text:
Coinbase Commerce is putting ethereum’s most recent upgrade, Constantinople, to use for thousands of retailers and merchants around the world.
Launched early last year, Coinbase Commerce is an app for online vendors wanting to accept payments in crypto and integrate these purchases into existing business cash flows.
As reported by CoinDesk in May, over $50 million in transactions have been processed through Coinbase Commerce by 2,000 merchant clients, including e-commerce giant Shopify.
Recently, the application added support for ethereum-based stablecoin USDC. On Wednesday, Coinbase Commerce software engineer Bojan Joveski released a blog post discussing the new ethereum feature that makes USDC payments possible.
“CREATE2 is very recent addition to the ethereum ecosystem and it’s very important because it enables workflows that were impossible or at least very impractical before,” said Joveski. “Now, developers can simulate interactions with the blockchain without deploying their [smart] contracts on there.”
“This is very neat because it enables huge savings for cost.”
CREATE2 was activated on the ethereum blockchain in February as part of a larger systemwide upgrade known as Constantinople.
According to Joveski, the implications of his report suggest a cost-effective and secure way for Coinbase Commerce to support virtually any ethereum-based ERC-20 token, not just USDC. What’s more, it’s not only payments on the ethereum blockchain that Joveski suspects can benefit from the CREATE2 feature.
“The same structure of how we architected these smart contracts can be used for a number of uses cases that go beyond payments,” said Joveski. “Any interaction where some service provider needs to eagerly offer some items for sale or tokens related to gaming they can re-apply the same principles we’ve used here.”
How CREATE2 works
Originally proposed by the founder of ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum Improvement Proposal 1014, or “CREATE2,” adds a new operation code enabling developers to deploy a smart contract on ethereum in the future tense.
Rather than committing every interaction to a smart contract on the blockchain, CREATE2 allows for what Hubert Ritzdorf, CTO of smart-contract audit firm Chain Security, calls “deterministic deployment.”
“When you deploy a new smart contract on ethereum, what happens is that [the network] computes the address to where the contract will be deployed. You know this ahead of time but it depends on a lot of variables,” Ritzdorf told CoinDesk in February. “CREATE2 makes it easier to say, ‘We will deploy in the future a contract to this particular address.’”
As such, on Coinbase Commerce, smart contracts facilitating the payment and receipt of USDC tokens only have to interact and pay fees to the ethereum blockchain for final settlement. Initial smart-contract interactions such as address confirmations happen off-chain thanks to CREATE2, according to Joveski.
“Without CREATE2 … we would need to deploy to the blockchain in order to show you the address you can pay to,” said Joveski, adding:
“[With CREATE2] I can show you an address that doesn’t exist on the blockchain but that you can pay to.”
This not only saves Coinbase Commerce on gas costs but also, as Joveski highlights, discourages the initiation of fake payments since these are only committed to the blockchain upon final settlement.
For now, initiating payments of USDC on Coinbase Commerce is free for all customers. This may change into a paid feature, according to a Coinbase representative, once smart-contract-based payments on the application are sufficiently streamlined.
This being the first design and deployment by Coinbase of a commercial payments system on ethereum, Joveski said:
“What is novel about this is that the ethereum ecosystem is releasing all these new features. This is essentially one of the first tries to use those features and build a secure [payments] system on the platform.”
Brian Armstrong image via CoinDesk archives


text:
The premium Sosa Fruit Drink of Rite Foods Limited, with its five unique flavours comprising the Orange, Apple, Cranberry, Orange, Passion & Mango, and Mixed-Berries, available in 35cl and 1-litre packs, have received Halal Certification for its quality standard that has made it the leading brand in its market segment.
Also, the company’s award-winning Bigi carbonated soft drink brand with its 13 variants, Fearless Energy Drink with its two variants and its nutritional Bigi and Rite Sausages which were certified last year have been Halal re-certified, having being produced under consistent quality hygienic condition with the required nutritional value.
The globally recognized Halal Certification which is from the Halal Certification Authority was attained after a series of inspections and tests on products and manufacturing processes by the body has shown that it has met international standards and best practices according to Islamic law. Also, such products can be consumed by Muslims in Islamic and Western countries.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony at Rite Foods’ head office in Lagos, on Friday, 16th June 2023, the Chairman of Halal Certification Authority (HCA), Professor Ibrahim Oreagba, said the Sosa Fruit Drink has truly merited the certification as it is of global standards and has met the production requirements that are acceptable to the Authority.
He stated that the landmark achievement culminated from the inspection of Rite Foods facilities in January and after due process, the authority has found the company’s refreshing Sosa Fruit Drink with its satisfying taste worthy of the certification. “I congratulate Rite Foods for its innovativeness as its Sosa Fruit Drink has passed our quality assessment processes that considers a product good for consumers, hence the certification and the Halal label it will continue to bear. This shows it is hygienic, healthy, and follows Halal procedures. ” Oreagba affirmed.
He added that other brands like the Bigi carbonated soft drink, Fearless Energy Drink, as well as the Bigi and Rite sausages, have been Halal re-certified due to the high-quality the brands have continued to sustain.
Consequently, the Chief Chemical Analyst of Halal Certification Authority, Mrs. Kabirat Ajani, commended Rite Foods for its top-notch Sosa Fruit Drink and its interest in Halal. She admitted that Halal labels on the product will attest to its distinctiveness and acceptable standards, like the Bigi soft drink, Fearless Energy Drink and Sausage brands which have received Halal re-certification.
In his remark, the National Sales Manager of Rite Foods Limited, Mr. Yunus Adeniran, asserted that the Proudly Nigerian company with an unrivalled brand portfolio is poised towards the delivery of unparalleled products, like the Sosa Fruit Drink, that cater to the needs of the various demographics and manufactured with up-to-the-minute technology with the use of artificial intelligence in line with global standards.

domain: news


text:
Farmers and food entrepreneurs have a new way to boost their business, thanks to a new community micro loan program.
Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology and Grain Train Natural Foods Market have teamed up to offer low-interest loans for farms and food related businesses in Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, and Otsego counties.
Farmers, agribusinesses, and food business entrepreneurs are invited to apply for this micro loan program aimed at enhancing the food and farming network in the Northwestern Lower Peninsula.
Ideal candidates will propose an idea that would boost a farm or food business and elevate the region’s local food system.
Applicants can apply for loans between $500 and $6,000. Loans will have a 2.5% interest rate with 18-month repayment terms. There is no application fee.
Uses for the loan may include, but are not limited to: essential tools for the farm or food business, materials, land, livestock or infrastructure, certification costs, professional development expenses, value-added product production, marketing and distribution costs, and expenses related to processing and packaging of farm products.
Applicants using sustainable practices are strongly encouraged, but they are not a requirement.
“We at Crosshatch, along with The Grain Train, see a demand for more local food in the community and wanted to help farmers on the ground by getting tools in their hands and increasing their capacity to process or package.” Jen Schaap, Food and Farming Programs Coordinator for Crosshatch, said. “We’re excited to see how these individual ideas will have a wider-reaching positive effect on the region’s local food system.”
Providing a micro loan for area farmers and food business entrepreneurs has the potential to affect change on the whole region.
The easier it is for farmers to do their work, the more local food we’ll see at the market.
Crosshatch and Grain Train hope that this program will continue and grow as the years go on, providing more opportunity to strengthen the local economy and keeping Michigan focused on healthy, sustainable food for all.
The micro loan program kicks off March 1 and the deadline to apply is May 3.
The loans will be distributed in June of 2016 and borrowers will be required to have three meetings with the loan administrators throughout the term to discuss how their project is evolving.


text:
Thrive Internet Marketing Agency continues to prove that better never stops, ranking once again on Inc. magazine’s annual list of 5000 fastest-growing private companies in the United States six years in a row.
For over four decades, Inc. magazine has celebrated the country’s top-performing private businesses that have achieved a significant three-year revenue growth. The companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 list represent the fastest-growing private companies that have demonstrated resilience and the ability to succeed despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic and global economic uncertainty.
This year, Thrive ranks No. 2,820 across industries and No. 265 overall among companies in Texas, with a 196 percent three-year revenue growth from 2018 to 2021.
Thrive continues to establish itself as a leading digital marketing company, ranking No. 250 overall among advertising/marketing companies and No. 17 among digital marketing agencies in Texas. Thrive also remains among the top five web marketing firms in the city of Dallas, ranking No. 4 overall.
“We’re extremely proud and humbled to make the Inc. 5000 list for a sixth consecutive year. What an incredible accomplishment for Thrive,” said Matt Bowman, Thrive’s founder and president. “I’d like to thank our incredible and talented team for their hard work and dedication. This recognition shows you that we know how to grow our own business and we do the same thing every day for our loyal clients. It’s an honor to be a part of such a great team.”
In 2021, Thrive ranked No. 1,459 across industries and No. 109 among advertising agencies, with a 325 percent increase in revenue growth.
From 2016 to 2021, Thrive grew its sales qualified leads by 1,257.9 percent and its organic website traffic by 1,750.4 percent. Thrive’s steady growth has allowed us to maintain our ranking as one of the leading private companies in America and provide job opportunities to more than 200 digital marketing professionals across the globe.
About Thrive Internet Marketing Agency
Thrive Internet Marketing Agency is an award-winning digital marketing firm recognized by leading review sites, such as Clutch and UpCity, for its unparalleled commitment to client success.
We offer a diverse range of digital marketing services, including search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) marketing, social media brand management, web design and development and eCommerce marketing, designed for businesses to increase digital audience and sales.
Since 2005, Thrive has partnered with thousands of businesses across industries and propelled their digital success. We implement tailored strategies based on our growth formula to ensure all our partner agencies achieve digital marketing growth.
For more information about hiring the right full-service digital marketing agency to help your business grow, contact Thrive Internet Marketing Agency today at 866-434-4748 or online.
Thrive Internet Marketing Agency’s Inc. 5000 Breakdown:
|City of Dallas
|Overall (Among Advertising/Marketing Companies)
|Texas (Among Advertising/Marketing Companies)
|City of Dallas (Among Advertising/Marketing Companies)


text:
Beyoncé album sets iTunes sales record, tops Billboard chart
|Report an Error|
Share via Email
LOS ANGELES—R&B star Beyoncé’s latest self-titled album surpassed 1 million copies sold worldwide in six days on Wednesday and set a record for iTunes, Apple Inc. and Columbia Records said.
Beyoncé, the fifth solo studio album from the singer, unexpectedly released in the early hours of Dec. 13 without any prior fanfare, contains 14 new songs and 17 videos, and swiftly topped the iTunes album charts across the world.
The album also debuted at the top of the weekly Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday, with 617,000 copies sold in the United States by the week ending Dec. 15, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.
The deluxe digital album, exclusively available on iTunes, can only be purchased as a complete set of songs and videos, and retails for $15.99 at the U.S. store. A physical version will be made available for sale in time for the holiday period this month.
The surprise release of the album caps a year in which Beyoncé, 32, made a carefully choreographed return to music after taking time out to give birth to her first child, daughter Blue Ivy, with rapper husband Jay Z. Both Blue Ivy and Jay Z feature as collaborators on the new album and appear in accompanying music videos.
Releasing an album without any prior publicity is rare, especially for one of the top players in the current music industry. But Beyoncé’s success does not necessarily mean other artists will be able to copy her stealth release strategy.
The singer has numerous factors in her favour, including a loyal online fan base of more than 53 million Facebook fans, 13 million Twitter followers and 8 million Instagram fans, and a year performing in the spotlight that has created buzz for an album release.
Beyoncé’s album has outperformed some of this year’s other most-anticipated new releases, selling more copies than new albums from Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Britney Spears.
Currently, the year’s top-selling album is Justin Timberlake’s first part of The 20/20 Experience, which was released in March with 968,000 copies sold in its opening week and has topped 2.3 million sales in the U.S. to date.
- Secret SIU report into Loku's death revealed — and heavily censored
- Updated LIVE: Raptors fans revved up as Toronto leads early in Game 6
- Canadian-run hospital in Syria destroyed by airstrike
- Legalizing Uber may be Mayor John Tory’s biggest test yet
- Katelynn Sampson inquest jury says children in care should have a say
- The Star in Iraq: Canada's top general says Daesh defeat is 'inevitable'
- NEW Use you head when shopping for a suitable helmet in Canada
- Updated No. 1 pick still uncertain, unless Leafs land it: Cox


text:
Business Korea — 2022-10-31
Hyundai Motor Group has selected Slovakia as a bridgehead for its foray into the European electric vehicle (EV) market. Kia Corp.'s Slovakia plant will mass-produce pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs) for Europe beginning from 2025.
Kia is planning to produce small and medium-sized EVs specialized for the European market at its plant (Kia Autoland Slovakia) located in Zilina, Slovakia, Hyundai Motor Group said on 30 October.
The group is already mass-producing the Hyundai IONIQ 5 in Indonesia, and announced a plan to mass-produce EVs in the United States. But it has not laid out a specific plan for expanding local production in Europe. Currently, in Europe, there are constant voices calling for legislation to give preference to EVs produced in the region, such as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of the United States.
Kia Autoland Slovakia is one of Hyundai Motor Group's core plants. It started operating in December 2006, two years earlier than Hyundai Motor Co.'s plant in the Czech Republic, and crossed four million units in cumulative production in May 2021.
Built on an area of about 1.92m square meters, the plant has an annual production capacity of 330,000 units and produces the Ceed, a strategic vehicle tailored to the local market, and the Ceed-based crossover utility (CUV) model Exceed and Sportage. It started to roll out the new Sportage Hybrid from November 2021 and the Sportage PHEV from February 2022.
Electrified vehicles (hybrids, PHEVs and BEVs) are already gaining immense popularity in Europe. In 2021, Kia sold 116,278 electrified models in the European market alone and the proportion of electrified models in total sales in the European market exceeded 20% for the first time.
In the January-September period 2022, it posted 103,718 units in sales, an increase of 28% compared to the same period of 2021, thanks to the popularity of the EV6 and Sportage PHEV. Hyundai and Kia plan to sell 100% electrified models in Europe after 2035.
Slovakia has emerged as a battleground for EV makers from around the world. According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), automobiles accounted for 50% of Slovakia's industrial production last year, and the automobile industry took up 13% of Slovakia's GDP.
Volkswagen Group (Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche), Land Rover, and Stellantis (Peugeot) are rolling out electrified models at their factories in Slovakia.
Hyundai Motor Group has also started preparing for mass production of EVs at Hyundai Motor Co.'s Czech plant.


text:
The list of high-profile companies significantly impacted by the recent Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage reads like a who's-who of everyday 21st century brands: Netflix, Disney+, Ring, Robinhood, Instacart, Roku, McDonald's, and even Amazon itself. Notably absent, however, from that roster: hospitals, emergency service providers, public utilities, government agencies, telecommunications companies, airlines, and banking institutions.
Outages will happen, and while the five-hour outage served as our periodic reminder of the fragility of our Internet, it's worth bearing in mind that the AWS issues appear to have primarily resulted in inconvenience, rather than catastrophe.
View Full Article (May Require Paid Registration)
No entries found


text:
In September of last year, Gerry Storch, CEO of retailer Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) - owner of Saks, Hudson’s Bay, and Kaufhof in Europe - came out with one of the more quotable lines from a senior executive in the sector when he said:
People don’t dislike department stores – they dislike bad department stores and they like good ones.
That was a sentiment that chimed with what is a growing trend across the retail sector that having an offline real estate asset is nothing to be ashamed of and that getting those stores in good shape is a more productive use of resource than just trying to ape Amazon.
Two months later, he was gone.
Storch’s departure was only one big shift in HBC’s attempts to reinvent itself for an omni-channel age. In June, the firm laid off 2,000 employees as part of a push to knock $350 million per year by the end of fiscal 2018. It restructured operations in marketing and IT as well as integrating digital functions throughout the company.
Throughout this, activist investors have been pushing the retailer to sell of real-estate to raise cash, including a bold scheme to turn the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store in Manhattan into a luxury hotel!
With the success of Storch’s turnaround strategy far from clear at this point, the burden of taking things to the next stage now rests with new CEO Helena Foulkes, lured over from CVS Health where was credited with growing the drug store’s retail business into an $80 billion a year business. Foulkes has only been the top seat for 6 weeks, but she’s got some views on what’s been going wrong and what needs fixing up:
I think the strategy was the right one; I think that the execution of it was not good. I think that it started with issues of alignment at the top and then essentially poor change management. So we had a lot of moving parts in the second-half of last year with a good percentage of our folks in new positions and not enough clarity around their roles.
The two functions in particular that we’re focused on fixing up are marketing and the digital centers of excellence, which I think in both cases caused us to take a step backward. And so we are laser-focused on that, as a team. I do see real opportunity, because I think there’s some low-hanging fruit for us to go after as it relates to just tightening up the transformation and I think that will help us this year.
When she joined HBC, Chairman Richard Baker said of Foulkes:
She has a proven track record of making bold, strategic choices that, at their core, put the customer first and have proven enormously impactful to business success.
While she’s naturally reluctant to comment too closely on her plans for HBC, Foulkes initial comments suggest that more of the same is highly likely. She says:
I’m honored to have joined such a storied company during a very dynamic time in the retail industry..The future of retail will be defined by companies that think creatively about where the consumer and the world are headed.
That’s going to mean building out strategies that “capitalize on HBC’s physical and digital assets”, she explains in a text-book omni-channel pitch:
I’m a big believer in providing our customers with a seamless end-to-end shopping experience across all channels.
Done OK, but needs to do better - that's another clear reading of Foulkes impressions of HBC’s current position. She says:
While the company has made progress during the last few years, HBC still has a long way to go. And I believe that all of our banners have meaningful opportunity to continue to grow their online capabilities and to serve our customers.
I still see tremendous opportunity to operate at a higher level, both for stores and digital. The focus that I have is really getting in the shoes of the customer and creating a more customer-oriented mindset for all of our banners and digital property…and creating a seamless experience for our customers. So while I applaud the work that the teams have done over the last few years, we are definitely, as a leadership team, seeing real opportunity to take our digital and store performance to the next level.
That’s going to take some investment of course, and CFO Edward Record confirms that current expectations for CapEx spend in the coming year will be between $450 million to $500 million. That’s going to be split in an omni-channel way, offline and online activities both getting attention:
We’re going to open 10 new stores this year. So that’s obviously a piece of the CapEx. Our Saks Fifth Avenue flagship stores are under remodel and we expect to make significant progress on that this year. So that’s obviously a big spend. And then we continue to invest in digital and IT, both from a logistics standpoint, where we have world-class automation, but also from obviously, the customer-facing pieces online.
Record is quick to add that HBC does in fact have a decent digital track record to talk about to date, even if there’s room for improvement:
We do about 70% of our business online…we think there’s continued opportunity there to do better on digital. It did slow down in the third and fourth quarters. We think we’ve made some operational errors in our digital business that we’re looking at in improving and fixing as we move forward. Again, we think there’s significant opportunity in digital as we move forward.
Foulkes clearly likes her line about:
The future of retail will be defined by companies that think creatively about where the consumer and the world are headed.
It was used in the press release to announce her arrival at HBC as well as opening up her live comments on that state of the corporate nation she’s inherited. It’s far too early to tell how that creativity is going to translate into practical, deliverable actions.
The Hudson’s Bay Company can trace its origins back as far as 1670 in London. Nearly 3.5 centuries later, it faces some of its greatest challenges - re-inventing an iconic brand for a rapidly changing market in a turbulent retail sector. One to watch in 2018 as Foulkes beds down and starts to put her mark on the company.


text:
Outside a Max Brenner coffee shop down under, in Melbourne, Australia, no less than nineteen anti-Israel protesters were arrested and three Melbourne city police men were lightly wounded, astonishingly, when the anti-Israel protesters attacked them.
The demonstration was to accuse the Jewish State of “ongoing ethnic cleansing.â€ The demonstration was held outside the Max Brenner store because its Israeli parent company, the Strauss Group, reportedly supports the IDF.
Federal Labor lawmaker Michael Danby accused the â€œprejudiced extremistsâ€ of being hypocrites.
He mentioned that:
“While 1500 people are murdered in Syria, they launch their own sad little attack on a chocolate shop because it also has stores in Israelâ€¦â€
One of the organizers of the protest, Salem Nasser, is said to belong to a group called Socialist Alternative.
The Socialist Alternative website, which organized the “demonstrations that successfully shut down the Israeli-owned Jericho/Black Pearl cosmetics company” found in the very same Melbourne shopping mall. Socialist Alternative advocates what it calls a “Third Intifada”. The organization also takes credit for a similar incident that happened outside a chocolate shop near Sydney last month.


text:
Summary: Intellectual Ventures is reportedly failing, despite all the capital which was funneled into it by Gates, Microsoft, and Apple
ABOUT a decade ago, by Nathan Myhrvold’s own admission, Bill Gates and this buddy of his came up with the idea of patent hoarding (and subsequent patent extortion) into which the patents-loving Gates poured billions of dollars of his own money, along with Microsoft and Apple. They called it Intellectual Ventures and it is the most splendid example of why the patent system rewards unethical — and at times corrupt — individuals like patent trolls and racketeers [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Nathan Myhrvold is considered the world’s biggest patent troll and he reportedly uses over 1,000 satellite firms (yes, that’s over one thousand) to engage in his extortion racket that’s structured like some sort of a pyramid.
Intellectual Ventures has already spent around $5 billion acquiring patents (that’s all it does as no products ever come out of Intellectual Ventures) and notable victims of extortion from Intellectual Ventures have paid around $100 million. That’s a lot of money, but apparently it’s not enough to make this unproductive parasite thrive as a business (if extortion qualifies as a legitimate business per se).
“Intellectual Ventures Shows A Negative 73 Percent Return,” says this new report, but it would be nice to have this claim verified independently.
The link is a PDf download of a document from the University of Texas Management Company listing all of its private investments in venture funds and private equity funds, along with their internal rates of return (IRR). One of the worst performers is Intellectual Ventures, the patent portfolio fund started by Nathan Myhrvold that has a reputation for patent extortion. One of its funds, the Invention Development Fund I, has a negative 73 percent IRR (Dixon mistakenly thought it was negative 78 percent, but close enough). Another fund, the Invention Investment Fund II, has a negative 10 percent return. The two funds combined are delivering a negative 36.66 percent IRR for the University of Texas.
Even if Intellectual Ventures operates at a loss, its terrorisation of the entire industry is a good outcome for some of its investors, which include Apple and Microsoft (they are on the safe side of course).
This patent troll needs to be eliminated and it’s very doubtful that anyone can be fined or arrested because with over a million dollars (per annum) in lobbying alone, Intellectual Ventures has made it apparent that the tail continues to wag the dog, i.e. the rich people continue to control the regulators who were supposed to watch them.
In other news of abuse, Rambus continues to attack the entire industry with submarine patents. [via]
The International Trade Commission has announced its findings in the NVIDIA/Rambus patent infringement lawsuit and it’s not the sort of ruling Team Green would’ve preferred. The commission found NVIDIA to be in violation of three Rambus patents. The trade panel also granted an injunction Rambus had requested, which theoretically prevents NVIDIA and the various companies attached to the lawsuit (Asus, HP, Palit, and MSI among others) from selling products that contain the infringing IP. This last bit sounds more ominous than it actually is; there’s a 60-day window before the injunction takes effect and NVIDIA believes it has other options.
Rambus — unlike Intellectual Ventures — at least has some products. So as much as the industry detests Rambus, no-one deserves exile more than Intellectual Ventures and the new-age gangsters who created it. █


text:
After the Fed released minutes of its last meeting, the bond market signaled it fears the Fed will not be aggressive enough with its rate cutting.Market Insiderread more
The Fed minutes also note that "a couple" members wanted a 50 basis point cut, based primarily on the weak inflation readings.The Fedread more
Analysts generally doubt how effective the People Bank of China's latest interest rate announcement will be in significantly helping businesses grow.China Economyread more
Japanese manufacturing activity shrank for a fourth straight month in August as export orders fell at a sharper pace.Asia Marketsread more
These in-demand skills can command top pay packets, says Feon Ang of professional networking site LinkedIn.Get Aheadread more
The Washington governor had centered his campaign around climate change, calling it "the most urgent challenge of our time."Politicsread more
The inversion is seen by many veteran traders as an important recession omen, though the timing on the eventual downturn is less predictable.Bondsread more
Here's what Nordstrom reported for its fiscal second-quarter earnings.Retailread more
The sexy image that once boosted Victoria's Secret has been haunting L Brands more recently, as women are steering clear of the brand's hot pink, lacy and bejeweled lingerie.Retailread more
Ford is one of four automakers that reached a voluntary agreement with California on fuel efficiency rules, defying Trump and his administration's effort to strip the state of...Autosread more
See which stocks are posting big moves after the bell.Market Insiderread more
Vaish started at Tesla last year and managed a team of more than 40 employees involved in e-commerce, software design and content. He confirmed to CNBC that he's going to Area 120, which describes itself as "a workshop for Google's experimental products," to work on a new project.
"Most of these experiments will fail," the website says. "But our teams succeed when we test the limits and learn something new."
The products Vaish's team created at Tesla allowed customers to research, reserve, order, and manage payments and delivery of new vehicles or energy products. His group also developed a payment system that allows drivers to trial new Autopilot features and then buy Autopilot upgrades and other services from the screens in their cars. Allowing transactions to take place from within Tesla cars paves the way for the company's vehicles to someday function like an app store.
Vaish was originally hired by Jon McNeill, Tesla's former president of global sales and service who is now COO of Lyft. Vaish worked closely with CEO Elon Musk on digital developments after McNeill left and most recently reported to Robin Ren, Tesla's vice president of worldwide sales.
"I'm very proud of the work we did at Tesla, and to be part of the mission to transform the world to sustainable energy," Vaish said.


text:
Arturo Estrella has a message for recession naysayers: It could hit sooner than you think.Marketsread more
Local governments commonly share single service providers, making many vulnerable at once. On top of this, ransomware has often been used to mask more targeted, malicious...Technologyread more
Salesforce released its first earnings report since its $15.3 billion acquisition of Tableau Software, the company's largest deal ever.Technologyread more
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell faces the tough challenge of presenting a unified voice on Fed policy from the most divided Fed in years.Market Insiderread more
Kudlow also confirmed to CNBC that he supported a tax cut proposal floated earlier Thursday by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.Politicsread more
VMware is following through on its proposal to buy Pivotal, a fellow Dell subsidiary, and expanding into cybersecurity with the acquisition of Carbon Black.Technologyread more
Google says it shut down hundreds of YouTube channels tied to misinformation around the Hong Kong protests.Technologyread more
It is a rare scenario where long-term interest rates suddenly fall below short-term interest rates.Real Estateread more
Investors are rushing to get a piece of its privately held rival Impossible Foods before it goes public, according to the Wall Street Journal.Food & Beverageread more
Weisler has been CEO at the company since 2015 when it split from HPE.Technologyread more
Companies want to know our values and if they work with us, "they want to be aligned with those values," Salesforce co-CEO Keith Block says.Mad Money with Jim Cramerread more
Two high-profile Senate Democrats are asking Amazon for answers about its "Amazon's Choice" badge, saying the recommendation engine could potentially be deceiving consumers into buying "inferior" products.
In a letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Monday, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) asked for more clarity on how the Amazon's Choice program works, citing a recent BuzzFeed report that showed it often endorses defective or poor quality items.
"The badge may be misleading consumers into thinking the products that receive this distinction are the best available products, when in fact some of these products are of an inferior quality," the senators said.
The letter is the latest example of Washington's growing concern of Big Tech, specifically regarding the control Amazon has over consumer behavior as more shopping activity moves online and to mobile devices. In December, Blumenthal wrote a letter to Bezos arguing that Amazon's policy of blocking third-party sellers from offering lower prices on rival sites would "stifle market competition." Three months later, Amazon removed that policy.
In July, Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Rep. Jan Shackowsky (D-IL) asked Amazon to address the widespread "fraudulent and deceptive" review problem on its marketplace. And last week, a group led by Menendez asked Amazon to better enforce its policy of banning gun-related product sales, following a Washington Post report that found sales of those products on its site.
Amazon introduced Amazon's Choice in 2015, creating a recommendation program that places a badge next to select "highly rated, well-priced" products, according to the company. The program has faced scrutiny lately, with multiple reports raising questions about how the recommendation engine works and why it's endorsing products of poor quality.
The senators asked for a "detailed explanation" on the selection process for the Amazon's Choice badge, including the algorithm used to make the determination and whether employees actually review each item before assigning the distinction. They're also asking what Amazon is doing to verify user reviews, which could affect what products get the badge, and if any financial compensation is involved in the process.
In an emailed statement to CNBC, an Amazon spokesperson didn't address Monday's letter, but said the company "invests significant resources to protect the integrity of reviews in our store" and has "clear participation guidelines for both reviewers and selling partners" that can lead to suspensions and legal action if violated.
On top of the increased lawmaker interest in Amazon's power, the company is facing antitrust investigations in both the U.S. and EU. In July, the EU's Competition Commission announced a formal antitrust probe into Amazon over its use of third-party seller data. The U.S. Justice Department then said it was opening a review of several giant tech companies, which likely includes Amazon.


text:
Blast from the past
Steve’s Place returns to Eustis after 22-year hiatus
EUSTIS — More than two decades ago, Steve Jabbour had one of the most well-known restaurants Lake County had to offer. Now, after 22 years, Steve and wife Rim reopened Steve’s Place near downtown Eustis.
“It’s in my blood,” Jabbour said. “Back then, we were the first to bring seafood and oysters to Lake County. My kids, nieces and nephews expressed interest in the industry so I re-created the family business.”
The menu offers all the same favorites as before, with some new modern choices.
Gator tail, Steve’s spicy shrimp, clam strips, calamari, fried mushrooms and oyster Rockefeller make up some of the most popular appetizers to start the meal.
The oyster bar allows customers to see their oysters shucked fresh in front of them by oyster shucker James “Jimbo” Pietro, who worked at the original Steve’s Place. Grab a dozen oysters raw or steamed for $13 — $10.95 during happy hour — or a bucket for $35.
Other in-the-shell specialties include a dozen clams for $8, crawfish for $9 and snow crab for $9.
The restaurant offers a variety of dinners, served with two sides. These include the lobster, shrimp and scallops, fried shrimp, shrimp scampi, fish of the day or the seafood platter which has fish, shrimp, scallops, oysters and clam strips.
New to the menu are Steve’s dinners, which include a sizzling New York strip steak with shrimp or snow crab, frog legs, fajitas, Alaskan snow crab, gator tail and rock shrimp.
“The rock shrimp is by far one of our most popular dishes,” Rim said. “It’s a slightly different texture and taste and people just go crazy over it.”
Steve's Place offers seafood favorites as handhelds, including an oyster sandwich, shrimp sandwich and fish sandwich. Traditional sandwiches include a BLT, gyro, chicken sandwich and the Steve Burger.
For dessert, Rim makes tiramisu and cheesecake to satisfy that sweet tooth.
Steve’s Place, 925 North Bay Street, Suite 7 in Eustis, is open from 3 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
For information, go to facebook.com/stevesplaceseafoodandoysterbar or call 352-602-4587.


text:
Persimmon’s revenues reached £3,136.8m for 2016 (2015: £2,901.7m) and profit before tax was £774.8m (2015: £629.5m).
The company delivered 15,171 newly built homes to customers across the UK, an increase of 599 on 2015, and the average selling price of £206,765 was 3.8% higher (2015: £199,127).
Persimmon is now half-way through a 10-year plan and in that time, since 2012, it has grown annual completions by more than 60%.
Chairman Nicholas Wrigley said that the company was performing well and the the UK new build housing market “remains confident with customer demand for new homes supported by compelling mortgage products”.
Site visit by potential customers are now running 7% ahead of last year and forward sales are 9% up.
Persimmon’s new brickworks near Doncaster is also set to come on stream before the end of March. The factory will supply concrete bricks exclusively to Persimmon’s house-building operations. Its capacity of 80 million brocks a year will be enough to satisfy approximately two thirds of Persimmon’s current requirements and the £10m investment will pay for itself in just three years.


text:
Sales of Fairtrade products have started to slide as more and more people go to budget supermarkets.
The ethical trading scheme began 20 years ago. But the popularity of discount chains like Aldi and Lidl is threatening the livelihood of farmers oversees, warn Fairtrade chiefs
New figures show a drop of 3.7 per cent in estimated sales of Fairtrade products in the UK last year in the face of falling food spending.
So why should shoppers buy Fairtrade products - even it means spending extra cash on their groceries?
Supporters of Fairtrade say it is the only way to be certain farmers and workers are paid a proper wage and protected from the fluctuating prices of the world market.
Fairtrade also sets a premium to invest in community projects, health care and education.
Sugar, tea, bananas and chocolate are just some of the 4,500 products now stamped with the Fairtrade mark in UK supermarkets.
Compared to value brands, Fairtrade products may not always be the cheapest option.
And while the discount supermarket chains do stock some Fairtrade goods, they make up a much smaller proportion of their sales than in some of the more mainstream supermarkets.
But some independent grocers are bucking the trend when it comes to Fairtrade sales.
Staff at Unicorn Grocery in Chorlton said they have seen an increase in the number of customers buying Fairtrade products.
Debbie Clarke, co-operative member at Unicorn, said: “There are huge benefits for consumers and retailers when it comes to Fairtrade.
“The main thing is that it guarantees a minimum price for growers of that product.
“In the world market sometimes, farmers can end up being paid less than it cost to produce in the first place, which is crazy.
“Fairtrade also ensures a social premium so growers can have access to health initiatives, education and training.
“Those two things are completely guaranteed with Fairtrade and that mark on a product is the only way of knowing that.
Would you pay a few pence more for FairTrade food?
0+ VOTES SO FAR
“We have found that consumers do want to know where their food has come from.
“Perhaps we’re bucking the trend but we have definitely seen a growing interest.
“It may well be that the product is a few pennies higher but that impact on the producer is possibly a lot more significant.”
£1.33 per 100g
44.5p per 100g
£2.75 per 100g
50p per 100g
Fairtrade 'tends to be bought by wealthier, middle-class people'
Retail experts say the downturn in Fairtrade produce last year could be due to consumers spending less money on food in general.
Dr Alexander Gunz, lecturer in marketing at the Manchester Business School, said: “The thing about ethical products is that they are often a tough sell. If you ask people should we be more fair, most will say yes.
“But converting that into buying behaviour is really very difficult. Fairtrade is a success story in terms of how much they have sold – however, they are a very small niche.
“It addresses concerns only certain groups and types of people have. Those products tend to be bought by people who are perhaps a little bit wealthier and more middle or upper class.
“There is probably a very small number of people who are totally dedicated to buying Fairtrade.
“But there is a lot to be said for it. It is the only way of knowing that a product you have bought is ethical because they have carried out all the checks.”
It doesn't always mean having to spend more, says the Co-op
Fairtrade Fortnight has just begun and retailers such as Unicorn Grocery and the Co-op will be promoting Fairtrade products.
Brad Hill, Fairtrade strategy manager at the Co-op, said shoppers need to realise that Fairtrade does not always mean forking out for a more expensive product.
He said: “The Co-op adopted Fairtrade when it first started and then put a Fairtrade strategy in place in 1998.
“It very much reflects the ethos of the Co-op and what our members want, which is to support Fairtrade. Any business that is involved in trade should be treating traders fairly as they can.
“If there’s an opportunity for a business to buy Fairtrade, they should always make sure a good deal is passed on to the consumer.
“At the Co-op we have worked hard to make Fairtrade more mainstream in our stores.
“Choosing Fairtrade does not always mean paying more or buying the most expensive option.”
Over the next two weeks the Fairtrade Foundation will be urging British shoppers to support producers by buying Fairtrade sugar.
Michael Gidney, Fairtrade Foundation chief executive, said: “British shoppers can also play their part. We’re asking them to stand by the sugar cane farmers that have been failed by politics by choosing Fairtrade sugar or asking their supermarket to stock it.
“There are people’s lives in our shopping baskets, and we don’t believe people would want to buy sugar that costs a penny or two less per bag if they knew that the cost was hundreds of thousands of people being pushed into poverty.”
For more information, go to fairtrade.org.uk


text:
Shares of residential and commercial security provider ADT Inc. ADT,
on Monday it rose 52% in the premarket business, after the company announced a new project with Alphabet Inc.’s GOOGL.
Google is creating the next generation of smart home security offerings. The partnership builds on Google Nest hardware and services, which are combined with the installation, service and professional monitoring network of ADT. Google is investing $ 450 million to acquire a 6.6% stake in the newly created ADT Class B stock, in a deal that is expected to close in the third quarter. Both companies are committing $ 150 million to co-marketing, product development, technology and employee training. ADT has more than 20,000 people who will work with Google’s suite of home hardware, manufacturing technology and a stack of vertical technology, the companies said in a joint statement. ADT expects to start offering Google devices this year and expand integration in 2021. A conference call to discuss the partnership will take place at 8.30 am ET. Shares of ADT gained 8.6% year-on-year to Friday, while the S&P 500 SPX,


text:
August 28, 2020
Worldwide shipments of hardcopy peripherals declined 10.2% year-over-year to nearly 20 million units in the second quarter of 2020 (2Q20), according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Hardcopy Peripherals Tracker.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to bring a host of challenges to most vendors, especially those whose manufacturing sites are in China and neighbouring countries, including the Philippines and Indonesia.
Notable highlights from the second quarter include:
- China delivered strong year-over-year growth of 19.1% driven by overall demand from the consumer segment. This segment is being fuelled by demand from home schooling and work from home needs.
- Canon outperformed the others in the top three with 1.6% year-over-year growth to nearly 4.3 million units shipped for the quarter. The company’s growth was led by inkjet shipments as the demand for home printers grew. Canon also employed discounting and free shipping deals via the online retail channel to boost interest.
- The monochrome laser market showed sequential growth of 1.6% to account for 5.9 million units shipped in 2Q20.
Categories : Around the Industry


text:
Troubled MFI kicked off its latest recovery drive with the sale of French business Hygena Cuisines for £92.3 million.
Proceeds from the sale to European kitchen company Nobia will be used to reduce debt as the struggling furniture retailer switches focus to its UK operations.
MFI, which saw its share price slump to a five-year low last month, is in the midst of a strategic review under new chief executive Matthew Ingle after a dramatic fall in sales.
It sells Hygena kitchens in the UK and makes kitchens sold under the Hygena Cuisine brand in France.
MFI will continue to supply Nobia with kitchen furniture for three years after the sale is completed.
Last year Hygena Cuisines made pretax profits of £5.5 million on turnover of £133.4 million.
MFI wants to concentrate particularly on the growth of Howden Joinery and the recovery of its retail arm.
Mr Ingle said: "This is an excellent deal for MFI.
The sale and cash receipt strengthen our ability to focus our efforts on the recovery and growth of the group here in the UK."
MFI has suffered from consumers' reluctance to splash out on big ticket items and kitchens sales slumped last year.
Howden has helped offset the trading woes, and under Mr Ingle's leadership - before he took control of the whole MFI group in October - profits at the subsidiary rose from £9 million in 1999 to £100 million in 2004. But at the end of 2005, group debt still stood at £65 million.
MFI has been facing intense competition from B&Q and Homebase.
News of the disposal comes just over two weeks after MFI said it would receive a £22 million boost after settling a longstanding VAT dispute with HM Revenue & Customs.
The two deals together would appear to significantly reduce the need for a rights issue, which the market has been speculating on for weeks.
The sale to Nobia followed a competitive auction process, managed by Cazenove.
The deal has the support of the Hygena Cuisines Works Council and the business will continue to be managed by Hygena's current management team.
Richard Ratner, analyst at Seymour Pierce, said the £92 million was double what he thought MFI
might get for the business. "We now estimate that MFI will have enough cash to complete a restructuring, although the pension issue still overhangs," he said.
However, he reckons MFI's current trading is "awful... our spies are suggesting 20 per cent down."
Nick Bubb, an analyst with Evolution Securities, said his forecasts of a recovery from a small loss last year to profits of £20 million in 2006 already looked optimistic.


text:
The exotic bike maker from Italy, Ducati, has recently revealed that it will be entering the electric motorcycle market very soon. Since every major motorcycle maker has already launched or planned an electric bike these days and the news of an electric Ducati really doesn’t count as a surprise. Claudio Domenicali, CEO, Ducati, recently announced “The future is electric, we’re not far from starting series production” at a recent Motostudent event at the Aragón FIM Circuit in Spain. While the Managing Director of Ducati Western Europe, Edouard Lotthé, has revealed in the past that the company might be working on various electric two-wheelers including a bike and a scooter which may arrive by 2021.
Also, Domenicali has been seen riding a Ducati Hypermotard concept which was powered by a Zero FX powertrain and was developed in cooperation with the Milan Polytechnic School of Design. There has been no confirmation as of yet, but the red machine maker might also work on performance electric bikes along with the help from Energica (a renowned name in the electric superbike industry). Energica has been testing the Ego Corsa supersport throughout the year at demo laps during the MotoGP Calendar as it’s the official partner for the MotoE World Cup.
Ducati may come up with electric superbikes by 2021, but on the other side of the world, Harley-Davidson has been gearing up to launch the electric bike much sooner. The Harley LiveWire project is not new, but the company just gave a green signal to the same a few months back, indicating its imminent launch. Harley will also be launching a number of electric bikes along with the LiveWire motorcycle.
Get live Stock Prices from BSE and NSE and latest NAV, portfolio of Mutual Funds, calculate your tax by Income Tax Calculator, know market’s Top Gainers, Top Losers & Best Equity Funds. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.


text:
FreedomPop’s first product to ride Sprint’s Long Term Evolution (LTE) network targeted to cost-conscious broadband users is the FreedomSpot 5580, a mobile hotspot that will provide FreedomPop’s customers with 500 megabytes of usage per month for free before tiered pricing plans apply.
The device, which uses Sprint’s 3G network when LTE is not available, carries a retail price of $199. FreedomPop is selling it for an introductory price of $149, a spokesman said. FreedomPop said the device is expected to provide average speeds of 6 Mbps to 8 Mbps downstream, with peak speeds up to 25 Mbps. The 3.5-ounce device allows up to 10 wireless devices to connect. Sprint markets the device, made by Novatel Wireless, as the MiFi 500.
Sprint announced late last month that its LTE network is available in 151 markets, following launches in 41 new areas, including Philadelphia; the Bronx and Brooklyn, N.Y., Nashville, Tenn.; Oakland, Calif.; and Portland, Ore.
“With LTE network coverage reaching critical mass, we are now able to offer our customers the fastest 4G service for free,” said Stephen Stokols, FreedomPop’s CEO, in a statement. “We’re taking our free Internet model to the next level, giving customers unprecedented access to the best mobile network performance available.”
FreedomPop, which just closed a $5 million series “A.1” round, also sells a 4G/3G hybrid hotspot that uses the Clearwire WiMax network and Sprint’s 3G network, but the new hotspot and future product plans on the horizon signal the company’s coming, heavier reliance on LTE.
It’s also preparing the summer launch of a “free” LTE-capable Android-powered Freedom Phone that will guarantee 500 MB of data, unlimited texting and 200 voice minutes per month.
The company has not released specific subscriber figures, but a spokesman said FreedomPop has more than 100,000 customers.
Like FreedomPop's WiMax/3G offerings, the new LTE offering charges users when after they surpass the 500 MB monthly ceiling. The current tiers are 2 Gigabytes for $19.99; 4 GB for $34.99; and 5 GB for $39.99.
The smarter way to stay on top of the multichannel video marketplace. Sign up below.
Thank you for signing up to Multichannel News. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.


text:
Gilberto Benetton was one of the co-founders of the Italian fashion label United Colors of Benetton. He died of leukemia on Monday at the age of 77, the Benetton group announced in a brief statement. “Gilberto Benetton died at home today in Treviso (in the north-east of Italy) following a brief illness. His wife, Lalla, his two daughters Barbara and Sabrina, and his son-in-law, Ermanno, were with him in his final moments.”
Gilberto Benetton passed away just three months after his younger brother Carlo’s death last July, at the age of 74.
The Benetton family is one of the most powerful families in Italy and has investments in construction, transports and catering. Gilberto Benetton, who ran the group’s finances, took charge of the diversification of the Benetton group through the family’s holding company Edizione, which was created 30 years ago and saw Gilberto serve as deputy chairman until his death. Edizione – which last year booked an annual revenue of $13.8 billion, has investments in transport through its main asset Atlantia; in catering through highway and airport restaurant chain Autogrill; and recently also in telecommunications, with its investment in Cellnex.
The last few months were very intense for Gilberto Benetton, always described as the brain behind the family business: as the only member of the family on the Atlantia board, Gilberto was the one faced with crisis when the Morandi bridge in Genoa collapsed last August 14th, killing 43 people.
The Benetton family expressed “deep sympathy” for the victims of the disaster and vowed to work with the authorities to determine the cause. In the official statement, it affirmed that Atlantia and its Autostrade subsidiary have invested more than 10 billion euros in Italy’s roads over the past ten years.
“He was a man of extraordinary value and rare entrepreneurial vision,” Marco Patuano, Chief Executive Officer and Fabio Cerchiai Chairman of Edizione, said in a statement. “His capacity to foresee economic and social developments guided Edizione into its most important strategic choices.”
The Benetton empire was born in the Sixties when the three brothers Luciano, Carlo, and Gilberto, along with their sister Giuliana, started selling sweaters out of small store in Ponzano Veneto, a small village close to Treviso, in 1965.
Their label, United Colors of Benetton, quickly became popular in local stores, but it was between 1982 and 2000 that the company really developed, becoming one of the biggest retail giants in the world, opening 5,000 stores in 120 countries. In those years, the Italian photographer Oliviero Toscani suggested controversial and provocative marketing campaigns for Benetton, including an image which featured a black woman breastfeeding a white baby in 1989, another one depicting the pope Benedict XVI kissing an imam in 2011, and one which exhibited the anorexic model Isabelle Caro.
Gilberto Benetton was a role model: devoted to his family and work, he also loved sports. He played golf and transformed his home-town Treviso into a sort of sport capital in the 1990s when Benetton-backed teams won several championships in rugby, volley and basketball.
The funeral will be held in Treviso at 11 am on October 26th, Italian local time.


text:
Anger as Cathay Pacific Cargo adds GRI to blocked space agreements
Cathay Pacific has added extra fees to some of its blocked space agreements, the first ...
Next week will see the implementation of a series of general rate increases on the Asia-North Europe trade as container shipping lines once again attempt to force freight rates up to break-even levels, amid warnings from shippers and analysts that pricing volatility is set to continue – and possibly worsen.
Industry-wide benchmarks are in short supply due to the relative infancy of container rate indices. The Shanghai Containerised Freight Index first launched in May 2009, when Asia-North Europe spot rates were at a rock bottom levels below the $500 per teu mark. And while the current decline has yet to see the indexed rate go as low as that, SeaIntel partner Alan Murphy told delegates at the TOC Container Supply Chain conference in Rotterdam that over the past three months it has dropped more precipitously than ever before.
“We are now moving in and getting close to the bottom of 2009, and it’s important to note that this decline is the fastest – it’s gone very, very fast, especially over the last three months,” he said.
“The clear trend on rates is that volatility is on the increase,” he added. “We have seen rates shoot up and rates tear down; rates shoot up again and rates tear down at a much faster pace than before.”
He also argued that measuring the success of GRIs should be based on the point of their announcement rather than at the time of their implementation, and pointed to the 1 March GRI earlier this year which was $700 per teu. At the time the SCFI actually recorded an increase of $424 per teu, but compared with the time of the GRI announcement – which took place in January – rates increased by only $97 per teu. And since 1 March the SCFI Asia-North Europe rate has declined by $909 per teu.
“If I announce now at the end of June my intention to raise rates by $500 at the beginning of August, and in the meantime rates drop by $500, come August I raise rates by $500 so I haven’t actually got anywhere – the GRI is the standard tool that carriers have to raise prices, and it’s simply broken now,” he said.
On Monday carriers will implement a $1,000 per teu GRI on the trade, which appears to have the backing of all the carriers – and which Mr Murphy said would be critical to its success. However, he added: “It takes a combined effort of every single carrier and carrier resolve is a mythical creature. They all need to stick to their guns and not lower their rates if it is to stick. Will they get the GRI? I think so. Will it stick? I don’t know, but my gut feeling is that we will see carriers start undercutting each other.”
He argued, however, that if carriers were to artificially limit the utilisation of their vessels to 80%, “rates would shoot up tomorrow, but they would have to resist the urge to fill up their ships”.
It is not just a question of lines’ financial health at stake, but also the way in which the volatility injects considerable uncertainty into shippers’ supply chains, which are by nature designed on the basis of long-term investment decisions.
Freight rate volatility perennially undermines issues such as the decision over where to locate distribution hubs and which ports to route cargo through because shippers are constantly dealing with different carriers.
Christine Cabau Woehrel, chief executive of the port of Dunkirk, which has embarked on a campaign to attract shippers through developing port-centric logistics solutions said: “This volatility in rates has to stop, by hook or by crook, because no one wants it – shipping lines don’t want it, shippers don’t want it. It doesn’t give the ports any vision, or the shipping lines any vision and doesn’t allow anyone the chance to build a structured supply chain.”
However, she also argued that shippers with reasonably large volumes would get more benefit from building long-term supply chains with built-in stable freight rates that ignored the fluctuations in the spot market, given that ocean freight rates represented a small fraction – around 1.5% according to David Charlesworth, senior advisor at Drewry Supply Chain Advisors – of the overall costs of a supply chain.
Yet in the tough economic climate it remains difficult for logistics directors of companies to defend paying higher rate levels to their procurement and finance directors who see easy cost savings.
Alan McTaggart, group logistics director at Techtronic Industries in Hong Kong, a shipper that annually moves over 50,000teu, said “I’m sticking with my [negotiated] rate levels for 80% of my cargo, but it is very difficult to justify to my board when they see rates at levels far below that.
“Companies are managing their inventories on a quarterly basis, holding back stock and so on, and it’s not just about the shipping lines – we are all in a violent economic cycle. The volatility will stop, but not in the short term, I think it will be another three years, sadly.”
Mr McTaggart explained that his company’s philosophy was to put most of its cargo on long-term contracts with carriers and questioned whether the volatility was caused by many carriers’ decision, when the rates were high last year, to switch their sales focus from shippers to forwarders.
“When I was negotiating with carriers last year rates had got up to $3,500 per high-cube feu, and I was told by every single carrier bar none that we are moving away from BCOs to NVOs. Obviously there was a great deal of revenue while rates were as high as that.
“Now that rates are down to $800 per feu I can’t help but think it’s because carriers have offset costs in negotiating with larger NVOs.”
As a result, he said he “hoped” Monday’s GRI will stick.


text:
Adapting to Break into New MarketsWed, 10/18/2017 - 13:14
Canadian companies control 70 percent of gold production in Mexico and many more are present in other metals - not to mention the supply chain - due to Mexico’s proximity and favorable conditions. But the Mexican way of doing business is unique and these Canadian companies must have a deep understanding of the country and its culture to ensure success when entering this market. The idea is to adapt and respect the needs of the region to better anticipate and introduce new products, says Rene Valle, General Manager in Mexico and Central America of Canadian heavy machinery supplier MacLean Engineering.
The best way to introduce new products to Mexico, Valle says, is to constantly exhibit the machines in demonstrations and trade shows across the country. “The key to breaking resistance is allowing end users to become familiar with the machines,” he says. “Companies only purchase equipment that they feel comfortable with and that can bring benefits to their mining process.”
Mexico is known for being a stubborn market that does not adapt to change easily. But the mining industry in the country is starting to crank its gears again after a less than favorable year in 2015. It is a good time to restart mining projects in Mexico and companies are beginning to buy more equipment, an area of opportunity for MacLean.
“One of the main issues with this approach is that Mexican operators do not often attend international shows,” says Valle. “In effect, they are kept in bubbles, away from new technological trends and best practices that can improve efficiency and productivity. Another problem is that few engineers in the mining industry speak English.” MacLean strives to build its existing relationships with large Mexican companies and to provide more solutions for them. “We want to keep strengthening our existing relationships with Canadian mining companies that are in Mexico because our value proposition of hard-rock equipment performance, reliability and innovation is already known to them,” says Valle. For MacLean, Canadian operators have become attractive clients because there are fewer barriers to overcome.
Valle also sees a meeting of minds when it comes to sustainable practices, even if the Mexican side is more hesitant to accept change. The industry is starting to move away from diesel-powered engines, for example, and into more green technologies that use battery-powered engines. “We are preparing products for the future of diesel-free mines,” he says. “Mexico is slowly embracing this mindset and I predict the trend will quickly grow in the country. But transforming its rigid mentality will be a challenge. Canada has already shown itself to be in favor of this technology.”
To promote use of more high-tech equipment and strengthen the industry’s supply chain, Valle believes the government and the Mexican Tax Authority (SAT) could be supporting the industry more efficiently by implementing policies that do not dramatically impact company budgets. “The extra mining royalties and taxes in the country were adopted at one of the worst times,” he says. “Relaxing these fiscal obligations would allow companies more cash flow to invest in optimization and high-tech methods, providing greater cash flow for the country.”
Despite this context, Maclean saw surprisingly high sales in 2016 that far surpassed the company’s expectations thanks to the improved landscape for metal prices. “Our company has already sold approximately 100 machines in our time in Mexico,” says Valle. “In 2016 alone, we sold approximately 20 machines to companies like Fresnillo.” Valle emphasizes the need to differentiate to guarantee this kind of success. MacLean stands out by offering its clients heavy-duty machines that have between oneyear and seven-year guarantees, is a unique offer in the market.


text:
From an AP story found on MSNBC:
In a first for an online travel company, Travelocity.com has been fined by federal regulators for booking trips between the U.S. and Cuba in violation of a 45-year-old embargo.
Travelocity.com earlier this month paid $182,750 to settle a complaint brought by the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, which said the company violated the prohibition nearly 1,500 times between January 1998 and April 2004.
Treasury's complaint said Travelocity "provided travel-related services in which Cuba or Cuban nationals had an interest by arranging air travel and hotel reservations to, from, with or within Cuba without an OFAC license."
Elsewhere, OFAC fined one unnamed individual $999.45 and another person $510 for buying Cuban cigars for sale on the Internet.
MSNBC: Travelocity fined for Cuba trips


text:
By Shari Valenta
Want to get rid of that old Geo Metro and settle into a more reliable Honda Civic? Or maybe a Porsche is more your style. One way to go is Millennium Autosport. They’re a retail dealership that sells all makes, shapes and sizes of automobiles for almost the same price other dealerships purchase cars.
Their business consists of about 50 percent retail and 50 percent wholesale. The Internet-based company can find anything from a high-end $75,000 Porsche that retails for $96,000 to a car that’s made its way around the block several times for $1,500.
“We offer vehicles to the general public for $300 to $500 less than other car dealerships,” said Randy Ankeney, general manager. “We make up for the smaller margins by doing a greater volume of business. Audis, Mercedes, BMWs and Hummers are our bread and butter, but we’ll find anything: Hondas, Toyotas, Lexus, Acuras—you name it!”
All the cars are pre-owned.
“We can get you a new car at invoice, but you’re not going to save as much money,” Ankeney said. “We believe that buying a new car is not a good idea because the day you drive it from the lot, you’re going to loose about $3,000 on depreciation. The best thing to do is buy a used car from 2005.”
Millennium Autosport has been open four years and is rapidly growing.
“We went from about two million in gross sales to 43 million,” said owner Joe Oltmann, a pilot who chose the location near Centennial Airport so he could watch the planes.
The friendly company has grown mostly due to word of mouth and repeat customers.
“We spend less on advertising than any dealership in the nation. Instead, we put cars in the newspaper or on the Internet,” explained Ankeney. “It keeps our overhead low; some dealerships spend as much as $60,000 a month on advertising. A large part of our business is based on referrals. On average, every customer that buys a car usually brings in three to four new customers through word of mouth.”
Ankeney says the business model of large dealerships is based on making as much money on a one-time deal as they can with no regard to ever seeing the customer again. Millennium Autosport’s motto is to earn a customer’s business for life. It prides itself on being a low-pressure sales company. Ankeney himself started out as a customer. He met Oltmann while buying a car from him.
“The biggest reason why I’m in the car business is that I like to effect change,” said Oltmann. “I think the car business has some major flaws in it. If I can change the way one customer is treated in the car industry, I think I can get more referrals in return. My business grows from that concept. We’ll respect people that come in here and what they want. I’m not going to try to sell them anything; they’re welcome to search through what I have, if they’d like to. If I don’t have what they want, I’ll definitely hunt down the vehicle of their choice.”
Joe Oltmann started doing business selling wholesale cars out of his garage. He bought the cars from auto auctions or dealerships and then sold them to other dealers. He was also constantly finding friends and family vehicles, so eventually he had to get his retail license.
“He started with Emmick, which is now Elway; he started out as a salesperson and just worked his way up,” said Ankeney. “He also worked for Ferguson for a while. He has a lot of talent, drive and energy. He’s the guy they would bring in to fix dealerships. He really knows his stuff, people, and the business model. He also knows cars like crazy. And he knows the market, so he knows a good time to buy or sell at the car auctions, and when it’s a good time to stock up on sports cars and when to get rid of sports utility vehicles.”
If you don’t want to buy the car as is, Millennium Autosport offers options.
“Because we deal in large volumes, we have strategic partnerships of over 700 vendors statewide who offer huge discounts of about 40 to 60 percent on, for example, window tint, clear bras, tires and windshields,” said Ankeney.
Now that the car has all the accessories, how can you be sure the car will perform?
“Most of the cars we sell are pretty low in mileage and are still under factory warranty so there’s not a lot to worry about for the consumer,” said Ankeney.
Millennium Autosport offers extended warranties up to 125,000 miles bumper to bumper through a couple of warranty companies. Warranties vary depending on the make and model of the car and when the warranty coverage started.
“Because there have been a lot of fly-by-night warranty companies in the past, we’re pretty careful about checking to see if they’re a legitimate company,” said Ankeney. “We check to see if they’re insured, have sufficient assets to pay their bills and that they do pay their bills. Our aftermarket warranties are great because they’ll allow an ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certified mechanic to work on the car, not just the franchised dealership. Usually the big dealers will sell warranties that only allow them to work on your car.”
The dealership spends a lot of time researching the cars to make sure they’re safe and haven’t experienced any significant damage.
“We certify all our cars with CARFAX (vehicle history report),” Ankeney reassures. “We are CARFAX certified and make sure there hasn’t been any odometer roll back or anything of that nature. The report has information such as the truth in mileage, the total loss accidents, whether it’s a lemon and the manufacturer buy back. CARFAX certified cars come with a buy-back guarantee so that if any of these criteria are incorrect on the CARFAX report, CARFAX will buy the car back.”
Whether it’s finding out information about a previously owned vehicle or looking for the whereabouts of his own cars, Oltmann knows how to do research. He did his own detective work in helping Arapahoe County police officers solve a case of stolen vehicles that made local news. A customer purchased one of his Mercedes Benz vehicles with false credit. That car and dozens of others stolen from the metro area were sold to a chop shop for spare parts. He found out the information by basically scaring the fraudulent customer into sharing the names of others involved.
“They arrested 17 people with 163 indictments so it was a big deal,” Oltmann said. “The police aren’t even done with the case. We had a woman with a fake driver’s license and credit card. We ran her credit and it was great. The credit union called us two hours later and said, ‘Did you know this could be a possible fraud case?’
“I don’t have insurance to cover stuff involved in trickery or by device so it would have been a $25,000 hit out of my pocket. Since we only make $300 to $500 a car, we would have to sell more than 50 cars to make it up. When I found out it really was fraud, I spent the next three days hunting them down with Randy. I found the chop shop and the ring leaders.”
Ankeney explained how he found them.
“Basically Joe called everybody he knew in the Denver car market and received a couple of leads,” he said. “Also, the false information on the credit application had some truth to it; there were real streets so we basically knew that it was within a small area of Aurora. We drove around looking for the car. We finally found her and when we showed up at her door step, her mouth dropped open; so did mine. I just couldn’t believe we found her!”
For a trustworthy deal on a pre-owned vehicle, visit Millennium Autosport. Make sure you have good credit; otherwise you never know, Ankeney and Oltmann might show up at your doorstep!
The company is located three miles west of Centennial Airport. From Arapahoe Road and Lima Street, go south on Lima to Inverness Drive East. The office is located in the American Humane Association building.
Millennium Autosport is located at 63 Inverness Drive East #200. For more information, call (720) 200-4004 or visit [http://www.millenniumautosport.us].


text:
awareness campaign on microplastics in collaboration with cartoonist Kim Duchateau
How do microplastics end up in nature, what is the impact on our bodies, and above all, what can we ourselves do to avoid or limit the spread of microplastics in our environment? Following new European regulations, the FPS Public Health is launching an awareness campaign on microplastics in collaboration with cartoonist Kim Duchateau. With beautiful drawings and a knowing wink, Kim Duchateau shows that microplastics can be found in mussels, beer or water, and consequently in our faeces and even in the placenta. With the campaign, the FPS Public Health aims to raise awareness of the microplastics problem among the public and inform citizens about the action they themselves can take to protect the environment.
Where do microplastics come from?
Microplastics are plastic particles less than five millimetres in size created primarily by the slow disintegration of plastic (litter) waste. The second main source of microplastics are car tyres: during driving, braking and acceleration, small rubber particles are released, which first end up on the road and then in the soil or air, or wash away to the sea via the sewage system.
Synthetic textiles, such as acrylic, nylon and polyester (fleece), are also a source of microplastics. According to researchers, a total of more than sixty percent of our clothing is made of plastic. Per laundry load, we are said to discharge up to 9 million plastic microfibres into our waterways!
In addition, microplastics are also sometimes specially produced for certain specific applications. For instance, plastic granules for the production of plastics (pellets) are a major source of microplastics.
Impact on our bodies
Microplastics have little or no biodegradability and inevitably end up in the environment, where they pose a threat to natural ecosystems. Small marine organisms such as fish, crayfish and shrimp may mistakenly perceive the plastic particles as food; they may become saturated with them and die from malnutrition. The particles may also themselves have negative effects in the intestinal tract or be absorbed by cells and thus enter other organs.
Microplastics are everywhere:
Through the food chain, the pieces of plastic then end up on our plates. Scientists have already discovered microplastics in mussels, oysters, beer, fruit, sea salt and tap water, among others. According to Dutch research, we ingest more than 300,000 microplastics annually through our food, drink and air.
So it is not surprising that plastic particles have recently been discovered in our lungs and faeces, in placentas, breast milk and even in our blood, where they can have direct and indirect harmful effects. After all, plastics often contain chemicals, such as stabilisers or flame retardants.
What can you do yourself?
National and European governments are trying to find solutions to the microplastics problem. But you can also contribute! Read below what you can do to limit the spread of microplastics in our environment as much as possible.
- Avoid plastic packing materials and use a reusable shopping bag, water bottle or lunch box.
- Sort your waste in the appropriate garbage bin.
- Do not leave litter in nature. Always throw your rubbish in the rubbish bin, including small pieces of plastic such as cigarette butts and chewing gum.
- Adopt an eco-friendly driving style. The more aggressive you drive, the more fuel you consume and the more plastic particles end up in nature.
- Ensure the correct tyre pressure and change your winter tyres in time. Tyres with the correct pressure wear out less quickly, resulting in fewer microplastics being released. Did you know that it is also much safer and cheaper to drive with the correct tyre pressure?
- Do not wash synthetic clothes more often than necessary. Let your clothes blow dry in fresh air.
- Avoid synthetic clothing and opt for clothes made of natural materials such as linen, cotton or wool.
- Wash at a low temperature (30°). High temperatures damage some fabrics, releasing more microfibres.
- Spin clothes on a low speed to minimize friction.
- Use detergents certified with the European Ecolabel, which are guaranteed free of microplastics.
Cosmetics and care products
- Avoid toothpaste, cosmetics and other personal care products that contain microplastics. Opt for personal care and cleaning products with the EU Ecolabel, as these are sure to contain no microplastics.
- Most glitters contain microplastics, including the glitter in eye shadow, lipstick or blush. Therefore, avoid makeup with glitter, go for biodegradable glitter or glitter that is soluble in water.
- Do you want to be sure that your cosmetics do not contain microplastics? Then scan the product with the Beat the microbead app. Products on the green list are certainly free of microplastics.


text:
Startups participating in Techstars' accelerator programs will now be able to work with customers and businesses of Deloitte as part of the partnership between the two companies that was launched in an effort to boost the innovation ecosystem.
Catalyst, Deloitte's investment arm, will provide Techstars' portfolio of startups with new opportunities to connect with a wider range of consumers, Deloitte Consulting said Thursday.
Deloitte Catalyst also aims to continue accelerating developments for its customers and to have a diversified connections as part of the team up.
Techstars runs 43 accelerator programs and supports 2,400 portfolio companies. Deloitte will use its consulting services to help startups expand their business-to-consumer presence.
Alex Tepper, senior vice president for industry solutions at Techstars, said they help entrepreneurs by providing opportunities in the market.
"Deloitte, as a leading provider of professional services, has a strong understanding of the industries our startups are targeting," he added.


text:
germany medical mask improve Related introduction
non-medical face masks are less effective than medical masks as a means for source control . There are no established standards for self-made non-medical face masks. One of the advantages of non-medical face masks made of cloth or other textiles is that they can be made easily and can be washed and reused.US hijacking mask shipments in rush for coronavirus germany medical mask improveApr 03, 2020 · Fearing shortages and a strain on their health systems, a number of states, including France, Germany and Russia, have taken measures such as stockpiling masks and hazardous materials, or hazmat germany medical mask improveUS accused of 'piracy' as mask shipment diverts from Apr 04, 2020 · A German official accused the US of modern piracy after a shipment of medical masks intended for German police were reportedly diverted to the states, a sign of how hot the international germany medical mask improve
Mar 18, 2020 · On March 8, a shipment of 240,000 face masks bound for Switzerland from Germany was blocked by the German government, which had unilaterally banned most exports of protective medical equipment on germany medical mask improveSurgical Masks Products | Medline Industries, Inc.Due to the coronavirus outbreak worldwide, global demand for some personal protective equipment (PPE) is exceeding supply. In addition, manufacturing of PPE and many other wound care and infection prevention products have been impacted by global response to coronavirus.Surgical Masks Products | Medline Industries, Inc.Due to the coronavirus outbreak worldwide, global demand for some personal protective equipment (PPE) is exceeding supply. In addition, manufacturing of PPE and many other wound care and infection prevention products have been impacted by global response to coronavirus.
Mar 20, 2020 · Since the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that caused coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the use of face masks has become ubiquitous in China and other Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan. Some provinces and municipalities in China have enforced compulsory face mask policies in public areas; however, Nurse creates clear surgical mask to improve Dec 19, 2014 · The clear mask also is designed to enable lip-reading for deaf patients. Stacey Carroll, PhD, ANP-BC, is Advocacy Chair for the Association of Medical Professionals With Hearing Losses, and has worked with Hahne on crafting the final design of the mask to meet the needs of the groups users.Makrite North America - Industrial Facemask ManufacturerAs a face mask manufacturer and distributor for over 20 years, Makrite North America strives to provide the best possible respiratory protection products to our valued customers worldwide. We set up manufacturing in China to produce specially designed disposable face masks and particulate respirator masks to meet governmental requirements in many countries.
No one goes bankrupt in Germany because of medical care costs, she said. But Osborn does not recommend the U.S. copy Germanys or any other countrys health care system and adopt it here.Improve Your Face Masks With One Simple Item You Apr 25, 2020 · Improve Your Face Masks With One Simple Item You Probably Have in Your Drawers. germany medical mask improve But due to nationwide shortages, many people are making their own. (Also, medical-grade masksHow to make a mask fit better: How to wear a surgical maskAug 13, 2020 · Start with clean hands always wash them before handling a new mask (and after taking off a used one). Fold the mask in half, lengthwise,
Mar 19, 2020 · BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany has lifted export bans on medical equipment which were issued earlier this month to avoid shortages of masks, goggles and gloves, the economy ministry said on Thursday as germany medical mask improveGermany Faces Backlash From Neighbors Over Mask Mar 09, 2020 · It also said hospital doctors had been advised to use their masks for eight hours instead of replacing them after two. Germanys health minister signaled that Berlin could ease restrictions going germany medical mask improveGermany Cries Foul Over Berlin-Bound Masks Diverted to Berlin officials said a shipment of face masks destined for Germany was seized at Bangkok airport and diverted to the U.S. in an act of modern piracythe latest accusation that the Trump germany medical mask improve
Apr 06, 2020 · The scramble for medical-grade face masks has escalated in recent days as the numbers of confirmed Covid-19 cases and fatalities continued to rise. In Germany Face Mask Improvements: 6 Ways to Give Face Mask an Get the Lanzom Face Mask Hat for just $17, available at Amazon! Get it as soon as May 6, 2020. Get it as soon as May 6, 2020. Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication, April 29 germany medical mask improveFace masks for businesses and professionals: Where to May 15, 2020 · SwimSpot, a swimsuit company, is selling non-medical, laser-cut face masks made from polyester and spandex materials. This particular set comes with 10 masks in the color black for $20.
medical masks. In the present work, the surgical mask andN-95 respirator were modified with a specially treated polypropylene edging seal, and a new polypropylene mask and napkin were created. We measured bacterial leakage, in vivo and in vitro filtration efficiency and the safety of the medical masks and the results were compared. Materials germany medical mask improveCoronavirus Latest: Germany Faces Backlash Over Mask germany medical mask improveMar 09, 2020 · Switzerland -- a country of 8.5 million which depends on imports of low-value goods such as protective medical gear -- wants Germany to release a shipment of face masks Children's Face Masks by Precept Medical | Medline germany medical mask improveChildren's Face Masks by Precept Medical. Manufacturer: Precept Medical Products. Child-sized to improve fit for children; Kid-friendly printed outer facing; Soft and comfortable ear loops for easier donning For your business. To view pricing and availability germany medical mask improve
Mar 31, 2020 · A leading voice on medical matters in Germany, the Social Democrats health expert, Karl Lauterbach, said the benefits of masks were grossly underestimated and BARRIER Medical face masks | MölnlyckeBARRIER ® Medical face masks are designed to reduce transfer of bacteria and particles from medical personnel to the patient, reducing the risk of infection .. Our BARRIER face masks have a high level of bacterial filtration efficiency that reduces the spread of bacteria to the air in the operating theatre.Amazon germany medical mask improve: medical masksDisposable Face Masks, 50Pcs 3-ply Disposable Masks Color Face Mask with Elastic Ear Loop, Medical Masks Breathable Dust Proof Non-woven Safety Masks, Fashion Face Covering for Adult Youth Unisex. 5.0 out of 5 stars 50. $19.99 $ 19. 99 ($19.99/Count) Get it as soon as Thu, Oct 15.
Level 3 Light Blue Procedure Surgical Dental Medical Face Mask, Box of 50, PlastCare USA Guardian 4.8 out of 5 stars 21 #48. Halyard 49235 Anti-Fog Surgical Mask, Anti-Fog with Film Strip (Pack of 300) 5.0 out of 5 stars 3 #49. Kimberly-Clark Procedure Mask (47080), Pleated, Ear Loops, Blue, 50 Masks / Dispenser Box germany medical mask improveimprove medical mask - KN95 Face Mask price3 Ways to Put on a Medical Mask wikiHow Some Hospitals Move To 'Universal Mask' Policy. Should . Mar 25, 2020 · Soe Lin and Hecht teach at Yale and run Pharos Global Health Advisors, a nonprofit that advises governments and philanthropies on using medical data to improve health.Medical Disposable Face Masks - Henry Schein MedicalPurchase Medical Face Masks and Surgical Face Masks. Licensed Medical Professionals turn to Henry Schein as their source for medical face masks and surgical face masks. Henry Schein Medical is a leading distributor to health care providers, and does not sell or distribute product to non-medical professionals or the general public.
Medical face mask machine, full name is automatic high-speed flat earloop mask production line, used to produce disposable medical face masks or surgical face masks in mass production. The mask type produced by this surgical mask production line is 3 ply flat earloop type mask, we also offer kn95 face mask production line for kn95 cup-shaped germany medical mask improveMask Facts - AAPS | Association of American Physicians Sep 26, 2020 · Cloth masks by particles 97%; Medical masks 44%, 3M Vflex 9105 N95 0.1%; 3M 9320 N95 <0.01%; Cloth masks resulted in significantly higher rates of infection than medical masks, and also performed worse than the control arm some of whom may have worn masks. The virus may survive on the surface of the face masksImprove Your Face Masks With One Simple Item You Apr 25, 2020 · Improve Your Face Masks With One Simple Item You Probably Have in Your Drawers. germany medical mask improve But due to nationwide shortages, many people are making their own. (Also, medical-grade masks
Guangzhou Improve Medical Instruments Co., Ltd is a high-tech enterprise which provides relevant technologies for Clinical Laboratory and Clinical NursingGermany bans export of medical protection gear due to germany medical mask improveGermany has banned the export of medical protection gear to avoid supply shortages of masks, gloves and suits as doctors and authorities are racing to contain the spread of the highly contagious germany medical mask improveGermany bans export of medical protection gear due to germany medical mask improveGermany has banned the export of medical protection gear to avoid supply shortages of masks, gloves and suits as doctors and authorities are racing to contain the spread of the highly contagious germany medical mask improve
Mar 19, 2020 · Germany has lifted export bans on medical equipment which were issued earlier this month to avoid shortages of masks, goggles and gloves, the economy ministry said on Thursday as authorities race germany medical mask improveGermany lifts export ban on medical equipment over germany medical mask improveMar 19, 2020 · Germany has lifted export bans on medical equipment which were issued earlier this month to avoid shortages of masks, goggles and gloves, the economy ministry said on Thursday as authorities race germany medical mask improve3M 1860 - McKesson Medical-SurgicalParticulate Respirator / Surgical Mask 3M Medical N95 Cup Elastic Strap One Size Fits Most Blue NonSterile MASK, RESPIRATOR PARTICULATE N95 SURGICAL 3M (20/BX) Features. NIOSH N95 approved: 84A-0006 FDA Cleared for use as surgical mask Helps protect against certain airborne biological particles
May 06, 2020 · Certified/vetted mask: You will be able to smell it, but only very faintly. Poor quality/fake mask: You will be able to smell it full force. Why is that? Certified KN95 masks have a filtration of 95%, which means it is designed to filter out at least 95% of particles (0.3 micron-particles). Break down of Certified mask components FDA10 Best Surgical Face Masks to Reduce the Spread of Medical Face Masks Buying Guide. We said it before and well say it again: consult a medical professional before wearing a surgical mask. You should also consider the following factors: Type If youre not showing symptoms and merely trying to prevent the spread of germs, a simple face mask will potentially suffice. However, if you are germany medical mask improve


text:
A new Congress is in full swing here in Washington and policy agendas are shaping up for 2011. In the technology area, a perennial hot issue is privacy and data security. I recently attended the Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee’s “State of the Net” conference; an annual must stop on every tech policy wonk’s conference circuit.
Among the many issues examined was data privacy and the growing trend towards industry self -regulation. Recently, both the Federal Trade Commission and the Commerce Department issued reports encouraging industry to implement privacy self-regulatory programs.
Simply stated, self-regulation is a structure where the industry defines the privacy promises it makes to its customers then, once the promises are defined, a third party (usually a government regulator) steps in to enforce the promises. The theory is that the industry itself is best situated to create principles or promises for consumers that reflect the unique characteristics of a particular industry. Several industries have recently implemented privacy self-regulatory programs including the online advertising industry and the electronic retailing industry.
Why is Privacy an Issue for REALTORs?
NAR conducted a survey last year of member data collection practices and their awareness of privacy as a critical business issue. What we learned was that REALTORs collect a great deal of sensitive personal information from their clients but have an alarming low awareness of the need to implement privacy and data security practices. To help address this, NAR created a Data Privacy & Security Toolkit (you will need your NAR NRDS number to access) to help educate our members about this important topic. This no doubt is only a first step in a longer process to educate the industry on issues of data privacy and security.
We think that it is just plain smart for the industry to come up with its own set of privacy practices that take into account the specific characteristics of the real estate industry before the FTC or Congress does it for us. For example, in real estate consideration must be given to the fact that most agents are independent contractors. Principles that take into account the broker agent relationship will suit the industry better than one- size- fits- all approach.
I’d like to hear what you think. Does it make sense for the real estate industry to develop best practices and a self-regulatory program around data privacy and security? If so, what special real estate industry characteristics need to be addressed?