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The announcement was made today at an event at Major League Baseball All- Star FanFest, the largest baseball fan event in the nation held annually in conjunction with the MLB All-Star Game. Chevrolet, as sponsor and the official vehicle of MLB, is promoting E85 ethanol-based fuel in various ways throughout the All-Star Week festivities.
Presiding over the event, Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell said, "One of the biggest obstacles to greater use of E85 ethanol is availability -- especially at the retail level. Here in Pennsylvania, we are leading the charge to greater accessibility as the first state in the Northeast to open publicly available retail E85 stations. Today I am proud to preside over the opening of yet another thanks to this commitment by GM, VeraSun and Sheetz. This is a good step forward and we commend them on their efforts to increase awareness of this viable alternative fuel and help drive consumer demand in our state. I also commend Chevrolet and Major League Baseball on its promotion of E85 ethanol-based fuel in Pittsburgh during events surrounding the 77th MLB All-Star Game."
GM has been the catalyst behind several similar collaborative partnerships across the country and began an initiative with VeraSun in February as part of a broader, national campaign to boost the use and awareness of E85 -- a fuel blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline -- in the United States.
"GM already has more than two million vehicles on the road today that are capable of using E85 ethanol fuel," said Elizabeth Lowery, GM vice president of environment and energy. "We appreciate VeraSun and Sheetz for joining our efforts to make this great fuel alternative available to more people in Pittsburgh. We also appreciate the support of Gov. Rendell and the State of Pennsylvania as we continue to promote the use of E85 ethanol and its many benefits for the environment, the economy and consumers."
VeraSun Energy, the nation's second-largest ethanol producer, will be supplying its brand of E85, VE85(TM) to select Sheetz stores in the Pittsburgh area beginning this week at its new Pleasant Hills location (on Route 51 and Lewis Run Road) and expanding to two additional stores by later this year.
"We are excited to continue to expand our partnership with General Motors and to welcome a new retail partner, Sheetz, in making VE85(TM) available to consumers in Pittsburgh," said Bill Honnef, VeraSun senior vice president, sales and marketing. "We would like to thank GM, Sheetz, Gov. Rendell and the State of Pennsylvania for their leadership in working with VeraSun to increase the availability of E85 and promote the many benefits of using this domestically-produced, renewable fuel."
Sheetz, based in Altoona, Pa., is one of America's fastest-growing family- owned and operated convenience store chains with more than $3.4 billion in revenue in 2005, 322 locations and more than 10,000 employees.
"Sheetz is proud to be the first large retail chain in the state of Pennsylvania to offer customers VeraSun's E85 as an alternative fuel choice," said Louie Sheetz, executive vice president of marketing, Sheetz. "We thank VeraSun for helping us make this homegrown, renewable fuel available to our customers. We also appreciate the support of Gov. Rendell, GM and our partners in promoting E85's availability and working to increase consumer awareness."
Commenting on today's announcement, Ed Wall program manager, FreedomCar and Vehicle Technology, U.S. Department of Energy said, "Not all the all-stars are on the field at PNC Park for the 77th Major League Baseball All-Star Game. DOE congratulates today's winning all-star team of GM, VeraSun and Sheetz. Each player on this team is dedicated to creating an energy secure and environmentally responsible nation. These are true American heroes and we thank them for hitting a home run for our nation's future."
"Together with leaders like GM, our nation is meeting President Bush's energy goals," added EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "By investing in cleaner-burning renewable fuels made from domestic crops, we are hitting a home run for the environment, our economy, and our energy security."
Today's announcement marks the fourth collaboration in four states that GM and VeraSun have entered with a third-party retailer since the companies began working together to promote awareness of E85 ethanol-based fuel. The first initiative, launched last May in Sioux Falls, S.D., promoted VE85(TM) pumps in seven prominent local stations. In the Chicago metro area, what began as a 20-location effort in February has already expanded to include 32 sites, and the initial four outlets in Minneapolis-St. Paul have grown to 16 in the last four months.
"The success of our partnership with VeraSun is evident by the dramatic rise in stations carrying the alternative fuel," said Lowery. "Americans are clearly recognizing the multiple benefits of using E85."
General Motors will continue to spend significant advertising and promotion dollars to help generate awareness of E85 flexible fuel vehicles -- and where consumers can purchase E85 ethanol -- with consumer marketing initiatives and dealer outreach. The effort is similar to announcements GM has already made with other state government, oil industry, ethanol producers, and retail partners in California, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota and Texas. Since May 2005, GM has announced partnerships with states and fuel providers around the country to locate, to date, over 160 new E85 ethanol fueling locations.
Chevrolet and Major League Baseball Promote E85 Ethanol-Based Fuel at Major League Baseball All-Star Week Events in Pittsburgh
Chevrolet is promoting E85 ethanol-based fuel throughout the All-Star Week festivities, including working in cooperation with the MLB in the use of over 100 E85-fueled Chevy Avalanches, Suburbans, Tahoes and Impalas to support All- Star Week activities.
At this year's Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Chevrolet and MLB will engage consumers on the importance of E85 ethanol as an alternative fuel during a series of promotional events. Chevrolet, the presenting sponsor of the prestigious Ted Williams All-Star Game MVP trophy, will also present the winner with the keys to the E85-capable Chevy vehicle of his choice on-field immediately following the game.
E85 flexible fuel vehicles can run on any combination of gasoline and/or E85 ethanol, a fuel blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. E85 ethanol can contribute to energy independence because it diversifies the source of transportation fuels beyond petroleum, and it provides positive environmental benefits in the form of reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
GM is a leader in flexible-fuel vehicle production and sales. For the 2006 model year, GM offers nine E85 flexible fuel vehicles, including the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon XL, Chevrolet Silverado, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Avalanche, Chevrolet Impala, and the Chevrolet Monte Carlo. GM also plans to add more than 400,000 E85-capable vehicles to the fleet in 2006. At the same time, worldwide production of ethanol is increasing every year, and is expected to triple by 2020.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 75 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 327,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2005, 9.17 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.
VeraSun Energy Corporation is the second-largest ethanol producer in the U.S., based on production. The company has two operating production facilities located in Aurora, South Dakota and Fort Dodge, Iowa, is constructing a third facility in Charles City, Iowa, and has two additional facilities under development in Welcome, Minnesota and Northwestern Iowa. Upon completion of the new facilities, VeraSun will have an annual production capacity of approximately 560 million gallons of ethanol per year.


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Billionaire entrepreneur and Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz announced on April 4th in an Open Forum that the company is planning to enter the NFT business in late 2022.
There was no exact reveal date from Schultz on when the company would move into the NFT world, but he did assure people that it would be “sometime before the end of this calendar year.”
During his speech, Schultz asked the audience if they had heard about NFTs. He also asked how many of them had ever been involved in NFTs or participated in NFT investments. Although the audience was practically silent, Schultz went on to elaborate that the ecosystem was young and that Starbucks had the best tools and collections to delve into this new ecosystem.
A cup of NFT…
He stated, “If you look at the companies, the brands, the celebrities, the influencers that are trying to create a digital NFT platform and business, I can’t find one of them that has the treasure trove of assets that Starbucks has from collectibles to the entire heritage of the company.”
Just as Schultz pointed out, Starbucks is more than a simple beverage brand. The company also has years of tradition, history and collectibles from all around the world that bests anything a single digital artist could create.
In other words, if Starbucks sets its mind to it – and the intent seems to be there – the company could create one, if not the best-known NFT marketplaces in the world. And imagine such a brand partnering up with giants such as Budweiser, Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola to do the same…
Get set for digital extensions of big brand’s existing collectibles such as bottles, cans and special editions of their favourite beverages.
Starbucks’ valuation currently sits at around $96.7 billion while that of OpenSea – the emergent NFT marketplace giant founded in 2017 – has surpassed $13.3 billion. So it’s no surprise that many large companies have been eyeing this new tech with envy.
As the metaverse continues to expand, it seems there’s room for everyone when it comes to expanding empires and driving new business opportunities via NFTs and the next iteration of the internet.

domain: news


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We’ve heard it’s been coming, folks. Google’s been gearing up to add PayPal as a payment option in the Android market to make it easier on developers and users to sell and purchase apps. Google will hook into PayPal to automatically transfer payments from your PayPal account to your Checkout account (it wasn’t said if this was optional, but the wording doesn’t suggest as much.)
That’s as much as we know for now, but the framework is in place and I suppose we’re just waiting for Google to flip the proverbial switch. Perhaps this will enable users in other countries to purchase applications that they otherwise wouldn’t have the option to purchase. That would be very nice.


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‘Cheaper to give bikes away’ – Opposition
It would be cheaper to buy bikes for everyone in Brisbane than continue to hire them out through the under-utilised CityCycle scheme, Opposition Leader Shayne Sutton said at yesterday’s Brisbane City Council meeting.
The Opposition called for the council to review the transport program, which began under former Lord Mayor Campbell Newman in 2010.
“Barely anybody is using CityCycle,” Cr Sutton said, criticising the high cost of running the program.
She said it cost the Brisbane City Council $132 to maintain each bike every day, a total of $20,000 each week.
“It would be cheaper to give away bikes,” Cr Sutton said.
Cr Quirk stood by the scheme and praised the 20 percent growth in the program over the past month, but admitted the availability of helmets affected the program’s success.
There are only 14 helmet outlets for cyclists in the city, restricting the convenience of the bikes for Brisbane commuters.
Cr Quirk said the scheme still had potential and would benefit Brisbane in the future.
“It’s not a revolution, it’s an evolution,” he said.


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Images of the “iPhone 6S Plus” have surfaced thanks to Future Supplier and they seem to follow suite with with the changes we saw earlier in the month when the rear housing for the 4.7″ iPhone 6S was also leaked.
Future Supplier has noted a few slight differences between the iPhone 6S Plus and the iPhone 6 Plus including some changed screw locations like the ones that will be used to hold the loud speaker module in place once it is assembled. The website noted though that overall the device seems to be quite similar to last years version which is not unexpected since the “S” models in the past mostly just get an internal refresh.
Another difference that was noted by Future Supplier was that the material used in the creation of the new 6S Plus housing seems to be different and claimed to be stronger then last years phone, most likely to help solve the ‘bendgate’ issue many were having while sitting on their phones.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple has moved to a harder 7000 series aluminium which is alloyed with zinc and is what is used in the Sport models of the companies newly released wearable.
Future Supplier says they have not seen a new rumored rose gold color option yet but are expecting it and also the new camera, processor and Force Touch display won’t be confirmed until actual full units start turning up. Will there be a battery upgrade? we will have to just wait and see.


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The brother of one of the founders of Club Penguin – the children’s virtual reality game that was sold to Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) for $350 million – has a new venture that will allow online game providers to analyze chat to determine if bullying, stalking or otherwise offensive chatting is occurring among players.
Chris Priebe, who helped his brother, Lance Priebe, develop Club Penguin, recently won a $5,000 cash prize from the Venture Okanagan Spring Investors Forum for his new service, PottyMouth.
A creation of Priebe’s 2 Hat Security, PottyMouth can be used by online game companies to analyze chat. Priebe’s 2 Hat Security was one of six businesses that made presentations at the forum on April 3.
Many online games allow for both live audio chat and instant messaging among players, which raises concerns about bullying and stalking. Current filtering tools are crude, and only allow for specific words to be filtered.
PottyMouth uses an algorithm that analyzes word combinations that game providers can use to determine if players are involved in inappropriate chat. Without eavesdropping, game moderators can use the analysis to ban, mute or report players involved in inappropriate chat.
“Rather than focus strictly on good and bad words, the tools analyze how people combine words and whether – once read in context – the meaning is naughty or nice,” Okanagan College business professor Steve Watson said.
“Essentially, what they’ve done is design a better tool to help stop everything from cyber-bullying to potential pedophiles.”


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New Look has declined to explain the sudden closure of its Guildford branch on Monday (November 19).
The retail chain announced 60 store closures in March 2018 as part of a plan to resolve its financial difficulties, but Guildford was not included on this list.
A further 25 closures were announced on November 6 as the company posted increased profits despite falling sales, but did not name the stores that would be affected.
It now seems that the Guildford branch fell victim to the axe as part of this second round of closures, coming less than two weeks after the company's announcement, but the company declined to explain what had happened.
A spokesman for New Look said: "I can confirm our Guildford store closed on November 19. I am not able to provide any further information on this."
Guildford has suffered several store closures over the course of 2018 as declining high street sales forced national chains to cut back or, in some cases, declare bankruptcy.
Among the outlets to close in the town over the year are Maplin, Field and Trek, East, Hummingbird Bakery and Jones.
Several restaurants have also shut their doors , including Cau , Prezzo, Loch Fyne and Jackson & Rye, although the town has also seen the opening of The Chilli Pickle, The Ivy, Cosy Club and Pho over the same period.
The future of stores such as Debenhams, House of Fraser and Gourmet Burger Kitchen have also been thrown into doubt as their owners face financial difficulties.


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When Do Americans Consume The Most Alcohol? [VIDEO]
With New Year's Eve approaching, we encourage you to drink responsibly, and have a designated driver if you're going out to celebrate. So, when do we Americans consume the most alcohol? 4th of July weekend? New Year's Eve? The results may surprise you.
According to an article on aol.com:
"A recently released report has revealed what times during the year Americans are most likely to imbibe alcoholic beverages.
The study was conducted by BACtrack, a manufacturer of professional and personal breathalyzers, such as their Mobile Breathlyzer, a smartphone app that allows users to test their blood alcohol content levels with a Bluetooth connected pump and sensor.
BACtrack compiled the results anonymously from their almost 300 thousand mobile users, and found December 1st through March 31st are the prime drinking months, with an average BAC level above 0.06 percent three quarters of the time. During these months, a person is likely to drink on average five days a week.
Watch this video for the full story:


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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi tomorrow. IPPB has been envisioned as an accessible, affordable and trusted bank for the common man to help speedily achieve the financial inclusion.
It will leverage the vast network of the Department of Posts, which covers every corner of the country with more than three lakh Postmen and Grameen Dak Sewaks.
The launch of India Post Payments Bank marks another significant milestone in the government’s endeavour to take the benefits of a rapidly developing India to the remotest corners of the country. On the day of the launch, IPPB will have 650 Branches and 3250 Access Points spread across the country.
The launch events will simultaneously be held at these branches and access points. All the one lakh 55 thousand Post Offices in the country will be linked to the IPPB system by 31st of December this year.
The Bank will offer a range of products such as savings and current accounts, money transfer, bill and utility payments and merchant payments.


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By Rogerio Jelmayer
SAO PAULO--Brazil's main consumer confidence index increased in August, after declining in recent months, as inflation showed signs of deceleration, the private Getulio Vargas Foundation, or FGV, said Friday.
FGV said its consumer confidence index ended August at 113.1 points, up from 108.3 points in July. The index has a 1-point to 200-point range, with 100 considered an indicator of neutral sentiment.
Although, Brazil's annual inflation remains high, recent figures show some benign signs.
The 12-month reading of Brazil's official IPCA consumer price index reached 6.15% through mid-August, down from 6.40% in the 12 months through mid-July. That was below the 6.5% upper limit of the central bank's tolerance band of 4.5% plus or minus two percentage points.
However, the still tepid economic activity can limit the recovery of consumer confidence.
Economists and analysts are revising downward their expansion outlook for the country for 2013, which started this year with a growth view of 3% and is now nearly 2.5%.
The consumer confidence index polls 2,000 families in Brazil's seven largest cities. It measures the willingness of families to make purchases of various types of consumer goods and gauges expectations about employment, income and economic opportunities.
Write to Rogerio Jelmayer at firstname.lastname@example.org


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Valence Technology, Inc. (VLNC)
News from The Business Journals
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Toyota's newest edition of the Camry will serve as the Pace Car for the 2012 Daytona 500, season opener for NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series and recognized as the most important race of the season.
The best-selling car in American for nine years, Toyota intends to present the seventh generation Camry in "The Great American Race" scheduled for February 26, 2012.
"We're thrilled to be able to feature the new Camry in Daytona at the season's biggest race," Ed Laukes, Toyota Motor Sales corporate manager of motorsport marketing said. "We think the Daytona 500 is the perfect place to showcase the all-new Camry," which goes on sale this fall. "We knew when the opportunity arose to partner with Daytona International Speedway, that it would be an extraordinary way to highlight our new Camry, as well as reinforce Toyota's commitment to NASCAR and its fans."
The first Camry went on sale in 1983 and has landed in more than nine million U.S. homes since that time. It's been the best-selling car in America for 13 of the past 14 years. This year is the 25th anniversary of Toyota Camry production in Georgetown, KY. The factory started production in 1986 and was joined in Camry production later by a Lafayette, IN facility.
The new Toyota Camry features a bolder, more sophisticated design that includes a more spacious interior, improved driving dynamics and an even more quiet ride than the previous edition. Toyota says its new Camry has class leading safety, fuel economy and multi-media technology.
Joie Chitwood, president of Daytona International Speedway noted, "NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway provide a uniquely American platform for manufacturers to display their technology, innovation and overall automotive excellence. After nearly eight years of competing at NASCARs highest level, I'm pleased to have the 2012 Toyota Camry pace the 2012 Daytona 500."
Toyota has already provided pace vehicles at more thana dozen NASCAR tracks, including Auto Club Speedway (Fontana, CA), Charlotte Motor Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Dover, Infineon, Kansas, Martinsville, Phoenix and many more. Toyota entered NASCAR competition in 2004 with its Tundra truck in the Camping World Truck Series. In 2007, Toyota began competition in the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series with its Camry.
Toyota earned three consecutive manufacturer's titles in Nationwide (2008-2010), one Nationwide title and 62 Nationwide victories - thus far. In Sprint Cup Series competition, Toyota has 38 first-place trophies. Kyle Busch, driving a Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, currently leads the Sprint Cup Series point standings and is the first driver locked into the Chase for the Championship playoff of 10 races, hoping to end the five-year reign of Chevrolet driver Jimmie Johnson.
© 2012 Anne Proffit


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Today’s Metro is a special Comic Relief edition with bespoke advertising creative from brands including British Airways, Sainsbury’s, Specsavers and Facebook.
Metro has teamed up with the charity, whose aim is to eradicate poverty, to not only celebrate and promote Comic Relief, but also to donate a percentage of its advertising revenue from the special edition of the paper.
Specially adapted advertising runs throughout the newspaper from a variety of brands, alongside editorial features starring Comic Relief’s famous talent. The recognisable Metro masthead has also been adapted to feature a red nose. The activity was largely negotiated, planned and bought by MC&C Media.
Grant Woodthorpe, executive director of investment at Mail Metro Media, said: “We’re really chuffed to be partnering with Comic Relief for this newspaper takeoever. We know 1.8 million Metro readers have donated more than £181 million to charity in the last 12 months so we’re confident we will help make a real difference, and hopefully raise some smiles on Friday morning whilst we’re at it!”
In the past, Metro has transformed itself for Breast Cancer Now and Rainbow Laces. 93% of its readers say ‘brands have the power to raise awareness and funds’ and 91% agree that ‘seeing brands like this working together makes the message very powerful’.


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A settlement agreement has been reached following the lawsuit filed by Milkcrate against Adidas in August claiming that a t-shirt design sold by the brand in partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) infringed its trademark. Both parties has reached a settlement agreement
The New York City based fashion brand, Milkcrate Athletics and its German competitor, Adidas has reached an undisclosed agreement asking the court to dismiss the suit in a filing at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
In its original complaint, Milkcrate alleged that the design was deceptively copied from its founder, Aaron LaCrate.
Milkcrate reportedly said the resemblance between its own designs and that of Adidas’ t-shirts was uncanny and undeniable.


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While we never really had any doubts that Activision's next installment of the Guitar Hero franchise would reach us this year, we've yet to hear anything concrete from the company outside of the Blizzard merger fact sheet issued in early December. Now one giddy British band may have unofficially spilled the beans. The band is called The Answer, and in a recently issue press release they proudly announce that their song "Never Too Late" was one of twenty picked by Activision last month out of over two-hundred submissions at the Marché international de l'édition musicale industry trade show to appear in Guitar Hero IV at the end of 2008. Eurogamer contacted Activision for their response but received only the standard "No comment." It's almost non-news, really. We knew it was coming out, and I guess now we know one of the songs. Hooray!
Guitar Hero IV this year [Eurogamer.net]


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The Pound-to-Dollar Rate's Forecast for the Week Ahead - PSL
- GBP/USD closes in on its 2018 highs as uptrend pushes relentlessly higher
- The main release for the US Dollar is Retail Sales on Monday
- The principle data release for the Pound is labour market stats on Tuesday
The GBP/USD pair ended the week on a strong note trading near its 2018 highs at 1.4235.
The pair is in a concerted uptrend and is currently probing and threatening the January highs at 1.4345 but is still a cent short.
To confidently forecast a continuation of the uptrend I would want to first see a break above the January highs for confirmation.
Such a break, however, would probably lead to a continuation up to the next target at 1.4500, which is an important symbolic and psychological level where I would expect increased supply to dampen the exchange rate due to many traders closing their positions and taking profit.
The weekly chart above shows why the pair has struggled to break above the highs set in January. Note how the 200-week moving average (MA) is successfully capping further gains- and yet, nevertheless, we still see a break above 1.4345 now confirming the 200-week cleared, and the opening up of the bull trend higher to 1.4500.
Data and Events to Watch for the Dollar
The US data calendar is largely peppered with second-tier releases, but Retail Sales is expected to bounce back from a negative level by rising 0.4% in March when it is released on Monday at 13.30 GMT.
Also out on Monday afternoon is the NAHB house price index which is forecast to rise a point to 71 in April from 70 in the previous period.
Other housing data includes New Housing Starts out on Tuesday at 13.30, which is expected to show a strong rebound of 1.0% from the -7.0% registered in February.
Industrial Production in March is expected to show a 0.3% rise when it is released at 14.15 on Tuesday.
The New York Fed and Philadelphia Fed manufacturing surveys out on Monday and Friday respectively, are forecast to show rises slight declines to 19.8 and 21.2 respectively in March.
Additionally, the Fed will publish its regular Beige Book, which is an economic update, on Wednesday at 19.00.
The Dollar may also be impacted by geopolitical factors, including the possibility of heightened tensions between the US and Russia, played out via the Syria conflict.
Trade relations between the US and China have no improved since China's Xi Jinping's made concessions but the issue remains a live risk to the stability of financial markets.
Data and Events to watch for the Pound
A big week in terms of data for the UK in the coming week with labour market, inflation and retail sales numbers all on tap.
The Pound has enjoyed a strong start to 2018 as concerns and uncertainties relating to Brexit fade. As a result, analyst Viraj Patel at ING Bank N.V. believes Sterling will now start to pay more attention to data. "It appears that we’re back to good old-fashioned UK data watching to determine the short-term direction for the currency," says the analyst. "The week ahead shouldn’t disappoint here given the array of key data releases to watch out for."
On Tuesday, April 17 we have labour market data with markets looking for employment to increase by 13.3K in the quarter to March.
The Unemployment rate is forecast to stick at 4.3%.
Most important for the Pound will be wage data; as it is wage data that the Bank of England will be watching when it comes to raising intent rates with the rule of thumb being that higher wages should prompt interest rate wages which are in turn supportive of Sterling.
The average earnings index, with bonuses, is forecast to have risen 3% in February. If this number is missed, expect the Pound to struggle.
"We think signs of firming wage growth next week may seal the deal for a May BoE rate hike," says Patel.
If unemployment stays at 4.3%, however, some analysts estimate this is not sufficiently low to have an inflationary effect on wages, since the level below which that would be expected to occur - known as NAIRU - is now 4.25%.
"The UK job report will be closely watched. Last month the unemployment rate jumped to 4.3%, above the most recent NAIRU-estimate by Bank of England of 4.25%. Bank of England projects a relatively sharp increase in wage growth this year? Why should wage growth pick up materially, if unemployment is above NAIRU?," questions Andreas Steno Larsen, senior strategist at Nordea Bank.
Inflation data on Wednesday, April 18 will also be key with economists forecasting the headline CPI rate to be at 2.7%, unchanged from the previous month.
Calling Sterling's reaction to this is tricky as the traditional rule of thumb is higher inflation = a positive reaction in the
Pound as it should mean the Bank of England will need to deliver more interest rates. This should still be true.
However, falling inflation also means the squeeze on consumers is fading as pay growth starts to finally creep ahead of inflation - and this is good for the economy. And what is good for the economy is good for the Pound.
The inflation data could, therefore, offer a win-win for Sterling.
Nordea's Larsen sees a material chance of inflation undershooting expectations as the effect of the previously cheapPound wears off.
"Remember how everyone was caught by surprise when inflation exploded in the UK during 2017 as a result of the massive weakening of the GBP. Will everyone be equally surprised now that the currency effects will start to fade out of the UK CPI? We tend to think so," says the strategist, hinting at a bearish outcome for Sterling.
"We don’t buy into the current market pricing of Bank of England and while a hike in May seems settled, there is no big reason to expect Bank of England to hike anytime soon thereafter. Therefore, we are also very sceptical about the fundamentals behind the recent GBP strengthening," says Larsen.
Finally, markets will be watching retail sales on Thursday, April 19 with economists forecasting a reading of -0.5% thanks to the inclement weather seen in March.
"Retail sales figures (Thursday) should reveal that the heavy snowfall in March hit the sector hard, with sales volumes contracting sharply on the month says Liam Peach, an economist with Capital Economics.
We, therefore, reckon markets are likely to discount seasonality into this month's data and instead look for next month's data for direction.


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Qatar/VW16 Aug 2009
Qatar invests €7bn in Porsche and Volkswagen
Qatar Holding on Friday acquired voting stakes of 10% in Porsche and 17% in Volkswagen, representing a €7bn ($9.9bn) investment by the Persian Gulf emirate in the two carmakers.
The move is the first step towards a proposed merger of the sports car maker and Europe’s largest car company by 2011.
Qatar Holding said it will now become the third biggest stakeholder in VW, after Porsche and Lower Saxony.


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Tit-for-tat: Now Samsung sues Apple just days after being accused of 'slavishly copying' its iPhone and iPad designs
- Samsung accuses Apple of infringing ten mobile technology patents
Samsung has hit back at Apple in a tit-for-tat lawsuit just days after Apple sued the South Korean firm for 'slavishly copying' its iPhone and iPad designs.
Samsung today accused Apple of infringing ten mobile technology patents in a countersuit filed in South Korea, Germany and Japan.
Exactly a week ago, Apple had took legal action against Samsung alleging its Galaxy line of smartphones and tablet computers infringed its copyright.
The iPad 2, Apple's most recent device. Samsung today took legal action accusing Apple of infringing ten mobile technology patents
Samsung copied Apple's product design, user interface and packaging, according to that lawsuit, filed on April 15 in the U.S. District Court in northern California.
Apple is seeking an order barring the South Korean company from infringing on a variety of its patents and trademarks, as well as unspecified damages.
'This kind of blatant copying is wrong,' Apple spokesperson Kristin Huguet said in a statement shortly after their lawsuit was filed.
A Samsung spokesman responded with a short statement to say the company's products are the result of its own research and development.
Following today's countersuit, a Samsung statement said that Apple's iPhone and iPad infringe Samsung's ten mobile technology patents and it called for Apple to stop infringing its technology and compensate the company.
'Samsung is responding actively to the legal action taken against us in order to protect our intellectual property and to ensure our continued innovation and growth in the mobile communications business,' the statement said.
The two-way legal action comes days before Samsung launches a new product and could jeopardise business ties between the two companies, as Apple relies on Samsung for component supplies such as chips and LCD displays.
'Apple is quite annoyed by Samsung's fast rise in a market which it virtually created,' James Song, an analyst at Daewoo Securities, said.
'It's quite threatening to see how quickly Samsung plays catch-up, and Apple might have felt a strong urge to put a brake on its march just when Samsung is set to roll out a new smartphone in May ahead of its new iPhone.'
Galaxy Tab: A week ago, Apple alleged Samsung's Galaxy line of smartphones and tablet computers has infringed its copyright
Apple sold 18.6million iPhones in the last quarter alone. Samsung, which had a fraction of the booming market until early last year, is estimated to have sold around 13million smartphones in January to March and aims to sell 60million units this year.
Operating systems have emerged as the key battlefield for dominance of the world's smartphone market.
Android became the most popular smartphone software in the United States in the three months ending in February, ahead of Apple and Research in Motion , according to a recent survey by research firm comScore.
Samsung is one of the fastest growing smartphone makers on the back of the Android boom and has emerged as Apple's strongest competitor in the tablet market, with models in three sizes.
Global technology companies are locked in a web of litigation as they try to defend their shares of the booming tablet and smartphone market.
Strong sales of the iPhone and iPad translate into more revenue for Samsung. Apple was Samsung's second-biggest client after Sony last year, bringing in around $5.7billion of sales, and is widely expected to become Samsung's top client this year.
'But both know that they need each other. Apple can't suddenly change to other company for supplies of memory chips and mobile processors, because there's no one able to meet Apple's requirement in terms of technology and capacity other than Samsung,' Mr Song said.
The battle comes ahead of Samsung launching a new version of its successful Galaxy S smartphone next week in Korea, a key product for the world's number two handset maker to meet its target of 60million units of smartphone sales this year.
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Andrew Wallenstein for Variety:
Netflix reported 29.17 million domestic subscribers in the first quarter of 2013, surpassing HBO for the first time.
You see that fire? That’s all of our collective money burning holes in our pockets just waiting for HBO to unleash Go without a goddamn cable subscription.
Alistair Barr and Liana B. Baker of Reuters spoke with HBO CEO Richard Plepler at an event last night (which, incidentally, I attended as well):
Customers could pay $50 a month for their broadband Internet and an extra $10 or $15 for HBO to be packaged in with that service, for a total of $60 or $65 per month, Plepler explained.
“We would have to make the math work,” he added.
That’s one of the first promising things out of the mouth of HBO regarding HBO Go in a while. It’s not perfect, but I’d settle for it (since I obviously have to pay for broadband anyway).
The question in my mind is if the cable companies would go for it. I pay Comcast for my internet but do not have cable. Would they allow me to pay an extra $15 for HBO Go access even though they know I could get cable as well and simply choose not to? You’d hope so, but they must know that’s a very slippery slope.
Either way, they may be fucked. But at least HBO is finally on the right path of thinking.
Ina Fried reporting on HBO’s Eric Kessler talking at AllThingsD’s D: Dive Into Media conference:
As for why the company doesn’t just get directly on Apple TV, Kessler said, “We will get on Apple TV, as we’ve said all along.”
I get why there would be a hold up putting HBO Go on Apple TV — Apple fully controls the apps that appear on that device and negotiating with Apple is never easy. But why did it take HBO this long to enable AirPlay in their app when rivals did it months ago? Leverage against Apple, I have to assume. (And now that it’s already been reported that HBO Go is coming directly to Apple TV, no more leverage required…)
It will be great to be able to watch HBO content on the Apple TV. But don’t forget that you still need that cable television subscription to get access to HBO Go in the first place. Which is fucking lame.


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You know you’re in Korea when you have to peel a bowl of garlic that’s almost as big as you are! Actually It’s possible to buy tubs of garlic already crushed from the supermarket which is very convenient – garlic is essential for Korean cooking after all! But I was given a bag full of lovely garlic from the allotment so I’ve separated the cloves and now all I have to do is peel and chop…!
A truck selling garlic by a market in Seoul
Garlic season is here. In Korea it’s harvested in June and July and the market places and street stalls are now stacked high with it. The six clove variety is said to be the most popular and the six-clove garlic festival is on now in Taean about three hours from Seoul.


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North America Robot Sensor Market size exceeded USD 700 million in 2019 and is anticipated to register a growth rate of 12% between 200 and 2026.
The North American robot sensors industry growth is owing to the extensive adoption of medical robots in the region. According to the October 2020 press release by the International Federation of Robotics, medical service robot sales witnessed double-digit growth, an increase by 28% in 2019. Around 90% of medical robot suppliers are from North America and Europe.
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Medical robots, such as surgical medical robots, rehabilitation robots, non-invasive radiosurgery robots, etc., assist medical professionals by providing high precision and accuracy in surgeries. According to the June 2020 press release by the Association of American Medical College, the U.S. is projected to face a scarcity of surgeons of around 54,100 to 139,000 physicians by the end of 2033.
North American Market, By Product
The ultrasonic sensor segment accounted a market share of over 10% in 2019 and is estimated to witness over 9.5% CAGR from 2020 to 2026. Growth is credited to the increasing adoption of these sensors in automated assembly lines, robotic grippers, and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) in the industrial sector.
Ultrasonic sensors offer several high-end characteristics, such as precision distance measurement and near-field navigation, which help industrial & service robots in obstacle detection and collision avoidance applications. Ultrasonic sensors provide faster response time, allowing the robots to react and take measures quickly as per the changing environment. Companies are focusing on developing technically advanced ultrasonic sensors with enhanced features. In November 2020, Maxbotix, Inc. launched a new ultrasonic sensor - MB1230, which offers short to long-distance detection with side object rejection features. The new sensor provides precision centimeter-grade-resolution, enabling high-performance range finders in robotic applications.
North American Market, By Application
The logistics application segment held a market share of around 15% in 2019 and is projected to register exponential growth of 13.5% till 2026. The growing e-commerce sector across the U.S. and Canada is one of the major factors increasing the adoption of robot sensors in the logistics sector. Amazon, Alibaba, and Walmart are some of the major e-commerce players to deploy robots in their factories for assembly, packaging, pick, and place applications, among others. In January 2020, Amazon announced that it has deployed around 200,000 logistics robots in its warehouses in the U.S. The company is highly focused on research & development activities to introduce robots that will deliver products in the future.
North American Market, By Country
The U.S. is expected to dominate the North America robot sensor market share during the forecast timeline attributed to the rising U.S. government spending on the defense sector. In February 2020, the U.S. President and the U.S. Congress proposed the FY2021 budget with an estimate of USD 740.5 billion on national security of which USD 704.5 billion will be accounted for the Department of Defense (DoD). This will increase the R&D activities of military robotics, automation, and microelectronics, propelling the adoption of robot sensors in the U.S.
Competitive Industry Landscape
Key players operating in the market are Fanuc Corporation, Rockwell Automation, Inc., ams AG, ATI Industrial Automation, Inc., Cognex Corporation, Keyence Corporation, and Honeywell International Inc., among others.
These companies are extensively focusing on strategic partnership and collaboration activities to develop application-specific robot sensors in the market. For instance, in June 2020, ATI Industrial Automation, Inc. collaborated with Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL), NASA to develop a space-grade force/torque sensor. The new force-torque sensor will be integrated into the Perseverance rover, which is NASA’s Mars 2020 Rover project.


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Google IO 2017
Google IO is Google’s annual developer conference held in San Francisco. This year I attended Google IO Extended which happens all around the world at the same time as the main IO event, it’s designed for people who can’t make it to the main event but want to know the latest stuff.
There was one main theme this year from Google, and it’s summed up in this phrase:
“Mobile first to AI first”
In every area that Google spoke about (from new processing hardware, home automation to Android devices) everything had been improved by AI!
Another nice fact they mentioned was, Android now runs on over 2 billion devices and 82 billion apps were installed last year.
Below are some of the big headlines!
A new app designed for your phone, point it at something, be it a flower, restaurant sign or a WIFI label and it will understand it, identify the flower, show the menu for the restaurant or automatically join the WIFI! It can also translate languages on signs.
They also showed a cool demo where the AI could detect obstructions (a wire fence) and remove it from the picture). This is a huge leap in computer vision.
Google home seems to do a lot more than I realise, for instance, it can recognition up to 6 different people in a household and customise the experience for each one. Now, Google is adding phone calling to Google Home for free. Only available in the US currently, you can just ask Google Home to phone your mum for instance and will recognise who you are, and find your mum in your contacts. If your partner does the same thing, it will phone their mum, not yours.
Another new feature is visual responses, which is super cool. You can ask Google Home something, say “what’s my calendar look like today”, and Google will display it on a Smart TV, Chromecast or Google connected device. I really think this will become super useful. You could ask Google Home, how long it will take to get to somewhere, then tell it to send directions to your phone.
They also introduced something called Proactive Assistance, the idea is that Google Home will detect things that may be important to you and let you know about them via a visual light on the device, for example, if traffic is really bad and you have a meeting coming up soon.
Google home now integrates with over 70 smart home manufactures
Google already make a VR framework (Daydream) and a headset to fit onto your phone, this year Google announced 2 stand alone (no phone, pc etc needed) VR headset coming out this year and have partnered with HTC (who make the HTC Vive VR headset) and Lenovo who make their project Tango tablet (3D mapping / AR). What’s very interesting here is that they are bringing out their own indoor tracking solution that does not need external sensors. They call it VPS (visual positioning system) which I believe could be an advanced version of SLAM.
They also announced that the new Samsung S8 will support the normal Daydream VR headset, which I found odd as Samsung are in partnership with Oculus (Facebook, direct rivals with Vive) and already have the GearVR.
Google announced another Tango handset (it’s like a Microsoft Kinect embed into an android tablet) and announced Expedition, which brings AR to the classroom. Kids will be able to place 3D augmented objects within the classroom, for example see how volcanoes explode.
Suggested sharing is a new feature for Google Photos that uses AI to detect well-taken pictures, and who is in them. It then suggests / reminds you share that picture with the people in it. It forms an online collection of all the images, so you finally get to see images with you actually in them (if someone else took them). There is also an automatic mode, for example if you always want to share pictures of your kids with your partner. Feels a little scary to me.
So, anyone in computing will know what a CPU (central processing unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is. Google likes to do their own thing and last year announced the TPU (Tensor processing units) which are designed to be very quick at machine learning processes. Google are now calling them Cloud TPU’s and each one can do 180 teraflops.
There were a few new features mentioned in the keynote but nothing I found too exciting. They mentioned picture in picture, and notification dots, both of which iOS already have. They mentioned Android Studio 3 and supporting kotlin as a first class language, again, I guess it’s their answer to Swift for iOS. There was the usual focus on battery useage, security (Google Play Protect) and making apps run boot faster. They say they have seen 2x improvements on apps running. Google has also improved Copy and Paste features so that it automatically recognises address, company names, phone number etc which in all honesty I thought it already did.
Throughout the presentation, whatever new stuff they demo’d they kept making a point that it’s also supported on iOS, not just Android (Google Assistant, Google Photos, Daydream etc) which I personally thought was cool.
Lastly and probably the one that made me laugh the most!
Youtube for TV and consoles will now support 360 video including live events, Youtube viewing on TV has gone up by 60%. However, the big news is Super Chat and Trigger Actions.
Super Chat allows you to pay for your comment (to a Live Youtuber) to be noticed, so if you really want to ask that question, you can pay for it. Not too bad, I guess. But Trigger Actions allow you to pay to trigger something in the live video, so throwing a water bomb at the presenter or turning the lights off in their house. I can see this going down hill pretty fast.


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Siemens has released the latest version of Simcenter Testlab software, a suite of data collection, analytics, and modeling software for test-based performance engineering in the core fields of noise and vibration, acoustics and durability.
This next-generation platform for test-based engineering extends its capabilities with end-to-end durability testing, uniquely combining data collection and data analytics, and introduced a new intuitive sound quality engineering solution. Overall, the latest release includes features that lend to greater productivity, more insights, increased confidence, and easier team collaboration.
“Simcenter Testlab offers an integrated end-to-end solution for load data acquisition and processing,” said Guillermo Gonzalez, function and durability manager at Nissan Technical Center Europe, Spain. “The solution accelerates the delivery of critical durability insights when preparing for test rig campaigns or reliable simulations. It is faster, easier to use and robust.”
The latest release was developed as the answer to challenges in test-based engineering, such as shorter testing cycles, conflicting performance requirements, growing product complexity and overall cost reduction. It integrates instant visualisation tools with interactive or automated analysis, performant processing, and active reporting to accelerate the delivery of critical durability insights.
The new Simcenter Testlab sound quality solution includes a calibrated audio replay with interactive filtering, built-in guidance for occasional users, standard off-the-shelf procedures, and flexible combination of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) and sound quality metrics. For example, in EVs, secondary sources such as the wind, the road, or electric motors in components, are no longer masked and become more apparent.
“The latest release of Simcenter Testlab, and the inclusion of this technology in the Simcenter portfolio, is a testament to the importance of testing solutions as a part of our end-to-end solution,” said Dr. Jan Leuridan, senior vice president of Simulation and Test Solutions, Siemens PLM Software. “These Simcenter testing solutions support innovative product development by helping manufacturers realise innovation by validating prototypes and their digital twins, and will integrate with the Simcenter portfolio seamlessly, while still retaining the strengths nested in their long-standing test capabilities.”


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Royal Ascot horse race encourages patrons to wear second-hand outfits
For over 300 years, Royal Ascot has been a major social event in the UK. It is the biggest horse race in the country, but also a major fashion event. For five days in June, wealthy members of society mingle with the royal family to admire and bet on equestrian excellence, while showing off outfits that dazzle and delight.
There are strict rules for what to wear and what not to wear. Every year, an official style guide reiterates these rules with occasional tweaks, such as women’s suits first allowed in 2017 and men’s socks made mandatory in 2018. to be selected with the same care as you would for a tie or hat.
The style guide for 2021 stands out for an interesting and unusual reason, however. He made sustainability a main theme, and not just in a symbolic sense. The guide actually encourages customers to wear second-hand clothes. He declares in the introduction,
âWe want to show racing fans around the world that the Royal Reunion is about looking your best – and that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to buy something new. Resale websites can be found in the Style Guide alongside British and sustainable fashion brands. ”
In the 48-page booklet that follows, photos inspired by the outfits and illustrating the different rules use a mix of new and pre-loved elements.
Royal Ascot has teamed up with Bay Garnett, known as the Queen of Thrift, for their expert advice on how to create a thrifty haute couture outfit worthy of the classiest enclosures in racing. Garnett was involved in the styling of the Royal Ascot photoshoot, writing on Instagram that she “loves the idea of ââsecond-hand clothes moving into spaces that are usually or primarily associated with new things.”
Garnett also sees second hand as a fashion statement: “Dressing is fun and Royal Ascot is the perfect event for that. Doing it secondhand makes it even more fun.”
While it’s surprising (and rewarding!) To see the opportunity take center stage at Royal Ascot, it reflects a larger trend. Second-hand clothing has exploded in popularity over the past year. The 2020 resale report from online thrift store thredUP reports that the second-hand market is expected to be twice as big as fast fashion by 2029. There are many reasons for this, but two particularly seem to be. relevant to this story.
The opportunity could be the next frontier of sorts. Scrubbing a vintage store poses a level of challenge that you don’t get by buying new, where all styles and sizes are featured. There is the thrill of the pursuit and the ultimate discovery and the pride one can feel in saying that the item has been saved – in other words, that it has worked.
Another reason could be environmental awareness, as second hand wearing has a quantifiable benefit. thredUP reported that if everyone wore thrifty attire to a wedding, it would save 1.65 pounds of carbon dioxide per person, which is roughly the equivalent of taking 56 million cars off the road for one. day. Reselling a dress instead of throwing it away reduces its CO2 impact by 79%, and committing to second-hand clothing will reduce its own carbon footprint by 527 pounds per year.
If you’re feeling inspired to create your own thrifty Ascot outfit (and post about it on social media, as people were urged to do last year), Garnett has some shopping tips for you. These useful tips for any second-hand shopping trip:
âLook around the store or market two or even three times – it’s amazing what you can miss the first time aroundâ and âAlways try it. If something catches your eye, but you think it might not be “YOU”, give it a try! So often it can be an eye opener and surprise as to how beautiful she is and how much you love her. ”


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Analysis - Germany option could return for Coca-Cola Enterprises
CCE's option on Germany runs out on 25 May
Nomura analyst Ian Shackleton said today (26 April) a decision not to pick up an option on the Germany facilities before it runs out next month does not rule out a deal “in the medium term”. In first-quarter results, released yesterday, CCE head John Brock said the company has agreed with Coca-Cola to pass on the Germany facilities "at this time".
Shackleton said: “We had expected the option on buying Germany to be extended; however, even with the expiry of the current option, this does not rule out the deal returning. In addition, we can see potential for acquisition of other franchises in adjacent territories or of brands to expand the portfolio.”
The option, part of Coca-Cola's takeover of CCE's operations in North America in 2010, expires on 25 May.
Yesterday's results revealed a volumes slide in continental Europe, but Shackleton said “pricing appears robust in key markets”.
Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd is focused on strengthening consumer awareness of its sustainable recycling efforts, as well as its product choice, in the forecast period. The company has invested heavily i...
The Coca-Cola Co (TCCC) is the leading player in both soft drinks and in HW soft drinks. The company’s strength is based on its diversity of category presence from HW carbonates to RTD tea and bottled...
With increasing pressures on personal finances, UK consumers continued to look for new ways in which to save money. One aspect of this is the increased trend of cooking and socialising at home. Produc...
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Pity the media conglomerate that tries to enforce copyright by demanding the modification of an extremely popular and user-friendly piece of hardware. NBC’s Chief Digital Officer George Kliavkoff says they’re wary of releasing its TV shows on iTunes due to the large amount of pirated content on iPods. And since people use iTunes to put stuff on their iPod, maybe pretty please could Apple place some antipiracy measures?
Imagine putting a band-aid on something, and stuck to the band-aid is a shotgun pointed at your foot. That’s what NBC is suggesting be done. I’ve already dabbled in alternatives to iTunes – they’re mostly limited or inadequate on OSX, unfortunately, but it’s as easy as YamiPod, Songbird or several other options if someone did in fact decide that iTunes was getting a little too restrictive. If it were to be reported that Apple was instituting anti-piracy features in addition to the iTunes DRM so many people chafe under, people might start jumping ship real quick. Especially if it was clear that they had capitulated under pressure from NBC and might make further compromises.
He also had this little gem to say regarding iTunes sales:
The music industry guys would have something to say about how the pricing has affected their product over the last few years.
Wow. The customers would have something to say too, George, about how the music industry has affected the product over the last few years.


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Gamers have purchased a mere 460,000 Wii U units in the last six months, according to Nintendo’s recently released financial statements covering the period from April through the end of September. That’s fewer than the number of people who visited Iceland in 2012. With that figure added in, the total number of Wii U consoles sold since its 2012 release has risen to just 3.91 million.
To rub salt in the wound, the 7-year-old Wii, by comparison, sold 470,000 units during the same period. That puts the total number of Wiis sold at over 100 million since its release in 2006. Wii software also outsold the Wii U over the last six months, moving 14 million games for the soon-to-be-completely discontinued system (it was recently discontinued in Europe and Asia), compared to the Wii U’s 6.3 million
Although the news is fairly horrible for Nintendo, there is one definite bright spot – the Nintendo 3DS. In the last six months, Nintendo’s handheld system sold 3.89 million units, bringing the total number of 3DS units sold to just shy of 35 million. The system also sold an impressive 27 million pieces of software in that same time period.
The Wii U did see a huge boost in sales thanks to the release of The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD game and bundle, which released in North America on September 20 while most of the world received it in October, after the fiscal period had ended. In the UK alone, Wii U sales briefly spiked 685-percent. November will also see the release of two big Wii U titles: Wii U Fit and Super Mario 3D World. Of course, both releases come during the launch month of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It could end up being a very, very bad year for Nintendo.
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Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly said the consumer electronics retailer is "very much at the table" when it comes to talks about tax reform in Washington.
Joly was part of a group of retail CEOs who were speaking somewhat regularly to political leaders earlier this year as the industry rallied against the proposed Border Adjustment Tax. Retailers had pushed back on the proposal, as it would have levied a tax on almost all imports, which would have forced many to raise prices.
While the so-called BAT is off the table, Joly remains part of the tax reform conversation.
Noting Best Buy's 36 percent tax rate, Joly said he wants a lower corporate tax for his company's sake and corporate America in general.
"My view is that the savings, the tax savings, will be reinvested in jobs, in investments, and get the country moving forward, and create opportunities for a wide variety of Americans," Joly said in an exclusive CNBC interview.
Joly is French and runs a business headquartered in the U.S., with operations in Canada and Mexico. That makes both the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and the North American Free Trade Agreement key items for Joly both personally and professionally.
He said NAFTA should be modernized, as "there are topics that didn't exist 20 years ago that need to be included."
Earlier this month, Joly signed a letter along with more than 350 other business leaders calling on President Donald Trump and Congress to pass legislation to permanently prevent the 800,000 so-called dreamers — undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as youth — from being deported.
"We need to find a permanent solution for [the 'dreamers']. Also from an economic standpoint, it makes a lot of sense. These are hard-working people who contribute to the economy," Joly said.
"I'm really hopeful that people will find a permanent solution to this ... issue. We need to do this."


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Bruun Rasmussen will hold their next international auction no. 884 including carpet sale 27 February 2019 at their premises in Bredgade 33, Copenhagen. The preview will take place 21-25 February in Bredgade. The upcoming sale includes around 30 selected rugs, carpets and tapestries.
‘Highlights of the sale are a stunning Serapi carpet, a fine Seirafian rug, a room size Heriz with a great main border and a rare 19th century Kazak rug.’ says Bruun Rasmussens carpet specialist Henrik Schleppegrell to Jozan Magazine.
The catalogue for Antiques, Carpets & Varia is online at bruun-rasmussen.dk.


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The Brits are aiming to prove UK digital creativity leads the world, following the release of the Cannes Cyber Lions shortlist which has given domestic agencies 22 shots at an award.
The UK has the second highest number of finalists, but is still a long way behind the US which has secured 56 nominations.
Google will lead the UK’s assault, with eight entries for Google Chrome activity, five from Google Creative Lab and three from Google UK.
AKQA, Adam & Eve/DDB, BBH, Beattie McGuinness Bungay, Factory Studios, Lowe & Partners, RSA Films London, Rubber Republic Bristol, Toaster London and Wieden + Kennedy are also in the running.
AKQA has three on the list for Nike campaigns, while BBH for Lynx and Refuge and W+K also for Nike each have two finalists.
Last year, UK agencies scooped nine gongs – five silvers and four bronzes, but no golds, after being shortlisted for 19 awards. However, it did represent a backward step from the previous year when the Brits landed 16 trophies, three golds, three silvers and ten bronzes.
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Papa Jim, Danny’s 91-year-old father figure, appeared frequently in Danny’s YouTube videos.
It wasn’t hard to find Papa Jim in Danny’s daring trips since he had a peaceful serenity, a skillful and handy talent, and an adventurous spirit.
‘Danny Duncan’ on the other hand, is a well-known YouTuber with 6.51 million followers on his channel, which he goes by.
According to some sources, Papa Jim from Danny Duncan’s YouTube videos has died.
David Tomchinsky’s 91-year-old grandpa, Papa Jim, serves as Duncan’s brand’s executive assistant and social media manager.
Almost all the YouTuber’s videos are viewed by millions of people.
Danny also sells apparel on his own website, dannyduncan69.com, which he set up just for that purpose.
T-shirts with witty sayings and labels are a common choice for him.
Papa Jim also showed Danny the latest models of the clothing that he had purchased from his store.
In the past, similar false rumors of Papa Jim’s death have surfaced, raising doubts about the report’s veracity.
Meet Papa Jim’s Parents
The parents of Papa Jim are not known. This is because Papa Jim has not been public with his family. Less is known about Papa Jim’s parents.
Who Is Papa Jim’s Father?
The name of the father of Papa Jim is not known to the public at this moment. This is for the fact that Papa Jim has been successful at keeping his family life off the internet.
Who Is Papa Jim’s Mother?
The name of Papa Jim’s mother is currently unknown to the public eye. This is due to the fact that Papa Jim has managed to keep his family life off the internet.


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Reliance Health is excited to announce the appointment of Novo Abere as its Country Manager for Nigeria and CEO of Reliance HMO (Reliance Health’s Nigerian subsidiary) today, June 1, 2022.
On behalf of Reliance Health, Novo will oversee the Nigerian sales team and interact with Nigerian stakeholders and regulators. In this new capacity, he will also serve as the principal fiduciary on the RelianceHMO Board of Directors.
With several years of HMO expertise, Novo joined Reliance Health as a Senior Sales Executive in January 2019.
He progressed through the ranks to become the company’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Sales, the position he most recently served. In Reliance Health Nigeria, he was instrumental in establishing a remarkable sales team and driving an impressive sales record.
Novo demonstrates a solid commitment to Reliance Health’s success and is a charismatic leader. We wish him a great deal of success and outstanding achievements as he takes over the leadership of RelianceHMO in Nigeria.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -Advanced Micro Devices Inc. late Tuesday posted a smaller second-quarter loss, but the chip maker's revenue fell sharply from last year, underscoring the impact of the economic downturn.
Shares of AMD
The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company posted a loss of $335 million, or 49 cents a share, compared with a loss of $1.19 billion, or $1.97 a share.
Revenue was $1.18 billion, down 13% from $1.36 billion for the same period last year.
The company's results included a positive contribution of 13 cents a share, stemming from "the sale of inventory written down in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2008."
Analysts had expected the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based chip maker to report a loss of 47 cents a share, on revenue of $1.13 billion, according to a consensus survey by Thomson Reuters.
The company reported a gross margin of 37% which Chief Executive Dirk Meyer said was "disappointing."
In a prepared statement, Meyer said, "While we increased cash, exceeded our revenue plan and reduced operating expenses in the second quarter, gross margin was disappointing."
Still he expressed confidence about AMD's ability to compete saying in a call with analysts, "Over the past couple of quarters, I would say that we're starting to see our customer base again show renewed interest and engaging more deeply with AMD."
For the current quarter, the company said it expects its product company revenue "to be slightly up for the third quarter of 2009."
Analyst Crawford Del Prete of International Data Corp. said AMD is "caught in tough demand environment and a product transition."
"This affects gross margin significantly," he said in an e-mail interview. "They are probably feeling the brunt of it now. If price declines on newer parts hold up, and demand is better in the second half of the year it should translate into better go forward progress."
Charter Equity Research analyst Edward Snyder said it appears that the stimulus spending in China was helping drive AMD's sales.
"Looks the same as Intel


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28 Feb EVs represent 37% of recent vehicle sales in Norway
Sales of electronic vehicles (EVs) made up 37% of total new sales in the industry last month, as the country’s battery-powered automobile industry continues to grow.
The Scandinavian nation has encouraged consumers into the EV market with a series of incentives including a 25% VAT tax exemption, which is a major factor in the recent rise in sales of EVs.
At the end of 2016, Norway reached the major renewable energy milestone of achieving 100,000 EVs on the road.
Norwegian EV association secretary general Christina Bu said: “Today we are celebrating 100,000 emission free battery electric cars on Norwegian roads. The present fleet cuts approximately 200,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
“We reached 100,000 battery electric vehicles (BEV) way earlier than most people expected. By 2020 our aim is 400,000.”
The environmentally-friendly nation aims to phase out petrol powered cars by 2025, and is on track for EVs to become the majority of car sales by the end of the year, if current rates continue.


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Following the footprints of its peers of postering brand ambassadors, the SoftBank backed Snapdeal has signed in with Bollywood star Aamir Khan. He will be endorsing Snapdeal at the annual inked amount of Rs 15cr -20cr.
Online eCommerce giant Snapdeal is in talks with logistics firm GoJavas in a bid to acquire the company at an estimated amount of Rs 150-200 crore. Besides, the e-tailer is all set to hire 1000 employees for the upcoming quarters.
Chogori India Retail signed a distribution agreement with Columbia Sportswear Company covering retail, wholesale, and e-commerce sales of its brand.CIRL has at the same time parted ways with Crocs in their franchise relationship.
Sattviko, the healthy food dining restaurant has raised Rs 2 crore as seed funding, in a round led by online real estate portal CommonFloor Co-Founder Sumit Jain, Xerox India MD Rajat Jain and Samsung Executive Sanjay Bhasin.


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Dish Network, the parent company of Blockbuster, announced today that all 300 company-owned retail locations will close throughout the United States due to consumer preference for streaming media services. The DVD distribution-by-mail service offered by the once-ubiquitous video rental chain will also be discontinued by January, 2014. All physical distribution centers will also be closed.
Blockbuster franchised and licensed stores in the U.S. and overseas will remain in business, according to Dish.
“This is not an easy decision, yet consumer demand is clearly moving to digital distribution of video entertainment,” said Joseph P. Clayton, DISH president and chief executive officer. “Despite our closing of the physical distribution elements of the business, we continue to see value in the Blockbuster brand, and we expect to leverage that brand as we continue to expand our digital offerings.”
The announcement of the closing comes ahead of a scheduled November 12 conference call by Dish Network to discuss third quarter 2013 financial results. The company will continue to retain its intellectual property and video library and will seek to expand on-line, on-demand streaming offerings, they said.
Netflix and Amazon are two of the largest providers of streaming media in the U.S. The respective closing stock price for both companies seem unaffected by the news of Blockbuster’s demise.


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For the quarter ending in July, the company earned $1.65 pre-share as revenues surged 61% from last year's pandemic trough to around $1.45 billion.
It also said that it sees full-year earnings in the region of $7.38 to $7.48, on sales that could reach $6.26 billion, even as supply chain disruptions add stress to the group's logistics over the second half of the year.
"Lululemon LULU remains in the early innings of our growth story and I continue to be inspired and excited with the momentum we’re seeing across the business," CEO Calvin McDonald told investors on a conference call late Wednesday. "Results of this caliber enable us to now develop our next five-year growth plan and we’ll come back to you next year with an updated view of what the future can hold."
"We are monitoring this closely and leaning into the agility of our supply chain. The strength of our planning and allocations team and the powerful partnerships with our vendors to help mitigate the risks where we can," he added. "Our business was particularly strong in quarter two and our guidance calls for momentum to continue in the back half of the year. But I think it’s fair to say that our business would have been even stronger without these challenges facing the industry."


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Paris: Paul-Francois Fournier, an executive at France Telecom SA in Paris, thinks he may have found a way to help revive the ailing newspaper industry. It comes in a black plastic rectangular box with a screen half the size of a sheet of copy paper.
The device displays links to several French newspapers, with black-on-grey type and images that look a lot like ink on newsprint. Fournier clicks on one of the links with a stylus, and up come the day’s headlines in Le Monde. Another click and a full article, as it appears in the printed newspaper, fills the screen.
Seven French publications have joined France Telecom to test a so-called electronic paper, a technology that offers what its supporters say is the most convincing electronic facsimile of ordinary paper in existence. In the experiment, called Read and Go, 120 people in France have been given electronic paper devices, allowing them to download the contents of the newspapers over France Telecom’s wireless network.
New edition: Sabine Guerard trying out the Read and Go, an electronic device that allows users to read most of the major newspapers of France on a small portable screen in Paris (Photographs: Paula Kupfer/IHT)
France Telecom is not the first company to experiment with putting newspapers onto electronic paper. The Kindle, sold by the online bookseller Amazon in the US, already allows customers to subscribe to e-paper versions of 19 newspapers from around the world.
But Read and Go includes something that separates it from the Kindle and many of the other electronic newspaper projects: advertisements. For now, they are just sample ads from Orange, the brand name under which France Telecom operates most of its services.
But if the test is successful and the service is introduced commercially—something that could happen as soon as next year, Fournier said—France Telecom and the newspapers intend to sell ads, with the revenue shared among them.
France Telecom has not yet worked out many details of the programme, such as how revenue would be divided. But Fournier, senior vice-president for online advertising at Orange, said the company wanted to help newspapers succeed in the digital world, something they have generally struggled to do on their own.
French newspapers could use the help. Advertising revenue in national, paid-for dailies fell 9% last year alone. Only 42% of adults regularly read newspapers in France, compared with 73% in Germany and 48% in the US, according to the World Association of Newspapers. As in many other markets, rising online readership and ad sales have yet to make up for the declines in print editions.
With 24 million mobile subscribers in France, the company has a vast audience to whom it could market the service. In turn, Read and Go would bolster use of France Telecom's high-speed mobile network.
“There’s incentive on all sides here,” said Richard Shim, an analyst at research firm Interactive Data Corp. in San Mateo, California.
The seven French publications participating in Read and Go include most of the country’s major dailies: Le Monde, Le Figaro, Le Parisien and Liberation, which is being added to the test this month; a sports daily, L’Equipe; a business newspaper, Les Echos, and a weekly entertainment and culture magazine called Telerama.
Marieke van der Donk, senior manager of the entertainment and media practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Netherlands, questioned why the newspapers would allow an outsider to develop an electronic paper business for them, rather than doing it themselves.
“If the media industry is not quick enough, other players will enter their business and take over, like Google did with search advertising,” she said.
But Pascal Laroche, director of digital editions at Liberation, said his paper saw the project as a supplement for its existing outlets—alongside the print, online and mobile versions of the paper—not as something that would eliminate the need for any of those.
“This will not replace the newspaper,” he said. “We hope that, if it is successful, it is the start of a new kind of support” for the industry.
Fournier said the Read and Go editions of the papers would be different from online, print and mobile editions, while borrowing elements from all three. The articles resemble the print versions, for instance, but instead of appearing once a day, they are downloaded and updated automatically, over the cellular network.
The advertisements, meanwhile, resemble print display ads but have some of the interactive qualities of online ads, allowing readers to click on them for more information about the advertised product
Van der Donk said selling ads may be a challenge because media buyers have been skeptical about electronic paper publications, in part because of a lack of standardized ways to measure audiences for the ads.
Consumers will have to be persuaded, too. A recent global survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers showed that readers, on average, were willing to pay only 47% of the cover price of a magazine for the equivalent publication in e-paper form.
And then there is the cost of the devices. In the Read and Go test, Orange is using a reader made by iRex Technologies BV, a spinoff of Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV (Royal Philips Electronics) that is based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. The participants in the trial have been given the devices at no cost. But a Dutch newspaper, NRC Handelsblad, has been selling iRex readers to subscribers of the paper at a cost of about €500(Rs33,850).
Fournier said that at the end of the test, which is set for September, it would poll the users to see how much they would be willing to pay for the service. One possibility, he said, is that France Telecom could subsidize the cost of the devices, in the same way that it offers mobile phones at less than list price to customers who sign long-term contracts. He said Orange was also speaking with other manufacturers, and hoped to offer two or three different models if the service is introduced commercially.
Sabine Gueraud, a Parisian participating in the France Telecom test, said she liked the fact that electronic paper allowed her to read the news both in complete darkness or bright sunlight, unlike a newspaper or a computer screen.
But Gueraud, a researcher at the University of Paris, said there were also some shortcomings. The test does not include one of her favorite reads, a satirical newspaper called Le Canard Enchaine. It is also not possible to clip and save individual articles.
©2008/International Herald Tribune


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Following the latest announcement from administrators PwC today regarding the potential sale of Wilko, Cllr James Naish, Leader of Bassetlaw District Council, has released the following statement.
Cllr Naish said:
“The latest news reported today is another blow to our hopes to see Wilko as a whole rescued.
“However, we continue to be in regular contact with the administrators, the unions and other stakeholders to ensure that we are ready to support Wilko employees affected by this latest development when and as required.
“Protecting as many workers as possible should remain everyone’s top priority at this time and we are proactively looking at all options locally to keep the Bassetlaw site active.
“It is vitally important that sustainable offers are quickly but fully assessed by the administrators, and we welcome engagement from organisations that are able to provide certainty to the Wilko workforce.”
Wilko, a long-standing High Street retail giant, is set to lay off hundreds of its employees in the immediate future, according to statements from the company’s administrators.
This wave of job cuts follows the unsuccessful acquisition attempt by M2 Capital, which failed to finalise the necessary paperwork within the stipulated timeframe.
PwC, the firm responsible for managing the sale of Wilko, has indicated that there were no credible offers to acquire the entire business. However, there is a glimmer of hope as negotiations are currently underway with Doug Putman, the owner of HMV. If successful, this deal could potentially rescue approximately 300 Wilko stores and save thousands of jobs.
Wilko, a cornerstone of British retail, plunged into administration this past August, jeopardizing the livelihoods of 12,500 employees across its 400 locations. While talks with Putman continue, the future of the discount chain and its workforce hangs in the balance.


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‘Not a decision taken lightly’ - Another Sidmouth business announces closure
- Credit: Archant
A Sidmouth shop providing mobility equipment and disability aids will shut at the end of the month.
More Than Mobility will not be renewing its lease and shutting its High Street store as of March 29.
The company was taken over by More Than Mobility in August 2016 after being previously owned by Hearing and Mobility.
A company spokesman said: “Due to the rising rents and rate costs we have take the difficult decision to close More Than Mobility Sidmouth, it is not something we have taken lightly.
“We did look for another space but it is either really big spaces or really small, the challenge in Sidmouth is trying to find space in the middle.”
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The nearest store is in Plymouth, which will handle any warranty issues after the business has closed.
Sidmouth Wines announced its closure last month, joining a growing list of businesses closing their doors in the last year alone.
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Volkswagen Brings the Buzz with an all-new, all-electric Bus
April 11 2019, Cowell Volkswagen
The Volkswagen I.D. Buzz is slated to become the next big thing in Volkswagen’s changing lineup. The I.D. Buzz is the futuristic redesign of Volkswagen’s iconic microbus. Although the design is a nod to the original hippy-mobile, this concept vehicle is anything but old-fashioned. After celebrating 50 years in business, Cowell Volkswagen has been around to watch the Volkswagen brand grow, and we look forward to using our experience and adapting to all the new model’s Volkswagen is deploying.
After premiering at the North American International Auto Show earlier this year, the I.D. Buzz lived up to its name and created quite the buzz. It’s no wonder Volkswagen had made the leap to permanently add the all-electric I.D Buzz into Volkswagen’s electric lineup by 2022.
VW CEO Dr. Herbert Diess made the announcement in early August at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, a part of the prestigious Monterey Car Week. “After the presentations at the global motor shows in Detroit and Geneva, we received a large number of letters and emails from customers who said, ‘please build this car…now we’re bringing it back by reinventing it as an electric vehicle.”
This new bus will come with no engine at the back, but instead two electric motors – one on each axle – making it all-wheel-drive. The zero-emissions all-wheel drive system has a total output of 369 hp and an NEDC electric driving range of 600 km.
Based on Volkswagen’s exclusive, all-electric MEB platform, the I.D. BUZZ is a next-generation vehicle based on the new Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB). MEB offers comfort and plenty of space with batteries under the floor. Space utilization in the Volkswagen I.D. Buzz is said to be better than in any other electric vehicle. The I.D. Buzz can carry up to eight people, and also has the ability to carry all their outdoor lifestyle equipment and luggage as well.
Bloomberg New Energy Finance reports that battery-powered cars and gas-electric plug-in hybrids are poised to grow so fast that, by 2040, they’ll make up more than half of vehicles sold globally. Volkswagen is making huge progress in reducing production costs in order to make electric vehicles more viable. Volkswagen has stated they will be able to use “leapfrogging cost advantages” to profitably sell electric cars at competitive prices. Word is still out on whether or not Canada will be getting the all-new I.D. Buzz, but we’ll keep an eye out. All we know is that 2022 can’t come soon enough.


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Producer, label boss and motivational speaker DJ Khaled has collected multiple types of bags on his journey to the top, and he’s set to embark upon the land of home furnishings for his next venture. On Thursday morning (Aug. 30), the Florida star is rolling out his high-end We The Best Home furniture line, complete […]
Put another loss on Ikea’s scoreboard, because this one is a major violation. Days after the Swedish furniture giant made news over its meatballs containing horse meat, comes the admission that its chocolate almond cakes held a bacteria found in feces.
Ikea has been serving horse meat to its customers, likely so starved from getting lost in their maze of moderately-priced furniture, that they were willing to consume a meal from the store. The company apparently found that horse meat was being used in more than a dozen eateries inside its European locations.


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Radio Show Guest Karen Sielski: Is Google About To Slap Your Business
Are you about to experience a big, fat "Google slap?"
Silicon Valley web designer and developer Karen Sielski says, "Yes.. unless your website is mobile friendly."
Many business owners could see the website rankings they've worked so hard to achieve tank overnight. Google has decided to penalize those sites it deems unfriendly to smart phones, tablets, and other mobile devices. This could have a devastating effect, especially on those who sell their wares online or who rely on search to drive customers to their businesses.
Karen will also discuss the importance of creating sites that are aesthetically pleasing AND track well in search, and how to have sites that look like they cost THOUSANDS, while only spending HUNDREDS.


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Filippo Berio is among many brands faced with the challenge of shoppers switching to cheaper supermarket own-brands during the cost of living crisis. However, the olive oil brand has said that, although it acknowledges that consumers may trade down to cheaper alternatives, it plans to continue to invest in marketing to defend its category position. In a sign that the brand is keeping up its promotional activity, Filippo Berio recently hired a new PR and social agency. Part of its work will be around the brand’s sustainability report. Filippo Berio has also recently unveiled an NPD in the form of two vegan pesto variants.
In 2021, the oil brand protected its growth, brought on by the home-cooking boom of 2020, with its sales remaining at £64m. However, due to increased shipping, logistics, materials and packaging costs, profits fell from £4.4m to £1.8m. Showcasing its sustainability credentials to consumers will aim to offset the rise in price of its oils and related products, due to increased costs as well as drought affecting olive crops.


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Both Oracle and Rimini Street have claimed victory in an appeals court ruling that has seen the level of damages awarded to Oracle arising from its 2015 copyright court case cut from $124 million to $74 million.
Rimini Street provides companies with cut-price support for Oracle's enterprise resource planning (ERP) products. However, the database giant has repeatedly accused Rimini Street of stealing its copyrighted material to run these services.
Rimini Street had already agreed to pay Oracle a fair market licensing fee of $35.6m awarded to Oracle "for innocently infringing certain of its software copyrights", but appealed the balance of almost $90 million in damages.
The appeals panel... agreed that Rimini Street had copied much of Oracle's materials and downloads to offer its own support services
On Monday, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with the original ruling that the firm had violated Oracle's copyright. However, the court amended the original ruling by rejecting claims that the firm violated two specific laws in California and Nevada.
The appeals panel, which consisted of three judges, agreed that Rimini Street had copied much of Oracle's materials and downloads to offer its own support services.
But the judges disagreed that the company was in the wrong when it used automated downloaders, violating California's Comprehensive Data Access and Fraud Act as well as Nevada's Computer Crimes Law.
Because of this, the judges decided to rule out the damages covering these laws, and Rimini Street no longer has to cover all the legal fees either.
"Oracle obviously disapproved of the method - automated downloading - by which Rimini took Oracle's proprietary information," they said.
"But the key to the state statutes is whether Rimini was authorised in the first instance to take and use the information that it downloaded."
Rimini Street, understandably, was delighted with the ruling. In a statement, the company said: "The Court of Appeals, while affirming the jury's finding of ‘innocent' copyright infringement for processes that Rimini Street claims are no longer in use since at least July 2014, stated that Rimini Street provided third - party support for Oracle's enterprise software, in lawful competition with Oracle's directed maintenance services.
"Rimini Street will continue to prosecute its pending claims against Oracle for, amongst other claims, what Rimini Street believes are illegal anti-competitive practices."
Oracle, meanwhile, expressed satisfaction that the bulk of its complaints against Rimini Street had been upheld: "We are pleased that the Court of Appeals affirmed the judgment on Rimini Street's infringement of all 93 of Oracle's copyrights in this case," claimed Oracle in a statement.
It added: "Copyright infringement is at the core of Oracle's dispute with Rimini, and Court of Appeals affirmed all of the trial court's and the jury's findings that Rimini blatantly violated copyright law.
"We look forward to the trial court issuing a permanent injunction against Rimini for its egregious and illegal conduct."
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