text:
How the Trans-Pacific Partnership threatens online rights and freedoms
By Dr Jeremy Malcolm March 15, 2013
- The Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP creates an unbalanced regime that creates disadvantages for Asian countries
- The TPP head to Malaysia in July for the 18th round of negotiations in Malaysia; our reps need to be ready
Digital Consumers by Dr Jeremy Malcolm
EVERYTHING that happens on the Internet involves copying: that's the way the Internet works. Whether it's photos on a web page, a YouTube video, or an online encyclopaedia, in order for you to gain access, temporary copies of the content are automatically made.
But under a new regional free trade agreement called the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP, copyright owners might have to give permission for each and every one of those temporary copies.
This could cast a legal shadow over routine technical processes of Asian service providers such as caching, as well as crippling our burgeoning content industry, whilst leaving US competitors unaffected – due to their ability to make use of the broad ‘fair use’ exception in American copyright law that most other countries in this region lack.
The proposed ban on unlicensed temporary copies is painted as an anti-piracy provision, but it’s unnecessary to prevent piracy: If content is unauthorized, then whoever uploaded it, and whoever downloads it, has already committed a copyright violation.
Rather, the temporary copying provision will impact intermediaries like search engines, cloud storage providers and user-generated content hosts, and thereby ordinary consumers.
This is just one of the disturbing provisions of the intellectual property chapter of the TPP, which itself is only one of 29 chapters of the agreement – but the most contentious of any of them. Amongst the 11 countries negotiating the TPP are Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Vietnam, as well as one particularly aggressive 800-pound gorilla: The United States.
Another TPP proposal that will limit access to content online is the extension of the copyright term by another 20 years. Whereas today's content giants like Disney Corporation have benefited financially from their ability to build upon cultural works from the past, they want to deny that same freedom to the new generation of mash-up artists, remixers and fans who could otherwise freely make use of our shared cultural heritage.
The TPP's intellectual property chapter would also beef up the enforcement of intellectual property rights, like the controversial and ill-fated Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) before it.
(Indeed, it is sad to say that one of the promising developments from recent rounds of the TPP have been rumors that the United States may be willing to “settle” for the same level of intellectual property enforcement that ACTA provides, rather than maintaining its demand for even stricter standards.)
For example, it has already been mentioned above that artists and fans will be denied access to the free use of cultural works from the 20th century – to give a Malaysian example, the films of P. Ramlee that are currently (but may not be for much longer) winding up their terms of copyright protection.
If a P. Ramlee fan were to maintain a downloadable archive of clips from his songs and films anyway, even if it was conducted on a purely not for profit basis, the TPP would render our fan liable not only to civil damages, but criminal liability. He could end up with a criminal record simply for attempting to preserve Malaysian cultural heritage.
In addition, the TPP would prohibit the use of tools to allow access to copyright works protected by digital locks. This means that even for a P. Ramlee film that is in the public domain and therefore free to legally copy, it would be a separate offence to rip a DVD of the film, since DVDs are protected by a trivial form of digital lock.
Even more surreal, it could be an offence to even play such a film on a region-free DVD player, as region-free players can be characterized as devices for the circumvention of DVD region codes. It does not even cross the mind of any right-thinking consumer that doing this would breach any copyright law, and yet under the TPP, it would – along with other innocent activities such as unlocking a legally-purchased mobile phone handset.
Compounding this, the TPP would restrict parallel importation, which is the right for local businesses to import cheaper legal copies of goods from overseas, rather than being held to ransom by local monopoly suppliers.
The TPP in other words deliberately reduces cross-border competition (ironically, this in a free trade agreement), to justify companies charging higher prices for the same product wherever they think they can get away with it.
This would mean, to give just one example, an end to the supply of parallel imported CDs, which currently occurs legally in TPP negotiating countries like Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, and which they rely upon to counteract the blatant price discrimination to which they are otherwise subject.
The TPP also requires Web companies that host user-generated content to take that content down in response to copyright claims, even before the uploader has had a chance to respond – which creates an improper incentive for copyright claimants to lodge bogus complaints.
This provision has been cut and pasted from the American Digital Millennium Copyright Act or DMCA, which has been roundly criticized for facilitating the take-down of legitimate content such as home movies and parodies.
In conjunction with this, the TPP promotes technical standards for systems to identify copyright material in user-generated content, despite the proved risk of such systems reporting false positives – such as identifying birdsong as a copyright work.
Similarly, the TPP encourages legal incentives for ISPs (Internet service providers) and copyright owners to reach under-the-table deals to combat piracy, deals in which consumers will have no say. These may include measures such as the French HADOPI or ‘three-strikes’ law, under which those accused of copyright infringement by industry investigators could suffer disconnection from the Internet, or throttling of their connection speed.
Although the HADOPI regime is considered an expensive failure, similar six strikes measures have just been adopted in the United States, requiring ISPs to engage in systematic privacy violations of their users in order to act as copyright police for rights-holders.
The worst thing is that we don't have a say in any of this, as the negotiations are closed to the public. Over the two-week Singapore round of negotiations that ended earlier this week, stakeholders were barred from the negotiation rooms, and denied access to the text under discussion (we only know what we do due to a series of leaks).
In contrast, the US Government office that is driving the negotiations has a panel of 750 advisers, most from big corporations, who have not only seen the text, but have helped to write large parts of it.
The TPP will head to Malaysia for its 18th round of negotiations in July, aiming towards a final agreement in October. None of the other countries are keen to agree to the demanding copyright changes that America has been demanding, since they are all net importers of intellectual property such as movies, music and software from the United States.
Yet politically, other countries may not have much of a choice but to agree, if they wish to appease the demands of local farmers and manufacturers who want the United States to grant them improved market access terms for their products.
Maintaining a healthy digital ecosystem, built upon a robust, culturally diverse public domain and reinforced with strong user rights that promote collaboration and innovation, should be an important priority for Asia.
In the long run, it may prove even more important to our shared future than the marginally improved terms on which the United States might accept our rice, textiles or manufactured goods if we kowtow to its demands on IP.
Our representatives need to be told this in very clear terms, and they have only a precious few more months in which to listen.
Dr Jeremy Malcolm is an Internet and Open Source lawyer, consumer advocate and geek. He is also a senior policy officer at Consumers International and can be found on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Previous Installments of Digital Consumers:
Internet freedom in a world of states
Copyright enforcement is killing people


text:
The survey of 200 businesses, conducted by market research firm Mobilesquared, highlights the gap between enterprise connectivity demands and the services they receive.
Almost unanimously, 89% of UK businesses said they would consider switching to wireless broadband.
Lionel Chmilewsky, CEO, CBNL, said: “It’s clear that a growing number of businesses find their connectivity requirements are growing faster than many broadband services can keep up with.
CBNL’s survey highlights that almost half of UK businesses (47%) are not receiving the broadband speeds advertised by their provider.
Additionally, one in three businesses (35%) said that they have been negatively impacted by slow broadband speeds, while 34% experienced significant periods of network downtime.
This new data clearly shows businesses are looking for faster and more reliable broadband options, yet half (56%) choose to remain with their current providers.
The need for more efficient infrastructure is illustrated by the fact that over half (56%) of businesses spend less than 30% of their IT budget on connectivity.
More importantly, less than half of all respondents plan to increase expenditure over the next 12 months.


text:
Ripon business park to double in size, creating 80 jobs
Up to 80 new jobs could be created in Ripon by the extension of an existing business park.
Canalside Developments, which owns Ripon Business Park, on the B6265 Boroughbridge Road, is seeking planning permission to develop a further 25,000 sq ft for light industrial and warehousing use.
The land is currently used by Econ Engineering to store its 900-strong gritter hire fleet, which from next year will move to a new, dedicated site at Sowerby, near Thirsk.
Canalside Developments launched Ripon Business Park in 2004, and it is now home to a number of long-established businesses in 19 units, including Bill Plant School of Motoring and NFU Mutual.
Wholesale supplier Yesss Electrical and hardware and tools specialist Screwfix have both been based on the site since they each took possession of a 2,500 sq ft unit in 2013.
Work on Phase 2 is due to commence this summer, and once complete will see the business park’s footprint increased by 50 per cent.
Jonathan Lupton, director of Canalside Developments, said: “There is a shortage of good quality, small-scale industrial units in the district, and this is what we will be helping to address with Phase 2 of Canalside Business Park.
“When our MP, Julian Smith, recently visited Econ, I was delighted to tell him about our plans for increasing the business park, and he was particularly interested in hearing it could generate up to 80 jobs.
“The current site has 19 units, which house a variety of different businesses, and when completed, another 16 will be added, taking the total number to 35. I’m pleased to say there has already been a considerable amount of interest in the scheme.”
Jonathan Lupton is also director of operations at Econ Engineering, which will be vacating the land earmarked for the extension.
Canalside invested £1.25m in a previous expansion of the site in 2014, when new tenants employed between 35 and 45 staff in new light industrial units.
Ripon Business Park Phase 2 is being marketed by Adam Crawfurd Porter of FSS Feathers Smailes and Scales.


text:
VFACTS: BYD sales in Australia finally revealed
The first batch of sales data for recently-arrived Chinese brand BYD places it as Australia’s second best-selling electric-vehicle manufacturer.
Newly-launched Chinese car maker BYD has accounted for one in five electric vehicles sold in its first three months of deliveries, second only to Tesla, its first batch of sales data has revealed.
VFACTS industry sales data released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) lists 845 BYD electric vehicles reported as sold in its first three months of deliveries.
This is believed to place BYD – which currently only offers one model, the Atto 3 small SUV – as Australia’s second-best selling electric-car brand, ahead of the likes of MG, Hyundai and Polestar, and behind only Tesla.
The BYD Atto 3 is believed to place third or fourth on the leaderboard for the best-selling electric-car models, behind the Tesla Model Y (1805) and Model 3 (391), and the MG ZS EV (exact sales figures are unconfirmed, however the tally is estimated to be fewer than 700 over the same period).
The sales result is despite a stop-delivery notice in force for three weeks from October 21 to November 11, as BYD’s local distributor EVDirect worked through concerns with federal regulators over the Atto 3's compliance with Australian motor vehicle regulations.
The notice was issued after the child-seat top tether point for the centre rear seat was found to be hidden below the carpet, breaching compliance rules for five-seat passenger cars including the Atto 3, which require these tether points to be accessible without the use of tools.
Compliance concerns were also raised with the ISOFIX child-seat mounting points on the front passenger seats, as it is illegal for child-seat restraints to be fitted in the front seat of passenger cars in Australia. The distributor says these ISOFIX points have been “disengaged”.
BYD and its local distributor EVDirect claimed it planned to provide its sales data for the FCAI’s monthly VFACTS sales reports for September and October, but missed both deadlines.
The figure of 845 BYD sales over the first three months of deliveries differs from the data sourced by Drive last month for the first two months on sale, which listed approximately 890 examples of the BYD Atto 3 according to vehicle registration records.
This is believed to be due to the stop-delivery notice, which when issued on 21 October 2022 left fleets of just-registered BYD Atto 3 vehicles – many days or hours away from customer delivery – waiting in holding yards while the compliance concerns were cleared.
This means the number of BYD Atto 3s delivered to customers in September and October was substantially lower than the number registered over the same period.
The latest VFACTS sales report does not break down monthly data for BYD – instead grouping all three months of deliveries, as is common practice when new arrivals post sales figures for the first time.
With three months of BYD deliveries combined, VFACTS data lists 4457 electric vehicles as sold (referring to deliveries, not orders placed) in November, up 685 per cent compared to the same month last year.
With Tesla’s sales data excluded – as it did not report sales to VFACTS this time last year either – the growth percentage drops to 298 per cent.
Tesla remained atop the electric-car sales charts last month, reporting 2196 vehicles – or half of all electric-car deliveries – across 391 Model 3 sedans and 1805 Model Y SUVs.
This represents a ramp-up in deliveries, after only 1109 Tesla vehicles were reported as sold in October – down from its record result of 5969 in September, and 3397 in August.
November sales data for the full list of electric vehicles is yet to be confirmed, however highlights known so far include 240 Polestar 2 sedans and 61 BMW iX SUVs.


text:
Dundee University students will compete for funding to launch their own businesses as part of Venture 2020.
A pot of £31,000 is available to the winners of the competition, which aims to support the best start-up business ideas.
Submissions will be judged by some of the city’s leading business minds, with seven funding awards up for grabs.
>> Keep up to date with the latest news with Evening Telegraph newsletter
Brian McNicoll, head of the university’s Centre for Entrepreneurship, said: “Many people aspire to start a business of their own and winning Venture can allow these dreams to be turned into a reality.
“An innovative idea is all that it takes and if our judges like what they hear then you too can join our list of winners.”


text:
Gov. Bruce Rauner signed the change into law on Wednesday, legalizing happy hour in Illinois for the first time since it was banned in 1989 over concerns about excessive drinking and drunken driving. Proponents of the shift said it would boost alcohol sales — and in the process, tax revenues.
Fast-changing consumer preferences require a rapid response from manufacturers, driving demands for processing and packaging technologies that yield greater flexibility, sustainability and efficiency. This fall, the destination for solutions is PACK EXPO Las Vegas (Las Vegas Convention Center; Sept. 28-30, 2015).
Where Have All the Bakers Gone? is just one of the sessions of this year's PROCESS EXPO UNIVERSITY program. This year’s program includes 35+ hours of education addressing a wide variety of important topics that cover all major segments of the food and beverage industry.
The company credited with inventing the paper coffee filter is producing the first single-serve coffee pod that's completely recyclable.
Kraft Heinz says it is relocating the headquarters of the Kraft business from Northfield, Illinois, to downtown Chicago early next year.
Monsanto plans to fund a panel of scientists to review a study that linked its popular agricultural weed killer to an increased risk of cancer.
General Mills says that it has tentatively decided to close an Illinois plant over the next few years, but will consult first with the union that represents the facility. The food maker is looking to get rid of excess cereal and dry dinner capacity as part of its ongoing effort to meet consumers' changing tastes.
The new 272,000 square foot facility will service more than 4,000 chefs, restaurant owners and foodservice operators throughout Mississippi and Louisiana. It is also the company’s 6th LEED-certified facility, featuring an environmentally conscious design maximized for energy efficiency.
Officials are looking into revising a decades-old ordinance that requires restaurants-on-wheels to abide by the same rules as hawkers or peddlers, including the two-hour limit in parking spaces around the capital city. This is just one of the restrictions that local food truck vendors have said is killing their business.
Mars Inc. announced plans Wednesday for a $100 million expansion of its candy-making plant in Kansas, a facility that was the company's first new plant in 35 years.
What grows quickly, is packed with protein, has twice the nutritional value of kale and tastes like bacon? The answer, according to scientists at Oregon State University, is a new strain of seaweed they recently patented.
Brad Pitt and Bill Maher say Costco contributes to animal cruelty by selling eggs from caged hens.
In advance of PROCESS EXPO 2015, here are nine advancements in the processing and packaging side of aseptic processing.
An icon of Milwaukee's flagship industry is returning to the city after a two-decade absence. Pabst Brewing Co., which traces its origins in the city to 1844, plans to open a microbrewery, tasting room and tavern at the site of its former brewery next summer.
Legislation to create a voluntary labeling program for genetically modified foods — and ban state GMO labeling requirements — moved a step closer to becoming law this week.
Eggs are getting much more expensive — by the dozen and otherwise. The outbreak of avian flu caused the cost of eggs to nearly double last month for producers. Wholesale prices for chicken eggs jumped 84.5 percent in June, the Labor Department said Wednesday.
A workplace safety group on Monday called for employers to develop policies regarding workers' use of prescription opioid painkillers.
The Louisville, Kentucky-based company said sales were boosted by new menu items, like breakfast food and premium coffee at Taco Bell and $5 Fill Up combo meals and chicken and rice bowls at KFC.
Van’s Natural Foods agreed to change its product labels and pay up to $9 million to settle a court case involving many of its breakfast foods.
A recent study suggests that LED lighting could serve as an alternative to chemical preservatives in preventing foodborne illness.


text:
SEGA Europe has announced it’s acquired Endless Space developer Amplitude Studios for an undisclosed amount on July 1.
Amplitude Studios is based in Paris and has previously developed the well-regarded Endless strategy series, which includes Endless Space, Endless Legend and Dungeons of the Endless. In all, the series has sold about 2.4 million copies to date, according to MCV UK. Endless Space 2 is expected to be released on Steam Early Access sometime this year and will be published by SEGA.
“Joining the SEGA family represents the culmination of five years of hard work from myself and Romain and everyone here at Amplitude Studios” said Amplitude co-founder Mathieu Girard. “For the Endless series to be alongside PC franchises with such heritage as Total War and Dawn of War in the SEGA Europe stable puts our games where we feel they deserve to be.”
It’s an interesting move by SEGA Europe as the company has become one of the leading PC strategy companies, with series that include popular titles such as Total War, Company of Heroes and Football Manager, to name a few.
“To have the opportunity to add a studio with the growing reputation of Amplitude’s to the SEGA family is an exciting one and reinforces SEGA Europe’s position as a market leader in publishing high quality PC games” said SEGA Europe President Jurgen Post.
“Culturally, Amplitude is a fantastic fit for the business as it not only produces great games, but also have a proven track record in listening to their fans and directly involving them in the ongoing development of its games through its GAMES2GETHER system.”[Via Eurogamer]


text:
After weeks of waiting out the late wintry weather, area developers have sprung into action to begin construction on some highly anticipated retail businesses in Bangor and Brewer.
Excavation and construction sites for several new commercial buildings can be spotted throughout Bangor and Brewer. Projects range from big-box stores, hotels and a racino to local banks, retail operations and additions on thriving businesses.
The number of projects shows confidence in the economic strength of the region, said Jonathan Daniels, president and CEO of Eastern Maine Development Corp. in an interview earlier this week.
"Retail development is based on current and future investment opportunity. Analysts are looking at this market and they see that we are still ripe for retail development," Daniels said.
The Hollywood Slots at Bangor racino may be an unusual, "once-in-a-generation type of development," but it has encouraged hotel, retail and other business developers to invest in this region, Daniels said.
Hollywood Slots at Bangor, Penn National Gaming Inc.'s $131 million gaming and hotel complex, remains the most visible construction project in town.
"Everything is right on schedule," said spokeswoman Amy Kenney. "Everything's in line to start pouring concrete on the 23rd [of April]."
With an expected completion date of June 2008, the 116,000-square-foot
gaming facility will feature up to 1,500 slot machines, an attached four-story, 1,500-vehicle parking garage, and a seven-story hotel.
It also will include a new simulcast facility for off-track betting, a 350-seat buffet restaurant, a 125-seat specialty restaurant, two smaller private dining rooms, and a small cafe offering lighter fare, as well as retail space and a full-service bar with entertainment.
The racino will take up most of the 8-acre site that Penn National acquired last year at a cost of about $7 million. The site once housed the Holiday Inn-Civic Center, the Main Street Inn, several houses and a few small outbuildings.
But no retail projects have brought about as much consumer buzz as Lowe's Home Improvement in Brewer and a mysterious big-box store, widely speculated to be a second Lowe's, planned for Stillwater Avenue in Bangor.
The Lowe's in Brewer is set to appear where the closed Agway and Pickard's Sport Shop on Wilson Street are now. Developers have obtained all Department of Environmental Protection, city and Army Corps of Engineers permits, but the original plan to burn down the existing structures for firefighter training was called off because of insurance issues.
As crews continue to perform an environmental cleanup on the site, demolition plans are in the works. The Lowe's store is expected to open later this year and employ up to 200 people in its 139,410-square-foot retail center and 31,659-square-foot garden center.
No cost figures are available for the project, though it has been estimated to be in the millions. Other new Lowe's stores opening this year in other parts of the country are costing as much as $18.5 million.
Across the river, Bangor has approved a single, large-scale tenant at 638 Stillwater Ave., behind Circuit City and Chili's, according to Bangor Code Enforcement Officer Dan Wellington.
Though some residents say Lowe's is planning a second store in efforts to squeeze nearby Home Depot, Kevin Kane, a representative of landowner and developer Widewaters Stillwater Co. LLC, said Thursday he was unable to reveal the identity of the anchor store until a lease is signed. No cost estimate for the project is available.
Kane said Widewaters plans to begin construction this year, as soon as it receives the remaining state site development and storm water permits.
"It's our sincere hope to start as soon as physically possible," he said. "We're more than ready."


text:
Australian Consumer Sentiment Improves Marginally in September – Westpac
By Ambar Warrick
Investing.com– Australian consumer confidence improved slightly in early-September, a survey by Westpac Banking Corp (ASX:) showed on Tuesday, as strength in the labor market helped offset headwinds from high inflation and interest rates.
The rose by 3.9% from 81.2 in August to 84.4 in September, the bank said in a statement. While the index logged its first gain in 10 months, it still remained near historic lows.
The reading comes despite the Reserve Bank of Australia’s commitment to keep raising interest rates, after a sharp hike earlier in September. Inflation is also trending around 20-year highs in Australia.
But strength in the labor market- particularly in the availability of jobs- has kept consumers somewhat positive. Australia’s unemployment rate sank to near 50-year lows this year, amid growing labor shortages in the country. Consumers also expect unemployment to shrink further in the coming months, Westpac said.
But with stagnant wage growth, rising interest rates and continued pessimism over the housing market, consumer sentiment is expected to remain subdued in the coming months.
“Confidence is only likely to see sustained gains once there is convincing evidence that the inflation threat is easing and the relentless rise in interest rates is nearing an end,” Bill Evans, Chief Economist at Westpac wrote in a note.
“History instead suggests confidence may be reaching something of a natural floor – a deeply pessimistic level but stopping short of the despair that can take hold when a deep recession causes widespread upheaval in labor markets.”
Still, Australia’s economy roared back into expansion this year, after the country relaxed all COVID-related restrictions. This momentum is expected to continue for the remainder of the year, barring headwinds from a slowdown in major trading partner China.
Westpac’s survey also found that consumers grew slightly more positive about housing prices, although this increase was mostly relegated to states that saw the biggest drop in prices this year.


text:
Middle East Gears Up for Higher-quality Lubes
The Gulf’s hydrocarbons wealth means plentyof clientele for dealers of high-end cars thatrequire high-end engine oils. Although currently a trickle of premium grades in theregion, Mark Townsend suggests that this may turn into a river of demand from regular vehicles.
The Middle East may be a volatile region but its better-off, more stable nations will always be a magnet for expensive cars. Since these vehicles require high-performing lubricants, the thinking is that they will raise the floor of automotive lubricant quality in the overall vehicle parc.
Middle East markets have been traditionally defined by low-tier, mineral-based products, and conventional wisdom has it that because of the regions high year-round temperatures, high viscosity equals better performance.
Predictions of a shift in quality have long been on the program at Middle East base oil conferences, but the move has not materialized. There has been some recent momentum and the question is: Why now?
Speaking at the ICIS Middle Eastern Base Oils & Lubricants Conference in Dubai in October, Kailash Sawant, Lubrizol Corp.s manager for engine oils in India and the Middle East, believes the regions transition to higher-grade lubricants and lower viscosities is down to a combination of several factors.
One of them is that by 2025, more than 12 million new vehicles will join the Middle Eastern vehicle parc, bring a new wave of engine oils that are at least compliant with the American Petroleum Institutes API CK-4 and the International Lubricant Specification Advisory Committees ILSAC GF-6 standards, Sawant said.
In a sign of the regions increasing visibility on the lube radar, the API recently opened an office in Dubai that many hope will speed up consumer education in the use of higher-quality engine oils.
There is also no escaping the global push for lower emissions and fuel economy, which is driving research efforts to produce the next generation of synthetic lubricants. At the same time, consumer preferences for greener products in Europe and North America are now influencing choices in the Middle East, particularly the Gulf.
The Regulatory Noose Tightens
Another factor that has opened up the Middle Easts market to higher-spec lubes is regulatory pressure on European, American and Chinese carmakers that export to the Gulf, Sawant indicated. On current trajectories, permitted U.S. passenger car carbon dioxide emission levels could fall to 102 grams per kilometer by 2030, with European Union passenger car emissions projected to come down to as low as 69 g/km in the same period. China, the worlds largest automotive market, is also increasingly bearing down on emissions, in parallel with an unprecedented state-driven campaign to promote low-emissions vehicle usage.
Sawant said that new legislation has pushed original equipment manufacturers to introduce new engine technologies that require higher-specification lubricants. Previously rare terms such as low-speed pre-ignition, direct injection and gasoline or diesel particulate filters are now commonplace. In the past few years, lubricant and additive companies have raced to meet performance challenges set by improvements in engine hardware in both passenger and commercial vehicle markets.
Modern commercial vehicles are typically fitted with diesel particulate filters to sift harmful soot. But the filters performance can be compromised due to the buildup of sulfated ash, phosphorus and sulfur, or SAPS, from the lubricant. Maintaining the performance of the filter requires lower-SAPS lubricants that have emerged from pioneering innovations in engine technology. It is a similar situation with passenger vehicles. Many are equipped with turbocharged gasoline direct injection systems and using a sub-optimal lubricant can cause LSPI, a potentially catastrophic issue exacerbated by piston failure.
Counting the cost of failure exceeds the inconvenience of replacing an engine or vital components. For fleet operators it could mean lost production and damage to corporate reputation. That is an easy argument in favor of higher-quality lubes, Sawant told conference delegates in Dubai.
When it comes to the Middle East, there are mounting expectations that as regulations become more stringent, the balance will tip in favor of wider adoption of higher-specification products. Some 65 percent of vehicles exported to the region are from markets with the strictest emission standards, according to Sawant – 36 percent of imports from Europe compliant with Euro 6, 15 percent from Asia meeting Euro 6 and 14 percent from the U.S. compliant with EPA Tier 3 standards.
Modern vehicles need better technology, and going forward API CK-4 with better oxidation and ability to manage after treatment devices with low SAPS, will be important in HD applications, Sawant added. The passenger car segment also continues to evolve as the market gravitates to API SN. In both scenarios, high-temperature, high-shear properties are crucial for the formulations and durability of low-viscosity oils.
Does that imply a direct correlation between hardening standards and use of higher-spec lubricants? Not quite.
What the Data Says
According to GfK, a German company that provides behavioral data and consumer insights from point-of-sale transactions, the shift to semi and full synthetic oils in the Gulfs two biggest markets is already underway. But in Saudi Arabia, the regions largest market, there is still a lot of progress to be made. GfK estimates the penetration of full synthetics at 11 percent and semi-synthetics at just 5 percent. Despite outlawing monograde oils, low-specification products continue to be sold in the aftermarket, says GfK. The situation in the neighboring United Arab Emirates seems more progressive, with semi and full synthetics each accounting for 16 percent of the market.
Yet the broader market is undermined by a flourishing trade in counterfeit engine oils, notably in Saudi Arabia. (See also Everyones Business, p. 9) In remarks at the Dubai conference, Samir Nawar, chief executive of Petromin Corporation, a manufacturer of automotive and industrial lubricants, estimated counterfeit oils accounted for approximately 16 to 18 percent of the Saudi market two years ago. Measures by the Ministry of Commerce and Investment, together with pressure from local industry groups, have seen the figure fall to around 12 percent. That is still a sizeable amount and highlights the challenge facing the industry to improve consumer awareness, particularly in rural areas.
The much-touted need for better-quality lubricants also takes place at a time of a shift in the relationship between base oil refiners and additive companies. An executive from Bahrains state refiner Bapco believes alliances will become more collaborative. This is industry-speak suggesting refiners will share some of the multimillion-dollar costs of getting technical approvals in lucrative but regulator-heavy markets, such as Europe and North America.
Earlier this year, Bapco signed a 10-year agreement with lubricant additive company Lubrizol Corp. and has inked non-disclosure agreements with both Chevron Oronite and Infineum, also additive companies. It also recently secured approval on Europes REACh chemicals register, allowing it to be imported into the bloc.
The high cost of market entry for new base oil refiners has triggered a two-tier market that might become a permanent fixture. So-called approved base stocks complying with OEM standards, such as Volkswagens benchmark 504/507, attract premium prices over their non-approved counterparts. In some instances, that margin can be more than U.S. $200 per metric ton, according to Denis Varaksin, director of base oils and waxes at the Berlin-based trading company DYM Resources GmbH.
OEM approval increase market for these products by a lot [and] to get them needs a lot of time and money, Varaksin said.
Despite margin pressure on lubricant blenders, unapproved base oils are not encroaching significantly into the engine oil market, and that is good news for nascent Gulf production.
Numbers of applications without approvals are limited to mostly industrial lubricants [and] the more refineries will get approvals, the smaller the gap between approved and non-approved Group III will be, he added.
Lubrizols Sawant estimates there are more that 3 million tons of API Group II and III produced by refiners in Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. Potentially abundant Group II and III supply will be a critical enabler for modern formulations, he said.
Still, the quest for lower viscosity engine oils bolsters the position of additive companies as technological developments in engine hardware increase the complexity of lubricant formulations. That is fueling speculation how refiner or additive company relationships will unfold, as fears over commoditization and overcapacity stalk the base stock industry.
Sawant believes the refiner-additive company axis will become more important as the performance of engine oils is stretched even further. It is not only about lab tests, it is about testing in engines, testing in the field – this is how a product is developed, he said.
State-owned refiners such as Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. appear to be betting big on the future of the lubricants market. During a presentation at the same conference, Ali Yaslem Alsadi, vice president of Adnocs lubricant division, estimated that the global lubricants gross margin value pool (defined as total profits earned in an industry at all points along the industrys value chain) could grow almost 45 percent by 2035, accentuated by the profitability of high-performance lubricants. That is in spite of anticipated market upheaval from electric vehicles, though the possibility of wider disruption to the lubricants market could strike a blow to predicted growth plans, Adnoc believes.
Meanwhile, GfK says there are problems closer to home. National and international oil companies have lost market share in premium segments, such as synthetic oils, to more agile and cheaper competitors. In the U.A.E., year-to-date market share for premium brands is 33 percent in 2019 versus 42 percent in 2018. GfK says mid-range and tier-three brands are snapping at the heels of their larger rivals that has seen them grab a 40-percent share of the market, as of the end of July.
A Bright Future?
The Middle East will switch to higher-quality lubricants sooner rather than later. But in the wake of all the discussion of when this will happen, geopolitics is never far behind. If buyers are prepared to bust U.S. sanctions on exports, Iran could still upend base oil markets with plentiful supplies of Group I base stocks at giveaway prices to local blenders.
Another, albeit minor, demand driver could be the disruption cause by EVs to passenger car motor oil sales from EVs. That disruption is still a fair way off, even in markets where EV penetration is gathering pace, but it could be an opportunity rather than a threat for regional Group II and Group III refiners and lubricant marketers looking to find alternative markets for product if demand in Europe and the Americas dwindles.
What is more like to weigh heavy on profits in the short term is the continual evolution of higher-specification engine oils, as longer drain intervals and the greening of the lubricant sector reduce consumption.
In July 2019, API announced two new ILSAC specifications – GF-6A and GF-6B – and a new API Service Category denoted API SP in a clear signal that engine oil performance requirements are set to tighten even further.
Putting it all together, higher-specification products are coming to the region. All that remains is whether there are a significant number of consumers to make the leap beyond the minimum regulatory requirements.


text:
We have just over 9 days to go till Samsung unveils its Galaxy Note8 flagship in an Unpack event in New York and it has been spotted via a support page that a dual-SIM variant could be coming to the EU. Although it was never in doubt, it is good to have the information in hand.
The revelation was courtesy the Austrian support page for the smartphone. The page lists the model number as the SM-950F/DS which indicates a smartphone packing the Exynos SoC with dual-SIM capability. Since the page is on the Austrian sub-site it indicates that the company plans to launch the dual-SIM variant in the EU region. It is not clear whether this would be a hybrid arrangement or not.
We are likely to know more about the device closer to the Unpack event. Till now it has been established that the Galaxy Note8 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (US variant) or Samsung Exynos 8895 SoC. This is complemented by 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of internal memory although an exclusive Emperor Edition with beefed up specifications is rumoured to be in the works for the Korean market. The display will be a 6.3-inch Infinity Display with the same 18.5:9 aspect-ratio as the Samsung Galaxy S8 devices.
Read More: Samsung Galaxy Note8 shows up on Geekbench
The smartphone would be one the first to introduce dual cameras to Samsung flagships and would come with a heavily modified build of Android v.7.0, Nougat with enhancements for the S-Pen feature.
Follow us on our social media to keep up to date with the latest in the world of Android.


text:
CEO Rolf Habben Jansen said transpacific contract rates saw an average “three-digit increase” per TEU.
Hapag-Lloyd said it had a profit of $109 million in the first quarter of 2019 compared with a $42 million loss in the same period last year. Earnings before interest and taxes were up 292% to $243 million and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization were up 109% to $556 million.
Revenue, transport volumes and freight rates all increased.
In the first quarter of this year Hapag-Lloyd had revenue of $3.48 billion compared with $3.22 billion in the same period last year.
The Hamburg-based carrier carried 2,929,000 TEUs in the first quarter of 2019, 68,000 or about 2.3% more than in the first quarter of 2018.
The freight rate for those containers also was up nearly 4.9%. averaging $1,079 per TEU in the first quarter of 2019, $50 more than than in the first quarter of 2018.
Rolf Habben Jansen, the company’s chief executive officer, said contract rates in the transpacific were up by a “three-digit number per TEU” over last year and that rates on the Asia-Europe trade lane were up between $50 and $100 per TEU.
Bunker fuel cost in the first quarter of 2019 averaged $425 per metric tonne — that’s 14% higher than the average a year earlier.
“Thanks to higher transport volumes, better freight rates and a stronger U.S. dollar, we achieved a good result and got the year off to a very decent start,” said Habben Jansen.
Talking about the general outlook for container shipping, he said despite downgrades in GDP forecasts, container demand is still intact. Growth in container carrying capacity is slowing, which he said should lead to a tightening in the supply-demand balance in the industry.
He said there was good acceptance by shippers of new bunker formulas shipping lines are designing to take into account the expected spike in fuel costs because of the requirement by the International Maritime Organization that ships not equipped with scrubbers use low-sulfur fuel at the start of 2020.
Hapag-Lloyd plans to deal mostly with that requirement by using low-sulfur fuel, although it is installing scrubbers on 10 ships. It also is planning to convert one ship to run on liquefied natural gas in the first quarter of 2020.
As companies take ships out of service to have scrubbers installed, that should have some effect on tightening ship supply, but Habben Jansen said only a very small percentage of the global fleet is going to have scrubbers.
He said scrubber-equipped ships are likely to be deployed on a variety of services and not concentrated on, for example, the Asia-Europe trade lane.
While the effect of the IMO 2020 mandate will depend on the spread between current high-sulfur bunker fuel and low-sulfur fuel, he said the extra costs will be $80 to $100 per TEU.
He also didn’t believe there is likely to be a lot more slow steaming by container carriers, though he said there is some political pressure for slower ships. He said there is not a lot of surplus ships that could be used for slow steaming.
Global transport volumes by all carriers in the first quarter have been relatively flat, the company said. Hapag-Lloyd saw growth in the Asia-Europe, transatlantic, South American and African trades, which helped offset declines in the transpacific and intra-Asia trades.
Spot container freight rates in the first quarter, as measured by the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index, have been higher for most of 2019 and in 2018. Though they have dropped since the beginning of the year, Habben Jansen believes it is likely they will begin to increase in the second and third quarters as they did last year, though he added there is “always an element of uncertainty.”
He said the orderbook for new ships represents about 11% of the global container fleet and that scrapping of ships is expected to be higher this year than in 2018, all of which bodes well for an improving supply-demand situation.
Talking about goals for the coming year, Habben Jansen said the company will strive to increase profitability, deleverage the company, continue to prepare for the IMO 2020 low-sulfur fuel mandate, improve the quality of its services and develop more “digitalized solutions.”
Habben Jansen said that about 7% of the company’s overall business is now being conducted on its Quick Quotes platform that can be used to get prices and submit bookings. He said the company plans to come out with initiatives to boost use in the coming year.


text:
Tourism and retail spending are boosting Savannah's economy, but those are the only positive signs in a third quarter economic report. Armstrong Atlantic State University's Center for Regional Analysis released its quarterly forecast this week. Center director Michael Toma says, out of seven economic trends the forecast tracks, only hotel stays and retail recepts posted gains.
Georgians are feeling more pessimistic about the economy. But they intend to spend the same amount of money on their holiday gifts this year. A recent survey from Georgia Southern University's Bureau of Business Research and Economic Development says, 55% of Georgians feel the economy is worsening.


text:
GTA Online: Patch Files Reveal Heist Details
By Aditya Bhat | March 11, 2014 11:50 PM EST
Grand Theft Auto (GTA) Online from developer Rockstar Games is likely to offer the heists feature to players. The heists is one of the most anticipated features that fans have been waiting for in the online segment of the GTA 5.
GTA Online was released on 1 October. (Facebook)
Members of GTA Forums have revealed the discovery of new files that clearly hint at online heists, reported AOTF. The members said that Rockstar has added a new printer in your apartment which holds the key to details on the heists. The printer is kept beneath the gold records in a corner.
A player has to press "INPUT_CONTEXT" on the printer which will collect details of the heists. Players entering the heists will have to play very specific roles and in order to get their share of the money, they must complete their roles.
Though the printer contains text files that seem to be written specifically for the heists, it might not be activated until the next update. The post also suggests that players will be taking the heists from Lester through an email application, which was previously introduced.
Below are some of the roles that players may have to play for a successful heist - "Drivers, Driver, Gunman, Gunmen, Hacker, Hackers," says the post. Players will have to plan the team carefully.
Rockstar has not officially revealed anything on the heists aspect in GTA Online. The information of the heists were mined from the source coded in patch 1.11, as their discovery is only making upcoming updates more exciting to watch out for what they might contain.
Previously too there players have mined information of the patches that Rockstar released, however, players are yet to see this anticipated feature.
Further, a text message in the post adds another likely feature - tournaments. The post reads, "The players achieving the top worldwide scores on this Playlist will be entered into the official GTA Online tournament for a chance to win in-game prizes and unique items. Good luck!"
"Top worldwide scores on this Playlist will be entered into the official GTA Online Tournament."
There could also be a possibility of players being able to set their GPS in more apartments, currently, the GPS can be set only to one location and that is 'home.'
(See Also: GTA 5 PC Rumors: Retailer Reveals Release Date)
To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail:
To contact the editor, e-mail:
Join the Conversation
- ‘Halo: The Master Chief Collection' Xbox One Fixes And Free Gifts, Bonnie Ross Apologises For Issues
- Nokia Lumia 635: Microsoft Drops AT&T Smartphone's Price For 2014 Black Friday Sale
- Google’s Mobile Search To Lessen Stress Of Black Friday Shopping
- Apple’s Black Friday Sale Versus Other Retailers
- ‘Destiny’ Dev Holds Own Black Friday 2014 Sale As More The Dark Below Details Get Revealed
- 5 Proofs Russia is Geared-Up for Shooting War with U.S. and Can Win Future Nuclear Showdown
- Target’s ‘Surprise Doorbusters’ Black Friday 2014 Deals On TV Sets, Entertainment Centres, DVD Players And More
- IKEA Black Friday 2014 Ad Includes Discounts On Home Furnishings, Appliances, Kitchen Designs, Beds, Sofas, Mattresses And Toys
- T-Mobile’s Black Friday 2014 Deals On Apple iPhone 6, Samsung Galaxy Note 4/Edge, Nexus 6, HTC One M8, LG G3, iPad Air 2 And Mini 3
- Black Friday And Cyber Monday Sale 2014: AT&T's Cricket Wireless Offers Discounts On Lumia 1320, Galaxy S5, S4 And HTC Desire 510
- ISIS Drug Transit From Afghanistan To Europe Confirmed By Russia: Money Goes Into Terror Funding And In New Recruitments
- ISIS Kidnaps Iraqi Defence Minister’s Family, Executes Female Parliament Candidates


text:
While BioWare is currently working on the next installment of the Mass Effect series, the developer isn’t ready to close the doors on last year’s Dragon Age: Inquisition just yet. Releasing details on the fantasy title’s latest update, the studio has revealed that Patch 8 for Dragon Age: Inquisition focuses on giving users additional options while playing the game’s multiplayer mode.
The developer confirmed that the new multiplayer features from the latest Dragon Age: Inquisition patch were added due to player request. The official BioWare Blog provided a full rundown of every change that was introduced in the title’s newest update. According to the studio, many of the new additions to Dragon Age: Inquisition multiplayer matches came directly from community feedback.
“Players have been asking for a bigger Multiplayer challenge, so we’ve created Nightmare difficulty, a step up from Perilous in every way. We’ve also introduced a number of new and rare high level weapons, some from the Avvar clans.”
One of the biggest new features that Dragon Age: Inquisition fans will enjoy within the multiplayer mode is the addition of the Proving Grounds. This new map allows players to take their multiplayer character into a solo match in order to test out how effective they are with their current skills and equipment without getting in the way of other people.
Patch 8 also brings an all new difficulty level to the Dragon Age: Inquisition multiplayer. This new “Nightmare” setting introduces a much harder challenge for veteran players. To help players take on the increased difficulty, the latest update also adds a stronger tier of accessories for Dragon Age: Inquisition fans to equip.
As BioWare continues to support Dragon Age: Inquisition, the developer has announced that no more DLC will be available on last-gen platforms from this point on. As the Inquisitr reported earlier today, the developer revealed that all future add-on content for the game will only be available on the Xbox One, PS4, and PC. To help players transition to newer systems, BioWare implemented a save migration system to Dragon Age: Inquisition with Patch 8.
Also released alongside the newest title update, Dragon Age: Inquisition fans also received a new set of prop items used to decorate the player-base of Skyhold. As the developer detailed on the game’s official website, anyone who can kill a dragon inside Dragon Age: Inquisition‘s single-player will gain access to the new prop set.
— Dragon Age (@dragonage) July 7, 2015
“DRAGONS! Venture deep enough into the far reaches of Thedas, and you’re bound to cross paths with Dragon Age: Inquisition’s apex predators. They’re big, they’re bad—Maker’s breath, they’re even in the title of our game—and now they’re coming to Skyhold! We’ve added a new dragon-themed prop set for you to use at Skyhold, but it’s only available to the worthiest warriors.”
More DLC is also currently in development for Dragon Age: Inquisition, but BioWare is not yet ready to discuss future add-ons. Do you play Dragon Age: Inquisition‘s multiplayer mode or do you stick to the traditional story-based campaign?
[Images via Dragon Age]


text:
Triumph is launching a new campaign to fit 100,000 women worldwide for their perfect bra in 2014 as the brand celebrates the 100th anniversary of the bra.
After discovering the number of online searches a month for issues related to bra fit and size, the brand conducted a survey of 10,000 women. The results inspired Triumph to launch its Stand up for Fit campaign.
The survey aimed to find out the issues that women face in choosing a bra, and discovered that while comfort, shape and fit were all important, 76% of respondents to the survey admitted to wearing the wrong size.
Through its Stand up for Fit campaign, Triumph aims to fit more than 100,000 women across the world, as well as providing education about bra fit, why it is important, and how to achieve it. The brand is creating on online fit guide that will offer advice to help women make informed decisions when buying their lingerie, plus style tips and fit tools. This will be complemented by in-store advice from Triumph’s bra fitters.
Anyone who would like a Triumph fitting can book an appointment online via the brand’s Facebook page, or visit a Triumph store.


text:
April 17, 2011 |
For a moment, overlook the quirkiness. A barber hoping to raise Rs 60 crore through an IPO begs a fundamental business question: how will he give value to his shareholders? The service—haircuts—can't be mechanised. Hence, maintaining consistent quality is impossible. Revenue growth will be limited to the expansion of the network of hair salons to tier I and tier II cities. Profits will remain constant for long periods as the fee of haircuts cannot be changed frequently. Most important, the company's brand value will depend on one man: Jawed Habib, celebrity hair stylist, now managing director of Jawed Habib Hair and Beauty Ltd (JHHBL)
May 25, 2010 |
MUMBAI: FMCG major, Marico, today announced the acquisition of the aesthetics business of Singapore-based Derma Rx Asia Pacific (Derma Rx), through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Kaya Limited. This acquisition provides Kaya access to an advanced range of skin-care products and a strong sourcing network, including suppliers of products from developed nations, a press release issued here stated. Marico, however, did not mention the acquisition amount. "With this acquisition, nearly 45 per cent of our skin-care solutions revenue would come from overseas," Marico's Chief of Finance, HR & Strategy, Milind Sarwate, said.
May 20, 2009 |
ET Intelligence Group Beauty may be skin deep, but brands aren't. Personal products company Marico has filed a trademark infringement suit against Aditya Birla group company Grasim Industries for infringing on its Kaya Skin Care brand and launching skin wipes under a similar-sounding brand, Kara. Marico had launched Kaya Skin Clinics in India in 2002, while Grasim's viscose staple fibre division launched Kara Skin Wipes in August 2007. Marico markets well-known brands like Parachute and Saffola, and has recently launched several products in the beauty and wellness categories.
August 20, 2014 |
NEW DELHI: The 50-share Nifty index slipped in red after hitting record highs earlier in the session on Wednesday, led by losses in ONGC, PNB, Bank of Baroda, IDFC and GAIL. Tracking the momentum, the S&P BSE Sensex was also trading in a range with a negative bias, led by losses in FMCG, auto, realty and capital goods stocks. At 2:21 p.m.; the 50-share index was trading at 7,876.40, down 21.10 points or 0.27 per cent. It touched an all-time high of 7,922.70 and a low of 7,866.80 in trade today.
January 7, 2013 |
MUMBAI: Marico's management has proposed restructuring of the company into two separate companies - FMCG company and Kaya Skin. "This well help company unlock value of around 5-10%"said Hardik Shah, analyst with K R Choksey . Kaya Skin business is less than 10% of the company's total business. "However this loss making skin care company which has been the drag on the company's valuation", said a fund manager who requested not to be quoted. In the last one year, the FMCG business reported a net profit of around Rs 400 crore, while the Kaya reported a loss of around Rs 20 crore.
October 7, 2011 |
NEW DELHI: It's one thing to celebrate the growing number of women employees in your organisation's ranks. But what if 85% of your workforce is staffed by what would be a minority in any other company? At Marico's Kaya skincare business, this is a reality. And the challenges are quite different too. But first, the imperatives. For beauty and skincare retail, the need for women staffers is led by the nature of the business and mirrors customer expectations. "85% of our customers are women," says Ajay Pahwa, CEO, Kaya.
January 8, 2013 |
NEW DELHI: Analysts at top two brokerage firms are of the view that the restructuring plan is positive for Marico and will result in value creation for shareholders and create the possibility of a strategic investment. The board of directors of Marico has approved the restructuring of businesses, corporate entities and organization involving a) the demerger of Kaya Skin Care Solutions into a separate company by name Marico Kaya Enterprises Ltd (MAKE) and b) formation of a unified FMCG business.
August 18, 2012 |
KOLKATA: Superstar athletes do it. So do swimmers. And cyclists & wrestlers. Now a league of otherwise ordinary Indian men is joining them in the war against body hair, but for reasons less concerned with efficiency, speed or precision. Shaving, waxing and laser, the three modern warheads in mankind's timeless fight against body hair are being aggressively deployed these days in a country where facial and torso hair once separated the men from the boys. While the exact reasons for this dramatic shift in beauty perceptions present the case for a hairy speculation, makers of male grooming products are not complaining.
August 20, 2014
NEW DELHI: The 50-share Nifty witnessed a choppy session today after hitting fresh record highs in morning trade on Wednesday, led by losses in ONGC, PNB, Bank of Baroda, IDFC and GAIL. Tracking the momentum, the S&P BSE Sensex also closed in red, led by losses in FMCG, auto, realty and capital goods stocks. The 50-share index closed at 7,875.30, down 22.20 points or 0.28 per cent. It touched an all-time high of 7,922.70 and a low of 7,864.05 in trade today. The S&P BSE Sensex ended at 26,314.29, down 106.38 points or 0.40 per cent.
March 4, 2012 |
Innovation is the magic word to engage Harsh Mariwala in a conversation. Say the word and watch Mariwala's eyes gleam behind his oval spectacles. Innovation is not a fleeting fancy for the 60-year-old chairman and managing director of Marico. Starting April, Mariwala will take time out to mentor entrepreneurs of budding businesses. "It's my personal social responsibility venture," says Mariwala, who recently stepped down as president of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.


text:
HME providers inch toward bar coding
SANDWICH, Mass. – As Mark Sheehan’s experience shows, it’s really easy to lose track of inventory.
The president of Cape Medical got a shrill wake-up call recently when one of his drivers discovered more than 40 oxygen tanks in a deceased patient’s basement. At $50 per tank, it added up to a substantial amount of cash removed from circulation.
“This was a long-term patient and the tanks built up over a period of years,” Sheehan said. “She was an active person, so she often wouldn’t be around when we’d visit the house. So what would happen is that we’d pick up two tanks and drop off four.”
The experience sparked heightened inventory vigilance at Cape Medical and Sheehan is determined to prevent similar mishaps in the future. Although he doesn’t have immediate plans to implement bar coding due to budget constraints, he admits that it would greatly improve product tracking.
Notoriously far behind other industries in bar coding, HME providers may finally be ready to invest in scanning technology, software vendors say.
“Over the past year, there’s been a lot more interest in getting into it,” said Heidi Thometz, director of sales and marketing at Billings, Mont.-based Computers Unlimited. “With new options in wireless technology, real time picking and receiving, it has really hit a hot button with providers.”
Spencer Kay, president of Plainview, NY-based Fastrack Healthcare Systems said the company’s sales of bar coding software and hardware are up 15% to 20%.
“People are reading more about it and are understanding the benefits,” he said. “They realize that it’s something they need to do. There are so many different items and supplies to keep track of. With multiple branches and rentals, inventory is moving around all over the place.”
Bar coding software is being designed to integrate with accounts payable, product usage and retail point-of-sale counts. Scanners give delivery personnel the ability to confirm orders in the field and with hand-held computers they can download data directly into the providers’ system.
Though the advantages are many, Mark Kulik, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Atlanta-based CareCen-tric, said he understands why providers have been reluctant so far.
“Getting the company hooked up means going through a physical inventory count and labeling your assets – it’s hard to say â€˜Let’s stop our business, take a long weekend and tell the staff to start counting’” he said. “That’s in addition to the dollar costs. But people need to know that a dollar expounded today will reap future returns. Bar coding works from a productivity and cost minimization perspective.”


text:
UK-India Business Council hails Gujarat growth story
- India to grow at 7.5 per cent in 2016, faster than China: IMF
- Lalu Yadav, Amit Shah booked for 'Narbhakshi', 'Chara chor' comments
- Nehru's niece returns Sahitya Akademi Award, questions PM's silence on 'reign of terror'
- Delhi MLAs may get 400 per cent hike in salary
- American Airlines plane makes emergency landing after pilot dies mid-flight
The growth story of Gujarat is the focus of the first edition of the new flagship publication launched by UK India Business Council (UKIBC), a premier London-based organisation that helps British firms do business with India.
Nearly a quarter of the 40-page magazine, a quarterly named UK India Business Exchange, is dedicated to the state. The cover story, titled "Entry to India: Gujarat", not only talks about the social, cultural and economic aspects of Gujarat, but also claims that its economic growth is greater than that of China.
"With its charismatic Chief Minister Narendra Modi tipped by many to be next PM, and even more charismatic brand ambassador, Amitabh Bachchan, Gujarat tends to be the poster child for India. The average annual growth rate over the past five years has been 10.4%, greater than that of China," writes Alpesh Patel, a UKIBC board member in one of the chapters tiled: "The Indian State Growing Faster than China".
The foreword of the magazine meant for readers interested in bilateral trade opportunities between India and UK opens with a "Welcome" in English and Gujarati fonts.
In the Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2013 held in January, UKIBC partnered with the Gujarat government for the first time to promote bilateral trade following the UK government's decision to do business with Narendra Modi after a 10-year hiatus post the 2002 communal riots. UKIBC also took a delegation of 40 UK business leaders to build relations with Gujarat during the summit.
Apart from detailed articles on Gujarati 'farsan' and the culture and festivals of the state, the first edition of the UKIBC magazine also contains a "fact-sheet" on Gujarat written by Peter Beckingham, the British Deputy High Commissioner based in Mumbai. Beckingham not only touches upon the demographic of the state but also lists out the prospective sectors for UK business houses.


text:
- THE MAGAZINE
- CATEGORY FOCUS
- BEVERAGE R&D
Articles Tagged with ''skinnygirl''
Deerfield, Ill.-based Beam Inc.’s Skinnygirl Cocktails brand introduced two new low-calorie, ready-to-serve additions to the Margarita category: Skinnygirl Sweet’arita and Skinnygirl Sparkling Margarita.
Heartland Food Products Group, in partnership with Skinnygirl, launched low-calorie Skinnygirl Water Enhancers.
The Skinnygirl brand has entered another new beverage segment with the announcement of its new, low-calorie Skinnygirl Water Enhancers.
SodaStream International Ltd., Airport City, Israel, announced a strategic agreement with Bethenny Frankel’s Skinnygirl brand to co-develop a line of better-for-you flavors for use with the SodaStream home beverage carbonation system.
It’s no secret that the customization trend is spreading like wildfire throughout the beverage industry. Beverage-makers are developing products to serve not just the broad public anymore but also the more niche demographics.
Skinnygirl Founder Bethenny Frankel partnered with AriZona Beverage Co., Cincinnati, to launch Skinnygirl’s first line of non-alcohol beverages. Skinnygirl Sparklers are sparkling waters that are made with real fruit juice, six essential vitamins, superfruit extracts and green tea polyphenols. Like the rest of the Skinnygirl portfolio, the products are low in calories. Each sparkling water contains 5 calories in a serving and do not include artificial colors or flavors.
Beam Inc. added Prosecco, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Cabernet Sauvignon wines to its Skinnygirl Wine Collection.
When it comes to market share, beverage categories are always battling for the biggest piece of the pie.
Consumers have seen a number of new liquid concentrates hit the market, but now the customization trend is coming to the sweeteners segment.
With many consumers lacking the tools or know-how to reproduce some of their favorite on-premise cocktails, beverage manufacturers have found a way to deliver that same enjoyment to consumers in their own homes.