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As a direct result of Tesla’s actions, the cost of purchasing an electric car is decreasing.
It is beneficial for people who buy automobiles, but it could be more useful for the profits of automobile manufacturers, even if these revenues are secondary for the time being. Manufacturers of cars have to protect their market share.
Early in January, electric car manufacturer Tesla (ticker: TSLA) announced that it would be lowering its prices.
Its Model Y crossover car, the most popular electric vehicle (EV) in the United States, had its price drop by as much as $13,000.
- On Monday, Ford Motor (F) followed suit by reducing pricing for the Mach-E by as much as $4,900, making it the latest company to do so.
- “In this electric vehicle arms race, Tesla is uniquely positioned around scale, brand, battery technology, and the Musk DNA,” Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote in a report published Monday following Ford’s cuts.
- “While others in an all-out Game of Thrones war fiercely compete for market share,” Ives added.
- “Tesla is uniquely positioned around scale, brand, battery technology, and the Musk DNA in this EV arms race.”
GM & Ford:
Both Ford and ourselves feel that GM will have to reduce their profit margins to raise their sales volume during this critical period.
They will not lose electric vehicle (EV) clients due to pricing, mainly when EV tax incentives are being considered, and the 313 area code is wagering its future on EV growth.
- The area code for Detroit is 313, and its city name is Detroit. General Motors (GM) and Ford have ambitious electric vehicles (EVs) ambitions.
- Both companies have set a goal to reach annual sales of around two million electric cars by the middle of this decade.
- While maintaining their gasoline-powered automobile businesses, both companies want to increase their total market share and grab market share away from other automakers.
To this day, GM has not reduced its pricing. The business said on Tuesday that its electric vehicles’ prices are reasonable, and demand is still high.
In addition, GM currently offers some of the most reasonably priced electric cars.
Model Y & Mach-E
Comparatively, the starting price of a competing electric vehicle, the Model Y, is around $53,000, while the starting price of the Mach-E is approximately $46,000.
John Murphy, an analyst at BoA Securities, thinks that the choice made by GM makes more sense than the one Ford made.
- Murphy said in a report handed out on Monday that “the rationale seems strange to us.”
- “Both Tesla and Ford are pointing to demand higher than supply, which indicates that lowering pricing would directly impact the bottom line now and would needlessly damage future earnings power.”
- For Tesla to be eligible for the $7,500 tax credit that was established as a component of the Inflation Reduction Act, the base price of its Model Y electric vehicle has to be reduced to an amount lower than $55,000.
- The Mach-E had a more significant number of trims than the Tesla Model Y, which was of comparable size and qualified for the credit before it was reduced.
Murphy predicts that for Ford to maintain the same overall operating profit with the new, lower pricing, the company will need to sell an additional 90,000 cars, starting with a base of 270,000.
- Murphy projected that Ford would make a profit of 5% on sales of 270,000 Mach-E vehicles at the previous pricing.
- The automobile manufacturers that aren’t eligible for the $7,500 tax credit that was included in the Inflation Reduction Act are the ones who are under the most significant pressure to lower their prices.
- To meet the requirements of this regulation, electric vehicles (EVs) must, among other things, be built in North America.
This rule does not apply to a significant number of electric cars, including several that are produced by Audi, Polestar Automotive (PSNY), Kia, and Hyundai Motor (005380, Korea).
The base price of an Audi e-Tron is around $70,000, which is much more than the price of a similar Model Y.
Discount on Cars:
According to a news outlet, Tesla has recently offered existing Tesla owners a choice between a $3,000 discount or free supercharging for three years if they trade their vehicles for a new Tesla.
It represents a significant step forward for Tesla in terms of making EVs more affordable. A request for comment from Tesla about the incentive needs to be met with a response.
Because it generates more money from selling electric vehicles, Elon Musk’s firm can afford to exert pressure on its competitors.
- In 2022, Tesla had an operating profit margin of more than 16 percentage points. In 2022, General Motors had an operating profit margin of 9.3%.
- Ford’s margin would be about 7% in 2022. On Thursday, Ford will release its financial results for the fourth quarter.
- Investors are pleased with Tesla’s decision to lower its prices.
- Since the company slashed car pricing in China on January 5, its stock price has increased by almost 51%, while the Nasdaq Composite has risen by approximately 11% over the same period.
- Investors in Ford have yet to respond well to the news.
The announcement of the price reduction resulted in a loss of 2.8% in the stock price for the company’s shares on Monday, while the overall market was down 1.3% on that day.
In trading on Tuesday, Ford stock increased by 3.3%, which may have been encouraged by GM’s solid profits for the fourth quarter, while GM stock increased by 6.8%.


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Elon Musk has stated that Tesla will most likely resume accepting Bitcoin for automobile payments He talked about that Bitcoin mining had shifted more in opposition to renewables as China clamped down on coal-powered BTC mining inside its borders Mr. Musk made the feedback all over ‘The ₿ Word’ digital conference that was once attended through Cathie Wooden, Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk and moderated through Steve Lee Bitcoin is again trading above $32k and will be as a result of the statements by Elon Musk
The Founder Of House X and CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, has said that the electric car company will most likely return to accepting Bitcoin for car purchases. Mr. Musk made the feedback all over the previous day’s ‘The ₿ Phrase’ Bitcoin conference that was once attended through Jack Dorsey, Cathie Wood, Elon Musk and moderated by way of Sq.’s Steve Lee.
Elon Musk’s complete observation on the possible resumption of Tesla accepting Bitcoin will also be discovered under.
Tesla’s project is accelerating the appearance of sustainable energy…So, all I did used to be I said look…we’re going to suspend Bitcoin transactions for now. we are now not selling any Bitcoin, nor am I promoting the rest individually, neither is Area X…
It looks like Bitcoin is transferring a lot more towards renewables and a host of the heavy-accountability coal plants that were getting used…have been shut down particularly in China…
I Need to do a little more due diligence to make sure that the proportion of renewable power utilization is possibly at or above 50%. And that there may be a trend towards increasing that quantity. if this is the case, Tesla will most likely resume accepting Bitcoin.
Bitcoin Bounces Again Above $32k
Elon Musk’s observation that Tesla will possibly reinstate Bitcoin transactions has had a good have an effect on on the worth of BTC.
a couple of hours earlier than the ‘The ₿ Phrase’ convention went are living, Bitcoin was trading across the $29,SEVEN-HUNDRED value house and could cross directly to post a 7-day height worth of $32,858 due to Elon’s statements.
on the time of writing, Bitcoin is buying and selling at $32,ONE HUNDRED TWENTY because it defends the $32k worth area as strengthen. chances are that Bitcoin continues to take care of a value above $30k as buyers and buyers are actually aware that Tesla has plans of reaccepting Bitcoin as a form of fee.

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Ivy Popeyes? Chicken Park? Take your pick.
Popeyes released its own clothing line Wednesday, clearly inspired by Ivy Park – Beyoncé’s clothing line released earlier this month.
The drop comes amidst previous comparisons between Ivy Park and Popeyes. Some pointed out that Beyoncé’s line used the same colors as the ones Popeyes employees wear.
Apparently, the restaurant chain also took notice.
Cut to Wednesday – when Popeyes launched their own line called “That look from Popeyes,” mimicking their slogan “Love that chicken from Popeyes.”
Bargain-hunting Queen Bey fans and Popeyes enthusiasts alike can now buy a selection of jackets, shirts, hats and hoodies.
Queen Bey’s Ivy Park…
See the similarities?
This isn’t the first time Popeyes has made headlines. Last year, the restaurant became known for its feud with Chick-fil-A.
Popeyes released its own version of the chicken sandwich that Chick-fil-A is known for, which drew mass attention from celebrities and led to long lines and general hysteria.


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Apple, being the world’s most valuable company, is popular for its design philosophy. Apple invests extra hard on the field of, the design of its own products as well as the design of retail shops that sells its products. Now, Apple designs face masks for employees.
Now, putting efforts into the design philosophy, Apple has designed masks for its employees. Apple face mask to prevent COVID-19.
To prevent the spread of the global pandemic COVID-19 around the world, it is compulsory to wear face masks. So, Apple has also designed its own separate masks for its employees, according to Bloomberg.
The mask is called ‘Apple Face Mask‘. Apple Company’s Engineering and Industrial Design Team has designed this mask.
Apple face mask benefit
Similarly, the Mac Rumors website also published the news on Apple employee face mask. There are three layers in the Apple Face Mask which prevent incoming and outgoing tiniest particles. Apple Mask can reuse for a maximum of 5 days washing and cleaning it properly.
According to Bloomberg, citing Apple, the Face mask has designed completely after careful research and testing.
Apple’s corporate and retail stores employees will get the mask within the next 2 weeks.
Last April, Apple had announced the design and distribution of the medical personnel face-covering materials. There was a public video message on Twitter where Apple CEO Tim Cook informed about the design of the Face Shield targeted for medical personnel.
He was even showing a demo of the Face Shield and claimed the doctor has also given positive feedback about the shield. According to him, Apple’s face shield will be very easy to pack and wear. Apple Face Shield would manufacture in the United States and China.
Do not forget to comment on your views on apple designs face masks for employees. Apple employee face mask helps to stay safe from COVID-19. Click here to know more about Apple’s face mask.


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- Brief-term present points triggered merchants to sell the day gone by.
- The promise of Nikola’s know-how is quiet longer-term speculation.
What came about
After shedding almost 10% the day gone by from its quarterly monetary replace, shares of Nikola (NASDAQ:NKLA) bounced back Wednesday morning. As of 11 a.m. EDT, shares had been up 5.7%, after having jumped as noteworthy as 7.4% earlier. It appears merchants are turning their point of interest from negative comments linked to shorter-term points to the longer-term probably raised in one other earnings dispute the day gone by.
Nikola announced the day gone by that provide chain disruptions triggered it to lower projections for battery electrical semitruck manufacturing, and therefore revenue targets, for this year. However the firm’s long-term plans accumulate a broader adoption of hydrogen gas-cell electrical vehicles, and industrial vitality massive Cummins (NYSE:CMI) centered on the growth of a hydrogen economic system in its earnings conference call the day gone by.
Portray source: Nikola.
Cummins, acknowledged for being a first-rate in diesel-powered engines, commented that in its 2nd quarter, it entered true into a partnership making an attempt for to “bustle the growth of replace opportunities … promoting the inexperienced hydrogen cost chain.” It also stated it started testing a hydrogen-gas inner combustion engine.
Nikola has stated from its inception that it seeks to develop a hydrogen gas economic system, and it told merchants that it quiet plans to start up construction on its initial commercial hydrogen space and/or a centralized hydrogen manufacturing facility by the cease of this year, as successfully as philosophize new partnerships to reach hydrogen infrastructure. In June, Nikola purchased a 20% interest in a easy hydrogen mission underneath construction in Indiana.
Cummins’ comments in its earnings conference call that it helps “hydrogen as a decarbonizing answer for transportation and replace” seemingly gives merchants some self assurance that Nikola’s plans are mirrored by one other main player in the transportation sector.
This article represents the idea of the writer, who could presumably well per chance disagree with the “reliable” suggestion space of a Motley Fool top fee advisory service. We’re motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one among our own — helps us all mediate seriously about investing and assemble choices that wait on us became smarter, happier, and richer.
Howard Smith owns shares of Nikola Corporation. The Motley Fool recommends Cummins. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.”>


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Influencers seem to have all the fun. Jetting around the globe and being paid by brands to simply be themselves on camera, inspiring their thousands if not millions of followers to do the same. So, how does one become an influencer?
We asked the opinions of Jez Frampton, Global Chief Executive Officer of Interbrand, Madhu Nutakki, Chief Digital Officer of Nissan and David Roman, SVP & CMO of Lenovo at Interbrand's Best Global Brands Summit just that. They also gave us their thoughts on if the influencer market is saturated, and the future of social sponsorships for brands now that government regulations have come into play.


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Amazon Game Studios and Relentless Studios’ online third-person shooter Crucible will be taken offline. An entry labeled as a “final update” on its official development blog went up late on Friday afternoon to inform fans and beta testers that work on the game would be discontinued.
Crucible had been in development since 2014 when it launched on May 20, and was initially heralded as Amazon’s big attempt to break into the video game market. It was initially free to play and download, with a number of in-game purchases that offered new character costumes, additional currency, and other extras.
However, Crucible quickly ran into a host of problems, including server issues, lukewarm reviews, and criticism over its “freemium” pricing model. A little over a month later, on June 30, Amazon yanked Crucible from digital storefronts and returned it to a closed beta.
Since then, Crucible‘s primary developers at Seattle-based Relentless Studios have made steady incremental updates to the game, tracking each one on a public-facing Trello as a roadmap. They’d completed almost all of the features that they planned to add, with updates going live as recently as this week, but after evaluating player feedback and internal data, decided to pull the plug.
“We very much appreciate the way that our fans have rallied around our efforts, and we’ve loved seeing your responses to the changes we’ve made over the last few months, but ultimately we didn’t see a healthy, sustainable future ahead of Crucible,” the team wrote in its blog post. “We’ll be transitioning our team to focus on New World and other upcoming projects from Amazon Games.”
Crucible is what game enthusiasts often call a “hero shooter,” where players pick from a cast of characters with unique abilities and equipment to compete with one


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Every ardent pizza lover and cocoa junkie’s answer to this question would be a frantic nod because their mouths are stuffed with the respective “addictions”. But on a more serious note (yes, way more serious than pizza), a recent study states that pizza is almost as addicting as drugs.
There you go, all your irrational cravings won’t seem baseless now because you’re an addict. Disturbing as it sounds, science approves the fact so shut up and accept it.
In a study published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One, researchers from the University of Michigan have discovered that a group of processed grubs can be as addictive as drugs. According to the study, the human body reacts to processed foods in a similar manner to the way it does to drugs like cocaine. Which simply means that certain food have addictive properties.
Earlier this month, a scientist concluded that cheese scored as high as morphine on the addiction chart but interestingly enough, of the 10 foods that made it to the top 10 of the ‘addictive food list’, cheese was on number 10. And o course pizza leading the lost has a lot to do with the inevitable cheesy toppings.
The food items in the list were ranked based on characteristics like the rate at which refined carbs are absorbed by the body, sugar levels and glycemic index.
Here is the entire list of “food drugs” as published in the study:
#6 French Fries
#5 Ice Cream
Clearly, we have been drug addicts all our lives without even knowing it.


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Uber took some heat in Australia, and the international press, on Monday when the app started commanding quadruple-rate surge pricing in Sydney's central business district during what would become a 16-hour hostage crisis at a café in the area. In response, the company ultimately stopped the surge pricing and told all users in the area that the cost of their rides would be refunded, but only after a brief uproar on social media, as the New York Times reports.
As the Washington Post notes, the 4x surge pricing meant that Uber customers trying to flee the area were paying minimum fares of $100 (or $82 US dollars) during the first hours of the crisis. As Mashable reports, the company appeared to defend its pricing as purely algorithmic, only reversing its stance after a PR firestorm started erupting. Also, there was a tone-deafness to the tweet below, in which Uber Sydney made it sound like they were actually purposefully raising prices "in order to encourage more drivers to come online."
We are all concerned with events in CBD. Fares have increased to encourage more drivers to come online & pick up passengers in the area.— Uber Sydney (@Uber_Sydney) December 15, 2014
Uber has already made some promises to prevent such price-gouging from happening during emergencies, at least in U.S. cities though during last week's major rainstorm in San Francisco the company was charging 3.8x surge rates at one point. They've not yet made any such agreements in international locales.
And in further bad news for Uber, internationally, the French government is moving to ban the UberX equivalent in that country, called UberPop, starting January 1. Taxi drivers in Paris have previously staged large protests against the ride-sharing service, and much as they are in the U.S., Uber is facing legal trouble in multiple European cities over the licensing, or lack thereof, of its citizen drivers.


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Morrisons has recalled a gluten-free cereal because it contains hazelnut, milk and gluten-free oats which aren’t mentioned on the packaging.
The supermarket’s own-brand cereal choco crackles poses a ‘risk’ to anyone with an allergy or intolerance to the three undeclared ingredients, experts said.
As such, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has told customers with allergies: ‘Do not eat it.’
Instead, anyone who has purchased the packs can return them to their nearest store for a full refund, Morrisons said.
Only the batch stamped with a September 18, 2024, best before date is affected by the recall.
Morrison’s own brand cereal choco crackles, which is gluten free, contains hazelnut, milk and oats— which isn’t mentioned on the box
Morrisons has also issued a point-of sale notice to its customers explaining why the products are being recalled and what to do if they have bought the products
The choco crackles, sold in 300g boxes, can be returned without a receipt.
Morrisons has also issued a point-of sale notice to its customers explaining why the products are being recalled and what to do if they have bought the products.
The supermarket said: ‘We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause and assure customers of our continuing commitment to the highest standard of product quality and safety.’
The FSA issues food recalls – which ask customers to return a product – when problems are spotted with food that means it should not be sold.
Tree nut allergies and cow’s milk allergies are some of the most common food allergies, according to the NHS.
But you can be allergic to almost any type of food, including oats, celery, mustard, sesame seeds and lupin flour found in some baked goods.
Tree nuts includes, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios and Brazil nuts can cause those that are allergic to feel sick, dizzy and get itchy skin.
Other common symptoms include swelling of the lips, face and eyes, coughing and diarrhoea, the NHS says.
Sufferers are advised to avoid their triggers and told to carry EpiPens or other life-saving auto-injectors in case they are struck down with a reaction.
Allergies can cause anaphylactic shock — a deadly immune system overreaction that can kill within minutes.
People who cannot consume milk are either allergic to the proteins in cow’s milk or they cannot digest the sugar in the product, known as lactose intolerance.
Symptoms can range from just a rash and itching to vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhoea. It can occur within minutes of eating or drinking items which contain dairy.
Like with tree nut allergies, in severe cases it can cause anaphylaxis.
Around three in 100 babies have a cow’s milk allergy but most grow out of it during their childhood.
Older children and adults who are allergic to cow’s milk tend to have a more serious allergy.
Many products found on supermarket shelves that are not typical dairy products still contain milk, such as cereals, bread, biscuits, crackers, sauces and cakes.


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Popular web hosting provider Hostinger has been hit by a massive data breach, as a result of which the company has reset passwords for all customers as a precautionary measure.
In a blog post published on Sunday, Hostinger revealed that “an unauthorized third party” breached one of its servers and gained access to “hashed passwords and other non-financial data” associated with its millions of customers.
The incident occurred on August 23 when unknown hackers found an authorization token on one of the company’s servers and used it to gain access to an internal system API, without requiring any username and password.
Immediately after the breach discovery, Hostinger restricted the vulnerable system, making this access no longer available, and contacted the respective authorities.
“On August 23rd, 2019 we have received informational alerts that one of our servers has been accessed by an unauthorized third party,” Hostinger said.
“This server contained an authorization token, which was used to obtain further access and escalate privileges to our system RESTful API Server*. This API Server* is used to query the details about our clients and their accounts.”
The API database hosts personal information of nearly 14 million Hostinger customers, including their usernames, emails, hashed passwords, first names, and IP addresses, which have been accessed by hackers.
Breach Affects Over Half of Hostinger’s User Base
The company has over 29 million users, so the data breach affected over half of its complete user base.
However, it should be noted that the company used the weak SHA-1 hashing algorithm to scramble the Hostinger client passwords, making it easier for hackers to crack the passwords.
As a precautionary measure, the company has reset all Hostinger Client login passwords using the stronger SHA-2 algorithm and sent out emails password recovery emails to the affected consumers.
Also, the company doesn’t currently offer two-factor authentication (2FA) for its customers’ accounts, though it says it is planning to provide this additional layer of security in the near future.
Hostinger reassured its customers that no financial data is believed to have been accessed as the company never stores any payment card or other sensitive financial data on its servers, adding that third-party payment providers handle payments for its services.
Furthermore, the company has also assured that a thorough internal investigation found that the Hostinger Client accounts and data stored on those accounts, including websites, domains, and hosted emails, remained untouched and unaffected.
The investigation into the matter is still ongoing, and a team of internal and external forensics experts and data scientists has been assembled to discover the origin of the data breach and increase security measures of all the company’s operations.
Following the password reset, the company is also urging its customers to set a strong and unique password for their Hostinger accounts and to be cautious of suspicious emails asking them to click on the links or download attachments, as well as any unsolicited communications asking for login details, or other personal information.
Customers who want to delete their details from Hostinger servers under GDPR rules should contact email@example.com.
Credit: The Hacker News


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To download the latest issue
May 29th, 2013
Mainstream flip chip bumping starts to move to copper pillars
Copper pillars and micro bumps will soon re-shape the flip chip market and supply chain, as mobile processors, memory, and non-mainstream CMOS devices start to require smaller geometries, higher I/O counts, higher bandwidth, and better thermal management. That will propel 9% growth for the flip chip packaging market through 2018, with most of that growth driven by the emerging copper technologies.
The $20 billion flip chip market is poised for 9% CAGR to reach some $35 billion by 2018. The big growth driver will be the transition to copper pillar bumping, which will drive a 19% CAGR in flip chip wafers processed. That means a 3X jump in flip chipped (12” eq) wafers, to ~40 million a year in the next 6 years—and almost all of the growth --those 26 million additional wafers a year-- will use copper pillars or micro-bumps, as copper comes to increasingly dominate the flip chip market. Leadfree solder will see healthy growth for the next year or two as it replaces Sn/Pb solder, but demand will start to level off in 2015-2016.
To read the complete article, please click here.
More ADVANCED PACKAGING news


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Published on Mar 13, 2018
Feel free to share
The privacy laws have changed
Thursday 22 February saw new data breach laws come into place in Australia, and businesses must now alert consumers when the organisation has been the subject of a data hack, a leak or a security threat.
The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) is urging small businesses to prepare for the changes.
The laws protect individuals from breaches in data. Accessing personal information from business computers could leave unauthorised individuals and small businesses up for significant fines. The new laws affect any business which holds personal information on either customers or staff.
“An unauthorised entity could be an employee, an independent contractor or an external third party, such as a hacker (via cyber attack),” according to a statement released by the ASBFEO.
The statement went on to say, “Serious harm to an individual may include physical, psychological, emotional, financial or reputational harm.”
Those found to have breached the law would be reported to both the affected staff member or customer, as well as the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).
The penalties for breaching are substantial.
“Small businesses can’t afford not to understand what the new laws mean to them, and yet I’ve read this morning a new study reporting 44 per cent of Australian businesses are not fully prepared”, said Small Business Ombudsman, Kate Carnell.
“Another report by Telstra last year found 33 per cent of small businesses don’t take proactive measures to protect against cyber breaches. With penalties of up to $360,000 for individuals and $1.8 million for organisations, the impact of a breach on a small business is devastating.”
The guide examines cyber security for small businesses, looks at the need for security policies for all small businesses which use the internet, has a list of recommended best practices and a number of links to help you connect with other important resources.
Similar News View All Similar News


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Stay in the know and receive the latest international franchising news, insight and investment opportunities
The latest concept from Hero Brands has kick-started its franchising journey.
Keep up to date with the latest Global Franchise News sent straight to your inbox. Sign up here.
Following the launch of this location, Hero Brands confirmed that the next site would open in Berlin’s city center by January 2021, with further expansion to follow throughout the coming 12 months.
“It’s very exciting to be launching our first restaurant in Bloomsbury, London,” said co-founder and CEO of Choppaluna, Nikras Agha. “Choppaluna will truly revolutionize the healthy eating space in the U.K., bringing customers indulgent healthy options that fit with a fast-paced on-the-go lifestyle.
“Following the launch of our first flagship store in Bloomsbury, we will open a further site in Berlin by early next year and are currently looking at two other sites in London. The opportunity is truly resonating with our franchise network within the Hero Brands group and we will work with them to explore opportunities for growth throughout the U.K.”
Choppaluna provides customers with a guilt-free menu of vegetarian and vegan options, as well as a wide variety of superfoods. Customers can choose from over 60 toppings before watching a member of the Choppaluna team chop up their food before their eyes.
The brand also offers a breakfast menu including high energy options like scrambled eggs and smoothie bowls, alongside its salads and ‘Big-Rolls’; where salad meets burrito to provide a filling option for lunch and dinner.
Hero Brands’ other restaurant concept, German Doner Kebab, currently operates throughout the U.K., Europe, North America, and the Middle East, with over 700 franchises signed-up to its global growth strategy.
Athif Sarway, CEO of Hero Brands, believes that Choppaluna will help to continue this exponential growth.
“Hero Brands is responding to emerging consumer trends and focused on growing the brands of the future,” said Sarway. “Eating-out is changing and younger consumers are demanding a shorter dwell time, great-tasting healthier food, and an aspirational experience that is shareable on their social channels.
“Choppaluna responds to this trend and we worked very closely with Nikras and the team to develop the brand and a proposition that truly disrupts the healthy eating space. We are excited to have launched in Bloomsbury and will now bring Choppaluna’s unrivaled industry expertise and backing to truly launch and grow the brand throughout the U.K. and global regions.”
The better chicken brand is set to launch in the Rocket City15 Jun 2021 | Read Article >
City Wide Facility Solutions announces global expansion in its 60th year14 Jun 2021 | Read Article >
School of Rock, the revolutionary music school helping aspiring musicians master skills, unleash creativity, and develop tools they need to thrive in life has also won the Global Franchise Award for Best Franchisor in Children’s Services and Education
The U.S.-based chicken brand is laying the groundwork for its U.K. expansion09 Jun 2021 | Read Article >
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As the U.S. economy continues to take a hit from the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, one area of the food and beverage manufacturing industry is humming along relatively unscathed. Many manufacturers and suppliers in the high pressure processing (HPP) sector are thriving as consumers stock up on HPP food and beverages while they wait out the crisis quarantined in their homes.
Texas Food Solutions, an HPP tolling service, has seen increased demand for its services during the pandemic. The Katy, Texas-based company says it has been working with more food and beverage manufacturers recently to develop products suitable for HPP, such as nondairy-based nut dips and juices. In addition, Texas Food solutions is using HPP to process more staple items like proteins, dairy milk alternatives, and cooked sides.
Jasmine Sutherland, president of Texas Food Solutions, credits the boost in consumer demand for HPP products to the unique benefits the cold pasteurization process offers. Instead of using heat or preservatives, HPP involves submerging packaged food and beverage products in potable water and applying up to 87,000 psi of isostatic pressure to pasteurize food and beverage products. The extreme pressure of this nonthermal, natural pasteurization technique destroys pathogens like E. coli, listeria, and salmonella and extends shelf life while maintaining the product’s nutrition and flavor.
“We can keep customers abiding to stay-at-home orders by making sure their fresh products last and they aren’t having to grocery shop every three days,” Sutherland says. “HPP delivers a tremendous shelf life increase—up to 600%. And with pathogen reduction, we also limit their exposure to foodborne illnesses.”
Just Made, which uses Texas Food Solutions tolling services, has seen the sales of its cold-pressed juices increase about 10% to 15% overall since the start of the year. The Houston-based manufacturer produces juices made of fruits, vegetables, and functional ingredients that are inspired by popular recipes from the Caribbean and Latin America. It sells them to grocery stores; coffee shops; and institutional foodservice organizations, including hospitals and universities, in Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, Louisiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin.
At the outset of the COVID-19 crisis, Just Made experienced a decline in foodservice sales. However, the company has been able to offset that with substantial increases in online and retail sales. “As of around May 10, for sales, we’re about 50% to 60% higher than we were pre-COVID,” says Walter Nimock, founder and CEO of Just Made.
HPP equipment manufacturers are also staying busy during the pandemic, providing aftermarket support and maintenance for their food and beverage manufacturing customers who are running their production lines at higher volumes now. “It’s been hard for them a little bit because they’re running really hard. So for them to do preventive maintenance is tougher,” says Kevin Kennedy, North America sales manager for JBT Avure, a supplier of HPP equipment. “So we’re really just racing around trying to help our customers as best we can as they relearn their businesses and adjust to market changes.”
To meet increased demand for HPP products during the COVID-19 crisis, manufacturers and tollers have had to adjust their day-to-day operations to keep their workers safe. For example, with 12 employees total, Just Made ensures safety on the plant floor by following guidelines recommended by the state government of Texas. The company screens employees every time they come in, asking them if they have experienced coughing, fever, and other symptoms of the coronavirus as well as whether they have been exposed to anyone with the virus. In addition, they must wear personal protective equipment like masks and gloves, wash their hands often, and stay six feet away from each other at all times.
Texas Food Solutions has also implemented precautions to keep its 50 workers safe as it accommodates increased demand for its tolling services. The company designated a team leader to review government regulations and recommendations from professional organizations. Based on those guidelines, the team leader developed and implemented best practices to prevent the coronavirus from infecting employees. They include checking the temperatures of employees; staggering shifts to have less people on the plant floor; retraining employees on proper glove, sanitation, and personal hygiene procedures; and increasing sanitation in all common areas. Texas Food Solutions is also compensating employees if they or family members are sick to encourage them to stay home. In addition, the company documented and translated all of its COVID-19 best practices into the native languages of their workers: English, Spanish, Korean, and Burmese.
“Equally as important, once we had a plan, we communicated it to our customers so they knew they would not see an interruption in service from Texas Food Solutions,” Sutherland says.
On the rise
Although HPP products are popular now, manufacturers and suppliers predict the momentum will continue once the pandemic is over. According to Lisa Wessels, chief marketing officer for JBT Avure, the compound annual growth rate for HPP equipment will increase 15% to 20% for the next few years. “There are many parts of the world where the technology of HPP is still emerging,” she says.
“HPP has been trending up for a while,” Sutherland concurs. “More products entering the marketplace are requiring a fresh, nonheat-treated [pasteurization] process, and there is a demand for cleaner label products.”
Other HPP stories you may want to read:
HPP meets the pressure for fresher
HPP: Production under pressure
Chairman Foods: HPP is more affordable than you think
The pressure points of HPP packaging
Food safety and flavor benefits outweigh the cost of HPP


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There's a new fitness app in town, team, and this time it's been launched by one of the UK's leading fitness influencers, Grace Beverley. The app, called Shreddy, is named after Grace's popular, annual "Get Shreddy" fitness guides, which have previously been run via PDF programs and YouTube videos. In Shreddy, she's essentially taken all the tips and tricks laid out in those PDFs and given them a serious 2019 makeover.
In a YouTube video on Monday evening, Grace told her 570K subscribers that Shreddy is designed to help you with "getting your life together, doing better, and reaching for more, and for trying to get progress". She said she was sick of programs that offered too much information, without giving any real actionable steps, which often left her thinking, "just give me something that will work".
That's why, she says, Shreddy was born: to be your one-stop shop for simple training and nutrition advice that is easy to follow. In practical terms, that means her app is a fitness planner (including real-time workout classes and easy-to-follow gym-based exercise routines), recipe hub, and weight tracker all rolled into one. "Shreddy takes note of your goals and preferences to bring its consumer new incredible workouts, real-time classes, top nutritionist meal plans, delicious, and healthy recipes," Grace said in a statement released on Tuesday. According to Grace, all you have to do is sign up for a monthly subscription and fill out a short questionnaire — answering a standardised list of questions about your height, weight, age, and gender, for example — and voila! You'll be assigned a set workout routine and a nutritionist-approved meal plan that is balanced (in terms of macronutrients and calories) and catered to your own personal fitness goals.
If you're already an avid Grace Beverley follower, then you'll know that fostering a positive, inspiring, and welcoming community is kind of her schtick, and Shreddy is no different. Refreshingly, she says the app isn't designed purely to fulfil weight-loss goals (unless that is your primary objective, which, if so, it will likely help you with). Rather, her program aims to help you gain confidence in the gym and kitchen, improve your fitness level, and track your progress along the way.
This is Grace's third fitness brand to launch this year, joining her band of fitness companies that include a sustainable activewear label, Tala, and her recently relaunched resistance band company, B_ND. Shreddy will officially launch on the Android and iOS app stores on Thursday Oct. 10, and Grace has announced a challenge that will be launching on Monday Oct. 14. Details on exactly what the challenge entails are still pretty slim, but what we do know is there is a £5,000 cash prize involved, so check out her video if you're interested.
There are a few subscription pricing options to choose from if you choose to sign up. A monthly subscription costs £9.99 per month, a quarterly subscription costs £24.99 (for three months), and an annual subscription is £79.99.


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by Maisie McCabe // March 23,2017
Terror survives on the oxygen of attention and it’s not good enough for Facebook and Google to say they are separate from content they host, according to DigitasLBi international chief creative officer Chris Clarke.
The unintended consequence of how the internet has been set up is causing the rise of terrorism and the alt-right online, Clarke said in an panel at Advertising Week Europe this morning. “The oxygen for the alt-right is the oxygen for terror,” he said.
The role of brands in funding terrorism through ads alongside extremist content online has been in the spotlight following an investigation in The Times. Major advertisers such as the UK government, HSBC and AT&T in the US have pulled spend from YouTube and Google’s display network following the scandal.
Clarke said: “It’s not good enough for Google and Facebook to say we’re separate from all of this. We’re neutral.
CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE


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Consumer watchdog Which? claims the most vulnerable households could knock more than £300 off their annual bills by switching to the lower rates but are not aware of the savings as the social tariffs are not being widely publicised by providers.
According to its research, eligible Hyperoptic customers could save up to £344.16 annually by switching to the firm’s cheapest social tariff, while Virgin Media customers could save up to £321.60 and BT customers could save up to £284.52.
Those eligible for social tariffs include households on universal credit, housing benefit, income support and income based jobseeker’s allowance.
Which? is calling on the broadband providers to be more up front and clearly promote discounted deals for those who need them the most.
It comes as it found the industry lacking despite demands from regulator Ofcom for better promotion of the special deals and clear information on how to sign up.
According to Ofcom figures only 55,000 out of an estimated 4.2 million eligible households are on social tariffs.
Have you had trouble signing up to a social tariff? Let us know: email@example.com
The Which? research found despite the calls in February for firms to up their game, only one provider out of seven checked had made any mention of social tariffs on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts in May.
Out of BT, G.Network, Hyperoptic, KCOM, NOW Broadband, Sky and Virgin Media only KCOM had two tweets and one Facebook post about the discounted rates.
Which? said: “Four months on from Ofcom’s warning, broadband providers must up their game and do a better job of promoting social tariffs to their customers, including on their social media accounts and through other channels.
“Given that telecoms services are essential, providers should ensure they support their customers throughout the cost of living crisis, particularly those who are financially vulnerable, so that they can remain connected and receive any discounts they are eligible for.”
The study found on average those switching to a social tariff could save £250.32 a year - or £20.86 a month.
Rocio Concha, Which? director of policy and advocacy, said: “It is unacceptable that broadband providers aren’t doing more to make customers aware of social tariffs - meaning millions of households who may be struggling to make ends meet could be missing out on hundreds of pounds of savings.
“During a cost of living crisis, broadband providers must support the most financially vulnerable by clearly promoting discounted deals and making it easy for eligible customers to switch over to social tariffs.”
What the broadband providers replied in response to the research
Charles Davies, managing director at Hyperoptic, said: “Hyperoptic is committed to ensuring that customers eligible for its social tariff are aware of it so they can benefit from discounted rates and access vital broadband services at the same high speeds as our standard packages.
“Its social tariffs are clearly advertised on its website and it proactively works with local authorities, housing associations and digital inclusion partners to ensure that its social tariff is communicated effectively via bespoke leafleting and targeted marketing.
“This targeted approach is key in making sure that the people who would most benefit from the tariff are aware, particularly those whose circumstances mean that they may not see information online.
“That said, we’re always keen to improve the ways we reach people, so we’re increasing what we post about Fair Fibre on our social media channels.”
BT said: “We are the only provider to invest in an instant eligibility check immediately with the DWP. We discuss Home Essentials with customers during conversations either online, over the phone or in-store, so we can check whether they qualify in real-time.
“We are committed to supporting customers who are worried about their finances and who need extra help. We seek to understand our customers’ needs and to offer Home Essentials to eligible customers who are struggling financially.
“We urge anyone who qualifies for our at-cost, social tariff to get in touch, whether that’s on the phone, online or in one of our stores.”
A Virgin Media spokesperson said: “As one of the first providers in the UK to launch an affordable social tariff for those facing financial difficulty, we’re committed to supporting all our customers and are actively promoting our Essential Broadband package which has been included in more than 100 news articles throughout May alone.
“Uptake of our social tariffs has significantly increased year on year, and we’ll continue to work with Government and industry stakeholders to build on the support available to the lowest income households.”
G.Network said: “We know that the cost of living is at the forefront of Londoners’ minds right now. That’s why we were proud to launch Essential Fibre earlier this year, and since then we have strived to promote the tariff to those who might benefit from it.
“We recognise that there is always more that can be done to raise awareness of social tariffs and will continue to play our part.”
Tim Shaw, KCOM chief executive, said: “With so many people struggling with the cost of living right now we’re determined to help our customers keep control of their household budgets.
“That’s why we’ve made our Flex social tariff cheaper and far easier to apply for online using the latest Open Banking technology.
"By reducing the price of our tariff we’re also reinforcing our commitment to making sure everyone has access to high quality, reliable broadband and the things that matter most to them.”
Sky and NOW Broadband declined to comment.


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Over 1,000 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are set to benefit from an ultra-modern laboratory, calibration and testing facility that the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBs) is planning to set up in Nakuru County.
KEBs’ Chief Executive Officer Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Bernard Njiraini said the facility will reduce turnaround time for testing and associated costs as samples will be tested locally instead of being ferried to Nairobi.
While speaking during a meeting with Governor Lee Kinyanjui Lt Col (Rtd) Njiraini who was accompanied by Chairman to KEBs’ Board of Directors, Engineer Bernard Ngore stated that with the premises, the Rift Valley region will have goods and services that meet the global set standards.
“As part of advocacy and capacity building efforts, KEBs will also use the proposed facility to train small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on standards and certification, to increase their compliance levels and enhance chances of getting their products certified upon submission of samples.
Our plans are to have the premises equipped with four laboratories including Food and Agriculture, Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Instrumentation,” observed the CEO.
The meeting was also attended by County Executive Committee Member for Trade Raymond Komen, County Attorney Caleb Nyamwange and members of the National Standard Council.
Lt Col (Rtd) Njiraini noted that acquisition of modern equipment, training of standards staff, review of the Standards Act, and development of the National Quality Policy has increased effectiveness of KEBs test results, leading to Kenyan products being assured of meeting market requirements before they are exported. Interception of Kenyan products he added had also reduced, enabling market access for products.
The proposed laboratories are expected to offer testing, metrology, and calibration services to the industries in Rift Valley region including textiles, construction, dairy water purification and bottling, tea factories, grains and cereals, sugar, animal feeds, fertilizers and the hospitality sector among others.
Others are calibration of road construction equipment for road contractors as well as precision equipment in the industry and scientific institutions as well as quality control and product certification in the water packaging and food industries.
Lt Col (Rtd) Njiraini affirmed that KEBs was committed to ensuring high quality of products and services in all sectors of the economy for the realization of Vision 2030.
Governor Kinyanjui said the facility will hasten issuance of Standardization Mark to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), within the devolved unit and over 14 other counties in the region.
He lauded KEBs for setting up a web-store enabling certified businesses to purchase and print the standards online, as opposed to waiting for hard copies of the stickers, a process that previously took several weeks based on demand.
“There is a need to nurture SMEs and those in the informal sector to improve market access in the region and help them grow their businesses. Bringing KEBs services closer to the people will double and eventually triple the number of certified SMEs and MSMEs products in local, regional and international markets.
Up and coming businesses need all the support from the government, and most of it arises from smoothing the licensing processes, once the facility is operational new SMEs will not have to go through the challenges of getting their products certified in Nairobi,” noted Mr Kinyanjui.
Engineer Ngore said the standards body had acquired state-of-the-art analytical instruments, which have increased KEBs’ efficiency.
The KEBs Board of Directors chairman observed that some of tests which would have initially taken 10 days to perform now take two minutes while KEBS microbiology laboratory was now able to perform up to 25 tests in 120 seconds.
“Our equipment has expanded the scope of testing to cover organic contaminants in drinking water and other toxic elements in food products such as fish and beverages. This is in addition to testing mineral elements in animal feeds, food products and mineral supplements
Our detection limits have also improved as the new equipment are 1000 times more sensitive and have moved our detection ability to ultra-trace levels up from trace level,” Engineer Ngore said.
by Anne Mwale


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A study conducted by MyVoucherCodes notes that UK-based grandparents love their Facebook. The online coupon site surveyed 1,341 grandparents who were aged 60 or older, and found that 22 percent were active on social networking sites. The most popular sites for these grandparents were Facebook (71 percent), Twitter (34 percent) and LinkedIn (nine percent).
Clearly this trend still has momentum, as 68 percent of these socially active grandparents joined these sites in the past 12 month. More than half the respondents said they were encouraged to do so by younger relatives, such as grandchildren.
We’ll take it as a good sign that the younger generations are encouraging these social networking activities and not discouraging their grandparents from connecting with them online.


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Pay steam with bitcoins
Video games companies are more attracted to the criptomonedas like to use Bitcoin as payment.Get answers to your questions about how to pay BitPay invoices and how to avoid common payment.
Buying a Steam 🕹 Game with BitPay (Bitcoin) 💵 — SteemitThe Reddit posted explains how the in-game CS: GO items are sold on the Steam marketplace, but he looks for buyers willing to pay in Bitcoin.Where to Spend Your Bitcoins. If you have a question that you want answered and are willing to pay ten cents to a few. a proxy for the gaming service Steam.Some of the Things Available to You Through This Steam Group 1.Bitpay says it was approached by the company because it wanted to internationalize its operation, making it easier for Steam users in emerging markets to to buy games without using a credit card.
Given the atmosphere of… by leonaugus.Gamers will get a possibility to pay for games in a more secure way.How to buy Bitcoins with Paypal, Amazon Gift Cards, Debit Cards,.
eBay and PayPal to Accept Bitcoin Payments through Braintree
News: Steam soon set to take Bitcoin payments | MegaGames
Instant delivery. No fees. Choose from hundreds of retailers like Amazon, Target, Whole Foods and more.Gabe Newell: Bitcoin on Steam is Unlikely and. for gamers looking to use Bitcoin with Steam,. the Humble Indie Bundle often offers pay-what-you want indie.Valve is soon set to make Steam support bitcoin purchases as standard, thereby letting you pay for digital products with digital currency.
We need to get Steam to accept bitcoins. convert it to bitcoin, and pay using your bitcoin for the item you. who would pay steam cash whenever someone buys a.
Steam store now accepts Bitcoin payments - Neowin
Super Mario 64 Online is a romhack that allows up to 24 people to play simultaneously.Online gaming distributor Steam is planning to accept bitcoin for all purchases, according to a message posted to its Steamworks Development group.Bitcoin is an innovative payment network and a new kind of money.Find all you need to know and get started with Bitcoin on bitcoin.org.
Bitcoin News: Steam Users Can Soon Pay For Games With Bitcoin.Bitcoin is the simplest way to exchange money at very low cost.
Purchasing Games from Steam with Bitcoin is Quick and EasyYou can also go to BitcoinCodes to buy credits for Steam, Spotify, XBoxLive,.Steam has taken the world by storm and has emerged in various lucrative markets like China, India, and Brazil.The recent rumour about Steam adding bitcoin support looks to be true as the company has just officially announced that they started accepting bitcoin payments. The.Bitcoin Payments Officially Announced for Steam. GO. specializes in processing payments made in Bitcoin,. of wallet can be used to scan and pay on Steam,.
BitPay Brings Bitcoin Payments to Valve’s Online Gaming
In their recent SEC filing, eBay and PayPal confirmed plans to allow merchants with a standard account to accept bitcoin payments through third-party processor Braintree.Users will be able to use any bitcoin wallet to scan and pay.Valve has officially added support for Bitcoin payments in their Steam platform for distributing games online, meaning that millions of gamers worldwide can now pay.
Bitcoin Traders, the only group on Steam that specializes in Steam platform Bitcoin.
Steam Community Reports Coinbase Account Hacked; AllThe popular Steam computer game network has started accepting bitcoin.Bitcoin has been rarely discussed positively in the news lately.BitPay is a global bitcoin payment service provider headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.Refunds for funds purchased via G2A Pay, Bitcoin, and Skrill, are not available at this time. Your Steam name is anonymized at BitSkins for your security.
Steam is about to become the latest service to accept Bitcoins as a means of payment.Really fast and simple to pay out with Bitcoin for video games on Steam and then you can just go on enjoying them,.
Bitcoin Game ListThe Valve Corporation recently started accepting bitcoin payments on the digital distribution platform Steam.
Pay and accept payments online with G2A PAY - an online payment gateway that helps you accept local payment, credit cards, PayPal and debit cards.EA is entering the eSports scene with a new competitive gaming division led by Peter Moore.The skills required are Bitcoin, PayPal API, Steam API and Stripe.Best Sites To Buy PC Games With Bitcoin On The. methods of buying games with Bitcoin.Bitcoin Payments Officially Announced for Steam Bitpay, a company that specializes in processing payments made in Bitcoin, is announcing that it is.
Latest Steam survey reveals sales of VR headsets are grinding to a halt.Valve is going to add bitcoin payment option in future versions of game DRM platform.On Wednesday we announced that over 75,000 Shopify merchants can now start accepting Bitcoin as a form of p.


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Japanese retailer Muji this week launched the international Muji Design Awards 2001 to mark the tenth anniversary of Muji Europe. Launched in the UK, France and Belgium, the scheme calls on designers and consumers to come up with product ideas for the chain. Judges, including Richard Woolf of McDaniel Woolf, Design Council director of design and innovation Clive Grinyer, and Design Week editor Lynda Relph-Knight will look for innovation, functionality and harmony with Muji’s existing product range. Prize money totals £10 000 and winning ideas may be put into production. Contact Muji, 167-169 Great Portland Street, London W1N 5FD. Tel: 020 7323 2287
Queens of Industry runs until 2019 at Leeds Industrial Museum, and tells the stories of working women who acted as industrial ambassadors for Britain throughout the 20th century.
Architectural practice JaK Studio has created the installation, which is part of a local competition aiming to bring more tourism to the coastal area.
The tabloid has replaced the Berliner format, a new masthead has rolled out across all platforms and there’s a new pared back design offset with a colourful navigation system.
Originally designed as an affordable means of ensuring that water supplies last longer in refugee camps, Bottleshower has now been adopted by the police in response to the increasing number


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We learned previously that Square Enix would be closing the Japanese side of their official forums and replacing it with a new blog for all things Final Fantasy XV. Today, the blog has opened with a greeting message – welcoming fans with a note saying to expect more information about development and all types of events on the blog from now on. To commemorate its launch, the team also posted a new screenshot that shows the gang standing near the Astral Shard in Duscae.
Final Fantasy XV is due out on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One sometime this year. Square Enix is set to reveal the release date next month on March 30th alongside some more details about the full game and upcoming demo.


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Skip to comments.Why small manufacturers are returning to ‘Made in Canada’
Posted on 07/15/2013 5:13:17 AM PDT by Squawk 8888
The Made-in-Canada business model once seemed viable for only niche, high-end brands, such as Canada Goose, that could afford higher manufacturing labour costs. But a change may be afoot.
The movement of transferring domestic production overseas was the retailers vision to save consumers money and still is but I believe that its changing after seeing the effect it has on our economy, says Moji Korhani, co-owner of Korhani, whose rugs and home décor products are sold by such retailers as Walmart, Lowes, Canadian Tire and Home Depot.
So much was invested overseas and now the cost of living there is rising, duties are being applied, factories are collapsing and killing workers, such as what happened in Bangladesh. I think many are turning around and saying, what did we do? Mr. Korhani says.
Corporate social responsibility, however, is not the only issues causing manufacturers to take a better look at the offshoring model. The logistics of supply chain management can be complex, requiring long lead times between design and delivery and adding to cash flow pressures as companies pay for the products and then wait months before they can be sold or delivered to their customers.
There are also issues with supply chain disruptions. A couple of years ago there was a big strike in the Port of Los Angeles that lasted eight weeks. To reduce the impact of such a disruption, you need to create a buffer. One way to do that is to manufacture locally, says Murat Kristal, an associate professor of operations management at Schulich School of Business.
Fifteen years ago, the choice was simple for Canadian manufacturers. You did the design here and outsourced your manufacturing in Asia. Now the choice is not so clear. Manufacturing in Canada has become a serious contender, he says.
(Excerpt) Read more at business.financialpost.com ...
How about Made in America.
Just saying. We import everything.
Bring manufacturing back home.
My Broil King is a fine piece of equipment for a decent price.Made in Canada and I’m happy.
I’m naturally all for “Made in USA.” But there are some very good products made in Canada, too; such as, Prevost coaches, Western Star truck tractors, Bombardier commuter jets, etc.
We used to have a “Northern Reflections” clothing store in our local mall. Loved the clothes. I’m pretty sure they were made in Canada. They closed all the US Stores. Too bad.
Companies with any sense see the potential for hundreds of Hugo Chavezes to sprout-up around the world in these places and begin confiscating their investments in plants and infrastructure.
I agree, both Canada and the United States need to bring back the manufacturing base.


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It’s been a while since we last heard of any significant makeup launches but we guarantee you this new launch is going to grab your attention. Carolina Herrera, the perpetually classic brand, has just announced the launch of their first-ever makeup collection. For those in the know, they perhaps might recall that almost 31 years ago Carolina Herrera debuted their signature perfume, and till now that was their only foray into the beauty world. But that all changes mid-March when the entire Carolina Herrera Makeup collection launches first in Harrods, then online and in the Middle East.
The makeup collection was first introduced during Carolina Herrera’s F/W ’20 show on February 10th, where the models were seen sporting vibrant shades of lipstick from the new collection. The makeup collection is expected to include 36 shades of lipstick in different finishes including sheer, satin, and matte. In addition to the lipsticks eight powders are included, one cream-to-powder highlighter, a skin mattifier, a powder brush, and a retractable lip brush. The price point is expected to start at Euro 49.
What’s interesting to note is that after their launch in Harrods, their only brick-and-mortar stores will be located in the Middle East. Their packaging is another major point of attraction; the lipstick tubes come in these luxurious gilded cases that come with their own charms and tassels and all boast various designs and prints such as polka dots, zebra stripes and the house’s archival prints. Everything is customisable, customers have the option to choose the charms and the case print in addition to the lipstick finish.
The models strutted down the runway in their floor-length gowns all boasting full brows and luminescent skin in addition to their full vibrant lips. And now you can easily achieve that enviable look with the launch of their much-anticipated makeup collection. We literally can’t wait to give it a try.


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AN OTHERWISE bog standard sale of a truckload of wheat by a central NSW farmer to Fletcher International Exports may one day be remembered as the start of a revolution in how grain is sold.
Agricultural technology business AgriDigital successfully executed the world’s first settlement of the sale of an agricultural commodity on a blockchain by processing the sale of 23.46 tonnes of grain from David Whillock to Fletchers.
The pilot project saw the sale successfully executed and Mr Whillock paid within the hour.
Executive chairman of AgriDigital Bob McKay said the technology could revolutionise the way grain was sold.
“There certainly is the scope for real time payment, which would reduce farmers’ counterparty risk.”
He also said the data-rich systems used in blockchains would make it easier to do things such as deduct levy payments to the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) simply.
“It is also fantastic in terms of improving traceability which we see becoming increasingly important as consumers demand to know more about where their food comes from.”
Mr McKay said at present the project was in its pilot stage, but added he hoped to have some sort of commercial product available to the industry for next harvest.
During the pilot, the AgriDigital SaaS platform was connected to a multi-node private Ethereum blockchain network.
AgriDigital managed the nodes, acting as operator, buyer, and regulator to create an example of how the system would work in the future.
A smart contract from the proprietary AgriDigital library auto-executed the settlement by first valuing the delivery, then verifying that the buyer had sufficient funds to pay the grower, and then securing the funds in the grower’s name pending delivery. Once the grower made the physical delivery, the title for the grain was transferred to the buyer as the grower payment was simultaneously created from the reserved funds.
Grain Producers Australia (GPA) chairman Andrew Weidemann said growers were interested in the concept.
“Anything that can be used to shorten payment terms and to reduce counterparty risk is a good thing.”
“It is obviously not something that is going to be in place overnight and obviously we need the trade to buy in, but there is promise in what is being done.”
He pointed to the change in payment terms over the past three seasons as how cultural shifts could push through the industry.
“We have seen payment terms come in markedly with a lot of buyers and that is a reflection of farmers voting with their feet.”
Market Check director Brett Stevenson said the system could also help traders cut out on back office inefficiencies.
“It will take out a lot of the bureaucracy, the back office sort of stuff which is exciting.”
“If the system can cut the cost of transactions it will be really good for everyone, but the key will be get the industry in behind it, you need uptake for this type of concept to succeed.”
Mr McKay said the idea with the system was to keep human interaction to a minimum.
“We’ve got it set up so it can cope with issues such as quality payments for protein or oil depending on the commodity and it does that from the readings at the weighbridge.”
Moving into 2017, AgriDigital plans to execute a similar pilot within the Canadian grains industry.


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Just one month and one day after the Singles’ Day shopping frenzy of November 11, Chinese retailers geared up again for a somewhat smaller day of big sales on December 12. Among the highlights combining content and commerce surrounding the event:
- E-commerce platform JD.com created a “Heartwarming Theme Park” (暖心游乐园) campaign with popular Disney and Marvel IP. Characters including Mickey Mouse, Elsa, Iron Man and others were added to JD.com’s “2019 Idol Group.”
- Several brands released short films for 12.12. China Unionpay continues its ongoing branded film streak with “Pujie’s Winter” (普杰的冬天), a social-welfare movie about the plight of left-behind children.
- Another notable film with a connection to a cause is Save the Children’s collaboration with TBWA, “Beautiful Fairytale” (美丽的童话), which shared three true stories of the charity’s work.
- Alibaba’s secondhand goods platform Idle Fish launched a project called “Polish the People’s Treasures” (擦亮人民的宝贝) focused on traditional arts and crafts, with a series of videos introducing various craftspeople. More than 100 folk treasures were featured on the Idle Fish app to further educate consumers about the traditions behind them.
- Mobile-phone maker Xiaomi poked fun at Gen Z with its series of “advertising memes that Gen Z doesn’t get” (00后看不懂的广告梗). Looking back at some classic ads, Xiaomi proposed universal template for commercials, which it used to make ads for its new products, while also inviting other brands to use the template.
Ent Group’s latest analysis of popular TV dramas in November looked at recent examples of creative brand integrations on several series:
- The production team on Youku’s “Royal Nirvana” (鹤唳华亭) created commercials based on the costume drama’s storyline, such as an ad for Guazi secondhand cars that included a celebrity endorsement, and special graphic effects for Vivo’s S5 smartphone that were featured during the episode recaps.
- On fantasy drama “Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain” (从前有座灵剑山), a two-minute long commercial for 999 cold medicine took the form of a comical music video for the viral hit song “Wolf Disco” with the series’ actors in costume.
- China’s tea culture is a key element on iQiyi’s “When Shui Met Mo: A Love Story” (水墨人生), which follows the romance between a wealthy tea merchant’s son and a tea-leaf picker. The series was sponsored by trendy teahouse chain InWe Tea, which transformed one of its locations into a themed pop-up shop decorated in line with the series’ ink-painting influences, and the show’s stars on hand to work the registers.
Online education company Xueersi launched a musical group with 11 of its leading tutors. The XES Teacher Band released a music video for their first single, “Poetry Is Calling” (诗词在召唤), that has drawn a lot of attention on Weibo through its innovative combination of pedagogy and catchy tunes. The song’s lyrics refer to classical Chinese poetry, while the dance moves used in the video are intended as an aid to memorization. Viewers have also been impressed by the academic credentials of the band, which includes graduates of Harvard, Tsinghua and Peking University.
McDonald’s China is collaborating with designer Alexander Wang to promote its upcoming “King’s Black Gold” menu through jointly branded handbags and more. On December 10, McDonald’s launched sales of two handbags designed by Wang on Tmall: a very limited-edition sheepskin-lined black picnic-style basket and a small tote inspired by the fast-food chain’s brown paper bags. On December 25, McDonald’s will begin offering new menu items and other products in packaging designed by Wang.
Christmas is not officially observed in China, but brands both foreign and domestic are hard at work developing marketing campaigns around the holiday, which has long held romantic connotations among young Chinese who are open to celebrating in various ways. Himo Photo Studios turned to Iceland as the inspiration for its fifth annual Christmas photo package offering, which this year includes a virtual character that can be included in photo shoots. Himo has promoted its Christmas offerings via celebrities and influencers on various social media platforms, with the “Himo Christmas photo” hashtag drawing more than 210 million views on Weibo, while related videos on Douyin were watched some 20 million times.
News in English
- Chinese video-streaming services such as Tencent Video are increasingly dependent on paid subscribers for revenue growth, but risk alienating their paying viewers when they demand additional fees for advance access to their most popular series. Radii
- Short-video app Douyin is expanding its push into e-commerce with a new feature that allows users to see multiple relevant products (instead of just one) after clicking on a video ad. Technode
- Douyin parent Bytedance has been partnering with Chinese state-run media organizations to provide content for its news aggregation app Jinri Toutiao, and recently formed a joint venture with one of them. Reuters
- More scrutiny is on the horizon for Douyin’s overseas counterpart TikTok as it moves to expand branded content: Marketing experts and consumer advocacy groups in the U.S. are concerned about the lack of disclosure on sponsored videos and seek involvement from the Federal Trade Commission. Morning Consult
- American ad agencies are also complaining that Bytedance has been meddling with TikTok’s marketing in the U.S. market. Ad Age
- Meanwhile, Douyin rival Kuaishou, which is backed by Tencent, reports that it has more than 100 million daily viewers of livestreaming broadcasts on its platform, and is aiming to reach 300 million overall daily active users by the 2020 Lunar New Year in late January. KrAsia
- The digital transformation of global luxury brands is being driven by China’s millennial and Gen Z consumers, whose online savviness and demands for engaging marketing are pushing the brands to develop increasingly creative and entertaining campaigns that will resonate with them. Pandaily
We’ve Got China Covered
- CFI: 2019 Year in Review: Top 10 Blockbusters in Chinese Cinema
- Jing Daily: E-commerce in 2019: Year of the Livestreamer
- Jing Travel: Kazakhstan Pitching China with KOL Campaigns


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A new report by Packaged Facts, “Kids Food and Beverage Market in the U.S., 8th Edition,” children often make brand selections for a family and have a disproportionate say in household grocery purchases and decisions.
In fact, according to the report, more than a quarter of parents (26%) learn about a new product as a request from their child. Kids aged 6+ in particular wield a considerable amount of purchasing power, but in reality brand loyalty is nurtured in children even younger.
“Children under age six are just as important to marketers as older children are because life-long dietary habits are established during this time period and brand loyalty begins,” said David Sprinkle, research director, Packaged Facts. “This suggests industry players should focus on product development designed to capture younger kids and gain allegiance from parents earlier to keep them involved with the brand throughout childhood.”
Ultimately the items that end up in parents’ shopping carts stem from an assortment of factors. Chief among them are:
What brands or products are recognizable to the children?
What do parents deem healthiest and most nutritious for their children?
What foods do kids themselves enjoy eating?
What’s recommended by parents’ peers either directly or through social media and online reviews?
The importance of this second factor—what foods are perceived as healthier options for children—can’t be understated.
According to the “Shopping for Health 2016” report from the Food Marketing Institute and Rodale, a product’s healthfulness for children influences 91% of parents’ food and beverage purchases. On a related note, Packaged Facts found that nearly half (46%) of parents consider nutritional value as a top influencer. These findings indicate the degree to which health and diet are influencing choices within the market. As Packaged Facts found in the report, healthy innovation is emerging within every segment of the kids food market, even among categories not typically associated with health, like sweet and salty snacks.
“Companies or brands dedicated to eliminating or reducing unhealthful ingredients will find a strong following of parents, particularly parents of the boomer generation or those with kids aged 6-11. Likewise, the hidden veggie trend is most important to Millennial parents—reflecting this demographics’ desire for functional foods,” said Sprinkle.
Now in its eighth edition, Kids Food and Beverage Market in the U.S. follows in the tradition of its predecessors by offering all the essential insights, trends, data, and projections necessary to thrive in this complex and competitive market segment. For more information on Kids Food and Beverage Market in the U.S., 8th Edition or to purchase the report visit: http://www.packagedfacts.com/Kids-Food-Beverage-9896631/.


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HMSI crosses 11 lakh sales mark for BS-VI compliant two wheelers1 min read . Updated: 24 Jul 2020, 05:27 PM IST
The company said it had ended 2019-20 fiscal with sales of over 6.5 lakh units of BS-VI compliant two-wheelers
New Delhi: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India (HMSI) on Friday said it has crossed 11 lakh cumulative sales mark in the domestic market for BS-VI compliant two-wheelers.
The company said it had ended 2019-20 fiscal with sales of over 6.5 lakh units of BS-VI compliant two-wheelers.
“It's a matter of great pride for us at Honda, that our 11 advanced BS-VI models have won the vote of confidence and created a new joy of riding among customers across India," HMSI Director - Sales and Marketing Yadvinder Singh Guleria said in a statement.
The company's product portfolio stands out as the industry's most diverse starting from 110cc scooters and motorcycles going up to 1,100cc premium adventure bikes, he added. "As many customers are now preferring personal mobility for safety and hygiene in the challenging times of new normal, Honda is unlocking new value with its many initiatives like online bookings, and attractive retail finance schemes," Guleria said.
This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.


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But the Swedish automaker doesn’t plan on doing it just once. In fact, Koenigsegg plans on setting the production lap record with its Agera R model, besting the current record of 6:57 held by the Porsche 918 Spyder, then, the company plans to beat its own record with the 1,340-hp One:1 model.
According to Koenigsegg’s founder, Christian von Koenigsegg, the One:1 is capable of taking “a very significant chunk” out of the Porsche 918 Spyder’s current time. Koenigsegg believes setting the lap record is one of the ways to prove itself on the supercar market and the automaker has already done extensive testing this year and plans to make its record-setting attempts in 2015.
If you’re simply comparing specifications, the Agera R is capable of dethroning the 918 Spyder and the One:1 is more than venerable enough too with impressive performance paired to a car that weighs 3,100 lbs. From the onset, the plan was to solidify the One:1 as the fastest car in the world and a Nürburgring lap record would only help support that stance.
GALLERY: Koenigsegg Agera One:1
[Source: Car and Driver]
Discuss this story at our luxury lifestyle forum


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Hunger-combating app joins forces with the same-day delivery innovator to expand food waste management programs in six major U.S. markets with more to come later this year.
ATLANTA, GA. — MAY 28, 2019 — Goodr, a real-time food rescue app built on blockchain, today announced its express delivery partnership with Roadie, the on-the-way delivery service with the nation’s largest local same-day delivery footprint. Through the partnership, Goodr can now rapidly deploy and expand its food management program to any market in the country, allowing businesses and restaurants to conveniently donate surplus food deliveries to people and local charities in need.
“We believe that hunger isn’t a scarcity issue, but a logistics issue,” said Jasmine Crowe, Founder & CEO of Goodr. “Americans waste over 133 billion pounds of perfectly edible food each year, much of that coming from restaurants and grocery stores. Working with Roadie allows us to quickly expand to new markets and new organizations in need at a much faster rate than if we were to build our own fleet.”
The first of its kind to utilize blockchain for social good, Goodr’s food waste management platform provides a secure ledger to track an organization’s surplus food waste from pickup to donation, unlocking significant tax deductions and helping predict where organizations order too much food.
The model also reduces an organization’s greenhouse emissions from landfills, decreases its waste bill, and gets edible surplus food to local communities in need. Since its launch, companies using Goodr have donated nearly 2 million pounds of food and have saved nearly $8 million in tax benefits.
The partnership marks the first time Goodr has outsourced its logistics platform to deliver unused food at scale. The company will utilize Roadie’s crowdsourced model, which taps into unused capacity in passenger vehicles already on the road, to get surplus food delivered same-day to food donation centers like churches or shelters.
“People helping people has been at the core of Roadie since day one, and partnering with Goodr to rescue and redistribute food exemplifies the very best of our community,” said Marc Gorlin, Founder & CEO of Roadie. “Because we’re tapping into latent capacity already on the road, our model makes it easy and convenient to rapidly donate meals at scale to people in need, at any time, anywhere.”
The partnership has launched in six major U.S. markets, including Atlanta, Raleigh, Washington D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, with more to come later this year.
“We have been able to accelerate our food rescue programs to service communities in multiple cities thanks to Roadie’s ability to scale delivery to the demand of any market,” added Jasmine Crowe. “This partnership offers Goodr a faster, easier way to bring its programs to any city nationwide.”
Since its 2015 launch, Roadie has grown to over 120,000 verified drivers nationwide and now covers 89 percent of U.S. households — the largest same-day delivery footprint in the nation.


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Tesla’s Used Car Price Bubble has Firmly Popped
Used Teslas have historically traded at a premium in the US of A, but it would seem that those days are rapidly disappearing in the rear-view mirror as demand for the brand is plummeting. Just in the past few months since summer, the price of a used Tesla across the pond in Americaland has dropped by almost 20%. From a peak of USD67,000, they now stand at USD55,000, according to a report carried by Reuters; during the same period, the overall price of other used cars has fallen just 4%.
The high prices for used Teslas are now a distant memory from the heady days of the pandemic when a used car actually sold for more than a new one. Interestingly, almost a third of the Teslas up for sale are recent 2022 models, which could be a sign that the demand in new sales was driven by the buyers’ aim of flipping the vehicle at a profit. This compares to about 5% for other brands, according to data from research Firm Edmunds.
The fact that you cannot sell a Tesla for more than you paid for it now will dent demand for new cars and this is already weighing on the minds of shareholders. The share price has dropped some 44% in the month of December, meaning that Tesla is no longer in the list of top ten largest US companies, although they are still the world’s most valuable car business with a market cap of USD350 billion, compared to Toyota’s USD222 billion. Some of the fall may be a distraction caused by Elon Musk’s foray into Twitter, of course.
Tesla, like other EV manufacturers, is running into some serious issues, ranging from ever increasing competition brought on largely by looming government bans on new ICE vehicles leading to ever-increasing costs of key components like batteries to the lack of infrastructure for charging the new-normal EV-World. Then, of course, there is the small issue of residual value of an EV with worn-out batteries with the replacement costing more than the sticker price of a new car


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m5 forum News Stories
Next gen M5 shows off front bumper designby Tim Jones on August 09, 2016 at 07:38:00 AM
While out testing the next generation M5 gives us a good look at the front bumper design. It can be summed up in one word, aggressive!
To keep the M5 rumored 600 hp cool the front bumper is all air intakes for the engine and auxiliary cooling. The styling borrows heavily from the M3/M4.
Next gen G30 M5 spied testingby Tim Jones on March 29, 2016 at 06:58:00 PM
BMW M is caught working on the next gen M5 version. This prototype is sporting fake lights, but reveals more of the front bumper then we have seen before.
Power will come from a modified version of the current M5īs engine and for the first time the M5 will get xDrive as well. Power will be managed by a dual clutch transmission, manually will not be offered.
What does the F10 M5 Needs? Turner says 'some exhaust noise to with all this power'by Tim Jones on March 22, 2013 at 09:08:00 AM
What does the F10 M5 need? More sound and power, of course! Enter the Turner Motorsport F10 M5 axle back exhaust system. Crafted from 304 stainless steal with 4" tips to fill out the rear bumper. The exhausts adds 14hp and 19ft-lbs to your M5.
TMS M5 on Vorsteiner VS-340by Tim Jones on December 23, 2012 at 10:00:00 AM
The modifications to Turner Motorsport's 2012 BMW M5 just don't stop. The 500 horsepower twin turbo V8s latest upgrade is a set of 21" Vorsteiner VS-340 wheels.
Head 2 Head - BMW M5 vs Porsche Panamera GTSby Tim Jones on October 01, 2012 at 04:27:34 PM
On this episode of Head 2 Head, Motor Trend's Jonny Lieberman pits the 2013 BMW M5 against the 2013 Porsche Panamera GTS in an epic super sedan showdown. The battle begins in California's Mojave desert with a classic quarter-mile drag race. Then Jonny takes both V-8 powered sports saloons up to Big Bear, California to find out which one carves up the winding mountain roads the best....
CNET on Cars - 2013 BMW M5by Tim Jones on September 15, 2012 at 10:00:00 AM
CNET on Cars gives the 2013 BMW M5 a shake down. Watch the video to see what they thing of the all new F10 M5.


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Over 50 million Facebook users have had their personal information breached.
“We’re taking it really seriously,” Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s CEO and founder said in a public statement regarding the new breach. “We have a major security effort at the company that hardens all of our surfaces.”
He continued, “I’m glad we found this. But it definitely is an issue that this happened in the first place.”
Over 90 million Facebook users were logged out of their accounts on Friday morning and forced to log back in — a standard procedure when the company has a security breach.
Facebook is still in the beginning stages of an investigation and has yet to identify the attackers.
“We also don’t know who’s behind these attacks or where they’re based,” Facebook’s vice president of product management, Guy Rosen, wrote in a public statement.
“We’re working hard to better understand these details — and we will update this post when we have more information, or if the facts change. In addition, if we find more affected accounts, we will immediately reset their access tokens.”
The hackers used a glitch in the company’s code that allowed them to take over people’s accounts. The bug was in a new “View as” feature from the social media company. The feature allows users to view their own profiles as if they were different people. The feature was meant to be a new security measure for the site.
Facebook has reportedly addressed and fixed the vulnerability.
The company confirmed that the personal information hacked included users’ age, place of residence, and gender.
The company said no credit card information was breached — and it doesn’t know whether private messages were hacked.
The breach comes at a bad time for the social media company as it continues to deal with the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which revealed that users’ personal information was being shared and used improperly.
“We have a responsibility to protect your data, and if we can’t, then we don’t deserve to serve you,” Zuckerberg said earlier this year when addressing the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
The company has also been accused recently of suppressing conservative voices while propping up liberal ones.
This latest information breach could not come at a worse time for Facebook.
In a year that is supposed to be about rebuilding trust with users, the social media company is continuously being revealed as a biased and unsafe place for users to store their information and share their thoughts.
Facebook and Zuckerberg’s uphill journey to regaining public trust just became even steeper.


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We’re now just weeks away from the possible launch of Samsung’s next flagship smartphone – the Samsung Galaxy S9.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 is a long-rumoured successor to last year’s hugely popular Galaxy S8. It’s a flagship phone that’s expected to arrive in early 2018, boasting blisteringly fast hardware.
For design, we’re expecting to see similar styling to last year’s Galaxy S8. That means an all-screen front with an even slimmer bezel – Samsung calls it the ‘Infinity Display’.
Rumours from industry sources suggest that the same 5.8-inch Super AMOLED screen will be retained too, with its quirky 18.5:9 aspect ratio to boot. The end result could be a slim, space-age phone with an incredible 90% screen-to-body ratio – up from 84% on the Galaxy S8.
The South Korean tech giant is developing a camera that can shoot video at 1,000 frames per second, which would trump the competition. For comparison, Apple’s new iPhone X only shoots slow-mo video at 240 frames per second.
Performance is probably going to be great too. The phone is likely to use Samsung’s own Exynos 9810 processor, or Qualcomm’s similarly powerful Snapdragon 845 – also built by Samsung. The Snapdragon 845 is an octa-core chip running at 2.8GHz, and is said to offer a 30% performance boost over its predecessor.
We won’t know official pricing for a while, but it’s fair to say that the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus will probably be very expensive.


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Yesterday, UnixWare/OpenServer vendor Xinuos filed a lawsuit in the US Virgin Islands, alleging intellectual property theft and monopolistic market collusion against joint defendants IBM and Red Hat.
If this sounds like a familiar, worn-out story, it should. Xinuos is the company that bought the remnants of the SCO Group in 2011. The SCO Group, in turn, is a company best known not for its actual products, but for its lawsuits against IBM and Linux. That lawsuit began in 2003 — funded in part by a very different Microsoft, just five years after the leak of the Halloween documents in which Microsoft acknowledged the “long-term viability” of open source software and discussed strategies to push it out of the market.
At the heart of the original lawsuit is SCO’s claim that IBM took proprietary code from SCO Unix and inserted it into the Linux kernel. The next 18 years were not favorable for SCO, which first filed for bankruptcy in 2007 and then sold its intellectual property (but not its litigation rights) in 2011 to Xinuos, then called UnXis.
Here’s a short timeline:
- March 2003 – SCO Group claims ownership of AT&T Unix, Linux is an unauthorized derivative of AT&T Unix, and IBM has violated contractual obligations by distributing Linux
- May 2003 – Novell publicly states that SCO does not own the intellectual property of AT&T Unix in question, Novell does
- January 2004 – Novell publicly releases all Linux users from lawsuits over AT&T Unix intellectual property. SCO responds through Novell . to sue
- July 2005 – Novell sues SCO, seeking damages in excess of SCO’s assets
- August 2007 – US Federal Judge Kimball rules that Novell owns the UNIX and UnixWare copyrights
- August 2009 – US 10th Circuit Court of Appeals partially overturns Kimball’s ruling, allowing SCO to continue pursuing Unix copyright ownership
- June 2010 – Jury reaches unanimous verdict confirming Novell ownership of Unix copyrights
- July 2010 – SCO Appeal SCO v. Novello again
- August 2011 – Court of Appeal upholds decision for Novell
The observant reader will note that although SCO v. Novello was decided, appealed, affirmed, appealed again and finally confirmed in 2011, SCO v. IBM was still going on in 2011, when Xinuos (then UnXis) bought the intellectual property from SCO. That zombie lawsuit is — with all conviction —still pending today… and now comes an extremely similar lawsuit from Xinuos, who you will recall owns the rest of the SCO Group.
The new lawsuit alleges that IBM incorporated unspecified code from the company’s UnixWare and OpenServer code into IBM’s own AIX operating system. It also claims that IBM and Red Hat colluded directly – at one point; the lawsuit offers no timeline – to divide the entire Unix-like OS market into major business opportunities for IBM and smaller opportunities for Red Hat, leaving Xinuos out in the cold:
First, IBM stole the intellectual property from Xinuos and used that stolen property to build and sell a product to compete with Xinuos itself. Second, with stolen property at the hands of IBM, IBM and Red Hat agreed to divide the relevant market and use their growing market power to victimize consumers, innovative competitors and innovation itself. Third, after IBM and Red Hat launched their conspiracy, IBM then acquired Red Hat to consolidate their plan and make it permanent.
Xinuos elaborates on the damage it believes it felt in the full lawsuit:
As a result of these activities, Xinuos has been excluded from significant opportunities in the market. For example, despite Xinuos offering a FreeBSD-based operating system of significant commercial value to business users, Xinuos was unable to secure as much financial support or customer interest in OpenServer 10 as it could and should have due to market conditions. Indeed, the market has been so disrupted that Xinuos has found that over 70% fewer of its customers are able to license its new operating system than would be available in a functioning market. The shielding effect on Xinuos is also felt by all competitors.
Even more astonishing, the company claims that IBM is expressly out to destroy FreeBSD as a whole:
IBM’s strategy with Red Hat was expressly to destroy FreeBSD, on which Xinuos’ most recent innovations are based.
And it goes on to demand not just damages, but the complete undoing of IBM’s acquisition of Red Hat:
The merger must be declared illegal in violation of at least section 7 of the Clayton Act, and IBM and Red Hat must be ordered to divest each other and null and void all associated agreements between them.
The “Fact Background” section ends with this bold statement, on page 44 of Xinuos’ 57-page complaint:
The result has made it impossible for Xinuos to compete on fair terms and has denied consumers access to Xinuos’ high-quality products. The result is also a highly dysfunctional market. High-quality products have no penetration capabilities. Budding rivals have no chance to grow. Prices are skyrocketing. Enough is enough. IBM and Red Hat have abused their control of the Unix/Linux operating system market for far too long, and intervention is the only way to fix what they’ve broken.
It’s worth noting that the complaint makes absolutely no mention of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server or Ubuntu – either one might come to the mind of a reasonable onlooker thinking of “rivals” of Red Hat Enterprise Linux – and no mention is made of it. explanation for the market growth experienced by those distributions.