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When the Directors Guild of America recently presented a Lifetime Achievement Award to Ridley Scott, the Hollywood banquet featured wines from Ohio’s Ravenhurst Champagne Cellars.
Shipping Ohio wines to California may seem counterintuitive, but for Ravenhurst vintner Chuck Harris, the Guild’s order acknowledged that he and his wife, Nina Busch, produce premium estate wines amid Union and Hardin counties’ farm fields near Mt. Victory. “It shows that great wine is great wine regardless of where it comes from,” he says.
Harris and Busch are members of Union Rural Electric Cooperative, based in Marysville. They grew up in Van Wert, and in the 1970s, both worked at a French restaurant — he as a chef, she as a baker — in New York City. They learned to appreciate fine wine by drinking Dom Pérignon with friends and colleagues, but they realized the Big Apple was not for them.
“New York was exciting,” allows Busch, “but we couldn’t live there because we had no place to garden.” In 1980, they transplanted themselves to Union County to grow organic gardens and grapes. Busch’s fondness for champagne prompted Harris to start making his own. “I married a woman who wanted to drink more champagne than I could afford to buy,” he says with smile.
The perfect spot
Ravenhurst is situated east of Campbell Hill in Hardin County, and because that peak is Ohio’s highest elevation, it affects weather patterns, effectively creating a microclimate with scant rainfall in July and August. “We’re in an 11-mile-wide strip that farmers around here jokingly call ‘Death Valley,’” says Harris. Though adverse for field crops, those environmental conditions benefit vineyards. “Less rain yields smaller grapes with a high skin-to-juice ratio,” says Harris. “That means good wine because the skin has all the color and flavor.”
Busch and Harris cultivate four viniferas — Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay — to make still and sparkling wines. Their specialty is méthode champenoise sparkling wine, which requires fermenting first in the barrel and again in the bottle. “We’re making classic, French-style champagne with American fruit,” says Harris. While a biscuit or toast taste typifies French champagne, Harris aims for fruitier versions. “I want some fruit flavor there,” he says, “like jam on a biscuit.”
Ravenhurst wines are sold primarily to a “Patron’s List” of connoisseurs, but its tasting room on Yoakum Road is periodically open to the public between March and December. Unlike most wineries, Ravenhurst has no food, entertainment, or gift shop. It’s simply about enjoying excellent wines. Says Harris, “The program here is visit the winery, taste the wine, like the wine, buy the wine, and go home.”
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Consumers Harmed by Alleged Installation of Unlawful “Defeat Devices” in Certain Diesel Vehicles
$1,000 in Compensation to be Provided for up to 2,585 Arizonans
PHOENIX – Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced today that up to 2,585 Arizonans who purchased or leased certain Jeep Grand Cherokees or Dodge Ram 1500 vehicles will receive $1,000 in compensation as a result of a settlement with the Arizona Attorney General's Office. The settlement resolves claims against Fiat Chrysler that the company harmed Arizonans by installing unlawful defeat devices in vehicles marketed as "clean-burning." The deceptive devices caused the cars to appear to be more environmentally friendly than they actually are. The settlement impacts Model Year 2014-16 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 diesel vehicles that the automaker sold or leased in Arizona.
The settlement is similar to a 2018 settlement between the Arizona Attorney General's Office and Volkswagen that provided $1,000 in restitution to more than 11,000 eligible Arizona consumers who were harmed by Volkswagen's clean diesel scandal. In another lawsuit filed earlier this week, Attorney General Brnovich announced he is suing Mercedes-Benz USA LLC and Daimler AG to seek restitution for consumers harmed by Mercedes’ alleged similar use of “clean diesel” defeat devices. That lawsuit is ongoing.
The consumer restitution is part of combined restitution and civil penalties from Fiat Chrysler and Bosch of approximately $4 million to Arizona, and total payments of more than $171 million to 52 jurisdictions nationwide. Bosch supplied and helped program the illegal emissions “defeat device” software used by both Fiat Chrysler and Volkswagen in their diesel vehicles.
Following a nearly two-year investigation, Attorney General Brnovich alleges that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V., its U.S. subsidiary FCA US, LLC, its Italian affiliate V.M. Motori S.p.A. and V.M. North America, Inc. (collectively, “Fiat Chrysler”) installed unlawful defeat device software and undisclosed Auxiliary Emissions Control Devices (“AECDs”) in 2,585 Model Year 2014-16 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 diesel vehicles that the automaker sold or leased in Arizona. Brnovich alleges Fiat Chrysler misled consumers by falsely claiming the “Eco-Diesel”-branded Jeep SUVs and Ram 1500 trucks were environmentally friendly and compliant with the law when in fact they had calibrated the vehicles’ software to conceal that the vehicles emitted high levels of harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) in real-world driving conditions.
The settlement will require Fiat Chrysler to pay the State more than $1.6 million under Arizona consumer protection laws for deceptively and unfairly marketing, selling and leasing the vehicles to consumers. Nationwide, excluding the separate penalties the company will be required to pay to the federal government and California, the multistate agreement is expected to result in payments totaling $72.5 million to 49 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and Guam.
Additional Terms and Restitution Available for Consumers
Arizona’s settlement will also prohibit Fiat Chrysler from engaging in future unfair or deceptive acts and practices in connection with its dealings with consumers, and require Fiat Chrysler to carry out its obligations under a related settlement agreement in the Multidistrict Litigation (“MDL Consumer Settlement”) pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The MDL Consumer Settlement, once approved by the MDL court, will resolve claims brought by a national class of affected consumers. The MDL Consumer Settlement requires Fiat Chrysler to: (1) eliminate the defeat device features from the relevant software through a software “flash fix”; (2) provide eligible owners and lessees extended warranties; and, (3) together with co-defendant Bosch, pay eligible owners who take their vehicle to an authorized dealer for the software repair an average restitution of approximately $2,908 and lessees and former owners who do so restitution of $990.
Related settlements between Fiat Chrysler and the United States Department of Justice, the Environmental Protection Agency, the California Air Resources Board, and the State of California also require Fiat Chrysler to make available 200,000 upgraded catalytic converters to mitigate air pollution across the country when installed by Fiat Chrysler vehicle owners as replacements to their existing catalytic converters.
Assuming all owners and lessees nationwide participate, this will result in additional restitution of approximately $307 million, including approximately $7.5 million available to affected owners and lessees of 2,585 vehicles in Arizona.
Bosch is a multinational engineering company well known for its consumer products. It is also a major supplier to the global automotive industry. Among the products Bosch supplies to its auto manufacturing customers are the electronic control units (“ECUs”) that house the complex software that controls nearly all aspects of an engine’s performance, including emissions systems. When Volkswagen, a Bosch customer, was revealed to have systematically utilized defeat device software in its diesel vehicles, several states Attorneys General, including Arizona, commenced a separate investigation into the role played by Bosch in enabling its customers to potentially violate federal and state emissions regulations. Attorney General Brnovich alleges Bosch facilitated the implementation of the defeat device software in more than 600,000 Volkswagen and Fiat Chrysler vehicles over a period that spanned more than a decade.
Under the terms of the proposed settlement with the Attorney General, Bosch will pay Arizona nearly $2.5 million in restitution and consumer and environmental civil penalties. The agreement also includes precedent-setting injunctive terms and requires Bosch to maintain robust processes to monitor compliance and to refuse to accommodate requests for software development and programming that could result in the installation of defeat device software.
Under a multistate agreement involving Arizona and 49 other jurisdictions – including Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam and all states other than California, Texas and West Virginia – Bosch will pay a total of $98.7 million under the jurisdictions’ consumer protection and environmental laws and make a separate $5 million payment to the National Association of Attorneys General ("NAAG") for training and future enforcement purposes.
Under the related MDL Settlements, Bosch will also pay approximately $27.5 million to consumers who purchased or leased the affected Fiat Chrysler vehicles. Bosch earlier paid more than $275 million to consumers who purchased or leased the affected Volkswagen vehicles.
Senior Litigation Counsel Drew Ensign and Acting Civil Litigation Division Chief Beau Roysden handled the investigation.

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Thai companies are allegedly dumping sugar in Vietnam and hurting farmers, say Vietnamese sugar producers, according to local press reports.… Login to continue
Tagged: dumping, imports, sugar industry, Thailand, Vietnam
Raw sugar futures on ICE fell more than 3% on 22 April to a three-week low of 19.24 cents per lb, weighed by an improving outlook for crops in India […]


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Wal-Mart’s Shareholder Meeting and Future
At its annual shareholder meeting on Friday, Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) announced it was going to buy back some of its stock for the first time in two years. The world’s largest retailer announced it was going to be buying back $15 billion worth of stock.
The event is more of a pep rally than a shareholder meeting as thousands of employees attend as well. The shareholder meeting came at a time when the company is still facing criticism for its handling of bribery allegations in its Mexican operations over a year ago, which according to the New York Times it tried to cover up. It has also been linked to factory safety issues in Bangladesh.
The company brought its normal star power to the meeting with Hugh Jackman hosting the event and John Legend performing. There were also serious moments though, as executives addressed concerns over the recent problems Wal-Mart has faced. At the shareholder meeting, Executive Mike Duke said ”For Wal-Mart, compliance is an absolute. Make no mistake about it, we will do the right thing.”
The shareholder meeting was also protested by OUR Walmart, which is a union-backed group that wants Wal-Mart to commit to providing full-time work with a minimum salary of $25,000 per year. These groups cited information showing that Wal-Mart workers were paid less than the average industry average for retail workers and scheduled as few as 19 to 22 hours a week.
When news of the buyback program was announced, the company’s stock was up 1.1 percent to $76.50. Wal-Mart accounts for a large percent of spending in America, and its sales show that low income individuals are not recovering at the same rate as the housing market or the stock market.
Wal-Mart is starting to recover after a two year slump that was a result of a number of factors, including changes in its pricing and merchandising strategy and cutting thousands of items from its store. The company is also responding to criticism from labor organizations by announcing it is going to hire 100,000 veterans in the next five years. It appears that things are turning around for Wal-Mart, but the company is still struggling to improve its image.
At the shareholder meeting, several proposals were also being put to a vote. One of the proposals allows shareholders with 10 percent of the company’s stock to call a special shareholder meeting where they could vote on key matters.
Don’t Miss: Businesses Gear Up For National Doughnut Day.


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Targeting the domestic market demand, the country's electronic giant Walton has displayed around 200 models of home appliances in its outlets across the country in this winter.
The wide-range of product line includes — washing machine, room heater, geyser or water heater, oven, electric kettle, rice cooker, blender and juicer, induction cooker, electric lunch box, hairdryer, trimmer, shaver and many others.
Ahead of this winter, the company set a target of grabbing a big portion of market share of home appliances, said a media statement.
Janesar Ali, product manager of Walton Home Appliances, said all the Walton Plazas and distributors' showrooms across the country have been showcasing and selling a wide range of products to meet the company's sales target this winter.
The move will facilitate the purchase of myriad products by the customers from a single showroom, added the product manager.
To lure customers into making purchase, the company has also offered various customer benefits as part of its nationwide ongoing Digital Campaign Season 8, he said.
Under this campaign, buyers of Walton washing machine and microwave oven are enjoying the benefits of getting free appliances like refrigerator, television, air conditioner or sure cash vouchers.
Over the last few years, Walton witnessed a surge in both demands and sales of its washing machines in the domestic market, the media statement claimed.
The availability of world-class product at affordable rates is the reason behind the growth of its demand and sale.
Apart from Nepal, Yemen, East Timor and some other countries, Walton also started exporting its locally finished washing machines to the neighbouring Indian market.


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According to a local report, a Texas-based developer of temperature-controlled warehouse space broke ground on a large cold-storage facility at the Pocatello Regional Airport in Idaho. Utility infrastructure construction is under way on the 280,000 ft2 facility, which is expected to open as early as spring 2021.
Frigitek Industrial Parks’ facility will include a mixture of refrigerated and frozen storage, freight services and processing. The company said potential customers include agricultural and food processors as well as growers and shippers.
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Come Tax Day, U.S. taxpayers and taco fans can line up at 150-plus Taco Del Mar fast-food restaurants to request a free taco. It’s safe to say that former Taco Del Mar franchisee Suzanne Todd won’t be among them.
Todd opened a Taco Del Mar franchise in Frostburg, Md., several years ago, an experience she says quickly devolved into the “disaster” that has now prompted her to bring her ordeal to a federal bankruptcy court.
The operator of the fast-food Mexican restaurant chain, Taco Del Mar Franchising Corp., sought Chapter 11 protection in January, blaming the several years of financial losses it experienced on poor expense management, lawsuit expenses and its selection of “poor franchisees and poor sites” for its new restaurants. The filing halted all creditor actions against the company, including the arbitration proceeding between Todd and the chain that Todd is now seeking court permission to continue with. Todd is trying to protect her $500,000 claim, which she said Taco Del Mar disputes.


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The iPhone maker will begin issuing stock grants to most employees worldwide in the coming months, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. The move comes on the same day Apple said it would bring back most of its cash from overseas and spend $30 billion in the U.S. over the next five years, funding an additional technical support campus, data centers and 20,000 new employees.
Apple joins a list of companies including AT&T, Comcast, JetBlue, and Wal-Mart who are giving employees bonuses following President Trump's new tax laws. In an email to employees, Cook says this demonstrates his 'confidence in Apple's future' and that both full-time and part-time employees across all departments are eligible. Cook also said the company would contribute twice the amount of each employee's charitable donation, up to $10,000, through the end of the year.
Earlier today, Apple announced that its direct contribution to the US economy will be more than $350 billion over the next five years, not including Apple’s ongoing tax payments, the tax revenues generated from employees’ wages and the sale of Apple products. More details here.
In total, Apple has around 120,000 employees. Workers below director level are eligible to receive the bonus stock units.


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Thredup is setting its sights on Europe as the race to dominate the largely fragmented resale market intensifies.
On Monday, the US-based resale platform, which went public in March, said it will pay $28.5 million to buy Remix Global, a resale site that sells in nine European markets from a warehouse in Sofia, Bulgaria with annual revenues of $33.9 million. Remix buys secondhand fashion, including brands like Nike, Ralph Lauren and Nike, and users receive payment or donation credit in exchange. Thredup holds inventory from sellers and pays them only once products sell. It currently carries 35,000 brands on its site.
Thredup raised $168 million in its March IPO, and has been focusing on its resale-as-a-service model, offering it to fashion brands and retailers like Madewell, Gap and Farfetch. With Remix, Thredup gets a foothold in the European market to help scale its white label tech to brands and retailers in Europe. It will also benefit from Remix’s local operations and team: Remix has over 400 employees and more than 200,000 products online, according to its website, and has built its own processing system for inventory onboarding. The platform will stay independent, but Thredup will invest in its inventory, processing and expansion strategies in order to drive growth across Europe, according to the announcement. Remix CEO Lyubomir Klenov will remain in charge of the company and will lead Thredup’s European expansion.
Resale’s potential in Europe is mounting as luxury brands soften towards it. Kering took a 5 percent stake in Vestiaire Collective, Balenciaga turned to Reflaunt to offer peer-to-peer resale services on its owned site, while Alexander McQueen became one of the first brands to use Vestiaire Collective technology on its own site. In a recent study, Bain predicted that by 2030, resale could provide 20 per cent of a modern luxury brand’s revenue, while reaching more customers and generating purchases of new items due to trade-in vouchers.
“It’s going to be big because of three main reasons: the acceleration of digital; the technology to trace the authenticity of those items; and the understanding of consumers in terms of sustainability and their impact,” says Diana Verde Nieto, chief executive officer of Positive Luxury, a sustainable fashion consultancy.
While the resale market is dominated by key players including The Real Real, Vestiaire Collective, Thredup and Poshmark, Europe’s resale landscape remains fragmented. As a result, competition is on the rise. Zalando and H&M have both brought resale services to multiple European markets, while Vestiaire Collective has also been building up its business in the region. A handful of smaller players, including Vinted, Rebelle and Edit Secondhand, are dominating their own segment of the market.
“Each one of the resellers are cornering different types of the markets. You almost replicate the luxury fashion market as a whole. You have different people that will actually corner different segments of that market and specialise on that,” Verde Nieto says.
Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at email@example.com.
Don’t call it rental: Inside the rebrand for fashion
With Depop, Etsy sets sights on Gen Z, secondhand


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Best smartphones to look forward to in 2015
With the pace of smartphone evolution moving so fast, there's always something waiting in the wings. No sooner have you spied the latest handset, then there's anticipation of something else, the next big thing to envy.
We've rounded up the best smartphones for 2015, those we consider to be the best across all platforms, and we've regularly updated that list as the smartphone world has evolved.
You can find those in our Best smartphones 2015: The best phones available to buy today feature.
Here we're looking at those phones that haven't yet launched, those we know are coming, or are anticipated. We'll be updating this list on a regular basis, with those device rumours we think are credible and exciting, and devices just announced but yet to hit the shelves.
The LG G4 launched on 28 April and it will hit UK stores on 28 May. It sports a 5.5-inch QHD LCD display, for a pixel density of 538ppi and according to the company, it features 20 per cent greater colour gamut, 25 per cent more brightness and 50 per cent greater contrast than the competition.
The handset is powered by a hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, Adreno 400 GPU developed for the LG display, 3GB of RAM, at least 32GB of storage with microSD expansion and a 3000mAh battery.
It was the 16-megapixel rear camera that LG pushed the hardest during the launch announcement though. The new sensor is 4K-capable and offers a larger aperture than its competitors at f/1.8, which LG says will enable better low light photography and less blur in fast moving objects. The camera features the world's first colour spectrum sensor to read an object's exact colour before it takes the photo and there is also an 8-megapixel front-facing selfie camera on board.
The LG G4 arrives with UX 4.0 layered over the top of Android Lollipop and it introduces several proprietary features. Quick Shot will allow you to take a picture with a double tap of the volume button on the rear without having to wake up the display first and the camera will offer three users modes including a Manual mode that allows for shutter speed adjustment.
READ MORE LG G4 review
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Samsung follows an annual release cycle and while the Galaxy S series takes the beginning of the year, the Galaxy Note series tends to be towards the end - traditionally at IFA in Berlin. If this cycle continues, it should mean we see the Galaxy Note 5 announced in then next few months.
There has been talk of two devices, a traditional Note along with a dual-edge Note device, but of course, nothing has been officially confirmed yet. A 5.9-inch display with an Ultra HD Super AMOLED for the standard Note 5 has been touted and other rumours have claimed Samsung will follow the same design as the Galaxy S6, introducing a metal and glass finish.
Other rumours have suggested an 18-megapixel or 21-megaixel rear camera, coupled with a 5 or 6-megapixel front camera, up to 128GB of internal memory, a fingerprint scanner and a USB-Type C. In terms of power, there have been claims of the Snapdragon 810 chip supported by 4GB of RAM, but it has also been speculated the processor will be taken in house, like Samsung recently did with its Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge devices.
READ MORE Samsung Galaxy Note 5 rumours
Samsung Galaxy S6 Active
The Samsung Galaxy S6 launched at MWC 2015 in March of this year, alongside the Galaxy S6 edge, but it appears the South Korean company isn't finished with this smartphone family just yet. The water and dustproof, ruggedised version of the Samsung Galaxy S6 has been officially confirmed, although not on purpose.
The handset had been rumoured but then Samsung listed it on its own US website in a chart illustrating which of the company's devices are eligible for Samsung Plus points. There were no spec details but claims have suggested the Active model of the Galaxy S6 will come with a 5.1-inch QHD display just like its brother.
The same octa-core Exynos 7420 processor is also rumoured to be under the hood, along with 3GB of RAM. Its camera, it is claimed, will be 16-megapixel and 5-megapixel respectively.
Sony Xperia Z4 / Sony Xperia Z3+
The Sony Xperia Z4 was announced in Japan on 20 April 2015. Many expected a global launch for Sony's new handset, but Sony has made it clear that the Xperia Z4 is for Japan and staying in Japan.
It's an incremental update over the Sony Xperia Z3, sticking to much the same design, but boosting the specs in some areas - mainly the chipset and the front-facing camera. It's a blink and you'll miss it difference.
Following the launch of the Xperia Z4 however, we saw the Sony Xperia Z3+ name make it's first appearance on a Russian website, followed by a passing reference in a Sony white paper, which is a legitimate Sony document.
It's widely expected that the Sony Xperia Z3+ will have the same specs as the Xperia Z4, which if true, would mean the same OmniBalance design, 5.2-inch Full HD display, 20.1-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front camera. A Snapdragon 810 and 3GB would also be on board if it follows the Xperia Z4 and there should also be a capless Micro-USB charging port.
The only rumour referring to release date suggests end of May so if true, we shouldn't have to wait much longer.
READ MORE Sony Xperia Z3+ rumours
Google is more than likely working on its next Nexus smartphone and while Motorola and LG have both had the pleasure of partnering with the software giant in the past, rumour has it Huawei could be making the next device.
Gizmo China claimed Huawei is on-board to produce the next Nexus phone, which will replace the Motorola-made Nexus 6. It has been suggested it could feature a 5.7-inch OLED display from Samsung, with a 1440 x 2560-pixel resolution.
Huawei tends to pack devices with its own Hi-Silicon Kirin chip, but the next Nexus device will probably come with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 chipset instead. Gizmo China didn't shed any other details about the phone, though the rumour mill is hoping it will ship soon with 4GB of RAM.
The Nexus 6 didn't arrive until late last year so even with Google's I/O coming up at the end of May, we suspect we might be waiting a few more months before any official details are revealed on the next Nexus.
READ MORE Nexus 6 review
Motorola Moto X (2015)
The first and second generation of Moto X were announced in August 2013 and September 2014, when Motorola was owned by Google. The company has since been taken over by Lenovo and a third generation of the device is rumoured to be in the works.
A website called STJS posted a leaked spec sheet for the third Moto X, claiming the phone will feature a 5.2-inch QHD AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 4GB of RAM, 32/64GB of memory, a 16-megapixel Clear Pixel camera, a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, and a 3280 mAh battery.
A Verizon engineer named Jose Arturo also revealed on Google+ in April that Motorola plans to add a front-facing flash for selfies and microSD support to the upcoming phone, which was spotted by Droid-Life before the post was deleted.
Other rumours are currently thin on the ground, but if Lenovo sticks to the previous release cycle, we can expect to see plenty more speculation in the coming months.
READ MORE Motorola Moto X rumours
Apple iPhone 6S
Just as the sun rises after the sun sets, there will be a new iPhone in 2015. Following the patterns of update cycles of the past, it will be the iPhone 6S, and chances are, it will have the same design as the iPhone 6, making a few updates in a few places.
You can expect the same size display and resolution, but you might see the introduction of Force Touch. This new method of interaction was introduced on the Apple Watch as well as the new MacBook, so it makes sense for it to come to the iPhone 6S and new iPads.
We can expect the next iteration of iOS to be previewed at WWDC in June, and launch on the iPhone 6S but it is too soon to tell what features we'll see arrive.
There's also the rumour circulating that the iPhone 6S will use the new aluminium that Apple developed for the Apple Watch. This is said to be strong, but 60 per cent lighter than other aluminiums. With Bendgate blighting the iPhone 6 Plus launch, a stronger material might fix that problem.
READ MORE Apple iPhone 6S rumours
OnePlus is a smartphone manufacturer based in China. It's best known for a slightly viral approach to marketing its smartphone, using an invite-only system to make availability more exclusive.
OnePlus announced through the AMA that it planned to release OnePlus Two in the second or third quarter of 2015. Shortly after opening sales of the OnePlus One globally, OnePlus once again confirmed it would soon launch the OnePlus Two, but through the same invite-only system.
Rumours are suggesting the new device will come with a 5.5 or 6-inch display, sporting a 1080p or QHD resolution. There have also been claims of a Snapdragon 805 and 810 processor, 16-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front camera, 32GB storage and a 3300mAh battery.
The CEO of OnePlus also discussed pricing in May over Weibo, claiming 2499.99 Yuan would be a reasonable price for the OnePlus Two, which converts to £260.
READ MORE OnePlus Two rumours
HTC J Butterfly 3
The HTC J Butterfly 3 is another smartphone many won't be able to buy, sitting on KDDI's Au network in Japan and unlikely to appear elsewhere. That said, it could be possible that HTC will release a model with similar specs to this device, but call it something else for the rest of the world.
The HTC J Butterfly 3 has a 5.2-inch Super LCD3 with a 2650 x 1440 pixel resolution, Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage, with support for microSD expansion. It also features a 13-megapixel front camera, like the Desire Eye, and the Duo Camera on the rear with a 20-megapixel sensor, like the HTC One M9+.
All this hardware is held together with Android 5 Lollipop and Sense 7, so you get all the features you expect, packed into a waterproof plastic body. It's arguably more flagship than the HTC One M9 so here is hoping the Taiwanese company will launch a similar model this side of the water.
HTC One M9+
There were rumours of the HTC One M9+ before the M9 launched. This phone is now official, following a launch event in China. It's pitched at the Chinese market first and there's no word whether it will ever be seen outside Asia.
The HTC One M9+ has a 5.2-inch Quad HD display and is powered by an octa-core MediaTek chipset. There is a fingerprint scanner on the front, while a 20-megapixel Duo Camera sits on the rear.
In some ways it's again more progressive than the M9 flagship that was launched in March, with HTC looking to other hardware manufacturers, experimenting with that camera, but still offering high quality construction.
We're hoping it ventures outside of Asia, it certainly move things on for HTC.
Huawei's new 2015 flagship is the Huawei P8. It offers slick design with a high-quality metal body that's only 6.4mm thick, so it's thinner than the iPhone.
There's a Kirin 930 octo-core chipset inside and a 5.2-inch Quad HD display on the front, which is capable of generating some fantastic colours.
However, Huawei has heavily customised every aspect of Android using its Emotion UI and some might feel that the heavy addition of features, and the departure from Android norms has gone a little too far.
The camera is making great claims though, as is the battery management. The other exciting thing is the price: you should be able to get this flagship for around £100 less than its rivals.
Not only did Huawei unveil a new flagship recently, but it is partnered by a huge compadre, the Huawei P8max.
This is a huge 6.8-inch device, so it's closer to a tablet than a smartphone, offering the same quality design and build as the smaller model, but also the same resolution at 1920 x 1080 pixels. That makes it pretty low in terms of pixel density.
You can expect plenty of power and there's a huge battery that should give you around two days of use. There's also a pair of clever cameras, offering promising performance, although Android is heavily modified again with Huawei's Emotion UI.
You should be able to get all this for less than many phablet rivals though, with a €549 price tag already announced.
READ MORE Huawei P8max first impressions
Huawei Ascend Mate 8
The Huawei Mate 8 has leaked on a roadmap that suggested it will arrive as soon as next month, with June as the listed date. The leaked roadmap appeared on Mobile-dad and the leaked specs suggest it could be an exciting phablet when it does appear.
According to the rumours, the Mate 8 should feature the same size screen as its predecessor at 6-inches, but it will get a pixel bump from Full HD to Quad HD. It is also expected to come with a Kirin processor and the camera is listed at 16-megapixels.
The only problem with the Ascend Mate 8 is an international release. The Huawei Ascend Mate 7 was supposed to get released worldwide but it didn't get far out of China, despite being a huge success there, so we aren't getting our hopes too high for the Mate 8 just yet.
READ MORE Huawei Ascend Mate 7 review
Microsoft 940 (Talkman) and 940 XL (Cityman)
Microsoft's executive vice president Stephen Elop announced a new Lumia would be arriving this year and since then, renders have been doing the rounds. The latest renders are of the rumoured Lumia 940, also known as Talkman, and the Lumia 940 XL, also known as Cityman.
The handsets have not been officially announced yet, but rumours suggest the Lumia 940 will come with a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED screen with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, while the Microsoft Lumia 940 XL is expected to feature a larger 5.7-inch screen with higher 2560 x 1440 resolution.
There should be a 32GB model of the Lumia 940 with 64-bit hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor or 64GB and 128GB versions with 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 815 processors and both will have 3GB of RAM and Intel RealSense. The rear camera is tipped be a 25-megapixel PureView with Zeiss lens, triple-tone LED, 4K video and OIS while the front-facing camera should be 5-megapixels, while the battery is expected to be 3250mAh.
The Lumia 940 XL is expected to have the same specs as the 940 but with 4GB of RAM and a larger 3950mAh battery, along with digital pen support. Both handsets are expected to launch as the flagship phones when Windows 10 is released.
Sony Xperia Z4 Compact and Ultra
The Sony Xperia Z4 Compact is apparently going to arrive with 3GB of RAM, a 20.7-megapixel camera, 32GB storage, and a 4.7-inch screen with 1080p resolution. You can also expect a 3000mAh battery, Cat 9 LTE, wireless charging and IP68 water and dust proofing.
The Sony Xperia Z4 Ultra should arrive with a 6.44-inch display with a QHD resolution. It should also come with 3GB of RAM but a smaller 16-megapixel camera and larger 4000mAh battery. Unlike previous versions of the Ultra this model should also come with a stylus.
Sony has made a start on the Z4 family with a new 10-inch tablet, followed by the Japan-only Xperia Z4 but as the Z4 name doesn't seem to be making it's way to the rest of the world, we are taking the compact and ultra rumours with a pinch of salt for now.
READ MORE Sony Xperia Z4 news
Asus ZenFone 2
Asus was one of the first companies to launch a new device in 2015 with the Asus ZenFone 2 launching at CES 2015 in Vegas.
The company stuck with Intel for the hardware, with an Intel Atom Z3580 paired with 4GB of RAM, which should make for a really powerful handset.
There's a 5.5-inch display, with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution as well as a 13-megapixel camera on the rear. Asus is making great claims about this camera, saying it will offer low light performance like you haven't seen before but we'll be the judge of that when we get it in for review.
The ZenFone 2 has rear volume controls, like the LG G4, and it ships with Android 5.0 Lollipop skinned with Asus' Zen UI.
Fortunately, despite some premium specs, the ZenFone 2 comes with the $199 starting price tag. We're yet to hear exactly where it will be on sale, however.
READ MORE Asus ZenFone 2 preview
Asus ZenFone Zoom
We didn't see this one coming, until Asus teased "optical zoom" in an oh-so-obvious way. But Asus now has a smartphone with optical zoom that was announced at CES 2015.
There aren't many cameras with optical zoom around and the ZenFone Zoom is a world away from the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom. Samsung's model is more like a camera, however, with 10x optical zoom and a 20-megapixel sensor, along with Xenon flash. The Asus, however, is fairly slimline, cramming the 3x optical zoom 13-megapixel camera into a body that's still pretty slim.
To assist that camera is laser autofocusing, but we're yet to see if this all fuses together nicely, or if it's a mish-mash experience.
Elsewhere, the Asus ZenFone Zoom has a 5.5-inch display and will launch with Android 5.0 Lollipop, along with Zen UI. It's still some way off, however, with no word on when it might be available.
READ MORE Asus ZenFone Zoom eyes-on
Microsoft Lumia 1020 replacement/RM-1052
This rumour is a little on the loose side, but a leaked image appeared showing a Lumia model with a big camera bump on the rear. The Lumia 1020 was a mobile photography star, but has never been replaced and all of Microsoft's recent devices have been at the budget end of the spectrum.
There's a chance that you're looking at a new high-end PureView model, known as the RM-1052, but equally it could be a prototype of the cancelled Nokia McLaren.
It's nice to dream that Microsoft Devices will fill the high-end with a 5-inch Windows 10 device with a great PureView camera and while we're not convinced by the bodywork, the metal and plastic fusion doesn't look like a finished consumer device, it could be the birth of a new photography star for 2015.
As mentioned previously, Stephen Elop announced at MWC that a new flagship would be coming later in the year, so Windows 10 will have itself a new device to play on whether that is this one or the 940 family is not clear.
READ MORE Microsoft Devices news and reviews
Google Project Ara
Created by Motorola, and now shifted over to Google after the sale of Motorola to Lenovo, Project Ara isn't due until late 2015 but is essentially an exoskeleton that allows users to modify what parts they want. That way someone that wants to spend the bulk of their budget on the camera, but doesn't need as much storage, can chose to upgrade that way. Perhaps one person will skip NFC in favour of faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi, for example.
There should also be third party components on offer that will allow for competitive pricing as well as new types of parts - like sensors. A person with diabetes may want a blood sugar sensor where another may not.
Users can also looks forward to different textured options that they can 3D print off at home themselves. The speed this phone can develop at, without costing us as much, is very exciting indeed.


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You can't fault Fab.com for lack of ambition.
Just eight months after a $40 million funding round, the stylish flash deals website has closed a $105 million series C round of funding--and set its sights on a big international expansion.
Leading the new funding round was a new investor: Atomic, the venture capital firm founded by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennstrom.
Fab founder and CEO Jason Goldberg said the capital would be used to increase the company's international sales, open two U.S. warehouses in the next six months, and more than double the number of employees over the next two years.
"We're a far cry from an Amazon.com," Goldberg told Inc. "But we think we're on the cusp of something really big, and think it could be big on a global scale."
Goldberg said that not all of that earlier $40 million has been spent, and that he accepted this latest round of investment merely so the company would not have to worry about cash for the near future.
Since the site launched in June 2011--after a highly publicized pivot from its earlier incarnation, a gay social network--Fab.com has added more than 5 million members, Goldberg said. The site sells 3.4 products per minute, he said, adding that he expects the company to generate around $150 million in sales this year.
Betting on Global Growth
Now Goldberg is betting on overseas growth. In February the site purchased Germany-based Casacanda--a site that offered flash sales on high-end, independently made furniture--and began selling outside of the U.S.
Then last month Fab purchased a Llustre, 10-week-old British design store.
Now, Goldberg said, non-U.S. purchases account for 20% of the site's sales.
If the company grows as planned, Goldberg said, he expects Fab to be profitable in the U.S. by as early as 2013 and profitable in Europe a year after.
Focus on Logistics
Goldberg said shortening delivery times will be a point of emphasis going forward, and the company will use some of its new capital to improve its supply chain and logistics.
In August, Fab will open a 300,000-square-foot warehouse in New Jersey and hire 150 workers to handle the location's inventory. Fab plans to open a West Coast location in the following three to six months, Goldberg said, but a location has not been selected.
Such moves will allow Fab to stop using third-party logistics firms to handle delivery planning. Instead, the company will bring all logistics operations in house and use UPS to transport products to customers.
Complementing its capital purchases will be aggressive hiring in the next several years, Goldberg said. Currently, the company has more than 400 employees employees: 200 in New York City, 105 in Berlin, 50 in the U.K., and 65 in India.
The company plans to add around 300 employees in its two new U.S. warehouses, as well as more than 150 technology employees in its India office over the next five years, and approximately double its number of customer operations employees in the U.S. "We expect Fab to be 1,000 employees by 2014," Goldberg said.


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Amin is leaving PepsiCo to join SC Johnson, the owner of Pledge and Mr Muscle. He will take on the role of chief operating officer for the company's North America market.
Amin was with PepsiCo for 18 years in a number of roles across the food-and-drinks sectors. He took on the top marketing role in May 2012 and was responsible for global marketing strategies.
During Amin's time in the role, PepsiCo launched its first global marketing campaigns for its flagship Pepsi brand and is set to launch one for Doritos.
Zein Abdalla, president of PepsiCo, said: "Salman has made contributions that have touched nearly every market in which we do business."
According to PepsiCo sources, a successor is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.Follow @johnreynolds10


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HUAWEI ANNOUNCED ITS NEW OS
Huawei Technologies unveiled on Friday its proprietary operating system for smartphones and other devices, as U.S. trade restrictions imposed in May threaten to cut the Chinese firm’s access to U.S. technologies such as Android.
But Huawei said that for now it would stick to using Google’s Android for smartphones, and the new software will be gradually rolled out to support devices such as smartwatches, speakers and virtual reality gadgets.
The new OS is part of Huawei’s attempt to develop its own technologies from chips to software to reduce its reliance on U.S. firms amid an intensifying U.S.-China trade war.
“Harmony OS is completely different from Android and iOS,” said Richard Yu, head of Huawei’s consumer business group referring to operating systems developed by Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google and Apple Inc (AAPL.O).


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The rapid improvements in healthcare infrastructure in various emerging economies and growing penetration of social media have been helping to drive growth in the prenatal nutritional supplements category, according to a new study by Transparency Market Research (TMR).
The report’s authors note that across the world, pregnancy constitutes a large chunk of demand for medical facilities and hence project that the demand in the global prenatal vitamin supplements market will grow at a significant CAGR of 7.7% during the forecast period of 2016 to 2024.
The market is already valued at US$291.2 million (2015) and is estimated to translate into a revenue of US$561.0 million by 2024.
Thanks to social media platforms, awareness regarding the need for prenatal vitamin supplements has risen dramtically in the past decade. These supplements are typically whole-food multi-nutrient formulas specifically intended to serve the nutrition needs of a women from pre-conception, during the pregnancy, and post conception or lactation.
Increased disposable income among the urban population, strong promotional activities by the vendors in order to generate further awareness regarding the need of these supplements, and the advent of online selling of these products are some of the other key factors driving the global prenatal vitamin supplements market.
Looking at delivery type, the TMR report segments the global prenatal vitamin supplements market into gummy, capsule, and powder, with the capsule segment providing for the maximum demand in 2015, as they are easily broken down by gastric juices, have longer shelf-life in comparison to gummy and powdered supplements, and help in dividing the dosage.
On the basis of distribution, the drug stores channel accounted for 53.1% of the demand in 2015, against other segments of hospital pharmacies, online pharmacies, and supermarkets and specialist retail.
Geographically, the highly developed US market makes North America the most important region, providing for 41.2% of the demand in the global prenatal vitamin supplements market in 2015. However, the highly populated Asia Pacific region, dominated by the emerging economies of China and India, is projected to grow strongly during the forecast period of the report. Changing lifestyle of urban populations, improving healthcare facilities in developing cities, and growing awareness are some of the key factors driving the Asia Pacific prenatal vitamin supplements market.
Garden Of Life, Abbott Nutrition, Rainbow Light Nutritional Sytems, New Chapter, Country Life, Church & Dwight, MegaFood, Metagenics, Biotics Research Corporation, Twinlab Corporation, Pharmavite, and Matsun Nutrition are identified by the report’s authors as among key operators in the global prenatal vitamin supplements market.


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Ankeny, Iowa-based Casey’s General Stores Inc. has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a definitive proxy statement and a letter sent to Casey’s shareholders from Casey’s President and CEO Robert Myers.
The letter, dated Aug. 12, informed shareholders that Casey’s has nominated all of its directors for reelection and urged shareholders to vote for them at the annual meeting scheduled Sept. 23.
“Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc. is attempting to replace your Board with its hand-picked slate of nominees. We believe this is simply an attempt to advance its inadequate, unsolicited offer for Casey’s. Under the leadership of our current Board, Casey’s is already creating far greater value for shareholders than is reflected in Couche-Tard’s offer. We urge you to discard any blue proxy cards you receive from Couche-Tard and vote the enclosed WHITE proxy card today,” the letter said.
The letter went on to assure shareholders that it expects inside same-store sales growth to trend favorably over the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year.
For the fiscal year ended April 30, 2010, the Casey’s inside-sales margin was 42%, driven by a 64% margin in the Casey’s proprietary prepared food program. This performance exceeds the 34% average inside-sales margin achieved by convenience store peers during the same period, Casey’s reported. Same-store gasoline gallons growth is also strong with gasoline margins consistently above the company’s fiscal 2011 goals of 13.5%.
“Casey’s is on track with its strategic initiatives, including incorporating its exciting new store design program across the Company’s store base. The new larger store design capitalizes on high-margin, high-turning categories and includes increased cooler capacity, expanded coffee and fountain offerings and a made-to-order sub-sandwich program. To date, including acquired stores, Casey’s has incorporated the features of the new store design in 132 of its approximately 1,500 stores. Initial results have been very positive with significant increases above the chain-wide average in high margin prepared food sales,” the letter added.
Casey’s board said it believes Casey’s is undervalued at current trading levels and has approved a $500 million recapitalization plan to acquire about 25% of the company’s outstanding shares. The recapitalization plan, which is being funded through a private placement of 5.22% senior unsecured notes due 2020, is set to be executed through a modified “Dutch auction” self tender offer for up to $500 million of Casey’s stock at a price of $38.00 to $40.00 per share. Casey’s noted the recapitalization plan is expected to generate significant value for Casey’s shareholders; be highly accretive to Casey’s diluted EPS at all prices in the offer range; and allow shareholders to continue participating in the Company’s “substantial upside.”
“The Casey’s Board thoroughly reviewed Couche-Tard’s offer — both at its original offer price of $36.00 per share and its slightly increased offer price of $36.75 per share — and determined that the Couche-Tard offer is not in the best interests of Casey’s, its shareholders and other constituencies,” the letter said. “We note that the number of shares tendered into Couche-Tard’s offer has declined from 19.2% of Casey’s outstanding shares on July 12, 2010 to just 12% as of August 2, 2010. The low — and declining — number of shares tendered clearly shows a lack of support for Couche-Tard’s offer, notwithstanding its slight increase in offer price. We continue to recommend that shareholders NOT tender their shares into the Couche-Tard offer.”
Casey’s Board of Directors, consists of seven independent members out of eight total directors. Under the board’s leadership, Casey’s reported that it has:
— Consistently outperformed its peer group’s stock performance and the broader market. In the three year period prior to the public announcement of the Couche-Tard offer, Casey’s stock increased 24% while the convenience store peer group experienced an average decrease of 46% and the S&P 500 decreased 18%;
— Continued to have the highest inside-same stores sales margins in the industry, which have enabled it to achieve double-digit annual earnings per share (EPS) growth over the five fiscal years ended April 30, 2010;
— Increased its dividend at a compounded annual growth rate of approximately 17.3% over the past five years, and increased its dividend again at the start of fiscal 2011. The Company’s dividend payout ratio for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2010 was 15%, the highest ratio among industry peers; and,
— Achieved positive inside same-store sales growth for 26 consecutive quarters, averaging 5.9% for the five fiscal years ended April 30, 2010, versus the convenience store peer average of 3.5% for the comparable fiscal period.


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I am not going to go into all the details of being scammed but they used the same tactics about a "shopping spree" etc. I did a lot of detective work & got my money back. I'm still never angry as it seems this company is back in
Ronald E. Allen, SR is the President of this company out of Santa Rosa,CA. There was a huge settlement back in April of 2006 through Sonoma County Courts. Please read the press release from 4-11-2006.
STEPHAN R. PASSALACQUA
SONOMA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
600 ADMINISTRATION DRIVE, RM 212-J
SANTA ROSA, CA 95403 (707) 565-2311
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099
Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Larry Scoufos
Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California
$500,000 SETTLEMENT IN CONSUMER PROTECTION ACTION
AGAINST INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE SERVICE
Attorney General Bill Lockyer and Sonoma County District Attorney Stephan R. Passalacqua today announced their offices jointly obtained a $500,000-plus settlement in a consumer protection lawsuit against Santa Rosa-based International Magazine Service of Northern California, Inc. (IMS) and its President and CEO, Ronald E. Allen, Sr.
Under the settlement, IMS will pay restitution to victims, $276,000 in civil penalties and $184,000 to cover the prosecuting agencies' investigative costs and attorney fees. The settlement and complaint it resolves were filed in Sonoma County Superior Court, which reviewed and approved the settlement.
In the complaint, Lockyer and Passalacqua alleged that IMS, which sells magazine subscriptions to consumers throughout the country via telemarketing, misled consumers about the cost of the subscriptions and failed to properly notify consumers of their right to cancel the service, in violation of state law.
"Our consumer protection laws are built on fairness and honesty," said Lockyer. "With its false and misleading sales pitches, IMS violated these fundamental principles and harmed consumers. This settlement holds IMS accountable for its misconduct and appropriately compensates the victims."Passalacqua added, "Our office is committed to working with the Attorney General to protect consumers in Sonoma County and throughout California from deceptive telemarketers."
Aside from the monetary payment, the settlement also prohibits IMS from engaging in a variety of practices to prevent future violations of the law and harm to consumers. Specifically, the settlement prohibits the defendants from:
Making misleading statements and omissions in its telemarketing solicitations, including failing to clearly disclose the price of the magazine subscription plans being offered.
Failing to disclose the number, frequency, and amount of any required installment payments. Failing to promptly honor requests by customers to cancel their accounts and/or to obtain a refund. Harassing or threatening customers when collecting debts.
Ron Allen & Associates, Inc., and its principal, Ronald E. Allen, Jr. also were named as defendants in the complaint and the judgment. The case is People v. International Magazine Service of Northern California, Inc., et al., SCV 238455.
Consumers who believe they are the victims of fraud should file a report with the Attorney General's Public Inquiry Unit online at http://www.ag.ca.gov/consumers. Consumers in Sonoma County who believe they are the victims of fraud are urged to can file complaints by contacting the Environmental and Consumer Law Division of the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office at (707) 565-3161.
ease from 4-11-2006.
For anyone who has been a victim of these people, get your money back! I hope this information helps.


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The all-new 2012 Nissan Pulsar sedan has been officially unveiled at the Beijing motor show. The new global Pulsar will go on sale in Australia in January 2013 in sedan form before being joined by the hatch variant in the following … Continue reading ?
2013 NISSAN PULSAR Nissan has teased its next-generation small sedan at this week's Beijing Auto Show, destined for a global rollout over the next two years. In China and Japan, the new car will be known as the Sylphy, while in the ... Read Post
Nissan's new Pulsar hatch is now on sale in Australia, joining the existing sedan model that hit local showrooms earlier this year. Four trim grades are on offer with the hatch, including the return of the hero SSS model - and its n... Read Post


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Business is flowing for Paul after redundancy
A man made redundant from a Northumberland perfume factory is popping corks after setting up a new business.
Paul McIntyre was one of hundreds of employees to be made redundant from the Seaton Delaval-based Coty factory.
But now he has launched Proseccoflow; a purpose built mobile prosecco bar serving bubbles on tap alongside a range of draught beers and a fully stocked bar.
Paul, who had spent 20 years working for the former P&G business, was devastated to discover the company’s new owners Coty had decided to transfer all production to mainland Europe and close the Northumberland-based plant.
However, the self-confessed Prosecco aficionado decided to try something new and capitalise on the nation’s love for drinking bubbles.
Paul, from Killingworth, has expertly converted an original Italian Ape Classic into a fully licensed mobile bar which is available for corporate and private events, weddings, fairs and festivals.
Paul, whose grandfather hailed from Italy, said: “This has been an incredible journey so far, a real labour of love, but now we are up and running we are now hoping that business will, if you excuse the pun, start to flow.
“We have had a great deal of support from North Tyneside Council’s Business Factory who have encouraged us to believe in our business idea.
“The Proseccoflow van is already turning lots of heads and we have taken a number of bookings throughout the summer months for a range or corporate and private events.”
“People’s love of prosecco is showing no signs of abating so what better way to meet demand than a mobile bar serving quality prosecco on tap!”
However, despite the name, Paul offers a fully stocked bar with crafts gins and beers too – in fact the bar has been designed to stock whatever drinks a customer wants; although prosecco on draft has already become a firm favourite.


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Kingdom Hotel Investments, controlled by Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, said on Tuesday it has sold its 39.3 percent stake in a hotel resort on Egypt's Red Sea coast for $70 million.Kingdom Hotel, a Dubai-based hotel and resort real-estate company, said it sold the stake in Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh.
Egyptian property developer Talaat Moustafa later said it had bought the stake in the hotel for $57 million, adding it already owns some one million square metres adjacent to the hotel.
Talaat Moustafa also paid $13 million in dividends to Kingdom Hotel and said it now owns 100 percent of Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh.
Kingdom Hotel, a subsidiary of Kingdom Holding Co, owns hotels managed by chains such as Fairmont Hotels, and has focused its business on emerging markets. (Reuters)For all the latest travel news from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and Linkedin, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.
Subscribe to Arabian Business' newsletter to receive the latest breaking news and business stories in Dubai,the UAE and the GCC straight to your inbox.


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Video and audio streaming platforms were becoming more popular even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Users are turning to prominent streaming channels like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO Max for entertainment. These streaming platforms enable users legal access to various media content such as movies, television shows, podcasts, and music with greater user convenience.
The online gaming community has also seen an increase in its user base with the popularity of computer games and their mobile versions. Due to the onset of the pandemic, cinemas, theaters, casinos, and gaming arcades paused their operations or operated with limited capacity. Thus, a number of users turn to online entertainment platforms and streaming websites. This increase in users poses new security and revenue concerns among streaming service providers and the need for customer identity verification.
As millions of people continue to use streaming platforms, bad actors see this as an opportunity they can exploit. Streaming platforms must seek more robust identity verification to lessen unauthorized shared account activity, malicious fraud, and account takeover.
Many providers still rely on conventional identity verification methods. But reliance on traditional identity authentication, such as knowledge-based credentials, tends to leave their networks vulnerable to fraudulent attacks. Online entertainment websites must deploy necessary security measures and consider knowledge-based authentication alternatives to protect their networks and users.
Some people share their account passwords with others, so they do not need to pay subscription fees to the platform. While they trust the person they shared their password with, there is no guarantee that a bad actor with malicious intent will not obtain that password.
Cybercriminals have various ways of breaching data and stealing users’ login credentials that they can use for illegal purposes. Besides using the actual account of other users, bad actors can also use stolen personal information to create fake accounts on different online platforms. These could lead to dire consequences for digital entertainment providers if they do not shore up their cybersecurity measures.
In 2019, Parks Associates found an estimated $9.1 billion in financial losses attributed to account sharing and data piracy in online streaming platforms. It is also projected to reach $12.5 billion in 2024.
Effective identity-proofing methods play a significant role in making sure that only real account owners can use their accounts on online entertainment platforms. Passwords and email-based authentication methods are inefficient in making sure that the viewer trying to access is the actual account owner.
Replacing passwords, SMS, and email authentication codes with robust login credentials can help prevent unauthorized people from accessing the users’ accounts. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) allows a layered defense against bad actors. It also allows users to confirm their identity conveniently on different online platforms without the hassle of entering complex passwords or waiting for security codes.
FIDO2-compliant MFA uses a potent combination of authentication credentials such as cryptographic keys. It also enables bound identity to a device that can be unlocked with a secondary factor, such as facial biometrics.
For more details about online entertainment and streaming services seeking stronger identity authentication, here is an article from authID.


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Delhi HC Imposes Rs 20 Lakh Costs On Chinese E-Commerce Platform In Vistara Trademark Infringement Case
The Delhi High Court has imposed Rs. 20 Lakh cost on a Chinese e-commerce platform, namely AliExpress, for selling keychains and baggage tags bearing 'VISTARA Marks'.
"Considering the fact that the plaintiff is the registered proprietor of the 'VISTARA Marks' and none has entered appearance for the defendant, this Court is of the opinion that the defendant has no justification for the adoption of an identical trade mark for sale of their goods." the Bench of Justice Navin Chawla observed while ruling in favor of Vistara.
It was the case of Plaintiff-Tata Sia Airlines Limited, that despite the e-commerce platform being based mostly in China, the website contained several listings of baggage tags and keychains bearing the 'VISTARA Marks' in the aubergine and gold colour-combination without the authorization of the plaintiff which were eligible for shipping to India.
Advocate Mukul Kochhar appearing for the plaintiff submitted that the adoption of 'VISTARA Marks' vis-à-vis sale of baggage tags and keychains bearing not only the same trade marks but also the same trade dress as that of the plaintiff amounts to infringement, passing off, dilution and unfair competition.
It was further submitted that there is a high chance of confusion on account of adoption of the same marks as also trade dress of the plaintiff amongst general public.
The High Court noted that the use of VISTARA Marks not just amounts to infringement and passing off of the mark of the plaintiff but would cause dilution of the mark of the plaintiff.
The Court further observed that "Airports are an incredibly critical junction of not only travel but also of trade and commerce; any lapse in security, especially by permitting the sale of vagrantly-infringing goods, would be turning a blind eye to obvious wrongdoings of the defendant."
"Considering the fact that the plaintiff is the registered proprietor of the 'VISTARA Marks' and none has entered appearance for the defendant, this Court is of the opinion that the defendant has no justification for the adoption of an identical trade mark for sale of their goods.", the Court held.
The Court disposed of the petition while holding Tata Sia Airlines Limited entitled to damages and costs quantified at Rs. 20 Lakh.
Cause Title- Tata Sia Airlines Limited v. Shenzhen Coloursplendour Gift Co Ltd & Anr.


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By Wayne Tompkins
The (Louisville, Ky.) Courier-Journal
CYNTHIANA, Ky. - Philip Morris was shutting its Louisville operations. Tobacco company executives sat lined up before Congress like ducks in a shooting gallery. Federal tobacco growing quotas were slashed, as cigarette consumption dropped and manufacturers sailed overseas for union-resistant pastures.
Against this grim backdrop in 1999, Mike Ammerman; his father, Bob; and mother, Betty, put up their farm and tobacco warehousing business as collateral, bought used machinery from the 1950s - and started a cigarette company.
Farmer's Tobacco Co. is now working its 55 employees in two shifts, 24 hours a day on weekdays and half a day Saturday. Production has been averaging about 17,000 cartons a day.
The modest success came through grueling months of retail hardball and the patience of winning smokers and retailers one at a time.
"The biggest challenge is getting them in stores and keeping them in stores," Mike Ammerman said of his cigarettes.
The Kentucky's Best line of smokes is fighting an uphill, but so-far-promising, battle for a foothold in the cutthroat world of tobacco retailing. It is Kentucky's lone remaining manufacturer of cigarettes.
(Brown & Williamson Corp. is headquartered in Louisville but makes no cigarettes in Kentucky.)
Mike Ammerman, the fourth-generation progeny of Bavarian immigrants who have grown Kentucky burley since their arrival in the state, said the family had little choice but to try the business.
Major tobacco companies are shifting to contract purchases and away from tobacco auctions, cutting the warehousers out, Mr. Ammerman said.
The Ammerman warehousing operation sold more than 14 million pounds of tobacco for farmers in 1997, but projected sales below 1 million pounds in 2002, he said. "That's not going to pay property taxes or insurance."
The family tried other crops, but found little money in them. Then came the idea of buying the tobacco in their warehouses, much of it from the Kentucky Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association, and making cigarettes.
The first cigarettes from the Ammermans' vintage assembly line were sold in March 2001. Though a local wholesaler signed on early, finding a market was a challenge.
"We'd ride the roads in rural Kentucky, go in a store in a small town or a country store and say, `Hey, this is what we're doing, would you like to put these in?' " Mr. Ammerman said.
Just over 2,000 retailers carry the brand through wholesalers in Kentucky and 10 surrounding states.
"It's taken a little while to take off, but now we have trouble keeping them on the shelf," said Doug Edwards, manager of Brownsboro Spirit Shoppe in Louisville, which has carried Kentucky's Best for more than a year. "We move a lot of other cigarettes that are actually cheaper, but the name doesn't hurt either. People ask for them and buy them by the carton."
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Market Round Up: Aston Martin floats & India sneaks in behind US-Sino
Vroom! Vroom! Here we go. Ferrari went public, now its main rival is doing the same. James Bond would be proud of the fact that the initial public offering (IPO) will be in London and not New York as was previously expected.
Aston Martin is currently valued around $5 billion, having finally gone into profit last year (£87 million) on top sales of £876 million. It’s turnaround as a serious contender to Ferrari can be attributed to CEO Andy Palmer who was poached from Nissan. The IPO will involve the sale of about £1 billion of shares from its existing investors which include Italy’s Investindustrial, Kuwait’s Investment Dar and Daimler, owners of Mercedes Benz.
While petrol-heads will no doubt get excited about owning a part of a historic company (next best thing to owning one of their unaffordable cars!), the City of London will see this as further proof of London’s dominance for raising capital. Latest figures from the London Stock Exchange (LSE) show that listings capital value to July reached £12.4 billion compared to last year’s £16.1 billion. More IPOs due from now to Christmas will push this substantially higher.
2. U.S China trade war leaves door wide open for India, and others
While China and the U.S. go at each other with hammers and tongs, India could be sneaking round the back of the kerfuffle to snatch a greater Chinese market share of the U.S. markets.
A recent Indian commerce department report shows that at least 100 products currently shipped from China to the U.S. could be substituted by India. Such products include cotton, almonds, corn, wheat, sorghum and software – almost all soft commodities. But India will have to smooth-talk fast. Other countries have already reaped the benefits of the Sino-American melee. Brazil and Argentina both swooped in to increase exports of soybeans to China. Elsewhere, countries including Germany and Japan have also scrambled to expand their presence in the Chinese market, despite the escalating trade conflict.
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The UK is to spend more than £107 million on ferries to ease congestion at ports in the case of a no-deal where the UK crashes out of the EU.
The revelation comes as the Department for Transport awarded contracts to French, Danish and British companies. These will be tasked with developing additional capacity for lorries at ports in Poole, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Immingham and Felixstowe.
This has arisen in response to fears that that increased checks at borders would slow down the flow of goods across into the UK, and out into the EU. Currently, under the rules of the EU’s Customs Union (CU) and Single Market (SM), the UK enjoys frictionless trade. However, under a no-deal scenario, whereby the UK unilaterally leaves the EU without a trade-deal ensuring some access, membership of the CU and SM would end.
In response, the Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Vince Cable, described the move as “complete madness” and reminded the government that it could stop a no-deal at any point.
Indeed, Sir Vince posited that the fact the majority of the contracts were awarded to EU companies was “nothing short of ironic”. The Danish company DFDS was awarded a contract worth £47.3 million, whereas the British company, Seaborne was only awarded a £13.8 million deal.


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May 4, London, UK: Europe’s premier climate technology conference & tradeshow is all setto become better and bigger than ever before with the confirmed participation of manyindustry giants from across the world. Aiming to expedite the shift towards a carbon-neutraleconomy, the 2nd edition shall take place at the ExCel London from 26-27 SeRead More
Silicon Valley-based startup, Heliogen, has raised $250 million to further develop its hydrogen technology
Silicon Valley-based startup, Heliogen, has raised $250 million to further develop its hydrogen technology, which has the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions in industries such as cement and steel.The funding round was led by billionaire Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures and includes investments from energy companies includingRead More
Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, reported a strong boost in profits and revenue for its fiscal third quarter, driven by strong sales of its cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) services.The company reported revenue of $41.7 billion for the quarter, up 19% from the same period last year, while net income rose to $15.5 billiRead More
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, reported its first quarter results, with the company's revenue rising 34% year-on-year to $55.3 billion.
Google's advertising revenue, which accounts for the bulk of Alphabet's revenue, was $44.7 billion, up 32% year-on-year. However, this was below analysts' expectations, and the company's shares fell by around 5% in after-hours trading.According to Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat, the company's advertising business was affected by the pandemic's ongoing impRead More
LG Energy Solution, a unit of South Korean conglomerate LG Group, announced that its first-quarter profits more than doubled, thanks to strong gains in the U.S. market.The company, which produces lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, reported a net profit of 1.5 trillion won ($1.3 billion) for the first quarter ofRead More
Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, has announced that it is cutting prices by up to 50% for some of its core and storage products.
The move is aimed at helping customers reduce their costs and increase their efficiency.The price cuts will apply to a range of Alibaba Cloud's services, including Elastic Compute Service (ECS), Object Storage Service (OSS), and Relational Database Service (RDS). The reductions will vary depending on the specific product and location, but in some cRead More
Elon Musk overtaken as world's richest person by LVMH chairman Bernard ArnaultElon Musk has lost his crown of the world’s richest person to LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault. According to the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List, the net worth of Arnault is $181.8 billion, while Elon’s net worth has slumped to $163.7 billion . The net worth of TeslaRead More


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BEIJING—Apple Inc. hit a production snag with components crucial to its new iPhone X’s facial-recognition system, people familiar with the situation said, adding to concerns about extended shortages when sales begin early in November.
The components, known as Romeo and Juliet among Apple engineers and suppliers, work together to allow users of the latest iPhone to unlock their devices by scanning their faces, the people said. It has taken more time to assemble the Romeo modules than the Juliet modules, they said, creating an imbalance in supply. That has created a bottleneck for the iPhone X’s mass production, according to one person, which could crimp supplies beyond typical initial shortfalls when the phone is released Nov. 3.
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DIRECTV NOW today started to contact some subscribers with a special offer to get $20 off a 2017 Roku Stick. We are not sure exactly how they are picking who gets the offers and who does not but it seems to be an effort to get users to upgrade to the more powerful 2017 Roku Stick. […]
The post DIRECTV NOW is Offering Some Users $20 Off New Roku Sticks appeared first on Cord Cutters News.
Source: Cord Cutters News


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Office Depot keeping headquarters in Boca Raton
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Office Depot announced that it would keep its headquarters in Boca Raton instead of moving to the Naperville, Ill.-based facility of the recently acquired OfficeMax.
That means about 1,700 employees will stay local and that base should grow. It also allows Palm Beach County to retain one of its few Fortune 500 corporate headquarters.
The company (NYSE: ODP) said that operating costs, lease obligations, tax implications, government incentives and the ability to manage and grow personnel factored into the decision.
“Both Florida and Illinois have many positive attributes, but our analysis concluded that Boca Raton provides the best platform for us to achieve planned synergies, leverage assets to drive improved profitability, and launch a compelling vision for the future,” said Roland Smith, who became CEO of Office Depot in November. “We will quickly move forward to build a world class leadership team and organization focused on exceeding the expectations of consumers and businesses, becoming a more appealing partner to our vendors, and driving value for our shareholders. To do that, we will select the best talent available from both locations.”
RELATED CONTENT: Office Depot appoints food retail chief as new CEO
Office Depot added that some associates would relocate from Illinois to Boca Raton. Spokesman Brian Levine said it's too early to estimate how many employees would move.
“This news is further proof that the economic development process in Florida works and we will continue to aggressively and relentlessly pursue competitive jobs projects,” Florida Secretary of Commerce and Enterprise Florida President and CEO Gray Swoope stated in a news release.
Brian Bandell covers real estate, transportation and logistics. Get the latest banking news with our free daily newsletter. Click here to subscribe.
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NEW YORK, Dec. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The independent and objective Luxury Institute today released its 2019 edition of the State of the Luxury Industry report. Data and findings are based on surveys of 3,926 affluent consumers from the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, China and Japan. The annual report provides a detailed look at year-ahead luxury spending plans, factors that influence purchases, preferences for online and in-store shopping, opinions of luxury sales professionals and specific luxury brands, as well as the role of social media in luxury buying decisions.
Average anticipated spending in U.S. dollar terms on luxury purchases in the next 12 months ranges from a high of $21,193 in the U.K. to $10,671 in Germany. Affluent consumers both in France and the U.S. expect to spend just over $16,000 on luxury items next year, while counterparts in Italy ($18,832) and China ($17,262) expect to spend more. High-income Japanese consumers plan to spend less ($12,802).
On a worldwide basis, 29% of affluent consumers who bought luxury goods this year say that they anticipate spending more in the year ahead. This is higher than 28% who indicated increased spending last year, and 26% two years ago.
Popular categories likely to see increased spending include leisure travel (airfare and hotels), as well as dining, ready-to-wear apparel, shoes, entertainment and technology. Categories including art, spirits, and watches have a more balanced split of consumers who plan to increase or decrease spending.
Despite China’s economic slowdown and trade turmoil with the U.S., more than half (52%) of Chinese luxury buyers plan to increase their spending in 2019. More than one-third of affluent luxury consumers in Italy (37%) and in the U.K. (34%) forecast spending more in the year to come, while only 16% in Japan expect an uptick in luxury purchases, and 9% expect to curtail spending. More than one in four (28%) French consumers, and 21% in both the U.S. and Germany, indicated plans to boost spending.
“Although economic growth rates around the world have been uneven, there is still cautious optimism among affluent consumers around the globe,” says Luxury Institute CEO Milton Pedraza. “These individuals are either current or potential clients, and the key to success is to develop long-term relationships that last despite booms or busts.”
Survey respondents met the following income thresholds in local currencies: United States ($150,000); United Kingdom (£60,000); Italy, France, Germany (€50,000); China (1 million CNY); and Japan (¥15 million).
The complete 2019 State of the Luxury Industry is available for purchase. For complete rankings and ratings with additional insights from this and other WealthSurvey reports, visit www.LuxuryInstitute.com, or contact Luxury Institute CEO Milton Pedraza (email@example.com).
About Luxury Institute
Today, Luxury Institute is the world's most trusted luxury and premium goods and services consulting firm with the largest global network of luxury experts. Uniquely, Luxury Institute’s network of hundreds of consultants, known as the Global Luxury Expert Network (GLEN), includes current luxury brand C-Level, VP and Director executives, former executives, and independent experts. Luxury Institute has conducted more quantitative and qualitative research on affluent consumers than any other entity. This knowledge has led to the development of the firm’s scientifically proven high-performance, emotional intelligence-based education system that dramatically improves brand culture and financial performance. Over the last 16 years, Luxury Institute has served over 1,000 luxury and premium goods and services brands. To learn more please visit www.LuxuryInstitute.com


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United Breweries is a newsmaker today, going on to hit a new 52-week high at Rs.1497.65, going up 3% and from there, profit booking pushed down the stock to Rs.1410.90 and it currently continues to trade in the red.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) yesterday approved acquisition of additional equity shareholding by Heineken International BV (HIBV) of United Breweries Limited (UBL). The proposed transaction relates to HIBV’s potential acquisition of additional equity stake up to a maximum of about 16.40 per cent shareholding in UBL.
HIBV is an investment holding company and currently Heineken has a 46% stake in the company, which will only go up further. The buzz is that Heineken may bid for the entire stake.


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French engineering company to establish first Asia Pacific office in Adelaide17 Aug 2020 Investment
French engineering services company, LGM, is the latest international company to move into the Defence and Space Landing Pad. The company will also receive funding under the South Australian Landing Pad program.
SA aerospace manufacturing business receives export funding grant11 Aug 2020 Exporting
Holden Hill-based company, Toolcraft Australia, is one of 95 South Australian businesses to receive funding as part of the Marshall Liberal Government’s new eCommerce Accelerator Program (eCAP).
Barossa Grape & Wine Association - eCAP Recipient11 Aug 2020 Exporting
Barossa Grape & Wine Association (BGWA) is Barossa’s peak wine body, acting on behalf of more than 550 grape growers and over 170 wineries; with a purpose to build brand equity, foster regional collaboration and support winemaking excellenc
Cocco Corporation - eCAP Recipient11 Aug 2020 Exporting
Cocco Corporation’s leading brand, Maine Beach, features Australian made and designed body care and home fragrances products, based on a hero ingredient sourced from iconic regions of Australia.
Derby Rubber - eCAP Recipient11 Aug 2020 Exporting
Derby Rubber is the world leader in designing and manufacturing ballast regulator broom elements, used in the refreshing or laying of all new ballast bed rail track around the world.
Sentek - eCAP Recipient11 Aug 2020 Exporting
Since 1991, Sentek probes and software have been unlocking insights from soil that no other technology has been able to provide with such precision.
MiniJumbuk - eCAP Recipient11 Aug 2020 Exporting
MiniJumbuk is an Australian owned company that designs and manufactures high quality wool bedding products.
Japanese remote robotics company chooses South Australia to grow its business28 Jul 2020 Investment
South Australia’s space credentials have attracted Japanese robotics software company, SE4 to Lot Fourteen as the latest company to move into the Defence and Space Landing Pad.
Wheels up for South Australian Export Accelerator program06 Jul 2020 Exporting
The latest round of the South Australia Export Accelerator (SAEA) program lifts off today, focusing on South Australian companies that need air-freight support to get products to overseas markets.
Game on! SA targets jobs and investment in $180 billion games sector21 Jun 2020 Creative industries
South Australia’s game industry has been given a boost by the Marshall Liberal Government with an extension to the existing Post-Production, Digital and Visual Effects (PDV) Rebate to video game development.


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Plant Protein Month is an annual opportunity for consumers, dietitians, retailers and brands to talk about and share Plant Protein news. Not just for the Vegan community; there is a buzz even among die-hard meat eaters about the gradual shift from a predominantly animal-based protein society toward a more plant-based protein future. Flexitarians are on the rise -- increasing their vegetarain food consumption while not giving up meat, including the Chairman of Alphabet (Google’s parent company) who announced plant protein is in his top 5 trends.
Check out resources for learning and sharing and join the conversation @plantproteinmonth.
© 2018 Axiom Foods. All Rights Reserved.


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- TherapeuticsMD got a green light from the Food and Drug Administration for TX-004HR, a treatment for moderate-to-severe dyspareunia, or vaginal pain during sexual activity caused by vulvar and vaginal atrophy during menopause.
- To be marketed under the name Imvexxy, TherapeuticsMD plans to launch the estradiol vaginal softgel capsule in July at a price that CEO Robert Finizio called “in parity with other products that have been on the market for 10 to 30 years.”
- The approval was announced a day after the company’s user fee action date and comes after a previous rejection in early 2017. The label includes a boxed warning that accompanies most estrogen products, and TherapeuticsMD will have to conduct a post-approval observational study.
Investors were concerned that the previous rejection was the end of TX-004HR, when the FDA asked for long-term safety data. But after meeting with the agency, the company was able to garner the approval of both the 4 mcg and 10 mcg doses based on a 12-week Phase 3 study, as well as a substudy of the pharmacokinetics.
“Imvexxy is a bio-identical vaginal estrogen product that offers a fraction of the estrogen contained in the average doses of many existing products currently on the market,” said Brian Bernick, chief clinical officer of TherapeuticsMD.
He also boasted that the drug is applicator-free, “dissolves completely without mess or additional clean-up, and can be used anytime of day.”
In preparation of the launch, the company hired 15 regional managers and intends to hire another 150 sales reps.
“Today’s approval triggers the availability of the first $75 million tranche of the recently placed $200 million term loan, which complements the already $105 million in cash on hand, and will be used to support the commercialization efforts,” wrote Cowen & Co. analyst Ken Cacciatore.
“Additionally, this funding will also support the non-branded vulvar and vagina atrophy (VVA) disorder awareness marketing campaign that is already well underway, and which will likely now be broadened. We believe management is well prepared to successfully introduce this differentiated asset,” he wrote.
Dyspareunia is a condition that many menopausal and post-menopausal women experience, and the company estimates that 32 million develop VVA. But as few as 7% receive treatment.
One concern is that hormone therapies can cause endometrial cancer, cardiovascular disorders, breast cancer and probable dementia. While Imvexxy carries this same warning since it contains estrogen, analysts and the company point out that — particularly with the lower dose — there is low-to-no systemic estrogen, making it potentially safer than these other hormone products.


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Democratic-led report on Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Apple market monopoly released, with opposition from Republican lawmakers
United States House of Representatives Antitrust Subcommittee has been investigating the market monopoly of giant tech companies such as Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple for over a year. Due to disagreements between Democrats and Republicans over the content of the report summarizing the findings and future measures, the Democrat-led report will be released without the approval of the Republicans. It has become.
Since June 2019, the
House Democrats say Facebook, Amazon, Alphabet, Apple enjoy'monopoly power'
Big Tech Was Their Enemy, Until Partisanship Fractured the Battle Plans --The New York Times
In recent years, the Democratic and Republican parties have been in step with the US House Judiciary Committee's Antitrust Subcommittee to investigate the market monopoly of giant tech companies. In July 2020, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Apple CEO Tim Cook were invited to a hearing to answer questions from lawmakers about market monopoly. I did.
Whether Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple are sweeping rivals and monopolizing the market, each CEO's remark is like this --GIGAZINE
However, just before the final investigation result was released as a report, the release of the report was postponed from the original schedule because the confrontation between the members due to the party's policy became serious. As a result, Democrats published a 449-page (PDF file) report without the support of Republicans.
The Democratic Party's report points out that Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple are enjoying monopoly power, and Congress and executive agencies need to curb the market monopoly power of giant tech companies. The market monopolies reported to be possessed by each company are as follows.
・ Google: Dominates the market for general online search functions and search advertising functions. By linking Google's various services with a wide range of user data, Google can reinforce its advantage.
Amazon: Dominates most third-party sellers and many of their suppliers. 'Amazon's market dominance is at its peak' in relation to third-party sellers on the platform, and it engages in a wide range of anti-competitive activities in dealing with third-party sellers.
Facebook: Enjoys monopoly power in the online advertising and social networking markets. An email was also found suggesting that Zuckerberg was aware that 'Instagram could be a potential competitor' when it acquired Instagram in 2012.
-Apple: Dominates the market in distributing software apps on iOS devices. By controlling the operating system and app store, Apple 'creates and implements barriers to competition while prioritizing its own products and discriminates against and eliminates rivals.'
The report encourages the following items to curb market monopoly by giant tech companies:
• Imposing structural separation on large tech companies and prohibiting dominant platforms from entering adjacent fields. This includes the dismantling of technology companies and the functional separation of various business units from the parent company. For example, it could include separating YouTube from Google, or Facebook separating Instagram and WhatsApp.
• Instruct agencies that monitor antitrust law to presume that mergers by dominant platforms are anti-competitive.
• Prevent dominant platforms from prioritizing their own services and provide 'similar conditions for comparable products and services.'
· Require the services of dominant companies to be compatible with competitors and allow users to transfer their data.
-Invalidate 'problem cases' regarding antitrust law.
-Request the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to collect data on market monopolies on a regular basis.
-FTC and Justice Department Antitrust Bureau budget increase.
-In the event of a dispute between a company and a consumer / worker, private enforcement can be achieved by eliminating the 'compulsory arbitration clause' that enforces resolution by a private arbitration institution instead of the court and restrictions on class action Strengthen.
Republicans participating in the Antitrust Subcommittee have proposed bold measures such as 'dismantling high-tech companies,' 'strengthening restrictions on corporate mergers,' and 'mandating data interoperability,' which are advocated in the report. He said he was against some. Republicans are worried that these restrictions will hinder the business of tech companies and hinder economic growth and innovation. It has also been pointed out that the fact that 'anti-conservative prejudice' remains in the reports based on the reports of the technology platform is also causing a backlash from the conservative party members.
Meanwhile, Republican Rep. Ken Buck has created his own report, which is different from the report released by the Democratic Party. 'I agree with Chairman Sicilini (Democratic Rep. David Sicilini, who chairs the Antitrust Subcommittee) that giant technology has been anti-competitive,' said Buck, who regulates the market monopoly of large corporations. He agreed that he should do it, but argued that he disagreed with the Democratic Party's proposal.
In response to a report released by the Antitrust Subcommittee, Apple argued that it does not have a dominant market share in the category in which it operates. 'I strongly disagree with the conclusions drawn about Apple in this report,' he said in a statement.
Apple'Vehemently Disagrees' With US Tech Company Antitrust Report --MacRumors
In his blog, Amazon also argued that it did not monopolize the retail market, stating that 'the global retail market in which Amazon is competing is surprisingly large and highly competitive.'
Fringe notions on antitrust would destroy small businesses and hurt consumers
in Web Service, Posted by log1h_ik


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The announcement adds another major player to Shopify’s growing alliance against Amazon.com Inc.’s e-commerce dominance. Last month, I wrote how Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke has often said his company’s goal was to “arm the rebels” against the Amazon empire. The Walmart deal comes just weeks after Shopify signed a partnership with Facebook Inc. that allows Shopify’s merchants to sell on the social-media giant’s platforms under the newly launched Facebook Shops initiative. Before these moves, the aggregated online sales of Shopify’s U.S. customer base already ranked as the second-largest in the country after Amazon, according to the company. And now with Walmart on board and the expanded deal with Facebook, they mark significant steps to expand Shopify’s eco-system, making its platform a more viable and an attractive alternative to sellers.
Amazon is a facilitator of commerce by being a destination in its own right. When people shop, they go to Amazon in much the way we go to Google for information. Anyone who completes a transaction via Shopify’s network is ignorant of the company’s existence because it facilitates trade in the background. The big challenge in competing against Amazon is in easing the route to customer acquisition for Shopify sellers.Click HERE to subscribe to Fuller Treacy Money Back to top