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Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD
A UK-led study suggests the notion that caffeine makes us more alert is more imagined than real and that frequent coffee drinkers develop a tolerance to both its stimulatory and anxiety-producing effects.
You can read about the study led by researchers at Bristol University in the 2 June advanced online issue of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology.
While frequent coffee drinkers may feel alerted by coffee, the study suggests this is just a sign of reversing the fatigue effect of caffeine withdrawal, and given that caffeine also increases anxiety and blood pressure, there is no net advantage.
Co-lead author Dr Peter Rogers, of the Department of Experimental Psychology at Bristol told the media that:
“Our study shows that we don’t gain an advantage from consuming caffeine – although we feel alerted by it, this is caffeine just bringing us back to normal.”
“On the other hand, while caffeine can increase anxiety, tolerance means that for most caffeine consumers this effect is negligible,” he added.
For the study, the researchers recruited 379 people of whom about half were classed as non or low coffee consumers, while the other half were classed as medium to high coffee consumers (a few large cups of filter coffee a day).
But they found little variance among their levels of alertness when they consumed either caffeine or a placebo after not consuming it for 16 hours.
After giving blood samples for genetic testing, all the participants were asked to abstain from caffeine for 16 hours and then took a dose of 100 mg of caffeine or a placebo. 90 minutes later they then took another 150 mg dose of caffeine or placebo.
The participants rated their own levels of anxiety, alertness and headache before and after consuming either the caffeine or the placebo, and they also completed a series of computer tasks to test memory, attentiveness and vigilance. One of the tests they completed was the Mood, Alertness and Physical Sensations Scales (MAPSS).
The results showed that the medium/high coffee consumers who had the placebo reported a decrease in alertness and an increase in headache.
Neither of these symptoms were reported by medium/high coffee consumers who had the caffeine, yet their post-caffeine levels of alertness were no higher than the non/low consumers who had a placebo.
The researchers said this suggests that the caffeine just brought the medium/high consumers “back to normal”.
Rogers and colleagues also found that genetic predisposition to anxiety did not stop coffee drinking: on the contrary, participants with such a genetic predisposition tended to consume slightly more than those without the genetic variant.
They said perhaps a slight increase in anxiety is part of the pleasurable buzz that caffeine gives.
They concluded that:
“With frequent consumption, substantial tolerance develops to the anxiogenic effect of caffeine, even in genetically susceptible individuals, but no net benefit for alertness is gained, as caffeine abstinence reduces alertness and consumption merely returns it to baseline.”
Source: Medical News Today


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Canadian brands get in on UFC 129 mania
OLG Slots and Casinos, Gatorade and Pizza Pizza are just some of the Canadian brands that found ways of leveraging the event.
The UFC debuted in Toronto to the cheers of some 55,000 raucous fight fans at the Rogers Centre, and though the on-premise promos were restricted to a few American brands that had inked PPV deals with the UFC’s home office in Las Vegas, some Canadian brands found other ways to enter the fray.
Take Ontario Lottery and Gaming Slots and Casinos. It used UFC 129 as an opportunity to associate itself with the league for the first time as a way of expanding its entertainment offering. It ran a promo throughout April, arranged with UFC Canada, giving MMA fans the chance to win one of four UFC VIP packages including a two-night stay in a hotel in Toronto, complimentary breakfast for two, access to the weigh-in and a private function at Real Sports Bar on the Friday before the fight, premium seating at the event and a merchandise package. It also included a meet-and-greet with UFC athletes at locations like OLG Slots at Western Fair Raceway.
‘[UFC is] a strong brand that reaches one of our market segments, which is the younger 19-to-34 male audience and so that partnership works very well in terms of how we could integrate a promotion,’ says Deanne Rodrigue, acting director, gaming marketing, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. ‘With OLG being a provincial organization and being very local, this is a great opportunity because this fight was in Ontario for the first time and there were a number of fighters who had local ties.’
OLG promoted the contest with radio remotes, POS, print ads and online ads on UFC.com and Heavy.com, which were arranged through Cue Digital Media, the sales rep for the UFC’s online ad sales in Canada. The company, founded by CEO David U.K., recently launched and is the rembranded amalgam of online branded content creator Digital Percent and Digital BranZ. It combines content production, branded entertainment, display advertising and distribution to critical mass audiencesacts, representing online entertainment media publishers including Heavy.com, Collegehumour.com, TMZ.com and Funnyordire.com. Creative for the effort was developed by Sault Saint Marie-based BMR. OLG also had the rights to use UFC branding as well as to show the fight in its slots locations.
Gatorade Canada used UFC 129 as an opportunity to leverage its sponsorship of Canadian fighter Georges St-Pierre (GSP), one of the most prolific fighters in the league and an athlete who’s captured the hearts of fans at home and abroad. His fight at UFC 129, which he won, was the title bout on the night.
The PepsiCo brand executed a sponsorship on UFC.com promoting its G Series of sports drinks, including wallpapers and banner ads, as well as video ads featuring GSP. Banner ads and wallpapers were also featured on Sportsnet.ca and the GSP Gatorade ads ran on TSN.ca in its MMA sections. Exclusive online videos, housed on YouTube and Gatorade.ca, and promoted on Facebook and Twitter, were also part of the media mix. The buy was rounded out with broadcast component that included a UFC sponsorship with Sportsnet.
‘When we heard that [GSP] would be stepping into the octagon on April 30, we knew that we wanted to be a part of this historical event in Toronto sports,’ says Julie Raheja-Perera, senior director, portfolio activation and file marketing, PepsiCo Canada. ‘It was perfect timing for us to express our support and pride for GSP as he’s been training with the product for the past five months.’
Pizza Pizza created a ‘Win the Ultimate Pay-Per-View Pizza Party’ to celebrate the sold-out fight with those watching at home. Customers who placed a ‘Future Order’ online at PizzaPizza.ca before midnight on April 26 were automatically entered to win a viewing party at their home featuring free Pay-Per-View for the event. The contest was promoted on Heavy.com, UFC.com and Sportsnet.ca, as well as Twitter.
Online was also the platform of choice for Taco Bell Canada and Bic Canada, which used it to leverage the event. Taco Bell had online ads during a broadcast of Fight Day, a pre-event talk show produced by Heavy.com, which is also distributed on FoxSports.com and YahooSports.com. Bic took the opportunity to place ads for its new Flex4 razor on UFC.com, a placement arranged by CP+B Canada.
‘The decision to include the UFC website in our advertising plan was based on research that shows it’s a popular destination for our target demographic and it was expected to see a spike in traffic during [UFC 129],’ says Grace Castaneda, group account director, CP+B. ‘There was a lot of consumer anticipation for the event, which offered marketers a high engagement platform to speak with audiences. We saw that among our core male consumer target group the event was highly impactful.’
*This story was originally posted on May 2, 2011 and updated on May 3, 2011.

domain: news


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Online platform to assist COVID-19-stressed importers
The tradeXpad trade-finance platform provides direct access to funding opportunities from multiple private funders and traditional banks.
Standard Bank urges regulators to ease digital trade
The bank is engaging with several authorities to amend regulations and ease digital trade during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vodacom targets 2023 to execute ‘all-in’ AWS strategy
The telco selects Amazon Web Services as its primary cloud provider and will migrate the core of its information services landscape to AWS Cloud.
Blockchain can fix supply chain failures exposed by COVID-19
COVID-19 has shown the vulnerabilities of supply chains and the opportunity for technologies such as blockchain to boost efficiencies, says WEF.
Call to devs to join Gitcoin Cross-Chain hackathon
Cross Chain is a three-week virtual hackathon celebrating open-source collaboration across blockchain ecosystems.
Blockchain, Bitcoin show promise in SA, but more skills needed
John Singh, head of the Institute of Information Technology Professionals SA Blockchain Special Interest Group in KwaZulu-Natal, believes there will be strong demand for blockchain and crypto-currency skills in future.
Paxful seeks crypto partnerships with African dealers
Africa has tremendous potential, and partnerships are essential at this pivotal time within the crypto-currency industry, says the Bitcoin marketplace.
Open blockchain project scores rare endorsement from China
Conflux, a Beijing-based start-up, has achieved a rare feat: winning official Chinese government support for a public, permissionless blockchain.


text: “It is the right event, in the right place, to come across and tackle creativity hints that arise from a very important market, with regard to style trend evolution”, remarks one of the exhibitors. “Smart visitors, smart location, positive and proactive contacts, both traditional and new, which are meant to be a valuable starting point for rewarding and profitable cooperation, bound to continue next September, in Milan”, emphasizes another participant. Both of them (among 49 exhibitors who showed up yesterday at Ham Yard Hotel) have been giving a short and effective picture of Lineapelle London, which kicked off yesterday, and ended on the same day, in the British capital city. It turns out, then, that the fair reaffirms its leading role, as for style trends, while drawing, as usual, startup companies, style consultants and prestigious brands. In other words, “an excellent calling card to get into the British market, and reinforce it as well, therefore showing how cutting-edge our products are, from whichever point of view, including fashion and sustainability”. Two trend presentation seminars, both sold out, focused on winter 2019/20, spotlighted such “proficiency” mentioned above. Likewise, they also depicted it during “The Tuscan Way. Vegetable leather: what is it about and what is its story?” seminar, curated by the Genuine Italian Vegetable-Tanned Leather Consortium. Many visitors expressed their deep concerns: in such uncertain context, Lineapelle London holds as a steady landmark.


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CANADA: Annual review of Canadian grain industry sees grain handlers downgraded again
The Dominion Bond Rating Service (DBRS) has released its annual study on the Canadian Grain Industry, according to a press release issued yesterday. The theme is a continuation on last year's study that "The grain handling industry is running out of time to overcome the structural challenges that it is facing" and concludes that the outlook for future profitability remains challenging.
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Service 1st Financial has closed on nearly $20 million in its quest to create a new model for buying home heating, cooling and plumbing equipment, dubbed “Home Comfort-as-a-Service,” supplemented by sustainability goals.
The Bethesda, Md., firm raised $5.85 million in an ongoing Series B round co-led by S2G Ventures, and secured $15 million in subordinated debt, also from the same firm, which has offices in Boston, San Francisco and Chicago.
“Advancing sustainability in the ‘home comfort’ sector requires both new technologies and new business models that can deploy these technologies at scale,” said Anuj Khanna, founder and CEO of Service 1st. “While the vast majority of sector resources are dedicated to technological innovation, Service 1st is addressing the need to catalyze business model innovation to make these technologies more widely available for consumer use.”
S2G Ventures, which focuses on food, agriculture, oceans and clean energy markets, said it shares Service 1st’s faith in a service-based consumption model, together with sustainability goals. “Service 1st is effectively meeting the need for transformative business models that make energy-efficient products more accessible,” said Andrea Woodside, vice president for Real Assets at S2G Ventures.
Khanna, a former UBS executive and alum of the Kellogg School of Management, joined with New York’s Thayer Street Partners, a boutique private investment firm, in incubating Service 1st in 2019. He aimed to build service models in an industry segment focused on commoditized sales. Toward this, he brought tech and financial innovation, and supplemented it with sustainability goals.
The company has created leasing options, trained contractors and built new service-based pricing that together give homeowners a way to buy heating, ventilation and air conditioning products, and also be assured of replacements and upgrades when necessary. For a low monthly payment, homeowners receive the option to switch to latest energy-efficient equipment, while eliminating common pain points of owning such systems. Service 1st’s Premier Program additionally advances sustainability by allowing faster replacement of older and inefficient systems, incentivizing consumers to opt for climate-smart, energy-efficient solutions.
Service 1st has built strategic partnerships with sustainability-focused HVAC and plumbing original equipment manufacturers and contractors, and best practices training organizations. The company said it would use the newly raised funds to geographically expand its market, and invest further in training. It also expects a fillip to its business from the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act.


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Gyro appoints Jürgen Müller-Nedebock as Munich creative director
Gyro has announced the appointment of Jürgen Müller-Nedebock as the creative director for its Munich office.
Having joined from the role of senior creative director at Action Impact GCC in Dubai, Müller-Nedebock said: “I am greatly looking forward to being part of Gyro Munich. It is still very rare to find an agency like Gyro that really understands the need to connect with consumers on a humanly relevant level. This in itself is a game-changer, and the work coming out of this office will make our clients’ brands real and game-changing.”
Christoph Becker, global CEO and chief creative officer at Gyro, said: “With Jürgen joining our team, it proves that our shop is attracting top talent from around the world.
“Everything he has touched throughout his career is a reflection of his pure talent. In tandem with Claudia’s strong and inspiring leadership style, Jürgen will help push gyro Munich to new heights.”
Müller-Nedebock has previously worked for agencies such as Leo Burnett and Hunt Lascaris TBWA South Africa.
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Apple's Home Services chief has departed after spending two years leading smart home projects for the Cupertino tech giant.
Sam Jadallah, whose official job title was Head of Home Services, announced that he had left Apple in a LinkedIn post over the weekend.
"That's a wrap with Apple," he wrote. "I'm so grateful for the friendships that will endure and the opportunity to shape and create new capabilities for people and homes around the world."
Jadallah added that he was excited to head back into the "Silicon Valley ecosystem." He lists his current position on LinkedIn as "Investor, Independent Board Director."
Apple hired Jedallah back in 2019 to lead its smart home efforts and the development of HomeKit. Prior to joining Apple, he worked as the CEO of a smart lock company and also spent time as a corporate vice president for Microsoft in the 1980s and 1990s.
In the two years since he was hired, Apple has pushed a number of smart home initiatives under Jedallah's watch. That includes support for the Thread standard, working with other technology companies on Matter, and introducing new HomeKit features.
Recent reports have suggested that Apple engineers are pessimistic about the future of the Apple TV. Together with the HomePod, Apple's home hardware has lagged behind competitors like Amazon and Google. However, the next evolution of Apple's home strategy could be a combination of the HomePod and Apple TV.
It isn't clear how Jadallah's departure from the company will affect that strategy, or whether it's related to the Apple TV pessimism among Apple engineers.


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Mixed-use community to bring multifamily residences, amenities and retail to Richmond’s fastest-growing commercial neighborhood
With a walkable connection to the adjacent Stovehouse and Campus No. 805’s dining, retail and entertainment options, The Foundry and The Range will serve as…
Multi-Housing News, a provider of in-depth news and analysis shaping the multi-housing industry, recently interviewed Tom Stockdale, Director of Commercial Asset Management for The Beach Company.
Setting the architectural standard in Charleston’s historic district, The Jasper will include 219 luxury rental homes, 75,000 square feet of AAA-office space and 25,000 square feet of first-floor retail space with an enclosed parking garage.
The site, located near the city’s downtown along Governor’s Drive, will be developed into one of the largest mixed-use projects in Huntsville’s westside.
The Beach Company recently broke ground on River Rock, a new mixed-use community in downtown Chattanooga’s popular Riverfront district.
The Beach Company recently announced vertical construction is officially underway at the site of Sixth South, a planned mixed-use community on the south side of downtown Nashville’s SoBro neighborhood.
The Beach Company recently announced the first restaurants and retailers confirmed for Cardinal Crossing, the first-ever mixed-use community in the highly sought-after Forest Acres neighborhood in Columbia, S.C.
The Beach Company has announced the official start of construction for Canvas, a mixed-use development located in downtown Greenville, S.C.
The Beach Company recently announced the acquisition of 2.79 acres of land in downtown Chattanooga’s popular Riverfront district.


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Japan’s economy grew an annualized real 1.9 percent in the October-December period, upgraded from preliminary data thanks to an upswing in capital expenditure, the government said Friday.
The reading showed the world’s third-largest economy had rebounded after a string of natural disasters caused a contraction the previous quarter, although economists remained cautious following a downgrade by the Cabinet Office the previous day of another key economic indicator.
Friday’s upgrade was largely in line with the average forecast, for 1.8 percent growth, that had been made by private-sector economists polled by Kyodo News. Compared with the previous quarter, real gross domestic product — the total value of goods and services produced in the country adjusted for inflation — grew 0.5 percent, according to the data from the Cabinet Office.
Capital expenditure increased 2.7 percent from the previous quarter as manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and production machinery ramped up spending.
Private consumption, which accounts for more than half of the national economy, rose just 0.4 percent, downgraded from the preliminary 0.6 percent growth, as tepid wage gains kept households from spending more freely.
Net exports, falling amid slowing demand from China, pushed down real GDP by 0.3 percentage point. Public investment fell 1.7 percent, downgraded from the 1.2 percent fall initially reported.
In nominal terms, or unadjusted for inflation, GDP rose an annualized 1.6 percent or 0.4 percent on a quarterly basis.
The upward revision for the October-December period led to an upgrade to real GDP growth in 2018 from 0.7 percent to 0.8 percent.
Japan’s economy needed all the momentum it could get heading into 2019, with early data for the current quarter suggesting growth will be hit hard by the slowdown in China, the U.S.-China trade war and a softening tech cycle.
The recent pattern of expansion and contraction in the economy is not the stable growth path Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would like to see in the run-up to a demand-sapping sales-tax hike later this year.
The upward revision in GDP growth had been expected by economists given stronger-than-expected capital expenditure figures for the quarter released last week. But those figures also showed very little quarterly growth in business spending outside the manufacturing sector.
The figures didn’t prompt a rethink among economists, who are increasingly concerned about the current quarter and the possibility of the economy contracting or, even worse, slipping into a recession ahead.
Worries about a possible recession were prompted by government data released Thursday, which downgraded its assessment of a key indicator of economic trends.
The Cabinet Office’s coincident index of business conditions for January was down 2.7 points from the previous month at 97.9 against the 2015 base of 100. It was the index’s third consecutive decline, prompting the office to say that it was “signaling a possible turning point.” Prior to that, the office had said conditions were “weakening.”
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Indoor farms, often in disused urban spaces, look less like the typical conception of a farm and more like a chemistry lab. Instead of dirt, most indoor farms opt for hydroponic or aeroponic systems, which use moving water to convey dissolved nutrients directly into a plant’s bare roots. Most use LED lights instead of natural sunlight, and many are powered with renewable resources like solar energy. There’s no getting your arm deep into the dirt in most of these farms.
One of the newest, from a Japanese company called SPREAD, takes that whole idea a step further by fully automating the entire process. According to Co.Design, SPREAD, which already operates a few indoor farms around Japan, will open a new, enormous “vegetable factory” outside Kyoto sometime in 2017. The new farm will focus on lettuce, which grows easily indoors and in these environments, and will be able to pump out 10 million heads of lettuce in a year, more than three times as much as the next largest SPREAD farm.
To produce that produce (ha! Very good.), the farm won’t need humans; robots will eventually handle the entire process, including planting seeds, germinating the seeds, transplanting them into larger beds, growing the new vegetable, and harvesting. (They’re having some trouble figuring out an automated way to confirm the proper stage of germination before transplanting, but that’ll come eventually.) The systems are capable of monitoring growth, checking humidity and temperature, raising and lowering lights, and adjusting nutrient levels. It is, or will be soon, a pretty remarkable thing: a seed to a mature crop with nothing more than the press of a button.
The Wall Street Journal says the lettuce will be sold in stores in Japan for about the same price as conventional lettuce, but that the price will decrease over time. And this style of farming doesn’t rely on weather, and can be conducted in spaces much smaller than conventional farms. Robot lettuce: coming to you soon.


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As retailers call for increased funding to encourage high street footfall in the wake of further Covid-19 restrictions across England yesterday, independent jeweller Roseanna Croft – who closed her Bakewell boutique during lockdown – has said that this is the perfect time to remodel the retail sector.
The founder, designer and maker at Roseanna Croft Jewellery believes that the pandemic has not caused the issues that retail is experiencing – only exacerbated and exposed them.
Fast fashion, mass-production and poor-quality goods, she said, are the true, long-term causes of ailing high streets, further claiming that custom-made products and online retail are the present and future.
When lockdown hit, the designer decided to switch her high street shopfront for a London studio space after seeing the beginnings of the shift to e-commerce and bespoke commissions that the pandemic has signalled.
Croft commented: “Off-the-shelf goods answered a need in pre-pandemic times, when everything was all about speed and ease.
“However, I believe that lockdown – with its slower-pace and focus on priorities like health, family, and wellbeing – has provided consumers with a fresh perspective on what they want from the retail sector.
“We’ve seen a huge shift in ‘conscious consumerism’, where we collectively care more about communities, than we do about conglomerates.
“Indeed, in the new normal, it’s less about demanding ‘Now!’ and more about asking ‘How?’: ‘How is it made?’ ‘How is it sourced?’ ‘How long will it last?’ ‘How will it impact the causes I care about?’
“As a brand, the only option for survival is to make the move, and for us, this lies in the bespoke market.”
Making pieces to order, Croft said, allows each customer the freedom to choose every element: from the band metal and width, to a stone’s cut and colour.
Not only does this allow them to stay in control of the design, feel, and budget, but it also means that you can take into account requests for fair-trade, locally sourced or recycled materials, to make each aspect more ethical.
With social distancing, reduced capacity, and limited chances for in-person events, Croft said that the process of designing and making one-of-a-kind pieces fills the gap that’s left behind in giving customers an ‘experience’.
She continued: “Bespoke jewellery offers customers an opportunity to crystalise – quite literally – their personal stories.
“There is a special reason behind each commission, whether it’s to mark the start of a new chapter or celebrate a milestone along the way.
“Equally, with our ability to rework pieces, it also gives people the healing process of rewriting their stories: from redesigning an heirloom piece inherited from a loved one; through to reclaiming pieces from relationships past into jewellery you can love once more.
“By moving away from ready-made pieces, towards unique options, you put the power in the hands of the customer in a way that feels more personal, intimate, and authentic – elements that all of us have come to treasure more in recent months, more than ever before.”
News Source : professionaljeweller


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A collection of news and information related to Bret Taylor published by this site and its partners.
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CNNSAN FRANCISCO -- Joining "likes" on Facebook, the social network has added dozens of new types of posts, including "bought," "read" and "want." Sixty applications that let users publish information automatically to Facebook launched at a news...
TechnologyFacebook wants its more than 800 million users to share everything they do with their friends on Facebook and off of it. So Facebook has teamed with more than 60 partners to roll out apps that encourage users to tell......
TechnologyFacebook's chief technology officer Bret Taylor says the site's privacy settings are easy to use....
L.A. Times Tech BlogChief Technology Officer Bret Taylor declared 2011 the year of mobile for Facebook. On Tuesday, the company rolled out "Facebook for Every Phone," a free app that makes it easy to access the social networking service from more than 2,500......
L.A. Times Tech BlogFacebook going after Google and Apple....
L.A. Times Tech BlogDid Steve Jobs friend, er ping, Mark Zuckerberg? They are two of Silicon Valley's most famous founders: Jobs created the world's must-have gadgets, Zuckerberg the world's most popular social networking service. These days they are often mentioned in the...
L.A. Times Tech BlogFacebook denied rumors that it was developing its own phone Wednesday but it did begin rolling out an ambitious bid to extend its popularity on the desktop to mobile phones. Mark Zuckerberg, the company's founder and chief executive, said 200......
L.A. Times Tech BlogFacebook is ramping up its considerable arsenal to silence Lamebook.com, the wisecracking website that curates and pokes fun at status updates, photos and comments from the giant social-networking site (with an emphasis on bawdy conversations and...
Facebook executive warns senators that restrictive privacy rules could squelch benefits of 'social Web'L.A. Times Tech BlogA top Facebook executive told senators considering new online privacy protections that the company fears that placing tougher limits on the use of consumer data could squelch its network and the rest of the "social Web" because it would inhibit the...
Consumers Union pushes Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg to do more to keep out underage users, protect teens [Updated]L.A. Times Tech BlogZuckerberg Consumers Union called on Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg to do more to keep underage users off the site after a recent survey showed that as many as 7.5 million children under the age of 13 had accounts on the social network. The...
L.A. Times Tech BlogFacebook's chief executive Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday again torpedoed rumors that Facebook planned to launch its own phone, saying the world's most popular social networking site would instead help roll out dozens of phones with "much deeper social...
Jan 20, 2012 |Story| CNN
Jan 18, 2012 | Los Angeles Times
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May 20, 2011 | Los Angeles Times
Feb 15, 2011 | Los Angeles Times
Nov 11, 2010 |Story| Hola Hoy
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Apple Tours South Korea for a New Secret Car! Important Statements from Apple!
A new report published; He says Apple is trying to find new partners in the "Apple Car" supply chain with a secret trip. It has been talked about for a long time that Apple is working on a new car. The development of this model, known as the Apple Car, continues at full speed.
According to rumors, the company secretly sent a team to South Korea to develop Apple Cars. This clandestine business tour was featured in a report by Taiwanese source DigiTimes.
Apple has long sought new suppliers and large business partners to assist its autonomous vehicle project. The report argues that this covert trip is the result of an effort to find new partners to the “Apple Car” supply chain.
Apple is on a Supplier Hunt in South Korea for its New Car!
In 2014, Apple began working with more than 1,000 auto experts and engineers developing an electric vehicle in a secret location near the company's Cupertino headquarters. There are new developments in this project called “Project Titan”.
Over the last few years, internal strife and leadership issues have affected Apple's automobile project. In 2016, it was even rumored that Apple shelved the project plans. But the latest information shows that the company has overcome its development problems and continues to move forward. As a result, the brand plans to develop a consumer-oriented autonomous vehicle.
A separate report by The Korea Times states that Apple officials visited South Korea to "search for Korean business partners for the electric car project." In addition, the report; He also states that senior executives have confirmed the cooperation but say the talks are "still in the early stages".
The report also suggests that Apple is in "advanced" meetings with Korea's electronics giants. SK Group and LG Electronics are just a few of these giants. The company uses the lithium-iron phosphate battery, mass-produced by South Korean suppliers, in Apple Car. This is probably the reason behind the joint search efforts in South Korea.
Commitment to Establish a Factory in America Made Business Difficult!
Apple's search for suppliers abroad continues. The company has also reportedly pledged that the battery used in the Apple Car will be manufactured in the United States. These speculations suggest that the goal of Apple's tour in South Korea is to persuade suppliers to set up factories in the United States.
Apple has been working on its autonomous vehicle for the past few years. However, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, it is difficult to expect this project to become official until at least 2025.


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Weekly sales roundup for Montgomery, week ending June 14
There were 23 sales in Montgomery for the week ending June 14, according to Blockshopper.com.
One notable transaction in the area was the sale of 13301 Northshore Drive. Capco Enterprises Inc. sold the home to Harry Holloway IV and Ellen M. Holloway on Thursday, June 14. The 1,779-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath home was built in 2002 and is located in the Walden subdivision.
Other transactions include the sale of 12800 Melville Drive to Vicki Migues and the sale of 23887 Weeren Road to Albert Robles and Monique Maxwell.


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The store, located on Marsh Lane and close to The Strand Shopping Centre, has had hoardings placed around it for a couple of weeks now as work has got underway.
The work will see an extension to the store's existing bakery, while both its interior and exterior will be getting a major refurbishment.
Planning for permission for the extension was granted late last year, however work only began a couple of weeks ago.
Lidl are currently keeping its final design under wraps, however it has confirmed work at the store is due to be completed by the summer.
The supermarket is known for its weekly offers, last week it launched its denim collection, which included jeans for £7.99.
You can find your nearest Lidl on the website here.


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Nutson's Weekly Auto News Wrap-up: October 10-16, 2021
LEARN MORE: Full versions of today's news nuggets along with almost a million pages of the past 25 year's automotive content, news, articles, reviews and archived relevant stories residing in The Auto Channel Automotive News Library can be found by just copying a headline and then inserting into any Site Search Box.
Nutson's Automotive News Wrap-up - Week Ending October 16, 2021 ; Below are the past week's important, relevant, semi-secret, or snappy automotive news, opinions and insider back stories presented as expertly crafted easy-to-digest news nuggets.
* California took another step toward its goal of ridding the state of all gas-powered engines thanks to a new bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The new law will ban the sale of all off-road, gas-powered engines, including generators, lawn equipment, pressure washers, chainsaws, weed trimmers, and even golf carts. Under the new law, these machines must be zero-emissions, meaning they will have to be either battery-powered or plug-in, according to the Los Angeles Times.
* The Wall Street Journal reports that auto insurance companies want to move away from the unpopular practice of using credit histories in setting an individual's insurance premium rates. Instead, they want to track driving patterns using telematics to track, how, when and where we drive. Telematics would monitor policyholders' driving behavior either through smartphone applications or devices embedded in their vehicles. Progressive ands Allstate currently offer the rating practice.
* IIHS Says Brighter Is Better. Do you remember 7-inch sealed beam headlights and then the 5-inch version for quad headlights? And then along came large and small rectangle versions for single and dual headlights. A new study completed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety confirmed brighter headlights help reduce vehicle collisions. Really! IIHS says the number of nighttime vehicle accidents are nearly 20% lower for vehicles with headlights earning a “good” rating, compared with those with “poor” rated headlights. Vehicles with IIHS headlight ratings of “acceptable” or “marginal” have crash rates that are 10% to 15% lower than for those with poor ratings.
* Why we won't have autonomous cars anytime soon..perhaps never. Researchers at AAA, a federation of North American motor clubs, found that vehicles' auto emergency braking systems, in several instances during simulated rainfall, no longer recognized stopped vehicles ahead and that vehicles' lane-keeping systems performed considerably worse. Advanced driver-assistance systems, or ADAS, are becoming more common in newer vehicles. They do not offer autonomous driving, but can automate limited driving tasks. During simulated rainfall, 17% of test runs resulted in crashes at speeds of 25 mph, increasing to 33% at speeds of 35 mph. Vehicles equipped with lane-keeping technology crossed lane markers 37% of the time during ideal conditions in the AAA test, but that rate jumped to 69% once rain was added.
* Frank DuBois, an associate professor and global supply chain expert at American University's Kogod School of Business released the 2021 Kogod Made in America Auto Index. The index, now in its ninth year, ranked the Ford Mustang 5.0-liter GT with manual transmission first on the list with 88.5% domestic content. The index is intended to serve as a tool for consumers "interested in learning the amount of U.S. content in their cars and the extent to which their purchase decisions impact the economy." Overall, the index contains 98 vehicles from model year 2021. The full index is available at https://kogod.american.edu/autoindex/2021.
* Fender’s Custom Shop, partnered with Lexus, has announced the launch of 100 limited edition Fender Lexus LC Stratocaster guitars built by principal master builder Ron Thorn. The guitar is finished in an omnidirectional Structural Blue paint, the same used on the Lexus LC 500 Inspiration Series, that creates a spectral range of light metallic blue to deep midnight blue. This limiter-edition custom guitar is priced at $6,000.
* Mitsubishi Motors Corporation revealed the design of the all-new, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Outlander crossover SUV, confirming it will share the same bold and distinctive styling as the all-new, gasoline-powered Outlander that launched earlier this year in North America. Sales are scheduled to begin in Japan in mid-December and in the U.S. in the second half of calendar-year 2022. The world premiere of the all-new Outlander PHEV will take place October 28 at 12:30 p.m. JST and will be streamed live on MMC’s global website: https://www.mitsubishi-motors.com/en/digitalreveal
* MotorTrend announced the three finalists for its 2022 SUV of the Year. Among the 23 nameplates representing 35 variants in this year's competition, the 2022 (Jeep) Grand Wagoneer, the 2021 Kia Sorento and the 2022 Volkswagen ID.4 made the cut. The winner will be announced this coming week.
* The all-new 2022 Lexus LX 600 has been revealed and stands as the Lexus brand's ultimate sport-utility flagship. The full-size luxury SUV has been reengineered inside and out with a new body-on-frame platform, exterior style and luxurious cabin. It is powered by a high-output, high-torque 3.5-liter V6 twin-turbo gasoline engine and features a host of refined vehicle control systems for both on-road and off-road situations. The new model is scheduled to arrive at dealers in the first quarter of 2022.
* The 2021 Miami International Auto Show will be running this week. The U.S. auto show circuit continues to slowly recover from the covid pandemic. Next up will be the Los Angeles Auto Show opening on November 19.
* Mopar released concept sketches in advance of the upcoming 2021 SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show in Las Vegas (Nov. 2-5). Mopar will showcase customized vehicles and hundreds of quality-tested, factory-backed performance parts and accessories in its 15,345-square-foot exhibit in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
* From Hagerty we read Frank Lloyd Wright, the master of mid-century modern architecture, was a total gearhead. Among more than 80 cars he owned during his life were machines by Bentley, Cord, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, and Cadillac, and he famously said, “A car is not a horse, and it doesn’t need a barn.” Instead, Wright was a proponent of the “car port,” integrating into his architecture a special space for the automobile. A wonderful new book by design writers Thijs Demeulemeester and Bert Voet, appropriately titled Carchitecture Houses with Horsepower is a celebration of what happens when the two great skills of building design and car design come together, with page after page of glorious pictures of machines and structures.
* After eight days of competition in the 2021 Rebelle Rally women’s off-road navigation rally the first place finish in the 4X4 Class was won by Nena Barlow and Teralin Petereit in a 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4Xe. First place in the X-Class was won by Melissa Fischer and Cora Jokinen in a 2021 Ford Bronco Badlands Edition.
* NASCAR’s Round of 8 is now set after a chaotic Charlotte road course race. It'll now ve three teams and eight drivers. The eight advancing from the original field of 16 are Denny Hamlin and former champions Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. from Joe Gibbs Racing in Toyotas; Kyle Larson and reigning champion Chase Elliott from Hendrick Motorsports in Chevrolets; and Ryan Blaney and former champions Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski from Team Penske in Fords.
* Tony Stewart announced the addition of a drag racing program to his Tony Stewart Racing enterprise. The championship-winning race car driver who has successfully transitioned to being a championship-winning team owner is joining the NHRA in 2022. Tony Stewart Racing (TSR), will field two full-time entries – one in Top Fuel for nine-time event winner Leah Pruett, Tony's fiancée, and one in Funny Car for 39-time event winner Matt Hagan. The manufacturer and the team’s technical alliance associate, along with corporate partners, will be announced at a later date.
* Here's a tidbit of info: The Bondurant Racing School will be back in 2022!
* Doug Auld, Hall of Fame journalist and founder of Spring Car & Midger Magazine died following a brief illness. He was 59.
Stay safe. Be Well.


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Sears Closing 72 Stores in the Near Future
Sears Holdings announced this week that they have identified one hundred additional stores that continue to be unprofitable. Representatives of the company say they are not liquidating just for the sake of liquidating, instead their plan is to get capital in order to fulfill pensions for their employees. The department store chain has found themselves in a constant cycle of closing low performing stores to reduce costs. But even as expenses were cut, sales continued to fall further.
At the end of the first quarter, Sears and Kmart had 894 stores operating. That’s 381 fewer than it had a year ago. In January 2018 the company announced the closing of 64 Kmart stores and 39 Sears stores. Some locations are even being auctioned off online.
CEO of Sears Holdings said they’re not erring on the side of “this store might work,” however instead of investing the time and money, they’re staying on the cautious side.
To read the full CNBC story, click here.


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In the first six days after launch, Instagram's video feature attracted 14 of the world's top 100 brands, who collectively posted 23 videos, according to data that Simply Measured shared with BI Intelligence.
In the same time interval, between June 20 and June 26, the competing Vine video service saw half as much activity from top 100 brands (7 top brands, including Gillette and MTV, posted 19 videos on Vine).
Why did brands favor Instagram? Scale might be one issue. Instagram is a much larger platform with 130 million users, compared to 13 million people who use Vine. Although most Vine videos are viewed on Twitter, which has an audience of about 200 million, Vine's relatively small native audience base is a disadvantage.
Scale also helps to explain why early comparisons of likes and comments on the two video-sharing services give a lopsided edge to Instagram.
The videos posted on Instagram by top brands averaged 8,258 interactions, in the form of likes and comments on Instagram itself, according to Simply Measured's data. Meanwhile, the 19 Vine brand videos attracted an average of only 225 interactions, measured as retweets and replies on Twitter (interactions on Vine itself weren't significant, so Twitter engagement was used as the comparison with Instagram interactions).
While Vine still has a chance to come along, the reality is that Instagram is already a mature platform for brands. A full 67% of top brands are on Instagram.
Ford Motor Company, which has posted seven videos on Instagram thus far (making it the most active of any top 100 brand, according to Simply Measured), found that its followers comment 50% more on Instagram videos compared to photos.
Simply Measured defined top brands as those on Interbrand's Top 100 Brands list.


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40 per cent of Chinese steel imports – and just 2 per cent of Canadian imports – excluded from U.S. tariff
So far, the U.S. Department of Commerce has excluded about 40 per cent of imports of Chinese steel from facing its 25 per cent tariff. But to date, only two per cent of the total volume of Canadian steel imports to the U.S. has been cleared to dodge the tariff.
The head-scratching discrepancy gets even stranger with the United States’ 10 per cent tariff on aluminum imports.
About 86 per cent of Chinese aluminum imports now enter the U.S. tariff-free, while less than one per cent of Canadian aluminum shipments do.
“If the whole point was to do this for China in the first place, then why are the approval rates for China so much higher than other countries?” said Christine McDaniel, a former White House economic adviser, now a senior research fellow with the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.
“It just doesn’t make sense.”
The recent U.S. government shutdown gave McDaniel and her research colleague Danielle Parks an opening to comb through all the exclusion applications submitted last year and group the results by country of origin. Exclusion applications are filed by importers — manufacturers, retailers or construction companies, for example — who want to import tariff-free. McDaniel said the results of their research were so surprising, they ran the numbers a second time just to make sure.
“It does correspond with what we’re hearing anecdotally from steelmakers in Canada — that they’re not getting anything through,” McDaniel said.
Catherine Cobden, the new president of the Canadian Steel Producers Association, said the analysis tells a pretty troubling story.
“Canada’s getting hurt more than others through the tariffs,” she said. “Are these tariffs doing what they were intended to do?”
The tariffs aren’t giving North American suppliers a boost, she said. Quite the opposite.
“Whatever process they’re using, it’s unfairly tilted towards China, which is crazy,” she said. Her association’s members suspected the tariffs were distorting markets, she said, but this work “demonstrates with real data what that picture looks like.”
U.S. steelmakers objecting to exclusions
While the results for China conflict with the Trump administration’s rhetoric, the large exporting country that’s been most successful in the exclusion process so far is Japan: 62 per cent of its steel imports to the U.S. no longer face the tariff.
The Japanese manufacture specialty metals; comparable U.S. substitutes tend not to be available for them. It’s possible that what Canadian mills produce is more easily swapped with American product.
Exclusion applications are considered according to specific criteria, such as whether the same product is available in the U.S. Domestic steel companies can monitor these applications and file objections, according to their own business interests. The complicated process also allows for a rebuttal from the company trying to get its shipments excluded.
In some cases, the arguments have sought to interfere in companies’ right to make their own business decisions, McDaniel said. One company, she said, was told it shouldn’t be able to import pipe of a certain length tariff-free when it could buy American pipe and weld pieces together to make up the right length — notwithstanding the extra labour and environmental effects involved.


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Prime highlights of SBI's latest edition of its Ecowrap on India
The State Bank of India (SBI) in the latest edition of its Ecowrap, has made some interesting observations on the monsoon, bond yields, corporate outlook and Inflation targeting.
SBI trend analysis since 1950 shows that if June rainfall is above normal, there is a 65 per cent probability of adequate monsoon for the entire monsoon session.
CPI for the Month of May’15 contracted to -0.41 per cent (-0.25 per cent in Apr’15) indicating continuing margin strain in the first quarter of FY 16.
Sectors like alcoholic beverage, stock broking, cement products and logistics have firmed up, while sectors like ship building, telecom, mining and minerals, crude oil, capital goods, steel etc. are witnessing margin pressures in FY15. Out of 71 sectors, 60 per cent i.e. 43 sectors have shown decline in profit after tax (PAT) margin for FY15.
Results of an SBI study shows, in the last one year, 8 Indian cities have seen their prices converge to national mean (5 per cent) as against none one year back.
These results are particularly important for the policymakers as far as inflation targeting for India’s monetary policy is concerned as it shows there is now evidence of better monetary transmission, with prices across more states converging to national mean.
SBI also believes CPI trajectory will be benign and will be lower than Reserve Bank of India projections at around 6.5 per cent (Mar’16). Aug’15 CPI will be sub 4 per cent (at 3.5 per cent-3.6 per cent), while FY16 March could be around 5.6 per cent-5.7 per cent.


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2019 was the year where issues such as sustainability and climate concern dominated public debate, with Greta Thunberg emerging as a leading international commentator. It was also the year where Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors moved towards the top of both the business and public policy agendas.
In 2020 not only does this trend look set to continue as responses to climate change increasingly take hold, we believe that ESG is set to dominate public discourse and impact all business regardless of sector, industry or size.
I believe we will see several trends emerge, as ESG moves from what was once a niche investment area to mainstream business.
Investment and asset management
ESG-oriented investing has experienced a meteoric rise, with global sustainable investment now topping $30 trillion.
In 2020 Private Equity is set to join the ESG drive, with two of the world’s largest firms, KKR and TPG, having signed up to the principles laid out by the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation.
This will see both firms reporting on the positive environmental, social and governance impacts of their investments, as well as their potentially negative effects.
Integration and performance
Investors are re-evaluating the traditional investment model and are looking at ways to minimise risk across climate, data security and regulatory breaches.
Bank of America research found that ESG could have helped avoid 90% of bankruptcies in the S&P 500 between 2005 and 2015, where companies had poor Environmental and Social scores for the 5 years before bankruptcy.
Their research also found traditional financial metrics, such as earnings quality, leverage and profitability, don’t come close to ESG as signals of future earnings.
Demographics and Demand – Generation Y
Investor profiles are changing, with millennials and women, in particular, caring deeply about ESG issues. Research estimates that in the US alone ESG funds will see growth of between $15 trillion to $20 trillion, roughly doubling the size of the US equity market.
In 2020 ESG scores will play a bigger role in determining whether fund managers or exchange-traded funds buy a stock and how much a company pays on its loans.
ESG is driving consumer preference. Customers are not just paying lip service; they are now paying to “go green”.
NYU Stern’s Center for Sustainable Business carried out extensive research into U.S. consumers’ actual purchasing of consumer packaged goods (CPG).
Products that carried a sustainability claim accounted for 16.6% of the market in 2018, up from 14.3% in 2013, and delivered nearly $114 billion in sales.
Most striking, is the fact that products marketed as sustainable grew 5.6 times faster than those that were not.
Unilever reported that a third of consumers are now buying brands based on their social and environmental impact. One such brand, Sunlight dishwasher detergent, uses much less water than other brands leading to sales of Sunlight and Unilever’s other water-saving products to outpace category growth by more than 20% in some water-scarce markets.
McKinsey research found that 70% of consumers surveyed across multiple industries, including automotive, building, electronics, and packaging, said they would pay an additional 5% for a green product if it met the same performance standards as a non-green alternative.
Data and Definitions
Despite advances, assessing ESG risks remains far from straightforward. There are variations in ESG methodologies, frameworks and reporting which can be inconsistent.
The lack of standardisation creates difficulties in measuring and comparing non-financial performance and remains a major hurdle.
It is not surprising that ESG data to date has been better suited to highlighting the worst-performing companies, through ‘negative screening’ where firms or entire sectors are excluded from investment portfolios, often on ethical or health grounds.
Thankfully, a big first step in addressing the definition deficit is the EU Technical Expert Group on Sustainable Finance which provides a substantial foundation of classification across 7 industry codes and 76 economic activities.
Technology is enabling a transformational shift in ESG, where Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning can now analyse and amalgamate multiple data sources including emissions sources, firm footprint, health and safety, supply chain impact and diversity targets through the use of surveys, data collection, media publications and online mediums.
This, in turn, will accelerate the identification of positive opportunities for sustainable investment.
When the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997 there were only 70 laws or policies addressing climate change. By 2018 this number had reached over 1,500. Investors and consumers alike are demanding Environmental, Social and Governance regulation and carbon controls to be agreed and implemented with greater pace and detail.
The EU has been leading the way with its package of legislative proposals across disclosures, the creation of new low carbon benchmarks, amendments to MIFID and the Insurance distribution directive in relation to ESG.
However, this is only the beginning of what will become a detailed framework of rules coupled with National Government responses in line with the Paris agreement in 2015.
By the end of 2020, investment firms will have to publish their policies on the integration of sustainability risks in their investment decision-making process. Pension Trustees in the UK are now required to hold their investment consultants and investment managers to account on ESG, SIPs must include trustees’ policies on arrangements with asset managers, and detail trustees’ stewardship approach with a deadline of 1 Oct 2020.
It is safe to assume that the pace will increase with disclosures to become increasingly mandatory and detailed not only covering climate change but rather the full scope of ESG. This change will not only be regulatory driven but more importantly will be the result of investor demand. 2019 was a good year for ESG, and 2020 will be better. ESG will become the business imperative across global commerce.
Sean MacHale is head of institutional strategy, connectivity and growth at Bank of Ireland Global Markets.


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According to a Famitsu interview with Final Fantasy 15 DLC director, Takeshi Terada (via ResetEra), the studio's next title will be set in a brand new world, and is the reason that Luminous Productions was established.
A screenshot of a Luminous Productions job listing from last year mentioned work on a "new AAA title for PS5", as well as Final Fantasy 15 DLC episodes. With all Final Fantasy 15 DLC after Episode Ardyn now cancelled, it's likely that development of the new game is now in full swing.
Final Fantasy 15: Episode Ardyn is available now, and delves deeper into the villainous Ardyn Lucis Caelum's story.
Shabana is a freelance writer who enjoys JRPGs, wine, and not finishing games. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.


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Burger King to launch a further 200 UK restaurants by 2026
Burger King UK has announced that it is due to open a further 200 restaurants by 2026 .
It comes after the company agreed to acquire 12 new restaurants from existing franchise partners in January.
The fast-food chain reported that total revenue was up 68% to £211.7m in 2021, compared to £118.8m in 2019, marking its recovery from Covid.
Last year also saw the addition of 48 new owned restaurants to its portfolio through the opening of 19 restaurants and the acquisition of 29 sub-franchised restaurants, including the flagship store in Leicester Square, which served a 100% meat-free menu for a limited time.
With 172 direct-owned Burger King UK restaurants in total, the company intends to continue its growth, placing particular emphasis on digital investment, home delivery services – which account for 25% of total sales – and its commitment to a 50% meat-free menu by 2030.
Burger King UK also revealed that the company is on track to achieve 100% independently certified sustainable sourcing across all commodities by 2030.
Alasdair Murdoch, CEO of Burger King UK, said: "Today, Burger King is the third most recognised Quick Service Restaurant brand in the UK, and we continue to innovate across our menu and customer offering to respond to changing tastes and cater to all occasions and preferences.
"We have a strong development pipeline to further grow our UK footprint, and we are very well positioned to take advantage of the clear market opportunities ahead of us. I would like to thank all of our employees for their ongoing dedication and hard work, without which our ongoing growth would not be possible."
Burger King was founded in 1953 and now runs 18,600 restaurants in over 100 countries.
It first entered the UK market in 1976.
Image: Wachiwit / Shutterstock


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Halo: The Master Chief Collection is an incredibly handsome set of remastered games for Xbox One, including the first three (and some would say best) Halo games, as well as Halo 4 and the campaign from ODST.
While the game had an initially rocky launch, plenty of subsequent tweaking and patches has transformed it into a must own title for Halo fans everywhere. Even if it doesn’t include Reach, which is just plain wrong.
Inside Xbox drops March 12 at 2 PM PT with:
— Xbox (@Xbox) March 6, 2019
Anyway, we’ve got some great potential news for any PC owners out there, as it’s very much looking as if The Master Chief Collection will finally be making its way to PC.
Microsoft has promised “exciting news” regarding the collection on the next edition of its Inside Xbox show, which is set to go live next Tuesday (March 12) at 10pm UK time.
While there’s been no official guarantee that this news will be a PC port of the game, there have been rumblings of such a move for a while now. Most recently Xbox insider Brad Sams claimed in a YouTube video that the game is in development, and that a release is imminent – though he speculated it would be announced at E3 2019.
Of course, there’s always a chance Microsoft could use the Inside Xbox show to surprise everyone by announcing Halo Reach for the collection, with a PC port to be announced at E3 like Sams predicts.
Developer 343 had this to say about Reach last year:
When it comes to future features, the team is definitely aware that many, many players are very eager to see Halo: Reach added – we don’t have anything to announce or commit to right now, but it’s on the long list of things the team is constantly evaluating and thinking about for possible future updates.
Xbox boss Phil Spencer has really been talking up the continued fusion of PC and Xbox in 2019, so we can certainly look forward to some big announcements in that regard over the coming months.
The Inside Xbox show next week will also look at Day Z, One Piece World Seeker, and have some updates on Game Pass. We’ll be sure to keep you in the loop as we learn more.
If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
Ewan Moore is a journalist at UNILAD Gaming who still quite hasn’t gotten out of his mid 00’s emo phase. After graduating from the University of Portsmouth in 2015 with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies (thanks for asking), he went on to do some freelance words for various places, including Kotaku, Den of Geek, and TheSixthAxis, before landing a full time gig at UNILAD in 2016.


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- DualShock 4: The Light-Bar Changes Color to Indicate Health in Killzone: Shadow Fall
- Xbox One List of Games
- Gamescom 2013: Digital PS4 Titles of their PS3 Counterparts Will Feature “Significant” Discount
- Gamescom 2013: Meet the Inquisitor in New Dragon Age: Inquisition Trailer
- GTA V: Rockstar Acknowledges Garage Bug
The latest issue of Japanese Famitsu magazine reveals that the a 3DS title based on Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) will be coming out in Japan this December.
The game is called Shingeki no Kyojin: Jinrui Saigo no Tsubasa or (The Last Wings of Mankind) and is being developed by Spike Chunsoft. This is the first time that a studio has decided to bring the manga/anime hit on to a game console. Until now all we’d seen is a social game, Attack on Titan: The Wings of Counterattack, that was launched in Japan on the GREE mobile platform on April 26 by Strategy & Partners.
More information regarding the 3DS title has yet to be revealed but we do know that the game is said to allow players to take control of Eres, Mikasa, Armin and many other heroes. The game also sticks to the manga’s original plot in story mode. The “3D Mobility Gear” will also come into play and help players quickly move around the map. With the featured co-op support, players can hook up with three of their friends and play together in bringing down the Titans.
At the recent Anime Expo another game based on the manga was announced but will see the light of day sometime next year.
Attack of Titan sees to the invasion of humanoid giants who when given the chance devour living human beings. Pushed back, the remaining humans have now formed a small enclave with high walls to keep the giants out. However, when a new Titan suddenly appears out of no where and breaks down the wall; things start getting messy and we get to see our lead protagonist unveil a family secret.


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Ljubljana, 05 December (STA) - New car and van sales in Slovenia continued a positive year-on-year trend in November, data of the Statistics Office show. A total of 4,648 new cars and vans were registered in November, which is 8.34% more than in the same month last year.
The first eleven months of 2013 saw a 4.76% spike in new vehicle sales over the same period last year, as 54,493 cars and vans were sold, despite a slump in sales in the first half of the year.
The number of newly registered cars rose by 5.71% year-on-year in November to 3,926, while the number of vans surged by 25.35% to 722.
Renault was the most popular brand both for cars (703 new cars sold) and vans (184), followed by Volkswagen for cars (591) and by Peugeot for vans (159).
In the first eleven months of the year, car sales grew 4.59% year-on-year to 48,279 cars and the sales of vans was 6.06% higher, with 6,214 new vans were sold.


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Chair Entertainment’s highly rated Xbox Live Arcade game, Shadow Complex, has now sold over 200,000 units via digital download in its first week of release. That is a very good effort. Microsoft has noted in a press release that Shadow Complex is the most downloaded SINGLE-PLAYER title in XBLA History.
Shadow Complex has been described as a mixture between Megaman/Metroid and Castlevania. From what Don Mustard has stated he would love to make a sequel as there many things he couldnt add into the game first time around, but only time will tell. There is a lot of answers that need to explained and we all agree that sequel will welcomed with open arms.–


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Whether the infectious disease spreads to other countries that make hard-to-replace products may be the acid test of its impact on global manufacturing this year.
By guest author Nathaniel Taplin from Wall Street Journal
This is the second column in a five part Heard on the Street series about the market and economic impact of the coronavirus epidemic.
Investors are used to the cliché about butterfly wings in Brazil and tornadoes in Texas. It turns out that the butterfly—or bat, to be strictly accurate—was actually in China. Where the tornado will end is the big unknown.
The spread of new pneumonia-causing coronavirus probably originating in bats has shut down much of China. Companies as diverse as Apple, Hyundai Motor and Indian drugmakers are suddenly finding that parts from the world’s factory are unavailable, and the epidemic continues to spread rapidly in Korea, Japan and even Italy. The first crisis test of the complex global supply chains favored by multinationals since the 1990s could be here.
Disasters have disrupted Asian supply chains before, but there is no real analogue for the virus now spreading world-wide. When severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, emerged from China in 2003, it infected just 10 % as many people, and China’s weight in global exports is twice what it was then. Today’s intricate global supply chains are also a relatively recent development, and certainly did not exist in 1918, when the “Spanish flu” pandemic devastated many countries around the world.
Amid all the unknowns for global manufacturing, one certainty is that timing will matter a lot. If China can’t contain the epidemic within the next few weeks and get back to work, the risk of serious damage to local suppliers—and worse, shortages of Chinese parts abroad—will rise sharply. A recent survey found that about two-thirds of Chinese small and medium-size businesses had less than three months of cash on hand; nearly 40 % had a month or less.
The ripple effect in industries like autos has so far been worst in nearby countries including Korea and Japan, where manufacturers are used to short delivery times and lower inventories rather than a month-long trip across the Pacific for parts. But if China’s shutdown stretches from one month into two, the damage to overseas customers will be more widespread.
Under any scenario, the worst-hit industries will be those like automobiles and electronics with specialized components whose supply chain is clustered in one country or a small group of countries. China is the world’s largest exporter but in 2014 still only accounted for about 8 % of such “risky” hard-to-replace products, according to researchers at the International Monetary Fund. The U.S. and Germany both clocked in at 13 %. What happens in those countries may end up being the real acid test for global supply chains.
Worryingly, some pharmaceutical products and medical devices are in the risky category, raising the possibility that drug production gums up just as global demand for pharmaceuticals to combat the virus leaps. A raw material needed to make paracetamol, the common fever and pain reducer, has become scarce in India in recent weeks as Chinese supply dried up, according to a Financial Times report. India is among the largest pharmaceutical exporters globally.
Multinationals in China are taking a wait-and-see approach. An early February survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai found that half of respondents were not considering a change to their China strategy, while 40 % said it was too early to tell. Investors who only weeks ago were salivating over the prospect of a global rebound now find themselves in the same boat.


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Fernando Leon/Getty Images
Chuck D of Public Enemy.
Too many surrender their minds to corporate interests. You can make a better CD than any record company. Canada is very close to committing a world crime. Fearless, empowering dialogue like that tends to come from Chuck D.
Ready for more? You’ll get it when the Public Enemy co-founder, born Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, appears for a keynote address on Saturday at the Royal York Hotel as part of Canadian Music Week and tonight at the Docks, a gig making up part of the group’s 57th tour.
With more than 20 years in the music business, the author (working on a second book called Lyrics Of A Rap Revolutionary) and president of his label slamjamz.com (where Public Enemy’s new material resides among those of other acts of the genre) the authoritative rap icon will talk on independent artists, downloads, and the floundering record business.
“I’m a firm believer that the music business is healthy but the record business for the last seven years has not been. It has been an illusion,” Chuck D, now 46, says. “A lot of people were thinking that downloading would never have an impact on the buying of a record and I said, ‘Well, I don’t exactly see anyone buying any 45s anymore.’”
Along with his insight on music, you may also get a healthy dose of Chuck D’s progressive leanings. Frequently calling governments “the cancer of civilization,” the media pundit and political activist lectures at universities in the U.S. to warn listeners of the dangers of mass-consumerism and corporate control.
“Corporations want human beings to turn into consumers because they judge by their quantity instead of their quality. And they’re not necessarily concerned about how happy they are.”
His assertions won’t be limited to the U.S., of course. Chuck D also has a few ideas about the kind of Canada he would like to see: Share and share alike, as they say.
“Canada is truly a country that could use 50 million more people,” he says. “The amount of land, the amount of accessible water that it has is almost criminal, a world crime. It’s a place where more people could live and not be packed in other areas of the world.”


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Thinking about picking up a Fitbit, Huawei, or other piece of wearable technology? Wait until next week. Germany’s big wearable tech show, IFA, is coming at us like a freight train — and with it comes exciting new product announcements that could potentially derail the current devices we know and love.
Here’s everything we know about what the biggest names in wearable technology will reveal at IFA 2016. Follow WearableZone for updates as this story develops. Heard any tech rumors? Let us know in the comments below.
Update: The Samsung Gear S3 is here, and it's a serious contender in comparison to the Apple Watch 2.
We already loved the Gear S2's rotating bezel, so it's a relief to see that Samsung kept it as-is. In fact, the S3 is literally a big deal — it has a 33mm circular screen, and it's 12.9mm thick from front to back. That size is worth it, though: this new version is waterproof.
The battery life has been bumped up to last three to four days, which is impressive because the watch also has an always-on display. It boasts a sharp Super AMOLED display, which will make you feel like you're wearing a rainbow on your wrist.
The Samsung Gear S2 is due out in October. Check back with WearableZone for a full review!
Samsung has two events planned at IFA, which means double the fun. The company has already revealed the release of a new Gear smartwatch: the Gear S3. Samsung’s event invite tells us to “talk about 3” — and talk about 3 we will.
The company also tweeted about a “timely innovation,” so they’re obviously going for the subtle approach.
Stay tuned for a timely innovation. August 31. Berlin. pic.twitter.com/kUMG3l6BEs— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) August 15, 2016
TechRadar reports that the Gear S3 will keep one of the main features we love about the Gear S2: its innovative rotating bezel. But the new version will potentially come in three variants to better target active users: the Classic, Explorer, and Frontier.
Rumor has it that Acer will release a high-end gaming smartwatch at IFA 2016. We know what you’re thinking: “What, like that one Pokemon Go watch?” We can safely assume that Acer’s gaming smartwatch will work with its already-powerful line of gaming computers, laptops, and tablets — but in exactly what capacity, we can’t say quite yet.
Check back on August 31 for updates, and to find out what the heck a gaming smartwatch even does. We’re also expecting to see a newer version of Acer’s fitness tracker, the Liquid Leap.
Asus is literally counting down until its press conference at IFA, citing the arrival of the “Zenvolution.” While that name could refer to any of Asus’ products in its Zen line — including phones, tablets, and laptops — we’re anticipating the reveal of a new ZenWatch.
Asus not-so-subtly hinted at the reveal with this carefully worded tweet:
We’re already huge fans of the Huawei Watch, which is as elegant as it is powerful. So, understandably, the rumors of a new Huawei smartwatch make us want to jump around a bit and happy-dance. Phandroid reports that the company may unveil a new Huawei Watch, and Huawei executive Kevin Ho has stated in an interview that the company will introduce another sub-brand at IFA.
Huawei reminds us it’s looking to ‘defy expectations’ at IFA 2016 on September 1https://t.co/feoUzIMEDM— Pocketnow (@Pocketnow) August 23, 2016
The company’s teaser image features the edge of what looks like a smartphone, which could have something to do with the sub-brand’s focus. Will it work with the new Huawei Watch? Time will tell.
At IFA 2015, TomTom released its Spark smartwatch. This year, the company has a press event scheduled on September 1, so we may get a successor to the Spark — or something else entirely. We’re not seeing much about TomTom’s potential reveal, but we’ll update this space after their event at 8:30 a.m. local time.
Sony’s IFA appearance will potentially be huge — their press event invite teased a lineup that includes what looks like new headphones, a smart lamp, and the PlayStation VR.
Be still, our beating hearts. The PlayStation VR headset is a major attention-grabber because it doesn’t require a high-end gaming computer to operate. Instead, it runs with PlayStation, which brings the price down significantly. Estimates price the headset at $399, and it’s scheduled to drop October 13. Follow this space for updates from IFA.
Fitbit has released updated versions of the Charge and Flex. These updated fitness trackers are sleeker and more cutomizable: Fitbit's range of bands for the new Flex 2 are designed to fit into a range of bands, pendants, and bangles that you'll actually want to wear. The new Flex is even waterproof — finally! We also love that the new Charge has a fuller screen and thinner profile.
Notably, the new Charge is loaded with guided meditation sessions. Its larger display ensures that you'll be able to track your fitness and zen throughout your day, and we're looking forward to seeing some of these trackers in the hands of IFA attendees after Fitbit's press conference on September 2. Check back on this page for updates!
What are you most looking forward to at IFA 2016? Let us know in the comments below!


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PIMFA, the trade association for the wealth management and financial advice industry, welcomes the comments from the UK Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) Chairman, Charles Randell's (pictured) regarding the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) Levy and other matters concerning our industry.
PIMFA has long been in dialogue with both the FCA and FSCS on the matter of the levy and has already made further representations to the regulator since the onset of the covid-19 pandemic. Following this dialogue the FCA sent the recent "Dear CEO" letter to firms outlining its expectations during the pandemic, while also providing the regulatory forbearance PIMFA called for.
It is also encouraging to see the chairman of the FCA acknowledge the FSCS levy is already at an unacceptable level placing an unfair financial burden on firms that serve their customers well and give good advice. PIMFA has for some time asked serious questions about the sustainability of the FSCS Levy, while also calling for reform of regulation and supervision.
The implicit warning that the levy is likely to increase as a result of the current covid-19 pandemic will however be a source of anxiety for many firms."
PIMFA has also been working with the FCA to help consumers protect themselves from scams through its Scam Safe campaign and will be working with other partners to increase this work over the coming months.
Liz Field, chief executive of PIMFA, commented: "That the FCA chairman has acknowledged the need to redesign the current system so that it better protects ordinary retail investors from investments which are unsuitable for them, and ensures that firms which market unsuitable investments don't pass the bill for their misconduct on to well-run firms is very welcome news."
"All well-run firms want to protect consumers from poor advice or outright scams and the FSCS levy has been a source of understandable resentment for those firms for a significant period of time. The implicit warning that the levy is likely to increase as a result of the current covid-19 pandemic will however be a source of anxiety for many firms."
"PIMFA has already called for more engagement with the regulator and for better supervision for firms that need help and I would ask the FCA continues to work so a system that protects consumers but doesn't punish well-run firms for the misconduct of others can be created."


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Fall electronics recycling will be coming up soon, and residents of Tolono are eligible to participate again, but you must register online in advance!
Register online to bring TVs and Electronics Items to the October 12th Residential Electronics Collection
- This is the second of two Residential Electronics Collection (REC) events taking place at Parkland College this year, the first was May 18, 2019 and this one is October 12, 2019.
- Tolono residents, residents of other participating municipalities, and residents of unincorporated Champaign County are eligible to participate.
- Residents must register in advance online at https://ecycle.simplybook.me. At this website, residents will select an available 15-minute time-slot during which they plan to arrive at the REC.
- If you visit the page and no slots are available please try back the following morning, the City uses a automated booking system that opens new windows when the available slots posted are filled.
- Online registration for the upcoming October 12th REC is currently open!


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NEW DELHI: Online restaurant guide Zomato has reorganised its top management, with cofounder Pankaj Chaddah tasked to lead new business and Surobhi Das taking over as the new chief operating officer in his place, marking another instance of leadership changes within India’s highgrowth startups.
Das will lead media and operation functions such as human resource, finance and recruitment, according to an email addressed to employees by chief executive officer Deepinder Goyal, which EThas seen.
"Pankaj will ensure that we are able to find product market fit for all our new products as soon as possible and then move these businesses over to Surobhi as soon as he can," Goyal said in the email sent to company employees on June 30. "With this realignment, I will also have much more time to focus on product. I will aim to spend 80% of my time with the product/design/engineering team." Chaddah will head new initiatives including food-ordering and table-bookings.
Zomato did not respond to email queries on the new announcements.
Das, an IIM-Ahmedabad graduate, quit her job at Bain consulting four years ago to join Zomato. Before being promoted as COO, she was part of Zomato's global growth team that identifies growth opportunities and executes strategy.
Earlier this year, India's most valuable startup Flipkart also reorganised its top management, paving the way for Myntra cofounder Mukesh Bansal to take over as head of Bengaluru company's commerce platform.
Goyal and Chaddah cofounded the seven-year-old company, which expects to clock a revenue of Rs 100 crore this fiscal year with a boost from its new food-ordering business. Zomato, which is backed by Info Edge and Sequoia Capital, was valued at $660 million (aboutRs 4,000 crore) in November, when it raised $60 million.
The company's largest investor Info Edge holds a 50.1% stake in it, having invested a total Rs 484 crore in the business.
"Following the transaction, majority Indian ownership will create the regulatory space to even convert the operations into a B2C entity. It will provide a better shopping and pricing experience. But it's a call that has to be taken," said a source familiar with the transaction.


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AMI Joins Diverse Coalition in Urging Congress to Consider Impact Climate Change Legislation Will Have on Nation's Food SupplyFriday, June 26, 2009
(American Meat Institute)
AMI has joined a diverse coalition of food, feed and beverage associations in urging Congress to consider and prioritize the impact proposed climate change legislation will have on the nation’s food security.
Legislative approaches must be carefully crafted not only to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but also to avoid adverse impacts on food prices and food accessibility, the coalition stated in a letter to Congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner. The coalition noted that when considering the total GHG emissions from each sector, including suppliers, the food, feed and beverage sector has the fourth largest exposure to carbon costs—more than the chemical, retail, basic resources, automobile and parts sectors.
The food, feed and beverage sector is also exposed to significant trade pressure, the letter states. Yet, to date, Congress has not accounted for these disproportionate impacts on a sector that provides indispensable goods to American families. The coalition proposes that a cap-and-trade will work best if allowances are distributed proportionately to each industry’s emissions, thereby mitigating the direct and indirect impacts on all regulated industries.
“A fair distribution of allowances would allocate an appropriate percentage of allowances to the food, feed and beverage sector. It would also avoid the impression that the allowances represent subsidies to favored industries—an accusation that could subject the United States to World Trade Organization disputes and American companies to retaliatory tariffs. We cannot demonstrate international leadership by approving greenhouse gas legislation that undermines our international credibility on trade liberalization,” the letter states.
In addition, the coalition says that H.R. 2454 could impact domestic food prices which would fall most heavily on the poorest 20 percent of Americans who spend roughly one-third of their after-tax income on food. The coalition requests that Members not support passage of H.R. 2454 in its current form as it fails to address many concerns of the coalition.
To view this letter in its entirety, click here: www.meatinstitute.org/ht/a/GetDocumentAction/i/51178share on facebook share on twitter


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Prices of local assembled cars in Pakistan witnessed a decline probably for the first time ever, since automakers announced price revisions in wake of tax cuts introduced by the government in the latest Financial Budget and the new Auto Policy 2021-26. However there is one automaker which is yet to announce the revised (reduced) prices– its Al-Haj FAW.
Related: Car Prices Reduced Amid Tax Cuts
A lot of people keep messaging us regarding the status of FAW cars in Pakistan as the company has stopped accepting bookings of new units since many months. Almost all their authorized dealerships have been revamped into Proton giving an indication of the end of FAW’s chapter in Pakistan. The official Facebook page was inactive for almost 4 months however the company is yet to make an official announcement in this regard.
Now after a silence of more than 4 months, the company as posted on the official Facebook page, is offering Rs 79,000 discount on FAW X-PV Power Edition in its latest Mega Offer, but there is still no news on price reductions on V2, Carrier or other X-PV versions. People think its more like a stock clearance attempt as the company isn’t marketing FAW passenger vehicles in Pakistan the way it did in past.
Related: Is FAW V2’s Time Over?
Upon approaching, a FAW official declined about the discontinuation but had no answer on why the reduced prices of FAW vehicles aren’t announced yet as per tax reductions & why the dealerships aren’t accepting new bookings of FAW vehicles. Although the official Al-Haj FAW website is active, but it still shows old prices instead of the revised ones.
Al-Haj has tilted all its attention towards Proton, however even after several months of launching Proton, its unfortunately yet to begin delivering the local assembled CKD or CBU imported units due to lockdowns imposed in Malaysia. Whether the company will continue selling FAW passenger cars in Pakistan alongside Proton, is something we will have to wait to find out. However the way things are going, it looks as if the company has already abandoned FAW, which means its chapter in Pakistan has (probably) come to an end.
A 3d animation professional with over 20 years of industry experience having served in leading organizations & production facilities of Pakistan, an avid car enthusiast and petrolhead with an affection to deliver writings to help shape opinions. Formerly written for PakWheels as well as major publications including Dawn. Founder of CarSpiritPK.com


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One important, but often overlooked factor when buying an iPad is capacity. Many consumers look at the price tag and go with the cheapest iPad model. This type of purchasing decision is especially prevalent with the iPads, which are higher priced than the iPhone. Customers may enjoy the upfront savings that the base 16GB iPad model offers, but this bliss rapidly disappears when they hit their storage limit after a few months of usage. If you are not sure which size iPad you should buy, here’s a guide to help you decide which storage capacity to choose.
Retina iPad mini
16GB vs. 32GB vs. 64GB vs. 128GB: Which new iPad Air or Retina iPad mini storage capacity should you get?
There have been rumors that the Retina iPad mini that was unveiled last week will be in short supply when it launches later in November.
During the fourth quarter earnings call, Tim Cook has indicated the company may not be able to keep up with the demand for the new tablet.
Wal-Mart could again be one of the cheapest place to buy the new iPad Air, just like the new iPhones.
Wal-Mart has announced that it will be selling Apple’s new iPad Air for $479, which is a $20 discount on the retail price.
One of the biggest complaints about the original iPad mini has been the lack of Retina Display. So it was great to see Apple unveil the iPad mini 2 with Retina Display at its media event on Tuesday.
T-Mobile will be officially carrying the iPads for the first time since the device was introduced in 2010, and it has a great offer to get consumers on board. The carrier will be bundling a free 200MB/month data plan with every cellular iPad purchase.
As expected, Apple unveiled the next generation iPad and iPad mini at its media event on Tuesday, finally putting an end to the various rumors and speculations that started last year.


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The largest landscaping company in the country has set the ball rolling to become a publicly traded company after filing for an initial public offering (IPO) with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission last month.
This filing was amended yesterday to note the recent development of BrightView entering into a joinder agreement and Amendment No. 4 to its first lien senior secured credit facility, establishing $35 million of new incremental revolving commitments.
The company has filed for an IPO of $100 million but Renaissance Capital predicts that this is likely a placeholder and could rise to $500 million. The firm plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol BV. No pricing terms were disclosed.
The Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania-based business was formed in 2014 after Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. LP (KKR) acquired green industry giants Brickman Group and ValleyCrest Companies to combine them. The new name and logo were launched in 2015 with the B and V representing the two former companies.
Renaissance Capital says that the landscaping company has booked $2.4 billion in sales for the 12 months ended March 31, 2018. It boasts of having over 200 branches and has acquired other landscaping companies as recently as May with Environmental Earthscapes in Tucson, Arizona.
BrightView cites its No. 1 position in the industry, along with being a single source solution for landscaping problems with consistent service on a local level as some of its competitive strengths. The IPO filing states that KKR will continue to own a majority and BrightView will be a controlled company within the standards of the NYSE.
While the IPO will allow BrightView to raise the largest amount of capital, it will now have to balance between pleasing its shareholders and its customers. This switch from private to public could pave the way for similarly large commercial landscaping companies to follow suit and serve as a possible exit strategy for certain owners.
Kubota Tractor acquires land for Kubota Ranch
Kubota Tractor Corporation has purchased almost 318 acres of land in Ponder, Texas, roughly 30 miles northwest of its headquarters in Grapevine, Texas.
The property will be known as Kubota Ranch and serve as a field space for testing, training, operating and demonstrating Kubota equipment. Dealers will be able to preview new Kubota products and Kubota employees will be able to assess equipment to improve functionality.
The four small utility buildings on the property will be retained as the company has a plan to make Kubota Ranch a dealer destination and testing ground to unveil new equipment.
“Kubota has considered a land purchase of this nature for quite some time, and with our Grapevine headquarters in such close proximity, the opportunity to expand our operations and research and development capabilities here in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth region makes solid business sense,” said Masato Yoshiawa, Kubota Tractor Corporation president and CEO. “With this land we will now be able to expand our physical footprint and build out our vision for the ranch to evaluate and test out equipment.”
“Best of all, we can bring our dealers to Dallas to unveil and operate our new products, versus creating the experience for them in various cities around the country – it’s exciting that we can now offer this experience here at home in our own backyard.”
John Deere recognizes five dealers for outstanding sales achievement
Five John Deere dealers were honored for outstanding sales of commercial ZTrak and QuikTrak mowers in 2017.
Ag-Pro, Everglades Equipment Group, James River Equipment, SunSouth LLC and TriGreen Equipment LLC were given awards to commemorate the moment.
“We are proud to celebrate these dealers, as this achievement directly relates to the level of dedication they demonstrate for their customers,” said James Dutton, product marketing manager of commercial mowing equipment for John Deere. “At John Deere, we are proud of our dealers who constantly go above and beyond to provide professional landscape contractors with the support and service needed to keep their businesses running.”
Ag-Pro has been in business for more than 60 years and serves customers from South Carolina to Texas. Everglades Equipment Group has been recognized for the second year in a row and provides for Deere customers in central and south Florida.
James River Equipment has 30 locations in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. SunSouth credits its sales team for its success in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi.
TriGreen Equipment meets the needs of its commercial customers in Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi.
LandOpt network expands in Pennsylvania
Hydroscapes has become the fourth landscaping company to join LandOpt’s contractor network.
Rob Kratz, Hydroscapes owner, says he chose to partner with LandOpt because he felt he had reached a ceiling with his business.
“I needed a model and plan that works,” he said.
He hopes to double his revenue and increase energy within five years. Kratz is also excited to relinquish some of his current responsibilities as the LandOpt System aids him in defining job roles and creating clear career paths.
LandOpt has been growing steadily over the past six months, adding three locations this year. The company says this is a sign that both contractors and customers are embracing a business-focused and professional approach to the landscaping industry.
Massey Services promotes employee to east Florida regional manager
Preston Koch has been promoted to east Florida regional manager. He will be responsible for sales, service, training and community relations for nine service centers in Volusia County.
Koch has been with Massey since 2011 as a general manager in training and was quickly promoted to general manager five months later. He was general manager of the Avalon Park Service Center as well as the GreenUP Oviedo Service Center. He managed all segments of the residential business and both service centers saw growth under his leadership.
“In his seven years at Massey Services, Preston has been an outstanding contributor and leader for our residential business,” said Tony Massey, president of Massey Services. “He has excelled in managing both out pest and lawn businesses and his dedication to total customer satisfaction has resulted in extremely high customer retention rates and double-digit growth in his service centers. We look forward to his future contributions in this new role.”
Koch has a bachelor’s degree in business and human resource management from Western Governors University.