text:
Time for OTTs, telcos to work together
2016 will be the year when over-the-top (OTT) players and telecoms operators will realise it is time to stop fighting and work together.
That is the prediction of research and consulting firm, Strand Consult, when looking at the global telecoms space. This forecast comes as South African mobile operators head to Parliament this week to discuss the possible regulation of OTT players.
Strand Consult believes that despite years of struggle between global OTT players and telecoms operators, this year will likely see the two players realising they need each other and wanting to work together.
"Strong brands will play a role in partnerships. In the same way that toys, clothing and other consumer products enter partnerships with film companies, more brands and mobile service will come together. The challenge is to design business models that create win-win outcomes," according to Strand Consult's 2016 Telecom Predictions report.
Strand Consult believes "partnerships will flourish, if not regulated out of existence".
"We expect that the number and type of services that operators bundle with voice, SMS and data will explode. Music services such as Spotify and Deezer, video services like HBO and Netflix, newspapers and magazines ? any and all content that can bundled with traditional traffic packets that telecom companies sell will be bundled with mobile service for all devices."
Whether this is the case in SA is another story, as the country gears up for Tuesday's discussions on the possible regulation of OTTs like WhatsApp, Skype and Facebook, set to take place in Parliament.
Parliament's portfolio committee on telecommunications and postal services will host the regulatory discussions despite committee chairperson Mmamoloko Kubayi admitting to ITWeb last week that none of the mobile giants, "nor anyone" had officially asked the committee to look into the issue.
Kubayi says the committee has an "obligation based on the Constitution on behalf of citizens to engage on matters affecting them" especially matters of national interest.
South Africa is not alone in the debate over the regulation of OTTs. Telcos in Morocco started blocking voice over IP services like Skype and Viber earlier this month, while countries like India and Brazil have already taken steps towards regulation.
"To be sure, net neutrality advocates are at the ready to conquer any mobile plan that a consumer would love, but we think 2016 will be the year when free services and cool brands trump neutrality. The religious strategies employed by net neutrality advocates will likely backfire. They insist on plain vanilla in a world where partnerships have many flavours," says Strand Consult.
Calls for teamwork
Meanwhile, SA's Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA) has urged mobile networks to find ways to partner and compete with OTT services for the benefit of consumers.
"The mobile networks forget they once were the new kids on the block. Their growth was encouraged and look what a wonderful difference they made to South Africa. OTT services have the potential to further democratise communication and drive uptake of broadband because they offer an affordable alternative to the millions of South Africans who cannot afford to make a call, or to pay 50c each time they send a single SMS," says ISPA chairman Graham Beneke.
"Africa desperately needs OTTs to grow Internet participation. Attempting to regulate this technology will hinder the continent's ICT development, be a technical nightmare to enforce, and simply encourage the growth of a plethora of other lesser-known messaging applications."
Beneke says history proves you cannot regulate progress out of existence.
"Imagine how the GDP-boosting growth of cellular phones in South Africa would have been constrained if Telkom had decided in 1994 to approach Parliament with the unworkable idea that landlines and cellphones should be bundled together in order to protect its monopoly."
Battle rages on
The dispute between the parties usually comes down to a loss in voice and SMS revenue for mobile operators because consumers opt to use messaging services that rather use data.
ISPA says it is encouraged that some network operators are on record as saying they are committed to establishing an amicable relationship with OTTs.
The most vocal network has been Cell C, with CEO Jose Dos Santos accusing MTN and Vodacom of "declaring war on consumer interests".
"The infamous duopoly wants to limit how we use Internet services like WhatsApp ? and it has nothing to do with fairness, competition or the future of South Africa. To the contrary, it is all about maintaining their stranglehold on a vital artery feeding our country's economic and social future," he says.
Cell C has chosen to embrace the growth of OTT rather than push back, with Dos Santos warning regulation would be to the detriment of the industry and consumers.
"OTT regulation will force extra costs on those services or force their withdrawal. It will hurt consumers and small companies. It will disadvantage everyone ? everyone except the networks whose only interest resides in protecting their revenues," he comments.
In the past, MTN, Telkom and Vodacom have been vocal about their displeasure at how OTT services threaten their revenue streams, but in the lead up to this week's meeting, the three telcos have taken a more measured response.
MTN told ITWeb it "believes telecommunication operators and OTT operators can co-exist in an agreed and mutually beneficial relationship". Vodacom has admitted it is supportive of a review of regulation and believes "rules must be simpler, future-proof and must also ensure a level playing field between traditional telecoms companies and new players where they compete in the same market".
"Telkom supports technological developments and the associated benefits to the economy. Regulation of any aspect of the ICT sector should be informed by sound economics. Regulation should be directed at levelling the playing field where there is an identified market failure. A decision to regulate prior to an in-depth discussion on the impact of the OTTs on the ICT sector and the economy in general may be premature," is Telkom's stance.
Dos Santos believes regulation is not necessarily a bad thing and "South African telecoms regulation could definitely use a little modernisation". He also admits the sector needs "to ask serious questions about privacy, consumer rights and infrastructure sharing to reduce costs".
Strand Consult, however, believes the telecoms industry is its own worst enemy.
"One of the biggest challenges in the telecommunications world is that the operators in the telecom industry cannot get on the same page. Regulators use this to their advantage to exploit the divisions among different players.
"Trade associations should do a better job to communicate all the benefits that their members do for society, but they have not succeeded to craft the winning messages. As a result, politicians have used these rifts to create their own agenda which run counter to the goals of a healthy telecoms market," it states.
The top three telecoms operators Vodacom, MTN and Cell C have all confirmed they will attend tomorrow's discussions, while Telkom failed to confirm by the time of publication.
The committee has assured the public the meeting is not meant to be conclusive but merely to serve as a platform to hear the various views on the subject.


text:
Bitcoin is a digital cryptocurrency made up of processed data blocks used for online and brick-and-mortar purchases.By 2030 we will seen a. used to create value which need to be.
What is Bitcoin? - Definition from TechopediaThis would make it possible for nearly everyone to have a bank in.Bitcoin boasts of having a massive network with the highest hashing.Specifically, Bitcache would give people a way to pay for content they really enjoy.According to research released in late 2015, U.K.-based Magister Advisors, a financial institution which focuses.
Thats a tough question, the value of Bitcoin will be determined by regulation and some other factors which are ultimately controlled by government.Another interesting point the two bring up is by 2030, according to current Bitcoin mining.
Bitcoin Predicted to Hit $500,000 by 2030!!! – DailyThe average value of bitcoin held...According to a new survey from Magister Advisors, Bitcoin is set to become the 6th largest reserve currency within 15 years.
Jeremy and Peter have explained the rationale behind their Bitcoin price. be at an all-time high in 2030.Their argument is based on increased interest in bitcoin, thanks.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average could hit 100,000 by 2030,.
What Bitcoin Is, and Why It Matters - MIT Technology ReviewHe has serious accomplishments under his belt, including having built one of the largest websites in the world: the now defunct Megaupload.It would be easy to laugh off the Kim Dotcom Bitcoin prediction as a PR stunt.Bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency on the scene is the largest and the most valuable among all.
Bitcoin Price Can Reach $500,000 by 2030, Says Snapchat’s
The first investor in Snapchat thinks bitcoin could realistically be. thinks bitcoin could. users in 2030.Government approves Rs 1,423-crore road project in Andhra Pradesh The project is part of the high-density Kolkata-Cuttack- Bhubaneswar-Visakhapatnam-Vijayawada-Chennai traffic corridor and is expected.Rising demand for this cryptocurrency promises more upside in bitcoin prices, thus pointing to an optimistic bitcoin price prediction 2018.

domain: news


text:
Starfield Preload PSA: Just Under 140 GB on PC, Just Over 126 GB on Console
If you’re planning to preload Starfield on PC, be warned: the game weighs in at just under 140 GB.
According to https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/p/9NTFM8RXLJF9/0017, the Windows PC version of Bethesda’s sci-fi role-playing game is approximately 139.84 GB. It’s a smaller install on Xbox Series X and S: 126.1 GB.
Starfield preloading begins today, August 17 on Xbox Series X and S, and Windows PC, well ahead of the official September 6 release date. But Steam users can’t preload until August 30. The Starfield Steam page still says players will need 125 GB of available storage space.
Starfield is perhaps the most anticipated video game release in recent memory and has therefore captured the attention of fans in some wild and wonderful ways. Virtual sandwiches got people talking about it being locked at 30 frames per second, for example, while an ESRB rating revealed drugs, in-game purchases, and jetpack sex.
Those looking to get a taste of the game ahead of its release date can also read Starfield's canonical history or check out its skill tree that players have already put together. And here are 10 things we learned from the recent developer Q&A.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at email@example.com or confidentially at firstname.lastname@example.org.


text:
Rejected bids to import manufactured loghome products in the Australian market have sparked concerns about supply and demand.
A group of Australian exporters and manufacturers are calling on the Government to stop importing manufactured loghouses and products that are not made in Australia, saying they are unsafe for consumers.
The group, the Australian Manufactured Log House Association, is calling for mandatory import requirements to be put in place.
In a submission to the Government, it says imported manufactured loghomes and other products can have serious safety and health issues including high levels of mold and mould growth.
The Association’s submission also highlights the risk to human health and welfare posed by the growing number of manufactured log huts and huts in Australia.
The association says Australian manufacturers have been exporting products to other countries for over 100 years.
It also said that there are significant safety and environmental concerns in the process of manufacturing manufactured log houses.
The industry group said the Australian Government should require manufacturers to apply for and be approved for a permit to export manufactured log products.


text:
GameStop (GME -8.71%) stock has been hammered in 2017, trading down roughly 25% year to date and 13% since the company's Aug. 24 second-quarter earnings release. The core issue facing the video-game retailer is that an increasing share of video-game sales will continue to migrate to digital channels in the coming years -- cutting into the new and used software categories that have historically accounted for the greatest share of the company's sales and profits. To combat this trend, the company is in the midst of a diversification effort, and that means investors should keep a close eye on the retailer's operations.
Read on for a look at five of the most important takeaways from GameStop's most recent earnings call, with quotes coming from a transcript from Thomson Reuters.
Nintendo's Switch console is a momentum driver
Nintendo (NTDOY -0.48%) released its Switch platform, which combines elements of handheld and home consoles, in March, and the system is off to a very strong start. That's great news for GameStop, which needs as many business drivers for its gaming businesses as it can get. Here's CEO Paul Raines touting the strong performance of Nintendo's latest console:
On the physical gaming front, the Switch has been a massive success, leading to our hardware growth of 14.8% for the quarter. ... [I]t has been our most successful Nintendo launch ever. Attach rates have been consistently high and are at over 5:1 since launch, and we expect healthy allocations in the back half of the year.
Beyond simply adding another viable hardware and software platform for GameStop to sell, Switch is especially important for the retailer because the system's small amount of onboard storage makes it likely that physical sales will comprise a greater percentage of overall sales compared with PlayStation and Xbox platforms.
The company's membership program is strong
GameStop's video-game retail outlets offer a tiered membership program that provides benefits ranging from promotional discounts to added value given for trade-ins and has been instrumental in driving customer engagement. Getting more customers on the membership rolls looks to be a key part of keeping its game stores healthy and spurring collectibles sales. Here's Raines on the importance of the company's PowerUp membership program:
As you've heard on prior calls, our PowerUp program has been an intense focus since this time last year. I am pleased to report that our paid level, which we call PowerUp Pro, is up by 1.5 million members in the last 12 months in the United States, each paying $15 per year to receive the benefits of membership. As you know, our PowerUp Rewards program, with over 50 million members worldwide, provides significant value to our most loyal customers and is a key to our success in driving pre-owned business, omnichannel businesses, and growth in collectibles, as its members represent over 70% of our sales volume. So we know it's working.
The company's PowerUp Rewards Pro members spend three times more than regular members and account for 70% of collectibles sales, and boosting customer engagement should provide some insulation from the broader digital sales transition. Same-store traffic is trending down, falling 8.9% year over year last quarter, so generating more sales per visit will be necessary to stave off steep revenue declines at GameStop locations.
The outlook for collectibles is promising
GameStop is looking to its collectibles segment, which includes pop-culture merchandise sold at its namesake and ThinkGeek locations, to drive future growth. The idea that this could be a bigger market for the company than video games might be surprising, but GameStop believes that's the case. Here, Chief Operating Officer Tony Bartel comments on the recent performance and outlook for the segment:
Turning to collectibles, we had a very strong quarter, as we grew 36%. We continue to expand linear footage in our GameStop branded stores, and we'll continue to evaluate the linear footage in our stores to maximize traffic and profitability. We believe that the overall collectibles market will surpass the video-game market as soon as next year. We added five dedicated collectibles stores during the quarter, bringing our global dedicated store count to 99 stores. Half of our loyalty customers purchase collectibles, and they spend more money annually on collectibles than they do on video games. We are on track to achieve both our annual collectibles goal and our strategic revenue goal of $1 billion by 2019.
Collectibles sales reached $122.5 million last quarter, comprising roughly 7% of overall sales. The category's 35% gross margin in the quarter arrived below the 42% margin generated by the company's used games and accessories sales but came in above the 22% margin on new software. In the current quarter, the company expects that the segment's sales will grow between 30% and 40% from $109 million in last year's third quarter.
There's still big growth opportunities in tech brands
Aside from collectibles, GameStop's tech brands segment is the other core pillar of its diversification effort. Tech brands, which includes stores that sell mobile hardware and AT&T (T -0.16%) and DIRECTV service packages, delivered a 7% year-over-year sales increase in the second quarter -- a significant slowdown from the 21.5% year-over-year growth the division posted in the first quarter, which GameStop attributed to lower wireless upgrade commissions and a slower-than-expected upgrade cycle for mobile hardware. On the upside, the company expects that the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and the upcoming Apple iPhone 8 launch will reverse lagging mobile sales and anticipates improved results from its AT&T stores. Here's Bartel on the outlook at its AT&T-partnered stores:
Starting in August, we will begin to comp the 425 stores that we acquired last year. And based on the 15% increase in productivity that we are seeing in these stores, we expect that to help drive both traffic and gross profit comps going forward. AT&T has remained steadfast in its focus on sales of entertainment and business solutions. At the beginning of the year, we launched business centers in all of our AT&T branded retail stores. These business centers, combined with the growth of an outside business sales team, has created the largest business footprint for AT&T in its retail distribution channels.
Sales of entertainment packages, consisting mostly of DIRECTV subscriptions, were up 238% over the prior-year period, and Raines noted that the company will continue to train its staff with the hope of boosting sales in the category.
The sale of Kongregate wasn't performance related
In another move to reduce its dependence on retail video-game sales, GameStop has moved into the game-publishing space. The company acquired game maker and social-platform operator Kongregate in 2010 for $38.1 million, but it announced in June that it would be selling the unit for $55 million. In the recent earnings call, management emphasized that the sale was not related to the unit's performance and, instead, came down to differing visions for the platform's future -- with Kongregate looking for a bigger investment in expansion than GameStop was willing to provide. Chief Financial Officer Robert Lloyd provides some details on the sale:
We sold our Kongregate division, with the transaction closing in mid-July. Kongregate was seeking funding to publish games at a greater level than we were willing to invest, given historical profitability and return levels. With recent successes like Animation Throwdown, we capitalized on the opportunity to sell it now. The sale resulted in a gain of $7.3 million, also $7.3 million net of tax, or $0.07 per share.
Llloyd later commented that Kongregate had accounted for less than 5% of the company's digital sales and said that selling the division to Swedish entertainment company Modern Times Group had created a relationship that would open up opportunities in esports and marketing down the line.


text:
As we celebrate World Bicycle Day on 03 June, Sappi salutes this humble, yet inspirational mode of transport, which helps to bring to life some rural economies through tourism and recreational activities.
Commenting on the group’s results, Sappi Chief Executive Officer Steve Binnie said: “I am very proud of the excellent performance during the quarter particularly in light of the impact of Covid-19 in the last two years and the global economic turmoil. Tight global paper markets were the principal factor behind the quarter’s success and enabled the implementation of higher selling prices which offset extraordinary cost inflation. The Russian-Ukrainian conflict triggered renewed volatility in global commodity markets and further disrupted already constrained global supply chains, which intensified cost inflation across all regions and all product segments.”
Responding to climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our times. As a global company, Sappi is committed to being part of the solution and is focused on decarbonising its operations. As part of its long-term global commitment to climate protection and sustainable production, Sappi will be abandoning the use of coal at its German site in Stockstadt as a next step.
Speaking at the 15th World Forestry Congress, held in Seoul (Korea), from 02 to 06 May 2022, Sappi Forests Vice President Duane Roothman, shone a light on South African commercial forestry plantations.
In order to maintain profitability and keep its mills running full, Sappi will implement a further price increase of 10% to its Woodfree paper grades effective for deliveries from early April latest beginning May depending on the market


text:
Toto Wolff believes Formula E enjoys many qualities wish have the potential to propel the growing series towards a very bright future.
The all-electric racing format has received multiple seals of approval lately, with both Mercedes and Porsche announcing a move to Formula E where the two German manufacturers will join Renault, Audi, Jaguar and BMW.
As the automotive industry undergoes a massive shift towards hybrid and electric power trains, Formula E has been identified by manufacturers as a favorable terrain for development of their technology.
“Electrification is happening as we speak, the technology [in Formula E] is very immature and the racing series is very immature,” says Wolff.
“But they have a very charismatic energised entrepreneur who runs the series, who has against all odds been able to attract all major German premium car manufacturers into the series.
“I would not be surprised if in three, four, five years Formula E is something totally different, and all of us might be sitting in a room like this and talking about the Formula E race.
“I think it’s important to have that mindset that things are changing and probably we can’t anticipate in which way things are changing.
“I also like the ten-cylinder [petrol] engine, but I’m not sure that in five years anybody else is going to like it apart from us.”
- Todt teases next generation Formula E – hints to ‘surprises’
Wolff pointed to the success of Elon Musk’s Tesla company as an example of growth and success.
“Five years ago a Tesla was a Lotus Elise with a big battery in the boot,” he adds.
Click Here: gold coast suns 2019 guernsey
“Today it is a serious automotive player. So Formula E for us is an exciting start-up.
“It has event character, it’s urban. It attracts totally different audiences to what traditional motorsports do.
“And in our strategy, we cover the global platform that is Formula One and we cover the start-up that Formula E is today, in order to learn about it, how it develops and maybe that Lotus Elise is going to become a serious motorsport player in five years.”
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter


text:
Over 450 Ford Explorer drivers filed complaints of a strong smell of exhaust fumes in their car. A police officer in Newport Beach, California filed a lawsuit against Ford after suffering a brain injury from his Ford Explorer police car. The officer, Brian McDowell, reported feeling sick and light-headed before blacking out in his vehicle. His car swerved through traffic before colliding with a tree. The issue will be settled in court, with the financial settlement decision left for the jury to decide.
2011-2017 Ford Explorer models all have reports of leaking exhaust fumes. Drivers report that the fumes are entering the vehicle from the rear seats of the car. This case is similar to the case of the 1971 Ford Pinto lawsuits. The American company was convicted of criminal homicide after the poorly placed engine of the Pinto would explode upon impact. After being convicted of criminal homicide, the jury ruled Ford not guilty. Ford, not wanting to repeat their past mistakes, released this statement:
"We take the safety of our customers very seriously and will cooperate with NHTSA on this investigation, as we always do," Ford said in a statement. "In rare circumstances, there have been instances where customers detected an exhaust odor in Explorers. While it poses no safety risk, customers can and are encouraged to contact their local Ford dealer to address any concerns. "
The company has not issued a recall nor have they released any plans to resolve the defect. The company did, however, instruct its dealers to fix the issue. Brian McDowell urges other Explorer drivers to not take heed to this advice, "My advice is: sell the car," McDowell stated. "Don't try to get it fixed because there is no fix for this."
Originally reported on USAToday
Co-written by Elise Childers and Brian Dault for DaultLaw


text:
San Antonio — The Progressive Retailers Organization was at the Westin La Cantera Hill Coun
In honor of Earth Day, held April 22, Iogear announced it has partnered with Trees for the Future, a non-profit organization that supports land redevelopment by planting trees. Iogear said it would plant one tree for every product purchased on its Web site or by members of the company's Green initiative partner program.
The company said it has set a goal of planting 1 million trees; the program begins immediately.
A spokeswoman from Iogear told TWICE that a specific time frame has not been set to reach 1 million trees.


text:
- Filed Under
Metro Detroit home sale prices stayed on the rebound path in March, rising 23% over their levels a year ago, according to data released Tuesday.
The median sales price of a home in the four-county region of Wayne, Oakland, Livingston and Macomb was $85,000, up from $68,850 in March 2012. Wayne County sales experienced the biggest jump -- up 43% year-over-year to $48,000 last month, according to figures compiled by Realcomp, a Farmington Hills-based multiple listing service.
Area realtors say the declining number of move-in-ready houses on the market continues to drive the upward trend in ...


text:
Qualcomm: LTE Devices, Tablets Ramping for CES 2011
Qualcomm executives said the company is set to ride a 4G wave as Long-Term Evolution (LTE) devices launch in January and the company embeds its chips into multiple tablets.
Those high-level takeaways came on Qualcomm’s fourth quarter earnings conference call. Qualcomm handily topped estimates on Wednesday. Qualcomm reported net income of $1.1 billion on revenue of $2.95 billion.


text:
Vogue is taking the term “fashion bible” far too literally. The British version of the magazine has featured an article in its December issue on the “debate” (was there one?) about the end of cleavage.
“Whatever happened to the cleavage?” they asked under the story by Kathleen Baird-Murray with the headline, “Desperately Seeking Cleavage”. They also went to the public with a Twitter poll asking, “is cleavage over?”
But perhaps Vogue is forgetting that, unlike the fashion trends that they are so famed for reporting on, breasts – big, medium or small – are part of a woman’s anatomy and so cannot be added or removed like a pair of boots or a handbag to suit the current mood.
The backlash on Twitter was swift


text:
- Storm sale of Noise Colorfit Caliber smartwatch.
- Sales of 30,000 units of watch in one hour.
- The watch comes with health features.
New Delhi :Noise A few days ago your new smartwatch The Noise Colorfit Caliber was launched. This smartwatch is getting huge likes from the users in the first cell. In the first sale alone, 30,000 watches were sold in 60 minutes.
The smartwatch, which comes with a body temperature monitoring system, is priced at Rs 1,999. The smartwatch is currently out of stock and the company will soon be making it available on sale.
Features and Specifications of Noise Colorfit Caliber
The smartwatch has a 1.69 inch TFT display with a resolution of 240×280 pixels. The smartwatch, which comes with 150 pre-loaded watch faces, features a body temperature monitor. There is also a SpO2 monitor with heart rate, stress and sleep monitors.
The Noise watch has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. The watch can be purchased in Black, Blue, Red, White and Green. The watch comes with an adjustable silicone band.
The company had launched the smartwatch in India at a price of Rs 3,999. However, under the introductory offer, it is being sold at Rs 1,999. You can buy this watch from the company’s website with Flipkart.


text:
Mall retailer Charlotte Russe is leveraging Outspoken’s MMS aggregator technology to implement a Send to Mobile capability on its online product pages and is seeing an average of 3,000 shares every week.
Apparel and accessories
- No categories
Clothing and accessories retailer Gap has introduced an omnichannel wish list solution for shoppers to compile items and share with family members via Twitter, Facebook and email and will be hosting free Wi-Fi in stores for customers’ convenience.
Victoria’s Secret is using an interactive mobile chat solution to allow users of its Pink Nation application to socialize with others and a messaging feature to provide exclusive access to the brand’s annual Fashion Show.
EBay’s new location-based mobile application called Close 5 looks to innovate consumer-to-consumer online commerce, an area that is attracting a growing number of competitors such as Threadflip, Classy and others.
Ecommerce boutique retailer Rue La La and clothing corporation Urban Outfitters are two brands that can transform an ordinary animal photo into a social trend to help achieve engagement with their most dedicated followers.
Mall retailer Charlotte Russe recently tried out Curalate’s Like2Buy mcommerce solution and saw a 60 percent click-through rate from the Like2Buy page to product pages.
Apparel and accessories brand Rebecca Minkoff has teamed with eBay to power its new tech-savvy store in New York that allows mobile connectivity and transforms the in-store shopping experience by incorporating digital components.
Children’s shoe retailer and marketer Stride Rite has launched an iPad application that measures a child’s foot size, helping parents feel more confident about their online purchases.
International retailer LamaLoLi, an online retailer of Disney, Star Wars and many other kids’ licensed apparel and accessory products, reports a significant increase in interaction rates and conversion following its launch of a mobile-optimized Web site.
Fashion and lifestyle brand Paul Frank’s recent launch of a pop-up shop in New York includes Blippar’s image recognition technology to provide interactive experiences in the store.


text:
BoF compiles the most important professional moves of the week.
Who Are You Calling Girly? (NY Times) “In the year since Ms. Waight Keller, formerly the designer of Pringle of Scotland, became the creative director at Chloé, many visitors have noted the remarkable calmness that radiates from her studio. That, and the fact that roughly 80 percent of the hundreds of employees at the company are women, which is a point of pride at a house that has projected an aura of femininity for 60
PARIS, France — With fabled fashion innovators Raf Simons and Hedi Slimane scheduled to make their respective ready-to-wear debuts at Dior and Saint Laurent, two of French fashion’s most iconic houses, the stage is set for a historic Paris Fashion Week. And indeed, the conversation amongst editors, buyers and other industry insiders assembling here in the world’s fashion capital is charged with palpable excitement. BoF spoke to
LONDON, United Kingdom — One never knows exactly what to expect from fashion month. Which designers will soar higher, which will stumble, and which will seemingly rise from the ashes? Four weeks of shows, parties and extravaganzas finally came to an end last Wednesday, and the answers to many of these questions have now been revealed. But of course fashion week isn’t just about shows and parties, it is also the time of year


text:
The Nikon rebates will be renewed next month, but many of the high-end lenses will not be included (end June 29th).
The current Fujifilm rebates will not be extended (end June 29th).
Those Canon savings will expire on July 6th.
Sony's offers are valid till June 29th.
Tamron lens savings are set to expire on June 30th.
Sigma rebates are valid till June 30th.
Tokina rebates are valid till August 31st.


text:
SIU-contracted Crowley Maritime issued the following news release on October 9. It can also be viewed here.
VIDEO: Crowley Delivers Around-the-Clock Response
to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico
20 Vessels, 6,500 Loads of Cargo to be Offloaded by Week’s End
Full-Scale Logistics Operation, 375 Trucks Expediting Deliveries
With employees working around the clock and its vessels calling the Port of San Juan almost daily, Crowley Maritime Corp. said today it will have offloaded by the end of this week more than 6,500 loads of FEMA and commercial cargo from 20 vessels since Hurricane Maria struck the island in late September. And the company projects another 9 vessels, carrying between 2,500 and 3,000 loads, will arrive in Puerto Rico next week.
“I am very grateful for the extraordinary work of our teams in San Juan, Jacksonville and in other parts of the country,” said Tom Crowley, chairman and CEO. “Many of these employees – as well as response professionals at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other government agencies – are military service veterans who learned disaster response logistics in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other tough environments. Many of our employees have friends and family directly affected by the disaster. Their tireless commitment and focus on getting results is truly impressive and deserves our respect and appreciation.”
Noting the island will have needs extending beyond response activities, Crowley said, “While emergency response work continues, it is not too soon to begin focusing on how Puerto Rico’s needs can be met over the longer term. We look forward to working as a coalition with government and business to help Puerto Rico rebuild and come back stronger than ever.”
Much of Crowley’s hurricane relief effort is being directed by its logistics division, which has a dedicated team providing drayage, direct deliveries, deconsolidation, inventory control, and final mile deliveries in Puerto Rico, along with a team on the U.S. mainland coordinating trucking, cross docking, and cargo deliveries to the ports for ocean transport.
“With our logistics operation, we are storing goods at our Guaynabo distribution center and releasing products once they are needed,” said Ayesha Diaz, general manager of Crowley’s logistics operation in San Juan. “We have also been supporting airport operations providing forklift equipment and operators to expedite the handling of air freight.”
Crowley’s logistics group now has more than 375 trucks being used for distribution activities on the island, and the team is supporting FEMA with regional distribution capabilities in Ceiba, Aguadilla, and the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan.
“I am very pleased and appreciative of the efforts our truck drivers have made to speed relief cargo to those in need,” said Frank Larkin, senior vice president and general manager, logistics and commercial services. “We were the only logistics provider that had truck power – albeit limited at the time – available as soon as the U.S. Coast Guard reopened the port in San Juan. The port was reopened at 8 a.m. on Sept. 23, the first Crowley vessel was in discharging cargo at 10 a.m., and many of our truckers were right there to deliver relief cargo to FEMA’s distribution center when no other trucking or logistics company was providing transportation services on the island.”
As featured in a new video detailing the operations out of Jacksonville, a steady stream of vessels – almost one per day – is providing the island with a pipeline of food, water, fuel, building materials, machinery, equipment and much more.
“Crowley’s vessel calls and loads carried since the onset of the storm is more than double our normal weekly volume,” said Crowley’s John Hourihan Jr., senior vice president and general manager, Puerto Rico services. “Most of the additional cargo consists of water, ready-to-eat meals and other relief supplies, as well as utility trucks, fuel trucks, and many other types of rolling equipment on behalf of FEMA.”
“We have responded to immediate and projected longer-term needs on the island by adding six vessels to our fleet to ensure there is plenty of cargo carrying capacity between the mainland and Puerto Rico,” Hourihan said.
Meanwhile, commercial cargo operations are beginning to come back on line as customers reopen stores and begin to restock shelves.
“When you consider that many people lost everything in the storm, all cargo is relief cargo, whether it comes from FEMA, a retail store or a grocery,” said Jose “Pache” Ayala, vice president, Puerto Rico services. “That’s why the recovery of our commercial customers is so important.”
Congestion on Crowley’s Isla Grande Terminal in San Juan continues to be a challenge, though improvement has been realized. The pace of loads being dispatched from the terminal and trucked out to locations on the island has gradually improved to near the normal rate of 400 to 500 loads per day. While this has helped clear some of the backlog, the additional volumes brought into the port have kept the total loads awaiting dispatch at more than twice the normal amount.
Crowley, which has about 300 Puerto Rico employees, has served the Puerto Rico market since 1954, longer than any other Jones Act carrier in the trade.
Jacksonville-based Crowley Holdings Inc., a holding company of the 125-year-old Crowley Maritime Corporation, is a privately held family and employee-owned company. The company provides marine solutions, energy and logistics services in domestic and international markets by means of six operating lines of business: Puerto Rico liner services, international liner services, logistics services, petroleum services, marine services and technical services. Offered within these operating lines of business are: liner container shipping, logistics, contract towing and transportation; ship assist and escort; energy support; salvage and emergency response through its 50 percent ownership in Ardent Global; vessel management; vessel construction and naval architecture through its Jensen Maritime subsidiary; government services, and petroleum and chemical transportation, distribution and sales. Additional information about Crowley, its subsidiaries and business units may be found at crowley.com.
# # #
Comments are closed.


text:
Shenandoah Growers, Inc., the nation’s most commercially advanced indoor agriculture company leveraging its biology and technology platform, national customer network and distribution channels to deliver USDA certified organic herbs and leafy greens to more than 18,000 retailers nationwide, today announced the addition of a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to its Executive Leadership Team, continuing a series of recent strategic hires by the company.
Matthew Ryan, former Chief Marketing Officer for Starbucks, Inc., has joined Shenandoah Growers as the company’s next Chief Executive Officer. Mike Buckley, most recently Senior Vice President of Business for Postmates, joins as the company’s next Chief Financial Officer. After more than 20 years as Chief Executive Officer, Timothy Heydon will continue to be fully engaged with the company. Tim will work directly with the Board of Directors, offering strategic counsel rooted in his decades of leadership shepherding the company from its origins in field agriculture through its evolution to the nation’s leading controlled environment agriculture company.


text:
A 10% duty imposed on Chinese oil
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday imposed a 10% regulatory duty on the import of petroleum products from China after a massive 673% increase in duty-free imports to 250 billion rupees this year with a loss of revenue of 25 billion rupees under the guise of the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement (CPFTA).
A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet’s Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) which also approved nearly Rs 147 billion in additional grants, including Rs 81 billion in additional funds to defense services for expenses before June 30.
The meeting, chaired by Finance Minister Miftah Ismail, also approved a summary for awarding an unspecified amount of fees to officers and staff of the Ministry of Finance and Revenue Council. The decisions came a day after the government raised oil prices to ease the fiscal burden.
Under the country’s import policy, petroleum products are subject to a 10% customs duty on imports, while a deemed equivalent duty of 10% is applicable to the local production of these products by national refineries. However, the CPFTA signed in 2019 provides duty-free treatment for thousands of items in bilateral trade, including petroleum products.
ECC approves Rs147 billion in additional grants
It is not yet known how and why oil imports were included in the revised CPFTA in 2019 when China is a net importer of oil and these products were not even included in the original FTA signed in 2006 and then revised. in 2016. It is also strange that such a facility is not part of the FTA with Malaysia, which is a major oil producer and exporter.
JIs increase imports from China
Informed sources said that the ECC had been informed that due to the exemption of customs duties under the CPFTA, some of the Petroleum Marketing Companies (OMC), in particular a multinational, had increased their gasoline imports from China by taking advantage of the CPFTA. The government could do nothing against JIs since such sourcing from China was legal under the CPFTA, even though importers benefiting from the FTA exemption pay no customs duty while others pay customs duties at the rate of 10%.
This translates into a price saving of around 10% on gasoline imports from China and the differential is retained by the WTO as windfall profit instead of its benefit reaching the national treasury or consumers. According to the international petrol price published in Platt’s Oilgram, the gap is currently rising to Rs20 per litre.
At the time of preparation of the summary, it was reported that such imports increased from Rs 30 billion in FY21 to Rs 232 billion, with a negative impact of Rs 23 billion on Federal Board revenue of Revenue (FBR) in FY22.
It was therefore decided by the ECC to impose a statutory duty of 10% on the importation of gasoline where the customs duty was zero. However, the importation of gasoline for which a customs duty of 10% is paid will be exempt from the levy of the regulatory duty. The Tariff Advisory Board had already approved the proposal on February 28, 2022.
Interestingly, the main objective of the free trade agreement between the two friendly countries signed on April 28, 2019 was the promotion of fair trade competition. China itself is a net importer of petroleum products whose gasoline and transportation cost to Pakistan is relatively higher than that of the Middle East. Yet it provides a substantial cushion to the CMOs. The current position under the CPFTA is valid for four years – from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2024.
Collection of electricity bills
The ECC also approved a summary from the Ministry of Communication for the clearance of the remaining funds of Rs37.33 billion out of a total of Rs62.33 billion seized by the Ministry of Finance through procedural gadgets collected in the form of invoices utilities by Pakistan Post on behalf of power distribution companies. .
The ECC has been informed that the clearance of these liabilities from utility companies, especially electricity distribution companies and partner agencies of the Pakistan Post Department (PPOD), is urgently required as these funds did not belong to the federation but the invoices collected from consumers on behalf of Discotheques.
It was reported that the collection of utility bills is one of the agency functions performed by Pakistan Post and the amount thus collected is deposited in the Central Account 1 of SBP. Liabilities of Rs 62.33 billion have been accrued till March 31 this year due to the amended mechanism under the Public Financial Management Act 2019. Rs 25 billion had already been approved on April 15 for payment to utility companies.
The ECC ordered the payment of Rs 37.33 billion for clearing the remaining unpaid debts of utility companies or partner agencies of Pakistan Post after verification of the amount claimed by SBP.
The ECC also approved the release of Rs 621 million for payment of gas bills to SSGCL for supplying gas to Pakistani steel mills for eight months (July-February) at the rate of about Rs 80 per month. PSM is supplied with low flame gas of 2MMCFD by SSGC due to shutdown of production activity primarily to preserve coke oven batteries and refractory furnaces.
The ECC has also approved around 17 other additional grants worth Rs 146 billion, including 10 with an additional financial burden of around Rs 122 billion. This included about Rs 81 billion to Defense Services to bridge the critical shortfall in the current financial year and Rs 40.5 billion to exporters under the previous government’s Duty Drawback Schemes (DLTL and LTLD, etc.) cleared by the State Bank of Pakistan.
On the recommendation of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research, the ECC has also approved an increase of up to 2.67% in tobacco tax for the 2022-23 crop. Under the ruling, the tax on Virginia air-cured tobacco was Rs 6 per kg, showing an increase of 2.45 pc and 2.13 pc on the plain and sub-mountainous zone.
Posted in Dawn, June 4, 2022


text:
Sales joy as Leith's Lind & Lime Distillery cheers major export milestone
and live on Freeview channel 276
The deal with California-based Preiss Imports will see an initial 5,200 bottles of Lind & Lime Gin appear in selected retailers in western seaboard states from the first quarter of 2023, with wider distribution to follow. The distillery has seen steady growth in sales despite a backdrop of macroeconomic turmoil, with the business expanding its distribution globally to South Korea, Canada and now the United States.
Earlier this year, Lind & Lime Gin rolled up the shutters on its energy efficient distillery in the historic Edinburgh port allowing the award winning brand to double its bottling capacity and welcome thousands of visitors to its new tour and tasting experience.
Co-founder Ian Stirling, said: “There’s no doubt 2022 has been a more challenging year for trading, but, for the most part, in-market sales continue to grow despite fluctuating global macroeconomics. Germany has remained our strongest performing market overseas for 2022, with outstanding market performances in Italy and Israel. We’ve been able to engage new markets in the US, Canada and South Korea and are now looking towards favourable opportunities in 2023, with more new markets coming on-board.”
He added: “Lind & Lime is special, because of the simplicity and quality of its ingredients. When we were first devising our gin, it was the height of the gin boom in the UK, and it felt like an exotic new brand was being launched every week. Nevertheless, we felt like there was a place for a new brand that could cut through the noise and deliver the very essence of what a London dry gin should be. This is as true now as it was when we were starting out back in 2014 and we look forward to enjoying further success as we continue to grow the brand in the UK and internationally.”
The name is inspired by Dr James Lind, an Edinburgh educated Royal Navy surgeon who is recognised for developing the theory that citrus fruits such as limes could prevent scurvy.


text:
More than 60 years after his last Major League at-bat, Ted Williams is still swinging for the fences.
Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams is sliding head-first into the non-fungible token (NFT) memorabilia market.
With the auction of nine different digital cards, he becomes the next name in line to embrace the crypto market. The cards themselves chronicle the career of “Teddy Ballgame” from his first at-bat in 1939 to his HOF induction in 1966.
Artist Andre Maciel, aka Black Madre, was contacted directly by Ted Williams’ daughter to create the digital pieces. The Brazilian recently created NFT art for NFL superstar Rob Gronkowski with sales reaching $1.6 million in March.
The centerpiece of the auction is titled “The Splendid Splinter.” It’s accompanied by a signed bat and a trio of autographed photos. The winning bidder will also receive a one-of-a-kind Airbnb stay at Williams’ former Vermont residence aptly named “The Splendid Splinter.”
A portion of the proceeds will go to the Jimmy Fund, a children’s cancer charity that Williams has supported since his days on the field.
NFT craze continues
The Ted Wiliams estate is far from being the first name in sports to toss their hat into the Crypto/NFT market.
As touched on above, Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski recently made waves when his debut NFT earned more than $1.8 million in sales on OpenSea. The one-of-one career refractor card was the crown jewel, composed of a collage of all the other cards and digitally signed. The card also came with a meet-and-greet and VIP tickets to Gronk’s next beach bash.
New York Mets first baseman, Pete Alonso, recently launched an NFT to help minor leaguers who were left jobless after COVID-19.
Not to be left behind, the NBA got in the game by creating a market named “Top Shot.” The joint venture between the NBA, NBPA, and Dapper Labs created digital basketball cards that feature highlights.
Described by Dapper Labs CEO Roham Gharegozlou as “collectibles that you can own forever,” pack prices range from $9 to $230. Some rare pulls, such as a Lebron James limited print, are selling in the high five-digit range.
In adherence to the Trust Project guidelines, BeInCrypto is committed to unbiased, transparent reporting. This news article aims to provide accurate, timely information. However, readers are advised to verify facts independently and consult with a professional before making any decisions based on this content.


text:
Our barometer has dropped by one point this month, settling at +25. Despite good morale in Luxembourg, this drop is attributed to Eurozone economic results falling slightly below expectations.
- STATEC predicted that GDP would rise in the fourth quarter of 2016, bolstered by an increase in household consumption and producer prices.
- This upward trend is expected to continue in 2017 thanks to the tax reform, salary indexation and the rising cost of raw materials.
- Positive indicators include: record consumer confidence, increase in vehicle registrations and improved retail sales at the end of 2016.
- The financial sector should be boosted by the more favourable market climate.
- The mutual funds market boasted a record 3.7 billion euros of assets under management at the end of 2016 - a 6.7% increase year on year.
- The Eurozone experienced growth for the fifteenth quarter in a row (+0.4% in Q4 2016), the longest growth period since the 2008-2009 recession.
- Figures were worse than expected for Germany and France (+0.4%), as well as Greece (-0.4%)
- Markit's February's composite PMI (Purchasing Managers' Index) has reached activity levels that have not been seen for six years
- This should lead to 0.6% growth in the Eurozone for the first quarter of 2017


text:
Kent Orrgrenis the new CEO of World Class Romania
Kent Orrgrenreplaced Mikael Fredholm as the CEO of our portfolio company, World Class Romania. Mikael Fredholm will remain as amember of the Management Board. Kent Orrgren has over 25 years' experience in healthcare and fitness sector. Previously he was a member of management boards in the leading fitness clubs in Sweden.
Kent Orrgren, CEO at World Class, performed at the European Health and Fitness Forum in Cologne. The 5th annual event brought together top experts from different sectors of the industry and over 400 delegates from 34 countries to discuss human capital in the European fitness sector.
Our portfolio company, Torf Corporation, won the Product of the Year 2017 awarded by Women's Health magazine. The winning products were:


text:
"For the first time in three years, Indian companies doing business in Europe have shed their pessimism and see a rebound in their business prospects in the region," the survey by industry body Ficci said.
It said despite the slowdown, Indian companies have been able to grow and create a niche for their products there.
"There has been a marked rise in number of companies who have successfully been able to reduce their losses while doing business in the region," the survey titled ‘Is the Worst Phase over for Indian Companies Doing Business in Europe?’ said.
Despite the slowdown, Europe was the major trading partner of India.
"The gradual turn-around has been achieved by Indian corporate by successfully re-positioning and re-aligning their operational capabilities in one of the most demanding and organised markets in the world," it said.
The survey said that although the current economic situation in Europe is resulting in number of procedural and regulatory obstacles for Indian companies to expand and do business in the continent, the region is still providing needed returns on the investments made.
About 50 companies, which participated in the survey, said that the continent has several positive factors which attracts domestic firms to do business there.
"It's economic, trade and investment policies generally welcome foreign investment. Other attractions include well developed capital markets, political and social stability, established and transparent legal systems," it added.
It said despite the ongoing gloomy economic scenario in Greece, Spain, Italy, Indian companies have overwhelmingly expressed optimism that the "worst is over for them" while engaging the region commercially.
About half of the firms surveyed said that even when the markets were going into a slowdown mode, in Europe, they have been able to register growth in their product categories.
"Half of the surveyed companies expected the current economic situation would improve in the coming 1-2 years time," it said adding " to keep their balance sheets stable, over 50 per cent of the Indian companies surveyed have already begun to diversify their markets within Europe".
However, the survey said that getting a business visa remained the most worrying issue for them to effectively engage with the European economies.
Over 20 per cent said during the current economic turmoil, rather than facilitating foreign investments, the respective European governments have made its processes more stringent in obtaining and renewing long-term visas, work permits and overall ease of doing business in the region.
Further, it said Indian industry is closely monitoring the ongoing negotiations of India-EU for a comprehensive free trade agreement.


text: While 2019 was a flurry of collaborations and high profile releases, it seems that Jordan brand is going back to their archives with some of the releases this year. With the classic Jordan 1 becoming one of the most sought after retros in recent years, it’s nice to see that Jordan Brand is paying homage to the original with this release. The shape of this model is the closest to date we’ve gotten to the original ’85 classic. This flipped variation plays off the classic ‘Black/Red’ colorway seen on the banned Jordan 1s. The sneaker has gone to great lengths to preserve the feeling of the original, even re-creating the hang tags that was featured on the sneakers upon their original release. Jordan brand had to go back to their archives to find the original photo of MJ in order to recreate the look of that paper tag. These are sure to be high sought after and even more so considering their release is limited to a mere 23,000 pairs. Look for more release details to leak prior to their release in February.


text:
Earlier today we reported on the Huawei Ascend D2 and the first official images associated with it. Now it seems that a press photo of the Ascend D2 has been leaked as well.
With the phone now confirmed for CES 2013, it is only a matter of time before we get to take a much closer and more detailed look at the upcoming handset. This much is clear, this premium device certainly seems like a pretty big departure from Huawei’s typical budget-oriented offerings.
What kind of specs will the phone have? The Ascend D2 is said to feature a Huawei-made multi-core 1.5GHz processor, a 13MP camera, a front-facing camera and a 3,000mAh battery. As for the display, it will be a 1080p 5-inch screen similar to what is found in the HTC Droid DNA.
What do you think, would you consider the Huawei Ascend D2 if it is made available locally to you when it officially launches?
Like this post? Share it!
With release world-wide mounth after announcment, and reasonable price. YESSSS!!!
this phone looks like a SGS2
Apple will sue them :D
Without the Huawei logo, that is definitely an LG 4X HD.
i am using huawei u8825d and have come to like the speed and cam; so cant wait to c this new cousin of his, as long as the price is reasonable…
as long as the price is reasonable.


text:
The Galaxy Note10 isn't slated to be announced until August, and slated to go on sale later that month. But that hasn't stopped case makers from announcing their cases and even putting them up for pre-order, nearly two months ahead of time.
Mobile Fun, a pretty popular smartphone accessories company in the UK, has already put up a number of cases for the Galaxy Note10 and Galaxy Note10 Pro for pre-order. These cases are from Olixar, a company that does typically launch their cases pretty early, often times ahead of the announcement of the phone.
These cases do line up with the leaks that we've seen for the Galaxy Note10 and Galaxy Note10 Pro. That includes the hole-punch display, with a camera centered at the top. As well as thinner bezels and a vertical camera lineup this time around, instead of a horizontal one – like we saw with the Galaxy S10 family.
The Galaxy Note10 Pro does also seem to have a slightly more curved display than the standard Galaxy Note10. According to Mobile Fun, it has a larger top bezel, due to the biometrics that Samsung has included in the phone. And those obviously won't be coming to the Galaxy Note10 unfortunately. The Galaxy Note10 Pro does also appear to have a few more sensors on the back near the camera. While the Galaxy Note10 has a flash next to the three cameras, the Galaxy Note10 Pro has what appears to be a Time of Flight Sensor and something else.
With the rumor we saw earlier today on the Galaxy Note10, it wouldn't be surprising to see that three-stage variable aperture on the Galaxy Note10 Pro only. Especially seeing how different these cameras are, in these cases from Olixar.
These cases do also show that the design rumors we've seen in the past few weeks are true, at least according to the information that Samsung provided to Olixar. That includes showcasing that triple camera setup on the back of the Galaxy Note10.
While Olixar does work with Samsung and has gotten some information on the Galaxy Note10's dimensions, these may not be what the Galaxy Note10 and Galaxy Note10 Pro end up looking like, when they get announced. So it's important to take this with a grain of salt. Even though it does line up with the recent rumors and leaks that we have seen for both devices. There's always a chance that Samsung could make some changes to the design before the phone is announced.
Right now, Samsung is planning to announce the Galaxy Note10 and Galaxy Note10 Pro on August 7, at an event in New York City. While Samsung has not yet made it official just yet, the August 7 date does sound about right. It's about the same time as last year, when Samsung announced the Galaxy Note9. It'll likely go up for pre-order that day, and then go on sale worldwide within a couple of weeks – usually before the Labor Day holiday. So we still have a bit of time before the Galaxy Note10 will become official.


text:
According to analyst, Peter Misek, the iPhone 5S, which was released in June, is changing their pattern that was establish over the last two years. The iPhone 5S has a super HD camera, a better battery and 128Gb for storage. Misek is predicting that the iPhone will come out in about 6-8 colors.
The iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5 were released almost at the same time. The iPhone 4S was released in September and the iPhone 5 was released in October.
Apple’s sales were down quickly two quarters before the launch of the new iPhone.Consumers held off because they knew the new phone was coming. Apple try to avoid all loading sales by accelerating it product release.


text:
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)– While retailers experiencing supply chain issues. Consumer confidence and demand is very high as is the outlook for the upcoming holiday season.
“Income is up for Nevadans and Americans in general, a strong resilience to spend, savings are also up,” Bryan Wachter, senior vice president for government and public affairs for the Retail Association of Nevada said. “
According to the Retail Association of Nevada, they are expecting a robust holiday season. Every retailer is making sure that they can meet customers where they want to be met, whether it is online shopping, curbside pickup, or in the store.
We are importing and have more products now than we had in 2019, or 2020 so inventories are up,” Wachter said.
But we may still see snags in our supply chain due to the backlog at the ports, and the trucker driver shortage, creating less variety and limited choices.
Wachter says that the key is while you’re out shopping be patient.
“The holiday season can create some anxiety, as there might be some empty shelves, but please make sure you are being courteous to our retail workers as they start a challenging time as well,” Wachter said.


text:
The world's largest tech exhibition is underway in Germany. This year's big highlight is the 600 different Chinese firms showcasing their products as the "IT map shifts to the east."
German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the world's largest technological trade fair, CeBit, on Sunday, beginning the latest installment of the three-decade old exhibition that last year brought over 200,000 to the western city of Hanover.
CeBit, which is a German acronym for Center for Office Automation, Information Technology and Telecommunication, once dazzled consumers with the latest gadgets. But now, overshadowed by big tech events in Las Vegas and Barcelona, it has shifted its focus to business users. Last year, over 90 percent of its visitors were IT professionals.
This year's exhibition has a special focus on China as a partner country.
"China has developed itself from the workbench to being a global provider of solutions for the digital world. And companies such as Huawei and ZTE are already quality leaders in networking equipment here in Europe, for example," CeBit head Oliver Frese told DW's Henrik Böhme in Hanover. "We can clearly see a shift on the IT map towards the east."
Chinese companies such as Huawei, Xiaomi and Lenovo will help fill the more than 30,000 square feet (3,000 m) of exhibition space. The huge Chinese contingent at the fair "makes it the biggest and strongest partner country presentation we've ever seen at CeBit," said Frese at a press conference.
Tech sector not effected by slowdown
Despite China's larger economic slowdown, information and communications technology are booming in the world's biggest smartphone market, which also has the largest number of Internet users.
The choice of the Asian giant as a partner country has irked some, as China is known for its Internet surveillance and censorship known as the "Great Firewall of China." Amnesty International has announced plans to protest China's treatment of critics, including imprisoned Nobel laureate Liu Xiaobo, during the fair.
While Merkel continues to speak out on human rights, she has been careful to avoid any major offense against Beijing after she caused a stir by receiving a visit from the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dali Lama in 2007.
"The German government must ask itself how it will contribute to improving the human rights situation in China," said Amnesty's Verena Harpe.
Berlin and Beijing cozy up
Germany is the biggest European economic player in China by a long shot, and its exports there helped soften some of the blow from the financial crisis in Europe. Bilateral trade in 2014 topped 140 billion euros ($177 million).
Berlin and Beijing even participate in joint cabinet meetings once every two years, something China does with no other country and Germany only with a select few, including France, India and Israel. However, some analysts worry that such close ties could present a dilemma for EU member Germany in the future as Beijing grows more assertive in Asia and on the world stage and the relationship becomes as much about security as about economics.
"As tensions increase between China and its neighbors … you could have a situation where Germany undermines a coherent European approach on security issues in Asia," Hans Kundnani of the European Council on Foreign Relations explained to French news agency AFP.


text:
The deployment of smart meters across the European Union has been a journey marked by both progress and challenges. Mandated by EU legislation since 2009, the rollout of these meters was expected to revolutionise how consumers interact with energy usage.
However, the reality has fallen short of expectations, with smart meter penetration currently standing at around 56% in the EU, missing the target set for 2020.
Unequal roll-out across Member States has resulted in unequal opportunities for consumers. While some countries have surpassed the 80% target with roll-out rates exceeding 90%, others lag, leaving their citizens at a disadvantage. This discrepancy impedes consumers’ ability to actively participate in the energy transition, manage costs, and engage effectively with their energy usage.
To address these issues and maximise the benefits of smart metering, several key recommendations emerged during ESMIGs recent Smart Metering Forum at E-world.
- Clear, Ambitious, and Binding Targets: Setting a clear target for smart meter roll-out completion by at least 80% for all Member States by 2030 is essential. This ambitious goal provides a framework for consistent progress across the EU, ensuring no consumer is left behind.
- Performance Standards: It’s crucial to set EU-wide performance standards for smart meters to ensure they possess the necessary functionalities and are utilised to their full potential. This not only benefits distribution system operators but also empowers consumers to make informed decisions about their energy consumption.
- Unlocking Data: Smart meter data holds great potential for improving system efficiency, reducing consumption, and empowering consumers. Leveraging real-time data insights can significantly enhance the effectiveness of smart meters.
Following an exploration of EU-wide recommendations, two panel discussions followed, first focussing on the smart meter roll-out more broadly and secondly, innovative data strategies to support the energy transition. Dr. Jason Humphries, Operations Director for Sense, spoke specifically about ‘Unlocking Data’ in the latter session.
He emphasised during his panel session that with a small uplift in meter technology, the next generation smart meters, embedded with grid edge intelligence, can deliver the energy transition in Europe at a radically lower cost and faster pace. Meters capable of processing high-resolution data in real-time enable grid visibility and demand flexibility at scale.
He cited real-world global examples of how these next generation capabilities are delivering results today and how this could support European Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) in optimising their own grid operations:
Engage customers with personalised energy insights
To manage an increasingly complex grid, we need the support of consumers and the Sense app can unlock this for DNO’s. It does this by giving consumers a product of genuine value. Providing them with a personalised tool to identify how much consumption individual appliances are using in real-time. With this insight, users find it easy to reduce their consumption, find energy savings and benefit from greater home awareness.
An average consumer reduces their bill by 8-10%, with the most engaged achieving enduring savings of 25%
Manage domestic flexibility with behavioural and connected demand response.
Homes account for 25% of global electricity consumption, and yet this stock of flexible load remains untapped. However, this long tail of load can be unlocked, reducing power, balancing and infrastructure costs. The key is consumer engagement. When consumers are engaged, retain control and provide consent over their energy usage they are more likely to participate in demand response programmes.
A well designed demand response system needs accessible loads, irrespective of whether heating systems are active or EV’s are at home with depleted batteries. Achieving this requires the ability to shift demand across a broader set of appliances. While some loads may be ‘smart’ and directly controllable, a significant portion of household appliances will be older, non-connected appliances, that need shifting via behavioural nudges.
So, how do we efficiently and effectively harness the potential of these unconnected loads through behavioural demand-side response?
Historically, this has presented challenges. However, with real time device detection, the scope for load shifting through this approach has hugely increased.
In our experience, once a consumer is engaged, Sense can send them personalised nudge messages asking them to turn down (or up) specific appliances. Sense can identify the most discretionary devices that a consumer could turn down, including these legacy non-connected appliances such as ovens, water heaters, laundry, AC units, stoves, etc., in addition to the obvious suspects like connected EV chargers.
Sense has found that shifting load is more successful when the consumer is told exactly what to do. In fact, it’s nearly 3x better than the previous best-in-class.
Sense users reduced consumption by 18% compared to 6% in typical DR programmes.
Furthermore, understanding individual devices in real-time enables visibility behind the meter. In this example, below, we can see 200 EV’s charging in Sense homes; we’re able to see exactly when an EV is charging. This level of detail can also be provided for heat pumps, hot water heaters, AC’s etc. With this real-time information Sense can support DNO’s to optimise their power purchasing and prioritise network investment.
Shaving 0.3KW off peak load per home, would be the equivalent to 12.6GW across Germany.
Reduce power and operational costs with grid edge analytics and forecasting.
Sense supplies real time voltage, frequency, waveform, total harmonic distortion, and power quality data to network operators, helping to manage a more complex grid.
This level of insight enables the detection of faults on the grid, such as identifying and locating vegetation brush or corrosion of assets like transformers. During the forum, Dr Humphries presented an example of grid fault detection in Maui, Hawaii. Sense identified an issue with the grid due to fluctuations in the low voltage network nearly 6 hrs before the first reported fire in Lahaina, Maui on 8th August 2023.
With this level of visibility, operations teams could send representatives to specifically identified fault areas to investigate the issue further and tackle potentially catastrophic issues with urgency, rather than allocating resources to broader regions where faults might be limited and could be re-prioritised.
In summary, as the EU expands and accelerates its smart meter deployments, DSO’s should explore global trends in metering including the opportunities afforded by advanced technologies like Sense. By investing in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI 2.0) and utilising high-resolution technologies (1MHz) and data analytics, utilities can unlock real-time data on energy consumption patterns, voltage fluctuations, and grid performance. This real-time data enables proactive monitoring, rapid response to outages, better forecasting and predictive maintenance, ultimately leading to enhanced reliability and efficiency of the energy system.
Did you know?
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, and Spain have completed 100% of their rollouts.
Some member states are starting their second-generation rollout, such as Italy, or are in advanced planning stages for the deployment of a next generation of smart meters — this is the case in Finland, the Netherlands, and Sweden.


text:
Germany’s Volkswagen needs to ensure there is enough external influence to steer the family business through tough times, following a move by the Piech family to rein in control of the carmaker.
That’s according to Albrecht Enders, professor of strategy and innovation at Swiss-based business school IMD, who was commenting after Volkswagen proposed Ursula Piech, wife of chairman Ferdinand Piech, join the automaker's board.
“There is nothing wrong with wanting to preserve family continuity, so long as the Piech family also gets non-family members to navigate the business during its difficult periods,” he told CampdenFB.
In a letter dated 11 March, the company invited Ursula to stand for nomination to the supervisory board.
Her addition will increase the number of family members on the board to five – there are currently a total of 20 members on the supervisory board.
Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the management board, reckons Ursula is “very competent and thinks like an entrepreneur”, a spokesman for VW told CampdenFB.
According to Enders, increasing the family's presence at VW sends a message about “who is in charge of the business”.
“What would be interesting to watch out for is the kind of role Ursula would play in the future, and whether she would hold a representative role in running the board.”
Wolfsburg-based VW, which is Europe’s biggest carmaker by sales, also confirmed its results for 2011 this week. Revenues increased by 25.6% to €159.3 billion, while operating profits rose to €11.3 billion, up from €4.1 billion in 2010, the company said in a statement on 12 March.
Despite strong results under Piech’s supervision, his wife's inclusion to the board will cause outsiders to think twice about company decisions, reckons Enders.
"Family businesses have to avoid the impression that they are creating a wall around their businesses, making it impossible for outside perspectives to come in. Otherwise those wanting to invest in the company would have second thoughts before they take a leap into the business," he said.
The Piech family also owns a majority stake in Porsche, which is controlled by a different branch of the same family. Both VW and Porsche are headed by grandsons of Ferdinand Porsche, who founded the eponymous carmaker in the 1930s.
In 2008, Porsche tried to take over VW but its attempt failed, leading to the group accumulating debts of around €10 billion.


text:
Competition watchdog will have to prove it can handle new powers
Eighteen months ago the Competition and Markets Authority set out proposals for Britain’s post-Brexit competition regime. Arguing that the UK has an analogue system of competition and consumer law in a digital age, its solution was — unsurprisingly — for Britain to have greater powers.
Its chairman, Lord Tyrie, resigned in June, citing the government’s slow response. That may be about to change. As the end of the transition fast approaches, changes are needed that, at the very least, let the CMA scrutinise global mergers on the same basis as regulators in the European Union and United States.
Many of the authority’s proposals have merit. But if its powers are to expand there must also be reforms to ensure its decisions support open, competitive markets.


text:
February GST collections up 12%, third-highest of all time
Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections increased by 12% to over Rs. 1.49 lakh crore in February 2023, the Finance Ministry informed on Wednesday. February also witnessed the highest cess collection of Rs. 11,931 crore since implementing GST in 2017. The ministry also stated that GST revenue this year is 12% higher than revenue in February 2022, which was Rs. 1.33 lakh crore.
Third-highest GST collection of all time
Reportedly, India's February GST collections were the third-highest of all time. The second-highest was recorded in January at Rs. 1.57 lakh crore. In April of last year, GST revenues reached an all-time high of Rs. 1.68 lakh crore. As February is a 28-day month, it often witnesses a relatively lower collection of revenue, the ministry said.


text:
Local producers and food specialists from Noosa were part of the Aussie contingent to Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2016, an event held every two years where more than half a million foodies from 160 countries explored countless food stalls, workshops, demonstrations and tasting areas in Turin.
Representatives from Cooloola Berries, Buchi Kombucha and Kin Kin’s Black Ant Gourmet were amongst the representatives taking a taste of Australia to the world in a whirlwind trip funded by the Slow Food Noosa convivium as part of their fundraising initiatives.
Over the five day period, delegates explored the festival, participated in workshops, forums and events as well as manning the Slow Food Australia stand with information and samples from Australian food producers including local products from Suncoast Lime Salt; finger limes from The Caviar Lime Co; strawberry jam from Cooloola Berries; Lirah Balsamic Vinegar; and Rosella Jam from CC’s Kitchen.
Tourism Noosa assisted with funding to transport local products to be part of the Slow Food Australia stand as well as providing banners and collateral to promote Noosa and the Noosa Food & Wine Festival to the world.
For Kim and Jason Lewis from Cooloola Berries it was their first trip to Italy and they discovered that while other producers spoke of similar issues of food labelling, fair prices and access to transport, there was a stronger connection between producers and consumers in Italy than what was experienced at home.
Living local and using sustainable farming principles has always been an important mantra for the third-generation farmers and their experience at Terra Madre only strengthened their resolve in implementing the practice in their own community.
“Good, clean and fair is how we want to run our strawberry farm and as these are the key principles of Slow Food, we were thrilled to meet farmers from all over the world who shared this approach.
“We’ve got to be more vocal about what we do and we have to talk more openly and honestly about farming practices in Australia and the impact that has on our food, community and economy. We’ve got to enlighten and educate consumers in Australia to how much better relationships between producers and consumers can be.”
The Lewis’s believe that collaborating with Slow Food Noosa has helped Cooloola Berries to promote the value of sustainable food and shortening the value chain for producers.
“This trip has given us the opportunity to experience a true local food culture, a better way to eat and a better way to live,” said Kim, who is now working with Slow Food Noosa on a new project to help link producers and consumers.
For 18-year-old Sally Higgs, the trip was an experience of a lifetime and she is passionate about getting more youth to join the international Slow Food Youth Network. The apprentice chef with Kin Kin’s Black Ant Gourmet was a guest speaker for Slow Food Noosa last year due to her excellence in both Agricultural Science and Rural Operations at Noosa District State High School where she was a regular award winner as part of the Noosa High Beef Cattle Show team.
“It was my first time out of Queensland and I remember landing in Milan and seeing snow-capped mountains in the distance,” she says. “It was amazing seeing people from all over the world arrive and set up their stalls and once they opened their white tents up, all their country’s rich history and culture was on display.
“I have learnt so much and my head is still spinning,” she said.
Since returning Sally is working on a special project with Slow Food Noosa to help encourage people to eat local and is keen to start a Slow Food Youth Network in Noosa and has held an initial meeting to gather interest.
After receiving notification of her successful application to Terra Madre, Dr Sarah Lantz from Buchi Kombucha was invited to be one of five expert panellists who spoke at a sold-out forum, ‘Bacteria as Friends’, about fermentation and building relationships with bacteria.
“I was on a panel of five along with two Italians, a Swede and a Japanese representative discussing bacteria which was an experience for me as the presentation was translated into three different languages simultaneously.”
For Sarah, the size and enormity of the event surprised her and it was great to see that the work she was doing back home was part of something much bigger outside her home town.
“What we changed when we returned from Italy was the decision to be a different fermentation brand compared to others. We need to know and understand exactly what is in our kombucha,” she said.
“As a business grows it’s easy to introduce ingredients like syrups, for example, from overseas and we decided that we didn’t want to do that. Shipping to Western Australia, simply because of the distance is problematic so we’re going to set up microbreweries in WA and Melbourne for consumers in those areas and we’ll be utilising local farmers to supply those microbreweries.”
According to Sarah Lantz, 95% of people that attend her workshops in Australia don’t understand where their food comes from.
“I’m talking about the origins of our food. Is the asparagus I’m buying from Peru? Are the mangoes from Mexico? It’s a shame because we live in a country where we can grow an abundance of food and there’s so much cool stuff happening like urban forages and guerrilla gardeners yet Aussies aren’t linked into that stuff,” she says.
“We don’t have a clear, direct relationship with our farmers here, whereas in Italy it’s the very opposite and the farmers are very vocal about it.”
Terra Madra Salone del Gusto 2016 was an eye opener for our local delegates, all returning home with new ideas and a renewed passion for what they do. With just under two years until the next event, it’s worth considering your own contribution to the local foodie scene and maybe, just maybe, you could be jetting off to Turin in 2018!
Watch this plate. I mean space!


text:
By Kendall Jones, Washington Beer Blog
We recently published a story about new brewery openings. Well, this one missed being part of that story by just a few days. Volition Brewing recently opened its brewery taproom very quietly and softly. Here’s what we know. The location is on the main drag in downtown Noth Bend, they are open seven days a week, and by all accounts the beer is good. Well-mannered dogs and well-behaved kids are welcome.
Beyond beer, you can get snacks and prepackaged salads and sandwiches at the taproom. You are also welcome to bring in food or order a pizza for delivery.
112 W North Bend Way
North Bend, WA 98045
As of right now, the hours of operation are as follows.
Monday thru Thursday: 3:00 – 8:00
Friday: 3:00 – 9:00
Saturday: Noon – 9:00
Sunday: Noon – 8:00
I haven’t been able to visit yet, but one review on the brewery’s Facebook page said, “The devotion to quality ingredients and amazing knowledge and customer service is apparent as soon as you walk in the door. You feel like family as soon as you walk in.”
Another said, “Tasty Beer Recipes & Quality Brew! This will be your new favorite local hang out. Prime location downtown North Bend. They did an amazing job remodeling the space, creating a posh setting using reclaimed materials from the building. Owners/staff are very friendly. Good people with a genuine mission to create beer for you to enjoy.”
Posted by Kendall Jones.
For the latest news and information about beer in and around Washington, visit Washington Beer Blog.


text:
If you’re among those whose new year resolution has been revolving around launching a tech start-up, we’ve got some significant information for you: Most expensive places to launch a start-up internationally. Thank us later!
In a recent report prepared by Knight Frank – a global property consultancy based in London, the most costliest places to launch a tech start-up have been enlisted. Yes, this world doesn’t treat start-ups equally.
The reason behind some cities being much more expensive places to launch start-ups than others is the fact that start-ups tend to pop up in places where other start-ups are existing already-along with the venture capital firms that they’re looking to be noticed by, of course.
The leading Real Estate giant from UK put together the costs of leasing and fitting out 600 Square Feet of office space in the tech and creative areas of the World’s top cities. This size is enough for a small office that consists of 4 initial employees and a conference room.
Start-ups are a very important part of helping an economy recover from slow growth. Even though it is speculated that most new businesses don’t even make it past the 10-year mark, the ones that do help us change our lives in many ways more than one.
According to the report, London is the costliest place to open a start-up with the minimum capital needed being $66,706. London is followed closely by Brooklyn, New York with San Francisco right at its heels. In fact, cities from the USA are taking up 4 slots in the top-10 spaces alone.
In Europe, Paris and Dublin are joining London on the 4th and 6th places respectively.
Some Asian cities also made it to the list with Hong Kong being in the 7th place, Beijing holding on to the ninth place and Singapore bringing up the rear with the 10th place on the list.
The authors of the report have warned that cities need to be more economically accommodating for startups or this might have an adverse effect on growth, especially in the tech and creative sectors.


text:
IntelliVision Adds Anti-Spoofing to Face Recognition
Face recognition now much safer from fraud and deception.
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, January 31, 2019 – IntelliVision Technologies Corp. (IntelliVision®), a pioneer and leader in Artificial Intelligence and deep learning video analytics software for Smart Cameras and a subsidiary of Nortek Security & Control LLC (NSC), today announced the addition of anti-spoofing to its face recognition technology. IntelliVision anti-spoofing technology ensures that photos, screen-based images or even videos of a known face will not be recognized.
“With the growing popularity of facial recognition for access control, security and personalization, it is inevitable that bad actors will try to fool the system,” said Krishna Khadloya, VP Development for IntelliVision. “Special 3D cameras are too expensive for most applications, so we have implemented a ‘liveness’ test which can be used with regular 2D cameras, embedded or server-based.”
“IntelliVision’s wide portfolio of video analytics have been used by OEMs and solution providers for many years,” said Vaidhi Nathan, Nortek SVP Cameras and Analytics. “Now, with a rapidly increasing number of leads from integrators needing to integrate video analytics to their projects, we felt it was time to put our existing services and support into a formal program.” This new Channel Partner Program will provide access to leads, volume discounts, demo software, marketing resources, training and support.
By offering different levels of liveness testing, IntelliVision’s anti-spoofing feature implements security without sacrificing convenience. The system can be configured for fast secure recognition, or highly secure recognition at a slightly slower speed.
IntelliVision face recognition can be implemented on premise servers, over the cloud, or embedded in cameras with multi-core ARM chips such as those from Ambarella and Qualcomm. IntelliVision face recognition will soon be commercially available on NSC’s ELAN intelligent touch panels, adding a new level of intuitive convenience to the home control and automation platform.
Face recognition is increasing in use not just for catching criminals and authenticating employees, but also for adding value through VIP identification in smart retail applications, and adding convenient personalization to the smart home.
The IntelliVision family of video analytics solutions includes object detection and classification (humans, vehicles, pets, airplanes), people/vehicle counting, demographics, intrusion/perimeter watch, object left/removed, license plate recognition (ALPR/ANPR), audio/sound recognition and facial recognition.
Now a subsidiary of Nortek Security & Control LLC, IntelliVision is a market leader in AI and Deep Learning video analytics software for Smart Cameras, providing video analytics solutions for markets including Smart Home/IoT, Smart Security, Smart Retail, Smart Business, Smart City and Smart Auto (ADAS). IntelliVision video analytics products are in use in over 5 million cameras around the world and are used to provide actionable insights to home, business and security systems. IntelliVision provides the largest suite of video analytics products in the market today, with products used by Fortune 500 companies, the US Government and leading brands.
About Nortek Security & Control
Nortek Security & Control LLC (NSC) is a global leader in smart connected devices and systems for residential, security, access control, and digital health markets. NSC and its partners have deployed more than 4 million connected systems and over 25 million security and home control sensors and peripherals. Through its family of brands including 2GIG®, ELAN®, Linear®, GoControl®, IntelliVision®, Mighty Mule® and Numera®, NSC designs solutions for national telecoms, big box retailers, OEM partners, service providers, security dealers, technology integrators and consumers.
Headquartered in Carlsbad, California, NSC has over 50 years of innovation and is dedicated to addressing the lifestyle and business needs of millions of customers every day. For further information, visit nortekcontrol.com.
Any other brand names and product names mentioned herein may be the trademarks, tradenames, service marks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.


text:
More Articles for asphalt demand
U.S. consumption of asphalt products is projected to increase 1.7 percent annually to 30.8 million tons in 2013, according to the report, Asphalt, recently released by The Freedonia Group. This is equivalent to 169 million barrels of primary asphalt, the vast ...
- Report: Just 6 Percent of 2013 federal-aid funding went into new roads & bridges392 Views
- 2014 Better Roads Bridge Inventory341 Views
- One killed, four injured after bridge collapses at college327 Views
- Highway Trust Fund: Who’s in and who’s out in next Congress234 Views
- Tracked electric vehicles the future of transportation?193 Views


text:
Restaurants and supermarkets across the US and Canada have suspended the use of romaine lettuce amid an ongoing investigation into a widespread outbreak of E.coli.
At least two people were killed and 58 sickened by E.coli outbreaks in Canada and the US, which authorities in Canada have linked to romaine lettuce.
Compass Group, the US’s largest food service company, said it has suspended the use of romaine lettuce in all operations.
The firm, which supplies food to corporate cafes, hospitals and schools across the US, announced it had alerted its distributors and recommended “alternative leafy greens for use in the business”.
“This is an indefinite hold until the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDCP) provides more information,” it said.
Fast food chain Wendy’s said they had also removed salads containing romaine lettuce temporarily until more information is available.
Restaurant chain Chipotle said it would still serve romaine lettuce but keep a close eye on the recall and its suppliers.
Meanwhile, in Canada, the grocery chain Sobeys, which operates 1,500 stores under different names, said it has pulled more than 300 romaine lettuce products from store shelves.
Last week, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) confirmed that it was investigating 41 cases of illness linked to E.coli across the country from November and December.
It said in all at least 58 people in both the US and Canada had been sickened and two – one in California and one in Canada – had died.
PHAC added that it had also linked at least 17 reports of illnesses in 13 US states to the outbreak.
Most patients reported eating romaine lettuce before they became ill and PHAC said “individuals reported eating romaine lettuce at home, as well as in prepared salads purchased at grocery stores, restaurants and food chains”.
The USCDCP said it was not yet ready to blame the American outbreak on the leafy green but both outbreaks appear to have been caused by related strains of bacteria, suggesting the possibility of a shared source.
James Rogers, director of Food Safety and Research in the US, said although health authorities had not confirmed the source of the outbreak, shoppers should avoid the lettuce as a precaution.
“Even though we can’t say with 100% certainty that romaine lettuce is the cause of the E.coli outbreak in the US, a great degree of caution is appropriate given that lettuce is almost always consumed raw,” he said.
He added that the widespread nature of the US outbreak suggests that the cause was not limited to a restaurant or particular area.
“When we see this pattern of illnesses, we certainly would default to thinking that this was a commercially distributed product that was contaminated,” he said.
However, Big Produce – a large group of distribution and farming associations – has hit out at the vague public health warnings about romaine lettuce and said authorities have so far been unable to pinpoint a specific supplier as the source of the outbreak.
The group said that the premature blaming of romaine lettuce had unfairly hit farmers who supply it to the restaurants and supermarkets who have suspended its use.
“The USCDC has not identified what food likely caused this foodborne illness. No public agency has contacted any romaine lettuce grower, shipper or processor and requested that they either stop shipping or recall product already in the marketplace,” it said
“Even if this outbreak is actually confirmed to be caused by romaine lettuce, it’s important to recognise this is a highly perishable product with a limited usable shelf life and it’s highly unlikely a specific affected lot would still be available for sale or in a home refrigerator with the US illness being reported on 8 December 8 and the last Canadian illness reported 12 December.”
The statement was signed by Untied Fresh Produce Association, Produce Marketing Association, Canadian Produce Marketing Association, Western Growers, California Leafy Greens Agreement and Arizona Leafy Greens Agreement.


text:
July 16, 2009 BY Aaron Hope
It probably won’t help subdue the annual monsoons, but the Philippines have been honoured with two excellent Nike basketball designs this month. Hot on the heels of an Asia-Exclusive Hyperize is that shoe’s forerunner, the Nike Hyperdunk. Pictured above, it’s coloured by the blue, red, yellow and white found on the nation’s flag. They’re available now at Foot Locker’s House of Hoops specialty store at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. Photos via Warped.