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Konami has an exclusivity deal with Juventus FC for PES 2020 and that makes things a bit difficult for EA and FIFA 20. This deal was announced earlier this week and Konami now has exclusive rights to the Italian Serie A club to use their kits, stadium, name, crest and more in their upcoming game. That leaves FIFA 20 with an issue, as they can’t use the Juventus FC name or anything mentioned above.
RELATED: Journey Developer’s New Game, Sky: Children of The Light Now Available For Free
Thankfully for fans of the football game franchise, the changes have been detailed by EA and it isn’t all that bad. The club will be called Piemonte Calcio and yes, Christiano Renaldo will still be there for you to play with. However, new kits and everything else exclusive to PES 2020 will be changed.
This is exactly the same way PES has been forced to change the name of clubs for many years now thanks to exclusivity deals with EA and the their franchise. EA explained the changes in a post, including a questions and answers section. Check out the highlights below.
- Piemonte Calcio will be a new playable team in FIFA 20 with a custom badge and kit throughout Kick-Off, Career Mode, and EA SPORTS VOLTA Football.
- Piemonte Calcio will use real-world, authentic players in FIFA 20 and FIFA 20 Ultimate Team.
- Piemonte Calcio players’ Chemistry within FIFA 20 Ultimate Team is unaffected by these changes.
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What do you think about the changes to Juventus because of the PES 2020 exclusivity deal? Are you a fan of the Italian Serie A club and Renaldo? Let us know in the comment section below.
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Today, POCO announces its independence from the Xiaomi brand, and the launch of a new entry-level smartphone, the POCO M3 globally at an amazing price.
You can now get the latest Xiaomi Mi 10T 5G and Mi 10T Pro 5G as low as $0 from StarHub. BTW, StarHub’s 5G network covers 70% population of Singapore.
As we are drawing near to 11.11 (Singles’ Day), Xiaomi has announced its 11.11 campaign with offers up to 40% on selected Xiaomi’s products.
Wow, I think Huawei’s 11.11 (Singles’ Day) sale is really good. The Mate30 Pro is retailed at S$778 (RRP: S$1,298). There are more, including laptops.
Today, realme launches 3 products, the realme 7Pro smartphone, the realme Buds Wireless Pro earbuds and the round shape smartwatch, the realme Watch S.
Wow, the latest realme C17 is really value for money. With 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and a massive 5,000mAh battery, it only retails at S$299.

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As the deliveries of Turkey’s domestic car, Togg, continue, an important milestone was reached in August.
ANKARA (IGFA) – Togg announced that they delivered a total of 1,965 T10X vehicles in August alone, surpassing the total delivery count for the previous three months from May to July.
Turkey’s domestic car manufacturer, Togg, continued its successful deliveries in August. They proudly announced that they successfully delivered 1,965 T10X Togg vehicles within the month, surpassing the total delivery count for the previous three months from May to July.
Togg stated in their announcement: “We said there is more than meets the eye. In August, by delivering 1,965 T10X vehicles to our users, we set a new record. This means that we exceeded the total delivery count for three months in just one month since we started deliveries in May.”


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Sartorius Stedim Biotech will continue to offer Lonza media and buffer products but under a non-exclusive agreement
Lonza and Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB) have modified their current agreement for supply of cell culture media by mutual accord.
The agreement, signed in 2012, gave SSB exclusive sales and marketing rights for certain media and buffers developed and manufactured by Lonza for use in biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes. Lonza retained sales for research-based products, among others.
Under agreements signed today, SSB will continue to offer current and future Lonza media and buffers on a non-exclusive basis as part of its extensive portfolio of products for cell-based development and manufacturing.
Lonza Pharma & Biotech resumes sales and marketing of all its media products for both manufacturing and research. Customers of both companies will continue to be able to source media products for their specific needs.
“We have a longstanding and productive partnership with SSB, and we will continue to work together to provide solutions for customers as they bring medicines to patients,” said Marc Funk, COO Lonza Pharma & Biotech.
“As new generations of complex biologics move toward commercial production, media is no longer viewed as a consumable but as a critical part of the package we offer customers developing next-generation therapies, so we are investing accordingly in this area.”
“Our collaboration during the past few years has greatly benefited our customers and both companies. The adapted agreement now reflects the dynamics of this rapidly evolving market, providing additional strategic flexibility for both partners,” commented Reinhard Vogt, Member of Sartorius Stedim Biotech’s Executive Committee.
Both companies have also entered into a further long-term agreement for supply of equipment and consumables.
Under the new agreement, SSB will be a preferred supplier for specific Lonza projects. As Lonza increases its capacity for small-scale manufacturing, notably through the recently announced IbexTM Design and Develop in Visp (CH), strong partnerships are key to offering the best solutions for customers.
Lonza is currently investing in its media business and will open a new R&D facility in Rockville, MD (USA) by the end of 2018. Supporting the nearby Walkersville, MD (USA) site, the new R&D center will drive innovation in media formulation.
As biologic-based medicines — including next-generation antibody-based therapeutics and cell and gene therapies — become increasingly complex, media formulations need to be tailored to specific processes. The new centre will ensure a strong platform for current and future growth and provide new solutions for customers.


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Showing a year-on-year increase of 15.7% after months of breakneck gains China's industrial output growth slowed for a second consecutive month in August, official figures showed Sept. 13. The figures came as other recent measures of the Chinese economy, most importantly investment in fixed assets, also suggested a slowdown as a result of government efforts to rein in runaway growth.
The figure for industrial output, a key measure of economic activity in the world's fourth-largest economy, was down from 16.7% in July and 19.5% in June. Likewise, fixed-asset investment slowed abruptly to 21.5% growth in August from 27.4% in July.
All of this is seen by some analysts to be the result of government efforts over the past months to avert overheating in key economic sectors by curbing massive lending by the banks. In the second quarter of the year, China's economy expanded by 11.3 %.
While industrial output may or may not be easing, it appeared from Sept. 13's figures to still be fueled mainly by China's two top drivers of economic growth -- exports and investment. Exports of industrial products increased 23.9% in August, the National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement.
Industrial enterprises also remained suppliers of input essential for construction, despite a slew of government measures aimed specifically at bringing the highly speculative real estate market to heel. Production of cement, a key construction industry input, was up 21.3% in August from a year earlier, while steel, another key component, rose 17%, the statistics bureau said.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2006


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From Home Furnishing Business
Perq Taps Amy Peck as VP of Marketing Cloud Solutions
Perq, a website technology company that focuses on consumer engagement and behavior, has appointed Amy Peck to the newly created role of vice president of marketing cloud solutions.
Peck will lead a new marketing cloud solutions team that is focused on delivering innovative, data-driven, multi-channel marketing solutions to Perq’s growing home furnishings customer database.
The company’s AI-powered tools are designed to allow home furnishing retailers to better engage with consumers — on and offline — capturing key consumer behavior insights and ultimately driving more in-store sales.
“Amy has a track record of developing digital marketing strategies that have successfully driven online consumers into automobile showrooms. Her expertise knowing how to transition online shoppers into in-person, showroom sales will be a huge benefit to our home furnishing clients,” said Scott Hill, executive chairman and co-founder. “She will bring best practices honed in the automotive sector to our fast-growing home furnishings client success team.”
The company added appliance assessments and virtual reality showrooms to its AI-powered engagement software this year which have helped drive increases in conversion.
Since the launch of its artificial intelligence-powered digital marketing solution, the company’s client base has grown over 70 percent and is used by more than 1,000 businesses in the home furnishing, multifamily and automotive industries.
“Perq is redefining success in the home furnishing space and my number one goal is to ensure that our clients get the biggest possible return on investment across their entire marketing spend,” said Amy Peck. “Our clients’ success and feedback powers Perq’s innovations for the home furnishings industry, and I’m excited about what’s coming next.”
Peck brings extensive client services and marketing/advertising experience to her new role. Prior to joining Perq, she worked as director of marketing services for Dominion Dealer Solutions, provider of award-winning software and services for auto dealerships, and led a team of digital marketers at Reynolds and Reynolds, an industry leader in automotive technology and digitization.


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Ford and General Motors are reviving two familiar nameplates at the Shanghai Auto Show this week in a bid to make inroads in China, where the auto market could soon eclipse the U.S. and European markets combined.
The Ford Escort and Buick Riviera remain concept vehicles for now, but both offer hints of what the two U.S. manufacturers may have in store for Chinese consumers. Once a backwater event, the Shanghai gathering is now one of the world’s most significant car shows, with dozens of new vehicles debuting there this year.
Senior General Motors officials forecast that sales in China could top 35 million annually by 2022. That’s more than double the peak of the American market nearly a decade ago.
The Detroit Bureau:April Car Sales Appear to Defy Weak Economy
“No market is more critical than the China market for us,” Tim Lee, president of General Motors’ International Operations, told reporters.
You may hear the same thing from other manufacturers, whether Volkswagen, Toyota or Ford. And they’re backing that up by using the Shanghai Auto Show to reveal some of their latest products. Among the new models debuting in China’s second-largest city this week are:
· The Buick Riviera Concept, a futuristic show car that “offers a preview of Buick's future design language," suggested Shanghai GM President Ye Yongming;
The Detroit Bureau: Chrysler Will Lose $10,000 on Every Battery Fiat 500e It Sells
· The Ford Escort, a lower-priced take on the popular Ford Mondeo, known to Americans as the Fusion. A production version would target first-time family buyers in smaller cities;
· The Volkswagen iBeetle, which boasts an iPhone docking station and app that serves as entertainment system and allows you to monitor oil levels;
The Detroit Bureau:What Do You Get Merging a Volkswagen and an iPhone? The iBeetle
· The Acura Concept SUV-X, which will likely reappear as a compact entry-luxury crossover.
The Acura is just one of an assortment of high-line models on display in Shanghai. China, the largest outlet for several luxury brands, is expected to overtake the U.S. market before decade’s end to become the world’s largest luxury car market.
Mercedes-Benz headed to Shanghai with its GLA concept, while BMW presented its X4 coupe-crossover. Maserati showed off its sporty Ghibli sedan.
Porsche debuted the Panamera S E-Hybrid, its first plug-in hybrid – a nod to China’s focus on battery power.
“The Chinese could create the inflection point that transforms the battery car into a viable reality,” David Cole, chairman-emeritus of the Center for Automotive Research, recently told TheDetroitBureau.com.
Chinese bureaucrats have increased incentives for buying qualified electric vehicles – sometimes to more than $20,000.
The Detroit Bureau: Toyota Building New Lexus in the US for the First Time
At issue is pollution and congestion in major Chinese cities – wild cards that could short-circuit China’s automotive market. In a recent report, Jun Ma, chief Chinese economist for Deutsche Bank, warned that the government could take measures, including “constraining auto ownership growth.”
Some fear Beijing could limit auto sales or even force a shift to electric power. Critics counter that with electric cars could worsen the country’s environmental problems because of China’s electricity is generated by coal.
Some makers are doing better than others. General Motors, long locked in a battle for market dominance with Volkswagen, was up nearly 10 percent during the first quarter, setting an all-time record.
The Detroit Bureau: Buick Looks to Past as it Revives Riviera Name With New Concept Vehicle
Toyota is barely achieving half that growth after a 4.9 percent increase in 2012. Japanese marques, in general, continue to suffer as the result of an ongoing dispute over a chain of uninhabited islands claimed by both Japan and China.
While luxury cars clearly have a market in China, many industry analysts stress that the real growth in years ahead will come from first-time buyers in second, third and fourth-tier cities just beginning to feel the benefits of the Chinese economic boom. With a population estimated around 1.5 billion, that could be enough to maintain the momentum of the last decade.
The Detroit Bureau:Ford Brings Back Escort – Concept – for Shanghai


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I don’t know about you, but I feel like 2022 is turning into the year of collaborations. Months of internal turmoil and potential instability left many brands leaning on contemporaries for reassurance. Many manufacturers ended up showing surprising resilience and, in some cases, exponential growth. Yet, the blossoming partnerships ensured future joint projects. One such […]
Visit Bremont Teams Up With Bamford Watch Department To Put A Spin On The Supermarine S500 to read the full article.


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Lamborghini Reportedly Working on Reventon Roadster
Obviously, it's all speculation and nobody can say for sure if Lamborghini is really planning a Roadster version of the Reventon. Meanwhile, the folks over at carsuk.net write that the model is likely to be powered by a 6.5-liter V12 engine developing 670 horsepower, the same as Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce. However, it's not yet clear whether the company plans to use the same weight-reduction systems as on the SuperVeloce - this particular model uses lightweight materials that cut weight in almost every single area (26 kg (57 lbs) from the engine, 33 kg (72.6 lbs) from the chassis and exterior and 34 kg (74.8 lbs) from the interior).
A few days ago, Lamborghini confirmed it won't produce the Estoque concept car displayed at the Paris Auto Show in 2008.
"In reference to recent press coverage commenting on cancellation of its Estoque project, Lamborghini has not taken any decision to produce its Estoque concept car, the four door performance saloon concept shown at Paris motor show in 2008," Lamborghini said in a statement for the press released this week.
"As stated when the car was shown, Lamborghini believes that if a third model line should ever be added to its product line up, a four door luxury performance saloon could be a logical product strategy. No decision has been made to produce the Estoque."


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Latest Consumer confidence Stories
TechnoMetrica's Auto Demand Index, a measure of consumers' purchase intent in the next six months, gained six points or 7.3% to 88 in January.
Accelerated economic growth will reduce unemployment and boost wages and as a result, consumer confidence and spending will increase, leading to higher demand for home furnishings.
Fifth Increase in the Past Six Months NEW YORK, Jan. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The Conference Board Employment Trends Index(TM) (ETI) increased in December.
Though American consumers remain pessimistic about the general economy, they are bullish when it comes to new auto purchases -- driven by generous incentives and exciting car models.
For the fourth year in a row, the November poll hosted on the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) website revealed that the overwhelming majority of consumers intend to either spend
- An armed gangster.


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In yet more proof of the disconnect between the Android-loving media and the iPhone-loving public, the latest data claims Apple’s new iPhone 7 models are the best selling smartphones in both the US and UK.
The return of the iOS star
In the UK, iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were September’s biggest-selling devices, accounting for 15.1% of sales. iOS accounted for 40.6% of smartphone sales, up 2.4 percentage points from a year ago. The iPhone SE is very popular in the UK, where it accounts for 8.5 percent of sales. In the US, it delivers just 3.5 percent.
“In the US, the new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus models made an immediate impact, becoming the best-selling smartphones in the month of September at 17.1%,” said Lauren Guenveur, Consumer Insight Director for Kantar Worldpanel ComTech in a statement.
The data confirms the iPhone 6S remains the second best-selling device in the US in September. That’s interesting as 47 percent of iPhone users who purchased a new smartphone this year cite screen size as the main reason for their purchase. The Apple smartphone’s excellent camera technologies also drove sales, Patently Apple notes.
Europe and China remain weak
It’s not all great news. iOS market share posted two significant declines, in Germany from 17.5% to 15% and in Urban China from 18.7% to 14.2%. The Oppo R9 has become the biggest-selling smartphone there.
“iOS posted yet another year-on-year decline to 14.2% of smartphone sales in the third quarter of 2016,” said Tamsin Timpson, Strategic Insight Director. She sees some signals of recovery for Apple’s fortunes there. “Importantly, this marks a period-on-period return to growth in sales, up from 13.5% in the three months ending in August.
Signs of recovery
“With supply constrained on the iPhone 7, and particularly the 7 Plus, this positive turn for Apple is a good sign, suggesting that as supply grows to meet demand, Apple will be able to turn the tide in Urban China.”
It seems clear the last quarter’s seeming decline in Apple’s fortunes in China reflected the traditional pre-iPhone release slump we see each year. However, lack of new Macs and little movement across the company’s other hardware products combined with that slump to create a relatively week quarter, though expectations were, as usual, surpassed.
Samsung’s decline continues as it faces the backlash of its exploding smartphones. The company posted a year-on-year decline from 36.9% to 33.8% of US smartphone sales in the third quarter, and is expected to struggle in the crucial holiday sales season.
That’s really quite likely, given the company’s other products continue to generate problems, it’s too early to tell how this will impact long-term consumer trust in the brand. Even today, Apple suffers the tarnish of the Maps debacle, this will surely be far worse for a company that created life-threatening devices.
Samsung also suffered in Europe. While it accounted for 30.4 percent of smartphone sales in the UK on strength of carrier discount deals, its fortunes everywhere else on the continent weren’t so great. Huawei knocked it aside in Italy, for example.
What makes the Android versus iPhone marketshare comparisons so meaningless is that while Apple has built a sustainable and profitable business on iPhone sales, competitors have failed to achieve anything like that. Google, meanwhile, is about to consume the market it helped create.
It seems clear that the smoke signals suggest iPhone and MacBook Pro will buoy company fortunes in the current quarter. Coming up next year? Presumably new desktop Macs potentially equipped for VR experience creation; and, of course, the next-generation iPad Pro. Apple’s decision to make refurbished iPhones available for sale via its online channels is also likely to be attractive to consumers, particularly in the event the company does not intend upgrading its still popular iPhone SE.
Google+? If you use social media and happen to be a Google+ user, why not join AppleHolic's Kool Aid Corner community and join the conversation as we pursue the spirit of the New Model Apple?
Got a story? Drop me a line via Twitter or in comments below and let me know. I'd like it if you chose to follow me on Twitter so I can let you know when fresh items are published here first on Computerworld.


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Over the past few days, the Wii Store Channel has had major issues. At the moment, it seems impossible to access the digital store at all.
Upon startup, you will likely be presented with an almost blank screen. Sit there long enough and you may encounter an error code as well. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done other than to return to the main menu manually.
The situation is likely to be viewed by many as unimportant. After all, we’re a few generations of consoles have bypassed the Wii at this point. Nintendo has since released the Wii U and Switch – the latter being Nintendo’s current focus (and the focus of many gamers).
The Wii Store channel technically closed in 2019, but those who previously purchased content can still access their previous purchases. Due to the current situation, this is not possible at the moment. Nintendo has indicated that previous downloads will stop “at some point” Also, although there is no announcement regarding a specific date.
As for the current state of the Wii Store Channel, it’s unclear what’s going on. It is definitely possible that he will be back in a few days. but by looking nintendo maintenance pageThere is nothing about any issues or when it will be back up and running. We will monitor the situation in the future.
Nintendo just announced last month that it will be pulling the plug on Wii U and 3DS eShop purchases in March 2023. We’ve got more info on that here.
Thanks Jake for the tip.
“Lifelong beer expert. General travel enthusiast. Social media buff. Zombie maven. Communicator.”


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The Neue Zürcher Zeitung, a Swiss German-language daily newspaper, published Gruppe in Zurich, reported in an article on Greek tourism dthat “Greek tourism alone is not enough to solve the problems” of the debt-crushed country.
“Even though Greece receives more and more tourists, the benefit for the domestic market is limited. The average sum of money spent by tourists is ever decreased in the last years,” the story noted.
The Swiss newspaper underlined: “It is possible that this year more than 17 million tourists will visit Greece surpassing the forecasts of the tourism industry. However, a good year of tourism is not enough to slow down the shrinking of Greek economy. Only a week ago the Foundation for Economic & Industrial Research (IOBE, a private, non-profit, public-benefit research organization) predicted that GDP is going to drop by 5 percent. Tourism, the “heavy industry of Greece” contributes to the economy of the country with 16.5 percent”.
Greece, after years of complacency, is reaching out to tourists again to help offset a crushing economic crisis with hoteliers hoping for a rebound after a disappointing 2012 in which visitors stayed away in the aftermath of images of protests, strikes and riots against austerity measures.


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There were a great amount of chatter concerning likelihood of pay-day money lately, however, “safer” fees fund can be exactly as dangerous, a new declaration states.
” But there is however several other, fast-expanding category of short, short-label financing pitched generally so you can low-income People in america – additionally the unbanked specifically – that may be just as harmful. ProPublica and you will ed up getting a call at-depth examine cost fund, and you may uncovered a dark front as to what market spokesman called “new safest sorts of credit rating available.”
User supporters state installment finance are going to be a better option than simply pay day loan because they do not possess a last balloon payment you to is push this new borrower even deeper towards the financial obligation. Lenders along with are accountable to credit agencies, such like-day repayments might help some body with an effective checkered credit history to help you improve their condition.
However, they’re not fundamentally safe circumstances, says Lauren Saunders, controlling lawyer on National Individual Legislation Heart. “Particular fees money have too much costs, inaccurate add-into the fees and you may situations, financing turning, and other strategies that may be exactly as harmful, and frequently much more, since the financing numbers are usually high.”
Including payday loans, repayment money dont begin sounding particularly it encompass a whole fortune. For the its web site, cost financial World Welcome Corp., states, “World’s mediocre terrible loan manufactured in fiscal 2012 is actually $step 1,180, additionally the mediocre contractual readiness is everything one year.”
You to girl interviewed by ProPublica got out that loan for $207 to acquire this lady car repaired, agreeing to make seven $50 monthly payments to repay they – to possess a total of $350.
At once when credit card interest levels mediocre in the middle teenagers, which is a huge markup. But that’s really and truly just the beginning of what makes such financing risky, especially for the latest economically vulnerable individuals who make up the core customers for these issues.
While the businesses that offer such funds was surprisingly with the capacity of taking their clients to come back to get more. According to World Chief executive officer Exotic McLean, 77% of the company’s mortgage regularity is renewals away from existing finance.
“It aggressively sector its most recent consumers to contiually refinance,” claims Chris Kukla, senior vice-president at the Heart to possess In control Lending.
Within its report, ProPublica spoke in order to former installment loan officers who have been trained to keep consumers on the hook for a bit longer. “Each day that they had money readily available, [the goal try] to acquire these to renew, since the as soon as they perform, you may have some other month where they have been only repaying interest,” one to former Industry personnel said.
APRs is also finest 500%. You to Globe buyers interviewed of the ProPublica had that loan having a keen Apr from 90% listed on the bargain. Due to the fact crappy once the one to musical, it generally does not actually scrape the surface out of simply how much individuals pay, percentage-wise, once they replenish this type of loans continually.
The repayments is arranged you pay significantly more in attention early into the. As a result serial refinancers continue paying rates of interest but do not put a lot of a damage on the dominant – and therefore does her or him no good as much as indeed getting out from obligations. Kukla says the number of customers whom get a hold of all their throwaway money servicing installment loan debt belies the fresh new industry’s point out that these products was affordable.
ProPublica questioned you to customers that has a few repayment loans, both more ten years old, and you will determined one she are expenses a beneficial Apr off alot more than 800% thereon loans.
High priced “insurance” heaps towards the a great deal more charge. Federal regulators keeps recently cracked upon credit card issuers selling add-into the items like “borrowing from the bank coverage” plans. But ProPublica states these procedures for a lifetime, disability, otherwise car insurance remain aggressively marketed in order to repayment loan users. “All the the fresh person who was available in, i usually struck and you may maximized into the insurance policies,” one to previous worker told you from the statement. Most of the time these materials is actually optional, however, users commonly advised one.
These are typically increasing. An indirect result of the brand new CFPB’s work on pay-day credit is actually that loan providers was progressing more of their info for the repayment fund.
There have been a good amount of chatter in regards to the risk of pay day money not too long ago, prompted by yet another report in the Consumer Financial Coverage Agency you to definitely called him or her “a long-label, pricey debt obligations
Bucks The united states Around the world Ceo Daniel Feehan, instance, informed dealers towards the businesses every quarter appointment telephone call past few days one to the firm try trying to stay out of regulators’ cross hairs by offering a whole lot more payment funds and you may less payday loan. “Our company is trying balance ideal consumer demand up against exactly what the regulators and you will individual communities was complaining regarding,” the guy said.
In fact, they may be revived just as cash advance are folded more than into the the fresh money
With respect to federal control, these lenders apparently faith payment financing possess dodged a regulating bullet. For the present time, about, they are probably right. “I really don’t trust as of right now that payment credit industry is a real high priority… it does not come as of right now that the Individual Financial Protection Bureau’s mission will be to eradicate credit to that high segment of one’s society,” World’s McLean told investors on organizations quarterly fulfilling phone call last week.


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Advanced BioNutrition Corp. (ABN), a Columbia, Maryland, USA-based company that develops sustainable technology to improve animal health and functional nutrition, has announced the launch of AquaGrow for Shrimp.
The company says this new product now makes it possible for shrimp feed manufacturers to produce feeds for the first time that comprise ingredients that are 100 percent sustainable in origin.
Although U.S. and European retailers are pressuring the industry to offer sustainably raised seafood, shrimp farmers and feed manufacturers have had to rely on non-sustainable marine ingredients like fish meal and fish oil to provide optimal growth of shrimp. ABN’s AquaGrow for Shrimp provides a balance of key omega-3 fatty acids from natural sources, including microalgae, that are essential for the optimal growth and development of the shrimp.
For the first time this enables the production of feeds to meet the needs of consumers worldwide who desire sustainable farmed seafood products.
According to Robert A. Bullis, an aquatic veterinarian and ABN’s Director of Animal Health and Regulatory Affairs, “AquaGrow for Shrimp has been has been developed and field-tested over several years under a number of different conditions in tanks and ponds, both in the United States and Thailand. We have now developed the correct blend of natural components that, in combination with lower cost vegetable proteins, enables the total replacement of fishmeal and fish oil in shrimp feeds, while providing equivalent growth and health in the farm-raised shrimp.”
Dr. David Kyle, President of ABN, said, “Because the microalgae are grown in a clean, traceable, and sustainable fashion using conventional fermentation, AquaGrow® for Shrimp can be produced at a scale that meets the needs of the entire world’s shrimp farming industry and farmers and manufacturers who are focusing on the sustainable seafood market now have a tool that enables them to meet market demands.”
“We are proud to launch this first in a series of new generation ingredients for aquafeeds that provide ecologically responsible solutions to the rapidly-growing global aquaculture industry,” added William F. Kirk, CEO and Chairman of ABN.


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MetaCombine and Ev.io Partnership
MetaCombine has announced a partnership and brings Gamers a More Connected Experience with Ev.io, a play-to-earn (P2E) FPS on Solana.
This partnership will allow gamers to earn rewards for playing the game and give them access to unique in-game items. Players will also be able to use MetaCombine’s social features to connect with friends and join or create guilds. With this new partnership, MetaCombine continues its mission of creating a more connected gaming experience for all gamers.
“We’re excited to partner with ev.io and bring their innovative gameplay experience to our community,” said Aleksei Kolesnikov, MetaCombine’s Founder and CEO. “This partnership will allow for a more seamless experience for gamers as they move between games and platforms,” Kolesnikov added.
MetaCombine is an all-in-one hub that seamlessly links games, guilds, and players to create a more connected GameFi ecosystem. Their main objective is to unite all the participants of the Play-to-Earn market in the world and make the industry transparent and available for everyone.
MetaCombine has 500+ scholars, 14,000+ subscribers on their official Telegram channel, 1000+ Discord server members, and 500+ subscribers on our Youtube channel.
ev.io is a first-person shooter developed by Addicting Games. It takes a lot of inspiration from “Bungee-style” shooters, like Halo or Destiny. Beta launched in January of 2021 and it already has over 400,000 registered users. The game plays directly in the browser with no downloads or installs and is designed first and foremost to be highly accessible on all desktop devices.


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Apple has revealed a number of new accessibility features for the iPhone and iPad, including one that, with just 15 minutes of training, can imitate a user’s voice during phone calls.
Users will be able to read text prompts to capture audio and have the technology learn their speech with a forthcoming product called Personal Speech. The “synthesized voice” will then be used by a related function called Live Speech to read the user’s typed text aloud during phone calls, FaceTime talks, and in-person interactions. Additionally, users will be able to save words and phrases for usage in actual interactions.
The function is one of many designed to make Apple’s products more accessible for those with mobility, cognitive, vision, and hearing impairments. The tools will be particularly useful to persons who may have illnesses like ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which can cause progressive voice loss.
Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s senior director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives, in a company blog post, revealed that “These groundbreaking features were designed with feedback from members of disability communities every step of the way, to support a diverse set of users and help people connect in new ways.” Apple announced that the features would be available to the public later this year.
While these innovations may be able to address a genuine need, they also come at a time when advances in artificial intelligence have sparked concerns about fraudulent individuals deceiving or misleading the public by creating convincing fake audio and video.
According to Apple’s blog post, Personal Voice includes “on-device machine learning to keep users’ information private and secure.”
Other technology companies have tried speech imitation using AI. An update to Amazon’s Alexa system, which would enable the technology to imitate any voice, including that of a departed family member, was announced last year. (The application is still not being made public).
Apple also revealed Assistive Access, which integrates a number of the most popular iOS apps, including FaceTime, Messages, Camera, Photos, Music, and Phone, into a single Calls app. For those who might prefer visual or auditory conversations, the interface offers high-contrast buttons, large text labels, an option for an emoji-only keyboard, and the capability to record video messages.
Apple is also making updates to the Magnifier app for people who are visually impaired. To improve user interaction with actual things, it will now come with a detection mode. The update would let users, for instance, place an iPhone camera up in front of a microwave and drag their finger around the keypad as the app labels and reads the text on the buttons of the microwave.


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Sep 18, 2013 Businesses make themselves more attractive to corporate clients by adhering to their environmental sustainability businesses. If a client's plan calls for using only hotels that don't automatically deliver clean towels each day... there will be more wet towels in those hotels.
Aug 21, 2013 Following the huge financial windfall of airline fees, hotels and resorts are now charging fees for things that used to be free.
Jul 19, 2013 A tiny Chinese territory has swiftly displaced Las Vegas as the gambling capital of the world.
Jun 3, 2013 New York’s biggest hotel is scrapping room service in August, cutting 55 jobs. What will its elimination mean for a hotel that charges $300 a night? An explanation on the economics of room service.
May 27, 2013 Last week a judge in New York ruled online vacation rental site Airbnb is violating laws against running illegal hotels.
May 6, 2013 If people feel like they've got money to burn, that's a positive economic indicator, right?
May 3, 2013 Lodging can quickly eat up your summer travel budget. Anne Banas of SmarterTravel.com shares her tips for redeeming hotel loyalty points, alternatives to traditional lodging, traveling with pets and keeping your money safe when going abroad.
Mar 18, 2013 As states legalize online gambling, how does a casino hold on to customers? At the Borgata in Atlantic City, you can leave the casino floor and play the slots on a TV in your room.
Mar 11, 2013 Some in Nebraska are pushing for betting machines of 'historical horse races' at thoroughbred race tracks. The machines allow wagering on the outcomes of past races. Critics say they’re basically slot machines and would constitute expanded gambling.
Mar 11, 2013 Intrade, the online betting site, has shut up shop as it investigates financial irregularities. The Irish based company allowed customers to bet on a wide range of non-sporting events including U.S. elections and the Academy Awards.


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Kingsport Police responded to the shopping center, 2626 E. Stone Drive, about 7:45 p.m. Friday.
A man had brought a marijuana plant to the customer service desk at Target and told an employee that he'd found it growing in the parking lot, police said.
The employee alerted the store's security officer, who then asked the KPD to come pick it up.
Police retrieved the plant and advised a destruction order would be issued.
Target's security officer said he would check the landscaping for signs of any more such growth.


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MSMEs should focus on skill development, global best practices: IMTMA’s Ravi Raghavan
The machine tool industry is the lifeblood of the government's Make in India plan. However, the segment reels under many issues that require policymakers' urgent attention.
Samsung to exit low value feature phones business in India
The move comes with the Korean company, among the two major multinational contributors to the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, mandated to get sops only on producing handsets worth over Rs 15,000 factory price and, as average selling prices in India rise with the Rs 10,000-20,000 price segment seeing the most traction by volume, say market experts.
Govt to launch Skills India Mission 2.0 to tap global opportunities
This will be part of the government's revamped skills programme, called Skills India Mission 2.0, which, according to the official, is expected to be unveiled in July, six years after the launch of the programme in 2015.
Export duty hike on steel items to hit projects under PLI scheme: ISA
The imposition of export duty will help other countries to increase their share in the global market, which India will vacate. Rebuilding the lost ground may take a very long time, as the supply chain will be disrupted, while India's credibility as a reliable exporter will take a hit, the ISA noted.
Export duty hike on steel items to hit projects under PLI scheme: ISA
The government on Saturday waived customs duty on the import of some raw materials, including coking coal and ferronickel, used by the steel industry, a move which will lower the cost for the domestic industry and reduce the prices. Also, to increase domestic availability, the duty on exports of iron ore was hiked up to 50 per cent, and a few steel intermediaries to 15 per cent, according to a notification.
Govt weighs second edition of PLI scheme for textiles industryIndustry wants inclusion of knitted fabrics in the scheme, besides manmade fibre and technical textiles and a lower investment threshold of Rs25 crore instead Rs100 crore now.
Stocks in the news: LIC, Airtel, Raymond, ACC, AB Capital and Century PlyBharti Airtel, Indian Oil , DLF, PI Industries, Abbott India, GMR Infra, Dr Lal Pathlabs, Kajaria Ceramics, IRB Infra, Zydus Wellness, EID Parry, Jubiant Ingrevia, Sapphire Foods and Minda Corp are among the companies which will announce their earnings today.
RBI's move to raise rates, good monsoon will help contain inflation: CII prezThe Reserve Bank's decision to raise benchmark interest rates and the likelihood of a good monsoon will help in containing inflation, Sanjiv Bajaj, the newly-elected president of industry body CII, said on Monday. "I do believe that we are now in an era of higher interest rates. This will help us in bringing down inflation, at least a part of that going forward," Bajaj said, addressing his maiden press conference after taking over as the CII chief.
India's wearables market grows a record 20% in Q1The India wearables market shipped 13.9 million units in the first quarter courtesy strong demand from Tier 2 and 3 cities.
LIC listing, FII outflow among 5 factors that will steer market this weekSelling by foreign institutional investors have kept the market under pressure. As per latest data available, they have already withdrawn Rs 25,216 crore from equities so far in May. Going by the trend, this may continue going forward as well.
Ford drops plans of making EVs in IndiaThe company was selected under the Government of India's Production Linked Incentive Scheme to avail the benefits, but it may withdraw its application now, as it no longer will be investing in the country.
How PLI scheme for specialty steel can attract investment for this sectorThe government has allocated a budget of Rs 6,322 crore for disbursals to be made to applicants who are selected under the scheme.
Vehicle manufacturers can avail of benefits under various PLI schemesThe road transport ministry is examining the incidents. An independent investigation is underway. I am sure there will be corrective measures in place once the faults have been identified.
$48 million worth of exports every hour: What propelled India’s export growth and how to keep it goingAccording to the Commerce and Industry ministry, India’s exports stood at $417.8 billion last fiscal, which translates to a rough $48 million worth of exports every hour. The key now is to keep the momentum going.
Aviation Ministry invites applications for drone PLIThe Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday invited applications for Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and drone components. It said that the last date for submitting the application form is May 20, 2022.
Deadline to apply for production-linked incentive for steel manufacturing extended till May 31The deadline has been extended for the second time. Initially, March 29 was the last date for manufacturers to apply for the benefits under the PLI (Production-Linked Incentive) scheme for speciality steel. It was later extended till April 30.
PLI boom: ₹47,000 crore of iPhones likely to be made in IndiaExpected production for FY23 is also more than twice the requirement for the iPhone makers together to qualify for incentives for the second year under the PLI scheme for smartphones.
Sharpen PLI outlays in manufacturingChinese labour advantage is now diminished. India can step into the breach by promoting domestic manufacturing strategically. Import substitution has not delivered the desired results for Indian industry. But technology transfer should become easier if we are plugged into global supply chains. The PLI scheme outlays are skewed towards higher value addition in manufacturing. The skew must become sharper as manufacturing’s share in GDP rises.
19 firms file applications under PLI scheme for white goods in 2nd roundThe government in March reopened the application window for its Rs 6,238-crore production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for air-conditioners (ACs) and LED lights with an aim to accommodate more players as several firms have expressed interest in the initiative.
PLI scheme draws investment of ₹2.34 lakh crore in 14 sectorsAutomobile and auto components, advanced chemistry cell batteries, specialty steel and high-efficiency solar panels have attracted the maximum interest.
Adani JV, IdeaForge among 14 firms selected as beneficiaries of PLI scheme for drone manufacturingUnder the PLI scheme that was announced last year, the incentive for a manufacturer of drones and drone components will be 20 per cent of the “value addition” made by the company during the next three years.
'India should expand use of electricity from renewable sources'The share of electricity in India's final energy consumption is set to rise from the current 17% to 24% by 2040, according to a key scenario by the International Energy Agency. Kapoor said India should set a more ambitious target.
Textiles PLI scheme: Nod for 61 proposals to bring in ₹19,077 croreGinni Filaments, Avgol India Pvt Ltd, Goa Glass Fibre Ltd, H P Cotton Textile Mills, Kimberly Clark India Pvt Ltd, Madura Industrial Textiles, MCPI Pvt Ltd, Shahi Exports, Trident Ltd, Donear Industries, Gokaldas Exports, and Arvind Ltd are among the companies which had applied for the ₹10,683 crore scheme for manmade fibre (MMF) apparel, MMF fabrics and products of technical textiles.
PLI scheme for textiles: Govt approves 61 proposals of over Rs 19,000 croreTextile Secretary U P Singh said that a total of 67 proposals were received under the PLI scheme for the textiles sector. The proposed investment expected from the approved applicants is Rs 19,077 crore and the projected turnover is Rs 184,917 crore, Singh said.
IT hardware PLI: Only 2-3 of 14 firms likely to meet first-year targetsSome companies blamed inadequate sops under the scheme while others pointed to the continuing global supply chain issues and chip shortages, for hurting their local manufacturing plans.
Atmanirbhar mission not leading India towards closed economy, says Niti VCHe said there is no question at all for India to move back from its engagement with the global economy, trade, services, financial and technological aspects among others.Load More
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Big things are happening in the business sector for luxury brands: big moves, big purchases, big plans and even the occasional bankruptcy. Naturally, since some of these are the biggest luxury brands in other world, and since they only deal in big money, they make headlines around the world. Whether you are a keen investor or simply someone curious to know what is happening in the corporate echelons of your favorite luxury brands, you might want to read on to find out the headlines in the world of luxury business. From the Qatar royal family‘s latest investments to PPR’s China ambitions, here is a quick overview of all that is happening in the world of big investments.
1. Qatari Royals Buy Valentino
It cost them €700 million, but the royal family of Qatar is now the proud owner of the Valentino Fashion Group SpA. The Qatari royals can now reap the rewards of owning a fashion company that operates a bevy of luxury brands including Valentino, Hugo Boss and Missoni among others. The fashion conglomerate was purchased from Italian textile firm Marzotto and private equity fund Permira. Mayhoola for Investments S.P.C. was said to have conducted the transaction.
2. Sahara Group Buys Majority Stake In NYC’s Plaza Hotel
Another big buy was effected by the India-based Sahara Group as they acquired a controlling stake in the Plaza Hotel, New York. The Indian company apparently spent $570 million on the deal. Israeli real estate firm Elad Properties presently jointly owns the landmark luxury hotel along with the Saudi Arabia-based Kingdom Holdings Co. The former will receive $400 million for its 60 percent stake; the remaining $170 billion will go to Kingdom Holdings.
3. Qatar Buys Four Luxury Hotels
More news from Qatar. The country, which already owns the Royal Monceau hotel in Paris and the Carlton in Cannes, has now purchased for more luxury hotels from the Starwood group, paying €750 million in the process. The newly acquired luxury hotels are: Le Martinez and the Concorde Lafayette in France, l’Hotel du Louvre in Paris, and Le Palais de la Mediterranee in Nice. All four new additions will by run by Hyatt.
4. Pegasus Acquires Six Senses, Bangkok
American private equity fund manager Pegasus Capital Advisors is looking to faraway Bangkok for new investments. Pegasus has already inked a deal to acquire Six Senses Resorts & Spas; the amount remains undisclosed. Pegasus is now the owner of all management contracts and intellectual property rights of the Six Senses and Evason brands.
5. Volkswagen Looks To Integrate With Porsche
Volkswagen is in the meanwhile looking set to acquire a 50.1 percent stake in Porsche this August. The auto brand is expected to pay €4.46 billion plus a Volkswagen share to acquire the stakes. The integration is aimed at increasing business and growth for both the brands.
6. PPR Sets Sights On Chinese Brand
In the meanwhile, French multinational holding company PPR is planning to make a new addition to the brands already in its kitty. The company is reported to be in talks with an unnamed Chinese luxury brand. PPR hopes that such an acquisition will increase its presence and growth in China, which is really growing as a market for luxury goods. PPR CEO Francois-Henri Pinault has confirmed that the acquisition will be finalized this year.
7. Coty Inc. Files IPO
Coty Inc. has filed an initial public offering and is hoping to raise up to $700 million. The majority owner for this Paris-based enterprise that has been in business since 1904 is Joh A. Benckiser. Private equity firm Rhone and Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway own 7.5 percent stakes.
8. KupiVIP Eyes IPO In New York
Russian online shopping club KupiVIP.ru is looking at making an initial public offering in New York within the next couple of years. The group, which is owned by Privat Trade Ltd, will now be studying the IPO scene in New York. The online property, which has already attracted $86 million worth of funds, is hoping to raise at least $120 million through the IPO, if and when it happens.
9. De Tomaso Now Bankrupt
On a sad note, Italian sports car brand has not been doing so well in the current economic scenario. The brand has filed for bankruptcy, putting paid to the big plans and assurances of Gian Mario Rossignolo, a former Fiat executive who currently owns the beleaguered brand. The company had tried to secure a sale to a Chinese firm, but the deal fell through.


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Listen up Toyota Camry owners! You might be driving one of the country’s most popular cars, but you’re not driving the safest! According to CNN Money, the Camry recently received “poor” markings on the latest safety ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
In the test, the vehicles struck a concrete wall while traveling at about 40 miles per hour. The results proved that the passenger would have likely sustained serious injuries. The bodies of the vehicles didn’t do their jobs in protecting passengers. In addition, the airbags on these vehicles didn’t do enough.
Our Broward car accident lawyers understand that there are many consumers that never even think to check out these ratings before purchasing a car. It’s super simple and there’s no reason not to do so. All you have to do is stop by SafeCar.gov. On this website, you can check out any and all vehicles’ safety ratings. Here, they are measured on a 5-star rating scale. Five stars is the highest rating while one star is the lowest ranking. You can check both new cars and used models. Tests are keeping up with vehicle advancements, too. They now look into crash avoidance technologies as well as other vehicle safety features. Overall vehicle score and frontal crash ratings should ONLY be compared to other vehicles of similar size and weight.
In the recent tests from the IISH, they looked into safety ratings of nearly 20 vehicles. Only about half of them received top marks. Many of our country’s most popular cars did poorly.
The Camry and the Prius virtually collapsed in these crashes. The occupants of these vehicles were likely to have been severely injured in these accidents.
“Toyota engineers have a lot of work to do to match the performance of their competitors,” said Institute president Adrian Lund.
Of the cars with “good” ratings were the Suzuki Kizashi and the Honda Accord. Unfortunately, you’re only able to get one of those vehicles here in the U.S. Suzuki pulled sales of this vehicle here in the U.S. because of poor consumer response. The company only sold about 500 of them in November, while the Toyota Camry sold close to 30,000 during the same month.
Most of the vehicles tested only got an “acceptable” rating. Included in this category are the Subaru Outback and Legacy, the Wolkswagen Passat, the Mazda6, the Kid Optima, the Dodge Avenger, the Nissan Maxima and Altima and the Chrysler 200.
Receiving “marginal” rankings (the second-worse one can get) were the Chevrolet Malibu, Volkswagen Jetta sedan and the Hyundai Sonata.
The Camry and the Prius did receive the IIHS’s Top Safety Pick designation but weren’t lucky enough to get the Top Safety Pick Plus award.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an traffic accident, contact Fort Lauderdale Accident Lawyer Richard Ansara at 954 761-3641 or toll-free at 877-277-3780 for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.
More Blog Entries:
Seat Belts: Saving Lives in Broward, Broward Injury Lawyer Blog, November 30, 2012
Slow It Down in Fog, Smoke and South Florida Rain, Broward Injury Lawyer Blog, November 10, 2012


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by Herman Manson. Ireland/Davenport has suffered its third significant account loss — SA Tourism — in just over two months.
by Carey Finn. Collective ID has used the challenges of the last three years to reinvent itself, positioning collectivity, transformation and diversity as core values of the ad agency.
by MarkLives. The ad agency managing director will be taking up the position of marketing director.
A total of 166 Loerie Awards were handed out on Saturday, including one Grand Prix, 17 Gold, and six Craft Golds.
Industry sources have confirmed that Ireland/Davenport has won the Vodacom advertising account. It was announced earlier this week that Draftfcb had lost the business after 19 years. A formal announcement is yet to be made by Vodacom and/or Ireland-Davenport.
Ireland/Davenport describes itself as a boutique communications agency and clients include BMW, Investec and SA Tourism. Ireland/Davenport was founded by Executive Creative Directors Philip Ireland and John Davenport. Susan Napier is the Managing Director.
by Herman Manson. Collective ID, an ad agency best known for its former incarnation as Ireland/Davenport, has stopped trading, MarkLives has confirmed.
by Herman Manson. We list the most-read-about account pitches and new business wins on MarkLives during the course of 2019.
by MarkLives. John Davenport has joined Havas South Africa as its new chief creative officer.
by Herman Manson. John Davenport, co-founder of Ireland/Davenport, the agency that was recently reinvented as Collective ID, has resigned from the business.
by Herman Manson. Today we reveal which ad agencies were most admired by their peers in Johannesburg during 2015!


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- Business of Brands
- 3 min read
Your clothes can help fight climate change. Here's how
Reusing clothes you already own, and purchasing second-hand items instead of new ones, could reduce your carbon footprint dramatically. It could also reduce the related emissions impact of clothing by 44%, according to a 2017 report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation charity that was recently echoed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Wearing stuff you own means you buy less, which, in turn, will go towards preventing greenhouse gas emissions generated during the production of new items.
“The way clothes’ sales are growing, people are starting to own more and more clothes,” said Laura Balmond, Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Fashion Initiative lead. “It wouldn’t be physically possible to get as much wear out of your items as it previously had because people have got a lot sitting in their wardrobes.”
Fashion’s pollution problem
Big fashion accounts for between 2% and 8% of global carbon emissions, according to UNEP. On its current path, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimated, the industry could use up more than 26% of the carbon budget remaining if we are to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius by 2050.
The industry’s mass production of polyester, which is derived from fossil fuels, also contributes to the release of plastic microfibers into the ocean and the piling up of waste in landfills. Less than 1% of clothing collected for recycling worldwide is actually turned into new items.
The rise of pre-worn
Another way of getting around this, is to encourage reusing of clothes. After hosting ‘Worn Wear’ events for customers to bring their old items for repair or exchange, Patagonia launched an online marketplace with the same name in 2017 to expand the program. A year later, North Face piloted a similar program called ‘Renewed’ for reselling its used items. There are also third-party virtual marketplaces for selling second-hand clothing.
The second-hand market grew from about $11 billion in 2012 to $35 billion in 2021, according to ThredUp’s 2022 resale report, and is projected to dramatically jump to $82 billion by 2026.
Then there are clothing rentals. Take Rent the Runway, an online site for people to rent clothing in the US. The business has expanded again and again since it launched in 2009, adding accessories and plus-size items to the rentals, followed by stores and monthly subscriptions. Last October, the company went public. While sales climbed this year, Rent the Runway reported a net loss of $42.5 million in the first quarter of 2022.
Circularity will only get us so far in reining in greenhouse gas emissions. “We have endless talk about circularity,” said Veronica Bates Kassatly, an independent fashion analyst. The focus instead should be on the sheer volume of items being produced, she said. “We have far too much and we wear it far too few times.”
How much is too much?
Research has indicated that people toss items of clothing after wearing them seven to 10 times. But what would be a reasonable number of times to wear a garment: 60, 100, 200? Should there even be a target?
For jeans, there is a “durability metric” created by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a coalition of academic experts, brands, retailers and manufacturers. They said jeans should be able to withstand a minimum of 30 washes while retaining their high quality. This implies someone can wear them a further 30 times to get the most out of them.
The way you wash your clothes also matters. To minimise the footprint, wash using cooler water and line-dry your items.


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Lenovo’s net profit for its fiscal fourth quarter grew by 59 per cent, as the world’s second largest PC maker saw continued growth in sales across both mature and emerging markets.
The Chinese PC maker reported that its net profit reached $67 million during the quarter ended March 31, up from $42 million a year earlier.
The company’s sales during the quarter also reached $7.5 billion, up 54 per cent year-over-year. Lenovo’s worldwide PC shipments in the quarter also increased 44 per cent from a year earlier.
Last year, Lenovo rose from the world’s fourth largest PC maker to surpass Acer and Dell and take the second spot behind HP. The company did well despite a slowdown in the PC market and the rise of Apple’s iPad, according to analysts.
In China, where Lenovo has remained the country’s largest PC vendor for more than a decade, the company saw its PC shipments grow by 22.7 percent year-over-year during the quarter.
Last year, China began surpassing the U.S. as the world’s largest PC market, a factor which has helped Lenovo maintain its strong sales growth, according to analysts. China makes up for 39 per cent of Lenovo’s total sales.
Outside China, the company has seen major gains in emerging markets, which saw sales in the quarter increase by 43 per cent year-over-year. In mature markets including the U.S. and Japan, the company reported sales were up 85 per cent year-over year. Mature markets account for 45 percent of the company’s total sales.
In North America, Lenovo saw PC shipments in the quarter increase by 26 percent from a year earlier, after the company launched its first ever global marketing campaign to attract consumers in North America, Japan, and select countries in Europe.


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After years of discussion, teases, and speculation, Chinese automaker GAC Motor is heading to the U.S. next year.
On display at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, China’s Guangzhou Automotive Group has revealed firm plans for entering the U.S. market in 2019. The company will recruit dealers at the upcoming National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) convention, and will launch a North American sales company in the first half of this year. The plan is to launch sales of its seven-seat GS8 SUV in the fourth quarter of 2019, and the automaker will explore all sorts of channels, including partnering with other dealership groups, said president Yu Jun. “We will also try to build our own dealership network in the future,” he added. “All of these options are on the table.”
2018 Detroit Auto Show Coverage
GAC Motor has expressed interest in entering the U.S. market since 2014, and has displayed at the Detroit Auto Show three times. The Chinese automaker has already opened a technical center in Silicon Valley and is planning to open a second facility in Detroit. After that, it plans to establish a design studio in Los Angeles.
Last year, the company reached its target annual sales goal of 500,000 units in China, marking a 37.2-percent year-over-year increase. It has also received high-quality ratings from J.D. Power for five consecutive years, something it will have to continue in the U.S. in order to convince buyers that its vehicle quality is U.S. grade.
[Source: Automotive News]


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- by theguardian
- 25 Jun 2022
The additive, also known as E171, joins a host of other chemicals that are banned in foods in the European Union but allowed in the US.
Potassium bromate, an oxidizing agent often found in bread and dough and linked in animal studies to kidney and thyroid cancers, has been banned in the EU since 1990 but is still commonly used in the US. Brominated vegetable oil is also banned in the EU but is used as an emulsifier in citrus sodas and drinks in the US. Long-term exposure has been linked to headaches, memory loss and impaired coordination.
Unlike the EU, the US does not have agencies like EFSA that offer independent scientific evaluation of new chemicals brought to the market. And while the EU has consistently updated its methods and processes for evaluating new chemicals, some experts say the US system, set up more than half a century ago, needs updating.
In the US, the Food Additive Amendment was created in 1958, after public concern about the safety of food chemicals. All new food chemicals were required to be evaluated and approved by the FDA, although chemicals already in the food system before the amendment were not re-evaluated.
In the case of additives like titanium dioxide, manufacturers petition the FDA for its approval by submitting evidence that the substance is safe for its intended use. The FDA evaluates the application, and will authorize the additive if it concludes the data provided demonstrates that the substance is safe to use.
Alongside the lack of independent evaluation, the guidance on how to conduct these food safety assessments has not been updated at the FDA since 2007.
The titanium dioxide global market was valued at $17.19bn in 2020 and is projected to grow more than 6% over the next five years.
The Golden State is ready to welcome travelers and tourists with a smattering of new experiences this summer, including new wildlife exhibits, art centers, historical tours and hotels.read more


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Disney Wish docked in Port Canaveral for the first time (photos and video courtesy of Port Canaveral)
Disney’s big new cruise ship, the first the company has added to its cruise line in a decade, made her maiden arrival in Florida this morning. The predawn sail-in months behind schedule in part due to the pandemic could not dampen the enthusiasm of the local community and Disney fans. Accompanied by two tugs, the Disney Wish treated fans to a laser light show and fireworks to celebrate her arrival which kicks off nearly a month of festivities as she enters service.
The approximately 144,000 gross ton cruise ship completed her delivery voyage from Bremerhaven, Germany where she was handed over to the cruise line by her builders Meyer Werft. She made a brief stop in the Azores on June 13 and yesterday, June 19, stopped at the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas known as Castaway Cay. She was waiting offshore near the entrance to Port Canaveral, her new homeport, and began her arrival early this morning, June 20.
“We have anticipated this homecoming of the Disney Wish for some time and know that our entire port community is excited to have her sailing from our port,” said Port CEO Capt. John Murray. “We are proud of the longstanding partnership we have with Disney Cruise Line, and the arrival of the Disney Wish adds to the growing number of impressive cruise ships providing high-quality guest experiences from our port.”
On June 29, Disney has scheduled their next production with the gala christening ceremony for the vessel at Port Canaveral. She will also be hosting travel agents and completing final preparations and crew training before her July 14 maiden voyage to the Bahamas.
At 1,119 feet in length, the Disney Wish is similar to the previous two cruise ships the cruise line also built at Meyer Werft, but substantially larger than the company’s first cruise ship the Disney Magic introduced in 1998, and her sister ship the Disney Wonder. The new ship has 1,254 passenger cabins with a passenger capacity of 4,000 and 1,555 crewmembers. The gross tonnage of the ship is about 10 percent larger than the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy with the added space used to create new passenger amenities. One of the features that is drawing a lot of attention is a 760-foot-long water ride which Disney is calling its first attraction at sea.
The first of three LNG-fueled cruise ships that Disney is building, she also marks another step for Port Canaveral in rebuilding cruise operations after the long pause during the height of the pandemic. Port officials are also highlighting that it is the second LNG-fueled cruise ship in North America, and with the LNG infrastructure established at the port, both LNG cruise ships are currently homeported at Port Canaveral. The other is Carnival’s Mardi Gras.
Disney Wish had originally expected to launch in late 2021, but delivery was rescheduled due to the slowdown at the shipyard due to the pandemic. She was floated out of the building hall in Papenburg, Germany in February. Her maiden voyage had originally been announced for June 9 but was rescheduled to July 14 due to further delays in completing the outfitting.
Two weeks ago, the Disney Dream which had been sailing from Port Canaveral for a decade departed for the last time. To make space for the new ship at the central Florida port, she was repositioned to Miami for cruises to the Bahamas before heading to Europe in 2023.


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The second installment of Sony’s virtual reality headset is considerably more powerful than the first one.
We will soon enter the last quarter of the year. This means that confirmations of release dates and new releases for next year will start coming in like hotcakes. In addition, Gamescom 2022 has brought to light confirmations that we were expecting months ago.
One of these is the confirmation of the release date for the PlayStation VR2. The new PSVR 2 – which is almost double the power of its predecessors – will arrive sooner than we imagined.
A technology in constant evolution
The announcement of the new DualSense Edge wireless controller for PS5 and the price increase of the PlayStation 5 console have overshadowed another big announcement from the company. Despite having been confirmed prior to Gamescom, we finally know the arrival date of the PlayStation VR2.
Previously here on Game Freaks 365, we brought you the announcement of this amazing VR headset. The PlayStation VR2 headset for PlayStation 5 will have an OLED display with 4K resolution and HDR, a haptic response system in the headset, eye-movement tracking, and more!
This is looking to be the next big release from PlayStation. Therefore, accompanying its launch, it was also announced that Horizon Call of the Mountain will be the first exclusive of this new technology. In addition, it is rumored that the DualSense Edge wireless controller can be used together with the PSVR2 as another motion controller.
The good thing is that we won’t have to wait too long to find out if this is true. The PlayStation VR2 will arrive in the first quarter of 2023 worldwide. So far, we have had no further updates on gameplay. Hopefully, before the year ends we will see a video showing how PSVR2 works.


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Archives International will sell 1,000 lots of U.S. and worldwide banknotes, more at Mar. 11 auction More than 1,000 lots of collectible U.S. and worldwide banknotes, scripophily and security printing ephemera will be sold in an auction planned for March 11, by Archives International Auctions.
News-Antique.com - Feb 24,2014 - (FORT LEE, N.J.) – More than 1,000 lots of rare and highly collectible U.S. and worldwide banknotes, scripophily and security printing ephemera will be sold in an auction planned for Tuesday, March 11, by Archives International Auctions, live at their offices in Fort Lee, and with live or absentee internet bidding on their website, www.archivesinternational.com.
Offered will be additional selections from the Hamtramck Collection assembled by a career military officer over a 50-year period from the 1940s to the 1990s, to include worldwide banknotes, many of which are being sold for the first time in 30-50 years. Also being offered will be Part 1 of the impressive Scarsdale Collection of post-1960 modern Africa high grade issues from many countries on the continent.
The auction will feature 600 lots of worldwide banknotes including 240 lots from the Scarsdale Collection of modern Africa; 30 lots from China, which will serve as a warm-up to Archives International Auctions’ sale slated for Saturday, April 12 in Hong Kong, China. There will also be more than 120 desirable notes in the U.S. session and over 300 lots of rare and attractive U.S. and foreign certificates in the scripophily session. “We are extremely excited about our upcoming auction schedule, especially with the widespread interest shown by collectors, dealers and investors alike,” said Dr. Robert Schwartz the president of Archives International Auctions. “Prices are breaking records everywhere, literally every day, and we look forward to intense competition for banknotes from practically all areas.”
The worldwide banknote session includes an amazing Banque de France 1917 Essay Progress proof by ABNC that may very well be unique. Additionally highlights include, 3 different Ecuador rarities including an 1880, Banco De Quito, 5 Pesos, note that is issued and was only known previously as a specimen or proof; two discovery Argentina notes are offered for the first time, Colonia Ocampo Specimens dated 1888 from BWC that are sure to attract significant interest; a unique Cuba original artwork essay of a 1991 issue banknote will be offered, also from the Bradbury archives; an 1849, $50 Danish West Indies rarity; a rare Pakistan Specimen, 50 Rupees, ca.1978-84 banknote; a rare Qatar & Dubai first issue banknote pair; a Swiss 1954-74, 1000 Francs TDLR specimen. Part 1 of the “Scarsdale Collection” of predominantly modern African banknotes will include 240 lots with many modern rarities as well as difficult to find varieties such as a Serial #”1”, 1951, Banco De Angola banknote; a Republique Centrafricaine, 5000 Francs issued note in PMG 65 EPQ; a pair of Libya, 1951 Specimen notes by TDLR among many others. The balance of the “Scarsdale Collection” will be offered in Archives May, 2014 auction
The U.S. session with security printing ephemera will offer over 120 desirable notes to include a Serial # “3” U.S. Postal Note from New Britain, CT dated 1883; 16 lots of Colonial notes including a Delaware, 1776, 10 Shilling Note in AU 58 and a sheet of two 1782 Continental Bills of Exchange signed by Michael


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Don't look now, but the solar industry is slowly exiting from public markets. Trina Solar and JA Solar have gone private, and Canadian Solar's CEO is trying to take his company off public markets. Now, Hanwha Q Cells (HQCL) is trying to exit the public market with an $825 million buyout offer from its parent company, Hanwha Chemical Corporation, earlier this week.
If the deal goes through, it would mean that JinkoSolar (JKS 8.37%) will be the last major Chinese solar manufacturer to be publicly traded in the U.S. The solar experiment hasn't gone well for U.S. investors, and now companies are seeing greener pastures as well.
Hanwha's buyout offer
Unlike its peers, Hanwha Q Cells isn't getting a buyout offer from management. Its offer is from Hanwha Chemical Corporation's subsidiary Hanwha Solar Holdings. It's a related company that will fold it into the larger organization. For investors, the upside is an offer of $9.90 per share, which is a big jump from July lows below $6 per share.
Despite being one of the biggest solar manufacturers in the world, with 4,300 megawatts (MW) of module capacity, Hanwha Q Cells has struggled financially for years. Over the past year, the company has barely broken even, and its total long-term debt has ballooned to $1.4 billion.
Debt is what has been killing solar companies for years, and given the rapidly dropping price of solar panels in 2018, it's likely losses would begin piling up in the next few quarters. From that perspective, it's probably good for investors that a buyout offer was brought to the table.
Reorganizing without the public spotlight
Hanwha Q Cells and other solar manufacturers may see being private as a way to slowly improve their business and return to profitability. As public companies, there was pressure to grow, which meant taking on debt to build manufacturing capacity. That debt is ultimately what caused the collapse of some of the industry's biggest manufacturers (Suntech Power and Yingli Green Energy).
There are also upgrades that need to take place in manufacturing. Mono-PERC technology (an additional cell layer that enhances light absorption) has higher efficiency than commodity cells and is gaining market share. Keeping up would require massive manufacturing upgrades for a company like Hanwha Q Cells.
Folding into a larger organization could also allow Hanwha Q Cells to take a longer-term view of operations without the financing pressure of being independent. There are a lot of reasons a highly leveraged, commodity solar manufacturer might not want public scrutiny right now.
The last company standing
This may be the last hurrah for public solar companies in the U.S. JinkoSolar is the last major Chinese manufacturer to remain public, but it's facing high debt and low profitability, just like the other companies that have been taken private.
Chinese solar manufacturers may dominate the global solar industry, but they've been a flop as investments in the U.S. It looks like one by one they're being taken off the market, leaving fewer options for solar investors. Maybe that's for the best.


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Seoul, Korea– LG Display plans mass-production in the second half of Advanced In-Cell Touch (AIT) panels for notebook PCs to make the devices slimmer and lighter.
Panels with AIT technology appear on such smartphones as the LG G4 and iPhones, but the announcement marks the first time the technology is being applied to larger size devices such as notebook PCs, LG said.
LG has already agreed to supply 15.6-inch and 14-inch Full HD AIT panels to several notebook PC brands and is in discussions with companies to supply different panel sizes.
In-cell touch technology embeds a touch sensor within an LCD panel, replacing technologies that place a touch panel on top of the LCD panel, LG said. Compared to a conventional 15.6-inch Full HD touch panel, LG’s technology reduces the panel’s thickness by 1 millimeter (or about 25 percent) and weight by 200 grams (or about 35 percent). The panel is also said to offers a brighter, clearer picture because of a lack of light loss or light reflection.
LG Display is also working on AIT-based panels suitable for use with a touch pen, said by LG to be “particularly essential for consumers using two-in-one PCs that combine tablet and laptop functions.”
LG expects sales of the new panels to be robust because the notebook industry is gearing up for the expansion of touch-embedded products, especially with the second-half launch of the touch-optimized Window 10 OS.
IDC found 10 percent of global notebook PCs in 2014 featured embedded touch functions and expects the percentage to hit 20 percent in 2016 and 30 percent in 2019.
Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad Air2 tablet uses another technology to reduce three layers – cover glass, touch sensor layer, and LCD layer – into one layer, Apple’s web site shows.


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A latest fliphone Samsung W2018 gets the FCC certification and revealed that the device will come with two 4.2-inch 1080p Super AMOLED screens. It will be powered by a Snapdragon 835 and a 2,300mAh battery. Connectivity wise, it will feature NFC, LTE, Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy and Wi-Fi and also it will have The ANT+ support.
The device will feature a 12MP camera on one side and a 5MP on the other.
There is expectation that the Samsung W2018 flip-phone will be announced in China on 1st December and it will be available at $2,000.
For your information, a device Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) with the model number A530N already certified by FCC in the US .Now the device Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) with model number SM-A530N revealed on its own website without revealing a single specification as well as its cost. It has also shown in HTML5 test listing recently.
According to the latest rumor, the device Samsung Galaxy A5 (2018) will be powered by an Exynos 7885 chipset. It will come with either 4GB or 6GB RAM and it will run on Android 7.1 Nougat. The date of its announcement is still unconfirmed, but there is expectation that it will be announced in February, 2018.
Proceed with us for more information.


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Yelp Earnings: 8-Cent Loss on $41.2 Million Revenue vs. Expectations of 5 …
Yelp on Wednesday reported a greater-than-expected loss for the fourth quarter as marketing expenditures grew 59 percent even as net revenue rose 65 percent.
After the earnings announcement, the online review site saw its shares fall more than 5 percent in extended-hours trading. (Click here to get the latest quotes for Yelp.)
Yelp reported a fourth-quarter loss of 8 cents a share on revenue of $41.2 million.
Its net loss in the quarter narrowed to $5.3 million, compared with last year’s net loss for the period of $9.1 million, or 56 cents a share.
Of Yelp’s sharpened focus on mobile, CEO Jeremy Stoppelman told CNBC: “Twenty-five percentof our ads are now showing on mobile. It represents the same type of ads you see on the website. What we have is just more inventory. And on the mobile device it can be location-targeted.”
Marketing spending rose from $16 million in the period last year to $25.5 million, as the company pushed for growth in Germany and Britain, according to Yelp’s news release.
Analysts had expected the company to report a loss of 5 cents a share on $40 million in revenue, according to a consensus estimate from Thomson Reuters.
For the first quarter, net revenue is expected to be in the range of $44.0 million to $44.5 million, representing growth of 62 percent from the first quarter of 2012.
The site saw its user reviews grow 45 percent year over year to more than 36 million at the end of 2012, while monthly unique visitors grew 31 percent to about 86 million.
Regarding the competitive landscape online, potentially intensified by Facebook‘s graph search, Stoppelman said, “We have the advantage of being just focused on one thing. The same can’t be said for Facebook or Google.”


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Simply Energy pays $20,000 for switching customer with brain injury
14 November 2018
Simply Energy has paid $20,000 after a telemarketer allegedly arranged to switch a customer with an acquired brain injury to the company without his consent.
The Essential Services Commission issued the penalty after finding sales agents ignored requests to ‘call back later’ even after the man showed signs of being confused, and indicating he was unable to consent to the switch due to an acquired brain injury.
Commission chair Ron Ben-David says the whole case is disturbing.
“Over two days and four phone calls, Simply Energy’s sales agent withheld key information, ignored requests to ‘call back later’ and disregarded the customer’s wishes not to enter into a new contract,” he said.
Dr Ben-David says the company’s processes for ensuring appropriate consent before switching a customer failed on this occasion.
“Explicit informed consent is a core principle of customer rights and energy retailers are responsible for ensuring they, or any sales agent working on their behalf, can meet the standard required before arranging a transfer,” he said.
The Victorian Energy Retail Code requires energy retailers to provide accurate, clear, full and understandable information on all matters relevant to consent. This includes providing contract information in plain English and being able to demonstrate through appropriate record keeping that the customer is capable of, and has given consent.
Editors’ note: The commission can issue energy industry penalty notices where it has reason to believe a business has committed an energy industry contravention. The payment of a penalty specified in the energy industry penalty notices is not an admission of a contravention of their electricity and gas retail licences.


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29 Jun 2015 / Davis-Moore
Stop by Davis-Moore Fiat of Wichita on Thursday, July 2 from 2 pm to 7 pm for the 2016 Fiat 500X Launch Party! Snacks and beverages will be provided, and we’ll have test-drives and drawings for great prizes, such as a free oil change or a Fiat hoodie.
The 2016 Fiat 500X crossover is small, but offers a super-sized performance. The Italian crossover is ready for action, with added power and awesome technology. The Fiat 500X offers multiple models, including the Street Series and the Trekking models.
View our 2016 Fiat 500X inventory and be sure to join us for the Launch Party!
Mazda is currently in the process of working with a new ignition in order to improve the fuel efficiency of its gasoline engines by 50 percent. According to AutoGuide, the current efficiency of Mazda’s gasoline engines is a “healthy 40 percent.” Mazda hopes to improve that to 60 percent by 2020.
In order to do this, Mazda is developing its homogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) technology to make their gasoline engines operate more like a diesel engine. According to AutoGuide, “The technology will require raising the compression ration from about 14.0:1 to 18.0:1 with a precise control of the combustion chamber in order to avoid engine knock.” The hope is to combine the clean emissions of a gasoline engine with the fuel economy of a diesel engine.
Mazda has an ongoing commitment to creating high-quality vehicles and environmental-friendliness. Check out our current Mazda inventory.
Chevrolet has revealed a lighter and stiffer Camaro Convertible with the new 2016 model. According to USA Today, the sporty car has “an electro-hydraulic power roof system (which) features multilayer construction designed for comfortable, quiet driving in all seasons.”
The 2016 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible has a similar silhouette to the Camaro coupe. Todd Christensen, Camaro’s marketing manager, said “The 2016 Camaro coupe will set the benchmark for the segment in terms of technology, performance and design. Adding the most sophisticated top in the segment brings another level of refinement.”
Camaro’s chief engineer, Al Oppenheiser, said that Camaros were “developed to incorporate a convertible with uncompromised driving dynamics.” They wanted to provide drivers with a smooth and quiet ride not typically found in other four-seat convertibles.
The Camaro Convertible will come with two trim levels, six powertrain combinations and the option of a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. The exterior is sleek and contributes to better handling, aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.
The 2016 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible will go on sale early next year. In the meantime, check out our Chevrolet Camaro inventory.
What: WAM All Mopar Meet
When: Saturday, June 20, 2015
Where: Sedgwick County Park
Time: 9 am to 4 pm
Cost: FREE to the public
Celebrate Father’s Day a day early and head over to Sedgwick County Park on Saturday, June 20 for the Wichita Area Mopar Club’s All Mopar Meet! Now in its 30th year, this car show is one of the best and most anticipated in Wichita! The event is free and open to the public and will be held rain or shine.
This year’s show is expected to be bigger and better than ever! Vehicle registration at the gate is $25 per vehicle (swap and vendor prices are the same price). Gates will be open at 7:30 am with the actual show kicking off at 9 am and lasting throughout the afternoon until 4 pm. Please note that this show is for Mopar body or engine vehicles only. Every registered vehicle will receive a 5×7” wall plaque, goody bag, trophy voting rights, hot dogs, water and fun!
Davis-Moore Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram is a proud sponsor of the Wichita Area Mopar club, and we look forward to seeing you at the show! Bring the family and enjoy the fun of this once-a-year, premiere car show experience. We’ll see you there!
According to Justin Cupler from TopSpeed.com, Mopar is offering more than 100 accessories for the new 2016 Fiat 500x. Car buyers can choose from 14 exterior graphic packs, which include graphics for the hood, roof, spoiler and body-side. Front and rear splashguards are also available as well as valve-stem covers, various fender badges, license plate covers and more.
As for the interior, Mopar offers leather Katzkin seats, slush mats, a cargo tray, a spare tire kit and the Mopar Web WiFi module and wiring harness. Mopar’s accessories include sportier and safer additions, too. Buyers are able to get a cat-back exhaust system or an Electronic Vehicle Tracking System.
There are many Mopar customization options for the 2016 Fiat 500x, all ranging from under $20 to nearly $2,000. Check out our 2016 Fiat 500x inventory.
For the second year in a row, the Mazda3 has been voted the number one coolest car under $18,000 by Kelley Blue Book. According to The News Wheel, the Mazda3 has actually been on the list every year since it was released in 2003, “giving it an impressive 12-year cool streak.”
Kelley Blue Book rates cars under $18,000 based on two factors. The first is how fun it is to drive the car, and the second is how fun it is to own the car.
The Mazda3 features Mazda’s SkyActiv Technology, Mazda Connect for infotainment, i-Activsense for safety and “KODO—Soul of Motion” with i-ELOOP for fuel economy. It is one of the most fuel-efficient cars in its class with an EPA-estimated 30 mpg city and 41 mpg highway.
Check out our Mazda3 inventory.


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Sometimes, excellent products (and even better prices) aren’t enough.
Ask General Motors about that.
Despite a slew of genuinely appealing — and genuinely well-built — vehicles, the automaker’s death spiral toward the hard, cruel earth continues to pick up speed.
In late December, the value of GM shares free-fell to an 18-year-low on the NYSE — to less than $20 per share. This “no confidence” vote by the stock market comes on the heels of massive layoffs and the shuttering of 12 of GM’s North American manufacturing/assembly facilities — amid a year of appalling losses, including a stupendous $846 million in the first quarter of 2005.
Last summer’s “Employee Pricing” program was as desperate a gambit as Hitler’s all-or-nothing roll of the dice in the Ardennes in the winter of ’44. And like the Battle of the Bulge, there was a brief forward thrust — sales upticked as customers snapped-up bargain-priced GM vehicles. But like the over-extended and exhausted armies of the German Wehrmacht, the “sales bulge” could not be sustained. Once the fire-sale pricing disappeared, so did the buyers.
Meanwhile, GM’s battle with intractable unions continues apace — and there’s little hope of doing anything about its overlapping/duplicative/ossified dealer network.
GM’s biggest single problem, however, is that it simply has too many makes and models of cars given its share of the market.
HERE’S A FACT TO PONDER: In 1970, GM’s Chevrolet division alone had more market share than the entire GM lineup has today. That’s Buick, Pontiac, Cadillac, GMC, Saturn and Hummer — combined. Yet each of these GM divisions (excepting Hummer and GMC, which are truck/SUV-specific) is still trying to market and sell a full line of vehicles — as many as five or six different models per brand. There are six or seven GM minivans alone — the Chevy Uplander and Venture, the Pontiac Montana and Torrent, the Buick Terraza and Rendezvous and the Saturn Relay.
This is madness.
Toyota, Honda, and Nissan each have exactly one minivan; they compete against each other — and against GM. But GM’s overlapping in-house divisions compete among themselves first (for engineering and development resources, then for marketing budgets, etc.) and then hair-split the ever-dwindling market between them — before the outside competition even enters the picture.
Which business model makes more sense?
GM also makes half a dozen mid-sized sedans — but can’t make money selling them. Toyota has half the number of sedans in its lineup, but makes money hand over fist on them — and is poised to become the world’s largest automaker as a result.
GM has spent more than a decade trying to make a go of its small car spin-off, Saturn — which now competes for resources and customers with emergent Chevy small cars like the Cobalt. The Cobalt is an excellent small car; the best such vehicle in GM’s lineup, in fact. Its existence arguably renders Saturn — which was conceived back in the late 1980s as a way to rehabilitate GM’s reputation in the small car marketplace — irrelevant. Why not quietly fold Saturn into Chevrolet — or just retire the Saturn brand entirely? Because the dealer network and others GM is bound to contractually would squeal like stuck pigs — not grasping (like the blunt-skulled unions) that if GM croaks as a result of being top-heavy and inefficient, their jobs are gone anyhow.
It’s the same deal with once-great but now marginal GM divisions like Buick and Pontiac. Yes, there are some nice cars (Lucerne for Buick, Solstice for Pontiac). But each division also has less than 3 percent of the market (in the case of Buick, a lot less). Yet the Buick and Pontiac dealer network is about as large as it was in the salad days of the ’60s and ’70s, when some Buick and Pontiac models (individual vehicles) were selling in greater numbers than the entire model lineup does today.
SOMETHING MUST BE DONE. Morgan Stanley auto industry analyst Stephen Girsky says GM’s declining market share “… doesn’t support its size. They have too many plants, too many workers, too many models, too many dealers and their employee benefits are too high.” It’s obvious to even the causal observer — but GM can’t seem to make any headway. Its products are better than they have been in years — but the bottom line is, the company’s not making money selling them.
A truly radical restructuring is probably the automaker’s only hope. That means the wholesale elimination of entire brands — or at the very least, the consolidation of GM’s currently unsustainable menagerie of makes and models into a more sensible lineup of “GM” brand vehicles — with everything subsumed under that nameplate except, perhaps, a separate luxury line (Cadillac).
But the necessary changes won’t come willingly because no one voluntarily puts his head (or his fiefdom) on the chopping block. Let someone else feel the pain; let someone else update his resume. Not me. But there’s a weird unreality about it all — sort of like the Titanic passenger who locks himself in his stateroom, climbs under the covers and pretends not to notice the growing list, the water rushing under the door.
But in the end, everyone goes down with the ship anyhow.


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The New Zealand company behind the car which was described by Motor Sport as the closest thing most people will ever get to driving an F1 machine has opened its first showroom in the UK. Rodin’s main attraction at the new premises will be the FZED single-seater – one of the fastest open-wheel race cars in the world, which the company stresses can run as the ultimate track-day weapon without requiring the assistance of a full race team.
Weighing just 589kg, the FZED is powered by a 3.8-litre Cosworth GPV8 engine that produces 675bhp at 9600rpm and 361lb ft of torque at 7600rpm. “While we are a New Zealand-based company, our plan has always been to establish a UK base,” says David Dicker, founder of Rodin Cars. “We have big plans for the new space, with a desire to showcase not just our supercars, but also the state-of- the-art technology and engineering that is going into their manufacturing.”


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Cyber security attacks can be detrimental to any business operations. Industries that manage financial data and sensitive personal information are at even greater risk of bringing harm to customers and destroying their credibility.
Recent attacks have been focused on targeting banking and financial institutions and leveraging personal information to make unauthorized charges on people’s accounts – or worse. As this happens, smaller banking companies like credit unions are under intense pressure to defend and protect their customers and data with just their limited budgets.
Putting off protections is not the right choice. Here is a closer look at crippling cyber security risks faced by credit unions and financial services and how to best protect against them.
Small Bank Hacks
Compromised personal information and theft of finances from a bank’s customer accounts is just one way a hack can occur. Other methods such as breaches from third party merchants or phishing and scams where fake credit cards are created using someone’s information have all happened.
Hackers and cyber criminals are getting more and more sophisticated so it’s hard to pinpoint exactly how an attack or breach may happen but there are things like clicking on spam links, phishing emails, visiting questionable websites and poor password protections that can certainly leave a business at risk.
Proactive protection is a must. Waiting until a breach occurs or until you feel the threat large enough to invest in a security plan, is already too late.
Managed service providers are available to provide secure solutions and monitoring in an “as-a-service” format to make security affordable even for smaller banks.
Reputation Damage & Non-Compliance Fines
With each breach and bad headline about security breaches, customer trust diminishes. Reputation damage is a huge part of trying to remedy a security hack. It takes time and lots of money to try and win back customer trust so they will see you as a viable option for banking again. This is not something you should put yourself at risk for.
In addition to winning over customers again, you’ll likely be faced with hefty non-compliance and regulatory fines in addition to hiring lawyers to combat all of the bad press and re. These costs far exceed the upfront investment in security to protect your bank and customers from security breaches.
ASG Information Technologies has been providing IT support to Connecticut credit unions and financial services for over 21 years. We take your responsibilities very seriously. With the alarming rates at which breaches continue to happen, any credit union or small bank in Connecticut that doesn’t have professional IT support services is already running the risk of losing much more than just money.