text:
It’s official, adidas has ended its partnership with Kanye West, with immediate effect.
In a statement Tuesday, adidas said it “does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech” and said that his recent comments were “unacceptable, hateful and dangerous.” Adidas said they violated the company’s “values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”
After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. adidas will stop the adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect.
This is expected to have a short-term negative impact of up to €250 million on the company’s net income in 2022 given the high seasonality of the fourth quarter.
adidas is the sole owner of all design rights to existing products as well as previous and new colorways under the partnership. More information will be given as part of the company’s upcoming Q3 earnings announcement on November 9, 2022.
Thank you for trusting Trapholizay to deliver you trusted news and updates on trending topics. Feel free to follow us on Facebook to support our free content. We provide this service free of charge, we ask that you disable ad blocking software to support our website and content. Most of our content is aggregated. For support please email us at email@example.com or message us directly through Facebook. This post was posted on 2022-10-24 20:00:00
Kind regards Trapholizay


text:
Saving money by buying the base engine in the 2018 Volkswagen Atlas won't be as easy as it looks on paper.
Another compact coupe has bitten the dust, narrowing the field of inexpensive coupes to just two. Next year, the Kia Forte Koup will be but a distant memory.
Uber's race to develop fleets of self-driving cars and big rigs has hit another speed bump: yesterday, the head of its autonomous vehicle program stepped down from his post in the wake of a complicated lawsuit.
2018 BMW 5-Series Li
From Motor Authority:
Volkswagen has done a bang-on job at making diesel a dirty word, but BMW isn't counting it out quite yet. A BMW spokesperson has confirmed an all-new 5-Series diesel will be arriving in the United States this year.
We have some grim news to report on this Monday. A Ferrari F40 ended up as nothing but a pile of ashes and some charred metal after the car caught fire.
Acura currently sells a crossover SUV sized below its RDX exclusively in China.
EPA website redirect page replaces scientific information on climate change, April 30, 2017
From Green Car Reports:
On Saturday, tens of thousands of people joined a Science March in Washington, D.C., to support use of data-based science to set government policy on climate change.
Oregon is a state that punches well above its weight in promoting and adopting zero-emission vehicles and plug-in electric cars.
It appears that Chevy isn't following its own precedent as the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid enters its third model year.

domain: news


text:
La Lorraine Bakery Group has launched a social media-driven campaign for Donut Worry Be Happy, the Belgian doughnut brand, to boost morale across foodservice and raise money for Hospitality Action.
#SMILEFORDONUTS encourages customers to take a bite out of their doughnut, take a selfie and upload to Instagram, Twitter or Facebook tagging @DWBH_UK. For each donut smile shared, Donut Worry Be Happy will donate the value of one doughnut to Hospitality Action.
The promotion runs until International Donut Day on 4 June, and the goal is for 100,000 ‘doughnuts smiles’ to be shared globally.
Over the past year, Hospitality Action has helped many hospitality households and communities in financial crisis as many thousands have lost their jobs for good. Here are examples of how the funds raised help support Hospitality Action:
• £100 pays for new interview clothes and shoes to help hospitality people get back to work following redundancy.
• £250 provides an emergency grant to cover essential costs like utilities and food following redundancy.
More than 230 convenience stores and catering outlets nationwide have already signed up to take part in the campaign, which is supported by posters, retail displays and social media graphics.
Rebecca Dunning, trade marketing manager UK&I for La Lorraine Bakery Group, says: “This is a first for Donut Worry Be Happy and it is a pleasure to be able to raise funds for a charity that is offering a crucial lifeline for hospitality workers who have been made redundant as a result of the pandemic.”


text:
Since the television and motion picture industries started self-governing themselves and attempting to apply some standards to their products, it seemed as though killing children on-screen was a taboo.
A despicable ad campaign came out in October 2010 with an effort to scare people into supporting the climate change movement. Not only did they blow up children and adults who didn't consent to their "no pressure" approach, they succeeded in getting explosive reactions with an epic fail production.
Check out my wife's commentary on the campaign in her article here. As she says, if nothing else, "no pressure" will become a popular catch phrase.


text:
12th November 2015
As Burberry reports its second results Graham Spooner, investment research analyst at The Share Centre, explains what they mean for investors…
Shares were marked higher for luxury retailer Burberry this morning despite the group continuing to suffer from a challenging luxury retail market and a slowdown in China. In its H1 results, the company said revenue was relatively flat coming in at £1.105m however, investors should note that pre-tax profit rose by 9% to £155m. The group also stated that comparable store sales since the start of its third quarter had improved relative to the second. Having reported disappointing sales numbers in October, the results today were unlikely to contain any major surprises for the market.
The group is approaching its most important trading period, and despite Burberry’s CEO describing the results today as robust, investors should acknowledge that the environment remains challenging for luxury goods companies in some of the key markets. The group stated today that sales for the start of Q3 are volatile, but overall performance had improved from the previous quarter. We currently recommend Burberry as a ‘hold’ but as the group has experienced a 30% fall in the share price since the spring, contrarian investors keen on the check may have it on the watch list.


text:
Penrith, Cumbria-based Dent Logistics has signed a five year deal with Goodyear in a move that will see it commit 100% to the manufacturer as well as utilise its fleet management service TruckForce. The deal, […]
Ceva Logistics has signed a new warehousing and distribution contract with Continental worth more than $50m (£33m).
Continental Tyre Group has bought fleet management and tyre retreader Bandvulc in “a logical step”.
Goodyear Dunlop has “hit on a winning formula” for its premium Goodyear brand truck tyres with the FuelMax low rolling resistance range and the KMax high mileage range, according to commercial director Marc Preedy.


text:
- Subscribe NowLimited Time Offer
Time: 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Place: Merchants Exchange Club
Sephora CEO replaced by head of Sears Canada
Suliteanu is moving on to become CEO of Kendo Brands, a company he started that creates and acquires new beauty brands.
Kendo’s portfolio already includes brands such as Ole Henriksen, Kat von D, Formula X, and Marc Jacobs Beauty, with others in development. It’ll operate as a separate entity of Sephora’s parent company LVMH Moet Hennessy.
Sephora said Sulteanu was instrumental in building the brand, which now offers over 200 beauty brands in more than 330 stores in North America. During his tenure, the company also expanded to Latin America and forged a partnership with JC Penny to open Sephora boutiques in over 400 locations.
Christopher de Lapuente, CEO of Sephora Global and a member of the executive committee of LVMH said that McDonald will now focus on building the brand and growing existing markets.
McDonald, a graduate of the University of Western Ontario with an M.B.A. from the Rotman School of Business, started his career at the Loblaw Cos., Canada’s largest food retailer with more than $32 billion in sales, where he held various positions during an 18-year tenure. He was named president and CEO of Sears Canada in 2011.
Renée Frojo covers hospitality, restaurants, retail and nonprofits for the San Francisco Business Times.
- Most popular
- West Oakland on track for change:
- More S.F. companies shed office space. Is it a sign of relief or
- Why I moved to West Oakland
- Richard Branson "Trusting people to work from home is the right thing" (Video)
- Oakland holds out (slim) hope to keep Warriors
- Coliseum City backers make case for public money in Raiders project
- Lending Club feeds growth needs by nearly doubling S.F. office
- Gurbaksh "G" Chahal sued for alleged gender discrimination
- Proposed Target store could cause controversy in this posh S.F. spot
- Little-known drug may halt multiple sclerosis, Gladstone study finds
Sign up to receive San Francisco Business Times's Morning Edition and Afternoon Edition newsletters and breaking news alerts.
Interim County Auditor County of Kaua'i | Lihue, HI
Senior Software Engineer, AncestryHealth AncestryHealth | San Francisco, CA
Executive Director International Bird Rescue | Fairfield, CA
Business Development Representative ValleyCrest |
Accountant KSSF Enterprises Ltd. | San Francisco, CA


text:
Next has said warmer weather is the reason behind improve profit forecasts for the year after it surpassed sales estimates in the first half.
Britain's second-largest clothing chain increased the mid-point of its full year profit guidance by £15 million to £825 million and raised its estimates for sales growth.
It now expects to make full-year profit before tax of between £805 million and £845 million on sales growth of between 3.5% and 6%.
Its first half sales rose 3.5%, with 1.7% of that coming from new stores.
"We believe the improvements experienced at the end of the season were mainly driven by warmer weather," the company said in a statement.
The retailer, which has outdone competitors thanks to its strong online operations, diversification into new product areas and overseas expansion, also said it would pay a special dividend of 60p per share.
Next shares were up 1.3% to 7600p in early trading.
Hargreaves Lansdown's Richard Hunter said: noted that the company did not raise guidance for its second half and “remains typically cautious for the period on the back of the volatility of consumer demand”.
He added: “There are the inevitable concerns of competition within this fickle sector, let alone Next’s ability to surprise positively becoming harder to achieve.”Reuse content


text:
New research from PayPal and Ipsos shows that cross-border trade is a driving force of the global marketplace, with cross-border shoppers (those for whom more than 10 percent of their online spend is cross-border), spending approximately twice as much as consumers who only shop domestically.
Based on the preliminary consumer shopping data from the 2014 AXI, Amazon is once again leading in online customer satisfaction, but its leadership is eroding.
Answers Corporation -
Retail marketers can now understand the impact of their mobile media advertising campaigns during Black Friday and other e-commerce sales — even if consumers use multiple devices before completing a purchase.
Opera Software -
A global luxury lifestyle brand has launched its new e-commerce site with the help of the team at Professional Access, and the results are as high end as the retailer’s fashion line.
Professional Access -
Professional Access, a Zensar Technologies Company, has announced that one of its esteemed customers, a North American loyalty marketing services provider, has launched its new e-commerce site to enable clients offer superior customer loyalty experience.
Professional Access -
Forty percent of shoppers say the most important reason they shop in physical stores is to access help and advice, yet 74 percent also say their biggest frustration when interacting with sales associates is lack of product knowledge.
Tulip Retail/Marketwired -
Paragon Software Systems, Inc., a leader in vehicle routing and scheduling optimization solutions, announced that Argos, the UK’s largest high street retailer online, has selected Paragon’s advanced home delivery software solution as part of a large-scale project to revolutionize its home delivery operation.
Shopatron, a leading provider of cloud-based distributed order management (DOM), announced the availability of the Perfect Sync technology integration in Demandware LINK, a best-of-breed community committed to accelerating the adoption of innovative commerce technologies that complement Demandware Commerce.
The partnership will enable Adspace Networks to offer advertisers the ability to enhance video campaigns with a fully customizable second-screen content experience through Shazam’s innovative technology, revolutionizing the way users interact with the retail environment.
Accounting for over a third of grocery retailers’ total sales, promotions are a top priority. Recognizing the profit potential, leading Australian retailer Woolworths were keen to implement process improvements that would promote efficiency through their promotional strategies.
Galleria Retail Technology Solutions -
ReposiTrak, the leading provider of Compliance Management and Track & Trace solutions for food safety exclusively endorsed by FMI and ROFDA, announced today that the seventh member of ROFDA (Retailer Owned Food Distributors & Associates), Associated Grocers Florida of Florida, Inc. has chosen the ReposiTrak solution to manage their food safety-related risk.
Most Americans won't shop on either Black Friday or Cyber Monday this year, according to a new Bankrate.com report. Millennials are the most likely to shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Bankrate Inc. -
Perceptions about private label are overwhelmingly favorable — almost three-quarters of global respondents (71%) say store-brand quality has improved over time, according to a new study by Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy.
In anticipation for the holiday season, Vuzix Corporation, a leading supplier of Video Eyewear and Smart Glasses in the consumer, commercial and
entertainment markets, announced that a special prosumer version of its award-winning M100 Smart
Glasses will initially be exclusively available on Amazon.com.
Inmar, a company that operates intelligent commerce networks, announced that 2.14 billion coupons (including offers for both food and non-food items) were redeemed during the first nine months of 2014.
Opera Mobile Store will replace Nokia Store as the default app store for Nokia feature phones, Symbian and Nokia X smartphones, following an agreement between Opera Software and Microsoft.
Opera Software -
The USC Marshall School of Business Food Industry Executive Program has named Kevin Curry MBA '92, the Food Industry Executive-in-Residence for 2015. Curry is senior vice president of sales, marketing, advertising and merchandising for Raley's Supermarkets.
USC Marshall School of Business -
WorkForce Software announced that is has been recognized by the Detroit Free Press as a Top Workplace of 2014, marking the third consecutive year that the company has been recognized with this distinction.
WorkForce Software -
Joinem, the first community-powered digital retailer that enables savvy shoppers to buy together and lock in guaranteed savings off the lowest online prices on thousands of leading brands, today announced the launch of its beta site.
AccuWeather, Inc., the global leader in weather information and digital media, announced it has launched an update to its AccuWeather for Windows 8 app to include the popular feature AccuWeather MinuteCast.


text:
updated 03:59 pm EDT, Mon May 14, 2012
Sony Walkman docks out in Japan in June
Sony will be releasing two new Walkman docks in Japan on June 9. The CMT-V70B and CMT-V50 will dock with the Sony Walkman range of personal media players, with the V07B variant allowing Bluetooth streaming. Both docks are 5.4 inches thick, have FM/AM radio tuners, and will be available in five different colors. Price is not currently known.
Mad Catz update R.A.T.3 optical sensor
Mad Catz has made an alteration to its R.A.T.3 gaming mouse. The optical sensor has been changed to the Avago 3090, giving the mouse an improved resolution of 3,500 DPI. The mouse retains all other existing features, including the rocker switch for DPI toggling, five buttons with programmable options, and mid-game mode selection.
Facebook updates mobile version layout
Facebook has started making some changes to the news feed for mobile browsers. Photos will increase up to three times larger than before, and post layouts will be edge-to-edge. Changes will be viewable on iOS, Android and m.facebook.com


text:
Latest BLOVE News
Jan 3, 2014
Like our Facebook page and follow us now on Twitter @chinamoneypod . Shenzhen-based wedding ring custom designer BLOVES says that it has raised US$30 million in series C funding led by Omaha Capital , according to a company announcement. Crystal manufacturer Swarovski , one of the shareholders of Hong Kong-based venture firm Omaha Capital, also participated in the investment. BLOVES previously received RMB30 million ($5 million) series A funding from Tiantu Capital in 2010. It received RMB100 million ($16.7 million) series B funding from Yonghua Capital and JC Capital Management (JCCM) in 2011. The company says it will use the proceeds to expand stores and integrate resources with upstream suppliers. Founded in 2008, BLOVES currently has wedding ring custom centers in 20 cities in China.
BLOVE Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Where is BLOVE's headquarters?
BLOVE's headquarters is located at Nanhai Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen Dengliang Road 23, Shenzhen.
What is BLOVE's latest funding round?
BLOVE's latest funding round is Series C.
How much did BLOVE raise?
BLOVE raised a total of $51.7M.
Who are the investors of BLOVE?
Investors of BLOVE include Omaha Capital, JC Capital Management, Yonghua Capital and Tiantu Capital.


text:
Chinese telecommunication agency TENAA that is in charge of certifying new smartphones released the photos of a new Nokia smartphone, which is most likely an exclusive for the Chinese market. This smartphone Nokia TA-1258 is the first one to appear after Nokia X71, which was announced back in April 2019.
According to the certificate, this affordable smartphone will be heading to China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom, but the existence of the assistant button makes it a bit strange since Google doesn’t have its services running in China. Nokia TA-1258 looks a bit like Nokia 5.1, and it will be coming in two colors, Nordic Blue and Sand Gold according to Google translate.
So, what do you think of this one? Nokia Mobile wasn’t so keen on bringing smartphones to China, but rather was promoting feature phones since the smartphone market is pretty much crowded there. Anyhow, there is always a place for Nokia in the lower price range since the Nokia brand is more valued than some other brands that are offering affordable smartphones.


text:
$1 million in Afghan smuggling a dayJanuary 25, 2015
A hundred million Pakistani rupees (roughly 1 million USD) worth of merchandise is smuggled out of Afghanistan through the Afghan Trade Transit (ATT) corridor with Pakistan every day according to check-post and customs officials. In their 2010 book On the Trail of Terror Finance, John Cassara and Avi Jorisch wrote that the ATT “has resulted in massive smuggling and trade fraud, and it continues to facilitate the laundering of narcotics proceeds that help finance the Taliban.” ATT smuggling serves as another arrow in the Taliban’s quiver as U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan draws down.
From Customs Today:
Smuggling of Rs 100m carried out daily thru Afghan Transit route: sources
Reported by: Sohail Rab December 25, 2014
KARACHI: The smuggling of around Rs 100 million is being carried out daily through Afghan Transit Trade (ATT), it was learnt here.
The highly informed sources while sharing their views with Customs Today have disclosed that 95 percent of smuggling of goods including tiles, diesel, cloths, tea, tyres and others is being carried out through Afghan Transit Trade.
The sources revealed that ‘Sheela Bagh’ check-post near Chaman border is among one of the burning spots where the smuggled goods are being transported to Quetta and then Karachi while the smuggled goods are also being loaded on the retrograde containers on returning from Afghanistan near ‘Waish’ Border.
They further disclosed that the smugglers have strong nexus with the security personnel of Frontier Constabulary (FC) and Customs officials at different check-posts and the biltee of smuggled consignments under the smugglers’ name is being cleared from different check-posts easily without any checking.
The sources claimed that 60per cent of smuggling would be curtailed, if strict surveillance and vigilance would be conducted at ‘Sheela Bagh check-post near Chaman Border. They further recommended the authorities concerned of FBR to form joint examination teams comprising of the personnel of Pakistan Customs, Coast Guards and Rangers at National Highway, RCD and Superhighway in order to eliminate smuggling of goods. They further said that the Quetta to Karachi Bus Terminal and Northern Bypass are two more “deliberately” vulnerable spots where the smuggled goods are easily coming into Karachi…


text:
Who cares about human rights if it means losing money in China?
That seems to be the attitude of Silicon Valley tech juggernaut Apple, Inc.
Tim Cook, CEO of the California-based multi-national company, seems determined to stay in the good graces of the ruling Chinese Communist Party despite his “woke” rhetoric at home and the CCP’s brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
Cheap labor and access to China’s vast consumer population, roughly three times the size of the U.S., has motivated the company’s executive management to help the CCP censor Hong Kong protestors and supportive human rights activists.
China has successfully usurped the formerly independent Asian financial capital, but courageous opposition groups have been attempting to organize online.
Their chief short-term goal is to rally support against China’s new “national security” law ahead of a key September election, assuming it will have merit.
The law redefines even simples acts of dissent, such as waving an American flag, as conspiring with a foreign power or, in some cases, terrorism.
The Hong Kong opposition groups created an online polling and voting platform called “PopVote,” along with apps to further the effort.
But Apple, and later Google, deleted the apps without warning.
“We think it is being censored by Apple,” said Edwin Chu, an IT advisor for PopVote said.
Apple first said the apps were rejected because of technical issues. The company then went silent after denying repeated attempts to amend and resubmit them.
Unlike other Silicon Valley tech giants, Apple has refused to deny whether it’s handing over user data to Hong Kong’s new communist authorities.
Even European Union officials have taken note and are pushing back — sort of.
The EU recently introduced new rules and regulations intended to force more transparency into Apple’s app-related decisions and prevent Apple and Google from deleting apps without cause.
The EU is known more for its anti-democratic impulses against member-states over national sovereignty issues — especially mass immigration — than it is for supporting individual rights.
Indeed, siding against Apple and Google seems counterintuitive given the multi-national monopolies share the same left-wing globalist political objectives.
While not expressly naming China, EU leaders said they’re concerned about the lack of market competition.
“We need to ensure that Apple’s rules do not distort competition in markets where Apple is competing with other app developers,” said Margrethe Vestager, the EU executive vice-president.


text:
BMW, which has prided itself as the maker of “Ultimate Driving Machines” for the last 40 years has come up with technology that ultimately allows a car to drive itself.
Read This Article
Having signed a memorandum of agreement last year, BMW is now finalizing its deal with Toyota to license the Japanese giant's hydrogen fuel-cell technology for a future car.
BMW has made a rapid push to expand its portfolio of alternative fuel vehicles.
For BMW owners who want to make their ultimate driving machines, well a little more ultimate, the automaker is offering performance power kits for its popular 135i and 335i models.


text:
Jedburgh’s Stewart’s Bistro picked up the prize for best cafe and bistro in south east Scotland at this year’s Food Awards Scotland.
The High Street cafe beat nine other finalists to claim that accolade at this year’s awards, the sixth, held by marketing firm Creative Oceanic at the Glasgow Marriott hotel a fortnight ago.
The cafe, which opened its doors in 2017, is run by chef Alasdair Stewart and his wife Kerry, alongside two members of staff.
Alasdair said: “We are so delighted to win this award, especially being up against some long-running businesses in Edinburgh.
“We have worked very hard to get to where we are and we pride ourselves on cooking good fresh food.
“We are so proud of this accomplishment and would like to thank our staff, family and friends and most of all our customers as this would not be possible without them.”
Stewart’s Bistro, formerly run as various different cafes over the years, is now primarily open for breakfast and lunches but opens each Friday and Saturday evening and offers a special seven-course taster menus on occasions.
Selkirk’s Fleece Bar and Kitchen also picked up the prize for best Scottish cuisine at this year’s Food Awards Scotland.
Jim Jack’s fish-and-chip shop in Peebles and the Horseshoe Inn at nearby Eddleston were also shortlisted for awards, for best chippy and gastropub respectively, but missed out on the night.
Creative Oceanic chief executive Irfan Younis said: “Congratulations to all the winners and finalists at the sixth Food Awards Scotland.
“We welcomed and rewarded some of the best in the Scottish food industry who serve us up some of the tastiest food, enhance our culture, deliver top-quality customer service and provide us with some of the best banter around.
“All winners and finalists should feel immensely proud as the competition was tough this year.”


text:
Whether its chocolates, cocktails, candles or clothing, CBD is everywhere and in everything you can possibly think of. And now the buzzy ingredient is taking over the world of beauty and skincare. From serums and sunscreen to chapsticks, creams and cleansers, there is an array of hemp-infused products popping up in beauty supply stores everywhere.
According to a recent Market Watch report, the global CBD cosmetics market is estimated to be valued at over $580 million, with North America leading the way. And it’s expected to hit $1.7 billion by 2025, predicts Grand View Research. Safe to say, the CBD trend isn’t going to die down anytime soon.


text:
How to responsibly dispose of your old tech
The downside to our increased reliance on tech toys is electronic waste.
|Report an Error|
Share via Email
PCs n' peripherals
All the major PC makers now have recycling options and it doesn't matter if you bought the computer from them.
Rogers Wireless, in partnership with the Canadian Association of Food Banks, is also including a postage-paid recycling bag with the sale of select wireless devices.
- How Mexico is reinventing the cocaine business
- Updated Islamic State militants threaten Canadian civilians
- Ontario deficit $800 million lower than expected
- Doug Ford’s family steps into campaign spotlight
- Canadian phone service prices see highest jump since 1983
- NEW Giuliani to defend video game firm in Noriega lawsuit
- Number of police in Canada growing despite ‘dramatic’ crime drop
- Video The antibiotics crisis and the underwater search for new drugs
As the broadcast hearings into the future of television wrapped up in Gatineau, Que., the great divide between the industry and consumers yawned ever wider.


text:
The challenge, which was announced earlier this year, had as a goal to find innovative, cost effective and scalable ways to improve supply chain security and traceability. The challenge recieved 90 submissions from around the world. The winners came from primarily from the United States with other winners located in Canada and New Zealand.
Building a safer supply chain with quicker response
The program’s primary goal was to better and more quickly understand where outbreaks of foodborne illness come from, how they spread and how they can be addressed. But it also can have value for companies sourcing dietary ingredients to verify where they come from, such as from a certified organic producer or a fully licensed hemp farming operation.
“To achieve end-to-end food traceability throughout the food supply system, accessible solutions are needed that are affordable and can scale to encourage widespread adoption,” said Frank Yiannes, Deputy Commissioner for Food Policy and Response.
“As illustrated through this initiative, the FDA is committed to and will continue to do its part to help ensure that companies of all sizes, including small to midsize ones, can use and benefit from new tracing technologies. Digitizing food data at no-or low-cost through the use of creative economic models and innovative solutions allows the entire food system to get smarter together,” he added.
The submissions were evaluated on the following criteria:
- Needs-based: Addresses specific challenges for a given supply chain
- Innovation: Uniqueness and variety and value of solution’s features
- Usability: Ease of navigation
Winners to present during webinar
The 12 winners are: FarmTabs, Freshly, HeavyConnect, ItemChain, Kezzler, Mojix, OpsSmart, Precise, Roambee/GSM/Wiliot, Rfider and TagOne. The winning entries are a mix of software solutions, systems using dedicated portals, Internet of Things (IoT) concepts and other approaches.
FDA has announced a webinar about the program scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 11 am Eastern time. The winners will present their ideas and will be open for questions.


text:
Outdoor Recreation Is Worth $374 Billion to the U.S. Economy
(Bloomberg) -- The U.S. government has put a number on how much outdoor recreation, from paddling to paintball, contributes to the economy: $374 billion.
That’s how much the industry accounted for in nominal gross domestic product in 2016, according to Commerce Department estimates released Wednesday. The data were compiled in accordance with a 2016 law directing the government to quantify the sector and assess its effect on the U.S. economy.
The value-added related to outdoor recreational activities, like fishing and skiing, grew 3.8 percent on a nominal basis in 2016, outpacing the 2.8 percent rate in the broader economy, according to the report.
The gross output of outdoor recreation activity was broken down into three categories: conventional recreation at 37 percent, other recreation at 22 percent, and supporting activities at 41 percent.
Major categories in the conventional recreation economy include boats, motorcycles and recreational vehicles, as well as hunting, bicycling and fishing. Purchases of multi-use apparel such as backpacks and bug spray, also labeled as conventional recreation, contributed $86.6 billion in gross output, up almost $6 billion from 2015.
The leading contributors in the “other recreation” category included golf and tennis areas, concerts, and sporting events. Trips and travel expenses, filed under “supporting outdoor recreation,” accounted for 34 percent, or $230.5 billion, of total outdoor gross output.
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.


text:
SHOPKEEPER Pauline Cassidy will be sharing her experiences of trading while regeneration work is being carried out at a meeting in Kilwinning on Wednesday, November 10.
Pauline, who runs Goody 2 Shoes in Kilwinning Main Street, is the guest speaker at the second of Irvine Bay Regeneration’s business talks.
The idea is to invite local businesses to find out more about the regeneration and what benefits it has brought for them.
And Pauline will tell the inside story as she opened her children’s shoe shop during the massive regeneration of Kilwinning Main Street.
The event, which takes place at Taylors Hotel, Kilwinning, will start at 5.30pm.
Patrick Wiggins, Chief Executive of Irvine Bay Regeneration Company, said: “It has been a very exciting time for Kilwinning, with the £2.75 million refurbishment of the Main Street now complete.
“The street was officially opened by Alex Neil MSP only a couple of weeks ago, and we also saw the first farmers’ market - which Irvine Bay also instigated. The new-look street has attracted eight new shops, as well as the Co-op.
“The farmers’ market was reported as being the most successful in two-and-a-half years with one trader reporting to have sold out in 45 minutes.
“We want this event to celebrate the success, but also to hand the street back. We want to encourage local people and traders to take their town centre to the next level, working together to maintain the momentum.
“It is great that we have a successful and committed local businesswoman in Pauline Cassidy to speak to this theme.”
At the briefings, attendees also get the chance to hear from Brian Keating, director of the Ayrshire Golf Complex proposal, and how it will benefit the area.
The first of the three events took place at the Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine when almost 50 local businesses turned out.
The third and final event will be held on Thursday, December 2 at the Michael Lynch Centre in Ardrossan at 12.30pm.


text:
Article snippet and image courtesy of Style Magazines.
Artist Delvene Cockatoo-Collins has had many roles over the years. From working in retail to working at a university. And from modelling to youth work, and now raising her three boys. Starting out creating art and jewellery as a hobby, then expanding to sell her creations at local markets, Delvene is now a full-time artist with a permanent studio and retail space in her hometown of Dunwich on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island).
Continue reading the full article here.


text:
The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce proudly presents the 22nd Hong Kong Business Summit, with the theme of The Internet of Life. This year's Summit will highlight how businesses are merging technology with everyday life to rewrite how we consume and interact with products and services.
Jieyuan Liao, Founder & CEO at WeDoctor, will deliver the keynote address on the topic of "Technology at the Heart of Business."
Tech giants and trailblazers in digital economies -- including AlipayHK CEO Jennifer Tan, Lalamove Founder and CEO Shing Chow, SenseTime Managing Director and Head of Strategic Investments Esther Wong, and Tink Labs Founder and CEO Terence Kwok -- will discuss how digital innovation is improving the quality and efficiency of services, from both a business and customer perspective, and contributing to a more productive, convenient and secure way of life.
A number of the Chamber's General Committee members will also share how their companies are adapting to fast-moving technological changes. HSBC Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Peter Wong, Cathay Pacific Airways Chairman John Slosar, CLP Power Vice Chairman Betty Yuen, and MTR CEO Lincoln Leong will discuss how their businesses are using digital transformation to provide value-added products and services, and at the same time contribute to Hong Kong's smart city development.
Besides learning from these leading businesspeople and entrepreneurs, attendees are welcome to join a networking session at the event. Participants can also book a corporate table, giving them the opportunity to invite clients to be their guests at the Summit. The full rundown and booking details can be found HERE. So please sign up for what promises to be an essential event on Hong Kong's 2018 business calendar.


text: The Taipei Computer Exhibition has opened recently. AMD held a conference this morning and officially announced many of its new products. Among them, AMD CEO Su Zifeng announced that the next generation of PlayStation mainframe will adopt the new 7-nm technology of the AMD Navi series GPU, as well as & nbsp; Ryzen Zen 2 architecture processor. According to the official introduction of AMD, "Navi" is a revolutionary new product line of AMD GPU, based on the next generation of AMD game architecture RDNA. Compared with previous GCN architectures, RDNA can provide significant performance and efficiency improvements designed for future PC, host and cloud gaming experiences. RDNA graphics card architecture has a completely new design of computing units, aiming to improve efficiency, while having a multi-level cache, which can reduce latency, lift..


text:
Investors now ask themselves: Will Spotify ever become profitable? Probably not.
Is music streaming profitable? Better yet, will an IPO help Spotify finally make sustainable revenue after ten long, arduous years? Or will they face a similar Snapchat-like fate?
To gear up for their long-awaited IPO, the Swedish streamer has built an office in New York. Spotify executives have spoken with top investment firms. Morgan Stanley, Allen & Co, and Goldman Sachs have all reportedly counseled the company on the direct listing process.
On the content side, the streamer has also locked down two multi-year licensing deals with UMG and Merlin. Those deals would guarantee Spotify lower royalty payments. In exchange, labels would have the option to lock down certain releases behind a two-week Premium-only window.
Despite growing revenue, however, Spotify has also reported steep losses. Yesterday’s leaked financial report didn’t change things. According to statements obtained by The Information, the Swedish streamer told investors to expect 2016 revenues at €2.9 billion ($3.1 billion). This number represents a nearly 50% increase from 2015’s €1.95 billion ($2.2 billion). Yet, the streamer also told investors to brace for huge losses.
Despite a huge increase in revenue, the company experienced annual operating losses of between €300 million ($333.8 million) and €400 million ($444.5 million). In 2015, the company reported annual operating losses of €184 million ($205 million).
The leaked information comes days after Spotify received a new valuation. Two years ago, investors valued the company at $8 billion. After securing new long-term deals with two major labels, the company received a $13 billion valuation.
The leaked report comes at a crucial time for the company. Instead of going through the traditional IPO process, Spotify will reportedly aim for a direct listing on the NYSE. This move is not without risks. Direct listings would make the company’s stock susceptible to sudden price fluctuations. The Swedish streamer would also not have the ability to raise money by offering new shares for sale. It would also lose the “lock-up” period. This period prevents employees and early-stage investors from immediately selling shares after the company’s listing.
The report underscores investors’ worries over the company. In fact, the losses prompted The Information to note the following.
“The wider loss spotlights longstanding questions about Spotify’s ability to turn a profit.”
If and when Spotify finally lands on the New York Stock Exchange, investors may ask themselves the same questions. Should the Swedish streamer fail to address investors’ concerns about the company’s long-term viability, it may face a Snapchat-like fate.
Investors punished Snap’s stock after the company’s posted a dismal financial report post-IPO. With falling user growth and flatlining daily active user numbers, investors had yet to see any real innovation. Meanwhile, Facebook’s Instagram keeps stealing its users by copying features. Snapchat has yet to respond with a killer feature. In less than 24 hours following the post-IPO financial report, the company lost $6 billion in value.
As if that wasn’t enough, Snap currently faces a costly misrepresentation lawsuit from a former employee for defrauding investors. The company allegedly inflated key user metrics to receive a higher valuation prior to their IPO.
Spotify has yet to confirm the validity of the leaked financial report.
Thanks Admin for sharing your thoughts and updating me.
I’ve been exploring for a month and reading articles or blog posts throughout the internet that have landed me here I am facing some issues regarding marketing and promotion. Your information helps me a lot please keep updating this.
Here’s something to think about…
The recorded music business just isn’t that big..
To value a streaming company at $13 Billion is ludicrous..
The major label content owners, the music arms of
Universal, Sony & Warners aren’t worth anywhere near that much because the simple fact is, revenues in paid music consumption
(i.e. downloads and streaming) is not that much…
Major headline artists have to tour tour tour and do sponsorwhips
in order to become multi-millionaires… (none are becoming
billionaires our of recorded music revenues..).
The fact is, the recorded music business is not really a big business
when compared to the movie and television business or even the
major league stadium business..
So the figures that are being put around by bankers, private equity
companies and share market commentators are fanciful and really
are just like what happened with the tech bubble..
Once again it’s profitless prosperity brought about by a bubble
MySpace is an example of reality finally hitting the ground when it’s stock fell back into reality.. aren’t even that big
Snapchat had revenue of $400m and losses of over $500m in 2016 and was valued at roughly $20 billion when it sold non-voting shares to the public. Spotify had (according to this report) revenue of $3b and losses of 300-400m with a valuation of 13b. How are these at all comparable other than being tech companies?
Also, while I think SNAP is doomed bc of Facebook, the stock closed at $20 or 17% ABOVE its IPO pricing at $17.
If Spotify investors need to be wary of a “Snapchat-like fate” it would mean a 17% return and a valuation of $15.2 billion in three months. Not a bad return annualized.
Music Stowaway you understand that many tech companies lost significant money for years and still went public correct? Look at Amazon. Also why are so concerned about the stock market valuation of the company? The market can value the company however it likes and if people want to buy/ sell shares it will influence the price but it doesn’t necessarily reflect on the core business. Also, you keep repeating that Spotify wants to make massive amounts of money by going public, this is 100% false. Spotify as company will not make any money, they will spend money on bankers, lawyers and fees. It is the investors in Spotify that want the company to go public. This includes VC’s and employees. A direct listing allows the owners of Spotify stock liquidity and the ability to sell their shares in the public market whenever they want (M-F). If there are more sellers than buyers the stock price will drop.
As far as your “profitless prosperity” I assume the hope is that with increased revenue and market share and lower royalty rates as sales increase, the company will become profitable. This is why the company is valued higher than its current profit. It is the value of expected future cash flows. It is a bet at the end of the day.
With technology companies, the valuation isn’t based solely on the revenue: there’s also an assessment of the value of the intellectual property owned by the company, including patents, trademarks, etc.
They should start charging people money to stream music
Yes. Labels make money off streaming at least. Look at Spotify’s long term business plan and there is where the valuation comes in, essentially future cash flows. They may be making large outlays to enter new markets for example, but these costs may not be apart of a normal overhead in the future. I am curious if we might have to pay for music in the future, and if so, they will be well situated.


text:
Return Your Bike to the Road Safely, Urges TyreSafe
Spring is, believe it or not, just around the corner, and many seasonal riders will soon be pulling the wraps off their beloved machines. And while the urge to get back out on the road may be strong, TyreSafe reminds owners that months of inactivity can pose added dangers for motorcyclists.
Tyres may become under-inflated and, particularly if the bike has not been adequately sheltered from the elements, will be subject to “dry rotting” or “cracking.” As tyre damage is, TyreSafe points out, one of the most common causes of breakdown, the safety organisation has released the following tips to keep riders on the road this Spring:
Tyre pressure should match that recommended by the manufacturer, and these should be checked from cold at least once a week;
Inspect tyres for cuts, bulges, uneven wear or objects embedded into the tread pattern;
Tread depth should be a minimum of 1mm (for bikes over 50cc);
Old or damaged valve stems should be replaced;
Tyres should be of the same manufacturer or pattern; and
Cracked or bent rims should be replaced immediately.
Bike Tyre Safety Month will take place throughout the month of March, a TyreSafe initiative designed to highlight the dangers of defective or badly worn tyres on motorcycles and scooters. The four-week long campaign, the first of its kind, has received full backing from both tyre manufacturers and retailers, and further details of how to support the scheme may be found on the TyreSafe website at www.tyresafe.org.


text:
Apple Pay helps banks sell mortgages and deposits, ANZ Bank says
ANZ Bank chief Shayne Elliott insists his move to break ranks with rivals and do a deal with Apple to allow easy payments on the iPhone is helping the lender sell a wide range of financial products, even mortgages.
A day after his key rivals suffered a major setback in their brawl with Apple, Mr Elliott on Wednesday stood by ANZ’s move to work with the US technology giant, which is moving into the bank-dominated payments market.
Westpac, Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank and Bendigo and Adelaide Bank want to launch a collective boycott of Apple Pay, which requires banks to surrender revenue in order to access the iPhone’s chip that allows tap and go payments.
The ACCC rejected the banks’ request in a draft ruling on Tuesday.
In contrast, ANZ introduced the service to customers in April, and Mr Elliott said the decision was paying off for the lender.
ANZ has previously said Apple Pay is helping it gather deposits, and Mr Elliott said users were also more likely to do other business with the bank, including even taking out a mortgage.
“What we’re seeing is a much higher propensity for people who’ve come to us with an Apple Pay solution to then go on and expand that relationship with us, whether that’s opening transaction accounts, deposits, mortgages, whatever,” Mr Elliott said at a Reuters event in Sydney.
In return for allowing banks to provide Apple Pay to customers, Apple takes a cut of banks’ revenue from payments from credit card providers known as a “interchange fees”. This is a market worth about $2 billion in Australia.
To read more, please click on the link below…
Source: Apple Pay helps banks sell mortgages and deposits, ANZ Bank says – Sydney Morning Herald


text:
Amazon is testing one-tap ratings for product feedback
73 per cent stories on LGBTQ websites flagged as 'unsafe' by scared brands: Survey
May may be coming to an end, but the bonanza of tech jobs just keeps coming. High-paying jobs abound at companies where people love to work
The agreement comes in the wake of a labour complaint by a fired engineer who alleged he was targeted for his conservative views.
PewDiePieâ€™s announcement of a donation prompted conspiracy theories and angry memes from some of his fans, who claimed without evide
Both Amazon has a gleaming new 86-metre (282-feet) tall office building in the southern tech hub of Hyderabad.
Google's Dart programming language gets a preview of machine learning-powered automatic code completion.
A tearful Jack Ma formally left Alibaba on Tuesday, donning a guitar and a rock star wig at an event for thousands of employees of the e-co
Your network carrier may be slowing down online videos: Study
The internet can be a scary place, especially if you don't have a proper password manager. This guide will show you the best password manag
Mozilla's Firefox is testing Private Network extension
Browsing the web can be less secure than most users would hope. If that concerns you, a virtual private network â€” aka a VPN â€”
When Microsoft renamed and reprogrammed the chatbot TayTweets, the company was doing more than trying to get away from the bad publicity ov
eWEEK DATA POINTS RESOURCE PAGE: In the cloud environment, it is all the more important to define strong privileges. Each entity, machine o
Google Docs will now display word count as you write
The country's Ministry of Justice argues the firm is collecting data belonging to underage users for targeted ads.
Spotify will now let users share their favourite music and podcasts with friends on Snapchat.
An accountant by trade, soft-spoken Alibaba CEO Zhang marks a stark contrast to Ma whose flamboyant style and charismatic leadership.
Amazon's first major festive season sale, the Great Indian Festival sale 2019, is coming up. The online marketplace has revealed some upcom
It turns out that Instagram accounts set to private aren't as private as you might think. Researchers have found that web addresses for ima
For better or worse, YouTube celebrities have had a profound impact on popular culture. From comedy channels, to gaming let's plays, and mu
Twitter crashes gobally, including India; back online
Gmail will fix your grammar using AI in hastily written emails
Streaming services bringing revenue to the music industry
Huawei used the IFA 2019 stage to unveil the company's 3rd gen. wireless earbuds. The FreeBuds 3.0 are engineered to take on the Apple's Ai
Amazon tests 'New' badge to help shoppers discover latest products
JPEG versus PNG: Which one is better for your needs? While there is a lot of math going on behind the scenes, it boils down to a few key di
Finding music that is both free and legal to download can be difficult. We've hand-picked a selection of the best free music download sites
YouTube had been accused of tracking viewers of childrenâ€™s channels using cookies without parental consent and usin
Facebook's family of apps have more than 2.7 billion monthly active users -- but did the network's efforts to gain those users violate anti
Fashionistas have a new online destination with the launch this week of a YouTube hub featuring a huge range of style and beauty content ga
eWEEK PRODUCT-ANALYSIS RESOURCE PAGE: NVIDIA vComputeServer makes GPU accelerated workloads as easy to manage as CPU VMs.
We've spent hours digging around the web to find the best sites for streaming free movies online. Not only are all of these sites free to u
8chan owner Jim Watkins told Congress in a prepared statement that he has no plans to delete hate speech from its platform.Â
Wouldn't it be wonderful to freely download and use an image from the web without the looming fear of prosecution? Of course! That's why we
Bank account emptier than you thought? Check out our curated list of the best full-length movies on YouTube to find flicks that are free, l
Google to pay USD 170 million in FTC settlement over children's privacy online
Gmail now lets you block auto-download of images on iPhone
Internet of walled gardens? Go single vendor with your IoT, or else.
Flipkart has announced the introduction of Hindi interface on its platform to make it more engaging for the next 200 million customers comi


text:
Microsoft had announced the acquisition of Obsidian Entertainment in November last year. The developer behind Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 — The Sith Lords and Fallout: New Vegas have since expressed appreciation for Microsoft.
In an interview with Wccftech, Obsidian senior designer Brian Heins said, “On the studio level, for me personally, one of the nice things is that now that we're a part of Microsoft, we're focusing more on what the next games are going to be, rather than, 'How do we pitch the next games?'"
Since the acquisition, Obsidian is due to launch its sci-fi driven RPG, the spiritual successor to Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds on October 25. "When we were acquired, Microsoft's said to us, 'We're buying you because we want you to keep making games the way you've been doing, not to change you.’” says Heins.
“And that's been reassuring a lot of people on the team; we're not suddenly going to be asked to be a different studio than we have been. We have been given the assurance to keep making these games that our fans like--hopefully on a grander scale and better quality."
The Outer Worlds highlights player consequence, as players will be encouraged to replaying the campaign more than once. This is due to the butterfly effect of the player’s choices, that will eventually lead to unique stories.
The Outer Worlds will be coming to Xbox One, PS4 and PC, with a Switch version scheduled for later. You can expect a day one patch for the physical game on both Xbox One and PS4 Pro as they both get enhanced to play in 4k.


text:
Even though Justin Bieber sings sappy teen pop songs, it turns out he has the drug and weed habit of a Dirty South rappper.
According to TMZ, police raided the singer's Calabasas mansion and found two large cookie jars full of marijuana, three bongs, and a dedicated "smoking room" complete with hukkah pipes. A number of Swisher Sweets were also found laying around the house.
The weekend’s playoff football victories by the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks have created a teachable moment about the two leading marijuana law reform states in America, as well as a windfall for those who love dumb puns.
"Weed Bowl", "Salad Bowl", "420 Bowl", "Chronic Bowl", weed heads can’t get enough of the delicious matchup.
The Consumer Electronics Show is coming to a close this weekend, but not before dropping a mega-ton of cool new tech for us to look forward to in 2014. A massive amount of innovative technology and futuristic devices were announced to the delight of gamers, developers, audiophiles, and car enthusiasts, but one consumer stands to reap the most benefit: stoners. It's evident that technology has a pothead's back, as a slew of new gadgets will be available to quell munchies, provide better weed naps, and help recall short-term memory. Here's our picks for the best gadgets for stoners featured at CES 2014.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart was oddly mum Monday about the historic beginning to legal sales of weed to any adult over 21 in Colorado Jan. 1. But that was because he was loading up for Tuesday, when he put professional morons on Fox news and elsewhere on blast for their idiotic, biased reporting.


text:
STOCK & LAND – by Alastair Dowie – “A quality offering of around 2800 Merino sheep at the flock dispersal of Wipplegong, Axedale, attracted a huge crowd with ewes selling to $255.
Landmark auctioneer Richard Leech said the sheep presented well and the flock was well known.”
STOCK & LAND – by Alastair Dowie – “After shearing on the one stand for 52 years, Strangways wool man, shearer and roustabout, Ralph Satori, continues to clock up the hours and has now notched up 60 years in the one shed.”
STOCK & LAND – by Joely Mitchell – “Industry groups representing the nation’s woolgrowers are taking advantage of the opportunity to voice their concerns about Australian Wool Innovation’s governance.”
STOCK & LAND – by Alastair Dowie – “Glenorchy producer Stew MacPherson said the biggest challenge with the mix of crop and sheep was trying to get the two enterprises to complement each other.”
WESTERN MAGAZINE – “A PREMIUM fine wool clip from Bocobra generated intense bidding competition from buyers at auction recently, resulting in prices reaching well above the sale average.”
QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE – by Paula Thompson – “DRY conditions across much of Australia have lead the national wool production forecast down from the previous outlook released in December.
The Australian Wool Production Forecasting Committee predicts 2017-18 wool production will reach 338 million kilograms greasy, 700,000kg down on the December forecast of 345mkg. This equates to a 0.6 per cent decline on 2016-17 levels.”
QUEENSLAND COUNTRY LIFE – by Lucy Kinbacher – “QUEENSLAND wool grower, Will Roberts, has been named the new president of the World Federation of Merino Breeders after recently taking over from South Australia’s Tom Ashby.”
VR FOCUS – by Rebecca Hills-Duty – “An increasing number of brands and businesses are turning to virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) as a means of engaging with customers. One of the latest to engage with immersive technology is Australian brand The Woolmark Company, who have teamed with Start VR to showcase its product in VR.”
THE WEST AUSTRALIAN – by Cally Dupe – “At a time when shearers are in higher demand and wool is a more valuable commodity, training people to work safely is more important than ever. “
THE WEEKLY TIMES – by Dale Webster – “A STAGGERING $1.5 million worth of livestock has been stolen from Victorian farms since January last year, with more than 221 incidents reported across the state.”


text:
FedEx Forced To Ground Flights & Furlough Workers Over Weak Parcel Delivery Demand
Things are not looking good for FedEx this Q4 as the global courier company has announced it has had to ground aircraft and offer workers furlough due to a much weaker-than-expected parcel delivery demand.
- Do you need a business bank account for your online business? Have a look at our review of the five best bank accounts for sellers, some of which are free with no minimum balance or deposits.
- Boost your social media engagement with Publer. Learn how you can save time writing engaging content faster with AI. [sponsored]
- eBay to compete with sellers now!
- New stamp prices and fee increases are coming from USPS on July 9.
- SMALL BUSINESS WEEK SPECIAL: Three tips for SMB ecommerce success in 2023.
At the Baird Global Industrial Conference this week, FedEx CFO Miike Lenz announced that the company has canceled eight to nine daily international flights and about 23 domestic flights to help achieve a $2.2 billion to $2.7 billion in accelerated savings after announcing a drop in quarterly earnings.
The measures don’t stop there however as Mike continued by stating how there were plans for further cuts this month of eight to nine more domestic flights and temporarily parking aircraft because fewer are needed. The plan is to structurally lower costs by $4 billion starting in the fiscal year of 2025, with the air network a strong candidate for further streamlining.
FedEx Offering Furlough to Workers
The FedEx Freight arm of the business has also announced that it will be furloughing an undisclosed number of drivers. FedEx Freight is the nation’s largest less-than-truckload shipping provider and is scheduled to start in early December.
According to Freightwaves the FedEx Freight branch of the company hires about 45,000 people it is not clear how many of them are drivers.
“The furloughs are expected to affect a small number of drivers, and not all facilities will be targeted,” said Miranda Yarbro, a FedEx Freight spokesperson.
“Because of our previous experience with furlough and with the incentives we are offering, we are expecting employees to volunteer to meet the business need,” Yarbro said in an email.
The furloughs are due to last for 90 days during which time affected workers will still get their full health care coverage and will also be able to file for unemployment in their state of residence.
At this time of the year, this is a far cry from the normal demand and goes to show the true impact that the economic downturn and inflation are having on consumer spending.
This year we have seen how both Shopify had to make drastic staff cuts and Amazon has been doing their own cost-cutting reports to try and balance the books following the post-pandemic comedown. It seems FedEx is the latest giant being forced to make some tough decisions regarding its future profit and sustainability.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
We do not sell your information.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
Head over to our Facebook Group for Small Business Marketplace Sellers and interact with us and other small business owners. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn to stay up to date with relevant news and business insights for your online business.
Dave is a Co-Founder of eSeller365. For over 10 years he has been involved with eCommerce with a particular interest in the marketplaces and the huge opportunities available for sellers when utilizing a multi-channel strategy. After a year of being the UK’s youngest eCommerce consultant, he built an education platform called UnderstandingE that showed the world how to utilize Magento as the “Third Generation of Multi-Channel software”.
Dave has also created a YouTube channel dedicated to entrepreneurship and eCommerce as well as a podcast dedicated to mental health awareness. When Dave isn’t working his main interests include learning and playing Chess, researching the Crypto and NFT space, and trying to find the nearest beach.


text:
Generations of carpet makers working to the highest standard
Brockway Carpets has unveiled its sharp new retail display offering for existing and new retailers alike, purpose designed to showcase latest ranges.
Brockway Carpets has introduced a new twist pile option to its popular Lakeland Herdwick carpet range derived from the protected sheep of Cumbria.
Brockway’s stunning Regatta carpet is set to bring Hollywood style to life for one unsuspecting Hertfordshire homeowner on Channel 4’s brand new series ‘Hollywood Me’ on Wednesday (3rd July).
Kidderminster’s Brockway Carpets has held a special presentation to celebrate its first employee to achieve 50 years’ service.
Brockway Carpets has unveiled its latest new product launch featuring the brand’s most sophisticated collection of stylish natural hues.


text:
Also: Yountville's Bardessono earns top LEED award
Whole Foods Market has construction on two stores in the North Bay under way, and a third is set to start this spring. Bidding for outfitting the completed store shell in Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa is set to open in April, and already the Austin-based retailer has a long list of interested contractors, some of which are from the North Bay, according to Glen Moon, vice president of store development. Construction documents are being completed now.
"We'll narrow it down to a half-dozen by the time it goes to bid," he said.
The store opening, delayed from mid-2009 because of the economy, is now set for late 2010.
Improvements on a second Mill Valley store in a former Albertsons are progressing, with an opening tentatively set for June 9.
The anchor store in the Millworks mixed-use project in central Novato is set to be complete in late April.
[caption id="attachment_18428" align="alignright" width="288" caption="Entrance to the Platinum LEED certified hotel, Bordessono"][/caption]
The U.S. Green Building Council awarded the 62-room Bardessono hotel, restaurant and spa in Yountville the highest level of certification, called Platinum, in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design project-rating system. That purportedly puts the year-old project by Kirkland, Wash.-based MTM Luxury Lodging among only a few hotels worldwide with that distinction.
Point-earning features include 947 rooftop solar panels rated at 200 kilowatt-hours, 72 300-foot geothermal wells to save energy on room and water temperature control, grey- and blackwater recycling for irrigation in the town and 93 percent construction material recycling.
Santa Rosa-based Burbank Housing Development Corp. broke ground in December on a 65-unit, $25.9 million affordable apartment project on nearly three acres at 6065 Old Redwood Highway in Windsor. Eight units of the Windsor Redwoods project are reserved for the Sonoma County Mental Health Division.
Construction on G&C AutoBody's fourth shop, located at 10661 Old Redwood Highway in Windsor, is under construction. [See story, "G&C expects to start Windsor building," Nov. 17, 2008.] The Santa Rosa-based repair company wanted to start construction in spring 2009, but the project involves coordination with Caltrans on signals at the onramp and offramp from Highway 101 across the street and with the town of Windsor over utilities connections, according to project manager Budd Vance.
That coordination delayed groundbreaking until Nov. 30 and increased the project budget to $5 million, including $800,000 for off-site work, from $4 million. Rains are pushing back the construction schedule, originally set to take eight months. The project is financed through Bank of America.
G&C President Gene Crozat is acting as general contractor on the project. Key contractors on the project are Pacatte Construction of Santa Rosa on the office building and Sebastopol-based pre-engineered steel building specialist Cary & Associates Builders. Cary also constructed G&C's 22,000-square-foot shop addition at its main Santa Rosa facility, which was finished in January 2009.
Industry West Commerce Center LLC, the developer group behind a new southwest Santa Rosa industrial property, filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 reorganization in Santa Rosa on Jan. 14. In court documents, the developer listed $18.8 million in liabilities and $24.3 million in assets.


text:
Leading international food supplement and health product manufacturer Nutrition Group has seen a dramatic rise in the demand for its immune system-boosting products during the coronavirus crisis.
The fast-growing contract manufacturer in the health supplements and sports nutrition sector has created 20 new jobs, invested in faster machinery and increased its working hours to keep up with demand from customers.
Orders for Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Zinc tablets increased by almost 100 per cent year-on-year in February, with similar rises in March and April. The majority are destined for the UK mail-order and online markets.
The Blackpool-based, family-owned business now employs 150 staff and has an annual turnover of £17million.
A global supplier to the dietary supplements, health and wellness and sports nutrition sectors, Nutrition Group supplies some of the worlds most renowned nutrition brands.
Its clients include major vitamin brands and well-known online sports nutrition businesses and health food multiples.
The company specialises in manufacturing tablets, capsules and protein bars for the health supplements market
The business, which was founded more than 25 years ago, currently produces two billion tablets and 500 million capsules a year.
Last year it invested £3m in a state-of-the-art protein bar production line with the capacity to make 50 million ‘energy bars’ a year.
The new facility was officially opened by government Business Minister Lord Henley last May.
Nutrition Group chief executive Richard Greathead said: “We have seen a dramatic increase in the demand for products such as Vitamin C, Vitamin D and Zinc which all help boost the immune system.
“The majority of our extra production is for UK online and mail order brands. These businesses have been very agile in the way they are able to continue to service the market and they are not reliant on bricks and mortar retail.
“As a result of the increase in our order books we have introduced a second shift on our protein bar line, doubling our capacity and creating an additional 20 skilled jobs.
“Our tabletting and tablet coating operation has been boosted by the acquisition of new, faster machinery and we have introduced extra working hours in the factory to keep up with demand.”
Nutrition Group has introduced new measures to ensure social distancing for its workforce and visitors to its manufacturing facility on the edge of Blackpool, close to the M55 motorway.
Richard said: “The fact that we already operate to very high standard of hygiene and good manufacturing practices has meant that a lot of the requirements were already covered. It was a case of continuing to enforce current procedures.
“We have had to adapt how we manage the business and the majority of office staff have been asked to work from home.
“The transition has actually been very straightforward and is working very smoothly. Teams are communicating effectively with each other and output and efficiency is high.”
Nutrition Group has Investors in People accreditation. It manufacturers using Good Manufacturing Practice and is licensed to manufacturer by the MHRA (Medicine and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency).
It is also approved by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and operates to ISO 9001:2015.


text:
Floyd Mayweather couldn't have a more appropriate nickname: Money. His upcoming match against Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao on May 2 in Las Vegas is not simply being billed as the "Fight of the Century." It's also heralded as "the richest single occasion in the history of the sport" because of the astonishing amount of money that it will generate.
“To put it lightly, it’s complete mayhem—the demand for tickets, hotel rooms, transportation and nightclub VIP tables,” the owner of one Vegas luxury concierge service told the Las Vegas Sun. And the money and mayhem spread well beyond Sin City, as these figures attest:
Ranking of Mayweather (pro career boxing record: 47-0) and Pacquiao (57-5-2), respectively, on Forbes' World's Highest-Paid Athletes list, with Mayweather recently earning $105 million per year and Pacquiao pulling in $41 million purely from fight earnings, not endorsements.
Price of admission for a viewing party of the night's boxing matches at the Mohegan Sun in the Poconos of Pennsylvania. The Mohegan Sun in Connecticut is charging $35 for entrance to a viewing party in its 5,300-seat ballroom. At last check, tickets were already sold out at both venues via TicketMaster, and general admission prices—for watching boxing on TV, remember—have been listed at $70 to well over $200 at secondary resale sites such as StubHub.
Combined age of the two fighters—Mayweather (38), Pacquiao (36)—leading to complaints that the match is taking place when both combatants are well past their primes.
The pay-per-view price for getting to watch the fight at home, via Comcast and other providers. That's for standard-definition viewing. Depending on your operator, it might cost $10 extra to see the match in HD. It's the most expensive pay-per-view fight ever; previously, the priciest PPV boxing match was $65 for Mayweather's 2013 fight against Canelo Alvarez.
Amount, in Phillipine pesos, that Manny Pacquiao earned in boxing matches as a boy in his native country. That translates to roughly $2.25 in US dollars today.
Number of cars purchased over the years by Floyd "Money" Mayweather at a single car dealership in Las Vegas. Mayweather has bought 16 Rolls-Royces and three Bugattis, the latter of which cost at least $2 million apiece. The dealership says he pays for his cars in cash, sometimes carted in with duffel bags.
The frustratingly small estimated number of tickets that was actually available for sale directly to the public, according to Yahoo. Tickets only went on sale as of Thursday, April 23, and the vast majority went to ticket brokers, who could mark them up and sell them at prices far higher than face value. Unsurprisingly, sketchy ticket scams promising seats to the match on speculation began surfacing months ago, even though nothing was officially on sale until very recently.
$1,500 to $10,000
Range of face value ticket prices to see the fight in person at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The minimum room rate at the MGM Grand on the weekend of the fight. Soon after the fight date was announced, rates at the host site rose $900 to $1,000 per night. In fact, all hotels in Las Vegas are charging a huge premium for rooms during the weekend. For instance, the Wynn Las Vegas was offering rates of $950 on rooms that normally cost $250, while the low-budget Circus Circus, normally available for under $60, was charging $284 per night. The vast majority of hotels in the area are requiring a two-night stay as well.
The estimated price that top seats to the match could command on the secondary market.
Revenues expected just from ticket sales to the fight—an amount that trumps the most recent Super Bowl ($60 million) even though the football venue held four times as many seats.
$80 to $100 Million
Total amount that gamblers are expected to bet at Nevada sports books on the fight.
Estimated amount of total revenues the fight will generate, including sponsorships and pay-per-view and foreign licensing fees.
Value of the prize being offered to the winner of the boxing match by a Las Vegas strip club. The club has promised that the victor of the fight will receive "Free Couch Dances for Life," plus a $500,000 Dom Perignon package and a topless "foxy boxing" match held in his honor. Four strippers are ready to get the winner's name tattooed on their bodies as well.


text:
If the latest round of earnings reports taught us anything, the item’s of which traders aren’t always right when the item comes to U.S.-China trade talks, CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Monday as whispers of a potential trade summit kept stocks at bay.
Specifically, traders who bet against stocks like Nike as well as Starbucks when talks go south — usually assuming of which they’ll be boycotted because they’re distinctly American brands — could have “the China trade” all wrong, he told investors.
“of which earnings season has revealed some brutal truths about ‘the China trade’ of which just don’t jive with the … conventional wisdom,” Cramer said on “Mad Money.” “We act like the winners as well as the losers by the trade war are obvious, nevertheless the reality’s a lot more nuanced than of which. Many companies of which should be hurting from the People’s Republic have been putting up some astonishing numbers, while others are being torn to pieces by increased competition or the slowing Chinese economy.”
White House officials have confused Wall Street with their statements on the trade talks in recent months, at times signaling progress as well as at times suggesting of which the two sides were still far by reaching an agreement.
As a result, short-term stock-pickers have had to follow their instincts, Cramer explained. When tensions seem to be rising, they’ll usually choose to short-sell shares of top consumer brands, capital goods companies as well as technology giants, he said. Short-selling involves trying to profit on a bet of which a company’s shares will decline from the near future.
Nike, Starbucks, Estee Lauder as well as Yum China all tend to fall from the first short-selling bucket, nevertheless if you ask the “Mad Money” host, of which strategy “just hasn’t paid off.”
“Nike as well as Starbucks both reported an acceleration in sales” of which quarter, he noted, adding of which Nike saw its best-ever Singles Day, China’s Black-Friday-esque shopping holiday. “Nike’s biggest problem from the PRC? High-quality problem: producing enough shoes to meet the demand.”
Starbucks performed strongly, with higher-than-expected same-store sales in China. Estee Lauder’s earnings report had nary a hair on the item. as well as while Yum China didn’t blow away the estimates with its results, they weren’t nearly as bad as many had feared, with rising revenues to boot.
“The consumer stocks of which are holding up in China … all share one trait: they have unassailable brands with little Chinese competiton,” Cramer said. “There’s genuinely nothing like Starbucks from the PRC yet. Yum China? KFC slowed, [nevertheless] not enough to give the short-sellers a win. Estee Lauder’s practically peerless.”
Capital goods companies told a different story of which earnings season: Emerson Electric, United Technologies, 3M as well as Caterpillar were all impacted by their exposure to the economic slowdown in China.
Aircraft producer Boeing was the only exception, Cramer said, calling its much better-than-expected earnings results “a glorious secular win.” Even though the item sells one in four planes to Chinese buyers, “the Chinese need Boeing more than Boeing needs China,” he explained.
from the technology space, “the elephant from the room can be Apple,” the “Mad Money” host said. The iPhone maker pre-announced some first-quarter weakness tied to China in early January, as well as while the item managed to top expectations later from the month, the item sent a whole host of stocks — including of which of its supplier, Skyworks Solutions — down with the item.
“Tech’s the real triumph for the short-sellers, because the Chinese government has made the item difficult for Apple to do well — [the item’s considered] cheaper, more patriotic, if you go buy the Huawei phone,” Cramer said. “Nvidia’s been crushed by a government-mandated slowdown in Chinese gaming.”
So, if you’re trying to invest around developments in U.S.-China trade talks, going against the daily grain might be your best move, Cramer said.
“If of which market gets hammered on China fears later of which week — as well as I expect the item will — use of which pullback to buy … Nike, Starbucks, Estee Lauder, as well as Yum China, not to mention Boeing,” he advised. “Be wary of the industrials with Chinese exposure, as well as expect pain from the techs with Chinese business. Sure, there are some wildcards, nevertheless right now you have your cheat sheet as well as a much better sense of who’s being hurt as well as who’s doing just fine.”


text:
US direct sales giant Mary Kay has sold its Dallas plant for an undisclosed sum, according to a report published by Dallas News.
The 420,000 sq ft plant has been central to the brand’s global manufacturing operations for the past 40 years. The Regal Row site will now be transformed into the corporate headquarters for precision sheet metal manufacturer, Humanetics, with a move-in date set for 2020.
Meanwhile, Mary Kay’s new Lewisville plant is under construction. The US$125 million project will see the cosmetics company gain an additional 50,000 square feet of space, allowing it to grow and ‘remain a competitive employer’.


text:
Erik King, Editor in Chief of Gambla.com, has much to say about online casinos, iGaming and how cryptocurrencies are a popular deposit method in the industry. He heads a team of website developers for Gambla, Zamsno and Zlots.com.
Gambla in particular has a unique position in this mix. It is a casino guide for new players. In fact, each time one visits the site, a tree is planted. What a way for entertainment and charity to merge!
Those seeking the site have only to Google the name or catch an online ad. Of note, Gambla prefers online to land-based gambling, part of its “green initiative.” The goal is to decrease the stress on the environment.
One of the goals is to direct users to reputable online sites. There are many shady venues per King. Players need safe places to frequent. They need good local payment providers like Interac in Canada that has engendered local trust. Such options are now replacing credit and debit card deposits.
A lot of news revolves these days are crypto users. Cryptocurrencies have brought in a new clientele. The technology from the crypto space has helped the industry evolve into the future. Micropayments are one of the best new methods.
According to King, it is interesting that players have assets in cryptocurrencies, so why not use them. After all, such currencies are usually savings not needed for daily living. For sure they have improved affiliate marketing click-through rates as well.


text:
McDonald’s tests mobile ordering ahead of US roll out
McDonald’s has begun testing mobile ordering and payments this week in select US markets. The fast food brand hopes to roll it out across the US and in other international markets by the end of this year.
The McDonald’s mobile app already allows customers to browse the menu, view weekly deals and find nearby locations, but now it will allow customers to place orders and pay within the app.
Mobile ordering will initially be available in 29 restaurants in Monterey and Salinas, California, through the company’s mobile application. The test will then expand to 51 more restaurants in Spokane, Washington later this month, McDonald’s says.
By the end of this year, McDonald’s plans to have mobile ordering live in its 14,000 US restaurants. In addition, 6,000 others in Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Australia and China will also get access to the technology.
Germany threatens to fine Facebook €50m
Germany has threatened to fine social networks, including Facebook, as much as €50m (£43.7m) if they fail to give users the option to complain about hate speech and fake news or refuse to remove illegal content.
Under the first draft of legislation presented by justice minister Heiko Maas on Tuesday, the corporate officials responsible would risk separate fines of as much as €5m. If passed, the bill would be the strictest regulation Facebook faces in any country where it operates.
“We have to increase the pressure on social networks,” Maas said. “Too little illegal content is deleted, it’s not deleted quickly enough and it looks like the operators of social networks aren’t taking their users seriously enough.”
Fox, Turner and Viacom team up to standardise TV audience targeting
Audience targeting on TV has long been hindered by marketers’ inability to buy specific audience segments across rival networks.
Fox Networks Group, Turner and Viacom are looking to change that by teaming up on a platform that would standardise audience targeting among the three.
Named OpenAP, the platform allows for consistent matching between the TV network groups’ audiences and the custom audience targets that advertisers built using their own data. That means an advertiser going after a very specific audience segment can apply that same segmentation across the three network groups, buying whatever programming will deliver those groups.
But this isn’t a transactional or programmatic platform, and no data will be shared between the three companies, says Donna Speciale, president-ad sales, Turner, adding that they will each negotiate deals separately.
Nike accused of false marketing in China
Nike has been criticised by a consumer-protection show on state-run television in China for “false marketing”.
The annual programme, which aims to uncover abuses by companies, said Nike had falsely advertised basketball shoes. The sporting-goods giant claimed the sneakers had Zoom Air sole cushions inside when they did not, according to the broadcast.
The unwelcome publicity comes at a time when Nike needs China more than ever for growth. The company is facing heavier competition in the US, threatening its plans to reach $50bn in revenue by 2020. Meanwhile, sales in China have been soaring. Excluding currency effects, they jumped 17% in the most recently reported quarter.
Coopers beer faces backlash over gay marriage video
Australia’s largest independent beer company has found itself at the centre of a boycott over a video discussing same-sex marriage.
Several Australian bars have stopped stocking Coopers beer after it was featured by religious group the Bible Society. The video shows two MPs debating their opposing views on same-sex marriage – which is not legal in Australia – as they clutch Coopers beers.
It has led to claims Coopers is against marriage equality, a claim it denies.
Coopers has claimed it “did not give permission” to be included in the video. However, the brand recently celebrated the Bible Society’s 200-year anniversary with a commemorative beer featuring Bible verses.


text:
Home Kent Business County News Article
Eurotunnel has set its sights on earning more than €500m (£418m) in 2015 after finalising accounts for 2013, which saw revenues top €1bn (£836m).
The Channel Tunnel operator managed an EBITDA – earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization – of €449m (£375.5m) in 2013.
Revenues reached €1.092 billion (£913m), an increase of 12%, leaving it with a net profit of €101m (£84m).
The company proposes increasing its dividend to shareholders by 25% to €0.15 per share from €0.12 in 2012, to be proposed at the AGM on April 29.
Eurotunnel chairman and chief executive Jacques Gounon said: “In 2013, the Eurotunnel Group recorded another record year despite the highly competitive environment.
“In this year, the 20th anniversary of the Channel Tunnel, the group has set itself new targets for the creation of value, with an objective for EBITDA of more than €500m in 2015.”
Eurotunnel also owns Dover to Calais operator MyFerryLink, which is subject to a review by the Competition Commission, which is expected to announce its decision in May.
It lost €22m (£18m) in 2013, although its established a solid share of the freight market of 9% and revenues of €74m (£61m), compared to just €7m (£5.8m) for the four and a half months of activity in 2012.
It transported 316,811 cars and 326,274 freight units in 2013.
Eurotunnel’s shuttle services carried 2.5 million passenger vehicles and 1.4 million trucks between Folkestone and Coquelles in the Pas-de-Calais.
Click here for more news from Kent Business.
Click here for more news from around the county.


text:
President Donald Trump is selling Hispanic business owners on his new tax cuts.
Trump is delivering the keynote address Wednesday at the annual legislative summit of the Latino Coalition. It's his first time addressing Hispanic business owners.
Trump says the $1.5 trillion package of tax cuts he signed late last year have finally given American business a "level playing field." He tells the Latino business owners that they'll "see more of this in the coming weeks."
Trump highlighted administration efforts to eliminate regulations that many businesses find burdensome.
Trump also touched on immigration. He blamed Democrats for failing to reach agreement with the White House on a plan to protect immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children.


text:
Blink Charging And Ya'acobi Partner On Patent Technology Integration
Blink Charging Co.("Blink"), a owner, operator and provider of EV charging equipment and networked EV charging services and YSB ("YAAC"), an Israeli infrastructure and smart city technology, have entered into a cooperation agreement to integrate Blink technology into light poles with "flexible charging" for smart city infrastructure.
The integration of EV charging and YSB's patented innovations will allow both Blink and YSB to deploy and operate light pole charging stations integrated with IoT functionality, such as Wi-Fi, camera, internet security, and the cloud-based Blink Network in the U.S. and Israel and other potential markets.
Blink has deployed more than 14,000 electric vehicle charging stations throughout the U.S. and is expanding globally through strategic partnerships. YSB installs and manages smart city infrastructure specialising in smart lighting technology and traffic control systems.
The strategic partnership represents the world's first integration of networked EV charging with energy management into smart light poles. There have been more than 25,000 deployments across Israel and globally of YSB's proprietary smart lighting products and technology.
"The widespread deployment of electric vehicle infrastructure is mission critical to service a present and rapidly-growing global need to make EV charging affordable and accessible," said Blink's Founder and Executive Chairman, Michael D. Farkas. "We believe our partnership with YSB is a game-changer. This partnership will enable us to deploy Blink charging stations on the global stage by integrating directly into city-wide infrastructure. When we're done, EV drivers never have to wonder where they're going to fill-up."
"The strategic partnership will open new cross-selling revenue channels for Blink by leveraging existing relationships with property owners and municipalities that will be able to incorporate smart lighting technology within existing EV charging installations as well as future deployments," concluded Mr. Farkas.
"Over the past four decades YSB has focused on technology innovations that transform infrastructure to improve the lives of everyday people," said Pini YaákobiÂ¸ YSB's Founder and Chairman. "As leaders in EV charging technology, Blink is an ideal partner for this vision. The integration of our technologies will remove barriers for widespread electric vehicle adoption in both Israel and the United States."


text:
The Swedish electric vehicle startup Uniti has announced their intention to construct a pilot factory for their upcoming city EV in the British Silverstone Park. It will be used to manufacture the Uniti One and serve as a pilot programme for licensed factories around the world, according to the manufacturer.
Uniti is planning to have their pilot project production ready by 2020. The choice for the UK was made because “The UK’s approach to vehicle production, with its focus on light-weighting and innovation in advanced materials, is an ideal model for electric car production globally,” according to Uniti CEO Lewis Horne.
The facility will be set up in cooperation with MEPC, and further details for the project will be released shortly, according to Uniti’s statement. They did say that the facility would be one of several planned initiatives in the UK. To date, the Swedish vehicle manufacturer has an engineering team in an R&D centre in Northamptonshire, as well as partnerships with several local companies, such as KW Special Projects and Unipart. Parallel to the factory, Uniti plans to open an office in London, in order to help finance the further plans for the Silverstone location.
Meanwhile, Uniti is planning to introduce their serial production models next year, shortly before beginning delivery to customers over all of northern Europe. Details so far mainly focus on the two-seater Uniti One, which was presented in December 2017. The price for the small EV will start at 14,900 euros in Sweden, going up to 19,900 for the full works. According to the manufacturer, the Midi-EV is capable of reaching a 300 km range with it’s 22 kW battery. The top speed has been stated to be 130 km/h.
The Swedes have announced a crowd funding campaign via the British platform Crowdcube, which will allow investors from all over Europe to buy stock in the company.
– ADVERTISEMENT –


text:
Singapore, one of the most aggressive states in pursuing Free Trade Agreements (FTA) seems to be reaping the benefits.
The Trade and Industry Minister, Lim Hng Kiang told the Singapore parliament that Singapore’s 11 FTAs have led to increased trade volume and tariff savings of over $470 million for companies in Singapore.
Singapore’s trade with its FTA partner, the United States (US) has grown by 19% to US$42.5 billion in 2006. The Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (AmCham) said that the US-Singapore FTA had “the effect of increasing business confidence in Singapore and has supported theSingapore government’s efforts to promote the country’s standing in the region as a high-trust economy….. This has had the effect of not only increasing trade, but also ensuring that Singapore is attractive to US foreign direct investment (FDI).” Singapore is now the second-largest recipient of US FDI in Asia in 2005.
Thailand, which had been previously been very aggressive in pursuing FTAs, also seems to have benefited from its FTA with Australia. Bilateral trade betweenThailand and Australia has risen by 15% to reach 295.52 billion baht in 2006 compared to the previous year. Thai’s exports to Australia rose by 30% in 2006.
The economic ties between these two look set to expand further. Australian Senior Trade Commissioner to Thailand, Sean Riley, said, “We only expect two-way trade to grow as only 14% of Australian exports and 63% of Thai exports took advantage of the tariff privileges.”
Notwithstanding the seeming success of Thai-Australia FTA, the Thai government is wary of entering another FTA- with Japan. There are three main concerns over the FTA with Japan. The first was the fear that Thailand might end up with an influx of hazardous waste from Japan. Due to pressure from the environmental non-governmental organizations (NGO), the Thai government has added a one-page annex- “the understanding on the interpretation of the agreement” in which both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal.
Secondly, some of the Thai producers in the steel industry are concerned that the FTA might mean the end of their businesses. The FTA is likely to result in an adjustment period of 7-10 years (in which the current tariffs of zero to 5% is applied) for commodity grade steel and an immediate zero tariff on specialty steel products not made in Thailand. The founder of NSM Plc (a hot-rolled coil producer), Sawasdi Horrungruang said, “How dare the government open the local market to others despite an awareness that Thai operators still lack competitiveness? I don’t know why they have to rush to reduce our tariff protection.”
Last, there are also concerns that the Thai auto-parts sector could suffer with the FTA since the Japanese car manufacturers would then source supplies from Japanrather than from Thailand. The Permanent Secretary for the Industry Ministry, Chakramon Phasukvanich assured that Japanese car manufacturers in Thailand were likely to continue to buy from Thai suppliers due to the well-established relationships.
Chakramon Phasukvanich reiterated that the Thai-Japan FTA would increase Japanese investments in Thailand. He also pointed out that Japanese companies preferred to source quality local raw materials to importing raw materials from Japan. The former would be more cost-effective.
The Thai government not only has to deal with domestic resistance to signing the FTA but also to consider the potential costs of not signing the FTA. The competitive nature (vis-à-vis the other ASEAN members) of these FTAs was revealed in the comment by the Secretary-General of the Auto-parts Manufacturers Association, Thavorn Chalassathien who said that through the FTA, "… Thailand would acquire a similar advantage to Malaysia when the country signs a free trade agreement with Japan due to the fact that Thailand is also a member of AFTA [ASEAN Free Trade Area]," he said.
Besides Thailand, Malaysia is also coming to grips with the issue of pursuing FTAs. In the case of Malaysia, its FTA negotiation with the United States has reached a critical stage. On Wednesday (7 March 2007), the Malaysian Cabinet discussed the findings by the various ministries and agencies on the potential impact of the FTA.
There are some fears in Malaysia that the United States (US) would be the main beneficiary of the Malaysia-US FTA. The influential son-in-law of Prime Minister Badawi, Khairy Jamaluddin wrote a strongly worded article in the New Sunday Times urging the government, “not [to] sign away our freedom and dignity.” The Malay newspaper, Utusan Malaysia carried a whole page of letters and text messages from readers, most of whom were opposed to the agreement.
One of the key concerns is that the US-Malaysia FTA would end the practice of awarding government contracts to bumiputra companies. Other concerns included the tightening of the intellectual property rights regime in Malaysia and liberalization of the service sector (which could eliminate many Malaysian companies).
The International Trade and Industry Minster Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz was careful to emphasize that the decision to sign the FTA or not will be a collective Cabinet decision and not one to be made by the Trade Ministry alone. Against the accusations that the Malaysian government was rushing to sign the FTA with the United States, Rafidah asserted that it had no deadline for concluding the FTA talks with the United States. Prime Minister Badawi in responding to the chorus of opposition also sought to reassure that the government “will always safeguard the nation’s interest in its negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement with the United States”. (8 March 2007)
Nations comes first in FTA talks, says PM (The Star, 8 March 2007)
No Rush To Conclude FTA Talks With US, Says Rafidah (The Straits Times, 7 March 2007)
FTA Saves S’pore Business Over $470m in Tariffs (The Straits Times, 6 March 2007)
Assessments of FTA Impact (Bangkok Post, 6 March 2007)
Rafidah: Cabinet to Discuss Malaysia-US FTA Findings Tomorrow (Business Times Malaysia, 6 March 2007)
Steel Tops Debate on Japan Deal (Bangkok Post, 6 March 2007)
FTA To Boost Investments From Japan (Bangkok Post, 6 March 2007)
On the Record; Efforts to Ease FTA Anxiety (Bangkok Post, 5 March 2007)
Thai-Japanese FTA Negotiations; Toxic Waste Annex to Be Tabled in Tokyo (Bangkok Post, 5 March 2007)
FTA Must Promote Fair, Not Free Trade (New Sunday Times, 4 March 2007)
S’pore-US Trade Rose 19% to US$42.5 billion (The Business Times Singapore, 2 March 2007)