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Independent journal on economy and transport policy
CENTRO INTERNAZIONALE STUDI CONTAINERS
ANNO XXXVIII - Numero MAGGIO 2020
SHIPPING AND FREIGHT 'WILL BOUNCE BACK'
BUT THERE WILL BE HI-TECH CHANGE
The chaos caused by Covid-19 will lead to far greater use of
technology, which until now has lagged in logistics compared with
Some 67% of shipping and freight professionals plan to invest in
technology following the Covid crisis, according to a survey
conducted by Shipping and Freight Resource and sponsored by Ocean
One-third said investing in staff would be the first step to
recovery, while a quarter opted for investing in assets.
The pandemic has heightened the need for technology, said
respondents, especially in the area of supply chain visibility and
the need for real-time information.
"Logistics still needs to undergo a technological
transformation (long queues at the European borders this month
highlighted again the lack of visibility during transport and lack
of reliable ETA)," noted one.
Others suggested that, while they already operate online, they
needed to enhance their IT capabilities and reduce manual processes.
Most companies seem fairly confident in their ability to recover
from the pandemic crisis, with only 2% believing they won't.
However, the recovery is unlikely to be quick: 43% expect a slow
recovery, 38% moderate and 19% expect a fast recovery, while 3%
The survey compilers noted: "While the new normal is
something that we will all have to get used to, it is refreshing to
see that the industry is not down and out, but accepting of the hit
it has taken and ready to take the required actions to bounce back
stronger and more secure than ever."
And the industry has taken a hit. Just under 60% said their
operations were significantly affected, while 25% were moderately
affected. A lucky - and surprising - 1% said they were unaffected.
Most, 70%, have experienced volume decline, while 61% complained
of transit delays. Half saw delays from the port to customers, while
40% cited lack of capacity as a problem.
Late or non-payments, cancelled credit lines, volatility and
increased costs were also noted.
More than a third, however had experienced a partial supply
chain shutdown with significant delays, while roughly the same
amount pointed to "glitches" that had caused a few days'
worth of delays. But 14% said the supply chain had adapted without
issue. Only 9% reported a complete supply chain shutdown.
And the future? It will change. Nearly half (42%) said they
would change their strategy based on the experience of the Covid
crisis. Just under one-third said they might change strategy, but
the same number said they would not.
The survey noted: "Global supply chains and shipping as we
know them will be different. Sharing information and understanding
best practices will enable the industry to come together and combat
this as a whole. If there was ever a time for collective efforts, it
The survey was answered by more than 300 shipping and freight
professionals across the world, 96% of which were from carriers,
logistics providers, freight forwarders/NVOs, consultants and
- Via Raffaele Paolucci 17r/19r - 16129 Genoa - ITALY
phone: +39.010.2462122, fax: +39.010.2516768, e-mail
VAT number: 03532950106
Press Reg.: nr 33/96 Genoa Court
Editor in chief: Bruno Bellio No part may be reproduced without the express permission of the publisher


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Delving into wireless deal
Merger may boost US broadband role, limit choice
While AT&T Inc. yesterday said its proposed acquisition of cellular carrier T-Mobile USA is vital to America’s leadership in wireless broadband services, consumer advocates worried that the deal could be bad news for the average cellphone user.
“It’s most likely going to mean higher prices and less competition,’’ said Edgar Dworsky, a former Massachusetts assistant attorney general who now runs consumerworld.org, a consumer education website. “I would rather see T-Mobile remain independent.’’
On Sunday, AT&T said it had struck a deal to purchase T-Mobile USA from its German parent, Deutsche Telekom, for $39 billion in cash and AT&T stock. The transaction would make AT&T by far the biggest US wireless carrier, with 130 million customers, or 40 percent of the total market. The number two carrier, Verizon Wireless, has about 94 million customers, or 31 percent of the US market.
In Boston, Verizon Wireless dominates the market, and would retain its lead even if AT&T and T-Mobile come together. Between 2009 and 2010, Verizon served 48 percent of wireless customers, according to data from Scarborough Research, a New York market-tracking firm. AT&T was in second place with 22 percent, while T-Mobile had 11 percent of the market; combined, they’d still serve just 33 percent of Boston’s wireless users.
Verizon Wireless declined to comment yesterday on the proposed acquisition. But the nation’s number three wireless carrier, Sprint Nextel Corp., issued a statement yesterday urging the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission to cast a skeptical eye on the deal.
“The DOJ and the FCC must decide if this transaction is in the best interest of consumers and the US economy overall, and determine if innovation and robust competition would be impacted adversely by this dramatic change in the structure of the industry,’’ Sprint’s statement said.
During a teleconference yesterday morning, AT&T chief executive Randall Stephenson depicted the T-Mobile acquisition as a benefit to his company’s shareholders but also as vital to the future well-being of the United States.
“Above all else this transaction represents a major investment and a major commitment by a US company to advance America’s leadership in global broadband,’’ Stephenson said, adding that the United States is number one worldwide in wireless broadband subscribers, smartphone sales, and downloads of software apps for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
AT&T’s merger with T-Mobile would extend this dominance by allowing AT&T to more efficiently deploy LTE, or Long-Term Evolution, an advanced broadband service that delivers much higher speeds than standard wireless data networks. AT&T had already committed to deploying LTE technology in its network beginning this year.
But Stephenson said that gaining control of T-Mobile’s wireless network will allow his company to offer LTE service to 95 percent of the US population, more than AT&T could reach on its own. Verizon Wireless and a much smaller carrier, MetroPCS Communications Inc., have already deployed LTE services in a number of cities, including Boston. He said that AT&T has already invested $75 billion in cellular network upgrades over the past four years.
Still, the company can’t shake a longstanding reputation for poor service quality: A survey of cellphone users published in December by the magazine Consumer Reports ranked AT&T last among major US carriers.
“It’s the least satisfying major cellphone company in America,’’ said the magazine’s electronics editor, Paul Reynolds.
But AT&T said the T-Mobile acquisition could change all that, by giving the company thousands of additional cell sites. John Stankey, president of AT&T Business Solutions, said this would result in better coverage, especially in densely populated urban areas.
“Customers will see a difference,’’ said Stankey. “Their experience will improve.’’
Reynolds of Consumer Reports is skeptical about the merger. He noted that T-Mobile has targeted lower-income customers with a variety of inexpensive plans. “T-Mobile has been a price leader,’’ Reynolds said. “We may lose that role for them in the marketplace.’’
In addition, the end of T-Mobile would leave the number three carrier, Sprint Nextel Corp., a distant runner-up. Sprint serves 50 million people nationwide; second-place Verizon Wireless has nearly twice as many customers. And Sprint is remarkably weak in the Boston market. According to the Scarborough Research survey, Sprint served just 7 percent of the market as of last year. By contrast, the low-cost cell company Tracfone, which sells prepaid phones in convenience stores, did almost as well in Boston, at 6 percent.
Reynolds worries that Sprint may not be able to survive as an independent company, and may be forced to seek a merger partner. This could further reduce competition in the wireless industry. But Mark Beccue, senior analyst at ABI Research Inc. in Oyster Bay, N.Y., said that if AT&T abandons T-Mobile’s low-price strategy, Sprint is well-positioned to benefit.
Sprint is a major provider of prepaid cellular services, which let users buy a cheap phone and a package of calling minutes, instead of signing a two-year contract at a fixed monthly price. The company already owns Boost Mobile, a major seller of low-cost prepaid phone services, and it provides the wireless network used by another popular prepaid brand, Virgin Mobile.
Beccue said that the AT&T deal could cause many of today’s T-Mobile customers to embrace prepaid services. “They’re going to look for a cheaper price,’’ said Beccue. “I believe it’s going to be Sprint.’’
Some customers who remain with T-Mobile will have to obtain new phones as part of the deal. The radio frequencies that T-Mobile now uses to deliver its 4G wireless data services will be taken over for use by AT&T’s new LTE data network, which is incompatible with T-Mobile’s current 4G phones. AT&T said it will gradually migrate T-Mobile customers to the new network, but didn’t provide details on how the transition will be handled.
Hiawatha Bray can be reached at email@example.com.

domain: news


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U.S. sports company Vans has eliminated “a small number” of submissions in a sneaker design competition. It is comprising one shout out to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests.
The incident was after companies weigh the threats of irritating China.
Global companies are in a difficult situation. Their marketing campaigns are fearing criticism from Chinese customers if it is considered to be expressing solidarity with the anti-government protests.
These protests have declined Hong Kong into its worst crisis in decades.
Meanwhile, the U.S. luxury jewelry retailer Tiffany & Co deleted a twitter advertisement posted on Monday.
The tweet was showing a female model with her hand covering her right eye. Some people understood it as a support with the protesters.
Last week, Vans invited the public to vote for their preferred sneaker design.
They will be choosing from more than 100,000 submissions around the world in a Vans Global Custom Culture competition.
In a news report, the media indicated that design from a Canada-based participant named Naomiso won the online vote. This incident happened before it was taken down on Saturday.
Winning Design of the Sneaker Competition
The design highlighted a red bauhinia. It is one kind of flower that symbolizes Hong Kong.
Moreover, on its flag, a yellow umbrella and a nod to 2014 protests refer it to as the umbrella revolution.
People wearing helmets, masks, and goggles are also on the side of the sneaker design.
In a Facebook statement, Vans, a unit of VF Corp, said, “based on the global competition’s guideline, Vans can confirm that a small number of artistic submissions have been removed. This decision was taken to uphold the purpose of Custom Culture.”
Vans did not immediately answer a news report request for comment on Tuesday.
On the same day, a quest of the username Naomiso on the Custom Culture’s website did not yield any outcome.
Meanwhile, some people in Hong Kong have called for a boycott with the sneaker brand on Facebook.
On the flip side, some retailers have postponed sales of Vans products.
Get the latest economy news, trading news, and Forex news on Finance Brokerage. Check out our comprehensive trading education and list of best Forex brokers list here. If you are interested in following the latest news on the topic, please follow Finance Brokerage on Google News.


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Non-Automotive Orders for Robots Rise in 2006, But Overall Sales Fall 30% in North America
Ann Arbor, MI – North American robotics companies experienced a record year for orders from non-automotive users in 2006, but it wasn’t enough to offset the steep decline in robot sales to automotive companies. As a result, new orders to North American companies fell 30% for the year, according to new statistics from Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the industry’s trade group headquartered here.
A total of 12,765 robots valued at $904.2 million were sold to North American companies in 2006, a decline of 30% in units and 22% in revenue from 2005. When sales to companies outside North America are added in, North American robotics companies' total sales were 13,791 robots valued at $958.4 million, down 29% in units and 22% in revenue.
‘‘As expected, the automotive companies and their suppliers slowed their robotics purchases in 2006, following upon their major purchases in 2005,’‘ said Donald A. Vincent, Executive Vice President of RIA.
‘‘However, the most interesting result from 2006 is that non-automotive orders reached the highest mark since we’ve been tracking the data this way. We saw very strong growth in industries such as beverages and tobacco, apparel, wood products, paper manufacturing, printing, machinery manufacturing, and furniture. We also saw growth in food and consumer goods, life sciences/pharmaceuticals/biomedical, and plastics and rubber,’‘ Vincent explained.
Non-automotive orders accounted for 44% of total orders in 2006, compared with just 30% in 2005. Vincent believes this is a very healthy trend for the robotics industry.
‘‘Our members understand that while the automotive industry has traditionally been and remains the largest customer for robotics, changes are occurring in the auto industry that may negatively impact future robot sales to automotive OEMs and their suppliers,’‘ said Vincent. ‘‘Therefore, it becomes more important than ever to find new markets, which is what we’re seeing happen.’‘
New market development is at the core of RIA’s efforts, according to Vincent. ‘‘Our trade group is focusing more resources than ever on reaching new potential customers for robotics. In addition to the continued expansion of our industry website, Robotics Online that recorded more than two million visits last year, we’re also expanding our educational offerings to help users better understand the benefits of robotics and assess if they are right for their company.’‘
Vincent pointed to the upcoming International Robots & Vision Show and Conference in Rosemont, Illinois, June 12-14, as an example of RIA’s expanding efforts to reach new markets. ‘‘One of the major points of emphasis at this show will be that robot technology is easier to use than many companies think, especially some small and medium size companies who may think robots are only for big companies. To help demonstrate the ease of use of the technology, we’re creating a ‘‘Hands-on Highway’‘ that will allow show attendees to take four minute, self- directed demos at various booths on the show floor. With more than 150 companies exhibiting at the show, and over 100 international experts speaking at the conference, this will be an outstanding training opportunity for anyone interested in finding out how robotics and machine vision can help their companies achieve improved manufacturing results.’‘
RIA estimates that some 166,000 robots are now at use in U.S. factories, placing the United States second to Japan in overall robot use.
Founded in 1974, RIA represents more than 260 North American companies including leading robot manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end users, research groups, and consulting firms. RIA’s quarterly statistics are based on information supplied by member companies and represent an estimated 90% of the North American robotics market.
For more information about RIA and the robotics industry, contact RIA Headquarters at 734/994-6088.


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AUCKLAND, New Zealand, September 4, 2012: BayWa Aktiengesellschaft, the German company that now controls Turners & Growers has expressed an interest in selling the Floramax flower auction side of the business, a decision which could have significant ramifications for the New Zealand flower growers nationwide.
New Zealand Flower Growers’ Association President, Daniel Schuurman, says the NZFGA have been consulting with members to find out what growers would like to see happen with Floramax.
“From our consultation with members, it seems they believe the ideal scenario is for the United Flower Auction, a co-operative of growers, to buy Floramax with the intention of combining the two.”
Mr Schuurman says the majority of flower growers are in favour of the reduced overheads and single point of market that would come with the possibility of a UFA buyout of Floramax. “Growers are realising if there is one flower auction company owned by growers, the industry will no longer have to bear the overheads and infrastructure costs of both auctions,” he says. He added, “The overheads essentially come out of growers’ commission, so there are certainly savings to be made. Growers also seem in favour of the single point of marketing, where all buyers come to the same place, instead of being split between two auctions, especially in Auckland and Wellington. In an auction, the more buyers there are, the more competitive the auction becomes.”
Mr Schuurman says there are concerns from the industry if Floramax is purchased by a privately owned company again. “Private equity firms are purely profit driven. They are not interested in how their decisions affect the industry as a whole, which is a concern for growers.”
Mr Schuurman says he is continuing to consult with members, and hopes he will obtain further feedback in the coming weeks. “The NZFGA is interested in hearing all its members’ views about the Floramax issue. “Members should feel more than welcome to approach myself, or other members of the NZFGA Executive Committee, to make their opinions known.”
Floral wholesale at UFA.


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LONDON — Belstaff is carrying on with its global expansion plans and will launch its first store in Canada as well as an additional store in Japan, WWD has learned."We have targeted Canada, as this is a very strong outerwear market," said Gavin Haig, chief executive officer of Belstaff. "We know we can’t conquer all of the Americas at once so we continue to build in locations where we have a very strong business in the East, West and Canada."We have seen exponential growth in Canada over the last three seasons," Haig added. "The time was right to expand on this. The newly renovated Yorkville Village is the ideal location to showcase our great outerwear and we want to be able to compete with the other best outerwear brands in the world. We plan to start in Toronto and review additional expansion post this opening."Haig said the brand will continue to expand in the U.K., parts of the Americas and Northern Europe, along with Germany and Japan. "These key pillar markets are where we already have strong brand awareness, or in the case of Japan, where we know we would have a good response due to our strong brand heritage and dedication to craftsmanship," said Haig. "Belstaff will continue to make further negotiations for 2018 for additional retail and see Japan as the platform to continue within Asia. We are looking at South Korea, Hong Kong and mainland China and are in early discussions for these markets too."The Hankyu Men's Tokyo store will launch today. This is the fifth store in Japan, following the brand's launch in the Ginza Six complex earlier this year. Situated in the International Designers Resort and Casual Style room, the 215-square-foot store was designed by an in-house team. The store will feature a bike table display, black steel rails and bright lighting fixtures and will carry the men's fall collection.Meanwhile, Canada will see Belstaff's first stand-alone retail space in the country, in Toronto's Yorkville Village. The 861-square-foot store will launch on Sept. 1 and will stock the brand's full men's range including denim, outerwear, footwear and accessories. The Canadian outpost will be designed with modular fixtures and will include a motorcycle in a glass facade.Belstaff is part of the fashion subsidiaries of the Belgian company JAB Holdings, which put the outerwear brand as well as Bally and Jimmy Choo on the selling block this past spring. Choo was acquired by Michael Kors Holdings earlier this month for $1.2 billion and JAB continues to seek buyers for Bally and Belstaff.
“I was touched by the fact that she lost her father, really before his time, and it was a real shock. She had two young children, she was married and she was expecting that she would have her own life for a good 25 years,” said Claire Foy about playing a young Queen Elizabeth in Netflix’s The Crown. Styled by @mayteallende 📸@jgreenery #emmys2017 #wwdeyeu
“Truth and lies have become a real interesting theme, more than ever, lately,” Emmy nominee Laura Dern told WWD. "It’s a very interesting time to use our voice." Styled by @cristinaehrlich, 📸 @shayanhathaway #wwdeye #emmys2017
“It transcends the genre that is you think of a sci-fi show — you don’t expect it to be so profound or emotionally riveting,” Evan Rachel Wood told WWD of her Emmy nominated role in Westworld. styled by @samanthamcmillen_stylist 📸 @emmanmontalvan #emmys2017 #wwdeye


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In what is being referred to as the biggest reform to tobacco and nicotine control in a decade, today the federal government announced that Australia will ban the importation of nonprescription vaping products.
That means that unless you have the sign-off from a doctor to say that you need a vape for the purpose of quitting smoking, you won't be puffing on a legally imported vape.
Vapes will see heavy regulation in Australia and the importation of all e-cigarettes will be tightly controlled under the new government crackdown.
Speaking about the decision at the National Press Club on Tuesday, the health minister, Mark Butler, said that the fact vapes are still widely available is "the biggest loophole, I think, in Australian healthcare history."
"Vaping was sold to governments and communities around the world as a therapeutic product to help long-term smokers quit," he said. "It was not sold as a recreational product and, in particular, not one for our kids."
Vaping is wildly popular among young Australians. A recent study published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health found that, of over a thousand respondents aged 15 to 24 years old, nearly half had vaped – 33 per cent said they'd used a vape in the past year and 14 per cent said they were current users.
Here's why that's a problem.
For a start, vaping in itself presents a public health concern. Adjunct Professor Terry Slevin, CEO of the Public Health Association of Australia, told Mamamia that it's not known what impacts the chemicals used in vaping have on our health and that "the long-term effects remain a mystery".


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Ubisoft CEO Told Staff It’s On Them To Turn Things Around
As CEO of a company, one of the responsibilities is to lead by example and help motivate the organization to do the best work possible. For Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, that apparently involves telling employees that it’s up to them to turn things around financially for the company.
In an email acquired by Kotaku, Guillemot told staff that he wanted their “full commitment” to the company’s efforts moving forward.
“Today more than ever, I need your full energy and commitment to ensure we get back on the path to success,” the email says. “I am also asking that each of you be especially careful and strategic with your spending and initiatives, to ensure we’re being as efficient and lean as possible.”
Later in the same email, he continued by putting even more pressure on his staff.
“The ball is in your court to deliver this line-up on time and at the expected level of quality, and show everyone what we are capable of achieving,” Guillemot said.
The email to Ubisoft staff comes on the heels of the company reporting significant financial losses. In addition, Ubisoft delayed Skull & Bones for a sixth time while canceling three more unannounced games. The three canceled games bring the company’s total of canceled titles up to seven since July 2022 when it canceled four titles including Ghost Recon Frontline and its Splinter Cell VR title. With Skull & Bones now not shipping until — hopefully for them — spring 2023, it’ll be nearly 18 months since the last successful major release for the company: Far Cry 6.
To help recover from the losses, the Ubisoft CEO said the company plans to make about €200 million in cuts over the next couple of years by way of “targeted restructuring” as well as through “natural attrition” and “divesting some non-core assets”.


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The US Postal Service used to mail books internationally for $1 a pound, making it possible for small groups, such as a classroom of students, to donate and ship books around the world. Last spring rates rose to $43.45 for the first 11 pounds, and $3.95 for each additional pound. These new rates will make it hard to help projects such as small school libraries in places where books are inaccessible.
The postal service explains that the M-bags, as they were known, had to be stopped because they simply weren’t paying for themselves. They explain that while people wishing to ship abroad were paying these lower prices, often routing schedules would push these packeges on to airplanes, instead of boats, where the prices would have been higher. Sadly, lots of small initiatives to send books and other educational material abroad have been shut down entierly, or are being drastically reduced.
Domestic rates for mailing books have also gone up.


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Ford Ka+ sedan US car major Ford has commenced production of its new global compact car KA, which will be the next generation Figo in India.... ...http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/ford-ka-brazil-production/1/379370.html
Ford India, the fully owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company confirms that this upcoming plant in Sanand, Gujarat will be one of the most automated... ...http://www.rushlane.com/ford-sanand-production-images-12128569.html
Mumbai : This has been a quiet week for the auto industry, especially after witnessing four launches in less than 10 days. It seems that the... ...http://www.cardekho.com/india-car-news/weeklywrapup-we-spot-the-celerio-diesel-get-our-hands-on-the-new-elite-i20-13829.htm
BANGALORE: An Ola taxi ride will now be cheaper than one in an autorickshaw. Olacabs has slashed fares for point-to-point travel in Bangalore by a... ...http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/At-Rs-10/km-Ola-costs-less-than-an-auto/articleshow/40710024.cms
Jaipur : Its quite often we have seen that automakers in order to boost the sales, offer lucrative schemes such as Exchange Bonanza, Scratch and... ...http://www.cardekho.com/india-car-news/tempting-weekend-offers-from-maruti-ford-toyota-13828.htm
The countdown has begun! Ford India...
Ford has added some similar features...
Malayalam Ford, an authorized dealer...


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new technology called assf (auditory spectrum-based speech feature) that could lead to speech recognition in mobile phones and pdas has been shown off at a gaming conference in hong kong. the new technology is capable of using more sophisticated decision rules and running those rules in memory, instead of requiring a heavy duty processor to crunch them. read more about it in today's news item. every day i read about how speech recognition is coming to a pda or mobile phone. this new technology could definitely make it run on just about any device imaginable, since all it really needs is a lot of ram. unfortunately, as with most cool announcements these days, it's still a few years off. all of the pda manufacturers keep promising their own brand of speech recognition, but what i'm really hoping for is a mainstream solution that works the same on all devices.
user comments comment(s)


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EMIRATE RECEIVED MORE THAN 167,000 RUSSIAN TOURISTS IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2014, UP 29 PERCENT
SHARJAH — Following the success of its European road show last week, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority is on its travels again, from June 2 to 6, 2014 Working with Air Arabia Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority has some clearly identified targets in Russia to develop.
Speaking about the latest roadshow, HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Director General, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority emphasised the importance of the Russian market, which has shown year on year consistent growth this year peaking at 29% growth in the first quarter.
Al Midfa said that the Authority is looking forward to organising even more high profile oversea roadshows in key tourism generating regions specifically targeting tourists with families and investors. Sharjah has a very strong message platform, with its new developments, and recent accolades alongside the number of world class events and activities hosted by Sharjah during the second half of the year, particularly during the long summer break such as Sharjah Summer Promotions, which includes shopping and entertainment events in shopping malls, will be highlighted besides the popular tourist destinations around the emirate.
The SCTDA Director General said he is pleased with Sharjah’s leading position as a tourist destination in the Russian market. The Emirate remains a favorite international destination for Russian tourists because of its beautiful safe beaches along the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, as well as the year round sunshine.
Sharjah also benefits from a world-class tourism infrastructure, luxury resort hotels and tourist attractions, alongside this there are endless leisure, shopping and entertainment options he added.
The Sharjah delegation to Russia includes representatives from Air Arabia, Coral Beach Resort Sharjah, Centro Hotel and Rotana Hotel. The tour includes workshops and meetings with representatives of major travel and tourism companies and government agencies and private sector players in the tourism sector in the Russian capital, Moscow, and cities of Kazan, Yekaterinburg and Rostov.
The Russian roadshow will be the last overseas roadshow for the team before Ramadan, but the ambitious programme of roadshows will continue after Ramadan including India, and Kazakhstan among other locations.


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Posted by ESC on February 10, 2004
This isn't new (see the Urban Dictionary) but it's funny.
POP TART -- "LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- In the aftermath of Janet Jackson's controversial Super Bowl breast exposure, MTV has decided that pop tart Britney Spears may be a bit too "Toxic" for daytime tastes..."
A Pop-Tart is a "toastable" breakfast pastry produced by Kellogg's.
I also think it's funny that someone has produced "The history of Pop-Tarts." http://www.geocities.com/conspiracyprime/e2_poptarts.htm


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“Google Says It Won’t Kill Ad Blockers. Ad Blockers Disagree” – Wired
Upcoming changes to Chrome has left ad blockers up in arms. But Google insists it won’t stifle the extensions.
|Sentiment Score||Sentiment Magnitude|
- The pending transition has set up a showdown between Google, ad blocker makers, and even other browsers.
- The crux of the debate is a new application programing interface, known as the Declarative Net Request API, that Google will offer in place of an existing mechanism called the Web Request API.
- Ad blockers use the latter to comb your browsing data and look for ads.
- Ad blocker developers argue that the new arrangement will hinder their ability to quickly and correctly identify ads, without necessarily providing the benefits in practice that Google claims.
- Ad blockers use the APIs Google offers to set up rules about what types of content gets blocked, and how and when it does.
- Ad blocker developers say that while they are frustrated by the extra money costs accommodating the API change will impose, their real concern is that the changes may not serve users in the way Google says.
- Google has long maintained that the API changes have nothing to do with hindering ad blockers specifically, and that in fact the company wants to work with these services to ensure a smooth transition to the new approach.
- Elsewhere, the Opera, Brave, and Vivaldi browsers upped the drama this week even more by saying that they would continue supporting the old Web Request API for ad blockers and other extensions regardless of what Google has in the official Chromium code base.
Reduced by 69%
Author: Lily Hay Newman


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FORTUNE – Bitcoin has reached a rite of passage. The four-year-old virtual currency was once dismissed as something of a fad that only gangsters and drug dealers used, but in recent weeks, it has found new sources of credibility. Increasingly, investors from the U.S. to China are betting that the alternative currency could some day benefit regular consumers.
On Monday, bitcoin soared to a new high of $700 (it rose to $900 overnight), after senior law enforcement and regulatory officials highlighted the benefits of virtual currencies at the first ever congressional hearing on such monetary instruments. Mythili Raman, acting assistant attorney general, said virtual currencies are legit and "have the potential to promote more efficient global commerce." And even though they aren't backed by a central bank, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke echoed similar sentiments, writing in a letter to senators that virtual currencies "may hold long-term promise, particularly if the innovations promote a faster, more secure and more efficient payment system."
The same day, news broke that BTC China, the world's largest bitcoin exchange by trading volume, secured $5 million in investments from institutional investors Lightspeed China Partners and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
The developments signal a shift. Just last month, federal authorities busted an online drug ring called Silk Road, which used bitcoin for all transactions. The bust prompted a major sell off; bitcoin declined by 20% after the website was taken down. It might have been hard to believe then, but the crackdown was probably the best thing that happened for the currency. It helped clean up bitcoin's shady side, bringing it closer to the mainstream financial system.
Since the Silk Road crackdown, bitcoin has made huge gains, and whether it flourishes in the U.S. isn't really the issue. In recent weeks, China has overwhelmingly driven up the price of bitcoin. About a third of the currency's transactions now flow through the BTC China exchange, which is open only to Chinese users, according to Bitcoin Charts, which provides bitcoin data. BTC recently unseated Tokyo-based Mt. Gox as the world's largest exchange by trading volume, and executives say it plans to use its latest round of funding to "aggressively grow and expand the business."
Why the bitcoin love in China? It's surprising Beijing hasn't intervened, as the Chinese government generally keeps a heavy hand over its economy. Bitcoin is volatile, but its price has gone up more than 30-fold this year.
At a bticoin conference in Singapore last Friday, BTC China's vice president Linke Yang told Agence France-Presse that the currency has become big in China because its citizens are big savers and see bitcoin as a vehicle to park and invest their money. His remarks come a few weeks after Baidu (BIDU), often referred to as the Google of China, began accepting bitcoin for some services offered by its subsidiary, Jiasule.
But before anyone gets too excited, it's worth saying that any bet on bitcoin is still more of a wager on its potential and the growing sophistication of its trading technologies than its practical use. Bitcoin will have to overcome big hurdles, experts say, before it goes mainstream with average consumers. Websites like WordPress and Reddit have accepted bitcoin as payment, but it is largely one big monetary experiment being tested across the world, says David Rogers, a Columbia University Business School professor who specializes in digital marketing.
A few risks and logistical challenges to consider: Because the supply of bitcoin is mostly fixed, it has a massive deflationary bias that encourages hoarding. In other words, as the amount of things that bitcoin can buy increases, the value of each coin increases as well. So since each coin should be able to buy more goods in the future than it can today, it's hard to see why consumers would spend bitcoin now when they can use it to buy much more at a later date. That's a kink the bitcoin industry will need to work out.
And for bitcoin to take off, it needs to assure average consumers that their money is safe. Customers' biction wallets are typically stored in their phones or computers, which can be hacked. Proponents often claim that it costs less to process a bitcoin payment than a typical credit card payment, but it remains to be seen if average consumers are willing to give up the security of their money to save on transaction costs.
Federal regulators are developing rules for the virtual currency, however. How bitcoin will exist in the future, if at all, and what it will be used for years from now is unclear. But the currency's fortunes are looking brighter than ever.
The nominee to be the next Fed chief breezed through her Senate confirmation hearing.
FORTUNE -- As in most job interviews, Janet Yellen on Thursday didn't say anything all that controversial in her appearance before the Senate Banking Committee. Her confirmation hearings to be the next Fed chair were by-the-book and informative, but ultimately unsurprising.
Senators got a better sense of what kind of monetary leader she will be -- specifically, her MORENin-Hai Tseng, Writer - Nov 14, 2013 2:24 PM ET
The market isn't reacting to certain economic news as we might expect, but that doesn't mean it isn't rational.
By Mohamed A. El-Erian
FORTUNE -- So, good news was interpreted as bad news by the markets on Thursday while, on the very next day, good news was indeed good news? Are markets really that fickle? Are convictions really that shallow?
It is tempting to respond yes based on the view that, over MORENov 11, 2013 9:02 AM ET
The Fed seems most concerned with inflation, but some economists see a bigger risk in prices declining.
FORTUNE -- As Federal Reserve policymakers wrap up their two-day meeting Wednesday, some have called on the central bank to do more to avoid threats of deflation.
Most don't like having to paying higher prices, and the Fed has long tried to stabilize the U.S. economy by keeping the general costs of everything from shelter MORENin-Hai Tseng, Writer - Oct 30, 2013 5:00 AM ET
Even in a default, many investors would see Treasuries as safer than stocks.
FORTUNE -- As Congress seems nowhere closer to resolving the nation's budget problems on day four of the government shutdown, federal officials have raised fresh warnings the U.S. could default on its debt.
Credit markets could freeze, the dollar's value could spiral, and U.S. interest rates could skyrocket, the U.S. Treasury Department warned Thursday. If Congress fails to lift MORENin-Hai Tseng, Writer - Oct 4, 2013 5:00 AM ET
Why have a debt ceiling? Politicians and policymakers have been asking the same question lately. Here are a few ways we can escape this mess.Nin-Hai Tseng, Writer - Sep 30, 2013 5:00 AM ET
To get out of quantitive easing, the Fed is considering Wall Street engineering that may wind up boosting the shadow banking system.
FORTUNE -- Ben Bernanke may have to pump up the shadow banking system in order to stop manipulating the bond market. At least that's how some see it.
For months, there has been talk inside and outside the Federal Reserve that the U.S. central bank might have to use an MOREStephen Gandel, senior editor - Sep 25, 2013 10:46 AM ET
Yellen's record suggests that she is not an ideologue.
By Sheila Bair
FORTUNE -- Rumors run rampant that President Obama will soon announce his intention to nominate Janet Yellen to be the next chair of the powerful Federal Reserve Board. Yet, the question remains whether enough Republicans will support her nomination to secure Senate confirmation, given their concerns over her support for the Fed's aggressive monetary interventions commonly known as quantitative MORESep 24, 2013 5:00 AM ET
By not tapering its bond purchases, the Fed risks exposing the U.S. economy to a number of ailments, which could ultimately lead to years of financial misery.Sep 19, 2013 12:11 PM ET
Ben Bernanke just pulled the biggest fake out in the history of the market. Now he and the Fed will have to pay for it.
FORTUNE -- The Federal Reserve's exit from its bond-buying experiment in monetary policy was never going to be pretty. It just got a lot messier.
If you were watching the market on Wednesday afternoon, you might have gotten the impression that the Fed made another great move. MOREStephen Gandel, senior editor - Sep 18, 2013 5:31 PM ET
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FREE PARKING AT WHITE SHOPS TO BE EXTENDED
- Published: Wednesday, 11 October 2017 14:25
Richmondshire District Council is extending free parking at its Hildyard Row car park at White Shops, Catterick Garrison, until March next year (2018).
Members of Corporate Board were told last night that the concession will continue throughout the roadworks.
Councillor Yvonne Peacock Leader of the Council said: “We introduced free parking at our Hildyard Row car park in response to concerns from the local community. We will be leaving that in place until next March to help businesses over the busy Christmas period – and give them and shoppers certainty during this time.”


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The two new lines -- the Mail Security 8100 and the 8200 series -- will be available at the end of February, said Symantec, and aren't meant to compete with long-time partners such as IronPort, which sells its own appliances based on Symantec's software technologies.
The 8160, the only model in the 8100 line, will cut unwanted e-mail heading to corporate networks and Internet service provider in half, said Daniel Freeman, the product manager for the two new appliance lines.
"It will eliminate 50 percent of all [unwanted] incoming mail before it hits the gateway," said Freeman. The 8160, which is positioned at the network edge, is designed to reduce e-mail infrastructure and storage costs and trim administrative labor now devoted to managing the huge volumes of mail, most of which is spam.
"The 8160 filters at the TCP/IP level, not the SMTP level," said Freeman in explaining how the appliance shapes traffic flow by stopping spam on the spammer's servers.


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Acer executives on Tuesday previewed tablet computers planned for release next year, including three Android-based devices and one that runs Windows. They also detailed plans to introduce a portable computer that has the form factor of a laptop but r...
Not content to gobble up smartphone market share, the Android operating system is poised to capture 15 per cent of the tablet market in 2011, according to IMS Research.
Fans of Android and Windows 7 have a reason to smile with the release of the Acer Aspire One Happy netbook that runs the two operating systems side-by-side without the need to reboot.
Google says it will release a Google-branded Chrome OS smartbook in November to be followed a month later by Chrome OS netbooks from Hewlett-Packard and Acer.
A flood of computer tablets is scheduled to hit the market in the next few months, but can any of them cut into iPad's market share?
Microsoft may be looking to add to its existing patent infringement case related to the use of Google's Android mobile phone software by targeting phone makers in Taiwan, according to a Chinese-language news report.
Apple jumped into the third spot in U.S. sales for the third quarter, in part because of the "halo" effect from its iPad tablet, industry research firm IDC said today.
Hard on the heels of the news last week of Acer's dual-booting netbooks, Augen has announced that one of its six forthcoming tablets will run both Android and Ubuntu.
In what will surely provide a boost to Google's Android platform outside the smartphone arena, computer maker Acer reportedly announced on Wednesday that all of its upcoming dual-core netbooks will run both Android and Windows 7.
Acer and ASUS DVRs powered by the Intel Atom C4100 processor have been shown at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco.
Acer is working on a dual-touchscreen multitouch laptop with no physical keyboard or mouse that would be available by fall 2011, according to several reports. Instead of using physical inputs, one touchscreen would function as the display and one wou...
Acer today unveiled its range of Google Android-powered smartphones in the Australian market, but has not partnered with any carriers for the local launch.
Online retailers have started selling netbooks with Intel's new dual-core Atom processor, ahead of official product announcements from PC makers.
PC shipments increased in Western Europe by 19.6 percent in the second quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2009, quickly recovering from the economic slowdown, according to analyst Gartner.
A shortage of the main memory chips used in personal computers could send prices of the chips higher in the second half of this year, market researcher iSuppli warned on Monday
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It’s better late than never in the world of Android updates. The Verizon and Pure Edition of the latest Moto X have already had their turn at Lollipop, but now it’s finally here for AT&T devices.
It’s one of several updates to catch our eye in this week's roundup of major software updates for the biggest devices, including phones and tablets on U.S. carriers, as well as unlocked phones and even wearables. Making sure your device installs the latest software is a good housekeeping practice, ensuring you have the latest features, close security holes, and squash those pesky bugs.
Moto X (2nd generation): While other models have already scored Lollipop, Motorola says Android 5.0.2 is here now, with all the details in the latest changelog. Motorola sticks pretty close to stock Android, so you’ll be sure to get all that Material Design goodness.
Shield Tablet: Our favorite gaming tablet is getting a minor tweak to fix some color reproduction issues. They popped up after the recent 2.2 update a couple of weeks ago, so kudos to Nvidia for cranking out such a quick fix. The update also brings “improvements to [the] Netflix experience,” so feel free to stream away.
Android One: Google’s Android One effort in India isn’t slowing down, as Google announced Android Lollipop is on its way. Unlike the U.S. Google has tighter control over Android updates, so anyone with one of these budget-minded phones for the masses may start seeing Material Design before you do.
HTC One M7: Europe’s version of the first HTC One is getting Lollipop 5.0.2. It’s still running Sense 6.0, but it’s good to see HTC still churning out updates for its older devices.
This story, "AT&T Moto X scores the latest build of Lollipop to lead our Android device update roundup" was originally published by Greenbot.


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Sony revealed important details about new games in a video at CES, but the PS5 manufacturer is now backing down. Was it a mistake? The spontaneous change leaves players confused.
Update from January 20th 2021: During CES, Sony unveiled a new video that made gamers look wide. Shortly before the end, Sony announced the release dates of some highly anticipated games in a footnote. Now, however, the PS5 manufacturer rowed back. A slightly revised version of the clip was uploaded to the official YouTube channel, in which almost all information about the upcoming game releases has disappeared. Only the dates for Ratchet & Clank, Horizon: Forbidden West and Returnal can still be seen, all other information has been completely removed.
The change causes confusion for the players. Does that mean the games that have disappeared from the footnote will be delayed even further? Sony has not yet officially announced a reason for the change. It is also possible that the publication of this information was not planned at this point in time and that the data was therefore deleted from the new version.
Release dates for new PS5 games revealed: Sony announces launch dates
Although the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) focuses primarily on new technology and gadgets, Sony also brought some explosive information for all PS5 players during its presentation. Shortly before the end of the recorded video, attentive viewers were able to discover an interesting footnote in the Sony without further ado named the release dates of some highly anticipated games for the PS5:
Many games on the list already had release windows that were communicated in advance. Some of these seem to have shifted. Here is the full list of all games mentioned and their planned release dates:
- Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart – 2021
- Horizon Forbidden West – 2021
- Returnal – March 19, 2021
- Pragmata – 2023
- Solar Ash – June 2021
- Kena: Bridge of Spirits – March 2021
- Stray – October 2021
- Ghostwire Tokyo – October 2021
- Little Devil Inside – July 2021
- Project Athia – January 2022
The most promising games for the new PlayStation 5 – we summarize them for you in the video:
Shifts & vague statements: Sony changes release dates of PS5 games
Especially the information about the new Ratchet & Clank and Horizon Forbidden West should raise eyebrows for some players. Previously, Sony announced more specifically that Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart will be released in the first half of 2021, while Horizon will only be launched in the second half of the year. Maybe the dates will be postponed a bit.
And what will be coming this year for the PlayStation 5? Here is the overview:
The targeted starting shot for pragmata has also been postponed. Capcom's game was originally due to be released in 2022, but the development team seems to need a little more time. The release is now planned for 2023. Square Enix ‘Project Athia, on the other hand, had no official release window before, the footnote of the presentation now mentions January 2022.
You can tell that Sony has some high-profile PS5 up its sleeve, but the fans will still have to be patient.


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Tempting as it may seem, cheese thievery is neither aspirational nor recommended, outside of making the most of the free samples at Costco, and here's why: WCRB TV reports that a couple was arrested for shoplifting 57 blocks of cheese from a Walmart in Fort Oglethorpe, Tennessee, earlier this week. It's a slippery slope from sneaking back for a second slice of Brie on the new black pepper crackerbread, I am telling you.
Joshua and Erika Caldwell, both 21, were arrested outside the store, with a local police chief reporting security approached Joshua Caldwell, "asked him what was going on, and he said, 'Well, I got caught shoplifting.'" Which, well, points for honesty but they're mostly moot in this scenario given the bad behavior that led to it. In addition to the cart he was caught with, police found cheese in the Caldwells' car. Lots of cheese — "stuffed in the floorboards, in bags and throughout the vehicle," and with a value of $300 total. And in addition to all that dairy goodness, police also found 10 bottles of laundry detergent, clothes, and a candle, which were all also reportedly shoplifted. (Police also found marijuana, meaning the couple were also booked on drugs charges — both have since made bail.)
Asked by WCRB for comment on the cheesy heist, "regular Walmart shopper" Crystal Bale offered up the best open question I have heard in a while. "What would be the purpose?" Bale mused. "I wonder what they were making with it." Probably something delicious, but it obviously wasn't meant to be.
Follow Alex on Twitter.


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My Two Daughters and I love to spend quality time playing Dressup Games on Fupa.com - Lars Mapstead President
Santa Cruz, CA (Vocus/PRWEB) April 14, 2011
Fupa today announced the addition of 100 new games on it’s free online gaming site including cheerleader themed Dressup Games Cheerleader Olivia, Cheerleader Hannah and Cheerleader Madison.
Online Dress-Up games are experiencing global success and it’s no wonder. According to recent statistics, 42% of all gamers are female, girls and women, finding entertainment through practicing fashion and style while mixing and matching outfits, colors and accessories. Fupa recognizes that girls and women are an important market and has found success with its Caribbean Fashion Swimsuit, Dress-Up the World and Glamour Dress-Up Supreme games.
With more than 48,000 free multi-player, classic arcade and board games, kids, sports, flash, action and puzzle games Fupa has one of the largest collections of games on the web with 100,000 daily users. The launch is part of Fupa’s on-going commitment to offer free gaming experiences to players of all ages and gender while enhancing each users overall experience. Fupa’s Cheerleader series allows players to dress up their cheerleader in school colors with different uniforms and a variety of shirts, skirts, shoes, hair styles, and skin tones for the best school spirit in town.
“My Two Daughters and I love to spend quality time playing dressup Games on Fupa.com”, Says Lars Mapstead President of Fupa Games Inc.
About Fupa Games Inc.
Fupa, headquartered in Santa Cruz, California is a casual social video game developer with more than Three million monthly active users playing their games. There are fifteen different categories of free online games! Each of the categories is loaded with hundreds and thousands of Girl Games, puzzle games, dressup games, strategy games, sports games, action games, adventure games, flash games and many more. Our over fifty thousand games makes Fupa Games one of the largest sources of free internet games! Fupa games are available on several platforms including the Web, Facebook and Android. For more information, visit Fupa Games


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Apple ‘more flexible’ under Tim Cook, says telecom chief
February 26, 2013
CEO of France Telecom-Orange tells reporters that Apple is “a little less arrogant than they used to be,” according to an All Things D report.
Apple has become easier to do business with under Tim Cook’s leadership, according to the chief at one major European wireless carrier. “Apple has [become] more flexible, paying more attention to everyone else, probably a little less arrogant than they used to be,” France Telecom-Orange CEO Stephane Richard told reporters today in Barcelona, Spain. According to All Things D, Richard Full article on cnet.com


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Hi, Welcome to FWQRC Regulatory Focus News letter……
Here we are going to discuss about the recent drug alert
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting consumers of a recall of 25 drug, dietary supplement and medical device product lines distributed by Basic Reset and Biogenyx of Hendersonville, Tennessee. In September, a federal court entered a consent decree of permanent injunction between the United States and the two companies and their owner, Fred R. Kaufman III. Under the consent decree, Basic Reset and Biogenyx must recall and stop distributing products until the companies comply with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other requirements listed in the consent decree.
Basic Reset and Biogenyx products that have been recalled include drugs such as Earth Wash and Ionyte, as well as dietary supplements Mello-Tonin and Body Mass Reset and device Energy FX among others. Basic Reset and Biogenyx issued recall notices by email to their customers on Sept. 23 and Oct.18, requesting disposal or return to the place of purchase for products sold, purchased or distributed after Nov. 7, 2017. Given these products do not comply with appropriate FDA standards, they have the potential to be unsafe or ineffective for their particular uses, and could lead to adverse health impacts. The FDA is reminding consumers who may still have these products not to use them and distributors not to sell any of the recalled products as they do not meet FDA regulations.
“The FDA’s laws are designed to protect the public health by ensuring, among other things, that drugs and medical devices are safe and effective for their intended uses and that dietary supplements are manufactured and distributed appropriately,” said Melinda K. Plaisier, FDA Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs. “All companies must follow the appropriate standards and are given the opportunity to ensure their actions are in accordance with these laws. We will continue to prevent the distribution of products that do not comply with applicable FDA requirements and ultimately place the public health at risk.”
Basic Reset and Biogenyx have not received the FDA’s approval for the sale of their drugs and one device, despite the companies’ claims that these products can be used to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat or prevent conditions such as inflammation, chronic diarrhea, bacterial infections, head lice, allergies and pain. Consumer use of an unapproved product that claims to treat diseases may cause them to delay seeking appropriate medical care. Additionally, unapproved products have not been reviewed by the FDA for quality, safety or effectiveness. Basic Reset and Biogenyx also unlawfully distributed dietary supplements that are adulterated and misbranded.
Thanks for visiting FWQRC blogs…..
Contact FWQRC™ for GMP Training, Auditing by QP, eCTD, GAP Analysis, Risk Assessment, CAPA, CSV, Method development/Validation, ADE/PDE Values, Facility & Product Registrations


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WASHINGTON—The Justice Department Monday endorsed legislation forbidding large digital platforms such as Amazon and Google from favoring their own products and services over competitors’, marking the Biden administration’s first full-throated support of the antitrust measure.
“The Department views the rise of dominant platforms as presenting a threat to open markets and competition, with risks for consumers, businesses, innovation, resiliency, global competitiveness, and our democracy,” says a letter to bipartisan leaders of the Senate Judiciary Committee, signed by Peter Hyun, the Justice Department’s acting assistant attorney general for legislative affairs.
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As per a recent report, Verizon is planning to launch their own internet delivered television service to keep up with their competitors like Dish Network and DirecTV. The report says that Verizon has been working to secure streaming rights for many networks and the service could launch this summer.
Verizon is one of the best internet providers in the country, but their television service has many competitors. This live online platform from Verizon will be different from both of their current distribution platforms like the Go90 streaming service and the Fios bundle. It is expected that this skinny bundle would offer them a fitting answer to the Sling TV streaming service from Dish Network and the DirecTV Now service from AT&T.
The internet-based streaming TV market is much crowded with PlayStation Vue from Sony and entries from Hulu and YouTube expected to the released this year. Television programming is offered to the viewers via apps made for devices like Roku or Apple TV and apps that are designed for tablets and smartphones.
Comcast is also planning an internet TV service on their current footprint and the service will start by the third quarter this year. Pricing for skinny bundles will vary much, but the principle of the operation is to offer users an alternative to the $100 plus traditional television packages, which are stuffed with programming and channels that the users may never watch. The streaming service from Comcast will start at fifteen dollars a month, when the basic tier of Sling TV starts at twenty dollars a month and that of DirecTV Now starts at thirty-five dollars for sixty channels.
As per the report, pricing of the streaming TV offering from Verizon will closely track that of DirecTV Now. Like the various triple play offerings from the best internet service providers, offering more value to users for TV, phone, and internet products, the skinny offerings from the telecom and satellite providers comes with many incentives. As of now, little is known about the plans of Verizon for their internet delivered television service.
The steady increase in the number of users cutting the cord has made Verizon to think about the streaming TV service. A recent report even said that two million US homes switched to broadband-only in 2016, making the total to 15.4 million. This number is expected to double by the end of 2021.


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January 28, 2020 10:18:37 am
Samsung will take the wraps off the Galaxy Z Flip on February 11, and according to a new leak today, the brand’s rumoured foldable smartphone will reportedly be made available on February 14. XDA Developers’ Max Weinbach claims that Samsung’s clamshell-style Galaxy Z Flip will go on sale on Valentine’s Day, which is celebrated every year on 14 February.
Even though Samsung hasn’t confirmed anything, rumours about a February release started to be heard for quite some time. And it shouldn’t come as a surprise to see Samsung launching the Galaxy Z Flip on Valentine’s Day. It’s being said that the Galaxy Z Flip will be heavily marketed at women. In fact, this flip-style foldable phone will be inspired by a woman’s makeup compact from the French luxury cosmetic brand, Lancôme.
Weinbach’s sources also speculate that the Galaxy Z Flip will cost $1400 (or approx Rs 99,942). If the news is true, Samsung’s second foldable phone will cost way less than the original Galaxy Fold. Just for your knowledge, the Galaxy Fold made its debut at $1980 (or approx Rs 141,301). Previous reports on the Galaxy Z Flip speculate that the folding phone might cost under $1000 (or approx Rs 71,364), making it the cheapest foldable phone every release. Looks like we’ve to wait a bit longer for an affordable foldable phone.
The Galaxy Z Flip will look a lot similar to Motorola’s foldable Razr, featuring a clamshell-style form factor. According to Weinbach, the Galaxy Flip might be exclusive to AT&T in the US, although we can expect an unlocked version as well.
Rumour has it that the Galaxy Z Flip may have a 6.7-inch ultra-thin glass display over a plastic screen. The phone will reportedly be powered by the Snapdragon 855+ processor.
Samsung is holding its Unpacked 2020 event in San Francisco on February 11. The event will make the global debut of the Galaxy Z Flip as well as the Galaxy S20 series and the Galaxy Buds+
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.


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Mugen has unveiled its tuner kit for the 2008 Honda Inspire, which is essentially the Japanese version of the U.S. spec Honda Accord.
Continue reading "Mugen Modifies the 2008 Honda Accord is it Inspiring?" »
After countless spy photos and videos (thanks to Sex and the City) of the Mercedes GLK SUV, Mercedes has officially unveiled the GLK in the form of the Vision GLK FREESIDE concept.
Continue reading "Detroit Auto Show Preview: Mercedes Vision GLK FREESIDE Unveiled" »
According to GM's Fastlane Blog, Bob Lutz has ordered that all pre-production Camaros have all of their camouflage removed.
Continue reading "From Now on all Pre-Production Chevy Camaros Will be Undisguised!" »
Diesels are quickly becoming one of the more popular news stories, with almost every automaker talking about their upcoming diesel powered vehicles. BMW has just released info about their upcoming diesel powered 3-series and X5 models for the U.S. market.
Continue reading "Detroit Auto Show Preview: US-Spec Diesel Powered BMWs Unveiled" »
After 75 years of being in the number two spot in the US, Ford has given up the title to Toyota.
Continue reading "Toyota Takes the 2nd Spot in the US from Ford " »
It is being rumored that Audi is going to bring a V12 turbodiesel R8 to the Detroit Auto Show this month.
Continue reading "Detroit Auto Show Preview: Is Audi Going to Unveil a Diesel Powered R8?" »
Aston Martin has officially unveiled a sketch of the Vantage GT2 racing car that is based on the V8 Vantage.
Continue reading "Aston Martin Racing Unveils Sketch of Vantage GT2" »
GM has unveiled the second hybrid version of its Saturn Vue SUV with two-mode hybrid technology.
Continue reading "Detroit Auto Show Preview: 2009 Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid Unveiled" »
The Ford Explorer has been one of the most popular SUVs since it was introduced in the early nineties. But today the Explorer is being overshadowed by the new car based SUVs such as the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV-4 and even the new Ford Edge.
Continue reading "Detroit Auto Show Preview: Ford Explorer America Concept Unveiled" »
Swiss tuner Rinspeed has unveiled the Rinspeed X-treme, which is based on a Porsche 957 Cayenne.
Continue reading "Rinspeed Gives the Porsche Cayenne 600 Horsepower and More Style" »
Cadillac has unveiled the Provoq fuel-cell SUV concept today, which is the latest example of GM's E-Flex propulsion system.
Continue reading "Cadillac Provoq Fuel-Cell SUV Concept Unveiled" »
Hyundai is going to officially unveil its new Genesis sedan next week at the Detroit Auto Show.
Continue reading "Detroit Auto Show Preview: 2009 Hyundai Genesis Unveiled with 368HP" »
Saab is going to unveil the 9-4X BioPower concept, which is Saab's first crossover at the Detroit Auto Show next week.
Continue reading "Detroit Auto Show Preview: Saab 9-4X BioPower Concept Unveiled" »
Cadillac has unveiled the all-new 2009 CTS-V before its official unveiling at next week's show in Detroit.
Continue reading "Detroit Auto Show Preview: 2009 Cadillac CTS-V Unveiled with 550HP" »
The smaller than an H3, HUMMER HX Concept has been unveiled prior to its official unveiling at next week's Detroit Auto Show.
Continue reading "Detroit Auto Show Preview: HUMMER HX Concept...Wrangler Competitor?" »
Here's the two minute trailer of the upcoming Knight Rider two hour TV-movie.
Continue reading "VIDEO: Two Minute Knight Rider Trailer Released" »
Ok, well not just any parking lot. The parking lot of Mitsubishi's US headquarters. That's right the upcoming 2009 Lancer Ralliart is apparently sitting in the parking lot and one of Mitsubishi's loyal employees took a photo of it and here it is...all over the internet. Well either way..this is our first look at the car, sans camouflage.
Continue reading "2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart Caught in a Parking Lot!" »
Audi has officially unveiled the hihg-performance TT dubbed the TT-S ahead of its official debut next week.
Continue reading "Detroit Auto Show Preview: Audi TT-S Unveiled with 268 HP" »
Yesterday Honda officially announced the headlining band of its 8th annual Honda Civic Tour.
Continue reading "Honda Announces the 2008 Honda Civic Tour with "Panic at the Disco"" »
GM has released a second image of a Camaro prototype undergoing testing.
Continue reading "GM Releases More Spy Photos of the Chevy Camaro " »
Today Audi unveiled the R8 V12 TDI Concept at the Detroit Auto Show.
Continue reading "Detroit 2008: Audi R8 V12 TDI Concept Unveiled" »
Honda has used the Detroit Auto Show to unveil the Pilot prototype that conveys many of the design features of the all-new 2009 Honda Pilot.
Continue reading "Detroit 2008: Honda Pilot Prototype Hits the Stage" »
This morning we all went to the Cadillac press conference expecting to only see the new CTS-V and Provoq concept, but little did we know that GM had a surprise up its sleeve.
Continue reading "Detroit 2008: Cadillac Surprises Everyone with the CTS Coupe Concept" »
Toyota has officially unveiled their new "crossover sedan" dubbed the 2009 Venza.
Continue reading "Detroit 2008: Toyota Unveils the 2009 Venza Crossover" »
Volkswagen has finally unveiled its new four door coupe (Passat CC) which is based off the Passat sedan.
Continue reading "Detroit 2008: 2009 VW Passat CC Unveiled...VW's Answer to the Mercedes CLS" »
Earlier this week Ford officially unveiled the new 2009 Ford F-150.
Now that I am finally back from all the festivities in Detroit I can finally post more of the stuff from the show.
Continue reading "Detroit 2008: 2009 Ford F-150 Unveiled...Bring on the Truck Wars" »
Mercedes has officially unveiled the changes to the 2009 CLS four-door coupe.
Continue reading "2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS Officially Unveiled" »
GM surprised everyone with the CTS Coupe concept at the Detroit Auto Show this month.
Continue reading "Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept will be Released for 2010" »
Although the Detroit Auto Show may be over, Ford has decided to unveil new versions of its Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner SUVs for the 2009 model year.
Continue reading "2009 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner Get More Power and Better Fuel Economy" »
According to Ford CEO Alan Mulally, a redesigned Ford Taurus will be introduced next year.
Continue reading "Mulally Announces That a New Ford Taurus Will Debut Next Year" »
Honda is going to officially unveil the all-new Accord (TSX) for the European market at the upcoming Geneva Auto Show.
Continue reading "Honda Releases Teaser Images of the 2009 European Accord (Acura TSX)" »
Mazda has unveiled the new three-door version of its popular Mazda2 that will be officially unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show in March.
Continue reading "Mazda2 Three-Door Unveiled...Another Car That We Wish the US Would Get" »
Supposedly these sketches are of the Mitsubishi Lancer Prototype S that the automaker is going to unveil at the Geneva Auto Show in March.
Continue reading "Geneva 2008 Preview: Mitsubishi Lancer Prototype S Unveiled?" »
GM is going to officially unveil the HUMMER H3T pickup in Chicago next month.
Continue reading "Chicago 2008 Preview: 2009 Hummer H3T Pickup Unveiled" »
Toyota has officially announced the pricing for the all-new 2009 Corolla and Matrix that will be in showrooms next month.
Continue reading "All-New 2009 Toyota Corolla and Matrix Pricing Released" »
Mercedes has officially unveiled the new 2009 CLC sports coupe, which is the successor to the C-Class sports coupe.
Continue reading "2009 Mercedes-Benz CLC Sports Coupe Unveiled" »
Honda officially unveiled the 2009 Honda Pilot Prototype at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month. Once the SUV was pulled out onto the stage its looks left many of us wanting more.
Continue reading "Is the All-New 2009 Honda Pilot Too Boring?" »
Acura's flagship sedan, the RL has failed to meet expectations. There are rumors circulating that Acura is going to unveil a heavily revised version of the sedan at the Chicago Auto Show next month.
Continue reading "Redesigned 2009 Acura RL to be Unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show?" »
Yesterday a single rendering of Suzuki's upcoming truck (Equator) leaked onto the web, so today Suzuki decided to release a much better photo of the new truck.
Continue reading "Chicago 2008 Preview: 2009 Suzuki Equator Pickup Image Released" »
Porsche has unveiled the newest Cayenne, the Cayenne GTS that will be officially unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show next week.
Continue reading "405 Horsepower 2008 Cayenne GTS Will be Unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show" »
RENNtech has unveiled its its new ‘stage 3’ tuning package for all 65 series AMG models (CL 65, S 65, and SL 65).
Continue reading "RENNtech Squeezes 695 Horsepower Out of the Mercedes S65, CL65 and SL65 " »
Isuzu has officially announced that the automaker is going to leave the US market on January 31, 2009.
Continue reading "Breaking News: Isuzu Abandons the US Market!" »
Mercedes has officially unveiled the "new-generation" 2009 SL-Class after photos leaked last week.
Continue reading "Restyled 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL Officially Unveiled" »


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The owner of Liberty, private equity firm BlueGem, is to launch an IPO for the business within three years.
BlueGem, which paid £32m for Liberty in 2010, has spent the past five years overhauling the brand, following years of losses and a lack of investment.
According to the Sunday Telegraph, BlueGem chief executive Marco Capello said: “The ultimate goal is to float the company. It’s one of the great British brands and we have no intention of selling it. The company was losing money for many years in a row and was not in a good shape.”
In its latest results, the company made a pre-tax profit of £12.4m in the year to February 2014.
The investment firm has focused on boosting Liberty’s own brands and floral prints. A London listing is expected to take place by 2018.
Capello added that the Crossrail development is unlikely to benefit sales directly as the store already benefits from being just off Oxford Street in London’s West End.
He said: “London is already incredibly well served. There are some days where you can’t get into the shop, although of course we would love to have people spending more money.”


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Bernanke says Fed likely to reduce bond buying this year
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Analysis: Sprint should raise Clearwire bid to avoid Dish..
Sprint Nextel Corp should consider raising its offer price for Clearwire Corp or risk...
Icahn reiterates commitment for Dell buy
Carl Icahn reiterated his interest in owning Dell Inc and said the $5.2 billion in...
Wall St. drops after Bernanke hints at slowing stimulus
Stocks fell more than 1 percent on Wednesday after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben...
SandRidge ousts CEO Ward, Bennett takes the helm
SandRidge Energy Inc's board of directors removed the energy company's founder and...
US Airways chief warns lawmakers of potential service cuts
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Sonam Kapoor is known as the fashion queen of the Bollywood industry, but becoming more fashionable is sometimes a danger and the same happened once with Sonam, when she wore a sari with a slightly wider cut. She went away wearing a blouse and had to handle her outfit again and again. Anand Mahindra wants to eat in this small restaurant of India, know why.
Bollywood is a glamorous world. Here the actress has to look good not only in acting but everywhere. And to look good you have to wear nice clothes. But sometimes actresses wear such clothes to look glamorous and attractive, due to which they also have to be embarrassed.
In this era when social media has become so dominant that there is no such moment which does not come in the eyes of social media. And when such a video comes on social media, it starts going viral on sight. One such glamorous actress of Bollywood, Sonam Kapoor has also been a victim of embarrassment many times about her clothes. Many times something happened to him which could not be compensated till date.
Actually, these days a video of actress Sonam Kapoor, daughter of Bollywood’s ever-evolving actor Anil Kapoor, is becoming increasingly viral on social media. As everyone knows that Sonam Kapoor keeps experimenting with her clothes every day, but this time her style has become a problem for her.
Actually, the actress wore a black and white printed saree for an event, which she was wearing with a shirt. The actress looked quite upset about her outfit throughout the event. But when she stood up to deliver the speech, she was about to fall in a sari. The people present there take care of them.
But during this the biggest incident happened that the button of Sonam Kapoor’s shirt also opened and she became a victim of embarrassment in front of everyone. Despite this, the actress somehow manages this moment and starts moving forward.
In this viral video, she is seen standing on the podium and closing the buttons of her shirt. By the way, this whole incident was caught in the camera and despite not wanting, the actress became a victim of Oops Moment. Throughout the video, the actress is seen troubled by the clothes, again and again the actress is seen fixing the shirt.
When Bollywood’s famous beauty Sonam Kapoor was publicly humiliated, scoffed at an event packed with people


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As Chinatowns have been devastated by the pandemic, it has become essential to share reminders of how much these places matter to all of us. Here are the stories of why that is very much so.
Read More ›
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New models - Mitsubishi - Outlander - ACTiV
Mitsubishi’s Outlander gets ACTiV – again
Another ACTiV special-edition released as Mitsubishi aims to up Outlander sales
3 Jun 2011
MITSUBISHI has released another Outlander ACTiV special-edition, five versions of which are now available across the compact SUV range.
Initially limited to 1500 examples, Mitsubishi’s latest ACTiV special follows the release of ACTiV versions of the Lancer and Pajero in May 2010, when the latest in a succession of annual Outlander ACTiV models was also released.
This time the value-added ACTiV comes at no extra cost over 2WD, AWD, manual, automatic and seven-seat versions of the entry-level Outlander LS upon which it is based, meaning an unchanged starting price of $28,990.
Key additions include 18-inch alloy wheels, front foglights, rear parking sensors, Bluetooth connectivity, an interior styling package, chromed grille surround, chromed exhaust outlet, roof-rail crossbars and, for 2WD models, climate-control air-conditioning and front-side and curtain airbags (which are already standard on AWD models).
Left: Mitsubishi PX-MiEV plug-in hybrid crossover.
There are no changes to the base Outlander’s 125kW/226Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which continues to come with either a five-speed manual or continuously variable transmission (CVT).
The Outlander ACTiV is fitted with the same standard safety features as the LS, meaning ASC electronic stability control, ATC traction control, multi-mode ABS and electronic brake-force distribution.
It also comes with Mitsubishi’s five-year/130,000km vehicle warranty including roadside assist, plus a 10-year/160,000km powertrain warranty.
Outlander sales slid a substantial 48.9 per cent in May and stand 19.5 per cent down so far this year, despite the addition of the first sub-$30,000 version in the form of the front-wheel drive LS last October.
Mitsubishi has sold almost as many examples of its newer and smaller ASX city-SUV this year.
The current Outlander, which dates back to November 2006 but received a major Evo-style facelift in October 2009, will next year be replaced by an all-new model based on the PX-MiEV plug-in hybrid crossover, which will make its local debut at the Australian International Motor Show in Melbourne on July 1.
The Road to Recovery podcast series
All new models
Motor industry news


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Oct 20, 2020, 1:10 pm3.6k ptsInteresting
Apple's annual autumn event on October 13, 2020, saw the launch of four new phones in a bid to reassert itself as the dominant name in mobile devices. Most of the thousands of viewers were no doubt excited to see what Apple were planning and a lot of their adaptations to their core product were in response to what people actually do with their phones. But how equipped for modern entertainment is the iPhone 12?
Apple's new iPhone 12 is the company's first 5G phone, and brings a faster processor, improved cameras and display, and a new "ceramic shield front cover" that promises to keep the screen safe from drops and cracks. pic.twitter.com/us3xbXYIKD— Engadget (@engadget) October 13, 2020
Mobile gaming now accounts for more than 50% of all gaming revenue, so it's important for smartphone developers to appeal to these audiences when developing new phones. As such, Apple's iPhone 12 may be the best gaming iPhone it has launched. The new OLED screen display has a sharp resolution – 2,532 by 1,170.
There is even a Ceramic Shield overlay which makes the phone more resistant to being dropped, as could happen at a particularly difficult or exciting part of a game. The 5G capabilities are also beneficial to those who game on the go and away from wi-fi. Fortnite users may still be boxed out of benefitting from this – so the addition for the iPhone 12 could lead to a resolution between Epic Games and Apple.
Online casino has grown in popularity and many of the titles on offer on most sites have been optimized for mobile use. This represents the shift seen across many industries towards a more mobile way of engaging. Indeed, live online casino games – versions of poker, blackjack, and roulette that allow players to see the dealer in front of them – require a strong processor to ensure there is no lag.
Uninterrupted gameplay is made possible with the enhanced A14 Bionic chip, which is reportedly 15% faster and 30% better for battery power than the previous model. So, the iPhone 12 looks to be equipped for online casino gaming and other forms of live-streamed content. The battery life issue is also an important one as Apple's primary criticism is that some functionalities of their smartphones eat into battery life.
Social media has become almost a necessity, so ensuring a phone can keep up with trends and has the capacity to take advantage of each platform is imperative. Indeed, likeable photos on Instagram and growing trends for video mean that many will be looking towards the camera features of the iPhone 12.
They won't be disappointed as the iPhone 12 includes improved stabilization and telephoto reach, as well as a 12-megapixel camera with an f/1.6 aperture lens. Apple suggests that low light performance is improved upon by around 87%, making the iPhone 12 suitable for all manner of social media content creation.
Smartphones aren't just functional; they are devices to provide entertainment. As such, Apple needed to ensure that the features of the iPhone 12 matched what people actually intended to use the phone for. Whether this is social media, gaming, or online casino sites, the phone responds perfectly to challenges presented in providing the optimal experience in all three fields.


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Hundreds of hotel and catering businesses qualify to join a major High Court fraud claim against Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank, according to Allsquare.
The law firm has announced the final phase of its bookbuild for the case against Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank (now Virgin Money) and the National Australia Bank over its Tailored Business Loans (TBLs) and Fixed Rate Loans.
Analysis showed customers in the hotel and catering sector were among those particularly affected, accounting for hundreds of eligible loans, as well as businesses in the property investment, farming, construction and retail sectors.
The largest eligible businesses are now estimated to be owed millions of pounds, though average claim sizes are anticipated to be in the hundreds of thousands, with even the smallest loan sizes owed thousands of pounds.
In light of this new information, Allsquare is ramping up the final phase of its bookbuild ahead of the first court hearing in December.
The case is being pursued in the High Court in London in partnership with specialist litigation firm RGL Management and Michelmores. The group action alleges that Clydesdale Bank (including Yorkshire Bank) and the National Australia Bank behaved fraudulently and dishonestly in the sale of these loans.
It said many thousands of Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank TBL and Fixed Rate Loan customers may still be unaware that they have a valid claim against these banks.
Anybody in England, Wales and Scotland who took out a Tailored Business Loan or a Fixed Rate Loan from Clydesdale Bank or Yorkshire Bank is eligible to sign up for the group action claim.
Anyone who thinks they may be eligible to join the group action is urged to contact AllSquare to discuss their claim.
Daniel Hall, managing director of AllSquare, said: "With a date in court now set for this December, this is the last push to reach anybody who has not joined those thousands of claimants who are already safe in the knowledge they have signed up for the redress they are owed.
"Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank's institutional dishonesty when selling Tailored Business Loans (TBLs) led to the destruction of countless lives and livelihoods – but any customer who was sold a Fixed Rate Business Loan or TBL is eligible to join this compensation claim, which is expected to run into the hundreds of millions of pounds. In the current business climate, we are particularly keen to reach people facing difficult circumstances who may not realise they are owed thousands, and in many cases six or seven figures, by the bank. The data we have analysed today allows us to reach out to those sectors that we know were particularly affected and bring this to their attention."
A spokesperson for Clydesdale Bank said: "There continues to be absolutely no substance or merit in the allegations made in RGL's claim and we have made this clear in our defence. Over recent years we have worked hard to investigate all historic SME conduct issues and we are confident we have done the right thing for those customers involved. We will continue to defend our position robustly throughout any legal process."


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Many of you doubtless read, heard or saw the news regarding the terrible food safety crisis that the Coca-Cola Co. experienced in Europe, primarily in Belgium, in June.
The official Coca-Cola story is that there were two causes to the outbreak illness purported to be related to drinking Coke products. One was a bad batch of carbon dioxide used at a bottling plant in Antwerp. The other was a fungicide used on storage pallets at a plant in Dunkirk – that somehow got on cans of products – the fumes of which made everyone sick.
The first important point for the produce industry to realize is that this “explanation” is probably false. There is no reason to believe that anyone was made sick by these events. In fact, there is no reason to believe that Coca-Cola products made anyone sick at all.
The fact that the company fell on its sword and announced its fault is more testimony to the latest trends in public relations than it is to scientific evidence of food safety problems. The trendy belief in PR circles is that, to minimize damage, companies should quickly accept fault, identify a cause, then announce steps to make sure the situation never happens again.
Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc., the world’s largest bottler of Coke and a company partially owned by the Coca-Cola Co., owns the bottling and canning operations in the relevant area. After a few days during which the staff of Coca-Cola Enterprises hesitated to accept blame for that which they were blameless, top PR personnel from Coke in Atlanta flew in to engage in self-flagellation.
What about all those people who claim they got sick? Remember this whole chain of events took place when Belgians were already panicky over the safety of their food supply. Evidence that dioxin-contaminated animal feed may have allowed the carcinogen into parts of the food supply had already led to the withdrawal of loads of product from Belgian shelves.
Those reported waves of sick school children were far more likely to be suffering from “mass sociogenic illness”, as the British medical journal Lancet reported after reviewing a study of the affair by Belgian academics, rather than some bizarre contamination in the beverages.
So, here is lesson number one: You don’t actually have to suffer a food safety problem to have your product withdrawn from the market. You just need a little hysteria.
We should not be under the delusion that even if HACCP procedures are followed properly, such guidelines will protect the produce industry against food safety scares.
These scares are costly. Coca-Cola Enterprises estimated a total loss in sales of $60 million attributed to the crisis, assuming the market promptly recovers.
In evaluating the Coca-Cola episode, note how effectively the impact of the scare was neutralized by Coke’s ability to easily identify the source of each bottle or can of Coke. Despite this catastrophe, Coke’s Greater Europe Group expects that quarterly sales were down only from 6 to 7 percent. In other words, consumers in the U.K. or in Italy went about drinking their Coca-Cola even while the news made headlines.
This points to a serious objective that the produce industry should be striving to obtain: Limiting damage in the event of a future food safety scare.
The imperative now is to ensure that produce can be tracked back as far as possible. This way, if – no, make that when – a problem develops, the industry can reassure both trade buyers and consumers that the problem has been isolated to a specific packinghouse and that such product can be recalled or removed from the shelves. This, of course, means that the stores that have bought product can be identified.
With packaged items, this is relatively easy and in some cases is already being done. The packaging needs to be coded to indicate when and where it was packed. Bulk product is more problematic but not impossible: Bar codes can be, and in some cases are being, applied to each pallet. With ink jet technology, we could ink jet each carton. PLU codes applied by packingsheds could also contain a code identifying the packinghouse. Vendors would need to maintain records crossing this data with their sales records so that who bought what packinghouses’s product when could quickly be determined.
Wholesalers and retailers would have to scan these bar codes. The source-placed PLU stickers with identifying codes would be ignored unless a food safety crisis led to a need to reassure the public that particular codes were recalled.
For an industry not that many years from operating without refrigeration, these measures may seem like overkill. But the $60 million dollars in sales Coke says it lost was surely a drop in the bucket compared to the billions that would have been lost had Coke been unable to identify the source of the beverage. Then everyone in the world would have stopped drinking Coca-Cola products until things were figured out.
That a vivid imagination could cause such losses is frightening and should be a wake-up call for our media and government. The industry can’t count on it, though. Produce industry leadership has to count on dealing with such a problem, real or imagined, and start figuring out how to minimize damage.


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A fortnightly round-up of moves, changes and appointments in the design world.
How do you make people look at your creative content on social media when the next thing is just a swipe away? We speak with Jill Gray, head of the UK Creative
Dalziel & Pow’s new store designs feature interactive installations, animations and illustrations.
A consortium including Unilever and Hasbro is investigating ways to bring near field communication in packaging into the mainstream.
As this year’s Milan Furniture Fair approaches, designers tell us what they’ll be looking out for.
UK Trade and Investment is seeking a design team to create a pavilion for the expo, which will have the theme of “Future Energy”.
Make sure you get your entry in by 13 April to be considered for this year’s ranking.
In this video interview, Brands and Values director of innovation Martin Roach tells us about how he made his way in the design world.
The new Dyson Pure Cool Link will report live air quality to the Dyson Link App.
In his latest Four Corners column, Jon Daniel speaks to multidisciplinary designer and former ITV News design director Kojo Boateng.
Seymourpowell’s concept for the future of air travel is based around a series of hotel-type rooms that can sense the needs of flyers…
This month, acclaimed graphic designer Lance Wyman, most famous for his Mexico ’68 Olympic logo, held an exhibition of his work at the Sheffield Institute of Arts Gallery. We speak


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BEACH HAVEN — There have been changes to our world the past months due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Two Beach Haven businesses have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. They are the Pearl Street Market and the Chicken or the Egg restaurant.
Pearl Street Market
Reed and Abigail Johnson, owners of the Pearl Street Market released a statement today. It reads:
"To Our Customers:
We were notified today that someone who entered our store has tested positive for Covid 19. We have closed our doors temporarily, and are taking the appropriate course of action. We have consulted with the Long Beach Island Health Department, local doctors offices, and others who have experienced this unfortunate situation before us.
Our goal has been and always will be to serve the community as safely and faithfully as possible. We will provide updates as we ascertain more information.
We appreciate the immense amount of support that we have already begun to see. "
Chicken or the Egg
The Chicken or the Egg restaurant had an employee who tested positive for Covid-19 last week. Owner Mark Cohen shared that they are hoping to have the restaurant open by Thursday or Friday. The challenge is that it takes a number of days for the tests to come back to clear the workers.
Cohen reflected and said this early situation for these businesses may be helpful for others that operate businesses throughout the Island this summer. Hopefully this is a very temporary new normal, and we will see the complete obliteration of this virus.