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The medical report published this week which finds that vaping could save millions of lives and should be encouraged could be read as a victory for the Marlboro Man of our times, who has swapped his horse for a helicopter and become a woman.
Perhaps you’ve seen the glossy new TV ad, below, and its evocation of an age when cowboys sold a deadly lifestyle. In summary: helicopter corrals cows under big skies, lands next to massive rock; pilot wearing stetson gets out, pulls down bandana and puts an electronic cigarette in her mouth. Its tip glows blue before the setting sun catches the vapour cloud as she exhales.
It’s big-budget and kind of beautiful. But the ad, for Blu eCigs, part of Imperial Tobacco, comes at a tricky time in the rise of an awkward object. Conceived as a nicotine vehicle to deliver the physical, social and chemical appeal of smoking without the aftertaste of death, the electronic cigarette, used by an estimated 2.6 million people in Britain, has rapidly spawned a sub-industry and vaping culture.
But like a curious teenager clutching an Embassy behind a bike shed, we don’t quite seem to know what to do with these new sticks, or what the risks might be. Just as the the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) called on Thursday for the promotion of vaping in the biggest report of its kind, new rules are about to make e-cigarettes harder to buy – and kill off the Blu Woman before she’s even got going.
The EU Tobacco Products Directive, which comes into force on 20 May, will, among other things, outlaw the advertising of electronic cigarettes on TV, radio and in newspapers. It will also set a limit on the nicotine content of the liquid used in the devices, which use a small, battery powered heating element to create the inhalable vapour (the “e-liquid” or “juice” is a blend of organic compounds, natural or synthetic flavourings and nicotine).
The directive follows years of conflicting advice and regulation. There is no public ban on e-cigarettes but local policy varies. You can vape to your lungs’ content inside a Westfield shopping centre, but stray over the carpet into a Starbucks and you’re banned. Doctors haven’t been able to agree either. In 2014, the World Health Organisation said vaping could be dangerous. A year later, Public Health England said it was 95% less harmful than smoking, but its evidence was subsequently doubted in the Lancet.
Perhaps Prof John Britton, chair of the RCP’s tobacco advisory group, which produced the new report, can help navigate this fug of confusion. “A lot of it is psychological,” he says. “There are people who feel sustaining nicotine addiction is wrong. I’ve had those conversations at conferences over coffee, and nobody has seen the irony in it.” Nicotine isn’t something to seek out but “like caffeine, if it is used in the doses in which smokers use it, it is not significantly hazardous,” Britton adds. “The important thing is to separate it from the smoke, which is what electronic cigarettes do.”
The RCP report “lays to rest almost all of the concerns over these products”, including any suggestion that secondhand vapour can be harmful. But it will be harder to stub out the connotations of smoking. Almost 10 years after the public smoking ban, and more than half a century after the RCP’s pivotal 1962 report, Smoking and Health, which changed our relationship with cigarettes for ever, we are bound to doubt a solution that looks like the problem. Moreover, as the tobacco multinationals catch up with a runaway trend, and sell that solution as a lifestyle, we are understandably wary of the motivations of an industry which has not always welcomed the advice of doctors.
“There’s a suspicion of a commercial, consumer-led rather than medical response,” Britton accepts. “And there are arguments that these products are being used to promote smoking subconsciously … and that the tobacco industry will exploit them to sell more tobacco, particularly in countries with poorer governance.” The professor of epidemiology welcomes proportionate regulation, including the ad ban, as well as theforthcoming move to allow doctors to prescribe licensed vape kits. But while 200,000 children still take up smoking every year in Britain, he believes the participation even of public health villains is a price worth paying if it reduces illness and about 100,000 deaths a year (that’s about one every five minutes).
“We still have nearly 9 million people smoking tobacco every day when we’ve known what to do about it pretty much since 1962,” Britton says. “That’s a reflection of an abject failure of health policy. We’re reducing the number of young people taking up smoking, but we’re not that much better at helping them quit. That’s why the e-cigarette is such a powerful new tool.”
Marc Michelsen is, unsurprisingly, inclined to agree. “We have had an issue with public trust,” admits the public affairs executive at Fontem Ventures, the Dutch firm which owns Blu, and is an “arms-length subsidiary” of Imperial, the British tobacco company. “But a lot of that comes from a lack of scientific understanding.” Blu is delighted with the RCP report, but less keen on the advertising ban. “If you inhibit advertising, fewer people will buy the product and that can’t be good,” adds Michelsen, who denies that Blu’s commerical is a barely veiled Marlboro reboot. “I think it’s pure Mad Max,” he suggests (I must have missed the pastoral scenes in Fury Road). “This campaign is not about the past, we’re looking forward.”
What do vapers think, and who are they anyway? The majority of electronic smokers buy mass-produced products in supermarkets or online, and don’t think a great deal about them beyond their health and financial savings (£200 a month for a 20-a-day smoker, according to vape sites). But a vaping scene has unexpectedly mushroomed to the extent that, for many vapers, nicotine has become a secondary interest.
At the Vape Emporium, a London-based online store with boutiques at Hampstead and Richmond, a vape consultant will talk you through a menu of handcrafted e-pipes and more than 200 flavoured e-liquids. Perhaps you’d like to try the VG by Simple Chocolaccino, which “blends caramel, chocolate, coffee and biscuit for a divine morning vape”. “We now have juices that only contain 1.5mg of nicotine, which is tiny,” says Andy Logan, the emporium’s co-founder. A 24mg/ml mix compares to a strong cigarette, he explains (the new rules will set the maximum at 20mg). “And some people are taking zero nicotine now because they just don’t need it but still enjoy vaping.”
Logan, who set up as an online store in 2013 and is looking for new shopfronts, says vapers follow a familiar path. “At the start they’re adamant they don’t want any funny flavoured rubbish and go for a strong, tobacco-style vape. But after a few weeks they’re trying some crazy flavours and dropping the nicotine because they’ve got their tastebuds back.” Flavour seekers tend to favour fruit, pudding (doughnuts and cakes are popular) or mint and vanilla perfumes, he adds. Some go further, vaping socially in cafes and clubs and discussing equipment and blends. Logan has just exhibited at the second Vape Jam UK, a three-day expo at London’s ExCel centre attended by 300 companies and clubs. “I took my fiancee on the Sunday,” he says. “She had no idea this subculture exists. It’s quite amazing.”
Logan says his customers range from an insanely knowledgable 94-year-old woman to a businessman who comes in for a puff while his driver idles outside in a Bentley. Vaping is increasingly popular among young people (it is illegal to sell to under-18s), he adds. Meanwhile, the public response to vaping – while still generally somewhere between curious and hostile – is catching up with its rise in popularity. “I still can’t go to a party without facing a barrage of questions, but it is changing,” Logan says.
As a culture emerges and big tobacco piles in with huge advertising budgets, do we risk discouraging nicotine quitting, or even drawing non-smokers into addiction? “Our annual survey of 12,000 adults suggests the level of vaping among non-smokers is steady at about 0.2%, says Hazel Cheeseman, director of policy at Ash, the smoking health charity.
“It’s extremely rare and I don’t think that will ever change,” Logan adds, rejecting the gateway hypothesis. And he doesn’t need it to. “If there are nearly 10 million smokers and only 2 million vapers, we’ve still got a massive, long journey to convert the rest,” he says.


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No. of depression patients exceeds 1m in 2022
Seoul subway fare to rise 12% beginning Saturday
Korean Air to submit new merger plan to ease antitrust concerns
Korea to begin experiment with central bank digital currency
Races tighten in Seoul as parties battle for Assembly control
6-year-old Uzbek girl found dead in Daegu
Star lecturers, hagwon probed over buying Suneung questions
US House votes to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy
Culture minister nominee warns celebrities to be cautious over political speech
22 Chinese apprehended after illegal entry attempt
"Enjoy the Wonder of Mountains, Share the Beautiful of Life, Revitalize the Tourism Industry" - the Theme Events of International Mountain Tourism Day 2023 Opens in LaosBy PRNEWSWIRE
Published : June 1, 2023 - 15:20
LONDON, June 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 29th, the International Mountain Tourism Day 2023 began in Vientiane, Laos, with the theme "Enjoy the Wonder of Mountains, Share the Beauty of Life, and Revitalize the Tourism Industry." Organized by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Lao PDR, International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA), Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF), and supported by UNWTO, World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), ASEAN-China Centre, CNIE, Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and Foreign Affairs Office of Guizhou Province, the event brought together over 250 participants to discuss mountain tourism supply, market development, and solutions for new consumer demands.
Notable guests included Ounethouang Khaophanh, Vice Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of Lao PDR; Fu Yingchun, Vice Chairman and Executive Secretary-General of IMTA; Phouvong Vongkhamsao, Deputy Mayor of Vientiane, Laos; Zhang Xilong, Former Inspector at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China; Xu Peng, Vice Chairman of the World Tourism Alliance (WTA); Phengchanh Phengmuang, Director-General of Planning and International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Lao PDR; Emma Chen, Global Vice President of the Internationale Organisation Für Volkskunst (IOV); Darany Phommavongsa, Director-General of the Tourism Business Management Department, Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism of Lao PDR; Franka Gulin, European Travel Commission China Chapter Chairwoman; Inthy Deuansavanh, Member of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Goto Satoshi, Vice President of the Asian Union of Speleology. Opening addresses were delivered by Ounethouang Khaophanh and Fu Yingchun, and video addresses were given by Peter Semone (Chairman of PATA), Pansy Ho (Vice Chairman of GTEF and IMTA), Zhu Shanzhong (Tourism Ambassador of UNWTO), Dou Enyong (Vice President of CNIE), and Shi Zhongjun (Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Center), representing other organizers and international organizations.
Francesco Frangialli (former UNWTO Secretary-General), Emma Chen, Franka Gulin, Jin Zhun (Secretary-General of CASS), and Song Liguo (representative of Trip.com Group ) gave a keynote speech. Wu Mai, Deputy Secretary-General of IMTA, releaseed the Revitalizing tourism and creating a bright future together----Vientiane Consensus for International Mountain Tourism Day 2023.
The events also included activities such as launching ceremony, theme forum, Asian Mountain Tourism Promotion Conference, IMTA "World-famous Mountains Recommendation" and exchanges meetings.
Pentagon chief renews support for Japan's 'counterstrike' capabilities amid N. Korean threats
S. Korean experts to inspect Japan water release
PM orders measures to prevent public opinion manipulation on web portals

domain: news


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Tesla in space
While Elon Musk, the man behind SpaceX, Tesla and The Boring Company, is active on Twitter, he truly comes alive through the medium of Instagram. This is where he drops enticing photos of electric cars, highlights hats and teases fans about flamethrowers.
Musk posted a series of photos in December 2017 showing his personal red Tesla Roadster getting ready to (eventually) be launched into space on board a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket. He gave us this simple message: “A Red Car for the Red Planet.” The Tesla will not actually end up on Mars, but will spend its life in a never-ending orbit around the sun if the Falcon launch goes as planned.
First published, Feb. 6, 2018.


text: NVIDIA says ZTE will be the first company to make a Tegra 4 phone, isn’t that sad? 61 by Stefan Constantinescu on February 20, 2013 11:21 pm 8 NVIDIA has just announced that ZTE will be the first company to launch a smartphone powered by the brand new Tegra 4 chip. Isn’t that a little bit sad? Why not Sony? LG? HTC?


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For decades, Garmin® has pioneered new GPS navigation, and wireless devices and applications that are designed for people who live an active lifestyle. Garmin’s Automotive OEM (original equipment manufacturer) business unveiled the latest upgraded navigation software, enhanced infotainment platforms, augmented reality technology, and the latest integrated cameras and wearable solutions at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2019 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Garmin Automotive OEM Managing Director Matt Munn expects the CES 2019 will help communicate their commitment to innovating navigation and infotainment to launch Garmin as a global OEM solution in 2020. One innovation is the hybrid navigation system that utilizes real-time, cloud-based destination search and routing plus on-board maps and routing when connectivity is unavailable to provide an uncompromised navigation guide. Other improvements include intelligent map labeling, a new intuitive route-shaping feature for custom routes, and Garmin’s RouteCast™ weather system for mile-by-mile route-specific forecasts.
Garmin showcased its scalable infotainment platform with digital instrument cluster that integrates with Garmin-designed wearable products for driver monitoring and vehicle telematics. The company announced a new OEM strategic relationship to integrate its wearable products with vehicles where a new Bluetooth® based digital key solution using Garmin wearables can unlock car doors. Garmin collaborator Tapkey hopes to give app developers, service providers, and lock manufacturers the ability to add digital key access to their product lines. They also showcased how its wearables can monitor driver stress and display the driver’s fitness information using the Garmin vívoactive® 3 GPS smartwatch.
The company likewise discussed recent developments to their integrated camera technology where Garmin is in the process of developing its third integrated DVR (Digital Video Recorder), which is designed to integrate with the head unit and other vehicle electronics. To date, Garmin has produced OEM camera DVRs that are installed in multiple vehicle programs with the PSA Group. They likewise announced plans of integrating camera products for a new auto OEM in 2020. To support electric vehicles (EV), Garmin also revealed its latest EV feature set.
To highlight some of its research and development work, Garmin will demonstrate its augmented reality technology advancements and multi-model navigation solutions, which can automatically provide routes using a combination of driving and mass transit to guide users to their destinations.


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Sony and Delivery Agent Team for Second Screen mCommerce
- Sunday, September 7th, 2014
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The TV SideView app enables users to find, record and set reminders for television content, as well as discuss shows on social networks and search for information while watching. By integrating Delivery Agents ShopTV platform, users will also be able to purchase items shown on the screen while they watch, directly from the mobile devices.
ShopTV, which has deals in place with numerous US television networks including NBC, CBS, Fox and FX, has previously partnered with Samsung to bring a similar functionality to its myTifi remote app for Samsung smart TVs.
“TV watching is no longer the family sitting around a single screen, but rather an omnichannel experience that involves TVs, tablets, phones and laptops,” said Mike Fitzsimmons, CEO of Delivery Agent. “We understand this shift and believe that integrating our tCommerce technology with innovative applications like Sonys TV SideView is an opportunity to expand and enhance the way viewers interact with their favourite TV content via their preferred devices.”
“Our TV SideView application already enables us to provide TV watchers with more dynamic second screen viewing and social interactivity with the TV,” said Makoto Ishii, general manager of the multi-screen UX service department, planning & operation division at Sony. “By partnering with Delivery Agent we can now include a shopping element through the second screen TV watching experience. This is the next level of consumer engagement.”


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The face of Indian ecommerce — Sachin Bansal, the self-anointed executive chairman of Flipkart—says, “the journey of an entrepreneur is one which no one else can understand.” Fortunately, “Binny (Bansal) and I had each other,” says the 34-year-old founder of India’s biggest startup. He was speaking at the Surge Conference happening in Bangalore.
And when the going gets tough, he just zooms out. “The anchor, is the bigger picture,” he tells the entrepreneurs at the venue. “Sometimes, you have to pull out of smaller details.”
According to Sachin, entrepreneurship is an exploratory process. “As we started exploring the gold mine, it got bigger and bigger.” He was referring to the explosive growth of Flipkart into an ecommerce behemoth from a small online book seller nine years ago. When he talks about metamorphosis, may be you should be all ears!
There were three things that kept Sachin going through all these years. One was his resolve to hire only the right people. “Second, we kept up our eyes and ears to the ground,” says Sachin. But the “single largest thing” that helped was “the circumstance to decide the investors on our own.”
“It is all about getting the basics right,” says Sachin, about entrepreneurship. “If you are a founder, everything personal is business, and everything business is personal. You are never switched off,” adds Sachin.
He says he has always stayed opened to change. He is also of the opinion that comments from press and people in general swing from very positive to very negative. But he exhorted not to become unapproachable.
“When you start becoming unapproachable, people stop giving you feedback. Binny and I were very clear that we didn’t know anything.”
He said that he had to learn 99 percent of what he knows today, and that he gives a lot of autonomy to employees.
He says, “with freedom, you get a lot of responsibility,” reminding all of us of the friendly neighbourhood Spiderman.
Towards the end of the talk, Sachin tells entrepreneurs to “ignore” the media. And with ‘Flipkart Stories’ on board, he can definitely do his own positive PR.
Ironical, for a company’s founder who says, “I don’t like reading positive PR about Flipkart.”


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Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty is the game’s ‘only planned’ expansion
September 07, 20222 min read
Just one more job
CD Projekt Red officially revealed Phantom Liberty, its first major expansion for Cyberpunk 2077, this week. And it looks like it will be the only one.
In a YouTube comments section, as spotted by sites like XGP, the official Cyberpunk 2077 account responded to a hopeful comment about further expansions beyond Phantom Liberty. The account expressed gratitude but said that Phantom Liberty is the "only planned expansion" for Cyberpunk 2077.
Following up on that, Polygon received comment from CD Projekt Red's global PR director Radek Grabowski. He confirms that Phantom Liberty is "the only planned expansion" for Cyberpunk 2077, and there are "no plans for more expansions beyond that."
It seems pretty plain that we won't be seeing two expansions like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt received. And to be fair, Phantom Liberty is still a ways off; it's currently aiming for a 2023 launch.
Night City blues
Cyberpunk 2077 feels like it's seen an up-swell in public perception. Patch 1.5, otherwise known as the Next-Gen Update, really did a lot to bring Cyberpunk 2077 closer to what players probably expected at launch.
With yesterday's Night City Wire, CD Projekt Red has now bumped it up to 1.6, adding some content with tie-ins to the upcoming Netflix anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. It's also leaving the previous generation of consoles behind with this update.
There's still more ahead for Cyberpunk, though. Game director Gabriel Amatangelo teased a few upcoming tweaks during the stream, including overhauls to the cop system and vehicle-to-vehicle combat. There is still, at least in the near-future, more for Night City.
While Cyberpunk 2077ramps up to its first and final expansion, other sections CD Projekt Red are also forging ahead. The studio is currently working on the next Witcher game, built in Unreal Engine 5. And on the Gwent side of things, the studio released a deckbuilding expansion dubbed Rogue Mageearlier this year.


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Food and beverage firms that were small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were expected to draw particular benefit from the spending.
Angela Coleshill, FDF director of competitiveness, said: “The announcement of a £15M investment by the government into research and development could be of particular help to SME food and drink businesses to help them innovate and continue to invest in new research and development facilities.”
The food and drink sector had both the appetite and the ability to grow particularly in a supportive business environment, she said.
Creates new jobs
“Among other things, this funding could help businesses invest in the new infrastructure needed to meet overseas demand for great British-made brands, which not only creates new jobs here in the UK, but also helps to safeguard existing ones,” she said.
A statement from the Technology Strategy Board explained that the money would be directed towards R&D projects that increase efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness.
A further £500,000 will be dedicated to micro and SMEs to provide feasibility studies intended to deliver better and more cost-effective systems and processes.
Jim Paice, food and farming minister, said the government wanted to invest in “… cutting edge ideas that increase efficiency and reduce waste in farming, food and drink production and manufacturing.
Engine for growth
“By getting businesses innovating and enhancing the UK’s reputation as a world-class pioneer of new production and manufacturing techniques, the food and farming sector can be a real engine for growth.”
Iain Gray, chief executive of the Technology Strategy Board, added: “There are tremendous opportunities for UK businesses to develop technologies and innovative systems that can improve the competitive position of the food and drink manufacturing sector, which has a turnover of over £75bn a year, and to help grow the British economy.”
Gray pledged to seek proposals for projects and feasibility studies that will deliver innovation and technological advances throughout the UK’s food and drink supply chain.
The investment would create “opportunities for the export of goods and services to the wider global agri-food industry,” he said.
Known as The Food Processing and Manufacturing Efficiency competition, the initiative will be managed by the Technology Strategy Board with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Scottish government.
For further information, click here.


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Updated, Aug. 18: Consumers’ response to a single-day test of plant-based near-chicken menu items in Mississauga last year has led KFC Canada to add the product, full time, to its menu nationwide.
The Canadian arm of the Yum Brands-owned chicken chain announced Wednesday its ‘Plant-Based KFC’ sandwiches will be available permanently at its stores across Canada starting Monday (Aug. 10).
The near-chicken sandwich will continue to be made by Lightlife, a brand of Greenleaf Foods, a U.S. subsidiary of Toronto-based Maple Leaf Foods.
Plant-Based KFC Popcorn, a bite-sized near-chicken product test-marketed in Mississauga at the same time as the sandwich last November, will only be “available for a limited time while quantities last.”
As for the plants going into the new product, the list of ingredients posted on KFC Canada’s website for the Plant-Based KFC sandwich includes wheat flour, soy protein, tapioca starch, corn flour, citrus fibre, dried garlic, faba bean protein isolate, wheat gluten, soy flour, modified corn starch, rice flour and dried onions, among others.
Well within the top 10 restaurant chains in Canada by number of outlets, KFC includes about 640 Canadian stores out of 24,390 worldwide.
“When we tested Plant-Based KFC by Lightlife late last year, we sold over a month’s worth of sandwiches in six hours,” KFC Canada’s chief marketing officer Samantha Redman said Wednesday in a release.
Redman described the sandwich as “a modern take” on the company’s chicken, “whether you enjoy a vegetarian or flexitarian lifestyle — or you’re one of our loyal fans looking for something new.”
Lightlife’s plant protein near-meats are no stranger to the Canadian quick-service dining market.
Last month it launched a “reinvented” Lightlife Burger, made with pea protein, coconut oil and garlic powder, for the Harvey’s chain, where it had introduced a plant-based burger the previous September.
Greenleaf, announcing the Harvey’s burger relaunch July 20, said its research has shown “consumers’ needs went unmet 98 per cent of the time when looking for plant-based protein with simple, recognizable ingredients,” leading the company to offer “the cleanest ingredient labels in the plant-based meat category.”
Also, Greenleaf said last month, “unlike some of its competitors, the Lightlife Plant-Based Burger is made from pea protein — not soy — and does not contain any artificial flavours, GMOs or gluten.”
Elsewhere in Canada, Lightlife’s plant-based burgers appear on menus at dining chains including Kelseys and Dave + Busters.
Vegetarian options also aren’t new to the KFC Canada menu, which has had such items since 2009, including a vegetarian sandwich with a soy- and wheat-protein-based patty.
KFC is also still testing plant-based “chicken” in other markets, including “Beyond Fried Chicken” items, made by Los Angeles-based Beyond Meat, in the U.S.
Those tests included a one-day run in Atlanta last summer and further tests in Nashville and Charlotte in February. It launched a new test run last month at over 50 California stores in and around Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego.
KFC Canada, in its release Wednesday, emphasized the chain’s bona fide chicken is “not going anywhere. It is Kentucky Fried Chicken after all.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network
UPDATE, Aug. 18, 2020: A previous version of this article made note of the ingredients for Lightlife’s plant-based “Smart Tenders” near-chicken product, as the Plant-Based KFC sandwich’s ingredient list was not yet publicly available.


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Costa Rica’s government confirmed Tuesday that President Luis Guillermo Solís’ trip to Cuba next week will include a mission of 31 officials and 50 representatives from the business sector.
Casa Presidencial disclosed the details of the mission and the full list of officials who will join Solís on his visit designed to improve relations with the Caribbean nation. A statement from Casa Presidencial said the cost to taxpayers for airline tickets is estimated at ₡14.3 million, or just over $27,000.
The list of officials who will travel Dec. 13-15 with expenses covered includes first lady Mercedes Peñas, as well as various ministers, lawmakers, advisers and journalists. Casa Presidencial said the university rectors and business executives would pay their own way.
The announcement has drawn criticism, mostly at the Legislative Assembly, where opposition lawmakers harshly criticized the president’s decision to pay travel expenses for most of the group, after Solís’ promises to cut public spending.
The National Liberation Party’s Rolando González said there is no consistency between Solís’ calls for spending cuts and the actions of his administration. González described the president’s trip as “political tourism from Casa Presidencial” and accused Solís of reneging on the austerity promises he made before he was elected.
Mario Redondo from the Christian Democratic Alliance called Solís’ trip a shameful act and said it was nothing but “one of the gifts of the government’s Christmas party.”
Criticism also came from former President Abel Pacheco (2002-2006), who told the daily La Nación that an official mission of more than 30 people “is not a visit, it’s an invasion of a country.”
Pacheco said he does not understand why Solís is traveling with such a large group of entrepreneurs “when Costa Rica has no interest in investing in Cuba and most Cubans do not have a cent to invest in another country.”
Administration defends Solís trip to Cuba
Foreign Minister Manuel González defended the trip, saying Tuesday the mission has not only diplomatic goals, but also seeks to open the doors for future negotiations in other areas such as health, business, technology, tourism, sports and education.
The government’s mission includes first lady Mercedes Peñas and her personal journalist, Foreign Trade Promotion Office General Manager Pedro Beirute, Foreign Minister Manuel González, Health Minister Fernando Llorca, Science and Technology Minister Marcelo Jenkins, Tourism Minister Mauricio Ventura and Sports Minister Carolina Mauri.
The president also invited lawmakers Nidia Jiménez from the ruling Citizen Action Party, Martha Arauz from the National Liberation Party, José Alberto Alfaro of the Libertarian Movement Party, Jorge Arguedas of the Broad Front Party and Abelino Esquivel of the Costa Rican Renovation Party.
He also extended the invitation to presidents of the National University, National Technical University and the University of Costa Rica.
The president’s support staff includes Solís’ personal assistant Verónica Fernández, press director Stephanie González, health services director César Gamboa, chief of staff of the Costa Rican Tourism Board Roberto Arce, international cooperation coordinator at the Science and Technology Ministry Eliana Ulate, as well as Casa Presidencial’s staff journalists, a cameraman and a photographer.
The director of intelligence and security, Mariano Figueres Olsen, and the director of the presidential security group, Francisco Paniagua, also are part of the group.
The business group includes 50 entrepreneurs representing 23 of the country’s productive sectors. They will seek to negotiate the removal of current restrictions on payment procedures for selling goods and services, and in transportation of products to Cuba.
Foreign Trade Minister Alexander Mora said he has received complaints from companies doing business with Cuba that they frequently face problems in receiving payment due to a series of requirements that must be met by people trying to send money from the island.
Mora said that before seeking business opportunities, the Solís administration will ask Cuban officials to set clear rules on payment requirements and procedures.
The trade mission also wants to discuss changes that could occur with trade agreements following the reactivation of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the U.S.


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Why is Walmart so concerned about Aldi and Lidl?
Walmart knows a thing or two about Aldi and Lidl occupying the same market based on its experience in the U.K. and Europe. Perhaps that’s why The Wall Street Journal reports the world’s largest retailer is “bracing” for an increased level of competition in the U.S.
Aldi and Lidl have proven to be disruptive forces in the U.K. where the two hard discounters account for 11 percent of the grocery market combined.
In the U.S., Aldi has been aggressively expanding into new markets, such as California, while ramping up store counts in important states including Florida and Texas. The chain, which expects to have 2,000 stores nationwide by next year, is investing $1.6 billion to expand and remodel 1,300 existing stores.
Aldi, according to Reuters, currently accounts for just 1.5 percent of the U.S. grocery market, but has seen its sales double over the past five years..
“We are re-merchandising, remodeling, enhancing our product range and are focused on gaining volume so more customers start their shopping at Aldi and we are able to complete their shopping lists more so than we have in the past,” Aldi CEO Josh Hart told Reuters.
A separate report by the news service in February disclosed that Walmart had conducted a price test covering 1,200 stores in states across the Midwest and Southeast. Market basket checks in Illinois and Iowa found Walmart had “consistently” lower prices than Aldi. Previous analyst findings put Aldi’s prices about 20 percent lower than Walmart’s.
Lidl plans to open 20 stores this summer in the Carolinas and Virginia. The chain, which plans to open 100 stores in East Coast states during its first year in the U.S., was not expected to begin opening locations until next year. Reports by The Dallas Morning News and The Plain Dealer have Lidl eyeing locations in Texas and Ohio, as well.
Kantar Retail projects Lidl’s store count will reach 630 with total sales of $8.8 billion by 2023. That’s more than the $8.1 billion Wegmans will do this year.
- Why Wal-Mart is Worried About a German Discount Grocer – The Wall Street Journal
- Aldi raises stakes in price war with Wal-Mart – Reuters
- German grocer Lidl is quietly buying up land in North Texas – The Dallas Morning News
- German grocery giant Lidl confirms plans under way to check out sites in Ohio – The Plain Dealer
- Can a former Lidl CEO transform Save-A-Lot into a major player? – RetailWire
- Will Walmart’s price push pull customers away from Aldi? – RetailWire
- Will Aldi and Lidl replicate U.K. success in the U.S.? – RetailWire
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What does Walmart know about Aldi and Lidl that has management so concerned about their expansion plans in the U.S.? Do you think other grocery store competitors are similarly preparing for disruption of the market brought on by the two hard discount chains?


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Sen. Elizabeth Warren introduced new legislation today that would hold corporate executives criminally liable when their companies experience major data breaches, engage in criminal activity or cause widespread consumer harm.
The Corporate Executive Accountability Act, which Warren teased Tuesday in a Washington Post op-ed, would hold criminally liable the executives of any corporations making more than $1 billion annually in the event that their companies break the law or harm large portions of Americans or state residents in civil violations.
Any civil violation of federal state law that occurred during an executive’s tenure “that affects the health, safety finances or personal data” of either 1 percent of the U.S. populace or 1 percent of a state’s populace could face up to a year of jail time and additional fines for the first violation. Executives of companies that commit additional offenses could face jail time of up to three years.
“Corporations don’t make decisions, people do, but for far too long, CEOs of giant corporations that break the law have been able to walk away, while consumers who are harmed are left picking up the pieces,” Warren said in a statement announcing the bill.
Warren, a consumer rights advocate and Wall Street foe who has long pushed for more stringent laws regulating U.S. corporations, announced the legislation in tandem with the re-introduction of another bill. That bill would hold big bank executives responsible for making sure their companies are not breaking the law and would give the U.S. government more authority to prosecute financial crimes.
The Corporate Executive Accountability Act will likely face opposition in the Republican-held Senate and from Democrats with close ties to big business, but it’s part of Warren’s sustained focus on corporate America, which she has said faces few penalties in the event of corporate misdeeds.
“If top executives knew they would be hauled out in handcuffs for failing to reasonably oversee the companies they run, they would have a real incentive to better monitor their operations and snuff out any wrongdoing before it got out of hand,” Warren wrote in the Post prior to the bill’s release.
Earlier this year, Warren proposed breaking up big tech companies like Amazon, Facebook and Google. Today’s legislation is a sign that Warren is keeping the heat on major industries, including the tech industry, which makes billions every year off targeted advertising and has experienced major data breaches that exposed the personal information of millions of their customers.
The potential impact wouldn’t stop at big tech: data brokers like Experian, brands like Target and media giants like Sony have all experienced massive data breaches in recent years.


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Brazil increase the number of destinations for genetic material
Brazil will start exporting genetic material and animal feed to new countries, according to a survey by the Ministry of Agriculture. There were three new openings until the third week of August: possibility to negotiate bovine embryos with Myanmar, equine embryos with the United States and pig tallow for animal feed with Argentina. The portfolio counts 53 actions for opening new markets and also the expansion of products for commercial partners already consolidated since the beginning of the year, compared to 35 last year.
Last month, Egypt allowed imports of Brazilian poultry meat and meat products. Myanmar has released the sale of pork and meat products, bovine semen, live cattle for slaughter, live cattle for breeding, by-products for animal feed in Brazil. Genetic material such as bovine embryos and Brazilian bovine semen were also allowed by Qatar. China opened the market for bovine trimmings from Brazil, while Argentina released the entry of poultry oil intended for animal feed.
After years in which ABP maintained more than a 50% share in both Slaney Meats and ICM, the recen...


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Weathering the storm, come rain or shine tourists are used to donning raincoats to brave the Scottish weather, however tourism businesses are being urged to think about the impact of an increasing number of severe weather events caused by changes in the country’s climate. Heavy downpours, flooding and even heatwaves will increasingly affect tourism in a number of ways such as unpredictable visitor numbers, delays with essential supplies, damage to buildings and landscapes being altered.
Anna Beswick, Programme Manager, Adaptation Scotland Programme, said:
“The plans and investments the tourism industry makes today will determine how we live with climate change in years to come. “The tourism sector is and will continue to be affected by the changes taking place in Scotland’s climate. These changes bring lots of challenges and opportunities.”
Dr Fiona Hutchison, Sector Engagement Executive for Tourism at Interface, said:
“The impact of climate change on tourism can have knock-on effects down the supply chain – as we have seen last winter with lack of snow affecting ski operators, accommodation providers, hospitality and retail companies and attractions which normally benefit from the boost in winter visitors.
“As climate change is a global issues and tourism is a worldwide phenomenon, Scotland needs to be ahead of the curve to stay competitive. Tourism businesses, membership organisations and public agencies are all keen to build up resilience. However, with such a huge challenge as climate change its important to work together and bring in expertise from Scotland’s world-class universities. “
Interface and Adaptation Scotland have partnered to stage an event. Scottish Tourism Fit for our Future event supporting climate change resilience within tourism businesses and destinations will take place on 18th October in Edinburgh.


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- 2 min read
MG Motor to ramp up capacity by 50%
With a second shift, production will be increased to 3,000 units a month from 2,000 at present.
MG’s capacity addition by 50 per cent comes even as the broader industry is struggling to clamber out of a protracted slowdown.
Owned by China’s SAIC Motor, the British brand had earlier stopped taking bookings for its maiden product in India after receiving over 28,000 orders, with the waiting period for deliveries exceeding well beyond 2019. It resumed taking orders for the SUV late last month and increased its price by 2.5% on average across variants.
“We’ve been able to get the confidence that our suppliers will be able to meet our additional requirements of parts and basis this confirmation, we will start the second shift from November onward,” Gaurav Gupta, chief commercial officer at MG Motor India, told ET. “Based on that timeline, we resumed taking orders.”
With a second shift, production will be increased to 3,000 units a month from 2,000 at present, Gupta said.
The company sold about 6,100 units of the Hector during the three-month period ending September. Adding an extra shift will also lead to fresh hiring by the company at a time when many of its local rivals have been compelled to let go of their temporary workforce due to weak demand.
The Indian passenger vehicles market has witnessed a sales slowdown for a year now, with even entry-level car sales falling dramatically.
Yet, most of MG’s customers are opting for higher end variants of the Hector, priced around ₹ 17.5 lakh on-road, said Gupta.
Buyers are increasingly opting for petrol-engine variants over diesel for the full-sized SUV, he said, especially in the urban areas. The current petrol-diesel sales mix for the company is 50-50.


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This Week in Retail: Sleigh-ing the Competition with Holiday Deals
With the cost of living remaining high for many households, retailers are hoping to earn consumer dollars with attractive deals in the final days leading up to Christmas.
Last-minute shoppers looking to procure their centerpieces for the holiday dinner table can find competitive offerings on a wide array of proteins this week.
Looking at this week's protein ads, pork features currently hold the top slot with 31.2% of total retail activity. Seafood follows with 26.5% of ad space, while beef features account for 22%. Turkey makes up 8.2% of circular space and chicken holds onto 7.7% of total retail activity. Egg features are nearly non-existent with just 0.4%.
In the pork complex, ham features claim 31% of all pork feature activity. Holiday hams average $2.18 per pound, up 27 cents from a year ago. Bone-in butt half hams are featured at $2.32 per pound, a whopping 63.4% higher than this week in...
This Week in Retail: The Christmas Countdown
Jingle bells—or should we say alarm bells—are ringing now that just two short weekends are left to shop for Christmas.
In the lead-up to the big day, grocers are focused on holiday spending as consumers prepare to celebrate the season with food and drinks. This sparks interest in the protein case and traditional favorites for the Christmas dinner table, including hams and rib roasts.
This week in retail, pork leads the charge in retail buying opportunities with 30 percent of total protein ad space. Seafood follows with 24.2 percent, while beef comes in with 22.3 percent. Chicken accounts for 15.5 percent, up slightly from the week prior.
Upon closer inspection, bacon features make up a large chunk of category ads within the pork complex. Brand-label bacon currently averages $6.43 per pound, up 19 cents a year ago and at a near seasonal all-time high. Shoppers can find holiday hams at a more palatable price point of $1.96 per pound on average, below $2.23 last year. Pork roasts are situated above 2021 levels at an average of $2.98 per pound but are competitively priced against many beef and chicken items...
This Week in Retail: Good Gravy… The 2022 Thanksgiving Rundown
The countdown to Thanksgiving is winding down and consumers are flocking to the supermarkets to secure last-minute needs for the big day.
While it’s hard to ignore the influx of headlines about the higher costs of this year’s feast, some major retailers are still featuring attractive deals on holiday staples despite supply constraints and macroeconomic headwinds.
Not to beat a dead horse (or should we say turkey), let’s look another look at the traditional centerpiece. Retail buying opportunities for turkey this week are at 24.5%, up from 21.5% last week. The big bird has seemingly stolen the spotlight from chicken, which plummeted to 2.4% this week versus 12.5% a week ago...
SPAM® Sales Sizzle with the Help of Social Media
Spam, the square canned meat, with the iconic blue and yellow label, has been feeding families for more than 85 years. Hormel Foods says with the help of social media, it’s become even more popular.
Austin’s canned ham was made by Hormel Foods at the end of the depression in 1937 as an affordable and convenient meat option. The product, made up of only six ingredients, is now in more than 47 countries...
Pork Checkoff: Mixed Signals in the Market as Some Items Struggle, Others Trade Firm
The cure for high prices is high prices — lack of features and ample inventory cause prices to adjust and create future opportunities.
Highlights• Following the record-breaking levels of a year ago, backribs are now at the lowest levels of the past five years. Prices may need to stay low for a bit longer to “buy” some demand from retail and foodservice. For operators, current prices present excellent feature opportunities.
• Pork prices were firm at the end of the week on seasonally lower slaughter as well...
This Week in Retail: A Look at Easter Features; CPI Data Released
This week in retail, the discussion is heavily centered on the economy, rising inflation with the latest CPI growth, and the bird flu outbreak in the U.S. Meanwhile, Easter week has arrived and grocers are looking to capture additional spending on the holiday.
USDA estimates that nearly 24 million poultry birds have died from high-path avian influenza since the virus strain was identified in February. The virus has since spread in wild birds to 32 states.
Another outbreak was confirmed Tuesday afternoon in a flock of roughly 2 million commercial layers in Nebraska, lifting the total number of commercial laying hens affected by HPAI to about 20 million head.
Urner Barry's Midwest large benchmark quotation is currently at $2.84/dozen, down from $3.01/dozen the week prior but a staggering 176% above a year ago. At retail, large eggs on feature for the holiday week are highlighted at nearly $3/dozen while X-large averages $2.86/dozen...
This Week in Retail: Bird Flu and The Easter Outlook
Easter promotions are in full motion and households are gathering staples including eggs, ham, and lamb for the upcoming holiday.
According to a survey by the National Retail Federation, consumers plan to spend an average of $169.79 this year on Easter-related items, with food accounting for the largest spending category. The collective spending on the holiday is forecast at $20.8 billion, down slightly from $21.6 billion last year.
With HPAI spreading throughout the country, consumers are beginning to see higher prices for shell eggs. Roughly 13 million layers have been impacted by the current outbreak—the country’s worst since 2014-2015—while over two million commercial turkeys have fallen prey to the virus...
The Best Ham to Order for Your Holiday Dinner
Easter is coming (and before you know it Thanksgiving and Christmas). Find out what the best ham options are to serve up on your table, according to a blind taste test.
Best Thick Cut Ham
Hormel® Cure 81® Bone-In Half HamMany spiral-cut hams have super thin slices that are great for piling high on sandwiches. For a holiday entrée, though, you may want a more substantial slice like with a Hormel® Cure 81® Bone-In Ham.
According to Catherine Ward...
This Week in Retail: Showcasing Brisket Features for St. Patrick’s Day
Today is St. Patrick’s Day and grocers are lining their shelves with Irish staples including corned beef brisket, Irish soda bread, and beer.
The National Retail Federation reports that over half of Americans plan to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year, providing a boost for retail sales as consumers stock up on green apparel, food, and beverages. The NRF's survey found that 34% of celebrants will make a special dinner while 19% plan on attending a party at a bar or restaurant.
Roast feature activity accounts for 45% of all beef ads this week. Of that, briskets claim 42% of total roast features. Features for corned beef brisket this week range from $4.28 per pound to $5.93 per pound, depending on the store and region. Brisket feature prices currently average $4.49 per pound, up 22% from a year ago...
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Apple will open a new outdoor sports store in China
Posted On July 8, 2021
Apple will be opening a new sports store for China, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
The new sports shop, located in the Shandong province of China, will feature a wide variety of sports equipment, apparel and accessories.
Apple is not the only tech company looking to open new stores in China.
Microsoft announced last month that it will open its new flagship store in the country, as well.
Apple has also opened two other stores in the Middle Kingdom, but they are still under construction.
The first was in Shanghai last month, where Apple also unveiled its first mobile TV in China, and the second is in Tianjin, the city where Apple announced its new iPhone.


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Owen WilliamsFormer TNW employee
Owen was a reporter for TNW based in Amsterdam, now a full-time freelance writer and consultant helping technology companies make their word Owen was a reporter for TNW based in Amsterdam, now a full-time freelance writer and consultant helping technology companies make their words friendlier. In his spare time he codes, writes newsletters and cycles around the city.
Today, Facebook announced a new type of ad coming to the social network: product advertisements.
The idea behind these new product ads is companies can upload their entire product catalog and create ad campaigns that target specific types of people, or even let Facebook automatically show ads for the right products to the right people.
For example, a company can now automatically target a person who has previously visited their website or opened their app. Testing with companies showed a 20% increase in conversion, according to Kristi Argyilan, Senior Vice President at Target.
The new ad type is available today via the Facebook Marketing Partners API and will roll out in the Power Editor over the next few weeks.
➤ Announcing new Product Ads on Facebook [Facebook Newsroom]
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by Nick DeVendra
Concocting an advertising budget for CPG companies used to be a simple recipe anyone could follow: add a few healthy cups of television, a few dashes of radio, sprinkle in some print advertising and you’re good to go.
Boy, have things changed.
Now, not only do you need to diversify your ad spend with all of the above plus digital, mobile and anything and everything social, capturing the attention of millennials and Generation Z requires a trained eye to quickly tap into social media’s latest trends and a keen understanding that attention spans get shorter by the day. Now more than ever, advertisers are beginning to push their lion’s share of media budget chips towards social media and digital advertising, usurping the seat TV has maintained for so long.
As pointed out recently in Adweek, the Olympic Games in Rio may have become the tipping point for the ultimate change in TV’s age-old story and the requirement that people be glued to their stationary screens. The 2016 Rio Olympics was the first time in U.S. media history that the Olympics’ broadcast network coverage, including primetime, has been streamed simultaneously on digital platforms.
According to the same Adweek article, the head of Facebook's office in Brazil said that, during the opening ceremony alone, 52 million people had about 110 million interactions on Facebook, while another 21 million had 62 million actions on Instagram. Gfk had estimated in a survey for Facebook that 64 percent of Olympics fans were planning watch the games on a mobile device and 51 percent said they'd watch replays on mobile.
NBCUniversal has billed the Olympic Games in Rio “the most successful media event in history.” The Games averaged 27.5 million overall viewers (this includes broadcast, cable and digital), and viewers live streamed 2.71 Billion minutes of Olympic coverage – a new record for event coverage. The 2.71 billion live minutes also nearly doubles the combined live streamed minutes of ALL prior Games.
I think it is safe to say that the relationship between digital and traditional media has become more of a mutually dependent and mutually beneficial one. A recent study by Turner Broadcasting that we cited in a blog earlier this summer showed that one out of five social engagements for brands was driven by TV advertising. Also, we know that creative can drive over half of the overall lift of a campaign, and digital ad testing makes finding the right creative much easier. Sometimes these “winning” digital creatives even turn into television ads.
While Google said earlier this year that YouTube ads were 80 percent more effective than television ads (through its analysis of 56 case studies), choice of media platform isn’t an “either/ or” proposition. TV and digital typically perform better when they’re together and, with the rise in both distracted viewing and multiple screens, all brands should be leveraging cross-media integration for the best campaign results.
Obviously there are so many ways to slice and dice your targeting and measurement data, especially with digital and social media campaigns, but it’s imperative to understand how each form of media you use is driving sales (or not) for your brand. It’s the only way to end up with profitable results, no matter which mix of media you use.
Contact me at email@example.com if you’d like to discuss how to better measure and optimize your campaigns, as well as link what consumers view to what they do.


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The InCycle® cup, produced by MicroGREEN (microgreeninc.com), was lauded by the Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI), in conjunction with Quick Service Restaurant magazine. The InCycle cup won the prestigious top award for Performance Innovation, and was awarded for Sustainability Innovation.
The Performance Innovation Award is for design innovations that improve product performance, and was awarded to the InCycle cup for its insulation and durability, and the vast increase in functional temperature range MicroGREEN’s proprietary technology gives to recycled PET. The InCycle cup was awarded a Sustainable Innovation Award because MicroGREEN’s technology maintains the ongoing recyclability of recycled PET while lowering the amount of plastic used by over 50%.
“We are deeply honored to receive the recognition from QSR/FPI for Performance and Sustainability,” says Tom Malone, CEO of MicroGREEN. “Performance, quality and sustainability are core values for MicroGREEN, and they encompass all that we do and create. These awards confirm that the InCycle cup is a breakthrough product in a commoditized market – a great, insulating cup founded on both sustainability and affordability is the key to rapid acceptance in this market”
Many customers – including RedHook Brewery and Alaska Airlines – have made the switch to the InCycle cup, the world’s first recycled and recyclable insulating hot and cold cup that fully address customers' need for affordable sustainability.
MicroGREEN is currently focusing on cups for airlines and quick-serve restaurants, where the InCycle cup answers the consumer’s call for a sustainable product, while delighting the brand owner with a low-cost cup with great performance that improves their consumer’s experience. Adds Malone: “We are a growth-stage company among giants in the packaging industry, but our innovative approach and innovative products are gaining significant traction and credibility in the marketplace.”
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With the amount of money spent on marketing, it’s a pretty good bet that nearly every adult in the United States is familiar with the Budweiser trademark for beer. But it may be a surprise to learn that the beer brewed by Anheuser-Busch is not the only beer marketed under the trademark Budweiser. A small brewer in the Czech Republic also has trademark rights to the name Budweiser and Anheuser-Busch is not happy about it. (Click here to see MSN Money Article on this topic.)
Texas A&M’s red-hot freshman quarterback, Johnny Manziel, has lit up college football this year. He just took home the Heisman Trophy, which recognizes the nation’s most outstanding college football player – the first freshman ever to receive the honor. During this past season, his running and passing ability helped him shatter all sorts of offensive records on the field. Now off the field, he’s looking to play a little defense by registering a trademark.
Thinking about using the iconic Hollywood sign as a way to promote your business? Better think again. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce not only owns a trademark registration for the landmark sign, but owns about a half a dozen trademark registrations relating to the Hollywood icon. Recently, a New York ad agency called “The Brooklyn Brotherss” altered a photo of the Hollywood sign to include the letters BB in front of the word Hollywood in an effort to promote their new venture. (Click here to see related The Hollywood Reporter article.)


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Canada Moves to Ban Single Use Plastic
This week Canada announced it’s rolling out a strategy to eliminate single use plastic and drive change in how recycling and waste reduction is managed in our country. The plan is to designate plastic waste as a toxic substance under Canada’s Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) so it can be regulated. We applaud the effort as an early step in tackling the issue.
Plastic Ban – Who Else Has Banned Single Use Plastic?
The effort to stem the tide of plastic waste is gaining momentum worldwide. Earlier this year the EU laid out a directive to ban 10 single-use items, including plastic cutlery, plates and styrofoam food and drink containers. Globally, 32 countries have banned at least some single-use plastics, with many more regions and cities around the world considering bans of their own on things like grocery bags and straws.
What is the Problem with Single Use Plastic?
The UN estimates that between one and five trillion bags are produced worldwide or two million bags per minute. Plastic isn’t biodegradable; it ends up in landfills, waterways and the ocean. Plastic can take hundreds of years to decompose and releases toxins into the soil and water in the process.
Worldwatch Institute reports that at least 267 species of marine wildlife are known to have suffered from entanglement or ingestion of marine debris, most of which is composed of plastic. Tens of thousands of whales, birds, seals and turtles die every year from contact with ocean-borne plastic bags.
National Geographic reports that nearly every seabird on earth is eating plastic. An Australian study found that about 90 percent of the birds examined had plastic in their stomachs.
Plastic bags carry a large fossil fuel footprint. Most plastic is made from petroleum. Throwing away billions of plastic grocery bags each year means we are drilling for oil and natural gas with all their associated impacts to make bags that might be used only once or twice.
Plastic Bag Ban – Does It Work?
University of Sydney economist Rebecca Taylor started researching the impact of bag bans in 2016 after California banned plastic shopping bags. Her findings? Well, it’s complicated.
NPR summarized her research in a recent article – the short answer – bag use went down BUT garbage bag purchases went up. People who ‘re-use’ shopping bags for other uses, started to buy them.
Before California banned plastic shopping bags statewide in late 2016, a wave of 139 California cities and counties implemented the policy themselves. Taylor and colleagues compared bag use in cities with bans with those without them. For six months, they spent weekends in grocery stores tallying the types of bags people carried out (she admits these weren’t her wildest weekends). She also analyzed these stores’ sales data.
Taylor found these bag bans did what they were supposed to: People in the cities with the bans used fewer plastic bags, which led to about 40 million fewer pounds of plastic trash per year. But people who used to reuse their shopping bags for other purposes, like picking up dog poop or lining trash bins, still needed bags. “What I found was that sales of garbage bags actually skyrocketed after plastic grocery bags were banned,” she says. This was particularly the case for small, 4-gallon bags, which saw a 120 percent increase in sales after bans went into effect.
If you really want to nerd out on the data you can reference this spreadsheet of studies on plastic bag bans in the US.
Zero Waste – What Can We Do To Help?
Can tote bags work? Yes, but only if you use them and use them a lot. A 2011 study by the U.K. government found you need to reuse a cotton tote bag 131 times before it was better for climate change than using a plastic grocery bag once. More recently, the Danish government commissioned a study suggesting you need to use your cotton tote bags tens of thousands of times! Neither study looked at the impacts of litter and pollution – so the impacts aren’t all considered in those numbers.
According to an Australian study, the best reusable ones are made from recycled polyester or plastics like polypropylene. Those still have to be used dozens and dozens of times to be greener than plastic grocery bags, which have the smallest carbon footprint for a single use.
At Fairware, we’re working with our clients to transition their promotional merchandise to more eco-friendly promo products that support a zero-waste lifestyle. By shifting their give-aways towards re-usable tote bags, refillable water bottles, travel mugs (the classic zero waste give-aways) to re-usable produce bags, re-usable bulk bags, re-usable cutlery and straw sets they’re giving the gift of a more sustainable lifestyle.


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The forecasted figure of 16.1% will be the highest level in the country since October, 2021. Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the nation’s CPI rose to 15.92% in March. This rise shows that Nigeria was equally impacted by global inflation.
The IMF also projected that the inflation rate would drop to 13.1% by next year. The agency, however, warned about the effects of inflation in its World Economic Outlook report.
A part of the report read, “In sub-Saharan Africa, food prices are also the most important channel of transmission, although in slightly different ways. Wheat is a less important part of the diet, but food, in general, is a larger share of consumption.
“Higher food prices will hurt consumers’ purchasing power, particularly among low-income households, and weigh on domestic demand. Social and political turmoil, most notably in West Africa, also weighs on the outlook.”
In a similar occurrence, the World Bank making Reference to the Global Report on Food Crises in its latest Commodity Market Outlook Report, cited the Ukraine war and Covid-19 as two major factors impacting food crises across the globe.
It said that the growing cost of food price is responsible for the food crises in emerging markets. The war in Ukraine has equally disrupted the flow in food trade, leading to food shortage and rise in the cost of food. It reiterated that before the war in Ukraine, the Covid-19 pandemic had already precipitated food insecurity globally.
In a separate report addressing food challenges in Nigeria, the World Bank said that while Covid-19 impacted food insecurity in the country, it said the restrictions on importation and the non-flexible exchange rate management of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) were the major drivers of food inflation in the nation.
As contained in the report, “Rising food prices are the underlying factor behind the surge of headline inflation in Nigeria. Food prices have increased due to import restrictions and a nonflexible exchange rate management.
“The current regime is keeping the official exchange rate of the naira artificially strong while the naira has weakened significantly on the parallel market.”
Additionally, the central bank has restricted importers’ access to foreign currency for 45 products and has reduced the supply to other importers.”
The World Bank said that 23 million Nigerians have been driven into a food crisis as a result of the inflation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.


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Shares of Pinduoduo Inc. (NASDAQ: PDD) soared on Thursday, jumping over 20% in afternoon hours. The stock has gained over 255% since the beginning of this year. The company reported strong results for the third quarter of 2020, delivering double-digit revenue growth and a surprise adjusted profit, which surpassed market estimates.
One of the highlights of the quarter was the company’s initiatives in the agricultural sector in terms of helping people get fresh produce in a fast and smooth manner. The company sees significant opportunity in this area going forward.
Total revenues increased 89% year-over-year to RMB14 billion, or $2 billion, helped by a 92% gain in online marketing services. Adjusted net gain per ADS was RMB0.33, or $0.05, compared to a loss in the prior-year period. Average monthly active users jumped 50% to 643.4 million.
GMV for the 12-month period ended September 30, increased 73% year-over-year to RMB1,457.6 billion, or $214.7 billion. Active buyers during this period increased 36% to 731.3 million while annual spending per active buyer increased 27% to RMB1,993.1, or $293.6.
Pinduoduo benefited from high levels of engagement during the quarter and this positive trend still continues. In early October, peak daily order volumes exceeded 100 million driven by high demand for agricultural products.
Pinduoduo has become the largest online platform in China for agricultural products by paving the way for direct selling from farmers to customers. The company saw a rapid shift in customer behavior during the pandemic as more people turned to online channels to order their daily groceries, including fresh and perishable foods.
There is currently a lack of logistic infrastructure that facilitates the quick delivery of perishable agricultural products to customers. The need for a logistics channel dedicated to agricultural produce alone led Pinduoduo to launch the Duo Duo Maicai channel.
Pinduoduo is also exploring various investments in agritech and the company believes there is a vast market opportunity in smart agriculture to tackle challenges in areas such as food supply and food safety. The company generated RMB136 billion in GMV in agriculture during 2019 and expects this number to hit RMB250 billion in 2020.
Domestic market opportunity
Pinduoduo sees massive opportunity in the domestic market for Chinese manufacturers. The company has worked with over 1,500 companies, rolled out over 4,000 SKUs and generated over 460 million cumulative orders. Over the next five years, Pinduoduo aims to provide 100,000 C2M SKUs with an aggregate GMV of RMB1 trillion.
Looking for more insights on the earnings results? Click here to access the full transcripts of the latest earnings conference calls!
Video game retailer GameStop Corp. (NYSE: GME), which has become the talk of the town after the unprecedented stock rally in recent weeks, reported a narrower loss for the first
The steel industry managed to shrug off the pandemic blues earlier than expected as the recovery in industrial activity pushed up demand. With the vaccination drive and the government’s aggressive
Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB) reported third-quarter 2021 earnings results today. Net sales decreased 11% year-over-year to $1.98 billion, as a result of lapping the demand surge at the onset


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Trade visitors will be able to try out bicycles and assorted kit from 131 exhibitors and brands at Eurobike’s Demo Day on Tuesday August 28th.
Among those attending for the first time are Cube, Eddy Merckx Cycles, Pinarello, Ritchey and Schwalbe.
The Eurobike Demo Day will include racing, recumbent, folding, city and mountain bikes – both with and without electric drive systems. Five different test tracks will be available for attendees to try out the new models in Ratzenried amid the picturesque scenery of the Allgäu region.
The event serves as the beginning of the altogether larger Eurobike show, which includes over 1,200 exhibitors, running from August 29th until September 1st.
More details at www.eurobike-demoday.com.
Register for the BikeBiz News Digest at the registration page.
Follow BikeBiz on Twitter at @BikeBizOnline or ‘Like’ the BikeBiz Facebook page here.


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International guests from the worlds of film, music and the arts joined luxury Maison Montblanc, for an epic and unique celebration to launch its new 4-storey store in the heart of Sanlitun in Beijing. This contemporary and imposing concept store is Montblanc’s biggest flagship in the world, a place where visitors will be invited to discover the world of Montblanc masterpieces in an interactive and innovative way.
At the World Premiere of its China flagship store, Montblanc presented the entire Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco, an exquisite tribute to the timeless elegance of Grace Kelly. Bringing together all the facets of the brand’s renowned expertise, on this special evening in Beijing, Montblanc celebrated the captivating life and style of the late Princess Grace of Monaco with this collection of precious Watches, Writing Instruments and Jewellery. On the doorstep of the new concept store, guests were transported to the historic streets of Europe’s prestigious principality, Monaco, recreated in China’s capital for one night only
SAG-AFTRA today announced that it had reached tentative agreement with the major record labels, Universal Music Group, Sony...
June 1, 2012
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Eyes on the Road: In-Car Entertainment
Posted on Jun 27, 2023 by FEED Staff
In-car entertainment is at the very start of its journey, with international success being its final destination. Fuelling this are the technologies being transported from the broadcast, streaming and pro AV trades to the automotive world
It already seems a distant memory when the closest thing we had to in-car entertainment systems were chunky, brightly coloured plastic, portable DVD players – way back in the noughties. Prior to that, fun could be found in deciphering the squiggling lines of a fold-up map – or simply a good old-fashioned round of ‘I spy’.
But as with many other entertainment-related technologies, cars and the functions within them have changed immensely over the past decade. In part fuelled by the gradual and competitive global transition to electric-powered vehicles, the mogul manufacturers are constantly seeking out new ways to make travelling by car more of an immersive experience – rather than simply a necessity.
According to a report by Allied Market Research, the global in-car infotainment market was valued at $21,410 million in 2020 and is projected to reach $37,530.4 million by 2028 – registering a CAGR of 7.5% from 2021 to 2028.
The report continues to define in-car infotainment as “a suite of advanced features that is integrated into cars to provide entertainment, information, connectivity and communication.
“The complete system uses audio/video interfaces, touchscreens, keypads and other types of devices to provide entertainment to drivers and passengers. Advanced infotainment systems facilitate Bluetooth, Wi-Fi connectivity, voice recognition, live media streaming and smart technology for mobile integration.”
This has opened the media tech floodgates, with multitudes of car manufacturers shifting their gaze to the broadcast and pro AV industries. The secret to achieving a studio-quality tier of content within vehicles’ infotainment systems lies firmly within the world of broadcast.
Switching up a gear
A perfect example of a company that has taken full advantage of car manufacturers’ increased leaning upon the AV spaces is 3SS.
Founded in 2009, 3SS is a media technology trailblazer when it comes to system integration, software engineering, UI/UX design innovation and solution architecture. It most notably developed 3Ready, which is a leading entertainment ecosystem.
“In a nutshell, we are developing individual entertainment experiences across different devices, connected TV boxes, mobiles, tablets – you name it,” begins product manager for automotive entertainment at 3SS Tomasz Dzikowski.
With its early success sitting predominantly with set-top boxes and pay TV operators, using 3SS’ 3Ready solution, consumers can enjoy personalised super-aggregated content in engaging UX – working across all screens from TV sets, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and displays in a family car.
“Two years ago, the team at 3SS identified the automotive entertainment space as a rising new trend. This is the point at which I joined, as my previous background was purely automotive – I was a product manager at Kia.”
A global company, 3SS’s solutions are currently used by over 50 million households – and are the number one most trusted solution for Android TV products – a clear example of how broadcast tech vendors already have the tool kit necessary to break into the automotive space.
The 3Ready platform already possessed the ideal components that a car manufacturer might be looking for. This provides a complete framework, which can act as a base for all applications. The platform then supports that with its remote management system – allowing the option to aggregate all devices from one centralised hub.
Cars are the new smartphone
The easiest way of looking at it is to add cars to the catalogue of smart devices in which the general population consumes content today.
“Set-top boxes and pay TV operators are still at the core of our business,” explains Dzikowski. “Automobiles are just additional devices. It’s interesting because of the current trends. There are increasing numbers of connected cars on the road, with vehicle screens getting faster and bigger.”
Of course, those screens need filling with content and applications – something that broadcast tech vendors can say they are well versed in when it comes to regular devices and platforms.
“Entertainment has of course always been an aspect of cars in audio form, but not video until now. We provide the code base for the applications – a remote-management tool to control those experiences. We even provide the cloud components.
“Our technology works to simplify operations and business logic for our clients, whether it’s a pay TV operator, broadcaster or automotive.”
All of this was made possible for 3SS due to its technology being built to be agnostic across the board.
“From the core of our business we have to flexible,” Dzikowski highlights. “The same goes for the automotive space. There are the needs from carmakers to build individual entertainment experiences – ones that then allow them to take ownership as part of their vehicle and brand.”
What does the future hold?
Perhaps the most exciting dynamic to the world of in-car entertainment is that it is an entirely new and untapped market for the M&E trades.
“There’s a reason why companies like Google are investing heavily in this space,” emphasises Dzikowski. “They understand the potential of it. It’s an interesting area for content partners to tap into, especially in the OTT space, when it comes to things like advertising and monetisation. Already Google Play, Amazon Fire TV and Tivo are being used by car manufacturers – but that’s still a small fraction of the market and its potential.”
The word ‘immersive’ has been buzzing around the broadcast and AV worlds so much already this year, and this is no less for vehicles and infotainment systems.
“Some vehicle systems are so powerful that you can use Dolby Atmos with your own content,” Dzikowski expands. “Also, there are tools to create ambient lighting on top of that, ultimately transforming a simple car journey into a stunning, immersive, theatre-like experience.”
Let’s talk safety
Naturally, the idea of in-car entertainment leads to questions and complications over safety. With mobile phone usage being a common cause of car accidents, how can these new avenues for distraction be considered safe for our roads?
“There are different technologies in place that allow passengers to consume content without distracting the driver,” responds Dzikowski. “For example, there is ‘active-screen technology’. This means the driver will not be able to see what is being streamed on the passenger display – instead it will appear blank.
“There are cameras that are tracking whether the driver is looking at the road or the screen, and then based on that it will block content.”
Thanks to in-car entertainment systems being networked within a car, there are additional safety measures that can stop entertainment when attention is needed for something else.
Until autonomous cars become the norm, it will be passengers receiving the entertainment dynamic to any given car journey – not the driver.
According to a report by Accenture, BMW has been leading the way for years with BMW ConnectedDrive. This digital, entertainment and services suite allows users to control in-car comfort, entertainment and security, and also manage facets of their daily life. Configuring at-home devices and booking services can all be done on the road.
Subsequently, BMW brought on board key strategic partners to expand ConnectedDrive’s experience ecosystem and connected services. Particularly notable is its integration into Tmall Genie, the first smart voice assistant developed by China’s Alibaba AI Labs.
An Accenture report claims that the popularity of voice-activated services increase the potential to become integrated more deeply across home and car. Mercedes-Benz’s bespoke in-car voice technology system, Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX), is one of the most intelligent voice assistants on the road. MBUX can cater to a range of driver and passenger needs, and by leveraging a variety of biometric technologies, it also provides a new level of personalisation and security that is accessed with your voice.
Opportunities will also arise from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) partnering with third parties that are already doing voice-activated services well in other sectors. The key will be not building bespoke, siloed features that may limit future options, but broadening the aspects of daily life that customers can control from within their car. The question for OEMs then, is: what products, services and experiences can they create around the car’s new role as an extended living space?
Extending driving reality
Many have talked of the potential for a new world of in-car entertainment once autonomous cars become a reality and drivers turn into passengers with extra time on their hands. But why wait?
The in-car entertainment experience is already ripe for reimagining. There’s plenty of scope to create more immersive experiences for passengers, which is what Holoride is now doing. Holoride’s mission is to turn vehicles into moving theme parks.
By combining real-time vehicle data with XR, it offers a dynamic back-seat experience that matches every movement of the car to turn each ride into a thrill. By harnessing the data and idleness at hand to create experiences ranging from gaming to educational tours, it’s transforming tedium into time well spent.
Come fly with me
Cars, of course, are not the only modes of transport that can offer entertainment and immersive experiences.
The aerospace industry has been a pioneer when it comes to this, with screens filled with films, TV shows, music and games now a given for any long-haul flight.
In-flight entertainment systems have been revolutionised over the past few years, delivering a personalised cabin of the future.
Panasonic Avionics have been working tirelessly with Airbus to provide a tailor-made on-board movie selection, interactive in-seat gaming experiences as well as video chatting with the crew – while cruising at 30,000 ft.
Originally published in the Summer 2023 issue of FEED.


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CES hasn't even officially started yet and Samsung has already come out guns blazing with announcements that include high-end nanocrystal TVs, curved monitors and, uh, washing machines with built-in sinks. But the Korean company isn't quite done yet. Boo-Keun Yoon, Samsung's President and CEO of consumer electronics, is set to give the opening keynote here at CES 2015, and we're expecting to hear some updates about the firm's foray into the Internet of Things. Specifically, we're hoping to hear more about its acquisition of home automation startup SmartThings and whether that'll be integrated into its plans for the connected home. Join us right here on this page at 9:30 pm ET / 6:30 pm PT for our liveblog of the keynote to find out!
[Image credit: Getty Images]


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Although we know there’s a new iPhone or two coming out this fall, with a likely announcement on September 9, there’s a lot more uncertainty surrounding Apple’s plans to launch a wrist-mounted wearable gadget. According to John Paczkowski at Re/Code, who previously reported that Apple was scheduling an October event for the iWatch, the new plan is to launch the wearable device alongside the iPhone.
There are two ways to look at this new tidbit: First of all, the iPhone is the most profitable consumer product in the world and is more than deserving of its very own dog-and-pony show. On the other hand, if [company]Apple[/company] is going to break into a new product category, what better time than when the world’s rapt attention is focused on the latest iPhone?
Even if Apple combines its smartwatch and iPhone events, there’s still more than enough new products in the Apple pipeline for a second launch event. Apple will release OS X Yosemite this fall, and usually new versions of OS X come along with new Mac hardware — possibly the 12-inch MacBook that’s been rumored.
Thanks to Apple’s legendary secrecy, there isn’t a whole lot of clarity surrounding the features or the look of its long-rumored wearable device. There’s a good deal of evidence pointing to Apple releasing a health-focused wristband with several integrated sensors that may or may not have a big, curved screen. It will likely integrate with Apple’s HealthKit platform as well as HomeKit. But unlike the iPhone, there haven’t been many supply chain part leaks yet, so if it were to be announced in September, it might not go on sale for a while afterwards.
Even though this new information comes from a very reliable source, it’s not yet time to start queuing up at the Apple Store: Apple hasn’t even yet sent out invitations to the iPhone event, and since it appears to have changed its launch plans once, it wouldn’t be a surprise if it did it again. Still, don’t be surprised on September 9 when CEO Tim Cook teases “one more thing.”


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A company in Japan is giving employees who don't smoke an extra six days off to make up for smokers' cigarette breaks. Tokyo-based marketing firm Piala Inc introduced the policy after an employee complained about cigarette breaks affecting productivity, according to CNBC.
The company's office is on the 29th floor, and anyone needing a cigarette break would have to go to the basement. The breaks would usually last 15 minutes, which led to resentment amongst employees who don't smoke.
After hearing about the complaint, the company's CEO, Takao Asuka, decided to grant six extra days of paid leaves to non-smoking employees as compensation.
"One of our non-smoking staff put a message in the company suggestion box earlier in the year saying that smoking breaks were causing problems," said Hirotaka Matsushima, a spokesman for Piala Inc, according to CNBC. "Our CEO saw the comment and agreed, so we are giving non-smokers some extra time off to compensate."
"I hope to encourage employees to quit smoking through incentives rather than penalties or coercion," Mr Asuka told Kyodo News.
An increasing number of companies in Japan are stepping up efforts to curb smoking, where most bars and restaurants allow customers to smoke. Last year, Tokyo's city government also passed strict anti-smoking rules ahead of the 2020 Olympics.Click for more trending news


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2014 subaru xv crosstrek
Subaru revealed its 2014 XV Crosstrek Hybrid at the New York Auto Show earlier this year, and with the high-riding hybrid hatchback arriving at dealers by the end of this year, pricing has finally been set. Starting at $25,995 (*not including at least $825 for destination charges, which may vary ...
For a company that does a pretty great job of tying its vehicles to the environment – or, better said, to people who like to actually get out into the environment – Subaru hasn't exactly been a leader in green vehicle production. In fact, it's 2013 and the company is finally releasing ...


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The UK’s leading trade journal has been scrutinizing the performance of tyre retailers throughout the country.
Tyres & Accessories has published an in-depth report on tyre prices and customer service based on 1800 mystery calls made up to the end of March 2008. The report highlights the average price of tyres, broken down according to speed rating. The mystery shoppers also reported on which brands were most heavily recommended by retailers, and on their reasons for recommending certain brands.
The report found that the average price of W/Y/Z rated tyres was £106.80, while V rated tyres were retailing at an average price of £68.40. The average H rated tyre sold for £65.20, and S/T rated tyres sold for £49.70.
Prices varied widely according to the outlet. National fast-fit chains were the most expensive averaging a retail price of £72 per tyre. Autocentre and regional independents maintained an average of £65 per tyre, while car dealers and local independents were the cheapest sources with an average of £56 charged for each tyre sold.
These differentials can be explained, in part, by the different products offered by various retailers. The independent retailers seem to be very price-driven, generally preferring to recommend budget tyres. The mystery callers were recommended generic budget tyres on 28 per cent of calls. Branding also seems to be important, with both Firestone and Michelin being promoted on 11 per cent of occasions.
It may be a reflection of the current economic climate, but it appears that retailers are promoting tyres according to value for money and tyre durability at the expense of performance. The report also underlines the fact that, as in so many cases, the cheapest way to buy is online.
As from June 2008 Tyres & Accessories will be making these reports a regular feature in their publication.


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Bell kicked off the official opening day of CES 2019 Jan 8 by showing off the full-scale design of the Bell Nexus, an air taxi of the not-so-distant future.
PETALING JAYA: A Malaysian-born immunologist has been elected as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) in the United States.
THE 25th staging of the global final of the World Amateur Golfers Championship (WAGC) is set to be held in Sabah from Oct 19 to 26, 2019.
By-election aside, Kajang residents face increasing traffic congestion, density and hawker problems.
From DR RENARD SIEW, Climate Reality Leader, Kuala Lumpur.
BUTTERWORTH: The Penang Port may be at risk of losing 20 per cent of its cargo traffic volume unless its logistics' efficiency improves, said Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Joint Business Council (JBC) Malaysia Chairman Datuk Faudzi Naim Noh.
THE Productivity Nexus for Retail and F&B officially announced its first Nexus Awards 2019 for the retail and F&B industry.
A GROUP of residents held a protest outside the Kajang Municipal Council's (MPKj) headquarters to object against over-development in Kajang, specifically at Jalan Bukit.
WASHINGTON: A U.S. judge has dismissed nationwide litigation over the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in which victims' families sought to hold the carrier, its insurer Allianz SE and Boeing Co liable for the still-unexplained disaster.
A letter from AIZAT SHAMSUDDIN, Visiting researcher, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs 2018.


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What you need to know
- The latest Oculus SDK for Unity features a new experimental option called body tracking.
- The SDK doesn't specify a Quest headset model, meaning this could be in the works for the Quest 2 and upcoming Quest Pro.
- Quest Pro leaks last year suggested body tracking could be done via a full-height mirror in the room.
If you've ever wondered why VR avatars are often legless blobs hovering in the air, it's because current VR headsets can only accurately track a user's arms and head movements. But the latest release of the Oculus Software Development Kit for Unity (SDK for short) has a new reference in it that could solve this problem: body tracking.
First found by UploadVR, the latest SDK features a new "body tracking" entry under the experimental features, nested between the existing hand tracking and tracked keyboard features. Supernatural VR creator, Chris Milk, previously teased this feature on the Quest 2 just a few days ago.
The SDK doesn't specifically reference which Quest headset this new feature is being built for, but it's likely that we'll see this on the Quest 2 and the upcoming Quest Pro. We've highlighted the specific entry in question in the screenshot below.
Meta's next VR headset, officially known as Project Cambria but presumed to later be called the Quest Pro when it releases sometime this year, has been described by Meta as a higher-end headset that's made to exist alongside the Oculus Quest 2, not as a replacement for it.
Having the ability to track a user's entire body would be an excellent way to enhance the best workout games for Quest and make social presence even more rewarding in titles like VR Chat. PC VR players can already enable body tracking if they're using a SteamVR headset that's compatible with HTC Vive Trackers, but this is a significantly more complicated and expensive way to do it.
The original Project Cambria leak back in October 2021 suggested that body tracking would likely only be possible for users who happen to have a full-body mirror. This would make sense since the cameras located on a potential Quest Pro would only be able to see a portion of a user's body, not the entire thing.
Previous leaks have suggested that Project Cambria's controllers would also feature cameras onboard, but it's not clear what these cameras would be used for — and if they could be used for something like body tracking. Since there's no official announcement of how body tracking would work, it's impossible to be sure of how Meta would be doing the calculation.
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Meanwhile, Sony is working with partners on eye tracking for PS VR2 to help the PS VR2 deliver cutting-edge visuals as well as a unique social presence through the ability to make eye contact in VR.
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Meta delivers a new feature-filled update for the Quest 2 every month, making this VR headset the best value around.


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A new report from Juniper Research has found that one in eight (13%) of NFC mobile phones users in North American and Western European will use their handsets as a metro rail or bus ticket by 2016, compared with less than 1% today.
According to Juniper’s report, NFC mobile ticketing, which enables users to tap their phones against a fare gate to board buses or trains, has “tremendous appeal” for users and transport operators, and will represent more than 50% of all mobile ticketing revenue in 2016. Moreover, mobile ticketing in general is expected to quadruple to 23 billion transactions by 2016.
The report warns, however, that NFC ticketing must be thoroughly tested prior to public launch to ensure that ticketing processing delays do not negate the technology’s speed and convenience.
“NFC mobile ticketing is still in its early stages, but it holds great promise across the entire mobile ticketing market,” said report author David Snow. “Metro ticketing is leading the way as an NFC ticket is a natural evolution from a contactless transport card and can leverage the existing infrastructure.”
Click here to access the report.


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Uruguay's President Tabare Vazquez has reiterated his government's commitment to continue the legalized sale of recreational cannabis in pharmacies, despite protests by banks worried about running afoul of international regulations.
The country's ruling party, the Broad Front, has been dealing with controversy after popular former President Jose “Pepe” Mujica denounced the country's banking industry for refusing to work with pharmacies who legally sell cannabis. Vazquez has sought to quell the debate about the future of the law, ruling out any return to policies of prohibition.
"He's completely right to defend this law ... We will continue taking the necessary steps to ensure this law can be applied correctly, without damaging the country's economy or investments," said Vazquez, according to El Observador.
Banks have complained that any involvement in the country's cannabis industry would prevent them from carrying out transactions with their international counterparts due to regulations outlawing the acceptance of money tied to drugs, leading to the financial isolation of their clients.
"As a global bank with clients in various countries, we have to observe the various norms in force in those places," a source with Banco Santander of Spain said.
In response, pharmacies are warning that they may need to cease cannabis sales due to the banking restrictions.
"The truth is we did not know ... that this could happen," Economy Minister Danilo Astori was quoted as saying by La Republica newspaper. "A way will have to be found and we are looking for one."
The anti-prohibition law was introduced by Mujica and went into effect in 2013. The former president argued that legalization would stem violence and crime by undermining illegal drugs trafficking and organized crime while also promoting education on the substance, which would result in its responsible usage.
The law gave Uruguayans above the age of 18 three options for obtaining cannabis. Users could either grow the plant at home, form cannabis clubs or collectives to produce and distribute the bud among members, or directly purchase it from pharmacies.
Two state-directed private companies also produce cannabis, which is sold to customers limited to the purchase of 40 grams per month. Two varieties are available for customers in a smokeable form, who can buy five-gram packages at a rate of US$1.30 per gram. Cannabis-infused products commonly known as edibles, which are popular among medical users, are not widely available.
While reform advocates and social movements greeted the law as progressive and innovative, the law remains unpopular among most Uruguayans. Out of 3.4 million citizens, only 12,000 people are registered users.
"If this gets blocked, then the whole Parliament will be blocked," warned Mujica, now a senator, whose Broad Front party has a majority in the legislature.
Julio Calzada, an architect of the law, said the country must reach out to financial institutions in the U.S. states like Colorado and Washington, where recreational cannabis is legal, to find ways to circumvent the international legal restrictions.
"There are alternatives," Calzada said, "but not in Uruguay."
Similar issues have arisen in the U.S., where state laws regulating cannabis sales conflict with federal laws. In Uruguay, however, businesses are reliant on their banks due to laws requiring that all employees be paid by direct deposit.


text: As Ford cuts ties with the majority of its sedan lineup, it is upgrading the battery size and electric range of its Energi PHEV for the 2019 model year. The upgrades are designed to make the Fusion Energi “more competitive” with plug-ins like the category leading Prius Prime from Toyota, according to Eric Evarts at Green Car Reports. Ford plans to build electrified versions of most of its vehicles by 2020. The 2019 Fusion Energi, however, will be available sometime this year. Read more.