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Additional housing opportunities are coming to downtown Puyallup now that the city council has approved the sale of a city-owned parking lot to developer McBride-Cohen Management Group, the Puget Sound Business Journal reported.
McBride-Cohen’s proposal calls for the development of 60 condominium units, as well as retail or office space. The anticipated building design would be about four stories, with the first floor containing ground-level parking and the remaining three floors made up of living units.
According to the article, the Puyallup City Council approved the sale of the site late last month for $1.4 million. The lot is located at West Pioneer Avenue and Third Street Southwest.
“This property, once it is developed into housing, will invigorate our downtown business community,” said Mayor Julie Door in a statement published in The Suburban Times. “More people living in downtown means more foot traffic to our shops and restaurants. This will create economic prosperity to our downtown businesses.”


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Australia has strengthened ties with the US on cyber security, another sign that analyst and vendor predictions citing cyber security as a big ticket item to watch in 2016, is on the money.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the new cyber security dialogue between the countries as part of his first official visit to the US last week. It will be jointly convened by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and the US Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
The initiative will start with – and you can read more about the first steps here – improving response efforts via better mapping of cyber incident response structures and mechanisms, and enhancing online crime cooperation between the nations.
That cyber issues found itself on the top of the agenda on Mr Turnbull’s US trip is not surprising. The Prime Minister and President Obama want the same things from cyber safety and many hands make light work. And cyber is a logical and increasingly important part of the broader strategic relationship.
The upgrading of the cyber relationship is timely, given Mr Turnbull’s drive on security issues which was given prominence as part of the overall innovation message.
Cyber and its issues may not be as sexy as startups and science, but it is a central component of the overall digital economy.
The National Innovation and Science Agenda made $30million available to establish an industry-led Cyber Security Growth Centre between now and 2019-20. This initiative aims to make Australians and businesses be safer and more secure online.
And the Australian Government’s long-awaited Cyber Security Review – first announced by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and now six months past its original due date – is understood to be going through a rewrite as a result of Mr Turnbull taking over as PM.
It is unsurprising that the review was elevated in priority once a more tech-focused and digitally-aware PM got the keys to The Lodge. The US agreement is confirmation that cyber is a first order priority.
In another agreement that pre-dates Mr Turnbull’s leadership – announced on the Prime Minister and Cabinet website on the day he was challenging Mr Abbott last September – Australia has also entered a tighter cyber security relationship with India.
The Australia-India Cyber Policy dialogue was quietly created, with the most recent talks held last August in New Delhi. The next round is expected to be held in Canberra this year.
Speaking to InnovationAus.com Risk Advisory Partner at Deloitte, Tommy Viljoen, said that the US and Indian agreements are key to ensuring Australia becomes a leader in cyber security.
“If we, as a country, are going to be able to stand alongside other countries as leaders in this space then we need to be at the forefront of the sharing and collaboration [of the global cyber security initatives],” Mr Viljoen said.
“One of the benefits that cyber activists, hackers and perpetrators of cybercrime receive is us not sharing information, be that at government level or at a B2B level. It’s the ability for them to continue perpetrating these events across borders and organisations.
“If we share our information and strategies on how we are dealing with cybercrime however, we are far more likely to reduce the impact and put in place effective strategies a lot sooner that last longer,” he added.
Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.

domain: news


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MANILA, Philippines – Ramon Ang and his family are consolidating business interests through San Miguel Corporation’s (SMC) acquisition of Eagle Cement for almost P97 billion.
The SMC board on Tuesday, October 4, approved the acquisition of 88.5% or 4.4 billion shares of Eagle Cement at P22.02 per share.
This is a 42.9% premium from Tuesday’s closing price of P15.40 a share. Shares of Eagle Cement jumped 20% on Wednesday.
Eagle Cement’s selling shareholders include Ang and his children, Eagle Cement president and chief executive officer John Paul Ang and chief finance officer Monica Ang-Mercado, as well as Far East Holdings Incorporated (FEHI). FEHI is majority owned by Ramon Ang.
Ang, who is the president and chief executive officer of SMC and chairman of Eagle Cement, did not participate in the SMC board’s deliberations.
Eagle Cement’s income reached P2.97 billion in the first six months of 2022, lower by 19.7% than last year’s P3.7 billion.
Revenues in the first semester reached P13.68 billion, 23.7% higher than last year’s P11.06 billion.
Meanwhile, SMC is one of the largest and most diversified conglomerates in the Philippines by revenues and total assets, with sales equivalent to approximately 4% of the Philippines’ gross domestic product in 2020. – Rappler.com


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It is a contribution for the purchase of a new decoder or TV. The goal is to guarantee all citizens access to the new digital terrestrial signal. Although many families have already responded positively to this opportunity, the health crisis has partially curbed purchases. I am still more than 100 million euros available for those who want to take advantage of the facility to purchase a new device. Here how to get the TV bonus.
Covid TV bonus from Covid-19
So far more than 96 thousand Italian families have used the TV bonus for the purchase of a TV or a new decoder. These cores prepared in time for the change of digital terrestrial. In fact, the digital terrestrial TV channels will be broadcast only in high definition starting from September 2021, while from June 2022 they will be able to watch with the new Dvb-T2 format, inaccessible in old TVs.
Of course, many beneficiaries who still have not applied for are still missing from the appeal. In fact, only 4.877 million of the fund has been used and more than remains unused 100 million. The bonus is aimed at low-income families and allows you to take advantage of a contribution up to 50 euros. The amount of the concession depends on the expense: the more you spend, the higher the contribution.
The rush to buy has certainly been held back by Coronavirus: people preferred to invest their savings in other goods or the shop or mall was closed or unable to meet requests. In this situation, around 20 thousand grants were awarded between March and April, but fortunately the demand for bonuses has already increased since May.
Probably the need to buy a device is also linked to the growth of applications such as Netflix that need a smart-TV. Currently most of the requests concern the purchase of TV (83,891 thousand in total) in second place instead the decoders are classified (11,448 thousand) and in third the decoder for the satellite (863). But there is still a long way to go: using the TV Bonus is really easy.
How to get the TV Bonus 2020 and 2021
The facility is reserved for families who have a ISEE up to 20,000 euros. If you fall into this category, just contact the retailer and hand over your identity card, tax code and module TV bonus available on the MISE website. It is a’self-certification therefore it is not necessary to bring the ISEE document to the store, but only be sure not to exceed the required threshold because for any subsequent checks it will be essential to prove that you have the required income. In addition, it is essential to choose the right appliance, which is one of those admitted to the contribution.
If the procedure is very simple for the customer, this is also very simple for the customer dealer. In fact, the amount will be returned in compensation in the form of tax credit. To this end, retailers must register on the appropriate Revenue Agency platform and request the return of the amount with the tax return.


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ASEAN KEY DESTINATIONS
Obscure pact may propel Asia-Pacific trade
With World Trade Organization negotiations in limbo, and warnings rife of a return to protectionism, talks to expand the pact, called the Trans-Pacific Partnership, seem to be the only hope of regaining momentum, analysts say.
The TPP is seen as a vital building block for a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific - which would link economies from China to Chile and the United States but currently remains an undefined and long-term goal.
Japan, which is hosting the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Yokohama at the conclusion of the G-20, has announced it is exploring the idea of joining the TPP, giving fresh impetus to the process.
"It is a good thing that Japan, which is a huge economic power, will be open to the world," Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said.
The TPP, he said, was "a very good forum as it holds a high standard on free trade and nearly half of the APEC members have joined the negotiation."
The idea of an FTAAP had been mooted by business leaders and was championed by Washington in 2006 at an APEC meeting in Hanoi.
But the idea received a cool reception from many of APEC's 21 members, some of whom felt it would be dominated by the United States, while others wanted to focus on concluding the WTO Doha round of negotiations.
Diplomats said Washington saw another opportunity to push ahead with a trans-Pacific pact through an expansion of the TPP as it seeks to export its way out of its deep economic troubles and high unemployment at home.
The United States also wants to avoid being marginalized in an increasing web of Asia-centric bilateral and regional free trade agreements that have evolved after the WTO talks collapsed in July 2008.
These include an FTA between China and Asean, as well as plans for an East Asia-wide trade zone linking Asean, China, Japan and South Korea.
Obama elevated the TPP's profile by saying the United States would enter talks to join the group that now has just four signed-up members - Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore - but which Australia, Malaysia, Peru and Vietnam are also in talks to join.
Other economies are watching closely and could also jump onto the bandwagon, but many are torn between not wanting to be left out, and reluctance to make the deep commitments TPP membership could require.
Back in Seoul, major nations struggled on Thursday to break a deadlock on how to fix problems cramping the world economy as Obama insisted that a strong United States was crucial for a wider international recovery.
A major issue confronting the G-20 is how to craft a new economic order to replace one centered on the United States running huge trade deficits while countries like China, Germany and Japan accumulate vast surpluses.
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December 12, 2011 10:34
Smartphones that run on the Android Operating System are edging ahead of Apple's iPhone in terms of popularity and appeal to consumers and designers, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt was reported as saying by U.S. media including Forbes on Friday (local time).
Android-based smartphones are gaining an advantage due to the number of cheaper-price devices, the array of network providers on board and the sheer number of handsets in production, Schmidt told programmers and developers at the LeWeb conference in Paris.
Although programmers and developers tend to focus on Apple's iOS first and Android second, Schmidt said this will soon come to an end.
"My prediction is that six months from now you'll say the opposite," he said, adding that Android is ramping up its threat with its newly launched, 4.0 OS "Ice Cream Sandwich."
Schmidt's comments come as Samsung Electronics' new Galaxy Nexus device, which also runs on Ice Cream Sandwich, is about to debut in the U.S.
"Ultimately, application vendors are driven by volume, and volume is favored by the open approach Google is taking," he said. "There are so many manufacturers working so hard to distribute Android phones globally that whether you like ICS or not -- and again I like it a great deal--you will want to develop for that platform, and perhaps even first."
- Copyright © Chosunilbo & Chosun.com


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MarineMax grew revenue more than 10 percent to $270.6 million in the second quarter, prompting the company again to raise its annual expectations to $1.44 to $1.50 versus its prior expectations of $1.30 to $1.40 per-diluted-share.
Same-store sales increased 8 percent, on top of 13 percent in the comparable period last year. Income before taxes increased more than 84 percent to $7.8 million for the quarter from $4.2 million last year.
Net income rose 125 percent to $6.2 million, or $0.27 per-diluted-share, for the quarter compared to net income of $2.7 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, for the same time last year.
Net income in the quarter benefitted from tax credits resulting from hurricanes Harvey and Irma that represented approximately $380,000, or $0.02 per diluted share.
“A combination of strong unit growth and constant focus on our higher margin businesses enabled our team to drive meaningful year-over-year gross margin and earnings per share improvement,” said MarineMax chairman and CEO Bill McGill in a statement.
“As our industry continues to recover, the environment for capturing additional product margins remains encouraging,” McGill said. “Our 8 percent same-store sales growth was driven by increased traffic at boat shows, online and in our stores, as demand was aided by strong consumer confidence. Our team executed well by controlling costs in the quarter, which allowed for strong flow-through, despite an unusual increase in health insurance claims in the quarter.”
Revenue increased approximately 8 percent to $507.5 million for the six months that ended March 31, compared with $471.9 million for the comparable period last year.
Same-store sales grew approximately 4 percent in the first half of the fiscal year — on top of 20 percent growth in the same period last year.
Net income for the six months rose 93 percent to $10.4 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, compared with net income of $5.4 million, or $0.22 per share, last year.
“New, innovative models from our manufacturing partners are continuing to be well received and are helping to drive demand from existing boaters as well as those new to boating, as evidenced by our growing backlog,” said McGill.
“MarineMax remains well positioned to build on its industry leading share position as we enter the height of the boating season,” McGill said. “Through continuing to deliver our customers the highest level of service, providing a broad array of new products and working to ensure that each boating experience is maximized, MarineMax will remain the retailer of choice for years to come.”


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Millennial Parents Say That Domain Name Availability May Affect Their Babies' Names
Remember when parents used to make plaster casts of their newborn babies' feet to remember how small they were? These days, millennial parents are obssessing about their kids' online footprints more than the prints from their actual widdle feetsies.
According to a poll commissioned by Internet domain registrar and web hosting company Godaddy, millennial parents are preparing their kids for an online life even before they're born. This includes worrying about the future domain names of their (inevitable) websites, apparently: As many as 20% of millennial parents said they changed or considered changing their baby’s name based on what domain names were free at the time.
The study, which compares the attitudes and behavior of millennial parents (aged 24-38) with Gen X parents (aged 39-53), reveals that the importance of a strong internet presence for children has nearly doubled among parents between the generations—48% of millennials believe it’s important for their child to have an online presence early in life, compared to just 27% of Gen X respondents.
Millennial parents are also more proactive with getting their kids set up with their own websites: 38% have created or are considering creating a website for their kids, compared to only 20% of their Gen X counterparts.
But it's not because they're looking to make the next Scarlet Snow Belo. Parents say they're concerned about their children's future digital presence for their own good. “It’s no longer enough to make sure that your baby is enrolled at the top elementary school at birth—parents today are claiming their child’s name and online identity to make sure that they’re set up for success down the line,” said Melissa Schneider, trends expert at GoDaddy. “More than ever, it’s essential to own your own identity on the internet, and millennials know that better than anyone else. Today’s parents know that the internet is woven into the fabric of our daily lives, and teaching them how to show up well online is vital.”
Of course, millennial parents are only speaking from experience, since millennials are the first generation of digital natives who have grown up with the internet. In fact, more than half of millennials say they got their first social media profile between the ages of 10 and 17, compared with only 10% of Gen X parents.
Thankfully, parents of all ages are conscious of the dangers and responsibilities their children will face online: 94% of all survey respondents reported that they plan to speak to their children about how to responsibly maintain their online presence. Education on how to represent oneself online is a top priority for parents. Nearly half (42%) of respondents that had created a website for their kids intend to teach them what should and shouldn’t live online, using the website.


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Head of private label shares perspective and plans at Store Brands summit.…
Survey says best bet is to offer it in multichannel form, but few do so.…
More Featured Articles
Shareholders in Walgreens Co. have formally requested that the board of directors review the risks of tobacco sales in Walgreens pharmacies.
British consumers hold food companies even more responsible than government for sustainability in the food supply, according to a recent survey.
Safeway and Albertsons are now delivering to homes in the Denver area.
A Giant Eagle Market District store in Robinson, Pa., became the first supermarket in the state to sell wine since before Prohibition, following the passage of a bill to allow wine sales in the state’s supermarkets.
Scots authorities have set up a hotline for reporting of fraudulent food products.
SpartanNash has pledged to work with an advocacy group to monitor labor conditions for the migrant and seasonal farmworkers who supply its produce and other products.
Instacart has moved into Fort Lauderdale, its second Florida market after Miami.


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Taxi Company Bolt Set to Open Africa Hub in Nairobi
- All News, Money & Markets, Politics & Power
- Bolt Kenya, Nairobi tech hub, taxi services kenya
- Nyambura Tabitha
Bolt an e-taxi company founded originally in Estonia has now announced it will be opening its regional hub in Nairobi Kenya. The new hub will be located on the riverside drive. This will be the first centralized African office and will function as the host of top company managers running operations in the entire African continent.
The company is currently in operation in seven African countries of Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Tunisia.
Bolt will join other tech companies that have established their hubs in Nairobi as they try to expand to the African market.
What’s Bolts Plan?
Bolt which rivals companies like uber is determined to become the dominant taxi service in the region. The new office will be vital for its plan to enter and expand to more regional markets
The company currently runs its services in 16 Kenyan towns making it the most widely used taxi service in Kenya.
Paddy Partridge, its regional director said in a recent interview, that they have decided to open the hub in Nairobi due to its strategic location in the region he also was impressed by the good infrastructure present in Nairobi. The company has also been having explosive growth in the region.
He also added they are planning to use Nairobi’s strategic location to expand to the COMESA market. COMESA is the common market for eastern and southern Africa.
He further explained the move will enable them to develop a cohesive model for sustainable city environments improving urban transportation for many people in the region.
Nairobi A Rising Africa Tech Hub
Bolt is just part of a trend of international tech firms who have set up hubs in Nairobi Kenya as they eye the growing African market.
Microsoft for instance opened on March 25, an African development center (ADC). The 3 billion Kenyan shillings facility is set to be one of the largest software engineering facilities in Africa.
Google another American-based company is also building its first African product development in the city. This is part of a five-year KES 115 billion investment on the continent.
Not long-ago digital payment giant Visa opened an innovation studio in Nairobi; the studio is the first ever in Africa. Globally there are five hubs like this in cities like Dubai, London, Miami, San Francisco, and Singapore. The company has even partnered with Safaricom to create products like virtual visa cards for global payments. Other tech companies like Amazon web services have also launched an AWS local zone in Kenya
This will join the other 16 existing AWS local zone across the US and the other 32 to be launched in 26 countries around the world by the end of this year.


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By MobileFoodRodeo | SeaStreetFoodFest.com
Seattle Met’s Allecia Vermillion sat down with our Festival Director, Ryan Reiter for a first hand look at this year’s new Seattle Street Food Festival.
A major street food gathering is coming to Cal Anderson Park this summer, courtesy of Ryan Reiter, the guy behind the Mobile Food Rodeo food truck gatherings.
But don’t call it a food truck event, he says. “The whole concept of street food has been around since the beginning of time.” And Reiter also wants to showcase all the carts, booths, and other up-and-coming enterprises whose version of street food doesn’t involve four wheels.
The Seattle Street Food Festival will happen Saturday, August 10, from 3 to 11 and include more than 50 food vendors. Reiter doesn’t want to name names just yet, but says about 10 or 15 of these will be food trucks. “It’s an idea for this big food court that’s really more of an authentic bite of Seattle,” says Reiter. “There’s going to be a lot of diverse food.”
He’s envisioning a picnic-style setup that takes on a night market feel after the sun goes down; he’s been working with the Capitol Hill Chamber and Cal Anderson Park Alliance to nail down the proposed location on the park’s east side, along 11th Avenue between Pine and Howell streets.
The festival will also include a separate pop-up diner area in conjunction with the One Night Only Project, where brick-and-mortar chefs will be serving up family-style food. So far Joshua Henderson and Ethan Stowell are signed on to participate. (Skillet founder Henderson now co
nsidered a brick-and-mortar chef? How time marches on.) Proceeds will go to the chefs’ designated charities.
Seattle Street Food Festival
August 10, 3–11, Cal Anderson Park, ticket info forthcoming


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Saturday's attack is the biggest on Saudi oil infrastructure since Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait in 1990.Energyread more
"Blaming Iran won't end disaster. Accepting our April '15 proposal to end war & begin talks may," Zarif said on Twitter.Energyread more
Oil prices are expected to jump as much as $10 per barrel after a coordinated drone strike hit Saudi Arabia's largest oil field, forcing the kingdom to cut its oil output in...Marketsread more
Apple's new iPhones can still send texts, download apps, and make video calls, but the company spends a lot of time and effort marketing its new phones as powerful photography...Technologyread more
Some U.S. manufacturers say tariffs, if targeted, will help address longstanding unfair trade practices like intellectual property theft.Traderead more
The trucking industry is worth hundreds of billions of dollars per year. Uber is going after this market with Uber Freight, an online platform that matches truckers with...Technologyread more
Supporters of a $15 minimum wage ballot initiative in Florida argue the state's inflation-tied pay hikes have not gone far enough.2020 Electionsread more
Saudi Arabia shut down half its oil production Saturday after drone strikes hit the world's largest oil processing facility in an attack claimed by Yemen's Houthi rebels.Politicsread more
Trusii's hydrogen water machines were supposed to help users with their health problems, but customers claim the company is involved in a giant scam.Technologyread more
The decoupling of the world's two weightiest economies seems as inescapable as its extent and global impact remains incalculable.Politicsread more
BlackBerry has reinvented itself to become a leader in securing mobile communications and in embedded communications. Next year it plans to roll out new products. CEO John...Evolveread more
President Donald Trump's administration may be considering easing penalties on Chinese phone maker ZTE amid broader trade negotiations, but White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow insisted Monday the company won't get off "scot-free."
"They broke the law on several occasions after being warned," Kudlow said on CNBC's "Squawk on the Street."
Kudlow said the "remedy" for ZTE's behavior could include "significant fines, very severe compliance measures, a new board of directors, a new management team."
"Nobody should assume that there's going to be a penalty-free change here, believe me," Kudlow said. "They're not going to get off scot-free."
The U.S. Commerce Department last month banned American companies from selling to ZTE for seven years after ZTE was caught illegally shipping U.S. goods to Iran and North Korea in violation of U.S. sanctions. But in a stunning reversal, Trump this month announced that the decision had cost "too many jobs in China," and he pledged to get the firm back in business.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that he and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross were asked by Trump "look into it," but that Trump didn't dictate any terms. Mnuchin added that the enforcement of the ban wasn't meant to put the company out of business, and that any changes being considered would support U.S. national security.
"Not a surprise President Xi asked President Trump to look into ZTE," Mnuchin told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping. "It's no different than when President Trump calls up world leaders on behalf of American companies all the time."
In contrast to his advisers, Trump has acknowledged a link between the ZTE dispute and trade talks, most recently by backpedaling sanctions against ZTE.
China reportedly would not continue trade talks unless Washington agreed to ease sanctions on ZTE.
Top White House officials, including Kudlow, continue to insist ZTE is a separate issue. Mnuchin said on Monday that the story had been "misreported."
"As we are all saying — Secretary Ross...Secretary Mnuchin, myself and others — this is primarily an enforcement issue," Kudlow said.
"Even though President Trump wants to help President Xi, in the middle of trade talks, and just as importantly if not more so, in the middle of the Korean Peninsula talks...we can't drop our rule of law," Kudlow added.
ZTE did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.


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Eblex has dismissed an “inaccurate” attack on its proposed halal assurance scheme.
Newly formed organisation the Islamic Council for Halal Affairs (ICHA) released a statement before a meeting at the weekend (Saturday, 30 November), claiming Eblex had conducted a survey on halal “without consulting Muslim consumers and scholars” and introduced “confusing halal logos to set quality standards for the halal industry”.
“While the Muslim community welcomes any attempt to improve the quality standards within the halal industry, the Council is very concerned about the confusing message posed by these logos. Eblex is attempting to classify something that is not halal as halal to serve the commercial purpose of certain meat producers and retailers. This is playing with the faith of the two million Muslims living in the UK and the Council will not let this happen,” said the statement.
However, an Eblex spokeswoman said the ICHA statement was inaccurate, as Eblex was still in consultation over the proposed halal assurance scheme and had not introduced anything yet.
She also pointed to a poll conducted by Eblex, which revealed that 95% of the halal sector’s suppliers wanted an assurance scheme.
The ICHA claims to be a platform for Muslim scholars and community representatives who have “come together to protect, promote and to help Muslims adopt halal in every aspect of their lives.” Although it appears to have no official jurisdiction, the Council said it had “taken upon itself” to represent Muslims about what constitutes halal.


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The blogosphere is a buzz with exciting news that acclaimed Italian chef Massimo Bottura is opening a restaurant in Istanbul.
The chef's new venture will be called Ristorante Italia di Massimo Bottura and will be located inside the Eataly complex at Istanbul's Zorlu Center, a luxury shopping mall in the affluent Besiktas area of the city, on its European shore, Caterer and Hotelkeeper reports.
A spokesperson for Bottura confirmed that the restaurant would not be modelled on the concepts of either of the chef's existing two Modena restaurants, but that it would be "a very smart" new dining concept aimed at the sophisticated clientele in the area, according to Caterer and Hotelkeeper.
Now a three-Michelin-star restaurant, Noma has changed, but not necessarily on the plate. According to Kenneth Foong, it's all about the way the team works, which is closer to a tech company than a traditional restaurant. Read our exclusive interview with Noma's head chef.
A four-day restaurant week, a day dedicated to staff learning, and cooking demonstrations for the public are just a few of the new ways of working in Dan Barber's new vision for his NY restaurant and farm. Find out more.


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NVidia is famous for talking up the potential of PC gaming, but considering that the company’s profits are almost entirely dependent on the success of that genre, many have taken it with a grain of salt. For years they have claimed PC gaming is on the rise, but now they can actually put a date to it. According to analysts commissioned by the graphics chip maker, PC gaming revenue will overtake consoles by 2014 . They also presented a slide which shows the progression of GPU hardware overtime compared to consoles, and it paints a pretty clear picture. While the PS3 & Xbox 360 may have given a high end GPU a run for their money back in 2005, in 2011 PC hardware is potentially 10x faster than current generation consoles.
The exact science behind NVidia claims wasn’t entirely transparent, especially when you consider that Valve, one of the largest online PC retailers doesn’t share its sales data with the public. Despite our reservations we willing to give Nvidia and their market research firm the benefit of the doubt, and let you decide for yourself if you agree with the assessment.
Do you believe PC gaming is poised to go mainstream? Or will it forever remain a niche?


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New York-listed gaming supplier Inspired Entertainment has launched its Virtual Basketball game across OPAP’s retail estate in Greece.
V-Play Basketball, which includes Euro League and Greek [...]
London-listed gaming supplier Playtech has signed a deal to provide its casino and live casino games to Greek operator Novibet.
The multi-market deal sees Novibet initially [...]
Athens-listed lottery and gaming operator OPAP has reported a 36 per cent fall in net gaming revenue to €335.2m for the first half of 2020, [...]
Stockholm-listed B2B fantasy sports provider Scout Gaming has expanded its existing partnership with Kaizen Gaming, operator of the Stoiximan and Betano brands.
Kaizen previously launched Scout [...]
European lottery and gaming operator SAZKA Group has reported an 11 per cent fall in consolidated gross gaming revenue to €405m for the first quarter [...]
Athens-listed lottery and gaming operator OPAP has reported a 17 per cent fall in gross gaming revenue to €328.3m for the first quarter of 2020, [...]
Athens-listed gaming operator OPAP will resume its video lottery terminal (VLT) business later today across the company’s retail network in Greece.
With the Greek government gradually [...]
London-listed gaming supplier Playtech has launched a new live blackjack game with a cash out option in partnership with GML Interactive, operator of the Greek-facing [...]
Casino games supplier Skywind Group has agreed a new deal to launch its slot games and player engagement tools with Greek operator Novibet.
The partnership sees [...]
OPAP chief commercial officer Jan Karas will take over as acting chief executive of the Greek lottery operator from 1 June following the departure of [...]
Greek gaming operator OPAP is re-opening its network of retail venues as the country eases its lockdown restrictions.
With its retail venues closed since 14 March [...]
European lottery and gaming operator SAZKA Group has received regulatory approval to acquire a majority stake in Stoiximan Group’s Greek and Cypriot businesses (SMGC).
The acquisition [...]


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Investors call on Hannaford to address persistent labor abuses by joining “Milk with Dignity”
Posted Sun, 06/20/2021 - 11:23am
A group of 71 investment firms, pension funds, and other shareholders have published a letter addressed to Hannaford Supermarkets urging the company to clean up its dairy brand.
The signatories, representing over $121 billion in assets under management, call on the Maine-based grocery chain to “address material reputational and compliance risks related to the human rights of workers in their dairy supply chain.”
The letter goes on to offer a solution, inviting Hannaford to join Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream as a participant in the Milk with Dignity (MD) program. “MD stands apart from any other compliance program, supplier code of conduct, or company run audit by directly engaging workers in the business of protecting their own rights and wellbeing.”
A subsidiary of Dutch grocery conglomerate Ahold-Delhaize, Hannaford Supermarkets is headquartered in Scarborough, ME and has nearly 200 store locations in New England and New York. The company sells milk and other dairy products under its owned brand label.
Excerpts from the letter – along with Father's Day messages from farmworker dads to Hannaford – were published in a full-page ad in today's Maine Sunday Telegram, Hannaford's hometown newspaper and the state's largest.
Migrant Justice created Milk with Dignity as a worker-driven program to improve labor and housing conditions and ensure human rights protections for farmworkers in the notoriously exploitative dairy industry. Studies in Vermont and New York have shown the prevalence of sub-minimum wages, long hours with inadequate breaks, high incidences of injury with few protections, and substandard housing for a primarily immigrant workforce.
In 2017, Ben & Jerry’s became the first company to join the program and is currently enrolled in the program for 100% of its northeast dairy supply chain. In 2019, Migrant Justice invited Hannaford to join Milk with Dignity as well.
“So many in my community are suffering from unjust wages and undignified housing. They are working without a day off, never mind paid vacations,” said Uriel Calvo, dairy worker and Migrant Justice leader. “I want Hannaford to know that the cows don’t milk themselves, and I hope that one day they can hold their heads high knowing that they have acted on their values and brought a new day to the dairy industry. All they need to do is join the Milk with Dignity program.”
Farmworkers in Migrant Justice have found multiple avenues to urge the supermarket chain to join the program, finding widespread support among Hannaford customers. Thousands have written emails to the company President Mike Vail, hundreds have called the company, and supporters have held dozens of rallies outside stores around the region (including, most recently, the delivery of 1,200 signed postcards from customers calling for Milk with Dignity).
The shareholders who penned the recent letter to Hannaford are the latest to lend their support to the effort pushing Hannaford to join the Milk with Dignity program. The campaign had already received support from national faith organizations, food and agriculture groups, and international human rights organizations.
The 71 investors have now added their names to the list of Milk with Dignity supporters, concluding in their letter: “We urge the Company to join leaders like Ben & Jerry’s ... in supporting worker driven solutions by becoming a member of [Milk with Dignity].
Hannaford has not responded directly to Migrant Justice or its supporters. However, company spokesperson Erick Dodge responded to a press inquiry, stating “We expect all our suppliers to follow the law and treat workers fairly. We require our suppliers to comply with standards of engagement — similar to a code of conduct — including provisions for: how they treat and compensate workers; maximum allowable working hours and days; premium pay for overtime; and workplace health and safety.”
The stated expectation would appear to line up with parent company Ahold-Delhaize’s 2020 Inaugural Human Rights Report pledge: “If we find ... serious violations of occupational health and safety regulations, we will suspend our relationship with that supplier.”
Despite these claims, workers on farms supplying Hannaford-brand milk continue to experience human rights violations, including deplorable housing conditions, sub-minimum wages, and retaliatory firings. No evidence exists of Hannaford cutting ties with any dairy farm suppliers, and farmworkers and their supporters continue to push the company to back up its rhetoric with a firm commitment.
In a statement released by the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility announcing the letter’s publication, Nadira Narine concludes: “Ahold Delhaize has based its human rights policies on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights which clearly set out the company’s responsibility to respect the rights of workers in its supply chain. By joining the Milk with Dignity program Hannaford can put concrete action behind its policy.”


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HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) — Dr. Seuss was front and center in thousands of classrooms across the country this week, including some in Hampton … More »
RALEIGH, N.C. (WAVY) — As of this week, qualified military veterans in North Carolina can obtain a driver license with a veteran label.
The … More »
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – A Norfolk business owner contacted 10 On Your Side after he said he almost fell for a phone scam.
Thomas … More »
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - The sleet and snowy weather made for difficult conditions in Hampton Roads Monday afternoon.
“I think the problem is … More »
HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) – Students and teachers know that a day off because of weather now means sacrificing their time and placing a … More »
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Dabney Morgan Garden Tips from Saturday, March, 1.… More »
NEW YORK (AP) — Lane Home Furniture urged people to check if they own a cedar chest it stopped making nearly 30 years ago, … More »
DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government’s auto safety watchdog is investigating whether General Motors acted quickly enough to recall 1.6 million older-model small cars
… More »
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – Serena Harris is pastor at a Norfolk Church and operated the Holy Temple Feeding Program, which provides free meals for … More »
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – A Hampton Roads mother called 10 On Your Side after she discovered sexual predators were trying to have conversations of … More »
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Delaware company has recalled 16 varieties of cheese after some of the cheeses were linked to a death in California … More »
HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (WAVY) – AARP is warning consumers about early tax season scams.
Some of the biggest early tax season scams include mail … More »


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Lawsuit Says Kroger Bread Contains Carcinogen
Supermarket chain Kroger is allegedly selling wheat bread containing high levels of urethane without a required warning on the packaging, according to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The lawsuit, filed by Custodio & Dubey LLP, says urethane is a carcinogen and California Proposition 65 requires manufacturers and other businesses to post warning signs on products that contain specific chemicals that are known to cause cancer or birth defects.
According to the EPA, some 200 studies have shown urethane to cause cancer in animals.
The lawsuit also says Kroger brand wheat bread lists azodicarbonamide as one of its ingredients.
Earlier this year, Subway removed azodicarbonamide from its bread, CNN reports. Although the chemical is approved by the FDA, one of its breakdown products is urethane. Azodicarbonamide is banned for use in food products in the European Union.
The lawsuit asks the court to require Kroger to either remove azodicarbonamide from its wheat bread to lower the urethane content, or to provide a Proposition 65 warning on the bread packaging.
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The recent report shared by TikTok revealed fresh figures on how well the platform encourages consumers to discover brands and make purchases via the platform. Let’s take a closer look at the insights to understand what TikTok is offering to merchants in 2022.
As TikTok says in the report, the platform lets brands meet users in an infinite loop rather than in sales funnels, which is a more efficient way to establish meaningful relationships and build larger communities of brand-loyal users. Besides, the platform claims that the TikTok approach to marketing can generate larger spending and encourage more repeat purchases.
Some of the key insights from the report state that:
49% of users consider the TikTok app a convenient place to discover something new;
1 of 4 users (25%) tag brands in their posts;
44% of users discover new products from TikToks posted by brands.
TikTok indicates that the platform creates an “infinite sales loop” that repetitively guides users through 4 stages, such as:
As a result, TikTok becomes an essential part of the user purchase journey and encourages 37% of users to make purchases instantly after discovering a new product. Besides, brands can leverage an opportunity to generate around 14% more sales by integrating TikTok into their campaigns.
While an opportunity for brands to drive more sales via TikTok is already inspiring, there’s even more power to seize. Many users make content with products they purchase and attract even more users into the sales loop. What is your personal opinion about TikTok advertising? Does it affect your purchasing behavior in any way? Let’s discuss it in the comments and don’t forget to share these insights on social media.


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Owens-Illinois, Inc. (OI) Insider Sells $136,541.61 in Stock
Owens-Illinois, Inc. (NYSE:OI) insider Sergio B.O. Galindo sold 5,477 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.93, for a total transaction of $136,541.61. Following the sale, the insider now owns 34,890 shares in the company, valued at $869,807.70. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.
Shares of Owens-Illinois, Inc. (OI) opened at 24.09 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.46 and a beta of 1.51. Owens-Illinois, Inc. has a one year low of $16.80 and a one year high of $25.04. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $24.11 and a 200-day moving average of $22.31.
Owens-Illinois (NYSE:OI) last issued its earnings results on Monday, July 31st. The industrial products company reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $0.67 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $1.75 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.77 billion. Owens-Illinois had a net margin of 3.36% and a return on equity of 72.15%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.65 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Owens-Illinois, Inc. will post $2.62 earnings per share for the current year.
Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “hold” rating and set a $25.00 price objective on shares of Owens-Illinois in a research report on Wednesday. BidaskClub downgraded shares of Owens-Illinois from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 12th. UBS AG assumed coverage on shares of Owens-Illinois in a report on Tuesday. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $26.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Group LLC reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $27.00 price target (up from $26.00) on shares of Owens-Illinois in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Finally, Barclays PLC lifted their price target on shares of Owens-Illinois from $22.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 7th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. The stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $25.50.
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of OI. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in shares of Owens-Illinois by 16,329.5% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 14,655,477 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $298,679,000 after buying an additional 14,566,275 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Owens-Illinois by 7.5% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 16,401,514 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $334,263,000 after buying an additional 1,139,389 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its position in shares of Owens-Illinois by 918.1% in the first quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,053,180 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $21,464,000 after buying an additional 949,734 shares during the last quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of Owens-Illinois by 33.6% in the first quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 3,776,681 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $76,969,000 after buying an additional 949,286 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Thrivent Financial For Lutherans raised its position in shares of Owens-Illinois by 30.7% in the second quarter. Thrivent Financial For Lutherans now owns 2,929,740 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $70,080,000 after buying an additional 688,720 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 95.05% of the company’s stock.
Owens-Illinois, Inc is a manufacturer of glass container products. The Company’s principal product lines are glass containers for the food and beverage industries. The Company’s segments include Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific. The Company produces glass containers for alcoholic beverages, including beer, flavored malt beverages, spirits and wine.
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WASHINGTON - U.S. employers added a robust 678,000 jobs in February, another gain that underscored the economy’s solid health as the omicron wave fades and more Americans venture out to spend at restaurants, shops and hotels despite surging inflation.
The Labor Department’s report Friday also showed that the unemployment rate dropped from 4% to 3.8%, extending a sharp drop in joblessness as the economy has rebounded from the pandemic recession.
The latest jobs data follows recent reports that have shown an economy maintaining strength as new COVID infections have plummeted since late January. Consumer spending has risen, spurred by higher wages and savings. Restaurant traffic has regained pre-pandemic levels, hotel reservations are up and far more Americans are flying than at the height of omicron.
Average hourly pay barely rose last month but has increased 5.1% in the past year, a sign that companies feel compelled to raise wages to attract and keep workers. Many employers, in turn, have been raising prices to offset their higher labor costs, a process that has fueled inflation.
Consumer inflation has reached its highest level since 1982, squeezing America’s households and businesses, with price spikes especially high for such necessities as food, gasoline and rent. In response, the Federal Reserve is set to raise interest rates several times this year beginning later this month. Those increases will eventually mean higher borrowing rates for consumers and businesses, including for homes, autos and credit cards.
FILE - A "we're hiring" sign is displayed at Starbucks in Beverly Hills on February 04, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
Chair Jerome Powell said this week that he plans to propose that the Fed raise its benchmark short-term rate by a quarter-point when it meets in about two weeks. Powell has acknowledged that high inflation has proved more persistent and has spread more broadly than he and many economists had expected.
The Fed chair cautioned that if inflation failed to ease later this year as he expects, he would consider carrying out half-point increases at future central bank meetings. Larger hikes would raise the risk of weakening the economy or even tipping it into recession.
Powell also warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will lead to higher prices for gas as well as for such other commodities as aluminum, wheat and corn, thereby keeping inflation higher than it would otherwise have been. Oil prices, which have been soaring since war began more than a week ago, are critically important to the global economy.
For now, though, despite high inflation, the rapid fading of the omicron variant is likely to accelerate the U.S. economy and job growth. A survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that Americans are now much less worried about COVID than they were in December and January. Mask mandates and other restrictions are ending. More companies are returning to pre-pandemic operations, including working in offices.
Data from the restaurant reservation software provider OpenTable showed that seated diners surpassed pre-pandemic levels late last month. And figures from the Transportation Security Administration reflected a sharp increase in the number of people willing to take airplane flights.
During the omicron wave, businesses barely wavered in their demand for workers. Job openings at the end of December reached near-record levels, with an average of 1.7 available positions for every unemployed person. Historically, there are usually more people out of work than there are jobs.
With many companies desperate for employees, layoffs have plunged. The number of people receiving unemployment aid fell two weeks ago to its lowest level since 1970.
Americans’ concerns about inflation have eroded their optimism about the economy. The Conference Board’s measure of consumer confidence slipped in February for a second straight month.
Still, other surveys show that Americans are increasingly satisfied with their own financial situations. And people clearly see that many jobs are available, the Conference Board’s survey shows.


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Companies will rely on data science-driven approaches to getting insights in real-time, at scale across the business, and will quickly push out that …
Topic: Sales, marketing
How the real-time marketing industry uses analytics, such as for sales, product refinement and messaging, and ad targeting.
Mobile AI apps give businesses the ability to analyze data, allowing them to provide more engaging and personalized user
Information collected by ad-sellers covered by General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), government says.
SaaS startup service also attracts world's top brands. Ultra-focused or creepy?
Evolving into talking personalized assistants, chatbots are revolutionizing customer care and marketing. And they're just warming
Customers are looking for richer interactions with companies they engage. Forward-looking sellers are moving beyond personalization to one-to-one experiences.
ShopIQ uses machine learning to make customer and store data more easily usable to e-tailers.
Deep data, analytics and machine learning let companies tailor individual customer experiences in real time.
The RTLS market has grown quickly in 2018, but let's take a close look at where growth will come from this year, and what needs to
A new survey of customer analytics spending shows big growth in the space over the past year will likely


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Set to hit the Nintendo Switch in June, Super Mario Maker 2 packs tons of new features not found in the previous versions. For example, players are now able to add slopes that look similar to the ones in Super Mario World as well as new gameplay elements from the Wii U game Super Mario 3D World, from transparent warp pipes to the Cat Suit and even enemies such as the Ant Trooper. Read more for a deep dive into all the new features that we know about so far.
“Slightly less obvious are much-needed Super Mario Maker updates like vertically-scrolling levels, coin-collecting level objectives, and custom scrolling — seen at the :50 mark in the announcement trailer, a feature that makes proper airship levels possible. Unfortunately, the trailer also confirms the addition of Super Mario Bros. 3’s Angry Sun, the stuff of nightmares. Other new features, like the ability to add parachutes to enemies and power ups, are showcased in the trailer and highlighted in the game’s promotional artwork,” according to Polygon.


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Epic Games recently added the v16.30 update in Season 6, which brought Batman closer to Fortnite Island. Following this, the developers offered the Batman Zero outfit to some of their most popular content creators, and fans got to see the Caped Crusader for the first time.
The Fortnite Batman Zero Point comic book series was also revealed last week, on April 20th, 2021. The storyline for the comic books will have direct implications in the current and upcoming seasons of Fortnite. However, it is still unknown whether Batman will come to the island in Season 6 or 7.
According to all the leaks from data miners, Batman will bring more DC superheroes to the island. Speculations suggest that Robin and Wonder Woman will join Gotham’s savior, while Joker will somehow appear during the last two issues in the comic books.
Keeping all the official information and leaks in mind, this article discusses Batman’s arrival in-game. At the same time, the focus will be on the narrative changes coming to the game with the Caped Crusader.
Fortnite Batman Zero Point: Batman Zero Outfit and Glider, bundle, Batshack POI, weapons, and more
Fortnite Season 6 recently had the v16.30 update that brought Neymar to the island, along with many in-game files related to Batman.
The first issue of the Fortnite Batman Zero Point Comics introduced a new location in Season 6. Shortly after, a new POI was added to the game with the v16.30 update.
Known as the Batshack, this POI can be located south of the Slurry Swamp. Recent leaks have also revealed the Batshack will feature again in the second issue, which rolls out on May 5th, 2021.
Popular data miners revealed earlier that the Fortnite Batman Zero Point comic book series would feature locations and characters to be added to the game. The Batshack is the first DC-themed POI coming in Season 6. Hence, fans can expect that more such POIs will be coming to the game in the coming weeks.
Similarly, fans can expect to see a Batman Bundle, with a set of unique cosmetics coming soon in Fortnite. Data miner ShiinaBR recently revealed that the Batman cosmetics would feature a Batarang, a Glider, a loading screen, and the Batman Zero Outfit.
Speaking of the Batman Zero Outfit, Epic Games recently gifted the skin to some of their most popular streamers and content creators. Alastair “Ali-A” Aiken revealed even the Batman Zero skin in his recent YouTube video.
However, it was clarified that this skin differs from the “Armored Batman Outfit.” Gamers can get a hold of the Armored Batman Skin by purchasing all six issues of the comic book series.
All the leaks and the official information point to the fact that Fortnite is heading towards a significant collaboration. The question that remains is if the Batshack is already here on the Fortnite map, then can Batman be far away?


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Audi will reveal a full hybrid based on the A8 at the Geneva auto show in March, board chairman Rupert Stadler said on Monday at the Detroit auto show.
The car is part of Audi's strategy to bypass mild hybrids en route to full electric vehicles.
“These share more synergies with future electric drivetrains,” Stadler said.
The 2011 A8 broke cover last year and goes on sale in the fall. A hybrid based on the Q5 crossover is also planned for later this year. The A8 was a spotlight display for the company at the Detroit show.
Audi says it's planning eight model launches this year, and is aiming to increase sales to 1 million worldwide in 2010. That would be an increase from 2009's tally, which approached 950,000 units. Stadler said even though sales fell last year, it gained market share as its competitors faltered even more.
“We exceeded our own expectations in 2009,” Stadler said.
The electric A8 news came as Audi revealed another version of its electric supercar, the E-tron, on Monday at the Detroit show. The latest version of the concept reduces weight by 551 pounds from its predecessor.


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This is the Morning Shift, our one-stop daily roundup of all the auto news that's actually important — all in one place at 9:00 AM. Or, you could spend all day waiting for other sites to parcel it out to you one story at a time. Isn't your time more important?
1st Gear: Does GM Really Need Opel?
Reuters takes a look at the mess at Opel, and says GM seems to be one step away from giving up on the brand. The company's zig-zagging strategy is wearing out investors and confusing consumers, according to European auto industry analysts. It seems like a long time ago now that German chancellor Angela Merkel brokered a deal that would have put control in the hands of Magna, only to have GM change its mind. Whatever GM comes up with now for a turnaround plan will be the last attempted by CEO Dan Akerson. If it doesn't work, "they will just wind it down if they can't fix it," said Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, a professor at the Centre Automotive Research (CAR) in Duisburg, Germany.
Dark clouds just don't seem to be clearing over Opel. The Wall Street Journal reported last night that GM now expects deep losses to continue in Europe, despite earlier hopes of a second-half improvement. In all, GM has lost $16.4 billion in Europe since 1999. Germany's Handelsblatt has a great tidbit this morning, saying Akerson personally fired Opel CEO Karl-Friedrich Stracke at Opel headquarters in Russelsheim, Germany last Thursday, after Stracke delivered the bad profits news. (We can only imagine what kind of "special assignments" Akerson is sending Stracke on.) An interim CEO is supposed to be named today.
Opel is a proud company, and I learned so much from its executives, managers and engineers over the years. I never would have driven at 250 kph on the Autobahn, for one thing. It It has to be hard for people inside the company to give up on the European division, which essentially saved GM when it came close to bankruptcy in the early 1990s. But with GM struggling to gain share in the U.S., and with China no longer a place where car companies can skate, the company has to make some difficult choices. Fixing Opel is a multi-year, most likely multi-billion-dollar proposition, and that money, I'm sure some people are arguing, can be spent on other things.
2nd Gear: Think Of What We Don't Need When We Don't Use Gas
The Atlantic Cities has a thought-provoking story that asks, "What will America look like when we're no longer using gas stations?" There are nearly 117,000 filling stations around the country, or one for every 2,500 people, although as Atlantic Cities points out, there's never that many when you are trying to find one. If the country really gets serious about electric and natural gas powered vehicles, that will be a lot of real estate to reuse. And, in some parts of the country, gas stations cover the map like chicken pox on a six year old.
Atlantic Cities raises one intriguing idea: will people really want to charge their vehicles at home in the garage? What if vehicle charging could be made into a communal activity, which would still allow for people to run in and get coffee, beef jerky and Doritos? And there might even be a theme-park opportunity for someone who wants to grow and produce bio-diesel for the kids to see. Be sure to check out all the whimsical sketches. The ideas might be a little tongue in cheek, but the future of an America less dependent on pulling into gas stations is something to ponder.
3rd Gear: Nissan Versa Singing The Same Note
Bloomberg reports on the new version of the Nissan Note, which will be the inspiration for the next Nissan Versa that's sold in the United States. The Note, which will go on sale in Japan in September and Europe in 2013, and Versa are based on the company's global V-platform, but the Versa will embrace features tailored to its markets in North and South America. Meanwhile, Nissan says the 2013 Versa will get 40 mpg.
The new Note, which was unveiled in Yokohama, includes Nissan's advanced Around View Monitor (AVM), the first time it has been offered on a compact car, which Nissan says is meant to "take the stress out of reversing and parallel parking in tight spaces." Note's exterior features a striking character line, known as the 'Squash Line', and an aerodynamic body shape.
4th Gear: What Ralph Lauren Has In Common With Japanese Car Companies
I took a look for Forbes at the uproar over the U.S. Olympic team uniforms that Ralph Lauren is producing at a Chinese factory. It's not hard to hear overtones of the auto industry in the demands that the team's duds be made in the U.S.A. The reason we have so many foreign car plants here now is that back in 1982, the Reagan administration demanded that Japanese car companies agree to voluntary import limits. If they wanted to sell more cars here, they had to build them here. The thinking at the time was that their factories would wind up being organized by the UAW, and Japanese automakers would face the same restrictions that Detroit car companies.
We know how that turned out, and it also seems like a bad idea for members of Congress to be dictating where suppliers of Olympic goods should make their products. Because it's not just opening ceremony uniforms. It's the apparel worn by gymnasts and runners and equestrians, plus sneakers and javelins and everything that goes into everyone's gym bags. Sure, you can say that all should be made in the U.S., but what if the boots you feel most comfortable in, and which will help you win a gold medal, are hand sewn in England? What if you prefer the Nike t-shirt because it wicks moisture, and it's only produced at one Chinese plant? Ralph Lauren actually caved in and agreed to make the 2014 uniforms in the U.S., so that will be a moot point next time. But, there's much more at stake here than berets and blazers.
5th Gear: A Woman Is Only A Woman, But A Chevrolet Is A Shoe
Okay, it's summer, and that's when car companies send out those frothy press releases we know even they are laughing about in the office. Eight years after Sex and the City went off the air, Chevrolet is pairing each of its cars with shoe styles. (Pairing. Get it?) Chevy asked Italian writer and shoe design analyst (yes, that's her title) Andrea Silvuni to describe which shoes its cars resemble. For Corvette, it's stilettos, of course. It's platforms or wedges for the Cruze, ballet slippers or pumps (which happen to be two completely different kinds of shoes) for the Sonic, and flip-flops for the Spark. The poor Equinox is stuck with sneakers. Coming for summer 2013: the discovery that women like pink.
6th Gear: The EU Won't Bail Out The 'Ring
The Save The Nürburgring campaign continues, but things aren't looking good. Rhein-Zeitung (German) is reporting that the EU won't bail out the track, which is heavily in debt. The track will have to be partially or fully sold to cover the huge private investment that was made in the private Nürburgring company and then promptly squandered on a roller coaster that was too dangerous to run and a shopping mall that's almost always empty. If you have plans at the 'Ring this season, have no fear as they say things will continue as normal. After that? It's anyone's guess. Stay tuned to Save The Ring's Facebook page for more info.
Suzuki Death Watch 1 (The Prologue) [The Truth About Cars]
Toyota Makes U.S. Executive Changes [Toyota]
Volkswagen Up! Spotted In India [Team-BHP]
Bomb Threat Closes The Ambassador Bridge [CBC Windsor]
Ford To Cut 440 Jobs In Australia [Reuters]
GM Brazil Workers In A 24-Hour Strike [MarketWatch]
Best And Worst Batmobiles [Vanity Fair]
In keeping with our new discussion system, here's a place for you to own the floor. We're asking each day what you think about an issue that comes up in TMS.
Today, we'd like to know whether GM should keep or ditch Opel. It had a chance to sell it in 2009 and pulled back at the last minute. Is Opel still valuable to GM? Or, given all the headaches, would it be better off finding a buyer again? Remember there's no right answer or wrong answer. It's Neutral.
Got tips for our editors? Want to anonymously dish some dirt on a competitor? Know something about a secret car? Email us at firstname.lastname@example.org.


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Americans love sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks - and apparently, so do car thieves.
High-end light trucks joined Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys as the most common vehicles disappearing from owners' clutches last year.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau's latest list Monday showed that Accords and Camrys remained thieves' most popular targets, followed by the Chevrolet C/K pickup truck, Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee sport utility vehicles, Honda Civic, Oldsmobile Cutlass, Ford F-series pickup, Ford Mustang, Dodge Caravan and Toyota Corolla models.
The Chevrolet C/K jumped four spots on the list to third, Cherokee/Grand Cherokees five places to fourth, and Ford F-series pickups three notches to seventh. The rankings mirror the shifts in taste on America's highways.
"Vehicle thieves follow market trends and target the most popular vehicles because they provide the best market for stolen vehicle parts," the bureau's Ed Sparkman said in a statement.
Analyst Wes Brown of the Nextrend market research firm agreed but pointed to something perhaps simpler: vanity among both motorists and those stealing from them.
"When you look at SUVs and some pickup models, we're a society much more concerned about self-image. How you look in a vehicle is much more important in our daily lives," he said. "There's a general vainness in society, so theoretically why would criminals be any less likely to have it?"
The list is based on more than 400,000 stolen vehicle reports submitted to the nonprofit bureau by its member insurance companies nationwide. The figure represents roughly one-third of all vehicles reported stolen last year.
Alice Brooks of the Alice Brooks Insurance Agency in Amarillo has said that in the Panhandle, any vehicle that is equipped with four-wheel drive is a good target for thieves. Even though the pickup is still king in Texas, the popularity of sport-utility vehicles is increasing.
"It'll get really bad right about now because of the coming winter," she has said. "But we don't have too big of a problem with (car) theft in the Panhandle because it's so hard (for thieves) to get (stolen vehicles) to where it's going, most likely Mexico. Amarillo is in the middle of vast expanses of open space.
"The nearer the border, the higher the theft rate," Brooks had said.
Even so, the FBI reported Sunday that the estimated 1.2 million vehicles reported stolen nationwide last year were 8 percent less than the previous year - and the lowest number since 1986.
The estimated total value of vehicles stolen nationwide in 1998 was nearly $7.5 billion, the FBI said.
The NICB, based in Palos Hills, Ill., is supported by more than 1,000 insurance companies.
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March 8, 2017
Regency Centers Corp. launched construction on a new Washington DC retail center. The 180,000-square-foot Field at Commonwealth, at U.S. 28 and Westfields Boulevard in Chantilly, VA, will be anchored by a 120,000-square-foot Wegmans Food Market. The development cost is $44.5 million. Completion is anticipated in 2018.
The Field at Commonwealth plans to take advantage of the surrounding Class A office market, as well as affluent neighborhoods. “The importance of bringing the dominant gourmet grocer in the Washington, D.C. market to the project cannot be overstated,” said Regency Centers’ Devin Corini. “The unrivaled product offering and shopping experience that Wegmans is known for will serve the surrounding community well.”
For comments, questions or concerns, please contact Amy Sorter


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The Google Pixel 5 will arrive this fall, alongside the Pixel 4a (5G). While the company is yet to confirm features, display insider and founder of Display Supply Chain Consultants Ross Young has revealed some information. The cited source says that the next Google Pixel phone will have a 6.67-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. He also noted that this will be a 5G phone from the company. Also Read - Google, Facebook make vaccination mandatory for employees returning to office
The display will be supplied by Samsung Display and BOE. This could be the upcoming Google Pixel 5 phone. The Google Pixel 4 was launched with a 5.7-inch full-HD+ OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. So, the company could now offer the Google Pixel 5 with a bigger display with a 120Hz refresh rate, which is a trend these days. It is being rumored that the search giant has no plans to launch Pixel 5 XL this year. Hence, this could likely be Pixel 5 (5G) with a big display. Also Read - Fake Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) Lite APK links going viral on the internet: How to spot them
Watch: How to delete your Google account?
In case you are wondering, no this couldn’t be Google Pixel 4a (5G) as the company’s Pixel A series is a budget line up. The standard Google Pixel 4a, which was recently launched, doesn’t even come with a 90Hz screen. It features a 5.81-inch full-HD+ OLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. Google recently teased the image of the new Pixel phones, and the bigger one is said to be Pixel 5. The teaser hints that there will be a dual-camera setup at the back of the phone. Also Read - Google's offline dinosaur game in new Olympics avatar: Here's how to can play
The successor to the Google Pixel 4 is rumored to pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G chipset. The chip is also powering the recently launched OnePlus Nord. The Pixel 5 is likely to feature a modern punch-hole display, similar to the Pixel 4a. It is expected to arrive with more premium features, IP water rating, and wireless charging support. It is said to come with a reverse Battery Share feature, which was introduced during the Android 11 Developer Preview. While Google is yet to reveal the price of Pixel 5, it is being rumored that it won’t be too far from the $499 price segment.


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Flipboard for Android Arrives, Adds YouTube, Google+ Integration
The free app aggregates stories from your favorite Web sites and social networks and presents all the information in a sleek magazine format.
Flipboard made its debut on the iPad in 2010, and an iPhone app followed just a few months later. Flipboard released a beta version of the app to select Android users in May, and also preloaded a version on the Samsung Galaxy S III; now it’s available to everyone.
In addition to the Android app, Flipboard announced that it is integrating Google+ and YouTube into the service. Users will now be able to sync up their Google+ account to Flipboard, where they can update their status, view and comment on stories in the activity stream, “+1” posts, and more.
You’ll also be able to watch YouTube videos, subscribe to channels and share and comment on clips, all from within the app.
The company also revealed today that it is releasing localized editions of Flipboard to Germany, Korea, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands.


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SHELBYVILLE — As COVID-19 remains a concern, many people are opting to do their shopping online rather than in a store.
The Better Business Bureau says scammers know this, and that’s why they’re seeing an uptick in complaints about scammers posing as Amazon customer service.
Teola Hornaday of Shelbyville was hanging with her mother Katrina, 74, when her mom’s phone rang.
It was Amazon, telling Katrina her account had been used to purchase $100 in iPhones.
"I told her get off the phone, get off the phone,” said Hornaday. “She got off the phone, and I said ‘give me the phone number.’"
Hornaday was skeptical.
First of all, iPhones cost a lot more than $100.
“I called them back, and I acted very distraught and said somebody has called me and said the thing about the $100 phone, and they said yes I did call you,” said Hornaday. “I said ‘no you didn't, you called my mother, and this is a scam.' And they said yes, it is a scam.”
Thankfully, Hornaday and her mother did not lose any money.
“I happened to be there that day,” said Hornaday.
Hornaday said she also got a similar phone call — a computerized robocall claiming to be from Amazon.
“It's very easy to be scammed,” said Hornaday.
The Better Business Bureau says they’re seeing an uptick in online shopping scams, especially where the scammer poses as Amazon.
It could be a phone call, text, social media message or email that looks like it came from Amazon.
“What they're trying to do is get information from you about the account, maybe get your credit card number,” said Tim Maniscalo, president of the Better Business Bureau Serving Central Indiana. “It's their way of trying to make you think-something is wrong with your Amazon account and you want to get it fixed."
WRTV Investigates reached out to Amazon who told us if there’s a problem with your account, you’ll receive an email notification.
However, there will not be a direct, and instead you need to go log into your account from a new browser.
“If our automated systems detect a possible security issue the account will be flagged and an automatic email is sent alerting the customer as well,” said an Amazon spokesperson in an email to WRTV. “Any customer that receives a questionable email, call or text from a person impersonating an Amazon employee should report them to Amazon customer service. Amazon investigates these complaints and will take action, if warranted.”
Amazon does make some outbound calls to customers. However, the company will never ask you to disclose or verify personal information or offer you a refund you don’t expect.
“If you get an unsolicited phone call or email- be very suspicious of that,” said Maniscalo. “That's typically not how this is going to happen."
You can report suspicious calls or emails from people impersonating Amazon employees to firstname.lastname@example.org.
Hornaday filed a complaint with the BBB about the phone call her mom received.
“If it had happened to me, I would have known it was a scam, but my mom would have worried and worried and given them the information had I not been there but luckily I was there that day,” said Hornaday.
Hornaday’s mom, Katrina, died a few months after getting that scam Amazon phone call.
She finds it disturbing that people are trying to take advantage of senior citizens.
Hornaday hopes her story will save others from falling for the Amazon shopping scam.
“People do need to know,” said Hornaday.
BBB Tips to avoid online shopping scams:
- Beware of fake lookalike websites: Check the URL, watch for bad grammar, research the age of the domain , search for contact information, and read online reviews.
- Professional photos do not mean it’s a real offer. Scammers often steal photos off other websites, so don’t believe what you see.
- Make sure the website is secure. Look for the “https” in the URL (the extra “s” is for “secure”) and a small lock icon on the address bar. Never enter payment or personal information into a website with only “http.” It is NOT secure.
- Be careful purchasing sought-after products. If something is sold out everywhere, don’t be tempted by a seemingly great deal. Scammers often trick shoppers by offering the most popular products at low prices. Here’s one example involving game consoles.
- Pay with a credit card. It’s always best to make online purchases with your credit card. If any shady charges turn up later, you will be able to contest them through your credit card company. Be very wary of any retailer that asks you to pay by digital wallet apps , prepaid money cards, or other non-traditional payment methods.


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On 3rd November of this year, a historic milestone was reached when the cryptocurrency market capitalisation passed the US $20 billion mark for the first time in its history. This was hard on the heels of Bitcoin reaching a high-water mark of US $7,461 the previous day.
Although it has since dropped back a little, Bitcoin now has a market capitalisation of nearly US $122 billion. Even Ethereum, which has struggled recently whilst market support has piled behind Bitcoin, has rallied, and is now trading at nearly US $300 a coin, which represents a market capitalisation of US $28.3 billion.
What is driving the current cryptocurrency surge and is it sustainable?
In truth, the current price surge is really all about Bitcoin. Not only does it account for more than 60% of the cryptocurrency market in terms of market capitalisation, the volumes traded dwarf that seen for other cryptocurrencies, with Ethereum a very distant second. Essentially, other altcoins are now trading on Bitcoin’s coat tails, so that is where most attention needs to be paid to understand the current market position.
There are many who argue that what we are seeing in the market now is just a bubble and that a crash will occur sooner rather than later. That is certainly the view of legendary investor Warren Buffet who recently advised his Berkshire Hathaway investors to stay away from Bitcoin because the price is being driven by speculation, and cannot be valued properly because it is “not a value-producing asset.”
This is not the first time that Buffet has criticised Bitcoin. Back in 2014 when it traded around US $400 a coin, he stated that it was a joke to think that cryptocurrencies have any intrinsic value because they are just a way of transmitting money. Three years later, with the price of Bitcoin at record levels, we are still waiting for the predicted crash, although there has been plenty of volatility in the intervening period.
Buffet is not alone in being a naysayer. JP Morgan boss Jamie Morgan called Bitcoin a fraud in September, and promised to fire any trader at his investment bank caught dealing in the currency. Meanwhile billionaire investor Howard Marks has called it pyramid selling, whilst Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Talah predicts that Bitcoin will soon implode because it is not regulated.
Ironically, in the light of these views, one of the reasons for the current rise in the value of cryptocurrencies is because certain parts of Wall Street, at least, are now starting to take them seriously. Data recently published by financial research firm Autonomous Next showed that, since the start of the year, 90 hedge funds focused on digital assets have been launched in the US alone.
At the same time, the world’s largest options and futures exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, has announced plans to offer Bitcoin futures by the end of the fourth quarter, subject to regulatory approval.
This is seen as another step in the development of Bitcoin as a more established asset class, and potentially gives institutional investors a way of buying into the digital currency market.
There are other factors behind the current rise of Bitcoin as well.
In November the Segwit2X hard fork is planned, which, at least in the short-term, has a positive impact on the Bitcoin price. Those investors that do not expect Segwit2X to become the majority blockchain are investing in Bitcoin; paradoxically, those who are expecting it to become the majority are also investing in Bitcoin because that is the only way they will be able to buy the Segwit2X coin when it becomes available.
A further reason for the increased demand for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies is because of interest from Japan and the Far East. Bitcoin and digital currencies have now become mainstream assets on Japanese markets, and high profile institutional and retail traders have started to engage in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency trading. The Japanese Bitcoin exchange now accounts for 61.2% of global Bitcoin trading, more than double the trading volume of the US.
Questions may be asked as to why Ethereum has not seen the same rise in value as we have seen with Bitcoin, and, to a much lesser extent, with currencies like Litecoin.
One reason certainly is that Bitcoin has become such a big story that it has sucked demand away from other digital currencies. There are also ongoing hacking and security concerns about Ethereum. Last year an online hack saw US $53 million drained from one of their networks, and there are continued concerns that the blockchain is still vulnerable to online attacks.
There is also an argument that says that the Ether coin is actually less important to the Ethereum project than the blockchain itself and the concept of the smart contract. That makes the currency less subject to wide fluctuations and market sentiment.
On the positive side, some market analysts predict that it is a matter of time only. Wait a year or so and we will see Ethereum start to rise strongly in value like Bitcoin.
The current market boom for cryptocurrencies is all driven by Bitcoin. Whilst there is clearly evidence suggesting that institutional investor interest in the US and the Far East is now making digital currencies a mainstream asset, there is still plenty of speculation that the current price surge is a bubble and a crash may be imminent. Certainly it will be interesting to see what happens after the Segwit2X hard fork and whether that has any impact on the long-term price of Bitcoin and the market as a whole.
Whatever happens, this is likely to be a fascinating market to follow in the weeks and months ahead.


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n September 29, Republican Senator James Lankford introduced the No Digital Dollar Act, which would require the U.S. Treasury to keep printing and coining money if the government issues an official digital currency.
Lankford said in a news release: “While some Oklahomans are open to digital currencies, many still prefer hard currency or at least the option of hard currency. There are still questions, cyber concerns, and security risks for digital money. There is no reason we can’t continue to have paper and digital money in our nation and allow the American people to decide how to carry and spend their own money. As technology advances, Americans should not have to worry about every transaction in their financial life being tracked or their money being deleted.”
Currently, there is no federal statute that prohibits the Treasury from only having a digital currency. Lankford, with this bill, is making sure that such a situation may not happen. The bill, however, goes a step further and states: “(c) NOT LEGAL TENDER. —No central bank digital currency shall be considered legal tender under section 5103 of title 31, United States Code.”
The implications of section (c) are that you must continue to print and coin money because the digital dollar will not be able to replace the stature of paper money as legal tender. This requirement goes counter to the concept of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).
Senator Lankford made several claims, but the question is: Are these claims warranted?
Before we explore these claims, let’s first understand what a CBDC is, and the reasons (almost) all nations have been examining and experimenting with the implementation of a digital currency.
What is Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)?
CBDC is a digital token, similar to cryptocurrencies, issued by a central bank, and pegged to the value of the country’s fiat currency. It can also be considered as the digital form of the country’s fiat currency. A CBDC is different from cryptocurrency such as bitcoin or ether, because cryptocurrencies are not issued by a central bank, and thus are very volatile.
On the contrary, CBDC, issued by a central bank, will have the backing of a government, and will attain the same attributes of its fiat currency, except for its underlying technology.
“Central bank money” refers to money that is a liability of the central bank. In the United States, there are two types of central bank money: physical currency issued by the Federal Reserve and digital balances held by commercial banks at the Federal Reserve.
Consumers have held money predominantly in digital form – for example in bank accounts, payment applications or through online transactions. A CBDC would differ from existing digital money available to the public because a CBDC would be a liability of the Federal Reserve, not of a commercial bank.
Experimenting with CBDC
A CBDC could potentially offer a range of benefits. Namely, it would provide households and businesses a convenient, electronic form of central bank money, with the safety and liquidity that would entail; it gives entrepreneurs a platform on which to create new financial products and services; it supports faster and cheaper payments (including cross-border payments); and it expands consumer access to the financial system.
On the last point, it would serve as a facilitator for financial inclusion; the Fed Economic Well-Being of U.S. Household 2021 survey indicates that cryptocurrency is mostly used by either unbanked or low-income (under $50,000) individuals.
Many central banks have pilot programs and research projects intending to determine the viability and usability of a CBDC in their economy. As of March 2022, there were nine countries and territories that had launched CBDCs, such as Nigeria, The Bahamas and Saint Lucia. There are 80 other countries with CBDC initiatives and projects underway, such as Sweden, United Kingdom and Canada.
In the United States, the Federal Reserve is engaged in a number of experiments related to digital currencies, including a hypothetical CBDC. These experiments enrich the Federal Reserve’s policy discussions related to digital currency by giving experimenters hands-on experience with the technology’s opportunities and limitations.
One example is Project Hamilton, a multiyear explanatory research project of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston with MIT.
CBDCs are all custom-built. Some are blockchain-based systems, such as the e-Naira of Nigeria, and some are not blockchain-based systems, such as the Chinese e-CYN. But even if they were all blockchain-based, the design would be different as each government designs its own custom CBDC.
Therefore, the interoperability of CBDCs is critical, and without it, cross-border payments will not be possible. The Bank of International Settlements (BIS) Innovation Hub has two projects which examines interoperability of CBDCs between nations – one in the retail CBDC space and the other in the wholesale CBDC space.
Project Icebreaker involves the BIS Innovation Hub’s Nordic center working alongside the central banks of Israel, Norway and Sweden to test some specific key functions and the technological feasibility of interlinking domestic CBDC systems.
In the wholesale CBDC space, Project Jura, which involves Banque de France (BdF) and Swiss National Bank (SNB) working with BIS and in collaboration with six private companies, explores whether CBDCs can be used effectively for cross-border settlements between financial institutions.
Now, let’s examine Senator Lankford’s claims.
A trend towards a cashless economy
Claim: Many still prefer hard currency or at least the option of hard currency
Countries have been trending towards a cashless economy even before Covid-19 outbreak.
The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco reports that as of 2020, the share of cash payments in the U.S. has been 19%, down from 26% in 2019. A Gallup poll from July 2022 documented a decline in cash transactions since 2016, consistent with the trends seen in the Federal Reserve’s.
The Gallup poll shows greater use of online shopping, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Other factors driving a decline in cash usage may be a larger number of merchants accepting electronic payment, an increase in self-checkout registers in grocery and larger retail stores, and mobile pay options that allow people to pay for purchases using their smartphones.
The trend towards a cashless economy worldwide will increase as Gen Z becomes a more active participant in the economy. Today’s teens and 20-somethings are increasingly relying on mobile payments apps such as Venmo, Zelle or Cash apps, and businesses are also increasingly willing to accept these methods.
Claim: Americans should not have to worry about every transaction in their financial life being tracked or their money being deleted
One of the core features of blockchain technology is that whatever is recorded on the blockchain can never be changed, altered or deleted – it’s an immutable ledger. Any account created on the blockchain, and the funds held in this account, can never be deleted.
If a CBDC utilizes blockchain technology, which most do, users funds are always secured. Other digital methods currently used, whether payments apps or credit cards, are subject to alteration or deletion. However, with the right design approach and mechanism, a CBDC could implement security of funds in a non-blockchain-based system. The Fed and other central banks around the world have been experimenting with CBDC design, where security is a top priority.
Since blockchain technology is immutable, transactions can be traced and tracked. Bear in mind, though, that in our traditional financial system, serviced by regulated financial institutions, all of our transactions are already continuously tracked and monitored.
Data Protection and Privacy
Claim: There are still questions, cyber concerns, and security risks for digital money
The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has recognized that consumers could have more control over personal data and security if the development of a CBDC follows a strict data-protection-by-design and by-default approach. A CBDC could increase data protection and security in digital payments and provide payers more control over their personal data.
Furthermore, privacy-enhancing technologies could be used to enhance the way anonymity is wired within the entire payment process while allowing the auditing only in pre-determined lawful cases, such as preventing money laundering, counter terrorism financing and tax evasion.
It may take a few years until a digital dollar is launched and adopted. When it happens, it most definitely will be a secure and safe system, otherwise the Fed would not allow its launch. As we increasingly trend towards a cashless economy, adoption of a CBDC would likely be seamless and there may not be a need to continue printing and coining money. The money spent on printing cash and minting coins could be used for other government initiatives, such as better education and healthcare systems, especially for under-served communities


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Sharp Drop in Beef Prices
The sharp drop in beef prices with uncertain demand and an adequate supply are factors which could pressure the cash and futures market, and this could keep some selling pressure into the holiday season. The beef market typically finds strong demand for holiday parties and family get-togethers at this time of the year. Demand for higher priced beef cuts into the holiday season could plummet this year as pandemic cases continue to rise and consumers adjust holiday plans. February cattle closed sharply lower on the session yesterday and the selling pushed the market down to the lowest level since November 20th. The USDA boxed beef cutout was down $1.48 at mid-session yesterday and closed $4.22 lower at $230.80. This was down from $243.68 the previous week and was the lowest the cutout had been since November 16. No trade was reported in cash live cattle as of Monday afternoon.
The 5-area weighted steer price last week was 109.75, down from 110.27 the previous week and 118.92 a year ago. The USDA estimated cattle slaughter came in at 119,000 head yesterday. This was unchanged from last week but down from 121,000 a year ago. The estimated average dressed cattle weight last week was 841 pounds, down from 842 pounds the previous week but up from 830 pounds a year ago. Estimated US beef production last week was 559.8 million pounds, up from 473.9 million the previous week but down from 564.8 million a year ago. Friday’s Commitments of Traders report showed managed money traders were still net long 39,813 contracts.
The market remains in a short-term downtrend and if consumers take a more stay-at-home attitude into the holidays, there could be too much meat to absorb on the US market. China has been an aggressive buyer of pork on the world market over the past year, and if this slows into 2021, the domestic market will need to absorb a significant increase in supply. The monthly data on exports of US pork has been disappointing. US pork exports for October totaled 589.1 million pounds, up 13.1% from a year ago. While this marks an improvement over the past few months, exports are well below their peak of 701.6 million from March. US exports to China reached a total of 135.6 million pounds in October, down from a record 253.3 million in May. February hogs closed sharply lower yesterday and near the lows of the day with an inside trading session.
The market remains nervous that if ham prices have peaked for the year, that pork product values could drift lower and push cash markets even lower. Traders are also fearful that if exports slowdown that there will be an excess supply of pork on the market as weights remain well above normal. The CME Lean Hog Index as of December 3 was 66.26 down from 66.55 the previous session and down from 67.15 the previous week. The USDA pork cutout, released after the close yesterday, came in at $76.76, up 12 cents from Friday but down from $78.85 the previous week. The USDA estimated hog slaughter came in at 497,000 head yesterday. This was unchanged from last week but up from 493,000 a year ago at this time.
Futures and options trading involve significant risk of loss and may not be suitable for everyone. Therefore, carefully consider whether such trading is suitable for you in light of your financial condition. The information and comments contained herein is provided by ADMIS and in no way should be construed to be information provided by ADM. The author of this report did not have a financial interest in any of the contracts discussed in this report at the time the report was prepared. The information provided is designed to assist in your analysis and evaluation of the futures and options markets. However, any decisions you may make to buy, sell or hold a futures or options position on such research are entirely your own and not in any way deemed to be endorsed by or attributed to ADMIS. Copyright ADM Investor Services, Inc.


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Consumer Alert: Monster.com announces another big data breach
Monster.com | Consumer Alert | Job search privacy — According to the job site Monster.com, its users’ IDs and passwords, email addresses, names, phone numbers, and some “basic demographic data” were compromised in a data breach. Monster notified victims of the security breach through its web site on Friday, January 23, 2009. It is unclear how many people this notice impacts, as Monster.com did not give an estimate. In press reports, however, Monster has admitted that the breach is global, with Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe being spared. Job seekers’ information can be used like a road map for criminal ventures, including identity theft, phishing and spamming. User passwords, which Monster.com says were compromised in this breach, are especially valuable as they can potentially be used to access other sites or email accounts, especially if a person regularly uses the same passwords. The World Privacy Forum has published a consumer alert about this data breach with tips for victims. This data breach also impacts USAjobs.com, the government job search site affiliated wiith Monster.com.