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Affordable Grain Drying and Storage Technologies Cut Down Aflatoxins
Smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa lose up to a third of their grain after harvest, because they often use poor grain storage technologies and ineffective drying practices. Staples like maize stored on-farm are exposed to infestation by insects and fungi. These can lead to contamination with mycotoxins — in particular, aflatoxins, poisonous food toxins produced by Aspergillus fungi. At high doses, aflatoxins can kill, while at chronic exposure, they impact consumers’ health, suppressing immune systems, hindering child growth and even causing liver cancer. Kenya is a particular hotspot for aflatoxins, as regular studies show widespread contamination along the food chain, from maize grain to milk and meat.
Hermetic bags and proper drying keep food toxins at bay
Initial data from USAID-funded Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Processing and Post-Harvest Handling (FPL) suggest that affordable hermetic bags and hygrometers could prevent post-harvest crop losses and harmful food toxin contamination. This project is a collaboration between the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and Purdue University.
Jacqueline Namusalisi, part of the FPL research team, explains the design of the study conducted May 2017-May 2018 in Kiboko, Kenya. ‘’We first inoculated maize grain samples taken from villages in Nakuru country with fungi responsible for aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination, two major food toxins found in spoiled maize grains. We then compared the performance of various hermetic containers and bags sold on the market, with farmers’ usual storage practices over one year.’’ The ten storage technologies were metal or plastic silos and more affordable hermetic triple layer bags of different brands costing around $2 to $2.5.
Namusalisi and her team measured maize grain quality parameters such as grain damage, weight loss in storage, fungal growth and mycotoxins, food quality and seed germination. “If these bags are sealed properly, oxygen cannot get in or out. This creates an anaerobic environment that suffocates grain-damaging insects and prevents fungi from growing,” explains CIMMYT economist Hugo De Groote.
‘’Using these bags, farmers may not need (to use) harmful pesticides as they often do,’’ he adds. Purdue Improved Crop Storage (PICS) bags had three time less aflatoxin than farmers’ woven bags impregnated with insecticide after eight months. Moreover, Namusalisi’s study revealed that pesticides such as actellic powder cannot prevent some insect infestation such as the maize weevil after several months of storage.
The Africa Technical Research Center (ATRC) is involved in the development of some of the hermetic bags that were tested during the study. ATRC director, Johnson Odera, noted, “Most of the insect infestations start in the field. When the farmer harvests and transports the maize home, the grain is already infested. The damage can be extensive depending on the level of infestation. One of the ways to minimize the losses, while keeping the food safe for consumption is to use hermetic bags.”
"Moisture is another important factor," adds Namusalisi. Farmers usually store their maize grain in wet conditions and in simple 90kg polypropylene or woven bags that cost less than one dollar ($0.70), and some use pesticide to avoid borer and other insect spoilage. Researchers looked how grain quality evolved if the grain was initially dry (12-13 percent moisture level) or wet (14-15 percent). Results showed that wetter grains degrade quickly (discoloration) and are more prone to mycotoxin contamination.
“Farmers could put maize grain samples in a plastic bag and insert a low-cost hygrometer to read moisture content after temperature is stabilized in 15 minutes. They then know if their grain is safe enough for storage or not. However, standard hygrometers cost around $100, which is out of reach for many small farmers,” says Purdue University professor Jacob Ricker-Gilbert.
Still some questions for large scale adoption
Prices of these post-harvest technologies and lack of awareness are barriers for adoption. Unlike normal storage bags that cost about $0.70 each, a hermetic bag retails for $2-$2.50.
A consultation between maize producers and traders in Kakamega suggests that dropping prices by 20 percent had the potential to increase sales by 88 percent. Another market survey in 2017 revealed that farmers were willing to pay an average price of $1.21 for a hygrometer, while traders said they would buy at $1.16 each. As the project was able to get cheap and reliable hygrometers at less than one dollar, commercialization of these devices is feasible. Indeed, one company, Bell Industries, has started to market the devices on a pilot scale.
Training farmers is crucial. Proper grain drying is important, as the results showed, and FPL hygrometers are affordable. But farmers need to take time to check moisture levels before sealing bags, and they should not leave their bags on bare ground. Additionally, triple layer bags may not be properly sealed if not used as instructed. Jacqueline Namusalisi suggests the technology could be improved by using zip locking.
To ensure large-scale adoption of such technologies, an awareness campaign is necessary to sensitize farmers and consumers about mycotoxin health risks and the benefits of using these affordable and effective ways to prevent contamination. All stakeholders must be involved, including farmers, researchers, input and packaging suppliers, millers and other maize value chain operators like dairies and the consumers. Further research is needed to identify what incentives work, like subsidizing these post-harvest technologies or contract farming for quality maize with a premium price.

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With profitability in freefall and showroom traffic down, Nissan U.S. dealers will have one tough question for factory reps at the brand's make meeting: What's the gameplan to lift Nissan out of its funk?
It would be a fair question. About 40 percent of Nissan's U.S. dealers are losing money or just breaking even. To survive, many are abandoning low-margin new-car sales and leaning on CPO and used vehicles to keep the business running.
At one store, Carriage Nissan in Gainesville, Ga., new-car sales have dropped 45 percent in the past year.
"We're lucky if we hit 40 cars a month now," owner David Basha told Automotive News. "In our market area, no one's coming close to their new-car numbers. They are having to sell used cars to make money."
The dealer malaise tracks with Nissan's reduced market performance.
Nissan Division's U.S. sales slumped 8.7 percent to 1.22 million vehicles last year, in an overall market that was down just 1.2 percent. U.S. market share for the brand has dropped 1.2 percentage points to 7.2 percent over the past two years and is at its lowest since 2012. Nissan says the year-over-year slide is partly a result of its decision to cut back on its sales to rental fleet customers.
Despite the trend lines, dealers remain hopeful that a wave of new product will revive consumer interest in the brand and lift transaction prices. About 70 percent of the Nissan portfolio is expected to be updated in the next 18 months.
In January, nine Nissan dealers echoed their concerns to Nissan's new global CEO Makoto Uchida at Nissan North America headquarters in Nashville. They sought marketing and incentive support and changes to Nissan's dealer bonus program.
Nissan's U.S. management apparently got the message. On Thursday, Feb. 13, Nissan told U.S. retailers it will boost marketing outlays by nearly 60 percent from last year and more than double the dealer sales-volume bonuses to help drive foot traffic at stores and lift dealer profitability. The monthly dealer volume bonus for the February-to-September sales period will increase from the current $250 per vehicle sold to $550 per vehicle.
Whether that's enough to quell dealer protest or bring customers back into showrooms remains to be seen.


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It’s official the new WHL team in Victoria will be known as the Victoria Royals — and there it is, their new logo in full colour. The official announcement is expected later today but they have made the logo and uniform available via social media early.
They have only released an image of their home jersey thus far, a clone of the Tampa Bay Lightning third “BOLTS” jersey:
Looks like there’s a shield logo on the shoulders, a blue shield with “VR” in white and two crossed red hockey sticks behind, still awaiting a better look at that one.
SportsLogos.Net found and reported on the trademark filing for the name and logo back on June 8th, must say – the logo looks a lot better in colour than it did in black and white.


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Zaplox, a developer of advanced Mobile Key Services for the global hospitality industry, has integrated its solution with SALTO Systems, providing hotels and their guests with convenience. This global partnership allows any property with SALTO BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) enabled locks installed to easily implement mobile access functionality for their guests, while experiencing the operational benefits that Zaplox Mobile Key Services provide.
Through the new technology integration with Zaplox, guests of properties with SALTO access control systems will now be able to use their smartphones for guestroom access, while allowing hoteliers to offer and promote revenue creating smart services with full customisation and hotel branding on the Zaplox Mobile Key Services app platform. This wide range of ancillary services, which can be made available in the app, includes mobile check-in and check-out, room upgrades, restaurant bookings, room service, special offers and more.
The user-friendly Zaplox Mobile Key Services app is easily downloaded and available for all major smartphone platforms. With recent industry research indicating that more than 70% of travelers would opt to use their smartphones as a check-in alternative, Zaplox Mobile Key Services allow guests to bypass the front desk altogether, saving them valuable time.
Additionally mobile keys are highly secure, since a guest’s smartphone is less likely to be misplaced than a plastic keycard and typically is password protected. Should a guest lose their phone, mobile keys can easily be revoked and reassigned in real time by hotel staff.
In less than 10 years, SALTO has become one of the world’s top five manufacturers of electronic access control systems. SALTO has a strong tradition of delivering the latest in guestroom access technology and has launched a series of innovations since its founding, raising the bar of guestroom security to new heights. By combining SALTO smart locks with Zaplox Mobile Key Services, hotels benefit from enhanced cost efficiencies through streamlined operations and revenue opportunities, allowing front desk staff to focus on other aspects of guest service and communication.
“Research shows guest demand for the use of smartphones and apps as part of their hotel experience is increasing,” says Jennifer Stack, vice president marketing SALTO Systems, “So this integration with Zaplox is perfectly placed to deliver an exciting range of benefits enabling them to enjoy all the advantages provided by integrated smart technology to maximise the flexibility and enjoyment of their hotel stay.”
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Get the most important digital marketing news each day. I recently received an email from an ad tech company with exciting news about TrueView — those minimum five-second pre-rolls you see before watching a video on YouTube: “We officially launched our self serve AI for DBM TrueView a couple weeks ago .
All of our clients are currently seeing a 50-70% increase in performance and are able to manage ~25x more campaigns.” I’ve struggled to make YouTube work for our clients from an ROI perspective, so “a 50-70% increase in performance” got my attention. I scheduled a call.
The salesman explained that clients were seeing dramatic reductions in their “Cost Per View,” or CPV, on YouTube after using this technology, and he gave me an example where a client went from a $.08 CPV down to a $.04 CPV — as promised, a 50 percent improvement. I then asked the logical question that any performance marketer would pose: How does a CPV reduction result in more ROI for the client?
The salesman paused and then said, “Our clients are brands and brand agencies — they only care about getting video views from the right people at the lowest cost possible.” So how much ROI would this drive? Optimizing cost without measuring the impact on revenue is like an NBA team drafting players based on how tall they are, without regard to whether they have ever played basketball.
And yet, this is apparently a normal enough strategy that a technology company is using artificial intelligence to optimize against it. Imagine optimizing your Google AdWords campaigns exclusively for click-through rate (CTR) without concern for ROI? Read more from marketingland.com…
thumbnail courtesy of marketingland.com


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NEW YORK – Greek spirits, including Metaxa and Mastiha, are the stars of a new cocktail trend set by high end Greek restaurants across the United States, VinePair reported on November 30.
LONDON — British airline easyJet said Tuesday that it is already seeing some impact on demand from the new omicron variant of the coronavirus in the days since it was first identified.
ATHENS - With tourist arrivals and spending ranging up to 75 percent in Greece in 2021 compared to the record year of 2019, those who came from outside the European Union opened their wallets and handbags and spent more.
ATHENS – Celestyal Cruises, the award-winning, number one choice for cruise travelers to the Greek Islands and the Eastern Mediterranean, and its parent company, Louis plc, a leading Cyprus-based tourism organization, are pleased to announce a definitive strategic investment agreement with funds managed by Searchlight Capital Partners, L.
LONDON — Dozens of customers who stopped for a drink at Britain's highest altitude pub got a longer stay than they bargained for, after the building was cut off by a blizzard.
MEXICO CITY — Communal farmers and butterfly guides are hoping for a rebound in the number of monarch butterflies — and tourists — at their wintering grounds in central Mexico after a bad year for both last year.
While the traditional Greek diet relies mostly on plant proteins, there are several recipes for chicken that can be enjoyed for lunch or dinner and are relatively easy to prepare, even for a weeknight meal.
Italy is reopening its slopes to recreational skiers after one season lost and another abbreviated by the pandemic.
Kefalonia is among the top ten largest islands in Greece and the biggest in its own Ionian island chain.
By CHALIDA EKVITTHAYAVECHNUKUL Associated Press BANGKOK (AP) — One of Thailand's major fast food chains has been promoting its "Crazy Happy Pizza" this month, an under-the-radar product topped with a cannabis leaf.


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Fillers-liquid - Processing & Packaging Equipment Suppliers
We have many years of experience in manufacturing and sales of Fillers-liquid - Processing & Packaging Equipment Suppliers.We continue to improve our design capabilities and quality control capabilities to provide trustworthy products.Our peanut packaging machine is sold to all continents and dozens of countries around the world.As you know, business is only the first step. We hope that can build a relationship of mutual trust and long-term cooperation with you.Carefully do a good job in every product, conscientiously maintain every customer.Thank you for taking the time to visit here. Finally, I wish you a happy life.
A producer and distributor of artisanal peanut butter has opened its new production facility in northwest Indiana. The Indiana economic development Corp. says Portage-based BNutty is investing almost $2 million to rent, renovate and equip the power inside the AmeriPlex at the Port business park and create as much as a hundred jobs by way of 2021.
The enterprise says it had outgrown its former 2,500-rectangular-foot facility. the brand new, 16,000-square-foot construction center will allow BNutty to increase its distribution and co-packaging operations, in addition to meet the starting to be demand for its items, according to the IEDC.
"The northwest Indiana neighborhood has been supportive of BNutty considering we first delivered our items," stated Carol Podolak, co-proprietor of BNutty. "we like the area, and the opportunities for new company are endless here. Northwest Indiana has everything that a small company should be successful, together with guide from local and state government, organizations designed to promote small company increase, and simple entry to a tremendous city, airport and gifted workforce. We're deeply involved with our group and couldn’t think about turning out to be any place else."
BNutty turned into headquartered in 2014 by way of joy Thompkins, who at the start all started the business as a way to raise funds for her native adolescence soccer club. Podolak would come on board later to help with earnings and advertising. The enterprise presents its all-herbal peanut butter items in more than a dozen flavors, that are sold in strong point stores and retail outlets right through northwest Indiana and Illinois, in addition to sellers including Walmart and QVC.
The IEDC is offering BNutty up to $500,000 in conditional tax credits, which the business should not eligible to claim unless Hoosier workers are employed for the new jobs. The company presently employs 15 full-time laborers and is hiring for construction and advertising positions, as well as an administrative assistant and a logistics and warehouse supervisor.
Portage Mayor John Cannon says the expansion may have an enduring positive have an effect on on the city and location. "We’re excited to have a good time BNutty’s new facility, and appear ahead to witnessing their persisted success as they produce nationally-identified peanut butter in northwest Indiana with the aid of our proficient body of workers."


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A story uncovered by Eyewitness News catches the eye of a member of Philadelphia city council.
A urine controlled video game? Now that’s what I call a “Game of Thrones,” a must-see LeBron James video bomb, Mr. T is on ice and Tiger Woods is causing more controversy. It’s all in this week’s That Thing You Missed.
Nike is causing a social media storm with its latest online ad showing a picture of Tiger Woods overlaid with a quote from him, “Winning takes care of everything.”
Two major sponsors, Oakley and Nike, distanced themselves from Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius on Monday
Nike co-founder Phil Knight has issued a statement blasting the Freeh report’s characterization of Penn State coach Joe Paterno in the child sex abuse scandal involving assistant coach Jerry Sandusky.
Lebron James to wear special gold shoes for the Miami Heat opener.
Lance Armstrong made his first public appearance Friday night, since the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released its scathing report last week.
Lance Armstrong was looked at as an inspiration to many, and the demise of his athletic career and his decision to step down as chairman of Livestrong is generating a lot of discussion and opinions.
Nike has severed ties with cyclist Lance Armstrong, citing insurmountable evidence that he participated in doping and misled the company about those activities for more than a decade.
Nike is set to release a Lebron James model shoe for $315.
The president of Nike Inc. says he has decided to change the name of the JoePaterno Child Development Center, a child care facility at the company’s headquarters.
The NFL unveiled its new Nike uniforms today, and Michael Vick helped out by modeling the new version for the Eagles.
The equipment manufacturers and retailers roll out some contests during Masters Week and one of them will let four lucky golfers play nine holes with Tiger Woods…
Chris discusses the latest endorsements garnered by Mitt Romney and reviews the details from last night’s Bruce Springsteen concert. He talks to Steve Cordasco on Finance Friday about the economic impact of a Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act and to Beasley Reece about expectations for this year’s Phillies team.
Chris thinks the reaction to the Casey Anthony verdict breaks down along gender lines. He talks to Andrew Dice Clay about his upcoming Atlantic City Show and to Phillies Announcer Tom McCarthy with the team in Florida.
- Local Eagle Scout Says Boy Scouts' Vote To Allow Gay Members Still May Generate Disconnect
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- Campbell Soup Buys Organic Baby Food Company
- Exclusive: I-Team Uncovers What Prayer-Healing Family Told Police After Son’s Death
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To Celebrate 100 Years, This Retailer Is Giving Away $10K
Samuelson’s Diamonds & Estate Buyers has created a $10,000 grant that will go to another family-owned business in the Baltimore area.
The third-generation jeweler announced Wednesday it has established a $10,000 grant that will go to a brick-and-mortar business in the Baltimore area.
The winner will be selected in May and invited as a VIP to the retailer’s 100th anniversary party, where Samuelson’s will reveal their identity to the public.
“We were looking for a way to celebrate our 100-year milestone in a unique and meaningful way,” CEO Ron Samuelson said.
“Giving to charity is something we have always done but making a meaningful contribution to a local family business that shares our values and entrepreneurial spirit is a more actionable way to pay it forward and celebrate this rare milestone.”
To enter, applicants must submit a short video about their family business and meet the following requirements: in business at least 10 years; have a Maryland business license and a physical location based in the City of Baltimore or Baltimore County; and have at least two family members working in the business.
The deadline for entry is May 2. For more information, visit the Samuelson’s website.
Milton Samuelson opened the first Samuelson’s store on Pennsylvania Avenue in Baltimore in 1922.
His son, Steve Samuelson, joined the business in 1962.
In 1972, the retailer moved downtown to Baltimore Street, where it operated as a traditional pawn shop, buying and selling guitars, antiques and collectibles, and jewelry.
Today, the jeweler has two locations in Maryland and one in Virginia, and an appointment-centric business model focused on buying and selling fine jewelry.
The company said it reached 100 years by adhering to three core values—trust, integrity, and transparency—and by abiding by one key rule.
“My grandfather, Milton Samuelson, always said, ‘You gotta change with the times.’ Change is constant and you need to adapt to the current business climate without changing your core values,” Ron said.
“One rule that has kept the family together is to never engage in family politics, and we have not broken that rule. We all have tremendous respect for one another and value the views and expertise we each bring to the table.”
The retailer has an e-commerce site, does virtual appointments, and sells its jewelry on Etsy and 1stDibs.
“I am so proud of our team and how we continue to grow despite the many challenges that we have faced over our 100-year history. To get to this milestone and still have a strong business and family bond is what keeps me going every day,” Steve said.
“We look forward to the future and celebrating 100 more years in business.”
Fine jewelry comprised three of the auction’s top 10 lots, though it could not top her director’s chair or scripts from “The Golden Girls.”
A total of four suspects are now in custody with police still on the lookout for the remaining two.
From a “whodunnit” murder mystery to a permanent jewelry party, Duvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams share a wealth of suggestions.
Learn how to better serve your employees, customers and community by having a dynamic and supportive company culture.
“Mountings 2023-2024” and “Diamonds & Gemstones 2023-2024” offer a vast selection of options to create custom pieces.
It follows Creative Director Lucia Silvestri as she crafts the brand’s high jewelry collections.
While ethical mining is essential to a diamond business, they represent only a fraction of the responsibility bestowed on jewelers.
The competition takes place in tandem with TJA’s annual convention, known as the Texas Jewelers Roundup.
The limited-run collection features figures from Haring’s iconic street art on charms, bracelets, rings, and more.
One hundred percent of proceeds will benefit the nonprofit’s silicosis prevention initiative.
Gemstones Editor Brecken Branstrator dishes on the latest color to trend, the show floor buzz, and more from Denver.
Sponsored by Bloomreach
Burgundy also announced the retail launch of its diamond brand, Maison Mazerea.
As the end of 2022 draws near, National Jeweler offers another deep dive into lab-grown diamond market data.
These trending-yet-timeless pieces are no-brainers for customers in search of the perfect gift.
Namdar joins a long line of diamond experts, but his love of the trade was learned rather than inherited.
Growing supply and falling prices likely will make differentiation a necessity and a reality, according to analyst Paul Zimnisky.
The auction house is celebrating 100 years since the discovery of King Tut’s tomb.


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Disclosure: I work for the world’s largest enterprise software company, and every day I talk about software with partners, customers, executives, and others in the small to mid-sized general business market in Canada.
Many of these people seem to be largely indifferent towards the idea of a “digital business.” I’d like to suggest a reason for this indifference, and I’d like to offer an alternate perspective.
The hype around digital business
Everyone loves a good story—especially a get-rich-quick story. In late 2013, a venture capitalist named Aileen Lee identified a group of startup technology companies that had been founded within the previous ten years and were valued, by private or public investors, at $1 billion or more. She wrote a post that sought to understand why these companies had become so successful so quickly. She found 39 such companies and labelled them “unicorns.” The blogosphere quickly seized on the term, and it has crept into common use, to the point where Fortune magazine now regularly updates The Unicorn List. There are 174 unicorns as of this writing.
Many of these newly created companies were built on a backbone of digital technology, and in many cases, they disrupted traditional industries. You have very likely heard the stories of Uber (the taxi company that owns no cars!), AirBnB (the accommodations company that owns no real estate!), and others. Given how much has been written about unicorns, I won’t pile on with any further details. Suffice it to say that these are fascinating technology-based businesses, and business writers write about them because business readers read about them. They make for great stories.
The gold-rush level of hype about overnight billionaires led the rest of the information technology industry to jump on the unicorn bandwagon. If you’re a business leader, then every IT vendor you encounter will likely want to talk to you about the digital economy and its impact on your business. They will ask you if you have a digital strategy, because you, too, can be the “Uber of your industry.” All you have to do is create a new and innovative business model and transform yourself into a digital business.
These vendors may even hint or suggest that if you don’t transform your industry, someone else will, and your business will be disrupted and eventually rendered irrelevant. In short, the industry hype is unanimous: You must adapt or die.
Wouldn’t you be indifferent, too?
The problem with this message is that it’s a mixed message, and it’s really, really easy for an executive to dismiss.
I’d like to invite you inside a thought bubble floating just above the head of an executive attending a meeting with an IT vendor about digital transformation:
So you’re saying I have to transform my business or I’ll be disrupted … by a unicorn? Wait – why would anyone worry about something so unlikely that even you people call it a unicorn?
The reason executives are indifferent about digital business is not that they’re ignoring a potentially billion-dollar opportunity (at best) or an existential threat to their businesses (at worst). They’re indifferent because they don’t think it’s likely to happen to them.
Can you blame them? In her original post, even Ms. Lee herself states “it’s really hard, and highly unlikely, to build or invest in a billion-dollar company.” She places the odds of a given tech startup transforming into a unicorn at 1 in 1,538 – or “somewhere between catching a foul ball at an MLB game and being struck by lightning in one’s lifetime.”
At this moment in time, in the Canadian mid-market at least, executives don’t seem to be worrying that some startup is going to appear out of nowhere, invade their space, and disrupt their business – that is, until it happens. Even then, they may believe themselves small enough to avoid attack, yet big enough to fight back if necessary.
And so executives dismiss unicorns, and by extension digital business, filing them away under “things not to worry about right now.”
Is there another way to think about this?
I’d like to offer you a new perspective, because I believe the way we think about unicorns and by extension, digital business, has led us away from real and immediate opportunities.
Introducing the “unicorn dividend”
History is filled with one group’s investments creating another group’s dividends. The U.S. military alone offers many examples: They needed reliable communications in the event of nuclear war – and the rest of us got the Internet; they wanted faster, lighter ballistic missiles – and we got better golf clubs; they wanted precise location tracking – and we got GPS in our cars.
I propose that the investments made by Ms. Lee’s billion-dollar unicorns (and by so many others as well) have created a technology dividend for the rest of the business world – let’s call it the “unicorn dividend.” As far as I know I am the first person to use this term, but I would argue that the unicorn dividend has been sitting in plain sight for a couple of years now.
What is the unicorn dividend? It’s a new generation of software, a new set of methodologies, and a new market permission, trickling down from these bleeding-edge innovators, for the rest of the business world to use.
What new software?
The IT industry innovates at a furious pace, which is to be expected when the price/performance of computing power has doubled every two years since the 1960s (aka Moore’s Law). The unicorns exploited advances in underlying technology, devices, operating systems, and languages to produce innovations in software. And in the wake of their very visible success, almost every other IT vendor has followed their lead – by making significant investments in product development.
We have seen real innovation in almost every segment of the business software world. Software connects our equipment and devices to our applications via the Internet of Things – and manufacturing and maintenance processes are improved. Software connects us to our suppliers in business networks – and supply chain costs are improved. Software connects us to our customers in novel ways, from the sentiment analysis of social media online to the emailed receipt from a mobile point-of-sale tablet in a store – and customer experiences are improved.
User experiences are now built using new web standards, creating software people actually want to use. Mobile apps are now built from scaffolding kits instead of from scratch, leading to faster, more reliable, and more secure apps.
The bottom line is that almost everywhere we look, the IT industry is now promoting a new generation of business software with capabilities we’ve never seen before. These aren’t incremental patches – these are significant new releases.
What new methodologies?
One of the recurring elements in the unicorn stories is disruption of an existing business model. And at the root of each and every disruption is a careful analysis of that business – as seen through the eyes of the end customer.
Believe it or not, this approach is a major departure for the IT industry. Historically, IT vendors only involve their customers (users) in product development by (1) asking them for requirements, and (2) asking them to beta-test the near-finished product. But the unicorns have shown us, over and over again, that real innovation arises from a near-obsessive focus on customer-centric design, at all stages, from business model concept to final product development.
As a result, we are now seeing widespread use of formal methodologies for analyzing business models and strategies, for designing and building software to support and execute those strategies, and for bringing that new software to market faster than ever before. The IT industry now uses design thinking and other techniques to design software that really “gets” the problem to be solved or the job to be done. And these methodologies are not just reserved for a technical elite – they are a learnable, trainable, repeatable competency that any business can acquire.
The IT industry has learned a lot about business innovation in the last ten years, and it is packaging up that knowledge for the rest of us to use.
“Market permission?” What new market permission?
The rise of the unicorns has given businesses an unprecedented permission – some would say even an expectation – to experiment, to try new things, and even to fail. Given the ample precedents of the unicorns (not to mention everyone else who has launched a mobile app in the last ten years), no one in your industry will be surprised if you roll out a pilot app or a new service. In fact, they’ll likely only be surprised if you don’t.
Markets and customers now judge companies on not just price and quality, but also on their commitment to innovation. This is why, in survey after survey, an overwhelming majority of executives (usually over 90% of those surveyed) have declared innovation a top priority for their businesses.
What does all this mean to business leaders?
If you’re a business leader, you should consider a new perspective: It’s time to look at unicorns, and by extension digital business, not as a source of potential threat, but as a source of potential dividends.
You don’t have to be a unicorn to take advantage of unicorn-like technology or unicorn-like methodology – any more than you have to be in the military to take advantage of GPS in your car.
Conclusion: Update your IT strategy. Collect your dividend. And fear no unicorn!
I have a simple recommendation to business leaders: It’s time to take a look at your IT strategy again. The unicorn dividend offers you three reasons why:
Software: As a result of massive investment, innovation has been trickling down into every corner of the IT industry. Most business software has been refreshed or even rewritten in the last few years. You can reasonably expect that any new software actually has enough new capabilities to generate enough ROI to pay for itself.
Methodology: Many executives have declared a commitment to innovation without a firm plan how to execute on it. Your business can use one of the new design-centric methodologies to define your own innovation agenda and then advance it with supporting projects.
Permission: Your customers are expecting innovation. What are you waiting for?
Furthermore, in the event that your industry does get disrupted by a unicorn, then at the very least, your house will be in order and you’ll be in a much better position to respond.
And who knows? In the event that you decide to be the disrupter instead, you’ll be in a much better position to transform into a unicorn yourself.
Want strategies to foster a culture of innovation at your organization? See Making Business Innovation Part Of The Job Description.


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The American companies may soon be allowed to re-start new sales to Huawei in two weeks, a senior US official said on Monday.
“The US may approve licenses for companies to re-start new sales to Huawei in as little as two weeks,” the senior US official was quoted as saying by Reuters.
“The senior official said that the licenses could be granted in two to four weeks. The official did not delineate the criteria for license approvals, but she came away believing they would be made on a case-by-case basis, at least at first, as the agency seeks to form more broad opinions,” a US manufacturer’s representative said.
The restrictions were placed after Huawei reportedly stole American intellectual property and violated Iran sanctions. The US also launched a lobbying effort to persuade US allies to keep Huawei out of next-generation 5G telecommunications infrastructure, citing concerns the company could spy on customers, an allegation the company has denied.
In May of this year, America prohibited companies from supplying new goods and services to China’s Huawei without license, which was likely to be denied. The companies, however, could sell goods in order to maintain existing networks and provide software updates to existing Huawei handsets.
The requirement for license is not required for all US’ sales to Huawei as certain products are manufactured abroad with little US components and thus, do not come under the scope of the US export controls.
But late last month, after meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping, President Donald Trump announced American firms could sell products to Huawei. And in recent days, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said licenses would be issued where there is no threat to national security.
Two US chipmakers, a customer response management company and a firm that simulates cross-sectional radar for Huawei are likely to file applications in the coming days.
Out of $70 billion that Huawei spent buying components in 2018, some $11 billion went to U.S. firms including Qualcomm (QCOM.O), Intel (INTC.O) and Micron Technology (MU.O).
“Since there’s no downside, companies are absolutely submitting applications, as required by the regulations,” said Washington lawyer Kevin Wolf, a former Commerce Department official.
A Huawei spokesman said “the Entity list restrictions should be removed altogether, rather than have temporary licenses applied for US vendors. Huawei has been found guilty of no relevant wrongdoing and represents no cybersecurity risk to any country so the restrictions are unmerited.”
When asked about the guidance from the senior official, a Commerce Department spokesman said the agency is “currently evaluating all licenses and determining what is in the nation’s best national security interest.”
The development has come at a time when the Chinese firm has reportedly been holding talks with Russian information security companies to collaborate with them over hardware and Operating Systems (OS). Over the past few months, Huawei has contacted several Russian firms, including the developers of Elbrus processors and Basalt SPO, MCST micro-processor company, as well as a producer of software and information security equipment.
Chinese firm Huawei has been holding talks with Russian information security companies to collaborate with them over hardware and Operating Systems (OS) after being shunned by their American counterparts. Over the past few months, Huawei has contacted several Russian firms, including the developers of Elbrus processors and Basalt SPO, MCST micro-processor company, as well as a producer of software and information security equipment
As China and the United States battle to control 5 G networks, US intelligence has claimed that Chinese state agencies have funded Huawei, one of the worlds leading telecom technology firms. US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has accused Huawei of receiving funding from Chinas National Security Commission, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) and a third branch of the Chinese state intelligence network, British newspaper The Times reported Saturday, citing a source
The United States Justice Department has indicted Chinas Huawei company and its subsidiaries of supplying surveillance equipment to Iran a decade ago, besides accusing the company of several other violations. The firm provided the equipment to Tehran to monitor protesters way back in 2009 when there were violent protests in the country over presidential election results
Huawei is a market leader in Chinese exports of AI surveillance technology having sold it to at least 50 countries, many of which have dismal human rights record. According to a report by a pro-US think tank, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, "technology linked to Chinese companies -- particularly Huawei, Hikvision, Dahua and ZTE -- supply AI surveillance technology in 63 countries, 36 of which have signed onto China's Belt and Road Initiative," it said
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Sex chat robot with pics Over 40 british amurter hidden web cam wiltshire uk sex
A successful trial could pose a challenge to online retail giant Amazon, which has focused on an increasingly range of ever-faster delivery options for customers.Amazon launched a one-hour grocery delivery service in London two years ago.Starship Technologies was launched in 2014 with six-wheeled robots made in Estonia in eastern Europe.It has the slogan 'anything you want, anytime and anywhere'.
Robots will be able to carry items within a three-miles radius, carrying groceries directly from stores or special delivery hubs.
A Tesco spokesman said: 'We are always looking at new ways to improve the shopping experience for our customers.
'We carried out a one-off trial as part of out Tesco Now initiative in partnership with a technology company.'We learnt a great deal from this trial and we'll be reviewing feedback before deciding our next steps.'Last month the supermarket began testing the Tesco Now app for customers in central London, offering 60-minute delivery on orders of up to 20 products.
Customers can monitor the progress of the six-wheel robots via a smartphone as they travel to a destination.
According to The Grocer magazine, Tesco was impressed by the trial and would start a wider pilot later this year in London.
Amazon does not require a licence for the drones but once it rolls out the service further it will need to obtain the permission of the Civil Aviation Authority for every delivery as all commercial drone flights must be approved by the body.


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Calls for E cigarette Regulation Intensifies
I applaud the efforts of more than two dozen state attorneys efforts to have the FDA impose tougher restrictions on e-cigarettes, outlined in the August 9, 2014 Wall Street Journal article, “States Urge Tougher Curbs on E-cigarettes.”
The 33 page letter sent to the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) last week was submitted by the group representing 29 states and proposed tougher restrictions on matters such as, marketing of e-cigarettes, characterization of flavors and sale of tobacco products (including e-cigarettes) over the Internet. These restrictions are tougher than those proposed by the FDA in April of this year.
Also, over the past two weeks, several members of Congress also sent a letter to the FDA calling for restrictions on marketing to children, flavored e-cigarettes and online sales. Numerous other groups, including the AMA, have called for greater restrictions prior to the recent end of the FDA public comment period on the e-cigarette restrictions proposed in April.
However, e-cigarette proponents, including tobacco companies, are also bombarding the FDA to stop them from adding restrictions, claiming — erroneously — that e-cigarettes have health benefits (for example, help with smoking cessation).
While the FDA proposed restrictions in April are a first step toward regulation of the burgeoning e-cigarette industry, we need to keep the pedal to the metal on this issue to pressure the legislature and the FDA to implement greater restrictions on e-cigarettes as a matter important to public health and safety. We need to have our voice heard over the intense clout of the e-cigarette industry.
Information about E-cigarettes (and AMA Council on Science and Public Health) can also be found at scienceandyourhealth.com
Houston Facial Plastic Surgeon, Russell Kridel, MD, is currently a member of the AMA Board of Trustees and the immediate past chair of the AMA Council on Science and Public Health.
Any views expressed on this blog should be considered personal views of Dr. Kridel and are not official statements of AMA policy (which is set by the AMA House of Delegates) nor are they official descriptions of actions of the AMA Board of Trustees.


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The UK games sector is a highly dynamic, global success story. A new report commissioned by Ukie, The UK Video Games Sector: a blueprint for growth, tracks the rise of the UK games industry since the 1980s. It demonstrates the fast-evolving business models and the innovation used in by games businesses that have helped the UK become one of the most successful games exporters in the world.
The report also identifies a number challenges faced by the UK games industry, as well as its potential to spill over and transfer knowledge, skills and innovation to other creative digital sectors. It sets out a series of recommendations that will collectively lead to the UK games sector contributing another £1bn annually to the British economy.
- Games create jobs: The games industry supports 35,000 jobs across 12 clusters across the UK
- Games are key exports: 68% of Ukie members generated over 60% of their annual turnover from sales outside the UK
- Games appeal widely: 21m play games in the UK, half of them are women and 27% of them are over 44
- Games are big sellers: The UK is the 6th largest global consumer market worth £3.9bn in UK consumer spend alone
- Games can heal: Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are used successfully in healthcare to treat and train
- Games make you smart: Playing games give you skills - problem solving, dexterity, systems thinking, team work. Games are used to train surgeons and fighter pilots
- Games are homegrown: The biggest global hits are UK-made: Grand Theft Auto, Lego, Batman, Little Big Planet, Monument Valley, Farm Hero Saga and more
- Games blend art with science: Making games is a unique fusion of art, design, programming, audio, writing, data science


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A few days ago, a national news outlet CNBC released an article claiming that Bitcoin is not a currency, sourcing this opinion from a digital currency entrepreneur, Balaji Srinivasan the CEO of Earn.com, a crypto project that we’ve discussed here on Crypto-News.net a couple of months ago.
Bitcoin has grown up to the point where it is no longer viable to use it to make payments. The network is too slow, the transaction fees are too large, and it works less and less as a currency, but rather like an investment vehicle.
Bitcoin has grown far too large, and it becomes apparent every day that it no longer serves as a currency. While there are some implementations at work, such as MAST, and a working model of Schnorr’s Signature, there is no clear line of development as to how Bitcoin will overcome the transactional bottlenecks, and high transaction fees.
Instead, we predict that the ecosystem will look toward other cryptocurrencies to fill in the various missing roles that we expect from money. Status, EOS, Ethereum, Electroneum, as well as others are more suitable for making fast and easy transactions, for a relatively cheap price, compared to Bitcoin right now.
Bitcoin is the backbone of the decentralized world, and it is here to stay and grow, but other developments are ready to catch up to the giant. Developments have started to be deployed on top of it, such as the Lightning network, which will use Bitcoin as a platform. There are other Bitcoin dependent blockchains, such as CounterParty, whose blockchain is intertwined in the Bitcoin blockchain.
In a video in CNBC’s article, Balaji Srinivasan says:
“Bitcoin has a lock on the digital gold application, for which longevity is very important. Bitcoin’s market cap in the long term continues to rise, but its market share, as a percentage of total coin market capitalization, will continue to fall.”
Later on, he added that “Bitcoin is potentially the best store of value available in the world”, but as other currencies grow Bitcoin is going to get less and less percentage of the total market cap. That is a really good thing, as it means that the market itself is growing and expanding, which is pretty much good for everybody involved.
The journalist that wrote the article for CNBC phrases it very nicely in her tweet promoting the writing:
The real value of #Bitcoin: despite the name, the digital coins are best used as an investment, not as a form of payment. https://t.co/ZUlOxbnFIZ @CNBC
— Kellie Autumn Ell 가을 (@KellieAutumnEll) January 25, 2018
And I happen to agree with her!
As you read above, Bitcoin has become very unsustainable as a payment system for small amounts, and unless it is deposited on an exchange, the fees associated with moving it from one wallet to another are just too much if you are looking to spend $100, and can end up costing upwards of $25.
Although to be fair, the fees have gone down a little bit since the implementation of the Lightning Network, but I assume it has more to do with the relative stability of the Bitcoin price, rather than the usage and utility from the network.
For large amounts, Bitcoin is still the number one cryptocurrency, because of its stability (as a service), security, and relatively low transaction fees. This isn’t contradictory, as making larger payments with Bitcoin costs relatively the same as making small payments, depending on the inputs and outputs necessary to facilitate the transactions.
Featured image via BigStock.
4 thoughts on “Mainstream media says “Bitcoin is not a currency””
Outdated article that doesn’t know about lightning.
Instant near free bitcoin payments … how is that not a currency?
I agree, Flaim. Full blown implementation of the lightning network will enable Bitcoin to become a currency once more. This article is talking current utility over potential. Bitcoin can easily get at capacity and reach incredible amounts of transaction fees for individual users. Exchanges and wallet providers remain unaffected since they use mass payments, but it is individuals that are paying the price.
The lightning network is a solution, and I would love to see it implemented.
Bitcoin nowdays is cryptocrap. It´s whitepaper never said it was created to be a “store of value” but it´s inhability to do so is cornering to that role. Market share has been reduced and as new crypto currencies may be tradable to fiat it´s relevancy will shrink. I like BTC but the fact that is ´decentralized” makes a consensus is needed or there will be a new fork whereas other cryptos are created by a person or a company and they adhere to an strategy.
Indeed, one of the major benefits of Bitcoin is the fact that it is immutable and decentralized. Completely not attached to the state of any country in particular. The network is difficult to change and technically hasn’t seen a full release yet. We are still in Alpha, and currently testing this new technology (regardless of the fact that ~9 years have passed).
For now, though, the role of Bitcoin is most similar to gold, and best used to store value for a longer period of time.


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Long awaited iPhone for the year 2015 has officially been unwrapped, called the iPhone 6S unveiled alongside its larger sibling the iPhone 6S Plus.
As expected, the ‘S’ range includes a slew of improvements over last year’s models in terms of specs, though looks exactly the same as its predecessor. The most noticeable change over previous gen models is the introduction of 3D Touch. Much like the ‘Force Touch’ featured on the Apple Watch, it has the ability to detect between a light tap and a hard touch on the screen thereby adding an extra layer of functionality both in iOS and while using apps. It also provides haptic feedback with varying levels of vibrations.
The new 3D Touch Technology also enables ‘Quick Actions’, such as new gesture-based shortcuts that allow users to directly switch to other apps just by pressing and holding on the screen.
Other improvements included with the new iPhone 6S is the new A9 chipset, which the Cupertino giant claims to be 70 percent faster than its predecessor and also cranks out 90 percent better graphics performance. Apple also says the iPhone 6S is featuring M9 motion co-processor, which is built directly onto the chip. The M9 chip essentially allows the ‘Hey Siri’ feature to be continuously on even when the battery is low.
Another significant improvement in the latest iPhone is the camera as it gets a significant upgrade over its previous iteration. The primary camera is now a 12MP iSight camera, with the camera sensor now having 50 percent more pixels along with 50 percent more focus pixels, which significantly cuts down noise levels while capturing images.
In addition, the primary camera on the new iPhone is now capable of capturing 4K videos, while the iMovie app lets users edit these 4k videos.
Meanwhile, the front camera also gets an upgrade that is now 5MP. Apple has also introduced a new feature where the phone’s display acts as flash. According to Apple’s Phil Schiller, the display acts as a ‘true tone’ flash called Retina Flash, which makes the display three times brighter than while taking a photo.
And keeping in mind the bendgate of iPhone 6 Plus, Apple has strengthened the durability of the new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus with the use of 7000 series aluminum.
The new iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus will be available for pre-order starting September 12 while shipping starts September 25. On-contract pricing will be the same as previous-gen models, with 6S starting at $199 and 6S Plus starting at $299.
Storage options remain the same as last year with 16, 64 and 128 GB capacities available. However, there’s a new color addition in the form of ‘Rose Gold’ which joins space gray, silver, and the regular gold as the fourth color option. It’ll also be the first iPhone model that will ship with iOS 9.


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The company behind the MetaMask crypto wallet, ConsenSys, has acquired Ethereum wallet manager MyCrypto for an undisclosed amount, the company revealed in a press release on 1 February.
According to the announcement, the two brands will initially stay separate, though ConsenSys plans to merge MyCrypto with its MetaMask wallet over time. Part of ConsenSys’ decision to acquire MyCrypto was its developer talent — the teams of both companies have known each other since 2016 — and their focus on user safety and security. Dan Finlay, co-founder of MetaMask, said in a statement:
“With our talents combined, and our strong sense of shared ethics and goals for this ecosystem, I think we’ll be able to provide a wallet experience that is much more able to help its users make the best decisions through this rapidly evolving Web3 wallet landscape.”
Through the acquisition, ConsenSys will gain MyCrypto’s experience in building desktop apps, which will be used to further improve MetaMask’s security and anti-phishing processes, create developer documentation, and enable a shared team across the core libraries for its products.
ConsenSys also pointed out that once the MyCrypto integration has been completed, it will be possible to have more rich integrations in MetaMask, which currently has more than 21 million monthly active users. The company has a valuation of around $3.2 billion, which was reached last November after a $200 million financing round.


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American Airlines has announced it is the first US carrier to offer pre-flight testing for passengers on all domestic flights to states and territories with COVID-19 travel restrictions. The at-home test kits are available for purchase through LetsGetChecked for travel on or after December 12.
The at-home COVID-19 test kit costs $129 from letsgetchecked.com which the company recommends order 5 or more days prior to travel. The self-administered uses a nasal swab, and some destinations may require the test to be monitored during an observation call.
Results of the PCR lab analysis are posted to the traveler’s secure online site, usually within 48 hours of the lab receiving the test on average.
Current cities, states and territories with COVID-19 travel restrictions include:
District of Columbia
“We’ve made great strides to help open international travel with our testing partners, and we recognize the need for similar domestic travel solutions,” said Alison Taylor, chief customer officer for American Airlines. “As travel requirements continue to quickly evolve, we’re simplifying the research and COVID-19 testing fulfillment process for an overall more seamless travel experience.”
American Airlines was among the first US carriers to launch pre-travel testing in October and has been aggressively expanding its international testing program since, including most recently running a trial of a three-test protocol on transatlantic flights in coordination with British Airways and the oneworld alliance.


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AMERICAN EX. ADDRESSES RFID TRACKING PLANS FOR PEOPLE
By Liz McIntyre & Katherine Albrecht
The top brass at American Express, chagrined at the discovery of its people tracking plans, met with CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering) last week to discuss the issue. One outcome of the meeting was a promise by American Express to review its entire patent portfolio and ensure that any people-tracking plans be accompanied by language requiring consumer notice and consent.
The meeting was organized after CASPIAN called attention to one of the company's more troublesome patent applications. That patent application, titled "Method and System for Facilitating a Shopping Experience," describes a Minority Report style blueprint for monitoring consumers through RFID-enabled objects, like the American Express Blue Card.
According to the patent, RFID readers called "consumer trackers" would be placed in store shelving to pick up "consumer identification signals" emitted by RFID-embedded objects carried by shoppers. These would be used to identify people, track their movements, and observe their behavior.
The patent also suggested such people-tracking systems could "be located in a common area of a school, shopping center, bus station or other place of public accommodation."
Allegations of American Express people-tracking blueprints first came to light at a conference sponsored by the Consumer Federation of America in Washington, D.C. last month. There, Dr. Katherine Albrecht, Founder and Director of CASPIAN, revealed the patent pending plans that she and her "Spychips" co-author Liz McIntyre uncovered in their ongoing RFID research.
Soon thereafter, American Express arranged for four of its vice presidents, including the vice presidents of Contactless Payments and Public Affairs, to meet with CASPIAN leaders in a phone conference.
"We are pleased that American Express responded to our concerns," said Albrecht. "It's clear the company is thinking about privacy issues and wants to address them constructively. However, we had hoped that American Express would renounce its people tracking plans altogether and be more sensitive to the fact that placing RFID tags in consumer items, like credit cards, puts consumers at risk for surreptitious tracking by others."
In response to CASPIAN concerns, American Express also promised that it would make a chip-free version of its credit card available to concerned consumers who ask for it.
"Offering a chipless credit card is a positive step and should serve as an example to the rest of the industry," said McIntyre. "Consumers don't like RFID technology. Contrary to American Express ads, most people would rather leave home without it."
The complete text of the American Express people tracking patent application is posted here.
This press release is also available online.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a controversial technology that uses tiny microchips to track items from a distance. These RFID microchips have earned the nickname "spychips" because each contains a unique identification number, like a Social Security number for things, that can be read silently and invisibly by radio waves.
CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering) is a grass-roots consumer group fighting retail surveillance schemes since 1999 and irresponsible RFID use since 2002. With thousands of members in all 50 U.S. states and over 30 countries worldwide, CASPIAN seeks to educate consumers about marketing strategies that invade their privacy and encourage privacy-conscious shopping habits across the retail spectrum.
To join or support CASPIAN or to sign up for our mailing list, please click here.
� 2007 - Liz McIntyre & Katherine Albrecht - All Rights Reserved
E-Mails are used strictly for NWVs alerts, not for sale
Liz McIntyre is a consumer privacy expert and author of Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track your Every Move with RFID. In this explosive book, McIntyre and co-author Katherine Albrecht reveal how organizations like Procter & Gamble, Gillette, Wal-Mart, and even the U.S. Postal Service plan to use tiny computer chips smaller than a grain of sand to track everyday objects-and even people-keeping tabs on everything you own and everywhere you go.
Katherine Albrecht is a privacy advocate and co-author of Spychips: How Major Corporations and Government Plan to Track your Every Move with RFID. Albrecht has testified on RFID technology before the Federal Trade Commission, the California state legislature, the European Commission, and the Federal Reserve Bank, and she has given over a thousand television, radio and print interviews to news outlets all over the world. Her efforts have been featured on CNN, NPR, the CBS Evening News, Business Week, and the London Times, to name just a few.


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Throughout the world, coffee is consumed for its caffeinated benefits, for its social connotations and because it offers rich and delicious flavors. While the reasons for drinking coffee have remained the same through the years, coffee itself has experienced quite an evolution. Today, consumers enjoy their blends bottled, canned, decaffeinated, instant or even in their favorite dessert.
Flavorful and convenient
The versatility of coffee has helped the category grow during the past several years.
“Coffee has transformed to become more than a ‘cup of coffee,’” says Walter Crawley, director of business development and marketing for Kerry Ingredients & Flavours, Beloit, Wis. “Instead, the category has evolved into ‘coffee beverages.’ These come hot, iced or frozen. A great example is Starbucks — they sell more coffee beverages than they do traditional cups of coffee.”
Coffee and coffee beverages have gained popularity in the last decade for their ability to be customized. “Applications for coffee-flavored extracts have expanded the category,” explains Kim Cipriano, director of marketing for Autocrat LLC, Lincoln, R.I. “Customization of coffee beverages allows customers to decide which blend, flavor and additives they want in order to make their blend truly unique.”
Coffee also has become a popular ingredient. While coffee as a flavor-enhancer is not a new concept, the types of items that contain coffee have become more decadent.
“Consumers want coffee or coffee flavors in their ice cream, yogurt, soy beverages, iced cappuccinos, energy drinks, candy, snack bars and alcohol products,” Cipriano explains.
In addition to customized flavor profiles, coffee drinkers also want customized convenience. During the past five years, ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee beverages have gained a substantial hold in the industry. “The RTD coffee market is estimated to be more than $1 billion,” Cipriano adds. “This segment has experienced double-digit growth, which is projected to continue.”
A close cousin to the RTD coffee drink is the single-serve coffee offering. As Cipriano explains, this segment also is predicted to increase in consumer popularity. “If you look at the success of the Starbucks Via Ready Brew, it’s easy to see that single-serve coffee will continue to take market share from traditional home brew as it gives consumers options, convenience and less waste.”
Combining the concepts of customized, RTD and single-serve is the phenomenon of iced coffee. The drink can be found in channels such as gas stations and convenience stores, fast food chains and coffee shops. Beverage manufacturers have identified the appeal of iced coffee through the years with grocery aisles and display coolers across the country offering customers unique — and convenient — blends.
“Since coffee is and always will be a staple beverage for consumers, there has been a major swing to expand beverage lines to include an iced coffee offering,” explains Jeffrey Craig, director of business development at Sethness Greenleaf Inc., Chicago. “These lines include flavored and non-flavored varieties.”
The increased presence of iced coffee reveals that some underlying trends are here to stay in the coffee category. According to Crawley, the trend toward customization will help to maintain yearly growth of the coffee category.
“As consumers are able to obtain their favorite beverage the way they want it and when they want it, coffee consumption will only increase,” he says. “And, as the consumption of coffee increases, so will its expansion as an ingredient into other categories.”
Reading the grounds
“The coffee industry has come a very long way from the days of ‘Would you like cream or sugar with that?’” Craig points out.
From new flavors to new formats, the coffee industry is awake and strong. Although the past year has brought steep price increases for coffee beans, consumers are not flinching when it comes to coffee beverages. “Like oil and gas, coffee is one of those commodities that consumers find a way to pay for,” Crawley notes. “They purchase coffee mostly at the expense of other indulgent purchases.”
According to a 2010 report from Newswire Today, the current U.S. coffee and RTD coffee market is worth $48 billion with sales expected to increase 23 percent by 2014 to reach $59 billion. “I expect to see continued increase in away-from-home and in-home coffee consumption,” Crawley notes. “This consumption increase will be fueled by both continued product innovation and improved single-serve formats and more advanced coffee-making equipment.”
As Cipriano explains, excitement in the category for the unknown is growing. Coffee has evolved during the decades based on consumer demands for flavors and convenience. “Coffee is enjoyed in one variation or another throughout the world,” Cipriano says. “As far as flavors go, we will continue to experiment, experiment and experiment. And we can’t wait to see where the next exciting opportunities lie for coffee.” BI


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In what will surely be the funkiest lawsuit the online world has ever seen, Prince plans to sue YouTube for unauthorized use of his music. The Purple One wants to “reclaim his art on the Internet.”
A statement released on Prince’s behalf argued:
“YouTube … are clearly able (to) filter porn and pedophile material but appear to choose not to filter out the unauthorized music and film content which is core to their business success,”
This is what it sounds like, when Prince sues.
Prince is also going after eBay and The Pirate Bay and has brought on British firm Web Sheriff to coordinate the clean up of his unauthorized materials online. According to Web Sheriff, the company has removed roughly 300 items from eBay and 2,000 videos from YouTube.
Two thousand? Perhaps Prince himself said it best:
“They say two thousand zero zero party over, oops, out of time…”


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Emraan Hashmi's son Ayaan turned showstopper for Hamley, styled by Diesel at the Lakme India Fashion Week. Ayaan was joined by his doting father as he took to the stage for his very first appearance at a Fashion week.
The two walked the ramp in color coordinated outfits for Hamleys amidst cheers from the audience. Ayaan turned showstopper for the show, styled head to toe by Diesel, alongside the winners of Hamley's Ramp Camp contest.
Latest News »


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I do: Fairtrade Gold and the importance of awareness
What can gold mining do for a community? We hear and we read of the price of gold commodities, billions of dollars being spent on creating and developing some of the world’s largest gold exploration projects, but what is the real cost of gold? This is where Fairtrade comes in.
90 percent of the labour force involved in gold mining is made up of artisanal and small scale miners, producing up to 200-300 tonnes of gold each year. It is estimate that 100 million people worldwide depend on small scale mining to get by and support both their families and wider communities, so the health and safety risks that come with gold mining are increased dramatically. Fairtrade Gold is designed to support those small scale miners, ensuring they are paid a fair price and providing money to improve infrastructure for their communities.
Five conferences for change…
The Fairtrade Foundation launched the “I Do” gold campaign in 2015, a campaign designed to raise $1million in Fairtrade Premium for disadvantaged mining communities around the world. Throughout October this year, Fairtrade will be holding five conference events throughout England, Scotland and Wales connecting Fairtrade’s network of 10,000 local campaigning groups, towns, schools, universities and faith groups. The events aim to inspire, motivate and equip community networks to help boost awareness of Fairtrade Gold jewellery in their local area.
Two gold miners from Fairtrade mining projects in Peru and Kenya will be speaking at each of the five conferences, including a visit to leading independent jewellery stores to highlight the ambition of Fairtrade Gold.
Dan Omondi Odida, General Secretary, Micodepro, Kenya will explain how the tiny specks of precious gold help keep his community above the breadline.
Roger Arcos Ponte from Peru will explain how it is only through sales of their gold on Fairtrade terms that the miners and their communities can reap the full reward of being Fairtrade certified.
Don’t just take our word for it…
A business advice clinic will be held on 6th September at International Jewellery London. The clinic will give advice to manufacturers, goldsmiths, brands and retailers about how to use Fairtrade Gold in their businesses. It won’t just be representatives from Fairtrade telling you how the use of Fairtrade gold is benefiting the world of small scale miners, a seminar will also be taking place with representatives of Hockley Mint and Anna Loucah, two leading jewellery manufacturers, sharing how they have incorportated Fairtrade Gold. For more information on these events, visit the IJL website.
Next year, a new online service aimed at supporting the UK jewellery trade to understand and better market and sell Fairtrade Gold is set to launch. The service will centre around Fairtrade Fortnight, the Fairtrade Foundation’s biggest annual promotional campaign. The e-learning platform will bring to life the story of jewellery through the eyes of a gold miner, helping the participant to feel part of the journey, whether it be selling, campaigning or advocating to empower miners to make a better life for themselves.
Breaking the poverty cycle of millions…
Kevin McCullough, Head of Campaigns at the Fairtrade Foundation said: “If Fairtrade Gold becomes the norm in the jewellery industry, the impact could be enormous. This could break the poverty cycle of millions of miners who are cut out of the benefits of this lucrative trade. As consumers and campaigners, we all carry the power in our pocket to make that change.”
Get in touch with our editor Dale Benton at [email protected]
Copper production from top ten companies to increase by 3.8%
Copper production from the world’s top companies is set to increase by up to 3.8% this year, following a fall of 0.2% in 2020, GlobalData analysis reveals. Last year’s marginal slump saw production drop to 11.76 million tonnes (Mt).
The initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mining operations was immense, however, six of the ten largest copper producers succeeded in increasing output last year. In 2021, copper production from the top ten copper companies is expected to bounce back, rising by up to 3.8%, to reach 12.2Mt, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
The highest increase in copper production was by Canada’s First Quantum, which, despite all the challenges, reported 10.4% growth in 2020. The company’s Sentinel mine in Zambia and Cobre Panama were key contributors to this growth. While the latter remained under care and maintenance between April and August 2020, it delivered record production levels during the subsequent months.
Codelco, the world’s largest producer of the red metal used in electric vehicles, also bucked the trend.
Vinneth Bajaj, Associate Project Manager at GlobalData, commented: “Despite Codelco reporting over 3,400 active cases during July 2020, the company achieved 1.2% growth in its production in 2020. The company implemented a four-phase plan, as part of the COVID-19 measures, to ensure the health and safety of its employees, while also avoiding any significant impact to its copper output.”
Although the overall impact was minimal, declines in production were observed from Glencore (8.2%), Antofagasta (4.7%), BHP (3.9%) and Freeport McMoRan (1.3%). Reduced operational workforces due to COVID-19 measures, lower ore grades and production halts due to maintenance were the key disruptors to output during 2020.
The move towards electric vehicles and clean energy from renewables sources such as solar panels and wind turbines has driven the copper price to all-time highs. Copper has been among the best performers over the last month where metals ranging from aluminum to iron ore have surged to their highest prices in years. The rally is being fueled by stimulus measures, near-zero interest rates and signs that economies are recovering from the global pandemic.


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Exercise cost versus calories debated for labels
from Discovery News
When browsing through grocery store aisles, many shoppers often read the labels of the foods they choose before tossing them into their carts. A survey by the Food and Drugs Administration in 2010 found that 54 percent of Americans read the label the first time they buy a new product.
7701 Las Colinas Blvd., Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063


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The promise of significant digital rewards came true for some publishers in 2021. Revenue records were broken in a media market buoyed by lockdown innovations and the post-pandemic bounce back but underpinned by long-term investment in digital transformation. Adweek took a look at why some publishers’ ad revenues rocketed last year.
- Adweek’s media reporter Mark Stenberg took a look at last year’s digital advertising numbers to try to understand why publisher revenues had increased by so much in 2021. He examined growth factors across five areas, from global growth trends to the impact ecommerce has had on ad spend.
- The top-line driver for growth appears to be the fact that marketers came into the year with permission to spend after a year of frozen budgets. Figures from GroupM show ad spending rebounding at record levels, from a 3% contraction in 2020 to a 22.5% increase in 2021.
- Advertising spend follows consumer demand and, as global economies began to recover from 2020’s shutdown, marketers with unspent budgets began spending again at record levels. Stephen Colvin, chief commercial officer at Bloomberg Media said everyone kept their powder dry in 2020. Then, he explained:
When the economy began to recover, that gave marketers and companies the confidence to do what they’re employed to do, which is market and spend the budget.
Digital ad share
- With the bounce-back in ad spend came a shift in spending patterns. Following the pandemic inspired increase in online activity, marketers moved more of their ad budgets to digital than in previous years, speeding up the long-term shift away from traditional channels.
- According to data from GroupM, every other area of ad spend – TV, audio, newspapers, magazines and outdoor – fell in market share between 2020 and 2021. In contrast, digital’s share grew by almost 4%. This followed an increase of more than 8% in 2020.
- Publishers that had invested in developing digital audiences saw the greatest benefit from the spike in digital media consumption and increased digital spend. David Cohen, chief executive of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) said:
At the end of the day, we are looking to monetize attention, which has been moving from traditional channels to digital channels. That was put on fast-forward over the last two years.
Other growth drivers
Beyond the opening up of the economy and the spike in digital activity, Adweek identified three other factors that contributed to record digital advertising revenue.
- Agencies are exhibiting a preference for working with a smaller number of larger clients. This has led publishers to expand the range of channels that they can offer brands, from newsletters to video and audio. This greater number of ad vehicles has increased the average deal size publishers are able to make.
- Publishers building reader revenue streams have had to develop a deeper understanding of audience behaviours. As subscriber bases grow, publishers’ advertising efforts will grow more effective, Michael Silberman of subscription software supplier Piano told Adweek.
One of the benefits of a subscriptions business is that it forces you to be more thoughtful about user engagement. What publishers learn from subscriptions is also valuable in trying to drive deeper engagement for advertisers.
- Publishers with strong commerce operations also benefitted from the boost in digital advertising that came with brands upping their online efforts. Data from eMarketer shows ecommerce ad spend growing from $18.7 billion in 2020 to $28.25 in 2021. Projections show ecommerce ad spend booming to reach $63.8 billion in 2025.


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Hagerty releases its annual ‘Bull Market’ list of enthusiast cars and trucks poised to rise in value in 2022
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., December 14, 2021 – Hagerty today unveiled its fifth annual Bull Market list, which features the enthusiast cars and trucks that the company’s market experts predict will increase in value over the next 12 months. The list is not intended for get-rich-quick flippers, but rather for future owners who want to find, buy and drive a cool vehicle they love.
“At Hagerty, we believe that life is too short to drive boring cars, and the 2022 Bull Market list shows how folks can affordably drive their dreams,” said Larry Webster, Senior Vice President of Media and Editorial for Hagerty. “Our seasoned experts employed Hagerty’s massive database to name 10 cars that people can buy, enjoy for a few years, and then sell to the next enthusiast for about what they paid or maybe even a bit more. There are now very few barriers to enjoying the classic-car hobby.”
This year’s Bull Market list includes vehicles built between 1963 and 2012 including sports, luxury and muscle cars as well as a few SUVs.
“We compile the Bull Market list to let enthusiasts and prospective owners know what vehicles to buy now before they become less affordable,” said Brian Rabold, Hagerty’s Vice President of Automotive Intelligence and head of the company’s team that selects the Bull Market list each December. “We want enthusiasts to know where the market is heading so they can buy the car of their dreams at the right time.”
Hagerty’s Bull Market Quick Takes (excellent condition starting price)
1965–70 Cadillac DeVille ($28,800)
Collectors long ago flocked to the late ’50s Cadillacs with their iconic fins, while these more modern and usable late ’60s models were largely snubbed. That is changing, but this generation of Cadillacs remains highly affordable — particularly on a dollar-per-pound scale — and they draw plenty of eyeballs and thumbs-up. These are tons (literally) of Detroit style for not much money.
1969–74 Ferrari 246 Dino ($365,800)
The Dino was a radical departure from Ferrari’s traditional road cars. The engine was a V-6 instead of the legendary V-12, and it was mounted behind the driver instead of under the hood. It was this departure, however, that makes the Dino special. It is still considered one of the greatest roadgoing Ferraris of all time — for a price that amounts to an auction buyer’s premium on most other vintage Ferraris.
1983–97 Land Rover Defender ($61,400)
There’s an urbane glamour to driving the original aluminum-bodied earth-roamer, whose lineage dates right back to the 1948 original. Prices have only gotten steeper in the collector market for the few North American-spec Defenders available, no doubt driven by a micro economy that places the supply well below the demand.
1979–85 Mazda RX-7 ($17,600)
Mazda worked tirelessly for decades to get the rotary engine down, fighting mechanical gremlins and international obstacles along the way. It all came together in the first-generation RX-7, a lithe sports car that turned the performance-car segment on its head by exploiting the tiny engine’s massive potential. Huge production figures mean that good ones are still easy to find — for now.
1963–67 Mercedes-Benz 230SL ($80,500)
Imbued with what Mercedes-Benz’s technical director called “motoring happiness,” the 230SL set the Mercedes SL series down a new path, incorporating extra luxury but retaining some of its predecessors’ sporting character. The 230SL also goes by the nickname “Pagoda,” thanks to the functional shape of its hardtop, and the rest of the car is an exercise in understated elegance that never goes out of style.
1966–67 Pontiac GTO ($100,200)
There will only ever be one original muscle car, and the GTO is it. For 1966, the car received a styling update that ushered in the “Coke bottle” shape. That year was also the last to offer not only the 389 V-8 but the factory-optional “Tri-Power” carburetor setup. Although prices have been flat, they are starting to heat up, and now might be the time to buy.
1992–95 Porsche 968 ($38,000)
The Porsche 968 is the ultimate evolution of the Porsche 944 and 924 before it, featuring a 236-hp, 3.0-liter four-cylinder and beautifully balanced handling. Its hatchback practicality and great highway fuel economy make it a viable daily driver.
1985–95 Suzuki Samurai ($10,200)
Everything about the 2000-pound Suzuki Samurai feels light and toylike, but they were well built and extremely hardy in the finest Japanese tradition. When new, it was the cheap funmobile for prom queens, yuppie adventurers, surfer dudes and RV lifers needing a dinghy to tow. Clean examples are getting harder to find — especially of the rarer hardtop — and more expensive as car-buying preferences for trucks and SUVs spill over into the collector car market.
2008–12 Tesla Roadster Sport ($97,100)
Built before either Tesla or Elon were household names, the Roadster was the company’s opening act as well as the first production EV with lithium-ion battery cells. Its historical significance can only grow as electric cars take over, and, thanks to a chassis borrowed from Lotus, it will always be a hoot to drive.
1975–93 Volvo 245 ($15,800)
In this era of slippery shapes designed to maximize aerodynamic efficiency, the Volvo wagon’s familiar refrigerator-box profile offers a comforting counterargument. To take your crew nowhere in particular in no hurry at all is to maximize the 245’s raison d’être. With a build quality designed to outlast mankind, it could just be the last car you ever buy.
A full analysis of the cars on this year’s list is available at www.hagerty.com/bullmarket. It will also appear as a full-issue feature in the January/February print edition of Hagerty Drivers Club magazine. The list is compiled using data from the Hagerty Price Guide and Hagerty Valuation Tools, Hagerty auction research and requests for insurance quotes. Hagerty’s Automotive Intelligence team offers industry-leading, proprietary insights and maintains the company’s industry-leading database, which has more than 10 years of proprietary valuation information on more than 40,000 cars, trucks, vans, and motorcycles from the turn of the 20th century to the present.
Photography and video assets of the vehicles featured on the list are available here.
To see Hagerty’s UK Bull Market list, please visit www.hagerty.co.uk/bullmarket.
About Hagerty, Inc. (NYSE: HGTY)
Based in Traverse City, Michigan, Hagerty’s purpose is to save driving and preserve car culture for future generations and its mission is to build a global business to fund that purpose. Hagerty is an automotive enthusiast brand offering integrated membership products and programs as well as a specialty insurance provider focused on the global automotive enthusiast market. Hagerty is home to Hagerty Drivers Club, Hagerty DriveShare, Hagerty Valuation Tools, Hagerty Media, Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, MotorsportReg, Hagerty Garage + Social, the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the Concours d’Elegance of America, the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, the California Mille, Motorworks Revival and more. For more information on Hagerty, please visit www.hagerty.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
More information can be found at newsroom.hagerty.com.
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A western Pennsylvania company that owns and develops shopping centers has purchased five more properties in four states in conjunction with a New Jersey investment firm.
The Tribune-Democrat of Johnstown reports Tuesday that Johnstown-based Zamias Services Inc. and Bon Aviv Investment of Englewood, N.J. have paid $68 million for the properties owned by Kimco Realty Corp. of New Hyde Park.
Kimco specializes in neighborhood and community shopping centers.[dmc-related-post-wp numitems=”3″ title=”Also read”]
As part of the deal, Kimco has sold The Center, in Stockton, Calif. and Park Place in Vallejo, Calif. Also sold were Hagerstown Shopping Center in Hagerstown, Md.; Rivergate Station in Nashville, Tenn.; and Riverwalk Plaza in Charleston, W.Va.
Zamias and Bon Aviv say they expect to continue adding other shopping centers to their portfolios this year.
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Food price rises pared back last month as retailers tried to protect shoppers from inflationary pressures.
Overall shop price inflation was 0.4 per cent in July, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), and food price inflation fell to 1.2 per cent from a rate of 1.4 per cent the month before.
Non-food retailers haven't started increasing prices yet. Prices fell by 1.5 per cent, which the BRC said was due to businesses trying to keep prices low where possible.
However, retailers would not be able to absorb the increased cost of importing indefinitely, the industry body said.
Sterling-related price rises have impacted food retailers faster than non-food retailers because food stock cycles are shorter.
It is thought that prices on clothing, furniture and other items will start to feed through soon, but competition in the non-food sector is helping to keep price rises in check.
In the coming months, consumer spending may be restrained by price pressures on other essential items.
"The government should be doing all it can to avoid further, potentially significant, increases in the cost of living from a failure to reach a deal with the EU that ensures no new tariffs and secures a fair Brexit for UK consumers," said Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive.
Tariffs on key EU imports such as cheese and beef could shoot up if Britain leaves the EU without securing a trade agreement. The BRC has warned that effective tariff could jump by as much as 80 per cent on some items.


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Thursday, January 15, 2015
Great news for realtors as well as home buyers: the forecast for home buying in 2015 is very sunny, with the prices of existing home sales rising seven percent, according to the National Association of Realtors. 2014 was a bit gloomy on the home sales front, with the sales of previously-owned homes falling below that of 2013. This was due in part to things like the weather (for example, the Polar Vortex at the beginning of last year). But, Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist of the National Association of Realtors, sees a steady increase in home buying that will continue well into 2016. This is because more people are more willing to sell their properties. “The improving job market has consumers feeling more confident, and the rebound in home prices is building household wealth for homeowners and giving them the ability to sell after waiting the last few years,” said Yun at an NAR conference late last year. Also giving potential buyers and sellers confidence? The fact that home prices have been steadily rising over the last few years. “[This] boosts confidence in the market and traditionally gives current home owners the ability to use their equity buildup as a down payment towards their next home purchase,” said Yun, quoted in an article for Realtor Mag.
If you are looking for a home in Meadowmont (pictured above) please use our Meadowmont neighborhood resource.
But of course, there are some storm clouds on the way to sunny weather. There are anticipated increases in mortgage rates coming our way in 2015, which may make those who were able to lock in those low mortgage rates from three to five years ago hesitant to sell their home and lose the comfortable deal they’ve grown accustomed to. Also, we are currently in a period of low first-time home buyers—the lowest it’s been since 1987. Millennials are not as interested in marriage and family as the previous generation, Generation X, which are two major factors that influence first-time home buying. Many millennials have been renting and putting off buying their first home for these reasons, among others. But, Yun and others predict that this trend may change during the end of this new year, and that millennials will finally replace Generation X as the largest group of first-time buyers. There are also some unpredictability factors that could tip the scales of real estate, such as global situations that affect the US dollar, weather, and unemployment and the job market, among others. But overall, this year is looking much more pleasant than years past and realtors have a lot to look forward to in the way of previously owned home buying in their area.
For more information on real estate trends in the Triangle, visit Real Estate Experts at www.realestateexperts.net. Our Market Statistics page is state of the art and will help both buyers and sellers better understand price trends in the past and moving forward.


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Bajaj Allianz General Insurance today launched Individual Cyber Safe policy for individuals covering people against financial loss, defence cost, prosecution cost, IT theft loss, restoration cost, due to identity theft, malware attack .
The sum insured ranges from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1 crore. Anyone above 18 years of age can buy this policy.
“In an increasingly connected digital world, the amount of personal data being generated, transmitted, and stored on to various digital devices is growing at an exponential rate,” said Tapan Singhel MD and CEO Bajaj Allianz. “The critical nature of this data and the complexity of the systems that support its transmission and use, have created a gamut of cyber risks.”
It will also cover financial loss resulting from email spoofing and phishing, losses and expenses related to defence and prosecution cost related to identity theft, IT theft loss, restoration cost to retrieve or reinstall Data or Computer Program damaged by entry of the Malware.
Other then financial loss due to cyber, the policy also provides coverage for expenses incurred on counselling services treatment, claim for damages against third party for privacy breach and data breach and transportation for attending Court summons.
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After QIA, yet another oil-rich Gulf sovereign fund, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), is looking to buy an additional stake in Mukesh Ambani’s retail empire. ADIA is seeking to invest $600 million into the organised retailing business of Asia's richest person, people aware of the developments told ET, at valuations that significantly exceed those during an earlier concluded round three years ago.Bigger Ecommerce Sales Set to Light up Volumes
The upcoming festive season sales are expected to bring the steepest online discounts since Covid, up to 60% in certain categories, with several ecommerce majors indicating a push to expand volumes.
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Toyota recalls quarter-million Tacoma pickups over oil leaks
Toyota is recalling about a quarter-million pickup trucks to fix a defect that could cause vehicles to leak oil and potentially increase the risk of a crash.
The Japanese automaker said Thursday that it would recall 228,000 U.S. units of the 2016 and 2017 model-year Toyota Tacoma. The recall includes about 250,000 units worldwide.
The recently redesigned Tacoma, a mid-size pickup crucial to Toyota's lineup, could leak oil, possibly damaging the rear differential.
That could "result in noise and reduced propulsion" and in some cases "could seize, resulting in a loss of control of the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash," Toyota said.
It was not immediately clear whether Toyota had received any complaints of crashes or injuries connected to the defect. Toyota spokesman Victor Vanov declined to comment.
The company said it would check vehicles for oil leakage and replace parts if necessary. If no oil leakage is found, fasteners will be tightened to prevent damages.
Toyota said it would begin notifying customers they are affected and eligible for free repairs in mid-June.
Owners can also find information on recalls of Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles at Toyota.com/recall.
Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.